"Thank you..... thank you...." A thin and colourfully dressed man bowed to an applauding audience below the stage as a group of acrobats cartwheeled their way out of the stage.
The circus concluded leaving the audience to disperse, chattering excitedly. The circus master was pleased as well. They had stayed in the small town at the edge of the fire nation lands only for three days, yet the crowd only grew with each passing day.
Now normally, when the show comes to an end, the circus master would spend his time counting the coins they had earned , caressing the smooth and cold metal discs as they shone in the candle light. But even though the bag was heavier today, he couldn't help but think that his leisure time will not last. As the solitary figure that had remained walked towards him, the circus master bowed deep respectfully.
"We are honoured to have the daughter of the fire nation visit our humble circuis, is there anything that we can do to please you? "
The figure that approached became clearer, revealing a mature and sharp looking girl dressed in combat uniforms of nobles. However the small crown that adorned her hair gave away her royal heritage, so mistaking her for another noble was impossibe.
"Take me to Ty Lee"
That was all she said, but the circuis man was sweating bullets. While he wanted to inform his crew, warn Ty Lee, he found his body obeying the princess's order as if he was her dog.
"At once, your highness."
Unnoticed by anyone, a small apprentice acrobat creapt into the circus master's tent. But his target was not the valubles, but rather, the writing supplies. Taking a piece of parchment, he once again vanished into the darkness of night before reappearing in his own tent. He began to sharpen a charcoal piece as he got ready to write a message.
The birds gatherers in flocks.
I watched them take the skies
The moon's half gone
And I want my bone
The message was short, almost like a rhyme. But the way, the boy handled it, made the message seem more important than the words it said.
The boy tied it on the leg of the somewhat large owl and gave it one order.
"Take it to him"
The bird, as if he was waiting to the command flapped its wings silently before flying away. The receiver of the message was far. The bird had to cross many towns, rivers, mountains and lakes within the span of a few days, before finally perching on a tree near a small tent.
"Khan, you are here already?"
Even though the bird's landing was silent as a falling feather, the man inside the cow hide tent managed to notice it without even seeing it.
The tent opened and wild haired youth dressed in rough leather pants walked out as he dusted himself off, brushing off dry leaves and other soft materiels that he had used as a makeshift bed.
"Hooo Hooot"
The bird cried and flew nearer to the man before setting on the closest tree branch. Zuko didn't immediately grab the piece of parchment on the bird, but instead stretched his body in different directions, making popping sounds. Then lifting his wild hair back, he tied it into a pony tail with a strip of leather, then washed his face to clear any dirt on it before taking a deep breath as he stared at the morning sky.
"What a beautiful day"
Grabbing a piece of dried meat from his belongings, he chewed it as he read the message sent by the kid. 'hmm... did he tell me his name? Joshua? Jackie? No no.... well what ever"
In the course of two months time, Zuko had changed drastically, to a point he no longer was Zuko. When he lived within the ship with his uncle, he had done his best to act like Zuko, which came to him easily. But after his escape, he decided to be himself instead of being a shell of the dead Prince.
Physically, he was more grown, matching the height of a fully grown adult while muscles wrapped around his body appeared taunt like steel cables. His burn was already healed, leaving only a scar while he had hair all over his head unlike his shaven self before.
However, rather than the physical change, Zuko felt as if his mental change was greater. He no longer feared his younger sister or any of his family for that matter. They no longer mattered to him. They did not dictate his actions anymore. He might die, if he faced them. But if he didn't, why worry about it?
"So, Azula already went to recruit Ty Lee, huh?"
His voice was flat, showing his disinterest. However being cautious never hurt anybody.
Zuko had caught the brat with a 'J' in his name when he tried to rob him. However, who knew that the acrobatic kid who swiped his pouch would turn into a water bender?
Zuko had given him an ultimatum. Either stay in the circus he wanted and spy for him or he would turn him over to the fire nation soldiers. Then he threw in a bone as well. If he did what Zuko wanted, he promised to give him a scroll with water bending.
The message was easy to understand, Zuko decoded it while he rummaged through his belongings for the water bending scroll.
Birds means Azula and Ty Lee teaming up, the part about moon described the date and the bone was the water scroll. As for the water scroll, Zuko didn't care what the boy did with it.
It's the nature of man to seek more than they have. The kid might become a master, or fail from the start, he might kill countless or become a healer. But it didn't matter.
"There you go" Zuko threw the scroll back without looking at the direction he could sense the bird, who dissapeared with a flap of wings.
The last couple of months had been fruitful for Zuko. With a direction, and some actual teachings, Zuko trained diligently. It was either that or dying in boredom. And even though he had lost the spark to wield fire, he could still feel his chi, which had grown even more when he absorbed the spirit of the dead prince. He trained physically, channeling Chi out of the supposed paths and in through his body while also using it to feel his chakras.
The results were miraculous. He could eat like a king, fight like a beast yet think like a sage. His body, instead of limiting itself to normal human frame, began to grow as he ate more.
Pulling out his dao swords, he gripped them tightly with focus, the previously oversized grip, now fitting perfectly to his adult hands. It didn't take much effort to mobilise his chi, making the sword gain deep crimson hue, coating the metal surface along with his arms upto his wrists.
"MORRRRNINNGGG PRRRAAAAYERRRRR!!!"
The loud shout roused the birds as Zuko breathed heavily emptying his lungs while sreaming his throat out. Though it began with a joke, Zuko found a morning routine was the perfect way to start a day.
What followed, was a dance. The swords glinted in the air as Zuko danced with them, moving them in circular paths. His breathing followed the rhythm of the dance as did his chi. The sword arcs resembled the circular sun that passed through the sky, giving life to all.
Bending was about resonating with an element. Zuko noticed this after observing many benders. Earth benders were sturdy, fire benders were aggressive in attacks, water benders were flexible while the air benders were supposed to be agile. When chi resonates with an element, the bender can bend the element. But the only known way to resonate with elements, was the gift of bending from the lion turtles.
However, a person who unlocked his chakra would be able to hear the world, become one with the world and cosmic energy. There are two ways to open chakras both involving the control over emotions.
The method of guru Patick was to sever the ties with emotions completely and becoming one with the world. However Zuko stepped on a different path. Instead of letting go of those emotions, he controlled them using willpower. The greatest power within humans.
"PRAISE THE SUN!!"
Zuko stood straight with his arms in T pose, however his face held no shame. Earth was created by Tui and La. Humans were were created by mother of faces and fire was a gift from dragons. Yet they all depended on the sun. A ball of fire with no spirit or god. He felt as if he was crazy, to praise a non living object away from earth. Yet that non living object held all. Also he was bored.
The sword dance grew more and more intense and Zuko began to find a higher rhythm to his breath.
'Inhale' "wooosh" burning cosmic chi entered his body and escaped his mouth like fire, while his heart beat in an abnormally high pace.
And as a sword passed the sun, a miracle occurred. Fire burst forth. A sun halo like slash left the sword, which was followed by countless other slashes until Zuko finally came to a stop.
"Dance of the sun" he crossed his swords above his head before bringing them down to his sides, a halo like outline of fire forming behind him for a moment.
"Burning sun halo"