To The Edge Of The Earth
Chapter 1
His leg bounced nervously. He had travelled the world and had met Emperors and Kings, Princesses and Mayors but this was different – this was giving his opinions on politics and mediating treaties. This was attempting to make a difference to the world.
His training had not prepared him for this. At sixteen he had been plucked from the Southern Air Temple and his peaceful life. Proclaimed at the Avatar, Aang had been deep in denial – he was sure they had picked the wrong person. Anil, his guardian, had laughed at the young man when he had proclaimed that it was all a big misunderstanding.
But when he had arrived at the North Pole and Master Pakku had put him through his paces and the water had swirled through the air under his command Aang had felt... elated. Excited. Powerful. Aang had become a Master Airbender at only twelve years old, but his mastery of Waterbending was achieved in an unheard length of time – only six months.
Earthbending had been harder for the young Avatar, taking more than a year and more than one instructor. He had begun his training under the tutelage of General Fong but found his methods... unorthodox and uncomfortable. The General had wanted to push the young man to his fullest extent and had done so by using dangerous tactics. Aang had left the General's fortress on his Sky Bison, Appa, and headed towards the East of the continent. While travelling he heard a rumour of a young blind girl who could Earthbend even the strongest men to their knees.
He managed to find the Blind Bandit in the underground wrestling ring beneath Gaoling. Toph Bei Fong was the daughter of Lao Bei Fong and her instruction of the Avatar in Earthbending had caused quite a stir. However, under her rough and tumble (and sometimes terrifying) lessons Aang had become an excellent Earthbender and learned to put his teacher's unique skills to good use.
From there, Aang travelled to the capital of the Fire Nation and settled in the palace in the Caldera City to begin his Firebending training. His lessons had been conducted by a number of the Royal Family – primarily the Crown Prince Iroh and his nephew Prince Zuko who was fourth in line to the throne. The training had been intense, lasting around eight months. The most horrifying moment of Aang's life had occurred during his Mastery Test when Iroh's brother, Ozai, had shot a bolt of pure lightening towards him. He had redirected the blow but there had been a moment of sheer terror as he had stared into the Prince's eyes.
But all the hard work had led to here. He was a fully realised Avatar, one of the youngest ever in recorded history, at only eighteen. And now the real work would begin.
Avatar Aang tried to conceal his heavy sigh from the other occupants of the room. He was in an antechamber of the palace of the Earth King, readying himself for the first meeting of the Four Nations Council which he would attend in his new capacity. While he was an intelligent young man, Aang felt as though he was politically ignorant and that he would not add much value to this meeting – worst of all he worried that he would make the wrong decisions due to his lack of knowledge.
"An unhappy Airbender is not a sight I am accustomed to seeing."
"And you without a cup of tea makes me feel the same," Aang replied, a smile blooming over his face as he turned towards Iroh. The Fire Lord's eldest son looked resplendent in his layered robes of crimson and black. "How are you General?"
"Old," He replied with a hearty laugh, his hands coming to rest over his shaking belly. His chuckles died out before a hand clasped down on Aang's shoulder. "Though, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Uncle?"
"At least once more."
"What troubles you, Aang?" Iroh asked quietly, the gentle touch on the Avatar's shoulder turning to steel as he led him to the side of the room away from prying ears. The elderly General peered into Aang's face, as though he could read his thoughts. "I do not think I have ever seen you so unhappy and I was there when you met Azula for the first time."
"Father, don't tease the poor man," Aang turned and smiled as Lu Ten stopped to stand beside them. The Crown Prince's son bowed to him before grinning. "He's probably worried that Uncle Ozai is going to shoot him again."
"Lu Ten!" Iroh scolded as Aang gave an uneasy laugh, his eyes bouncing around the room as he looked for the other Fire Nation Prince. He found the tall man talking to Lord Bei Fong, neither looking like they were particularly enjoying the conversation.
"He is not entirely wrong," Aang joked in reply. His eyes met Iroh's only intense stare and his lips pulled downwards again. "I'm just worried that I'm not ready for this."
"No one is ever ready for their first political meeting of this sort," Lu Ten soothed with a shrug of his shoulder. "I've been doing this since I was your age and I still never feel totally prepared – even after more than ten years!"
"That is not helping our young friend, I'm sure," Iroh said, shaking his head disapprovingly though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He reached out and grasped Aang's upper arms, pulling the younger man so that he was forced to look directly at the General. "Aang, this lack of confidence in yourself frustrates me greatly. It will be difficult to find your place in this new world but it will come. We all must make mistakes before we reach our full potential and realise what are parts are in life."
"Thank you Uncle," Aang replied as his shoulders sagged. He did not entirely believe his words, but he didn't want to let him down. "I will try my best."
"That is all anyone can ask of you, Avatar Aang," Iroh answered, squeezing his arms in reassurance before letting go and sweeping the Airbender around. His arm looped around Aang's shoulder and he was once again pulling him across the room. "Come, let me introduce you to some of the Council Members you have not yet met."
Aang glance over his shoulder at Lu Ten who could only shrug his shoulder and mouth his apologies for his father before he was swallowed into the crowd of diplomats, Iroh's grasp the only thing keeping him afloat. There were a few familiar faces dotted about the room and when he met Anil's eyes the older monk gave him a reassuring smile – Aang would have liked to have stopped to talk to his old mentor but Iroh kept the pace steady and only stopped when they were in front of two clearly Water Tribe men.
"Chief Hakoda, it had been too long," Iroh cheerfully slapped Aang on the shoulder before grasping the dark skinned man's arm in a traditional handshake. "I hope your wife is faring well? Let me introduce you to Aang – Aang this is Chief Hakoda and his son, Prince Sokka." Iroh gestured towards the other man who was in his early twenties. "They represent the Southern Water Tribe at these meetings."
"You are too informal Uncle," Hakoda frowned at the aging Fire Nation Prince and Aang tensed, wondering if the Southern Water Tribe was as rigid as their counterparts in the North. Aang was surprised that in his relief he didn't float to the ceiling as Hakoda continued. "And that is just how I like it. Avatar Aang, it is a pleasure to meet you. It's a shame that you did not come to the South to train – I think we could have all been wonderful friends."
"I have heard a lot of good things about you, Chief Hakoda" Aang answered, meeting the Chief's handshake with a grip of his own. In truth, he had heard about the Southern Chief and it had all been positive things. He had also heard that the man was intimidating, standing a head above everyone else in the room and almost as wide with the muscles of a Savage Tribal man.
While it was true that Hakoda was tall and built as strongly as a man who had to hunt for his meals, Aang was not intimidated in the least – he was as tall, if not taller than the older man and the smile that graced the Chief's face was genuine and kind. Aang could not say the same thing about the Chief's son.
Sokka was staring at the Avatar, a not unkind look on his face, but not one which screamed welcome. It was clear that he was wary of Aang and was unsure how to react to his presence. Like his father he was tall and strongly built – without the friendly smile and merry twinkling of the ice blue eyes he could see why other people found the men of the Southern Water Tribe intimidating.
"Please, just call me Hakoda – Chief makes me feel old," Hakoda insisted, laughing at himself easily.
"That's because you are old," Sokka quipped. He eyed Aang for a few more moments before sticking his arm out to shake. "It's an honour to meet you, Avatar Aang."
"Oh, no, just Aang. Just Aang is fine," His cheeks flushed as he reached out and clasped Sokka's forearm. It was a tight grip and Aang knew this was a test of his own manliness. He warily watched as Sokka considered his shake before the older boy let go and smiled at him.
"Well, Just Aang, are you nervous?" Hakoda asked, his hand gesturing around the room at the assembled delegated. "Your first meeting – pretty scary, huh?"
"I'm alright," Aang answered, trying to force a sense of bravado into his voice as he watched Iroh carefully. "It's a bit overwhelming, but I hope that I can make a difference for the people."
"Spoken like a true Avatar," Iroh announced happily. He looked like he wanted to say more but a great gong sounded throughout the room, drawing the attention of the chattering crowd. A small man, spectacles perched on the end of his nose stood by the door to meeting hall.
"General Yang invites all Council members to take their seats," His voice called through the room and as a mass everyone began to move forward, conversations coming to a close as they filed into the room.
Aang was close to the back of the crowd, walking slowly forward. He had been just about to cross the threshold into the room when a young woman clad in blue with a tumbling mane of dark brown curls cut in front of him, sending an icy glare over her shoulder with bright blue eyes.
He stopped in his tracks, his face neutral but his mind reeling. The woman kept walking and other Council members streamed around him. She had been beautiful – Aang was sure he hadn't seen a more entrancing creature in his life. Her wave of hostility however had frightened him.
After all, having enemies before he had even sat down for his first Council meeting was not part of the plan.
...
Aang shifted slightly in his seat, trying to simultaneously meet everyone's eyes but also avoiding prolonged contact. He was seated at the main dais with the Arbitrator, a stern looking man from the Earth Kingdom – a notary sat on the other side of Arbitrator General Yang poised to take minutes.
Set in an oval around the dais sat the rest of the Council, the Nations represented by a colourful group of people. The Earth Kingdom delegates seemed to sit the most stiffly, King Kuei sending surreptitious glances towards King Bumi around Lord Bei Fong – there were also a number of high ranking Generals that Aang didn't recognise. He easily named the Monks Anil and Tashi and Nuns Kwang and Yun from each of the Air Temples. The delegation from the Northern Water Tribe was made up of the Chief Arnook, his son-in-law Hahn and Aang's Waterbending Master Pakku – their blue and purple tunics clashed terribly with the autumnal shades of the Airbenders.
His eyes lingered on the Southern Water Tribe group, the Chief and his son sitting with the young woman he had glimpsed as the Council had been invited to sit. She could not have been more than two or three years older than himself. Colour tinged his cheeks when her eyes bored into his own. He snapped his gaze away and surveyed the Fire Nation group, made up of the Royal family, Princes Iroh, Lu Ten and Ozai. The young Avatar was surprised that Fire Lord Azulon was not in attendance.
He started slightly when he also realised that the young Water Tribe delegate was the only woman in the room bar the two Airbending Nuns.
"Thank you, thank you," General Yang's voice cut through the murmur of the assembled group. He stood, his girth astounding and his voice gruff as he addressed the room. "Thank you for joining me today – your attendance is appreciated. It is a great honour to stand here with you all and to stand here and welcome Avatar Aang to his first Council gathering as a fully realised Avatar."
"Uh," Aang cleared his throat as all eyes in the room darted to him. He was unsure whether he was meant to say anything and his own gaze met Anil's who gave a single shake of his head. Instead of saying something that would offend someone, he simply smiled and nodded his head in greeting.
"Do not be fooled by Avatar Aang's youth – I'm sure we all expect to see great things from him," General Yang continued onwards, laying out the meeting's agenda.
Aang felt lost as the man's list seemed to comprise of over one hundred different area's that needed covered. The Four Nation's Council would meet every day for ten days, but surely that was not enough time to address everything that apparently needed resolved. His attention slammed back to General Yang when he heard the words abdication and Fire Nation.
"...As put forth by Prince Iroh, the abdication of his father is to be discussed at the earliest convenience..."
He glanced over at the Fire Nation Prince, trying to keep his face neutral at the shocking news. Iroh's face was impassive, his usually cheery demeanour in place as he listened to General Yang. Yang continued with his list, its items continuing to stretch to impossible lengths.
Eventually the meeting began. The first part of the meeting consisted of previous passed motions being discussed – their viability or failure being hotly contested over. Aang estimated that this lasted almost two hours. While he was not included in these conversations and discussions he watched with avid eyes as many members of the Council put forward opinions. He was not well versed in politics, but used this time to figure out where other members sat on the political scales and whose ideas and values he felt were in the best interests of the population.
"Alright, let's being with this round of meetings agenda – Prince Iroh, you have the floor to discuss the matter of abdication," General Yang used a large fountain pen to score something of his list. Aang watch as Iroh rose to his feet, still steady despite nearing his seventieth year.
"As many of you know, Fire Lord Azulon is well past one hundred years of age. After lengthy discussions with his advisors, myself and Prince Ozai, my father has decided that it is time for him to step down from the throne to allow for more leisurely activities," Iroh looked at his brother for a moment, the two sharing a silent conversation. Iroh cleared his throat and continued. "It is my honour to take over from my father and continue to reign as Fire Lord. With the approval of the Council we would like to set this in motion and begin preparations for the required ceremonies."
"This has come out of the blue, surely the Fire Lord himself should be here to discuss this," King Kuei shot out of his seat as soon as Iroh had returned to his own, his fist banging into his open palm. "Is this an elaborate ruse of some sort?"
"I can assure you that it is not, Your Highness," Ozai's oil slick voice cut through the chamber at Kuei's accusation. "Our father has decided that his time to reign has ended and that he simply wishes to enjoy what remains of his life without having to attend meetings such as this and the like. Or are you implying that my father is hatching some sort of diabolical plot to rule the world?"
Aang watched, curious as Kuei seemed to shrink back into himself with Ozai's every word. The youngest son of Fire Lord Azulon had always scared Aang – he had seemed much more ruthless during sparring than his brother, nephew or son, as though he was looking for an opening in Aang's defence to get in the final killing hit. On one hand, the Avatar was glad that he had been able to fight against someone who did not hold back in anyway – Prince Ozai had surely made him a better fighter for it – but he had also been worried that the man had his own hidden agenda.
"I'm sure Kuei meant no such thing, Ozai," Chief Arnook diffused the situation with his low rumbling tone, gesturing for Ozai to return to his seat. "It does just come as a bit of the shock. While I do not have issue with this sudden change I do have to question whether Iroh is capable of taking on the role. I mean you no ill intentions, but you are yourself getting on in life."
"That is true," Iroh announced, an easy smile on his face. He looked at Lu Ten for a moment before turning to the room again. "However my son is not ready to take the throne. He is not wed yet."
"Oh, please," Aang's eyes had been following the discussion from person to person with great interest. He was intrigued to find his eyes now rested on the young Water Tribe Woman. "It's bad enough that most of this council assume age is a factor in how well one can do their job, but whether they're married or not takes it to a whole other level."
"You know how important traditions are and for the Fire Nation this is one of their stipulations" Pakku shot back. Aang was quite surprised when the older man rolled his eyes and sneered at the woman. "Your Waterbending is a testament to that."
"That is out of line Master Pakku," General Yang stood up as he levelled the Water Tribe man with a glare. "This Council meeting is to discuss and debate matters that affect the world – not petty squabbles between families and individuals." Pakku waved his hand in apology at the Arbitrator whose eyes now turned to the Water Tribe woman. "We are all aware of your feelings on equality and patriarchy, Princess Katara. If you could refrain from rehashing old arguments then we may all make it out of the building in time for dinner tonight."
"I will only do so when every Nation embraces the notion that men and women, young or old, deserve the same basic human rights," Katara snapped back, her gaze fiery as she stared at General Yang.
Aang had expected the room to plunge into a deathly silence at her petulance – he was waiting for the General to snap, to expel her from the room until she could hold her tongue. Instead he observed many of the Council members simply sighing, rolling their eyes or muttering to each other under their breath. Hakoda curling a hand around Katara's arm and pulled her towards him, muttering in her ear until her bravado faded and she looked towards the notes on the scrolls in front of her.
"I apologise, please continue," Her voice was low as she picked up a fountain pen and made a few marks on the paper.
"Very well," General Yang looked around the room for long moment, his gaze sweeping over the assembled dignitaries. "There is no point continuing to argue over age and marital status regarding the succession in the matter of the Fire Lord. Avatar Aang, what do you think of this matter?"
"I..." Aang gulped, suddenly nervous as all eyes in the room were on him. He didn't know what he was meant to say. What was General Yang actually asking him? He could feel his palms becoming clammy as he became more and more nervous. His stare stopped on Monk Anil, the elderly man smiling at him patiently. Sucking in a deep breath Aang opened his mouth. "I believe that Iroh is more than capable of leading his nation – he has the experience of being a politician and a military General behind him. He also has a great love for his people and would always strive to do what is best for them." Anil nodded at him discreetly, his smile widening in pride.
A number of other Council members also seemed happy with his answer, some nodding thoughtfully or smiling at him as his gaze passed over them. Others, such as Kuei, remained impassive or discreetly whispered to their companions over his words. Katara's hard stare met his as he looked over at the Southern Water Tribe delegates, her mouth a grim line.
"Thank you for your opinion, Avatar Aang," Yang made a further note on his paper. "We shall put this to vote for Council approval and then move forward with the next item on the agenda."
Aang did not manage to contain his sigh of relief as Yang's proclamation rang out through the room. He hadn't made a fool of himself or started an international incident. Or at least he didn't think he had, though with the way Katara continued to glare at him from across the room he wasn't too sure how long peace would last.