The Legacy of the Headband Chapter 18: Dayspring Aftermath
Hair? Coiffed. Shoes? Polished. Facial expression? Stern.
As the sun began to rise in the early summer sky, Suri Kwan made her way swiftly on foot towards SS-259 as she had every morning for the past three decades. Like many firebenders, she rose with the sun and preferred to get an early start to her day. For Suri, this meant enjoying a peaceful walk to work while the streets were still sleepy and quiet, dropping a few copper for a newspaper and a cup of hot tea, and sitting calmly in her classroom reading the latest current events before her class arrived. It was a harmless indulgence still regimented within a strictly disciplined daily schedule, so Suri allowed herself this bit of pleasure each dawn.
Single and childless, she found comfort in precise timetables and predictable routines and saw no need to change things up out of boredom. Boredom was merely the symptom of a weak and idle mind not contributing enough to the Fire Nation's progress. Who could ever be bored when there was so much hard work to be done? Surprises were only unwelcome distractions that reduced efficiency. Luckily, Suri very rarely had to contend with any such blemishes to her orderly world.
Unfortunately for the punctilious history teacher, her normal morning jaunt was destined to be anything but normal. As she strode along briskly, Suri noticed an unusually large crowd gathered in the center square. Not only that, but there were Fire Nation soldiers marching in formations throughout the downtown area. It was rare to see very many people out on the streets at this hour, but the fact that they seemed to be congregating around the daily newspaper vender was immediate cause for alarm. Suri gasped. Had there been some major event in the war effort last night? Had something happened to the Fire Lord? Hurriedly, she dashed over as properly as she could to seek further information.
"Can you believe it? Nasty little delinquents! And in a cave, no less! What an affront to decency!"
"I can tell you right now that if my son had been involved, he wouldn't be able to walk for days!"
"Who is this agitator anyway? They're calling him the 'boy with the headband.' Have you ever heard of his family? Dishonor upon him and his kin!"
"Our next generation is in moral crisis! We've got to get them under control before it's too late!"
In the midst of it all, Suri spotted a friend and colleague, Li Gosai. Quickly, she maneuvered her way through the crowd and caught the sleeve of his robe.
"Li! What in Agni's name is happening?"
Mr. Gosai turned around, looking panicked and thunderstruck. "It's Kuzon Fire! Last night, he seduced nearly the entire middle school class into blasphemous debauchery!"
Suri blinked hard and swallowed, unable to speak aloud the ideas that raced through her mind. Seduced? "What… what type of debauchery do you speak of?"
Mr. Gosai shuddered. "He took them all to a secluded cave, and played riotous music, and had them all… dancing. Ugh… it makes me sick just thinking about it! If young Hide had not informed the Headmaster, who knows what might have happened?"
Dancing?! Although privately Suri was relieved that it was not quite as serious an offense as she had initially feared, she was still extremely disturbed by this information. "I knew there was something truly seditious about that boy. First he mocked our national oath, then he argued against me in class and turned in highly suspicious answers on his exam. And just yesterday, he revealed himself to be an Avatar sympathizer. I've never heard such defiance from a student before. He learned some dangerous ideas in the colonies and has been corrupting the other students. I knew I should have reported him! He has gone too far this time. I expect that the Headmaster is sending him straight to the coal mines?"
Mr. Gosai shook his head and muttered under his breath. "That's just it, though. The little scoundrel is still walking freely! Apparently, he coerced the other students into helping him escape and is still on the run. All of these soldiers have been searching for him all night, but to no avail. It's like he just vanished into thin air."
Suri frowned bitterly. Not only had Kuzon escaped, but other students had helped him? Her students had helped him?! This would simply not do. "How did they help him?"
Mr. Gosai sighed. "Well, according to the headline article in today's paper, the students used their uniforms to confuse the Headmaster and the guards. I'm sure you recall Kuzon's bizarre choice to wear his belt as a headband? Apparently, all of the students inside the cave tied their belts around their heads too. They all looked so alike that Kuzon was able to disappear into the throng before he could be captured. Then the group had the audacity to start throwing small explosives and a small number actually used their firebending to attack the school guards! Alas, a trifle of good news. Although Kuzon is on the loose, the guards did manage to capture the ringleader of the firebenders. I am ashamed to say that she was one of my students." Wordlessly, he passed the newspaper to Suri so that she could see for herself.
DEPRAVED DALLYING! TEEN TRAITOR HOSTS CAVERN CAVORTING CAROUSAL! 'BOY IN THE HEADBAND' KUZON FIRE STILL AT LARGE AND DANGEROUS!
A DAUGHTER'S DISGRACE! ON JI PAN, 13, CHARGED WITH WILLFUL SABOTAGE OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND ASSAULTING AN OFFICER OF THE LAW. SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR IN JUVENILE REFORMATORY CAMP.
Suri Kwan's blood ran cold. "On Ji Pan? It can't be. She has always been one of my most respectful and studious pupils and comes from an honorable family. How is this possible?"
Mr. Gosai shrugged wearily. "I don't know, Suri. But right now, we ought to proceed to school at once. The rest of our students will be arriving soon, and we must impress upon them the seriousness of what they have done."
Suri's face hardened again. "Quite right. Lead the way." As the two teachers fought through the crowd and hastened down the street, Suri silently mourned the loss of her peaceful morning. Little did she know that it would be a very long time before she had another.
He knew he looked terrible, but Shoji really couldn't bring himself to care. He, like all of his peers, had gone into immediate damage control when he'd finally stumbled home the in the wee hours of the morning, claiming to his aggravated parents that he had merely fallen asleep while studying at Urdu's and had tripped and banged his head while walking home in the dark. His parents had not been happy with him, but at least they had seemingly bought his flimsy excuse for the moment. However, after today's paper and the rumors flying around town about the dance party, all bets were off.
They hadn't seen the rest of the bumps and cuts underneath his uniform from passing out and being half-carried half-dragged out of the cave. They also hadn't spotted the new tears in his uniform. Shoji had done his best to brush the dust and sand off, but he knew that he still looked remarkably unkempt. This morning, he also sported dark circles under his eyes and the kind of twitchiness that comes from true exhaustion. Terrified for On Ji, he hadn't been able to sleep a wink.
Slowly, he shuffled into Ms. Kwan's class and sat down gingerly, his eyes immediately flickering to On Ji's empty seat and Kuzon's. What was going to happen today? The Headmaster couldn't really punish them all, could he? All the air in the room was dry and very still. Unlike every other morning, no one was really talking. The silence unnerved him, made Shoji's skin itch and his tired brain scream. Usually, his days were so scheduled and certain that the uncertainty looming before him was utterly maddening.
Suddenly, one of the kids closest to the door gasped. Ms. Kwan, who had been standing outside the classroom in urgent whispered conversation with several other teachers, filed in slowly. Her menacing glare felt like a fiery burn across Shoji's face. No one moved. Hardly anyone dared to breathe. As the door shut resolutely behind her, Ms. Kwan finally opened her mouth to address the class. Her words were curt and pointed.
"I have taught history classes at SS-259 for twenty nine years. For twenty nine years, I have watched my pupils sit in the very chairs you occupy now, take notes, pass their exams, and move on to their secondary studies. Of course, every year there have been troublemakers. Every year there have been students who require extra discipline and more significant behavioral modification than the rest. But these miscreants are typically outliers, unfortunate blemishes in an otherwise respectable collection of students who make their families and nation proud." Everyone in the classroom tensed, sensing the furious reprimand that was coming.
"Yet, this year is different. Never in my life have I seen such abominable behavior from an entire classroom of students! You all watched Kuzon Fire defy my classroom authority and show great disrespect to Fire Lord Ozai and the Fire Nation, and yet you all followed him into a den of perversity and treasonous dishonor. If I had my way, you would all be paddled and given triple your usual homework load for the next month. However, since the scale of this wrongdoing is unprecedented, the Headmaster has decided to leave your punishment to your families. Yes, each and every one of your families will receive a letter today explaining your involvement in last night's incident. Kuzon Fire is gone, and something of this nature will never happen again. Am I understood?"
Quickly, all of the students stood up and bowed in perfect form, replying with an obligatory "Yes, ma'am." Ms. Kwan's scowl softened slightly. "Very well. Let us recite the national oath and then proceed with today's lesson as usual."
As everyone else turned to the back of the classroom to face the painting of Fire Lord Ozai, Shoji felt words bubbling up in his throat before he could stop them. "Ms. Kwan? Where's On Ji?" All the other students whipped around to face him, fear in their eyes. No one ever interrupted the national oath. Well, no one before Kuzon.
Ms. Kwan frowned at his interruption as a dark look passed over her face. "On Ji Pan will not be returning to our class. She has been sent to a juvenile reformatory camp for leading the assault on school guards last night and conspiring to allow Kuzon Fire to escape."
"No!" Gasps of disbelief and shock resonated throughout the room. But just as Shoji thought he might throw up because his worst fears were confirmed, the Headmaster burst into the classroom, eyes wild and face like a thundercloud.
"WHERE IS SHE?! WHERE'S ON JI PAN?!"
Ms. Kwan jumped. "Miss Pan is not here, sir. Is she not already en route to the reformatory camp?"
The Headmaster growled in frustration. "I just received word from the docks by messenger hawk. The boat left early this morning, but there was no child aboard. I cannot believe the incompetence of the dock guards! How hard is it to keep custody of one thirteen year old girl?! We've been out all night searching for Kuzon to no avail, and now she's missing too! Have you seen or heard anything?"
Ms. Kwan looked dumbfounded. Meanwhile, Shoji's heart leapt as a bubble of hope welled up within him. On Ji had escaped, and they hadn't caught Kuzon yet either. How was that even possible?
"Headmaster! Headmaster!"
A young man ran inside the classroom, panting and gasping. Two guards arrived right behind him and grabbed his arms quickly. He was wearing a dusty, torn up school uniform, and his hair was all loose instead of in a proper topknot. With a jolt, Shoji suddenly recognized the sudden visitor.
"We're sorry, sir, but this student insisted that he see you immediately."
The Headmaster narrowed his eyes at the still wheezing boy, and then croaked hoarsely. "Sweet Agni. Hide, is that you? What in Agni's name happened to you?"
Hide finally spoke, still gulping air between words. "Last night… I went with Mr. Wei and the prisoner… like you told me to, sir… and it was all fine… until I noticed that we were going the wrong way… so I confronted him… and Mr. Wei… he attacked me…. I must have passed out… a fisherman found me and woke me up… but they were long gone… Mr. Wei is a traitor… and I knew you needed to know… so I ran here as fast as I could…" As he finished, Hide uncharacteristically plopped to the ground, still clearly disoriented and out of breath.
Every eye in the room was riveted to Hide. Ms. Kwan's jaw was agape. The Headmaster wrung his hands and small flames appeared at his fingertips.
"By Sozin's flame, can this day possibly get any worse? Thank you, Hide. Guards, please see to his injuries and then contact his parents and alert the authorities so he can provide testimony. Ms. Kwan, please send a message to the local authorities alerting them that Songbai Wei is on the run and dangerous. Students, class is dismissed for the day. March straight home. If you go anywhere else, spirits help me I will punish you myself. I must go speak with Miss Pan's parents. Off you all go!"
As everyone scrambled to gather their things and go, whispering excitedly, Shoji allowed himself a small smile. Maybe the town was in an uproar and his studies were interrupted. Maybe his parents were going to beat the fire flakes out of him when he got home. Maybe he was tired and achy and still angry and hurt that Kuzon had been lying about who he was and had left without saying goodbye. But at least On Ji and Kuzon, wherever they were, weren't in the coal mines right now. And Mr. Wei, whom he had always liked best of all his teachers, had knocked out Hide and helped On Ji escape. Like the candles glittering around the cave last night, maybe there was still some light left amidst all this dark, cloudy mess of a situation.
Shoji glanced around the empty classroom for a brief moment, and then slowly unwound the belt from his waist and tied it carefully around his forehead. He couldn't wear it like this outside the classroom, of course. But for a moment, he let his eyes slip closed and breathed in calmly, hearing Kuzon's voice in his ears partly covered by red cloth.
Dancing isn't something you think about. It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you.
And although he knew he had to dash home before someone found him alone in the classroom, Shoji remained for just a few more moments. He opened his eyes and stared right at the intimidating face of the Fire Lord that he'd seen nearly every day of his entire life. Then, silently and almost as if it had a life of its own, his foot began to tap a staccato beat against the stone floor.