Chapter 14: Genesis and Exodus

Urdu had never felt so free. He closed his eyes and let the music flow through his ears, into his heart, and out of his limbs. For once in his life, he did not feel self-conscious about how he looked. For once, Urdu felt like he could move his body without everyone staring at him and laughing.

Urdu had struggled with his weight his entire life. Obesity was not particularly common in the Fire Nation: mainstream cuisine was usually fairly lean and consisted mostly of meats, eggs, fish, legumes, vegetables, and rice. Most of the population could not stomach milk or cheese, and only the wealthy could afford anything made of wheat, including bread. Even desserts were usually just fruit dried or mixed with nuts. Urdu's family almost always had enough to eat, but could rarely afford fattening or sugary foods. In fact, Urdu had always been careful to eat small portions and only healthy meals under the watchful eyes of his parents, who had been disappointed with him throughout his life for his size. Yet no matter what Urdu ate, he stayed just as chubby as ever. He felt powerless, and like a prisoner inside his own skin.

Furthermore, Fire Nation culture as a whole was incredibly physically active. Virtually all firebenders were lean and muscular from years of physical training in their discipline. Except for the bureaucrats at the top of society, the vast majority of citizens had physically demanding jobs. Farmers, merchants, entertainers, factory workers, guards, and soldiers tended to stay slim from their hard labors.

These two factors of lean diet and active lifestyle ensured that perhaps less than five percent of Fire Nation citizens were in any way overweight. Of those that were, most were elderly and sedentary or so wealthy that their pot bellies were status symbols. Yet Urdu was a thirteen year old boy from a middle class family. His chubbiness had no 'legitimate' excuse in the eyes of his parents or his community. As a result, he had been mocked mercilessly for his weight as long as he could remember.

The bullying had cost Urdu a great deal. Once a very outgoing and social young child, he soon learned to make himself as unnoticeable as possible to avoid negative attention. Although he used to enjoy running around and exercising, he started avoiding it after the other kids in his class laughed at the way his body jiggled. His self-esteem and confidence were crushed. Urdu spent most of the time feeling worthless. He believed that all anyone saw when they looked at him was a fat failure. His teachers had expected him to be a poor student, and so he was. When Hide frequently stole his lunch and told him that he 'didn't need any more food anyway,' he learned to lower his head and not say a word. He learned to duck his head inside the collar of his uniform to hide his tears and run behind everyone else in gym class so no one would see him.

For a long time, Urdu had had no friends. He had hated school because he spent every day being either teased or ignored by his peers. Then, one day a few years ago, a girl with pigtails and a bright gap toothed grin had sat next to him at lunch in the courtyard. The day he became friends with Senyo was one of Urdu's happiest memories. She made him feel good about himself and never judged him for how he looked. Through Senyo, Urdu became friends with Shoji and several other kids too. He started doing better in class and actually looked forward to going to school.

Even a week ago, he would never have believed that he would be doing something as forbidden as dancing in front of other people at a secret party in a cave. It was all thanks to the newest member of his friend group: Kuzon. Kuzon was everything that Urdu was not: strong, athletic, confident, popular, smart, and unafraid to question authority. Not to mention that he was great with the ladies too. Urdu wasn't really into girls yet, but even he had blushed watching Kuzon and that mysterious dark skinned lady locked together in the middle of the cave. Kuzon was everything that Urdu wanted to become. For the first time in years, Urdu felt hope that maybe he would one day feel good about himself.

Laughing, Urdu turned to Shoji next to him and shouted over the music.

"This is amazing. I feel like my inhibitions have disappeared!"

But before Shoji could respond, Urdu felt his heart leap into his throat. All of the blood drained from his face and his entire body tensed with fear as he instinctively hid his face behind his collar. There, at the entrance to the cave, was the headmaster wearing a thunderous expression on his face.

"Uh oh. They're… back again."

On Ji watched the headmaster enter the cave as if in slow motion. The music played on as his voice filled the enclosed space with a sonorous boom.

"He's the one we want! The boy with the headband!"

Oh no! They were going to capture Kuzon. On Ji's heart raced as tears blinked at her eyelids. How on earth had the headmaster found them? She knew this was a terrible idea! Why had she let Shoji talk her into to coming tonight. If her parents found out… if Hide found out… she was as good as dead.

The guards surged into the crowd as Kuzon took off, tearing through the hordes of kids who had all stopped dancing and were frozen with terror. On Ji wrung her hands desperately. The uniforms would delay them for maybe a minute or two, but they were looking for his headband. Surely they would find him and then… it wouldn't be good. Kuzon was already in hot lava for getting into a fight with Hide, arguing with Ms. Kwan, and dancing in Mr. Shou's class. If they caught him now, the guards would surely send him to the coal mines. That could not happen. Kids who got sent to the coal mines didn't return for years, if they came back at all. The grueling labor and meager rations in those mines were legendary- even grown men were starved or worked to death providing fuel for the Fire Nation's battleships and weapons factories. A small, thin boy like Kuzon would not last more than a few months.

On Ji knew that she had to figure out some way to save him. Then, as if struck by lightning, an idea formed in her head. The guards were looking for the boy with the headband. What if Kuzon wasn't the only 'boy' wearing a headband?

Quickly, On Ji untied the belt at her waist and tied it around her head. Less than ten seconds later, there was a shout and a guard ran over and grabbed her shoulder. On Ji turned her head and answered with a polite address.

"Yes?"

The other kids looked at her in confusion. On Ji couldn't relay her plan aloud, but hoped that they could see the message in her eyes and figure out what she needed them to do. This would only work if everyone took a risk and worked together.

The headmaster was becoming agitated. "That's not the one. Get him!" With another shout, the guards pulled up another small girl, who cheekily questioned them.

"Looking for someone?"

On Ji could hardly believe her eyes. Within less than a minute, every single student within the cave had tied their belts around their heads and had encircled the bewildered guards. The headmaster growled with frustration, frantically scanning the crowd with his eyes to no avail. In their uniforms, everyone looked far too similar. On Ji trembled slightly as she tried not to think about what would happen to her and the rest of the students as punishment for attending the dance party and obstructing an arrest. She silently prayed to Agni that Kuzon would be able to escape.

In the chaos that ensued as all of the students donned their makeshift headbands, Shoji alone noticed Kuzon and his friends fleeing out an exit at the back of the cave. He ran over, determined to follow them. This whole party had gone from exhilarating to disastrous in the blink of an eye. Shoji was glad that On Ji had found a way to distract the guards, but where would Kuzon go? There was no way he would be able to return to school tomorrow. In a panic, Shoji realized that Kuzon might leave town for good. He had told them that he was a nomad, after all. Would this be the last time that he would get to see Kuzon?

Desperately, Shoji caught up with Kuzon at the back of the cave. Kuzon must have sensed his presence, for he turned around and met Shoji's eyes. Shoji pasted a grin on his face and winked. Kuzon smiled and bowed respectfully in the Fire Nation fashioned he had learned only a few days ago in class. Then, he turned around and continued out of the cave.

What occurred next stunned Shoji so thoroughly that he would spend the next several hours questioning whether he had hallucinated. As Kuzon rounded the corner in the passage out of the back of the cave, rock from the bottom and top of the cave slammed together like the jaws of a great beast, completely sealing the back exit. Uncomprehending and floored, Shoji felt his eyes bug out as blood rushed to his head and he collapsed in a dead faint. Three last words echoed through his brain before his body hit the ground. "Kuzon can earthbend!"