The Legacy of the Headband Chapter 13: Harmonious Steps and Discordant Hearts
Songbai Wei slipped around the outside of the cave silently. Years of eavesdropping while on the streets of Capital City had allowed him to discover the existence of the dance party with ease. Since his revelation a few hours earlier, he had determined that gathering as much intelligence on Kuzon as possible would help him decide what to do with this newfound information. If the Avatar was indeed alive and hidden in plain sight within the Fire Nation itself, there must be a very good reason for his presence. Furthermore, Wei was also convinced that the Fire Lord must not be aware of Kuzon's vitality or he would not have declared victory only to be proven wrong later. That meant that one of the Fire Lord's advisors who had participated in the capture of Ba Sing Se must be lying. If the Avatar's death was a lie, what else was the government prevaricating?
Wei's mind and heart were in complete conflict. Every ounce of cultural conditioning and indoctrination he had ever received throughout his life urged him to report Kuzon to the authorities immediately out of unfailing loyalty to the state and to the Fire Lord. Perhaps only a week ago, he might have made such a choice without a second thought. However, interacting with Kuzon over the past few days had affected Wei profoundly. He had always felt alone and different within his own culture, yet when he met Kuzon, he discovered a kindred spirit with a similar fighting style for the first time in his life.
He had learned from birth that the Fire Nation was the superior state of the world, and that all other cultures were savage and miserable in their tribal simplicity. His school lessons had emphasized that the Great War was a way for the Fire Nation to share its greatness with the world; the Fire Nation had everything to teach the other nations and nothing to learn from them. However, now that he knew that Kuzon was from a completely different culture, he realized that perhaps there were places out there where he might actually… belong.
Adding to Wei's confusion was the fact that observing Kuzon up close had humanized the Avatar in ways that propaganda texts and legend never could. It was still hard to believe that such a young, good natured boy was really the most powerful being in the world, capable of destroying armies and causing tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados, and volcanic eruptions. Yet there was no other explanation. Kuzon was far stronger than any of the other students in the school because he was a master bender who had been in constant training for years. The old soul that Wei had sensed within him was the essence of his hundreds of past lives. The headband he wore was not covering a scar, but the blue arrow tattoo seen in all of his wanted posters. Of course, that meant that his name was not Kuzon at all, but rather… Aang.
Aang. Could this really be the terrifying figure hunted by thousands of Fire Nation soldiers around the world? After all, sometimes he seemed just like any other boy who smirked and joked and flirted with girls in the schoolyard. Yet how could a child who had been through such trials act so innocent and carefree? Wei wished he could talk to Aang openly and get inside his head. Who was the Avatar behind the headband and why was he here? Wei sighed deeply. He knew he was not going to turn the boy in to the police. He did not trust the government anymore, and all he could trust was his gut instinct that the Avatar was the gateway to a world where he might finally find happiness.
As Wei reached the back of the cave near the sea, he heard a low groaning noise that caused slight tremors across the ground. The sound echoed out over the water and was followed by several large thumps. Wei's eyes widened and he continued to approach very carefully. The strength of the vibrations suggested that there was a very large animal nearby. Wei wanted to make his way inside the cave without being seen. The only way to do so might be to sneak past this mystery creature.
Wei turned the corner to face the back entrance and stopped short, covering his mouth to keep from crying out. In front of him was a giant white bison of gargantuan size. The animal had solid horns protruding from its head, a large flat tail that was flopping up and down, and six powerful legs moving in a particular rhythm. Luckily, the fluffy monster was facing towards the cave, allowing Wei to overcome his initial shock.
As he stood in place, Wei realized that he could hear lively music drifting onto the wind from inside the cave. Apparently, the bison could hear the beat too and was actually moving in time to the notes. It was almost as if he was… dancing. No, that was ridiculous. Bison do not dance. Yet the powerful creature continued groaning, tapping, and wagging with the melody. Wei ducked out of sight again and paced, trying to determine how to proceed. How would he get inside the cave without being attacked by that symphonic savant of a beast?
On Ji sipped her water like a lady, even though her throat was begging for hydration. She had no idea how long it would take for her to recover from her dance with Kuzon. She felt hot and sweaty all over, and the stain of red across her cheeks wasn't going to come out anytime soon. Her heart was still racing, and her breath was not yet even. Somehow, he was still out there dancing, leaping around the room and encouraging everyone to join the revelry. On Ji had no idea where he found all of his stamina. She hadn't wanted to stop dancing with him at all, but thirst and the lingering pain in her side had won out and she had excused herself to the large ice bowl of cold water.
The Flameos played on, and most of the students were now on the floor, improvising and letting loose. As On Ji peered around the room, she noticed that even Shoji, Urdu, and Senyo were caught up in the beat, totally unaware of themselves in the pulse of the crowd. She had to admit that such levity was dangerously fun. Her sore ribs attested to that. As much as On Ji was loving this night, she knew it couldn't last. With that thought in mind, she scanned the room again for Kuzon, determined to find him and chase her worries away with his smile just for her. That was her plan, of course, until she saw Kuzon extend his hand to the dark skinned girl with blue eyes.
On Ji had not paid much attention to any of the youths in the room without school uniforms. She was vaguely aware that they were connected to Kuzon somehow, but her attention had scarcely wavered from him throughout the night. Yet now, she took in the darker girl with questions abound. Who was she? How did Kuzon know her? Where did people who looked like that even come from? She was certainly a very beautiful young woman, On Ji acknowledged. She was slim, and her revealing outfit displayed her muscular abdomen and arms from across the room. On Ji guessed that she was a little older than Kuzon: maybe 14 or 15 years old. The girl frowned and looked away from him for a moment, fiddling with her hair. Kuzon seemed to insist, and with a small smile, the girl took his hand and followed him out onto the dance floor.
On Ji moved closer to the pair of them, her heart sinking into her stomach. So, she wasn't the only girl Kuzon handpicked to dance with tonight. Not only that, but now he was whispering something in her ear and she was smiling softly. The two of them turned and bowed to each other, using the same strange hand position that Kuzon had during his first day in Ms. Kwan's class. Then, they began to circle each other, falling into a kind of dance that On Ji had never seen before.
In a matter of seconds, everyone in the room stopped moving and gathered in a circle around Kuzon and his dance partner, watching with surprise as Kuzon demonstrated yet another form of self-expression they had never seen before.
On Ji stared at them with her mouth open. She was beginning to realize that the spark of affection she thought she had seen in Kuzon's eyes was absolutely nothing compared to how he was looking at this girl. As they turned, On Ji saw them exchange a few words that made the dark young woman blush and then give Kuzon a look that could only be described as sultry. While Kuzon had danced side to side with her, he was now dancing in a cyclical rhythm that the other girl matched perfectly. He wasn't instructing her or helping her along at all. They were just moving together in perfect harmony, flowing with the vivacious melodies echoing around the cave.
Their dance was almost like a flow of energy or a beautiful fight. He would kick and she would dodge- they would twirl and lunge and move back together again with ease and grace. What they were doing was more than just a dance; they were more. On Ji watched and watched and felt her heart break like the wall she had destroyed during gym class that afternoon. Kuzon would never look at her the way he was gazing at his dance partner. They were probably a couple. How could they not be, moving in such sync together? Kuzon and his companion had probably danced like this many times before in the colonies.
On Ji felt a traitorous tear slowly sully her rapidly cooling cheek. She felt like a fool. How could she have believed that she was good enough for someone as amazing as Kuzon? Her hair was boring, her teeth were a little crooked, and she still had almost no curves showing through her uniform. She was still a little girl, and Kuzon had a woman who could dance and smile at him with confidence.
Kuzon and his partner simultaneously flipped in midair and twirled around again, eliciting cries of awe from the crowd. With one last measure of music, the dark skinned girl back flipped twice and landed perfectly in Kuzon's outstretched arm. Everyone started cheering and clapping with gusto. On Ji straightened her back and school her expression, wiping away her tears. She knew she had lost any chance she might have had with Kuzon, but she was determined not to let it show. Wandering over to Shoji, she decided to clear her mind and simply try to enjoy the rest of the party for as long as she could.
Unbeknownst to any of the jubilant children inside the cave, The Headmaster and several guards were rapidly approaching the shore. Hide smirked to himself. Running all the way to the outskirts of town had not been easy, but the Headmaster's gratitude had been worth it. He knew he was in for even more perks and favors now than before. Sure, his peers might call him a snitch, but he preferred to call it "manipulating those in authority to get ahead."
Why should he care if his classmates got upset that he ruined their illegal soiree? It was what the adults of him that counted. Besides, dancing was wrong and dangerous to the health of the state. Hide had known Kuzon was a troublemaker from the start, and now he would be able to get rid of the miserable twerp once and for all. With Kuzon out of the way, On Ji would be all his again and no one else would dare to challenge him. As Hide marched onward towards the cavern, he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that after tonight, everything would go back to the way it should be.