At school as it turned out they were waiting for me. More precisely intercepted me at the entrance and dragged to the principal. A chubby typical Asian grandpa. With belly, bald spot, and thick eyebrows. Eye shape here is an interesting story overall—I vaguely remember how it was in previous world but here absolute mix. For example most aristocracy has no narrow eye cut. Yes they're small and eyes clearly not bulging but such cuts are more common in mixed Asians than pureblood. So for me used to European face type no suffering. Everyone here is very very.
So they dragged me to this grandpa on the carpet. Not literally praise Agni note—gotta find out who airbenders prayed to, somehow not solid, so not literally—there was a quite heavy desk of some wood no bamboo. Sat me right in front of him and my parent of course wasn't forgotten.
"We analyzed Akimaru's entire last year," the principal started from afar. "And his results seemed quite… unusual to us."
"I said it was too early to put him in second year," father pursed lips not looking at me. "I think we can leave him on…"
"No-no you misunderstood me," the principal waved off. "On the contrary! He shows the best result in class and according to his teacher always finishes first then pretends to think…"
Oops as they say. What an attentive hag—always gotta poke somewhere.
"…So after discussion we decided to move him straight to fourth year if he passes the entrance tests we prepared."
"I'm not against," father pursed and almost squeezed lips into an invisible line. Does anything satisfy him? Or is he dissatisfied with life?
And they brought me a bunch of sheets with questions on absolutely all subjects. Well don't think it'll be too hard.
And I was right. No special difficulties—just sent me to another classroom with other kids. Well goodbye Yoshi you were a decent buddy. Fourth class isn't much more interesting than third. At all.
That same Sunday Mei wasn't at our spot. And I even guess why—across the country thundered the news of the Fire Lord's death and Prince Ozai's wife. It was just thunder—aristocrats ran like oiled, sharing who knows what and with whom. But that was flowers. Berries came when the new Fire Lord became the second prince. No scandal or anything—Iroh simply yielded the throne.
Oh what a storm—didn't leave my room unless necessary—parents constantly had guests and constantly discussed something.
Mei came only the next week and was simply shattered to pieces. I didn't know exactly what happened but apparently amid events parents said a lot of different things to her. Didn't try to pry—if she wants she'll tell. Just supported like on the Ember Island.
Then the year flew by absolutely unnoticed. Essentially I only noted another week passed by meetings with Mei where most time we discussed various nonsense. Cold weapons, firebending, descriptions of my classmates.
In the mornings I also ran but had to get up very early like five so no one sees. Despite Mei's statements I need to do something else I was simply lazy. Running I liked—everything else no.
Next year the situation repeated and they moved me another year up. Mei had things and she could come to our spot only every two weeks and even then visibly hard for her—very often she came very tired and just silent sometimes only nodding and mm-hmm'ing to my story. But nevertheless always said it's interesting to her and just no strength to talk herself.
Year flew after year and essentially nothing changed: they skipped me a couple more years up, Mei was still Little One and couldn't catch up to me in height, and at school Chan tried to get to me by any method.
In my room I tried to somehow develop my bending and it worked though in my feeling with poor result. But air waves started coming out really strong. I'm sure one such would've knocked that wolf-beast and thrown far. Breeze in the head already very trained though still often breaks free and throws out emotions when not needed.
Somewhere at thirteen conversations of parents about my marriage started bothering me. Didn't introduce me to anyone and didn't plan to but words about profitable marriage sounded more and more often and somehow joking notes I stopped hearing in them.
By fifteen they openly said they'd force me to marry someone. Didn't argue—what's the point of disputes? Most likely I'll just run away because it's about after my eighteenth some girl waiting for me. By then I'll have finished school two years already and can calmly pack things and go… somewhere. Haven't figured where yet.
And by the way at fifteen I finish school. Finally lord. Externship here isn't thought out itself no such system so they skipped me and decided to leave as is. Didn't want to make too big a precedent. I'll get the education paper too early anyway—there were cases of skipping a year. But last three classes I studied properly without tricks.
Well better than sitting here extra three years. All that's left is to finish this year and can think what interesting to do.
And I even know how to celebrate graduation. Somehow it's not customary here to arrange anything special—just a ceremony and that's it but…
Time to show local kids what music is. There are music lessons but it's a strict orchestra singing the Fire Nation anthem. I understand why firebender larvae aren't allowed to fully dive into emotions—it can become a huge problem but still sometimes possible?
That's what I think too. And turned out airbenders have very good hearing. On the trumpet I played just… loudly true but well. And building from the orchestra something like good music worked. Not rock not pop but driving. Won't party in a club to it but that's not what we need right? Let them at least dance a bit to more-or-less calm music. Of course besides a couple different compositions for dancing also a couple for slow dance—sacred.
Yes for the girls' school I also spread rumors about the party. Let them gather party chat. Only I'll have to be the initiator and MC but worth it.
After all no matter what—airbenders are freedom-loving personalities. And at that also bringing freedom to others. Well okay more like I just wanted to cause some mischief before leaving. Party scheduled for Saturday suitable place found—one guy's whole family left somewhere and this brave hero allowed to hold it at his place. Well more like his friend set him up quite well and when in our collective graduate meeting no more ideas where to hold we forced him.
It was Friday or fifth day as they say here and it was the day to party. Orchestra gathered early as backup teams so everyone enjoys the evening drinks placed snacks prepared—beauty in one word.
Gradually toward evening people started gathering uncertainly grouping in corners. Expected.
When the main room had a decent number of people I gave the orchestra the command to start and rhythmic music poured. Of course no one rushed to be first on the dance floor. In my head somehow drew a similar scene only in a cave…
And the Avatar danced some girl there and everyone liked it. One problem: I can't dance. Well whatever worth trying. Some basic movements I know—we'll improvise. In one gulp finishing the drink in the cup I sharply went to the center of the improvised dance floor grabbing a pretty girl on the way. To my regret she turned out half a head taller than me—three years difference is important after all.
But nevertheless she clearly had nothing against only blushed when I smiled at her.
Then I started some of the most banal movements from previous life. Of course I did wrong but hit the beat. Something like more rhythmic and energetic waltz.
Not the best and clearly worse than in memories but to light the fire ha-ha in others' hearts it helped. Gradually people started moving someone even gathered courage to invite girls.
The party in general started and wasn't going to end. Poured discussions noise and dances though still slightly uncertain but with time raised stakes and it was cool.
I also wasn't in a hurry to step aside alcohol gradually seeped into the brain surroundings became familiarly blurry faces around stopped being recognized and memories how to behave in such cases on the contrary appeared.
How how? Dance and have fun.
With that girl I danced with after some time already kissed she wasn't particularly embarrassed that I'm shorter alcohol did its thing.
And possibly it could've ended with something interesting but I wasn't going to get into that. Gotta remember here all blue bloods and some decent incident could happen.
And we don't need that. In general kids got into the taste and the house owner with sadness and pain in eyes already watched interior elements losing usability.
And despite the desire to continue I decided to leave just as slow dance started. Someone shy stood on edges someone already decently drunk danced in center and someone openly made out.
Outside already dusk and I walked home even slightly staggering from intoxication. Parents think I'm home at all because I snuck to the party through the window. Yes second floor but am I an airbender or not?
Returning I tried to be just as quiet but passing the living room where relatives sat accidentally overheard dialogue:
"Yes have to sign earlier. Not very good now marriages are concluded at least after sixteen. Jiro are you sure about this decision? It's your son."
"If we don't sign tomorrow we won't sign at all. With this marriage we'll be next to the royal family. So yes I'm more than sure."
Didn't listen further. Heard everything needed so quietly and carefully slipped into my room and lay down to think.
Alcohol intoxication gone native breeze in head doesn't let emotions take over and allows sober assessment of the situation. Turns out marriage will be concluded day after tomorrow. Only without me—they won't marry me so seems time to run away.
From things I decided to take almost nothing—dressed shoed took wallet—for common people standards decent sum—threw in all my notes which weren't that many. Turned out memory doesn't fail me and surfaced memories don't disappear. And all my notes became mostly useless but I still kept them and even started sorting to make a small encyclopedia.
And gotta write something else before leaving. Two notes—one for parents I wrote quickly and simply:
"Thank you for everything don't want to marry not of my own will. Goodbye."
And what else to write? Fine as is.
But on the second I got stuck good and spent a decent ten minutes. Unfortunately this Sunday I'll already be far from here and therefore Mei will have to learn everything from this note.
Finishing both notes one I left right on the neatly made bed. Looking around one last time at the room I considered mine for good fifteen years I felt nothing. And it wasn't the breeze's fault just didn't care about this house and people living here.
Out the window I slipped the same as when going to the party. First point of my plan was our alley with Mei. Everything there as old absolutely nothing changed over time so I carefully pressed the note with a stone and left right on the bench. Rarely anyone comes here and think till Sunday it'll lie calmly. After all it's almost tomorrow.
And now time for the road! Truth no readiness for this event at all. I don't know the area map well enough to go by memory and not that skilled at surviving in the forest but bending instills hope that somehow I'll hold out.
So slinging the bag from one shoulder to another I walked down the main street wherever eyes look.
Several years ago I heard about Master Piandao—a famous swordsman who mastered the art to such level that he came out equal against possessors of absolutely any bending. Truth he's also essentially a defector because left everyone with not very pretty story—pointing sword at allies but rumors say all attempts to detain him failed no matter how many benders sent.
And decided to act on principle: don't touch shit so it doesn't stink.
That's where I'll head. After all I need to learn at least something really deadly because now with all my bending the same Mei would calmly beat me.
Classic—airbending is weak in combat at the beginning. To represent something I need to become a decent bender no matter what.
*
Aki's note lay till Sunday but the airbender couldn't know that exactly this day Mei would decide simply not to go to the meeting place. Training was too brutal and all weekend she spent just in bed of course reading something.
When Mei came the next seventh day she found neither the note nor Akimaru there. And many many subsequent seventh days too. Akimaru didn't show up at the meeting place neither in a year nor two. And on the third Mei herself got tired of finding excuses for the guy in her head and finally accepted that the second dearest person abandoned her. First mom now him.