Ozai was training in the proar of the ship. He started with meditation for about an hour before he started to shadow fighting. Some punches in the air, back flips to evade attacks, some kicks to the sides to push away the incoming enemies, running to one side to defeat one opponent. This mindset of fighting was taught by Azula, who told him about the Fire-bending katas.
For Ozai, it was a normal routine; for the spectators, it was a mind-blowing image. To Ty Lee, it was good progress. She could notice that he was faster and the energy he was using. She was unsure if he could accomplish something similar, but she was sure the energy was well controlled.
It was not very noticeable by look, but the ship's crew could also feel the energy usage. Every time they punched the air in their direction, a small breeze happened in that direction.
Ty Lee approached Ozai with a smile, "That was very good. Small question, have you noticed something different?"
Ozai looked at her and crossed his arms, "something different?" he said aloud. Ozai looked around, but then the old woman said, "I am talking about you, not the ship or the crew".
"Oh, sorry", answered the boy. "Ah, well, I think I'm getting used to the humility".
"Oh, well, never thought of it. But I am not referring to that. Either way, I want you to start your shadow fighting again, but now, you should think about the energy flow every time you make a punch or a kick. Try to project the energy outside your body", said Ty Lee with a smile and her hands on her back.
"Well", Ozai hesitated to answer, but when he saw Ty Lee, he sighed and answered, "That's what I have been doing since I trained with my parents, but…." Ozai was stopped by Ty Lee, who put her hand in front of him, "But you did not know the flow of the energy at that moment. I want you to remember everything you have been learning so far. Think about the energy coming from here", said Ty Lee while pointing at Ozai's stomach, "to your fist…." Ty Lee stopped and started to put her finger in her chin.
"You know what? I have an idea. I want you to punch me as strong as you can", said Ty Lee with a smile.
"What?! No, I would never try to hurt you, I don't…" the boy was stopped by Ty Lee again.
"Don't worry, I will be standing there", said the old woman pointing at the far end. Ozai looked at the place and then at Ty Lee, who was still smiling, again at the place and again at the old woman, "I don't think that I understand".
"Don't worry. Just stand here, and try to feel your energy through your body and then to your fist. Let your fist guide your energy", instructed the old woman. Ozai nodded, and she started to walk to her position.
The young teen closed his eyes and put a fighting stance. He breathes deeply and then concentrates on the energy. He remembered the drawing from the healing techniques of the water tribes and concentrated on trying to use the lanes of energy can make it go through his fist.
For Ozai, everything was happening slowly; the rest of the ship was different. They saw how the right fist of the young kid was glowing.
Then Ozai opened his eyes and through his punch in Ty Lee's direction. The old woman covered herself with both arms as she was sent back with the strong energy that looked like a force of the air.
He started to run in her direction and helped her to stand up. He repeatedly started to apologize to her, but she was only smiling.
"Don't worry, and congratulations", said Ty Lee once standing up. "You need more training can control it". Ozai only nodded, still worried about Ty Lee's health.
The old woman patted his head, "Also, you will need to learn to feel your opponent's energy and the energy of all living things. How to use it to create attacks just like your father, and maybe, you can learn how to fly". The old woman smiled and looked at Ozai, who was with an unreadable face. It was too much to take for him at that moment.
A few days passed, and the ship was approaching Republic City. The first thing that Ozai saw was the giant statue of Avatar Aang. A grey statue that rivalries the one in the Fire Nation.
Close to the port, he could see many structures. Some were under construction, and others were already standing tall. It looked similar and different from Tu Zin. The tall buildings made him remember his home city, but the designs were completely different. They looked like simple tall rectangular cubes, unlike Tu-Zin, where the buildings mix the old architecture with the new, with some of the buildings trying to create a new style, mainly oval shapes (imagine West City or Papaya Island from DBZ).
But there was something that Tu-Zin did not have, the Sato-mobiles. Ozai saw them for the first time once they left the ship, as two men were waiting for Ty Lee and him, and they were guided inside one of them.
It looked way too foreign for Ozai. But a thought arrived in his head: ' Why did the Fire Nation not have them?' It was known to everyone that the Fire Nation, when ruled by his parent's brother Zuko, helped to create the Republic City alongside Avatar Aang. 'If this is true, why there wasn't any back there?' thought Ozai.
When the vehicle stopped, they entered a hotel, one of the tallest buildings. Their room was a small department, with two rooms inside and a bed in each.
"Left or right?" asked Ty Lee suddenly.
"I don't know… right?" answered Ozai, not understanding the question.
The old woman smiled, nodded, and walked inside the left room. Before entering, she said, "I will have a shower, and after that, I will go to the council building."
Ozai nodded, "may I go to the council with you?"
Ty Lee stopped and looked at the teen, "You may, but I will be in a reunion for I don't know how long. You may get bored."
The Tu zin citizen looked around the place and then shrugged, "I will be doing the same here. At least I could learn a little more about the city on the trip there".
Ty Lee smiled, "Very well. I suggest you also take a shower".
After a few hours and a shower that let them rest a little, they were again inside a Sato-mobile.
This time, Ozai saw the way the people were wearing. Pants that looked formal but also available to let run. Although he also saw people wearing similar clothes but with material that looked rather poor. Unlike Tu-Zin or any other place, he had visited so far, most of the citizens of this place were wearing more comfortable clothes.
When the car stopped at an intersection, the young teen saw the police of the city. Metal benders wearing green armour, but there was something bad in it. To Ozai, the armour seemed to look like the one used while training on Tu Zin, but it also looked lighter.
The car continued its movement until they arrived at their destination. The Council Hall was a building that inspired respect. A white building is standing proudly in the middle of the city.
A person appeared outside the car and opened the door for them. Ty Lee and Ozai left the car and entered the building. Inside they were escorted to a room by a young woman, but before entering, Ty Lee turned to see the young boy, "I'm afraid you can't enter. Why don't you wait for me in the waiting room and try to train your perception of others' energy?"
Ozai nodded, and Ty Lee only smiled at the woman who escorted them. The woman smiled, although the woman was thinking that she was not a babysitter. Once, the old woman entered the room while the young woman guided Ozai into the waiting room. Once inside the room, the woman gave a small ball to him with the hopes that he would entertain himself with it and returned to her seat in the main hall, leaving Ozai alone.
The young boy shrugged and took a seat in one of the chairs close to the wall. He was in a lotus position, with his eyes closed. He first searched for his inner energy, and later he tried to feel his energy running through his body. He followed the energy but did not try to push it to go faster or anything. Once he achieved that, he sighed and opened his eyes. The room was occupied by some women on the other side of the room talking to each other, probably staff of the place.
He decided that his new task was to try to feel the energy of the people. He closed his eyes again and concentrated on his energy, and tried to open his senses outside him.
He was not getting anywhere until he heard a voice, and that voice made him feel like the owner for a second. It was a blur of energy.
"Why can he sleep, and I don't," said a bossy girl's voice.
A woman's voice sounded close to the girl, "Miss Sato! A lady should not be pointing at others".
Ozai was having trouble to can figure out the people around them. If it wasn't because they started to talk, he wouldn't have felt their energy.
Then suddenly, he felt that once the energy was coming close, he somehow could identify it as it was getting closer. The energy that got closer was from a girl with long hair and probably at his same high.
The girl started to walk around the Ozai and looked at him with curiosity. She saw the boy as soon as she entered the room. He was sitting in a weird position which caught her attention even more.
The girl looked closer at his face to see him better, but the boy, still with his eyes closed, spoke, "Can I help you?"
The girl screamed in surprise and fell. The boy extended his hand to help her get up, and she took it.
"Are you all right?" asked the half-saiyajin.
"Yes. I am, thank you", said the girl. Once she stood, she turned to Ozai, "You shouldn't be sleeping here".
"I wasn't. I was training", said Ozai.
The girl crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow, "Oh really? I heard that the air benders trained that way. Are you one?" The young boy shook his head, and the girl continued, "That's what I thought. You have way too much hair to be one."
Ozai did not know how to answer that, so he only laughed a little.
"Either way. Where is my manner? I have been talking without presenting myself", said the girl and then made a courtesy gesture, "Nice to meet you. My name is Asami Sato".
The boy then stood up, made the fire nation greeting sign, and bowed a little, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Asami Sato. My Name is Ozai".
Asami smiled when he played along, "So, what are you doing here, Ozai?"
"I am waiting for the person responsible for me. She is in a meeting now with the counsellors", said Ozai.
"'The person responsible for you. You mean your parents?"
"No. My parents are back home. Right now, I am travelling with a family friend, but she was called for a meeting".
"I see. The person responsible for me is also there. But in this situation, he is my father. He is asking for permission to open another factory."
Ozai listened and wondered, "A factory? Are you related to the Sato mobiles?"
"Of course I am. We made them. Didn't my last name give you a hint?" said the girl teasingly and then giggled a bit.
"I thought that you just shared the name", defended Ozai, but the girl dismissed it immediately.
"We are trying to make better cars that are more affordable", the girl then proceeded to seek in her pockets until she took a small car toy. "This is the new project from Dad. It will go fast and will be comfortable for people to drive with their family. There will be no faster car". The girl then put the toy on the floor and then pushed it.
Ozai saw the car move and stopped soon after; he only turned to see the girl whose face was red, "The real car will be fast; this is just a toy. It's the motor inside that makes it fast,". The boy couldn't help but laugh a little, which made the girl get redder.
Ozai then looked at the car again, took the ball inside his pocket, and let it roll close to the car. The ball passed the car, and then Ozai took it again. "you know. The ball is also a toy but got further; you know why?"
"Because it is not as heavy," said the girl, rolling her eyes.
Ozai shook his head, "No. It's because, unlike the car, it does not fight against what's in front."
"But there is nothing in front."
"Air is in front. The shape of the car toy made the air stop it while the ball let the air pass to its sides. It's like boats. The sailing ships used the air to let them move, but your car is fighting against it".
"So what? Do you want cars to have sails? That would be ridiculous. Why are you even…"
"No. But it's what it is doing. The front of that car seems to be fighting against the air, just like the sails", commented Ozai.
The girl grabbed the toy car and looked at it closely.
The door of the room opened, and Ty Lee entered. She looked around and found the boy she was searching for close to a girl, "Ozai!"
The boy turned to see the old woman. Ty Lee smiled and said, "I am afraid that we are leaving."
Ozai nodded, bowing to the girl again with the Fire Nation sign, "It was a pleasure, Asami Sato".
The girl giggled and answered with a little courtesy, "Likewise, Ozai".
When Ozai was close to Ty Lee, the old woman winked at the girl inside, and the girl did not know what that meant. While walking to the car, the old woman told the boy, "I am sorry, but I called for the driver; I did not know you were having fun there."
The boy only smiled and nodded. Once inside the Sato mobile, Ty Lee commented, "You really are a hearth-breaking boy."
"What?!"
*** 2 more chapters before going to the main story***
remember the poll for Ozai girlfriend:
Poll