Disclaimer – all original Avatar: The Last Airbender characters in this fanfic (excluding my OC's) are the property of Bryana Konietzko and Michaela Dante DiMartino.
Chapter 25. The Beginning of a Legend.
The next day – Fire Nation Central Island, The Village, The Inn.
Huo forgot how great it was to sleep in a real bed. He slept topless under the sheets for the rest of the night and woke up fully rested when he felt the sun's warm rays on his face.
Opening his orange-colored eyes, he yawned and stretched his arms. "Man, I wish I could take this bed to the Spirit World with me," Huo said and sat up. His boots lay next to the bed while his tunic and gloves rested on the back of the chair.
"Does the prince wish for a breakfast in bed?" asked a familiar voice from the ajar window.
"Oh, that would be..." Huo's eyes widened, and he slowly turned his head towards the window, noticing a small bird made from blue-colored flames standing on the windowsill. It was, without a doubt, a fireling created by Wei'Rai.
"Emmm... hi," Huo waved sheepishly to the fireling.
"Hi?! Are you kidding me?!" Wei'Rai spoke through the fireling. Even though the bird stood calmly, Huo could tell that the phoenix was upset. "You were suppose to come back after seeing your friends! Not spend the night in a physical world without telling me! I looked everywhere for you! What were you thinking?!"
"I had to because you'd be angry at me if I told you what I plan to do," Huo replied and sighed. "Eilu and Shaku are in trouble. I learned that Eilu began to work as a guard in the Fire Nation capital, but something bad happened to her since she stopped sending letters to her mother. Shaku went to look for her, but he went missing as well. I promised Eilu's mom I would find them and bring them home."
"You talked with her?!" Wei'Rai asked. "I told you to keep out of sight and not talk with anybody!"
"I didn't talk with her personally," Huo replied, shaking his head. "I changed the color of my flames and used the fireplace in her house to see her. When she noticed the flames, I shaped them into a phoenix. I talked with her pretending to be a spirit that helps the people of the Fire Nation. So far, I only talked with Tejum and Nezuni, the owners of this inn, but they're new here so they don't know me. Tejum proposed to take me to the capital today."
"Unbelievable," Wei'Rai replied. "I knew letting you leave the Spirit World to see them was a bad idea."
"I must go to the capital and save them, Wei'Rai," Huo said decisively. "I made a promise."
"To begin with, you don't even know where they are or if they are even alive," the Keeper pointed out. "You'll wander aimlessly around the city, searching for someone who might not even be there."
"I'll find them!" Huo said confidently. "I'll ask my dad for an advise since he lived there when he was still a General! Shaku and Eilu are my closest friends! I must do everything I can to help them!"
"That's out of the question!" Wei'Rai replied strongly.
"See?! That's why I didn't tell you!" Huo replied as he slowly got angry. "I knew you'd not agree with me!"
"Shen'Rai sacrificed his very being for you and you want to waste it for two meaningless humans!" Wei'Rai stated. "Stop acting on impulse and think for a second! If Yuan'Shi finds you, everything you learned up to this point will be for nothing, and your friends will die anyway once she finds the Avatar! You need to finish your training!"
"My friends aren't meaningless!" Huo snapped and clenched his fists, breathing blue-colored flames from his mouth. "Maybe Shen'Rai sacrificed himself because he was sick of dealing with such a heartless brother!"
Huo's eyes widened after realizing what he had just said, and he covered his mouth. Both of them didn't say anything more as an awkward silence filled the room. The boy got up from the bed and quickly put on his boots. Running up to the chair, he grabbed his tunic and fingerless gloves. Without looking at the fireling, he left the room, closing the door behind him.
The boy approached the opposite wall and pressed his forehead against it. Closing his eyes, he fought the urge to chuckle. He shook his head and clad himself. While heading downstairs, he steadied his breath, trying to calm himself down. He knew his conversation with Wei'Rai wouldn't be pleasant, but he didn't think it would end so badly. Adjusting his tunic, Huo stepped into the kitchen and noticed Tejum and Nezuni.
"Good morning," said Huo.
"Good morning, lad," Tejum replied and arched his eyebrow, noticing the smile on the boy's face. The man sat at the table, drinking tea, while Nezuni prepared breakfast, currently chopping green onions.
The old lady turned her head toward Huo. "Good morning, Huo," she replied and noticed his smile. "Looking at your smile, I'm guessing you slept well."
"Ugh... yeah, very well," Huo replied and exhaled. At least his smile masked the awful mood he was in. He didn't want to bother the kind couple with his problems. "Do you need any help with making breakfast?"
"I'm almost done, but thank you for the offer," Nezuni replied with a grateful smile. "Sit down and we'll eat in a moment."
Huo complied and sat at the table. After a short moment, Nezuni approached him with two bowls and placed them in front of him. One was filled to the brim with steamed rice, while the other was filled with chopped green onions, seaweed, and mushrooms. "Enjoy."
Huo didn't eat regular food for so long that he felt like eating anything the elderly lady would give him. "After we finish breakfast, we'll slowly start packing things for the festival," said Tejum while Nezuni placed the bowls with the same food in front of her husband. "We need to place them on the cart I have in the barn."
"Okay," Huo replied and dug in.
Around half an hour later, Tejum and Huo went to the barn, which stood not far from the inn. Both carried heavy packages with masks, costumes, and decorations for the festival. The boy was surprised when he spotted a large dragon moose harnessed to a four-wheeled cart.
"A dragon moose!" Huo ran up to the animal, which sniffed and licked the boy's face, making him laugh. Dragon moose was a chimerical, quadrupedal animal used by the Fire Nation to pull carts and carriages. The boy saw the animal a few times when he still lived in the village, and it looked like he remembered.
Its head was topped by a pair of long back-curving bifurcated horns, and its neck and shoulders were covered by a dark mane. Its relation to a dragon was indicated by the resemblance of its ears to the wings of a bat. The long barbels at the corners of its mouth and the row of dorsal spines extending from the nape of its neck to the tufted tip of its tail was another dragon feature the animal possessed.
Tejum approached the animal and stroked its back while holding his package in one arm. "We need someone to pull the cart, and our friend here is perfect for the job," he stated, gesturing toward the large cart. "We have many packages and so let's get moving. Big ones on the bottom and the smaller ones on top of them."
Huo nodded and placed his package on the cart. Tejum did the same, and the two returned to the inn for more packages. When the cart was full, and the packages were neatly stacked, Tejum nodded with a pleased expresion. "Nicely done, it took us much faster than I thought."
"So how long will it take us to reach the capital?" Huo asked curiously.
"I would say two or three days, depending on the weather," Tejum replied. "First, we need to get to my barge, located on the island's shore. From there, we need to pass the Great Gates of Azulon and head straight towards the capital."
"Is he going to the capital with us?" Huo asked, looking at the dragon moose.
"Heh, no way, that would be too much of a trip for him," Tejum replied. "My wife will ride with us and once we load the packages, she'll return with him and the cart here."
"Got it," Huo assured with a smile.
"Good," Tejum nodded. "She's currently preparing some food for us and once she'd done, we'll be ready to go. You can stay here and keep him company if you want."
"Sure," Huo replied and gently stroked the animal's mane while Tejum left the barn. "At least something is going right," the boy sighed. "Nobody I know saw me and we're heading to the capital."
Fire Nation, Ember Island.
Located in the outer islands of the northern Fire Nation, Ember island was a renowned resort area. Set among palm trees and luscious vegetation, it was home to many luxurious resorts and vacation homes for the wealthy and powerful. Many high-ranking Fire Nation officials had vacation homes there, and the island was viewed as the top vacation destination in the Fire Nation.
The private black sand beaches were surrounded by mountains and dunes, creating a private atmosphere for visitors. The beaches were among the most popular in the country and hosted many popular kuai ball games.
While a group of teenagers was in the middle of a fierce game, which drew the attention of a large crowd, no one paid attention to a tall, hunched woman with one arm, pale skin, long black hair, and orange-colored eyes, who stood on the sand not far away and stared at the sea. No one had the slightest idea of how dangerous she was.
"Hmmm... Shen'Rai?" Yuan'Shi muttered to herself, sensing the negative emotions of a Fire Keeper, which distracted her from her search for the Avatar. She had no idea that Shen'Rai and Huo merged their spirits. "It's either an attempt to lure me into a trap, or something really angered him. Unless... the boy returned to the physical world and he's the one I'm sensing."
Yuan'Shi's larger eye was covered with a bandage wrapped around her head. Clad in simple attire, which consisted of a yellowish shirt with a brown vest, grey pants, and black boots, she looked like a normal, albeit ill-looking woman. Having every element at her disposal, she effortlessly pretended to be an injured soldier from one of the nations, depending on the situation.
"Maybe they want to find the Avatar before me," Yuan'Shi pondered and grabbed her chin. "If they kill him during the Avatar state, my plan will become much harder. I need to throw caution to the wind and make sure."
Yuan'Shi looked around, making sure that no one was looking at her. She then looked at the water at her feet and focused.
Sometime later – Fire Nation Central Island.
Just like Tejum said, he, Huo, and Nezuni left the village on a cart. While the two sat at the front, Huo nestled himself in the back, preferring to not be spotted and recognized by someone who remembered him.
When they finally reached the island's shore, Huo relaxed and spotted a steam-powered barge, which faced the island with its stern. The metal vessel with red-colored taffrail was around ten meters long and saw better days. The boy could see one cabin with a curved funnel and large windows in the front. He even spotted a glimpse of the steering wheel.
"She may not be pretty, but she's tough," Tejum stated, pulling the reins and prompting the dragon moose to stop. "Alright, lad, let's get the stuff aboard."
"Okay," Huo nodded and jumped down from the back of the cart. He already began to grab the packages while Tejum approached the barge and began to unhook the chains that held the stern ramp, lowering it so they could easily board the vessel.
Huo ascended the ramp and placed the package on the deck. Just like before, the two quickly managed to move all the packages from the cart onto the barge. "That's all of them," Huo stated.
"Yup, I'll start the engine," Tejum replied and entered the cabin in the front while Nezuni ascended the ramp, holding two bags in her hands. "Here's the food for your trip," she said, giving the bags to Huo.
"Thank you, you make delicious food," Huo complimented, making Nezuni chuckle.
"Aren't you a charmer," the elder lady replied with a smile. "Make sure to be careful when you reach the capital city. Despite the guards, it's a dangerous place for children."
"I will be carefull," Huo assured.
Huo heard a hissing sound of an air pump and noticed steam coming from the curved funnel. "Okay! We're ready to sail out!" Tejum announced loudly and exited the cabin, joining the two.
"Have a safe trip, and don't do anything rash," Nezuni asked, hugging her husband. Huo smiled, looking at the elderly couple.
"Don't worry, Huo will have my back," Tejum replied, and Huo's smile widened.
Nezuni pulled away from Tejum and descended the ramp. When she returned to the cart and sat down, Tejum pulled at the chains and lifted the ramp. When everything was locked and secured, he returned to the cabin.
Huo waved to Nezuni, who waved back. "Be careful on your journey!" the elderly lady said as the vessel began to move. "And good luck with your search, Huo!"
"Thank you for everything!" Huo bowed his head toward her. "I'll make sure to repay you somehow!"
The boy was excited and couldn't wait to reach the capital. His journey had begun, and he was confident he'd find his friends and bring them back to their parents.
When Huo and Tejum sailed away, and the barge became a small dot on the horizon, Nezuni grabbed the reins and headed back to the village.
A couple of minutes later – Fire Nation Central Island, The Village, Marketplace.
After the last night, the marketplace was full of people who were more focused on gossiping rather than shopping. Everyone talked about the phoenix spirit that visited Eilu's mother and promised to save her daughter and Shaku.
Naturally, some villagers were cautious and distrustful. Even if some villagers saw the violet phoenix flying over their village, they remembered Hama and how she pretended to be a moon spirit. Still, Eilu's mother believed that the spirit was real and that her daughter would return home safe and sound.
The kids who saw the phoenix were very excited and couldn't stop talking about it. Three boys played behind one of the houses, which belonged to a glassmaker. Being non-benders, they pretended to firebend and chased after each other.
"I'm a fire phoenix!" exclaimed one of the boys, pretending to throw a fire jab. "Haa! You can't burn what's already made of fire!"
"Haa! Taste my violet flames!" said the other, pretending to use a fire kick.
When one of them turned around and was about to dash, he bumped into someone and fell back on his bum. "Ugh! I'm sorry," he apologized, looking at the tall woman with pale skin. The other two boys stopped playing and focused on the scary-looking stranger.
Yuan'Shi crouched and smiled. "No harm done," she replied, looking at the boy, who got back to his feet. "Did you say violet flames?"
"Emm... yeah, a phoenix made from violet flames appeared in our village last night," the boy explained. "It flew over our houses. We all saw it. It even talked with miss Yin and promised to bring back her daughter."
"Is that so?" Yuan'Shi arched her eyebrow and stood up. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a silver coin. "Can you take me to that person? If you do, I'll give you a silver piece."
"Sure!" the boy replied, excited by the prospect of earning some money. When the two left, one of the two boys scratched his head. "Where did she come from?" he asked, confused. "There was no one here but us."
The other boy shrugged and turned his head towards the glassmaker's house, where a few large old mirrors were leaning against the wall. "Maybe she came out of the mirror," she guessed.
"Pfff... yeah right," the other one rolled his eyes. "First a phoenix spirit and now a mirror lady."
The boy led Yuan'Shi across the marketplace, where she overheard the villagers talking about the mysterious violet phoenix. Vendors talked with clients, and even traders, who came from other islands, were engaged in the conversations. Yuan'Shi didn't like that. Gossip traveled fast, and it was evident that the word would soon spread to other places in the Fire Nation.
When they finally reached Eilu's home, the boy knocked on the door, but no one answered. "Hmmm... she's probably shopping," he said.
Yuan'Shi delicately stomped the ground. "But this is her house?" she asked, using seismic sense to find out if the boy was telling the truth.
"Yes, miss Yin lives here alone," the boy assured, and Yuan'Shi sensed that he didn't lie.
"In that case, I'll wait for her," Yuan'Shi replied, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the silver piece, giving it to the boy, who smiled and ran away.
"If this would be a trap, my siblings would attack a long time ago," Yuan'Shi pondered about the situation. "Not to mention, I can't sense anything. I'm guessing Shen'Rai had an argument, probably with Wei'Rai, and that set him off. Still, I'm curious to know why Shen'Rai talked with a human and made a promise, risking an encounter with me."
After a few moments, Eilu's mother, Yin, returned from the marketplace with groceries and noticed Yuan'Shi, standing at her door. "Can I help you?" she asked, looking cautiously at the woman. When she saw her orange-colored eye, her own eyes widened.
Yuan'Shi smiled and bowed her head. "Greetings, my name is Yuan'Shi," she said. "Are you Yin?"
Eilu's mother kept staring into Yuan'Shi's eye, immediately remembering Huo, who played with her daughter. Yuan'Shi arched her eyebrow. "Ummm... hello?"
"Ah! Y-Yes," Yin stuttered. "I'm sorry. It was rude of me to stare."
"It's okay," Yuan'Shi assured. "I know my appearance can be gruesome and revolting to some people."
"No, no! That's not why I stared at you," Yin reassured. "It's just... the color of your eye reminded me of someone."
"Hmmm?" Yuan'Shi squinted her eye. "Is she talking about Shen'Rai? Did my brother showed his physical body to her? That child said the phoenix was made from violet flames. Unless, she's talking about..."
"Are you talking about Huo by any chance?" Yuan'Shi asked.
Yin looked at Yuan'Shi with clear surprise. "Yes! Do you know him?!" she asked.
"Our paths crossed a few years ago," Yuan'Shi answered, preparing to tell the woman her made-up story. "We talked, sharing our tragic stories, and learned that we were touched by the same spirit. That's why we have the same eyes. You see, I dedicated my life to studying those marvelous beings and their world. Some are kind, but as you already noticed, some are dangerous. I heard from the villagers that you talked with a spirit last night. Forgive my curiosity, but can you tell me what happened?"
Yin exhaled. "You see, as a mother, I had a feeling that something bad happened to my daughter when she stooped sending me letters from the capital," she replied. "And when her friend went to look for her and didn't come back, I was sure something was wrong. To be honest, I was never a spiritual person, but from that day, I started praying to the spirits for help."
"Typical human," Yuan'Shi thought. "You shown no concern for the spirits and their existence, but as soon as you realize you have no other options, you start to ask us for help. And even after receiving it, you turn your back on us once again."
"Last night, during my prayer, the flames of my fireplace turned violet and began to talk to me," Yin continued. "They shaped into a phoenix and landed on the table. The fire spirit said that he was the protector of the Fire Nation and its people. He answered my prayers and when I explained everything to him, he promised to save them and bring them home. The phoenix then returned to the fireplace, and the flames changed back to normal. I knew no one would believe me, but luckily, I heard a scream outside. Everyone opened their windows, some left their homes, and we all saw the violet phoenix, flying above our village for a moment until he flew into the forest. I can only wait, but at least I have hope that everything will be okay."
"What the hell is Shen'Rai thinking?!" Yuan'Shi wasn't happy. However, she suddenly had a thought. "If this woman knows Huo, the boy was surely friends with her daughter. If he learned that she's in trouble, he could've ask Shen'Rai for help. Knowing Wei'Rai, he was against it and that's why they argued."
"I see," Yuan'Shi nodded. "I can only hope that the spirit will keep his promise."
"I hope so too," Yin replied with a gentle smile.
"Thank you for sharing with me your story," Yuan'Shi bowed her head. "I won't take anymore of your time. I wish you good day."
"Likewise," Yin replied, bowing her head as well. When she entered her home, Yuan'Shi walked away filled with disgust and anger. "Tch! I can't believe this!" she growled under her nose. "A Fire Keeper becoming a human's errand boy! Finding the Avatar is my priority, so I won't bother with this nonsense, but if I stumble upon Shen'Rai, he will wish he stayed in the Spirit World!"
Yuan'Shi had no intentions of staying in the village any longer and left in a hurry, walking past a dragon moose who pulled an empty cart with an elderly woman. She didn't bother even looking at the human, instead deciding to leave this island as quickly as possible.
Noticing a puddle on the grass, Yuan'Shi approached it and looked around. When she made sure no one watched her, she stepped on it. Focusing, Yuan'Shi exhaled and crossed her arms over her chest. Her entire body sunk into the shallow puddle and vanished without a trace.
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