"What it isss, Wassup? Gotta 'nother chapter in the cut' ' But forreal tho, wassup dudes and dudettes! KTR is back with another chapter of TFOFN, and I want to thank everyone who's been giving the story a fav and/or a follow; your support means the world to me as we venture down this journey! Please keep leaving comments as they help me see the direction I can take the story and answer any questions y'all have. All that being said, let's get move on with chapter 3!
Disclaimer: Y'all know I don't own any of these series, just the OCs
Chapter 3: Hi! My name is…
(Tsing Wei Pier) (95 AG)
After finishing his short yet practical meditation session, Yoto left the inn room and went to the Pier of Tsing Wei village. On his walk, he saw how far back the technology is in this world, yet there was something peaceful about the fishing village as everyday people lived with what they had. "Honestly, I don't think it'll be too bad for a change of pace like this. Wasn't the biggest fan of the hustle and bustle on Coruscant," Yoto thought as he finally arrived at the pier, where he saw a large metal vessel. Iroh was beside the walkway entrance, conversing with what looked like a soldier guarding the ramp.
As soon as Yoto arrived close enough to Iroh and the soldier, Iroh turned to acknowledge seeing Yoto by greeting him with a wave and eye smile," Ah, it seems you have finished your preparation for our travel," Iroh greeted Yoto, " I was just explaining with the quartermaster about your situation" Iroh continued. This, however, is how Yoto is shocked and confused because his situation isn't something to be taken lightly, and not everyone would believe him. Yoto walked up to the quartermaster, wondering if he had accepted his situation.
"How much do you exactly know about me?" Yoto questioned the quartermaster warily, as he didn't want many people to know about his unique predicament.
The ship hand took note of the tone that Yoto used with him and started waving his hands in front of him defensively, trying to ward off any perceived hostility, " Oh don't worry! There's nothing to be concerned about, General Iroh only told me the basics" the ship hand stammered out quickly, " Your name is Yoto, and you're the sole survivor from the fire nation colony of Nozomi. Your family was in the blacksmithing business, and you trained in swordsmanship for the last five years, hoping that one day you would become a warrior like your icon Master Piando. General Iroh told me that you were wandering, and he stumbled upon you in the desert, clinging onto your life; now, he's taken you under his charge as you vowed to become an elite guard of the royal family. Did I leave anything out?" Asked the quartermaster as he finished his recap to Yoto, who looked at Iroh with a confused face.
Yoto shook out of his stupor and faced the quartermaster to give his response, "Yea! That's the gist; nothing bizarre about my story, hahaha!" Yoto awkwardly laughed as he nervously scratched the back of his neck. This caused the quartermaster to look towards Iroh, who gave an apologetic smile for the abnormal response from Yoto.
"Anyway, I'm going to head on to the deck and finalize the inspection before we head out; you two make sure you got all that you need before we depart to the fire nation," the quartermaster finished as he made his way up the ramp onto the deck, leaving Iroh and Yoto with space to converse freely.
"Real smooth with the response," Iroh teased Yoto as the young lad blushed from the embarrassment of his awkwardness.
"H-Hey, you could've warned me about my cover!" Yoto stammered out the words from even more embarrassment as Iroh chuckled at the state that Yoto was in, "Sneaky old man," Yoto grumbled as they made their way to the ramp boarding the ship. Yoto looked at Iroh again to ask him about his cover, " So, anything else you wanna let me know about or learn before I get blindsided again? And a personal guard?" Yoto questioned Iroh, who stroked his beard in thought.
"It was the only way for me taking you with us to the capitol to make sense, I should've let you know about my plan; apologies," Iroh told Yoto, "The only other matter that needs to be handled is learning more about the four nations and the culture. Besides that, we must ensure you know how to read and write; you know how to, right?" Iroh asked Yoto, who had sported the blush that was previously on his face again as it came back in full force.
"The spoken language is the same, but the written language looks like a bunch of bantha poodoo," Yoto said timidly as Iroh tried to ease the situation with a smile before he responded.
"That's okay. We'll at least have something to do in the four days of our journey to the capitol. But first, we need you to learn about the history of this world," Iroh said as they finally made it onto the deck, " Come on, let's get you up to date on the state of this world over some food and good tea," Iroh chirped as he walked inside to his room to help prepare Yoto for his quick history lesson. Yoto looked around as he saw the preparation to set sail was almost complete, looking around at the crew hard at work and almost finished with it. Yoto realigned his focus and went to follow after Iroh.
(Ocean waters, nighttime) (95 AG)
Iroh had just finished exposing the history and the current state of the four nations to Yoto, and the young man was processing all the information that had just been unloaded onto him. Yoto sat with his legs crossed as he just contemplated what he heard.
"So let me get this straight," Yoto said as he opened his eyes to look at Iroh, "The fire nation waged a war for almost 100 years to bring Peace and unify all nations under one. And this 'Avatar' person, whose job is supposed to be to bring peace and balance, is considered long gone because of a genocide?" Yoto recapped what Iroh told him as he nodded to confirm the facts that Yoto brought up. Yoto raised his right hand and ran it through his hair in thought, seeing the problem in the information being told, "What's your say in all this, Iroh? Why tell me something that would affect how I feel about the fire nation when they wage war to break the balance of the world?" Questioned Yoto as he looked at the old man who closed his eyes in thought before he opened them, giving off a sad feeling in those eyes.
"Honestly? Before I met you, I'd been trying to deal with the loss of my son. I lost him during one of the sieges in the earth kingdom, specifically the siege of Ba Sing Se," Iroh said somberly as he gave a sad smile to Yoto, whose eyes were wide with shock.
"I-Iroh, I'm so sorry for your loss. I understand what it means to lose a bond so strong. My condolences," Yoto bowed his head to the Dragon of the West to show empathy towards the man.
Iroh waved his hand and responded to Yoto, "I was looking for a way to bring him back from the spirit
world before I found you; I was exploring all over the world," Iroh said before taking a sip of tea. He set the cup down and resumed his explanation, "As I traveled the world, I got to learn more about the nations and the people affected by this foolish war. This war has taken much from people, and I finally understand that the most important thing in this life is the people you love are really what matters. The only thing that matters is realizing that for everyone to live in peace, fighting over power and pride will lead to losing what's dear to us all," Iroh finished as he looked up to see that Yoto had a sense of understanding radiating from them.
"You're against the war…but why stick with the fire nation? Why not try to take the throne from your brother, it's your rightful place, and you'll be able to stop the war at the heart of the issue," Yoto told Iroh as he stood up when thinking about the predicament that Iroh was in.
"It wouldn't matter. Even if I wanted the throne, the failure of Ba Sing Se lost me much favor in the eyes of the public and the military personnel. Besides, I've lost the fire inside for wanting the throne. At this point, I want to make sure that I can take care and protect the last bit of family I have left, regarding my nephew and niece," Iroh stated as he stood up, too, feeling that they were approaching the end of the conversation. Yoto stuck his fist out in front of lroh, who looked at him in confusion.
"Then I vow to help you with your goal, Iroh. You saved me and gave me a second chance at becoming someone who can help make a difference. The best place to start would be helping you before I start my journey," Yoto's determination showed through his pledge to Iroh, "I know it's a little quick since we just met. Still, I feel that the force is guiding me towards you for a reason; I trust you," Yoto said with a smile as Iroh returned the same grin to the 13-year-old padawan.
``It seems that this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship! We'll work on your reading and writing skills tomorrow; for now, try to get some rest. Your room is two doors down to the left from mine, I'll see you in the morning," Iroh said to Yoto as they bowed to each other before Yoto left the room. As soon as Yoto opened the door to his room, he set the knapsack by the foot of his bed before climbing onto the comforting mattress. Yoto soon felt himself succumbing to the darkness as he closed his eyes for a decent night's rest.
(2 days later)
Yoto was meditating as he began to think about the past two days he spent with Iroh. He had found himself to be a fast learner with an understanding of the reading and writing of this world, as Iroh had told him that he had most of the basics down. Yoto told Iroh that he'd always been a fast learner with specific subjects that interested him, and it was in his best interest to learn how to read and write to make it believable that he was from this planet. He wanted to ensure he didn't embarrass himself in front of others because he was illiterate. One good thing from this journey to the Fire Nation is that his left shoulder could heal thanks to the meditation techniques that use the force to speed up the natural healing process. Yoto's meditation session ended sooner than he wanted when he sensed Iroh walking up to his door," No need to knock Iroh, you can come in," Yoto said as he stood up from his seat while Iroh entered the room.
"This 'force' ability you have is very perceptive, what other feats can you achieve with it?" Iroh asked as he brought a tray with scrolls on top.
Yoto looked at Iroh and extended his arm out at the scrolls, using the force to lift up the scroll and bring it towards him. "The Force allows me to use many applications and variations through it. It can enhance my physical abilities and senses, or I can use it in the form of telekinesis like right now," Yoto finished as the scroll landed in his hand from his use of the Force.
Iroh's eyes were full of wonder as he witnessed the prowess of the Force used by Yoto, "Amazing, this Force of yours seems very versatile and handy," Iroh said as he kept staring at the scroll in hand, "Didn't you say that you have to complete your training?" Iroh said as he sat the tray down on the bed.
Yoto started to levitate the scroll some more as he answered Iroh's question, "Yeah I still have a long way to go to become a Master Jedi. I'm still at the level of a padawan learner since I started at the temple five years ago, most get to the temple at four years old while I got there when I was eight," Yoto replied as he was spinning the scroll with the Force, "I spent those eight years growing up with Sav, he was my guardian; he told me he used to know my parents before they died," Yoto was stuck in nostalgia thinking about the childhood memories that were created with Sav, and all of the trouble they used to get from running his cons. "You think that you would try to keep the bad influences from a kid, Sav said life isn't worth it without the risk," Yoto thought as he walked toward Iroh.
Yoto opened the scroll and saw many different poses that looked to be techniques for hand-to-hand combat. Yoto looked from the scroll to Iroh, "What's so important on the scrolls, are there some fighting techniques?" Yoto asked as he put the scroll with the others on the tray.
Iroh responded, "You're close, these scrolls are the techniques for bending; specifically fire bending. The four bending elements are based on martial arts, each having different characteristics with their movements and philosophies," Iroh said as he grabbed a piece of script and ink with a brush.
Iroh drew the symbol of the Fire Nation as he spoke, "Fire is the element of power, the people of the Fire Nation have the desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want," Finishing the symbol of the Fire Nation, Iroh moved on towards drawing the symbol of the Earth Kingdom
"Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring" Iroh's last stroke of the brush finished drawing the emblem.
The next element was air as Iroh started to draw, "Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they had a good sense of humor!" Iroh smiled as he was able to get a bit of a chuckle from Yoto. Iroh then went on to explain the last element
"Water is the element of change. The people of the water tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything," Iroh concluded as he finished drawing the Water Tribe symbol.
Yoto looked at Iroh after hearing him talk about all four elements, " It seems to me that for them to grow stronger, the benders in their respective element cling to their values and ways which help them learn their element" Yoto answered in return. Iroh looked at the young man with a smile.
"It seems you understand it more, the real reason why I showed you this is to understand balance. It is important to take wisdom and knowledge from other places. Just taking knowledge from one place won't benefit you as much as trying to learn from others and trying to understand one another. This in return brings a balance and makes one complete" Iroh said as he linked the four nations together in a circle. Yoto suddenly felt a spark in his mind as he heard the philosophy that Iroh placed into him.
"It seems like other benders could learn a thing or two from other elements and try to incorporate it into their bending!" Yoto exclaimed as he understood what Iroh said.
Iroh was glad that Yoto was seeing the point that he was trying to make, "Exactly! I remember what you told me when you talked about the forms for your blade. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you told me there were seven forms for your lightsaber?"
"No you're correct, there are seven forms of lightsaber combat that all practitioners can learn, with some specializing in one. Form VI must require you to master the previous five forms and Form VII has you become the most disciplined because of the dangers of the form. What's so important about the lightsaber forms?" Yoto asked Iroh as he reached for his lightsaber in his bag, holding it in his hand.
"I'll tell you; you are a far way from home, and you are somewhere where all of your equipment surpasses the technology around you right now. Your lightsaber should only be used in the most extreme emergencies since it could cause confusion and panic to the point where the lightsaber will be the sole item people pursue you for. With that being said, it's not the weapon that makes the master, but the master that makes the weapon. You told me it's time for you to become a beacon of hope for this world, and that you want to bring balance. The best way to start anew is to make something new; create your variation combat with or without the lightsaber, and these scrolls will help you do that," Iroh finished explaining as he handed the paper of the four nations to Yoto, "This is the blueprint, you can create something that will show who you are." Iroh stated with hope and pride to the young man, hoping that this was the way to guide him on his path.
Yoto was staring at his lightsaber, he heard many times before that his lightsaber was his life and it helped complete a Jedi. But thinking about this also had Yoto thinking about a few choice words that Sav told him before he set out to the Jedi Temple.
" Listen, kid, I know I haven't been the best example of being an upstanding citizen of the republic. Hell, I've killed and stolen from people, but deep down I've never done it without reason. Listen to this; The Good man is the man who, no matter how morally unworthy he has been, is moving to become better. I know the Jedi have their rules and their code, but YOU are the best version of YOU. No matter how dark it gets, no matter how you get the job done, at the end of the day, you're striving to save the galaxy by doing it YOUR way. Be the one who can look in the mirror without regret, I know I can," Sav smiled at the boy before ruffling his hair and walking back to his ship.
Yoto then put away his lightsaber and grabbed the tray full of scrolls from Iroh, "You know Iroh, your wisdom could pass as one of a Jedi Master. You're right, I wanna be a Jedi, but I'm going to do it my way. Right now lightsabers aren't the best for this world, so I'm gonna need a sword and create my way. I even got a name for it!" Yoto exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh really, what do you plan to name it?" Iroh asked curiously as the buzz and excitement coming off the 13-year-old was infectious.
Yoto grabbed a photo of him and Sav smiling right next to a pile of credits, the picture in question was taken after they pulled off a big con on a cartel that was robbing the colony of their resources. Yoto remembered what Sav told him that moment.
"Hot dam kid! The way you were moving around confusing them idjits almost brought a tear to my eye. You were raising hell wit them abilities you got! Not bad, hellcat," Sav said as he lighted his victory cigar.
Yoto's eyes then Carried a fire that hadn't been seen in quite some time, a grin so bright that the whole room was filled with light.
"Form VIII, Herukyatto; the way of the Hellcat!"
(Ship Deck 2 days later) (95 AG)
If there has been one way to describe the past two days for Yoto: pain would be the best way to describe it for him, physically and mentally. Yoto had spent the last two days with Iroh working on his new fighting style, one that incorporates techniques from all four bending styles. Currently, Yoto was lying on the floor of the deck because of how much energy he exerted in this training method with Iroh and the other soldiers.
On the mental side of things, it was hard for him to fuse characteristics and philosophies from all four nations. The ones that came the easiest to Yoto were the fire bending and air bending techniques; air bending correlated to his movement when imbuing the force to physically enhance his actions and reminded him of form IV Ataru. Firebending's concept reminded him of Juyo with the will and aggression, which made up most of his hand-to-hand and weapon skills. Water and Earth is when he hit his roadblock as trying to fuse those two with the others made him struggle to the point that he might have to put a hold on creating Herukyatto.
As Yoto lay on the deck of the ship, he noticed the footsteps that were approaching and managed to turn his head and see his tormentor who handed him a cloth to wipe the sweat away from his naked torso. Yoto proceeded to hit a kip up and walk over to Iroh as he grabbed the fabric, "Please tell me that we're done with training today, I feel like I'm about to combust into flames," Yoto groaned as he let the towel sit on his head.
Iroh chuckled at the state that Yoto was in, "Fortunately for you Yoto we are done with today's training, but not for the reason you think,"
Yoto was about to ask the reason why when the Barrelman bellowed out an order to the people below. "All hands on deck! Get ready to dock, we're approaching the capitol!" Causing everyone to secure supplies and equipment on the ship.
Yoto had a look of excitement on his face, feeling renewed with vigor, he used the force to enhance himself as he went and climbed to the top of the bridge. Once he got close enough to the top, he decided to put some flair as he ended his climb with an aerial flip onto the top. Yoto looked out and was able to see the port of the capitol that was known as Caldera, the city was hidden away in a crater that resembled the look of a volcano. Yoto looked down and found Iroh who had picked up the top portion of his robes, Iroh then made eye drops contact with him and made his way inside the ship.
" Well, they always say that in every new journey, it all starts with the first step. Time to make my mark!" Yoto thought with determination as he proceeded to make his way to his cabin to get ready for their arrival.
In a few moments, the ship was finally docked in the port yard of Caldera as the crew of the ship was moving equipment out of the boat. Once Yoto had finally got down to the pier from the ship, he spotted Iroh talking to a man who was posted next to an ostrich-horse-led carriage. From what Iroh told Yoto as they were packing up their belongings, the carriage would take them to the palace where they would meet with Fire Lord Ozai and Iroh would tell him of their plans. With his knapsack slung behind him on his back, Yoto made his way toward the two.
As soon as Yoto got close enough, Iroh noticed him and decided to shift his attention toward his young friend. "Ah Yoto I see you finished gathering your items and cleaning up, I was talking with our driver Shao. Shao, please meet Yoto, he's my charge and future elite guard of the royal family," Iroh told Shao as he and Yoto shared pleasantries. Once the exchange was done Iroh decided to chime in, "Now that's out of the way, how about we get ready to make our way to the royal palace?" Iroh asked as the ship crew was offloading all of the supplies from the ship.
The trio agrees to start making their way toward their destination. While Shao went to assume his position by the reins, Yoto went and grabbed Iroh's shoulder to get his attention. Yoto looked at Iroh with an uncertain visual in his body language, "Your charge, are you sure about that? You've barely just met me!" Yoto exclaims as he looks at the wise elder, wondering about the decision behind his choice of becoming the legal guardian for Yoto.
Iroh looked at Yoto with a kind and warm gaze, trying to comfort the young man and calm him as well, "It's a decision that I've been thinking about since we started our journey to the fire nation. All of the knowledge that I was able to bestow upon about the world, still doesn't feel like I'm doing enough. You've lost so much and yet you still want to do good in the world, but you can't just do it by yourself. So I saw the chance to help you and give you a sense of stability, while also allowing myself to find a way to heal from my pain as well" Iroh explained as he grabbed ahold of Yoto's shoulder and looked at him with a kind smile, "This way we can continue honing your skills in pai sho as well!" Iroh laughed as he saw the look on Yoto's face at his woes against the Dragon of the West in Pai Sho.
Yoto pouted for a small bit before he joined Iroh in his laughter he looked at the old man with a smile of his own plastered onto his face, "Well that sounds like an offer I just can't turn down. Iroh… thank you for your kindness, I don't know if I could ever repay you in full someday" Yoto finished as he looked at Iroh, words failing to amount to how much this means to the young man. For a minute, Yoto had lost everything he knew at one point and he miraculously might've stumbled onto something that could help him recover from his dark days.
Iroh patted Yoto on the shoulder a few times before he removed his hand, "Well with that settled, let's get inside the carriage and make our way to the palace. We still have to let the Fire Lord know of our 'plan'," Iroh explained to Yoto, who nodded in return and both men proceeded to make their way inside the carriage and set off for the capitol.
(Royal Palace) (Later that day)
As the carriage made its way throughout the capitol, Yoto was taking in the current surroundings as he saw the architecture and culture of the fire nation on the ride. Even with the vast difference in technology, there was a uniqueness and beauty to the city of Caldera and how the everyday life of its citizens was making their way. Yoto was told by Iroh that Caldera was mainly inhabited by those of high social standing in the Fire Nation, so Yoto saw how the nobles of the Fire Nation lived and went on with their business.
Eventually, the carriage made its way to the entrance of the royal palace, which had its gates closed and had two guards in front of the gate. Shao slowly approached the gate as he made a full stop to converse with the guard to let them in.
"Heya Li! Say, how'd you get back on gate duty?" Shao asked the man guarding the gate known as Li. In response to Snap's question, Li gave him a deadpan look of despair showing the hollowness in his eyes. Shao recognized this look and it gave him the immediate answer to his question, "Azula?" Shao simply asked.
"….Azula'' was the empty response that was given, as Li had an empty look in his eyes that seemed to intensify as he opened the gate to let the carriage pass through. Inside the carriage, Yoto and Iroh overheard the exchange that just happened and it left Yoto confused.
"Iroh, who's this 'Azula'? Is she as terrible as they make her out to be?" Yoto asked with some worry in his voice as he saw the reaction from the guard at the entrance. Iroh responded to him with an embarrassed sigh.
"You'll see soon enough my friend," is all Iroh responded with as Yoto's sweat dropped with a look of confusion upon his face. Soon after the carriage made it to its destination and the trio found themselves in front of the throne hall of the palace. Iroh and Yoto made their way out of the carriage, with Iroh facing Shao to bid him farewell.
Yoto looked towards the building as he saw the size of the palace and looked around at the surrounding area, taking in the beauty of the nearby zen garden and the fountain where the turtle ducks were resting. Right by the fountain, Yoto saw a young child who looked around to be 11 years old in a Fire Nation uniform with his hair put neatly into a top knot. The kid had a melancholy look in his eyes as he watched the turtle ducks wade in the water. Yoto was forced to direct his attention away from the kid as he saw Iroh walk past him into the building that he assumed was the throne room, wondering what awaited him on the other side.
Once they enter the building, Yoto and Iroh navigate through a series of hallways to make their way to the throne room. They stopped in their tracks once they entered a big hall room with a throne at the other end of the room and a wall of fire behind it. On the throne sat a man in royal robes with long hair, this man was known as the Ozai, the new Fire Lord of the Fire Nation.
Yoto was ready to step forward towards the throne when Iroh grabbed his shoulder to halt his progress, causing Yoto to turn around and look at Iroh. Iroh had a serious look in his eye as he spoke, " Let me do most of the talking. My brother is one with secret intentions and I don't want to put you in a position where he has control over you," Iroh stated and received a nod of approval from Yoto, which led to the duo making their way towards Ozai.
The pair found themselves at the foot of the throne, both looking up to stare at Fire Lord Ozai. Iroh made the move to bow as Yoto took a second delay before bowing himself, "Fire Lord Ozai, it's good to see you once again brother. I see that the throne suits you well," Iroh said while he rose from his Fire Nation greeting.
" I think that the throne has always suited me, brother. Tell me, did you find what you were looking for on your journey? I see you've brought a stray back with you," Ozai remarked as he looked down at Yoto, who in return was slightly annoyed at the comment but kept his composure in front of the Fire Lord. Iroh looked at Yoto with an apologizing look before he retorted to his brother.
"I think that much journey was quite rewarding. Even if I didn't find what I was ultimately looking for, it seems that the spirits have opened my eyes and shown me what matters," Iroh responded as he motioned for Yoto to stand up and step forward, "As for my companion, this is Yoto, he's a fire nation colonizer from the village of Nozomi and it was destroyed by Earth Nation platoon. I've decided for him to become my charge and study under me since he shows so much potential for greatness," Iroh finished as he looked at the preteen who had a small blush in his cheeks from receiving the compliments from Iroh.
Ozai stroked his beard in thought processing all of the information that was being presented to him. Ozai gave double over of the boy. The boy looked of Fire Nation descent and had torn robes that were reminiscent of the Air Nomads, his hair was also messily framed his face and he had a rat tail behind his head (If you're wondering what Yoto's hair looks like, think of James Hawkins from treasure planet). Ozai then looked with more detail and saw the relaxed yet tensed stance that was one of a warrior, one trained to be on alert from danger, this then led to giving Ozai an idea.
Ozai looked at the boy with a dangerous smirk and glint in his eye, " Say, Yoto was it? You have the aura around of one who has confronted danger and trained in the ways of battle. Tell me, who trained you in the martial arts of battle?" Ozai questioned as his plan was starting to unfold.
Yoto looked at Ozai as he remembered his cover story to tell him. He kept a cool head and proceeded to tell him, "Well my uncle was the blacksmith in the village and he was also one who trained in swordsmanship. I've wanted to learn ever since he told me the stories of Master Piando, and ever since I was 8 years old he trained me in the way of the sword and martial arts as well," Yoto explained his situation to the Fire Lord, secretly hoping that the story was believable enough.
Ozai smiled as he was into the final stages of said plan, " So you wouldn't mind if you gave me a display of your ability so far? Five years is enough to have a good foundation of a warrior," Ozai proposes to Yoto who looks rather shocked.
Iroh proceeded to step in for the defense of Yoto, " Surely this can wait for another day! We've been traveling and have just returned from a journey, maybe for another day?" Iroh asked but was stopped when Yoto stepped up closer to the throne with confidence in his eye.
"I'd be willing to accept the challenge, wouldn't mind a chance to stretch my legs and get a warmup in," Yoto said with confidence in his voice that did not seem to falter as well.
"Very well, let's see… five should suffice shouldn't it?" was the response that Ozai gave as the snap of his fingers, five Fire Nation soldiers suddenly walked into the throne room, standing at attention and awaiting orders from the Fire Lord. Ozai then gave the order to the soldiers, "You all shall test his might, please do try to keep him alive," Ozai said amusingly.
The Fire Nation soldiers proceeded to circle Yoto and take their stances to engage in combat with him. Yoto looked around the five who were currently circling him, causing his body to tense into a stance of one ready for a hand-to-hand brawl, awaiting the first strike from one of the five opponents. Yoto was prepared by imbuing himself with the force, ready to enhance his physical abilities and durability for the ensuing melee.
One of the soldiers proceeded to make the first move, rushing in to attack Yoto with brute force because of his smaller stature. Yoto sidestepped the rush and grabbed the outstretched arm of the soldier while sticking his foot out, flipping him onto the floor while he delivered two palm strikes to the face of the grounded enemy, essentially breaking his nose and rendering him unconscious. The rest of the soldiers then blitzed Yoto in an attempt to overwhelm him while he finished his assault on the first man.
Because the force gave him a 'sixth sense', Yoto was able to use the force to flip over his attackers who were rushing him. As soon as he landed away from his opponents, Yoto dashed for the closest soldier who had just turned around and received a devastating elbow to the abdomen from the force user. This, in turn, caused the man to hunch over and the opportunity arose for Yoto to springboard vault off of the man's back and use a force-enhanced dropkick on the enemy in front of him. This, however, left Yoto vulnerable to a right cross from one of the other three soldiers and sent him tumbling across the floor.
Wiping the blood from his lip, Yoto stood up and got into a more natural fighting stance; left arm out forward and hand in a clawed position, while he held his right arm close to him with a closed fist. Three out of the five renaming soldiers readied themselves for the oncoming attack as Yoto beckoned them to come towards him. The three continued their attack against Yoto and what followed was a series of dodges, blocks, and parries that were committed by the former padawan. Dodging left, blocking right, and even ducking, Yoto was fairing well against three opponents in this battle of melee. The tide of the battle went in his favor when he was able to sidestep the kick of the solider on the left of him, grab his leg, and use him as a shield to protect him from the Superman punch from the opponent on the opposite side of him, shocking himself as he committed friendly fire. Yoto used this to his advantage as he worked on the third soldier, ducking under a wild cross and delivering an oblique kick which in turn, forced the man down to a knee and on the receiving end of a spinning back fist.
Yoto then just barely evaded a grab from one of the last two attackers and made his way to the latter soldier who was still staggered from the strike by his ally. Yoto rushed the man and used his momentum to perform a hurricanrana, effectively taking him out of the fight for good. Yoto looked towards the last soldier and made his way towards him. He then dodged a swing coming from his left and countered with a kidney punch and then went on to deliver a flurry of punches to the midsection of the soldier, finishing with a gentle push on the forehead of the now defeated soldier.
Yoto looked back towards Iroh and Ozai, seeing the different reactions of both of the family members. Iroh had a genuine look of shock and amazement, truly seeing Yoto fight for the first time. On the other side of the scale, Ozai looked slightly disappointed with the results of the fight, but quickly fixed his face to a more neutral look with some minor amusement.
Yoto, satisfied with the results of his exhibition, wiped the sweat off of his forehead and shook his head around to fix his hair. He made his way back to the throne with a confident air surrounding him, "So, what do you think now?" Yoto cockily said as he talked to the Fire Lord, who had a slight vein in his head appear as he smirk at the response given to him.
Iroh had decided to also add his few cents as well, "Well Ozai, I feel that all your questions and doubts have been answered. Can we move on now?" Iroh asked in a neutral tone but you could see the mirth in his eyes.
Ozai snapped in response to Iroh's words, "That's Fire Lord Ozai to you!" Ozai eventually took a deep breath to calm and collect his composure, "Very well, I suppose that congratulations are in order. Iroh I will prepare the proper paperwork for Yoto to be officially declared your charge. As for you boy," Ozai directed his attention to Yoto, "I will declare you as one of the personal guards of the royal family as well. Your skills have created the idea for me to also appoint you as a tutor for my son, Zuko. It seems that you might have some skills that can help him not become a total failure of the family" Ozai finished as he saw the look of surprise on both Iroh and Yoto's faces. "Do you understand the tasks that I'm asking you?" Ozai asked Yoto.
Yoto shook out of his stupor and took a moment to bow and reply to the Fire Lord's orders, " Yes, I understand your excellency," as Yoto stood at attention before Lord Ozai.
Feeling that they've achieved what they set out to do, Iroh decided it would be time for the two to be done for the day, "Fire Lord, I think it's time for Yoto and I to finally catch up on some rest from our journey back home. If you would be so kind as to lend a room to Yoto?" Iroh asked the Fire Lord.
Ozai nodded towards Iroh, "One of the servants shall show him to his room. In the morning he will be tailored and given robes, as well as going to the salon to clean himself up as well. If that's all, I currently have some other business to attend, if you wouldn't mind leaving," were the last words that Ozai said to Yoto and Iroh as they made their way out of the throne room with Iroh leading the way as Yoto was still fairly new to the palace.
Once they were out of earshot, footsteps were heard from one of the opposite doorways Ozai knew who it was without needing to look, "Everything you said that would happen so far seems up to date. Tell me, are you sure that we can control and harness him for our plans?" Ozai looked to his left to see the hooded figure in dark robes, who in return gave a response.
"Don't worry, through the power of the force, our plans will come to fruition and nothing will stop us from taking what is rightfully ours," The hooded figure said, "He has yet to fully know the depths of his power and to truly face a threat like me," the mysterious stranger said with malice in their voice.
(Royal Palace, Dusk)
Yoto was soon guided by Iroh into the part of the compound to the sleeping quarters where most of the royal family slept. Yoto stretched while he let other a big yawn, indicating the massive amount of energy he exerted with today's events. Yoto wasn't paying attention to where he was and accidentally bumped into someone else, causing them to fall with a yelp.
"Hey! What where you going!" Cried out the voice from below as Yoto looked down to see that it was none other than the boy from the water fountain. Yoto had a curious face as to wondering who the kid was.
Iroh had turned around and seen the conundrum that had occurred behind him and was surprised to see who was involved in the incident. "Ah Prince Zuko, I see you have finally made an acquaintance with my new friend," Iroh said as he got the attention of both kids as they looked towards Iroh, "Though it seems that you both have gotten off on the wrong foot," he said with amusement.
Yoto lent a hand towards the downed prince as he spoke, "So you're Zuko? I was wondering when I was gonna meet you I didn't think it would be so soon," Yoto continued as he finally picked up Zuko, "Hi! My name is Yoto, it's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Zuko," Yoto said as he bowed towards the prince.
Zuko looked at the preteen in front of him, he looked no older than him by two years. Zuko replied with a bow himself as he greeted Yoto as well, "It's a pleasure to meet you Yoto, anyone who is a friend of uncle is a friend of mine" Zuko finished as he saw Yoto frantically waving his hands to try and stop Zuko from bowing.
"Ah, there's no need to do that Prince Zuko. I'm not even royalty!" Yoto gave out an embarrassed laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck while Zuko gave him a confused look before he looked towards Iroh and asked him a question.
" If you don't mind me asking Uncle Iroh, what is he doing here?" Zuko questioned as Iroh gave his response soon after.
"Well when I complete the paperwork, he'll be my charge and under my wing. He's also been appointed to be a royal guard of the royal family. Another thing too that may surprise you Prince Zuko; he's going to help you with some of you're training," Iroh finished as Zuko looked at him with shock.
"But he's barely older than me! Are you sure he can help me with my training?" Zuko responded as Yoto suddenly had a vein popping from the sudden aggravation caused by the young prince, causing him to speak up on his behalf.
" Hey! What happened to having respect for your elders?!" Yoto said with some irritation as he looked at Zuko.
"You don't even qualify to be an adult, at least an elder," Zuko deadpanned as Yoto suddenly hung his head and the young Prince stomped on his confidence.
Iroh decided to step back in to stop their little spat, "It seems that you two are already acting like brothers who've grown up together yet you just barely met" causing both of them to blush because of the jest sent their way, "In due time Zuko, everything will be explained but I think it's best if we all head off to bed, it's been a long day for us all," Iroh continued. He then looked at Zuko, "Prince Zuko, if you would show Yoto to the empty rooms available please," Iroh asked his nephew who nodded in response and started to make his way to the room which Yoto followed as well.
Zuko and Yoto got to the room which had a nice bed and had some stuff in the corner of the room as well. Yoto then realized that it was his knapsack from the carriage and that Shao had put it in this room after they went off to find Ozai.
"It seems that Shao put your stuff in this room, funnily enough, mine is down the hall from you," Zuko stated as he was by the entrance ready to head out. Before leaving he turned around, "Remember we'll have to work on my training tomorrow, let's see if you can meet the expectations," Zuko finished as he saw the determined look on the face of Yoto.
"Don't worry about cause we're going to go above and beyond when we get to our session," Yoto responded, "Till then, goodnight Zuko!" Yoto finished off as Zuko was about to close the door.
"Hn, goodnight Yoto," Zuko said as he closed the door.
Yoto yawned as he made his way to the bed and he flopped onto it. As soon as he made it onto the bed, he felt his eyelids growing heavy and found himself closing his eyes, being taken over by sleep's embrace and hoping for a peaceful night of sleep for once.
Wowwwww! That one was a doozy! Thank you, guys, for being so patient with the chapter, life and writer's block took over for a little bit but I was always thinking about the story and finally got the time to finish the chapter! Chapter 4 will come a little bit faster this time and sooner than later we'll get past the prologue and get to the main story as well! As always, comment and give me honest reviews and feedback as I appreciate all the comments I've received so far and am so thankful for y'all support. One Love!
-KTR signing off