Avatar: The Red Dragon

Chapter 11: The Wait

Nanami was lying on her bed unable to sleep. It had only been a little over a month since she had started attending the Royal Fire Academy and so many things had happened. She did not have time to process it all in her head yet.

First, Toh told me my firebending was so bad he couldn't even sense it. Then, on my first firebending lesson, we discovered that it was unusual and I had to stop attending firebending training and practice martial arts instead. After that, I got into a fight and was suspended for a week, during which I got into another fight. Then a Fire Sage told me that I've got some sort of connection to Avatar Roku because his statue's eyes and mine shone at the same time, during the last fight and eleven years ago, when I was born. How could my life get so messy?

Nanami sighed and closed her eyes to relax, feeling that her head would explode if she kept on thinking about complicated things.

Now I have to wait for Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko to come, but they're busy with things in Republic City... How long will they take to come here? I'm not patient, I don't like waiting... And I also have supplementary lessons with Toh about the spiritual side of firebending. Luckily, I've learned the chi before, so it's not too hard.

So many thoughts were invading her mind and were preventing her from falling asleep, tossing and turning in bed. Her thoughts then turned to Iroh. Prince Iroh.

So Iroh was the prince, she thought. I wonder why he didn't tell me. He probably had his reasons.

She got up and sat at her desk where a book was lying.

I'll have to apologize to him tomorrow for not realizing he was the prince. And for being rude to him.

On her desk was a small lantern with a wax candle inside. To light it up, she usually used fire-making stones, but she was a firebender now. Ignoring her teachers' warnings about not using her power, she lit up the lamp by throwing a little flame in it and started reading a book about the United Republic. The multicultural state was well-known for its advanced technology and modern life. The United Forces were also multicultural, which made them strong.

That sounds so nice! Modern life and a multicultural army. I've never seen masters of the other elements! It would be nice to go to Republic City one day, she dreamed.

Her eyelids were starting to get heavy as fatigue won her over. But what to do with the fire? She tried blowing on it but obviously, that did not work. She was too tired to think and reached unconsciously towards the flame. She closed her eyes, trying to feel the fire's energy and thought hard about taking it back. She accidentally touched the fire and the warmth made her open her eyes, but it did not burn — it was just a little warm. As she folded her fingers in her palm, the fire went back to her hand.

It worked! I took the fire back, she realised happily, before returning to her bed and sleeping soundly for the rest of the night.

❁

The next day, Nanami looked for Iroh during lunchtime. She finally found him after looking for a while. He was sitting alone in a little corner of the library, reading a book.

"Hi!" she greeted him with a smile, sitting on the armchair in front of him.

He looked up at her and smiled back, closing his book. "Hi, Nanami!"