INFERNO (sokka)

Return of the Avatar

      Blinding lights, the foghorn, the military sirens, it only pointed to one occurrence, one she wasn't sure she would experience in her lifetime. Eyes opened wide at the mass panic and chaos erupting on the main Fire Island, she was sure the other islands mimicked the same reaction. Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching intently for the one person she needed to monitor, her cousin.

She watched from the top of a building as several Admirals and Generals found their way to Ozai's throne to announce the unthinkable, the only event that could cripple the Fire Nation army in the Hundred Year War, in the midst of their tyrannical regime. She hadn't been aware of panic like this since the attack on the Earth Kingdom, on that fateful day where her brother lost his life trying to conquer Ba Sing Se.

She scaled down the side of the building, hesitant to manipulate her element for fear of someone watching, as everyone in the Fire Nation remained both a friend and an enemy all in the same. Light feet met the the dirt below and with a slight kick, she managed to sprint to the Royal Palace, stopping short of mere feet behind Azula. Her cousin turned to her with a scowl, arms crossed over her chest and raising a brow, releasing a dry laughter.

Azula grinned and spoke condescendingly, "Sersa, it's good to have you here in the midst of all the action. Have you heard? The Avatar has returned, and my father is going to defeat him. It'll be the biggest win for the Fire Nation that the world has ever seen."

'But a loss for the world,' Sersa thought, stepping forward several steps and meeting her cousin eye to eye. "I need to speak with Ozai," She said directly, not missing the way that Azula's smug glance faltered at her order or the way the girl narrowed her eyes in confusion.

Sersa brushed past Azula in her shocked state and barreled through the doors, stopped only by guards just behind the first entrance. They surrounded her, small flames burning in their palms as some sort of warning sign, an intimidation tactic used to scare nonbenders and even unskilled benders. She refrained from smirking and instead dropped to one knee, bowing her head and showing the men respect, keeping up the act as long as she would have to. "I am here to see Fire Lord Ozai on account of official Fire Nation business. I am his niece, daughter to Iroh, sister to Lu Ten, granddaughter of Lord Azulon, may he Rest In Glory."

Her words caused a shift in nervousness between the guards who muttered small whispers to one another, unsure of what to do. The group stood up straight, one releasing a small gasp when a blast of fire nearly hit them from behind. A warning sign. 

"Guards," The voice boomed, the voice she could never forget, the voice she could make out in any crowd. "Allow her to pass. We have an important meeting."

She stood without hesitation, eyes fixated on Ozai as her feet led her to him, involuntarily stopping and dropping to the ground, bowing before his presence. She didn't let her eyes meet his, a sure sign of disrespect, as she tilted her head up. "Fire Lord Ozai, I am here on behalf of the Fire Nation and seek to join the army to assist in finding the Avatar. I pledge my allegiance to you."

Her ears listened for the pleased laughter that bellowed from his chest, disgust filling her veins and fueling her rage all in the same. Her knees shook in rage, something she concealed by bowing further, pressing them into the firm stone below her. She didn't expect his next words.

"And what benefit would it be to allow a nonbender to join the army?"

Sersa stood this time, inches below him but walking towards him to get closer. It was time for her to make her case, to convince her uncle that she was not only a good enough fighter, but a fighter that could bring victory to the Fire nation.

She had never been close with Ozai, always hidden and shielded by her father. She was close with Zuko, her banished cousin, and couldn't stand the likes of his slightly unhinged sister Azula. Sersa wasn't given the opportunity to be raised up by the most powerful Fire Lord, she had been stripped of it from her birth, and for her own good she discovered much later.

While Zuko and Azula trained hard and against one another, Sersa trained in isolation, mastering the element of fire from the dragons. Iroh taught her often at night away from crowds, alone in the small, barren structure behind their home. He trained with her tirelessly, going for hours on end, always making her promise that she'd never reveal her bending abilities too early.

For the longest time, it didn't make sense, she didn't understand why her cousins could freely practice and spar against other benders.

She didn't understand until she turned eleven years old and witnessed firsthand the cruelty of Ozai, his illegitimate compassion for the death of her brother.

She didn't understand until Iroh told her the legends of her grandfather Azulon's untimely death and Ozai's obsession with the throne.

She didn't understand until the Agni Kai that left Zuko scarred and banished.

She hadn't spoken to her cousin or her father in years since the day they left in search of the Avatar. She remembered pleading with Iroh not to leave, how his hands gently held her face still as he whispered, "Zuko needs me right now. I'll come back for you. I'll always come back for you." But now that Ozai knew about the existence of the presumed dead Avatar, now that time was of the essence, Sersa knew that this was her time to find her way to Iroh. She had to do whatever it took. She had to do this.

She huffed, "I've trained in combat since I could walk. Bending aside, I am an equal match for Azula in hand to hand combat, and I've trained alongside Mai and Ty Lee for years. I want to contribute, to do something meaningful. I want to be on the right side of history, Ozai. I just need your blessing to join the ranks." She watched as he raised a single eyebrow, a telltale sign that he was strongly considering something, and walked around her in a half-circle. He stared her up and down and to an outsider, she was right. She was lean, muscular, light on her feet, tactful. She was designed to be a good warrior, there was no doubt about that, but the lack of bending seemed to be a problem for him.

"Firebending aside, how will you go up against a water bender?" He asked inquisitively, waiting to tear apart her answer. He walked in circles again, hands resting behind his back and head cocked sideways in an arrogant manner. "And an earth bender? If your Fire Nation brothers are not there to protect you, are you prepared to be attacked with both elements at once? How will you handle not one, but two attacks that rely on the environment around you? How will you be prepared to capture the Avatar, master of all four elements?"

"The same way I fight firebenders," Sersa said simply, "I adapt. Water is a prime example of an element of change, I can fight with fluid and graceful steps. I can take the high ground to lower the Water advantage. When fighting an earth bender, I'll take on their approach, waiting for the appropriate time to strike. I don't have to be a bender to be in tune with the Earth around me. I am part of the Earth. And as far as the Avatar goes, a capture is not the same as a battle. It's not my battle to fight."

She watched as he stood still for several moments, thinking quietly to himself. He had never paid his niece much attention, pushing her out of his focus at the moment he discovered she had no bending capabilities. Building an arsenal of powerful firebenders was his concern, building up an army that could take over the world was his only goal.

He had no interest in the nonbending child of his weak brother, an outcast to the Fire Nation, yet here she stood in his palace begging for a chance to be in his army. Perhaps she did deserve a place, after all she was a part of Ozai's bloodline no matter how insignificant.

Ozai turned to her swiftly, setting ablaze a fire at the spinning of his cape, resting burning hands on her shoulders. "You will join the Fire Nation army and have the protection of the highest Admiral."

"I am grateful for your support, Lord Ozai," She hid her smile as she bowed once more, eyes on the floor below her, staring into her reflection that shined back at her in the light. Her mission had just begun.