Chapter One: A True Firebender

Introduction:
Four avatars have come and gone: Wan, Ilijaia, Kadaku, and Salen.

Now it is time for the cycle to begin anew with another Fire Avatar.

The Match
The main focus of the story I am about to tell, who goes by the name Azuliona, or Zuli for short, rested her head on her hands. She was sizing up her opponent. At this point in time, Zuli was eleven, a prodigious firebender, and the Avatar. Her opponent was the Head Fire Sage, Zikon. He was in his late fifties, but still the most powerful firebender in the fire nation. Except for Zuli, of course. His slowly retreating grey hair was covered by a pointed hat that marked him as a fire sage. He had abandoned his traditional robes in favor of a more battle worthy tunic and pants. His feet were bare and spread shoulder width apart, waiting for Zuli to make the first move. Zuli wore the same clothes, with her black hair pulled into a top knot. She was waiting for Head Fire Sage Zikon to make the first move. The two circled each other, fists drawn, predator and prey.

Zikon sighed. I guess I'm going to have to be the one to start this bout. He twisted his legs until he was in the position for a fire wall, and created just that. A flaming wall of fire 5 feet tall, and usebal as both a shield and a weapon. He repeatedly punched it, sending flaming balls at Zuli of varying size, height, and speed. Zuli put her hands on her hips and smirked at him. Like that was going to stop her. She deftly zigzagged around them and when she finally reached Zikon's fire wall, leaped right over it. She shot bursts of fire from her heels to keep in the air until she was behind Zikon, where she landed on her tiptoes.

From there she ran around him, using fire whips and fire punches to keep him busy, while really all she was doing was tiring him out. She seemed to have endless energy and agility. Earlier, when she was studying Zikon, she noticed that he seemed a little tired. She knew he was not very agile anymore, and got tired more easily because of his age, and she had decided to use that against him. Let's just say that Avatar Azuliona was a firebending prodigy, and to practice against her meant losing. It helped the other firebenders training at Avatar Wan Temple to remember their place. Firebenders' self-esteem were often lowered after sparring with her. Now back to the present, Head Fire Sage Zikon was doubled over on his hands and knees in front of the slowly approaching avatar.

"I didn't realize that the Head Fire Sage was so easy to beat," Zuli commented, a gigantic smirk plastered on her face. "So, now can I go to an Air Temple? I can't wait to get started with airbending! Do you think I will learn it as fast as I did firebending? I hope I get to see the Sky Bison!" Zuli often started talking at a rapid-fire pace when she was excited, a habit she had from when she was younger.

"Avatar Azuliona, I think you are getting ahead of yourself. You have not officially mastered firebending yet. We need to organize something with Abbess Jiyana, as well as get you to the Western Air Temple," Zikon spoke in a calm voice. He had found that when everyone around her spoke slower, Zuli often slowed down. Sometimes. He pushed himself up off the ground, and bowed to Zuli at the same time she bowed to him. After that was done, he signaled that everyone else could come on to the training ground. Everyone else was the fire sages teaching at this temple, Kilona, and the other students of this temple. One of the fire sages walked up to Head Fire Sage Zikon and patted him on the shoulder as if to say 'welcome to the people defeated by Avatar Azuliona'. That group of people was quite big. As Zikon accepted condolences from his fellow sages, Kilona walked up to Zuli.

"That was awesome! You totally kicked his butt, and you looked amazing doing all of those moves! I wish I was a firebender…" Kilona had the same rapid-fire speech as Azuliona. That might have even been what had made them bond so well when they were little. They were best friends, always by each other's side, practically connected. Kilona was a non-bender, but on account of the avatar's pleading, she was allowed to watch Azuliona train and to be on the temple grounds at all hours except for night.

"I know! The look one his face when I defeated him... I would give anything to see that again!" Azuliona and Kilona walked over to the side of the practice court, waving hello to the faces they recognized. "Also, Kilona, would you want to come with me to the Western Air Temple? I would go insane without you as well as with all that meditating!" This question was asked a little shyly; Zuli knew that Kilona might want to remain with her family in the Fire Nation.

"I would be honored to, Zuli! Though I'm going to have to ask my parents." Kilona responded, already excited to find out what kinds of mischief they could cause. Clearly relieved, Zuli brought up some other topics, and they walked around, talking for the next hour or so.

The Ceremony
"I now present to you, Avatar Azuliona!" Head Fire Sage Zikon announced, and the crowd roared. It would have been bigger for another firebender, but Azuliona was a girl, and many disapproved of a female avatar. Some said that she should just be killed so they could move on to another avatar. Zikon was holding a wrapped bundle in his hand, inside of which held the headpiece that would mark Zuli as a firebending master. Civilians used a bit of cloth to hold their top knots in place, nobles used embroidered silk, and firebending masters used metal rings. To wear one meant that one had gone through the training required, and was now of the second highest status in the fire nation. The highest was that of a Fire Sage.

Our Avatar, Azuliona stepped forward wearing traditional robes with her hair down. She kneeled at the front of the stage. Kilona was wearing simplified robes, similar to Zuli's and standing right behind her. Head Fire Sage Zikon handed the fabric wrapped headpiece to Kilona, who unwrapped it and took out the pin. She drew Avatar Azuliona's hair up into a bun and placed the headpiece around it. She took her hands off of Avatar Azuliona's head and handed the pin to Head Fire Sage Zikon. He stepped forward and as he pushed the pin through the holes on either side of the metal ring, spoke, "I pronounce Avatar Azuliona of the Fire Nation a fully trained firebender!" The crowd cheered, louder than before.

Avatar Azuliona stood up and as the sun caught on the metal, it impossibly looked even more beautiful. Zuli looked like a goddess, floating in the shaft of sunlight. The headpiece had articulite engravings of the other elements positioned around a flame. The flame seemed to be alive, pulsing in the light of the sun. It was made of silver and gold, melted together into a swirling mess. A breathtaking mess.

The Journey
A shadow blocked out the sun from where Azuliona and Kilona waited with Head Fire Sage Zikon and Zuli's mother, Kunoz. The shadow had six legs and a big tail. It slowly descended, circling the spot where it was to land. It was a sky bison, and riding it on it's head, was none other than the head of the Western Air Temple, Abbess Jiyana. Along with the Abbess, a young air nomad rode in the saddle, craning her neck to see the Avatar. That air nomad had not yet earned her tattoos. They had come to transport the Avatar and her friend to the Western Air Temple, where she would begin her airbending training.

As soon as the sky bison touched down, the young air nomad jumped off of the saddle, robes billowing around her. Taking a moment to regain her composure, she ran up to the Avatar.

"Hi! My name is Yilai! It is an honor to meet you, Avatar Azuliona," The girl now known as Yilai said. She clearly was trying to hold in her excitement at meeting the Avatar. Her first two sentences were not something an air nomad would say, and she had tried to make up for that with her last sentence. It was to no avail; she was literally bouncing around in place, and everybody could tell that she was very excited. She bowed, her hands clasped in a greeting, still trying to make up for her lack of etiquette earlier. Zuli bowed back. "I will be helping you with your airbending training when we get to the Air Temple. I have mastered 30 of the airbending tiers, and will soon be getting my tattoos." Yilai spoke with pride in her voice when she mentioned getting her tattoos.

"Hello, Yilai! I have a feeling that you know my name, so I won't repeat it, but you can call me Zuli. I can't wait to get started with airbending training," Zuli responded, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. Abbess Jiyana walked over to them, her footsteps light and flowing. She bowed, Azuliona bowed back.

"It is an honor to meet you, Avatar Azuliona. I am sure that Yilai has introduced herself," at this she turned and gave Yilai a stern look, "I will be the one teaching you airbending, Yilai will be helping." She glanced over at Kilona, "You must be Kilona. You will be staying with Avatar Azuliona and you may come to the training sessions. You may also participate in meditations and other spiritual activities."

With this done, she walked over to Kunoz and Zikon. They discussed other arrangements well the three eleven-year olds talked. Kilona started off the conversations by asking some awkward questions. "So, Yilai, isn't eleven a little young to be getting tattoos?"

Yilai, unphased answered. "In the culture of my people, you are never too young to master the 35 tiers of airbending and become a master."

"Huh. Must be weird. Everyone here treats it like it is insane that I have already mastered firebending," Zuli responded.

The three continued their awkward conversation until Kunoz came to hug her daughter goodbye, and Zikon to bid her farewell. Once that was done, Abbess Jiyana used airbending to assist Zuli and Kilona into the saddle, and Yilai used her own airbending. Finally, Abbess Jiyana leaped up onto the head of her bison, and Yip-Yip-ed her sky bison into the air. Zuli looked down, smiling, as the fire nation retreated from sight.