Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legend

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The new school year began with happy news. Throughout the colonies of the Fire Nation, festivals and health centres were rattling in honour of Prince Airo's firstborn son. The royal dynasty had gained another boy and strengthened its position. Little Lu Teng's name was celebrated by everyone. Rumours and whispers of his good health and great gift for magic spread through the streets, and in the pubs or kitchens of their homes men drank with his name on their lips.

The celebration of the birth of the Fire Master's grandson even reached the walls of the military school. All students were given the day off and allowed to visit the city. Thanking the baby for his mere birth, the happy children and teenagers discussed the event in full voice, spreading out through the many streets of Liping.

Guan Yu, walking alongside his classmates, remembered the heir to the Fire Country. Apart from the monument, the boy had had the chance to see the man in person, during the Lu Yang riots. He hadn't paid much attention to him then, until he saw the huge statue in the centre of Liping. After questioning Sergeant Ping, the child realised with shock that he had seen a real member of the royal family, but didn't react in any way.

-Well, I didn't react to anything back then....

-What are you muttering about,' Wen Chou, who was walking next to him, came close, 'You must be thinking about training again. How much training do you have to do, don't you have enough at school?

Chou's fair question was met with laughter from all sides of the classmates. Jokes and light mockery of the labourer Yu and his fanaticism for classes already tired of joking. For himself, however, the boy noted that he was indeed lacking. Instead of silly political classes, he would be happy to train with Guan Dao.

Walking along with his classmates through the crowded streets of the city, Yu miraculously waited for the end of the walk. The boy sprinted home, not knowing where he was going. His eyes were already filled with happiness as he imagined how he and Ping would train on the rooftop.

When he burst into the house, without taking off his clothes, he picked up the weapon in the corner and was about to look for the sergeant when he noticed the many surprised looks in his direction. Several men and women were seated around a large table in the living room. Dressed in dress uniforms, they stood frozen with sticks and shot glasses in their hands. Watching the actions of the house master's ward.

Examining the soldiers, Yuu took note of the new patches on the armour. Sergeants, petty officers, and even one lieutenant were seated at the table and were about to celebrate. Ping, who had come out of the kitchen, jumped up to his pupil. Putting his arm around the boy's shoulders, he pulled him closer so that his fellow officers could get a closer look at the child the former sergeant had been telling them all about.

-How fortunate you came in, I thought you'd come running in the night again. You know many of the people here,' the man patted the boy on the back, forcing him to step forward, 'and these are our new comrades from the metropolis.

One by one, Petty Officer Ping introduced the embarrassed young men, colourfully describing their strengths and merits, causing not only the girls but also the men to blush. This could have gone on for a long time, so the lieutenant stood up from his seat and put his hands out in different directions, reassuring those present.

-We all know that our petty officer can talk endlessly,' the pouting Ping folded his arms across his chest, pretending to take offence, 'so I'll just say this, we're celebrating a promotion. The new recruits have recently arrived, so Colonel Liu Biao has given many of the old soldiers a hearty gift. I suggest we drink to that, to the colonel, long live to him.....

-... What will give us new epaulettes!

The joyful laughter of the soldiers spread throughout the house, deafening the child. Infected by the positive atmosphere, Guan Yu easily fit into the looming revelry. Sitting next to his uncle, he listened intently to stories and funny moments from the service. The liberated sergeants and petty officers easily switched to panibristic speech, even the lieutenant spoke to them as equals, because not long ago he himself wore similar plates on the armour.

After sitting up with the celebrating warriors of the Fire Country, Yu sat up till nightfall, helping to clear the table and seeing off the drunken guests. His uncle smoked dreamily at the table, shaking the ashes off into his plate. Stroking the new marks on his armour, he smiled warmly, thinking on his own. Not to bother the man, Yuu tidied up the house proper, deciding not to leave the rubbish for tomorrow. He would have to return to school the very next evening, so he planned to spend the entire day practising with his halberd.

-Sit down, Yu. Get some rest.

The petty officer's sluggish voice echoed around the room. Confused by the words, he slammed down the nearest chair, inviting the boy back to the table. Smiling tiredly, the child prepared himself for another speech about life. Taking a seat next to Ping, he happily thought that judging by his condition, today's speech would be very short.

-Something wrong, Uncle?

-No, no. I'm fine, it's just that I still can't believe it happened. I thought it'd take me five years at best to get to petty officer. I won't be an officer for sure: no brains, no magic....

Muttering to himself, Ping slowly slumped forward. Yu caught him by the shoulders and gently placed him on the table, placing his powerful arms under his head. Going for a small plaid, the boy covered his guardian. Retiring to his room, he bowed respectfully towards Ping, quietly closing the door.

-Brrrr, that's invigorating! How did you get me to agree to something like this!

Shaking off the water like a dog-bear, Ping shook off the remnants of the water. Rubbing his swollen face, the man swayed slightly, kept his balance only by the guardrails.

After receiving a towel from his pupil, he wiped his head dry, looking around at the new colours of the world. Smiling happily, the petty officer took a cup of hot tea from the boy's hands. Realising why the child was trying so hard to bring him to his senses, Ping decided to go along with it.

Throwing the towel and set inside, the boy ran joyfully to the roof where the petty officer was already waiting for him. Getting into fighting stances, they had a little warm-up sparring to waste no time.

-I won't have much free time soon, so I'll teach you something new.

Unfurling the guan dao, the man held it upright in front of him, grasping the shaft with both hands.

-Till now, you and I have been studying the classic Fire Nation school. Of course, the style that your father and I taught you had a lot of our own developments,' Ping shuffled his foot modestly, shaking his head with each word, 'but now we'll learn what I've created myself, based on earth magic.

Hearing the last part of the sentence, the child's burning eyes faded greatly. Ever since the day his mother was killed using earth magic, he hadn't even tried to use his conqueror power. Painful memories were pushing him away from this venture. Resting his halberd on the ground, the boy scrutinised his hands, frowning his narrow eyebrows. Ping, noticing the change in behaviour, gave himself a mental shove. Cursing his long tongue, the man slowly moved closer to the child.

Kneeling down, he lifted the drooping boy's chin. Looking into the eyes ready to cry, he smiled sadly, but spoke in his usual firm voice.

-You can't escape it, Yu. Your father told me your secret, sooner or later you will have to learn your magic, because with it you will become many times stronger.

Continuing to remain silent, the boy furiously shook his head, threatening to burst into tears. Clenching his small fists, he breathed heavily, trying to calm down, but every time he thought of earth magic, his mother's last words and the rumble of stone slabs echoed in his head.

Realising that gentle persuasion was not working, the petty officer decided to try a method that had proven effective once before. Standing up on his feet, the foreman lifted his chin so that he could look down on the child.

-You're going to become a soldier, Guan Yu. A soldier of the Fire Nation!

Hovering over the pupil, the man towered like a rock. At the end of each sentence, he struck the ground with the blunt tip of his weapon.

-Do you know who the Fire Nation is fighting? Answer me!

Swallowing his words and blowing thin tear streams down his face, the boy, without raising his head, answered the question.

-With the Water Tribes....

-Don't play dumb, it doesn't suit you. Who are the Fire Nation fighting?

Wiping his tears and snot with his fist, the boy, clenching his teeth, understood what Ping wanted to bring him to, but refused to admit it just like that.

-With the Earth Kingdom...

-What is the main strength of the Earth Kingdom?

Breathing heavily, the child raised his head, looking straight into the elder's eyes. A feeling of pity flashed through Ping's mind for a second, but he quickly suppressed it, convincing himself that he was doing the right thing.

-What's their main strength, Yu?

-The conquerors, there are a lot of them, much more than the Fire Nation....

With a hard tap of his shaft on the roof, the man startled the boy, causing the latter to jump in surprise. Leaning down to Yu's face, the elder spoke in a cold and intimidating voice.

-You can't imagine what will be waiting for you there. There are six shrews for every one Firebender. Stones will be flying everywhere, eager to send you to meet Agni, and they will! Your fear of earth magic makes you weak. As I recall, you wanted to get rid of the weakness?

Towards the end, the elder's voice rolled into an eerie hiss. Searing the boy with his gaze, he straightened back up. Still not waiting for a reaction to his words, the man repeated the question.

-Then in Lu-Yang, you told me you didn't want to be weak anymore. Was that the case?

Memories of the day under discussion flashed through the trembling child's mind. Having recovered from Ping's therapy, the boy stubbornly kept saying that no one else close to him would die, that he needed strength to protect.

-Yes...

-I can't hear!

-Yes, I don't want to be weak. I don't want anyone to die because of me.

Ping picked up the halberd that had fallen to the ground and swung it around, forcing the boy to grasp the weapon with both hands.

-How do we fight weakness? -What do we do?

-We practice!

To bring the boy to his senses, Ping threw a series of blows. Without sparing the child, he worked at full speed, marking the blows. A pained exclamation could be heard from the boy's side as he clenched his teeth and fiercely responded to the attack.

The sun was scorching mercilessly as the exhausted Yu collapsed on the roof of the house. Sitting on a mat brought in beforehand, the petty officer was enjoying the cool tea, squinting amusedly against the bright rays.

-So, how is it? Better?

-Yes, Uncle. I'm sorry I-

-It's nothing. You're still young, so it's normal for you to have fears that you have to overcome.

Looking carefully at the rising disciple, Ping set the cup aside.

-I won't always be around to help, Yuu. Sometimes you'll have to overcome your demons on your own. Now we were in a city full of soldiers, but what will you do in a war? If on the battlefield you suddenly become afraid of earth magic again. Your friends might die besides you, have you thought about that?

-No, Uncle.

Hanging his head, Yu looked at the tips of his boots. Wiggling them in different directions, he thought about his guardian's words, running them through his mind.

-I must become strong and stop being afraid.

-I hope you really understand that, and not just saying it to please me.

Rising from his seat, the petty officer stretched out, crunching his whole body. Grabbing his halberd, he waved the blade in a strange stance. Putting his straight arms forward, he held the shaft vertically parallel to his body.

-If you really want to fight this, we'll start small. Like I said, this is what I learnt from fighting earth mages.