Final Exam

That's right… I had almost forgotten. I heard a third year passed her test with such high scores that Master Zorin allowed her to take the fourth year exam as well. I overheard Master Shi-Yun grumbling about it when I left. Her name was Cecily or something.

Skipping a year is odd enough; but why would Master Zorin send her out into the world? I thought no trainee left the island without passing the final exam.

Your brother was right. You are not meant to be yu-yan.

The pastoral field had a beauty that would have made even the hardest of souls pause and smile. Tall wildflowers swayed and bowed their heads in honor of the breeze that rippled from one end of the field to the other. Birds, migrated from other, more seasonally afflicted parts of the world, called out from hidden locations; their joyous songs erupted from the tall grasses as if the terrain itself was singing. The sun's rays shone with gentle warmth; on a day like today, it would be easy to believe that the Sun Spirit was giving a benediction.

The students made no response. They simply abandoned their stances and moved forward to start collecting the valuable metal arrowheads. The splintered shafts were placed into the nearly empty quivers. No one spoke, not even after Master Shi-Yun departed the field. No one offered sympathetic glances to the ones that had failed. Everyone on the field had the same goal: to become a yu-yan archer, but only a few of them would make it. Only the very best of the best. That made everybody else indirect competition.

The fourteen-year-old rose to her feet and silently bowed to the headmaster. He watched as she padded from the room, waiting until she left before reaching up and pinching the bridge of his nose. It seemed such a waste that the spirits would give such talent and desire to one without the proper temperament to be yu-yan. Her brother hadn't been nearly this difficult. He had possessed some anger issues, but they had dissipated after he had passed a specially modified version of the fourth year exam. Freed from his pent-up feelings of resentment and inferiority, the boy had become a quintessential yu-yan.

We will take her back to camp with the others. Perhaps someone there will know what is going on.

I suspect some high ranking officer or Fire Nation noble is attempting to snag some Avatar glory for his own. Such activities are beneath the yu-yan.

I would love to take you up on that, Prince Zuko, but we are not fire benders. However, I suppose you did make a valid point. The Avatar is gone and executing the child will not bring him back. Likewise, I cannot see any advantage to invoking the Fire Lord's wrath by harming his only son. Still, the child must be punished for her actions. As a trainee, Shiori is technically the responsibility of Headmaster Zorin, who will be receiving a detailed report of this incident. She will find that the elders of Simetra lack any sense of humor when it comes to high treason. Good day, Prince Zuko. With any luck, you will not be seeing us again.

That is my sister.

The southern group received a return messenger hawk. The situation is unchanged. The Fire Nation soldiers on the island are not Admiral Zhao's men. We've been ordered to deal with them if they interfere.

By all rights we should kill you; all those who interfere with this mission are expendable. It is only because you are a yu-yan that mercy is being shown. The Avatar will be taken tomorrow. Attempt to intervene and your life will be forfeit. <pause> (softer) You should not have come, Shiori. You should not have followed. You are not meant to be yu-yan.

Perhaps. But I personally hope she attempts to run for it. A trainee should know her place and that place is Simetra, not here ruining her brethren's chances for success.

We would have had the Avatar if this brat had not interfered.

Eh, glare all you want, little one. Before this day is through that will most likely be the least of the indignities you'll suffer.

Well, well, well. If it isn't our favorite banished Prince. You owe us a lot of money, boy. I think I'll take it out of your hide.

<laughter> And maybe you'll return my mother's necklace too. Forget it kid; you're too much trouble. Or maybe I should say: you're in too much trouble. You remember my crew, don't you? Because they sure remember you.

Naw. We'll catch up to our friend, the banished Prince, someday. Til then, drinks are on the Fire Nation!

Not only did it cost us two hundred gold pieces, but also our ship and all of our collected curios. The Captain was certainly not pleased.

Want to make some money? All you have to do is spread the rumor that a giant manta ray-bat has been seen on Misty Island in the coastal towns and islands north of here.

What do you think, Captain? Should we go after them?

And I'm telling you that you're crazy. No one is out here; and besides, we're supposed to wait for Aang back at camp. What if he comes back and we're gone?

Yes, that too. The point is, we miss home and we've only been gone a little while. We know it will still be there when we get back. Aang can never go home again. His whole culture is gone. If searching for a giant manta ray-bat makes him feel better, what harm is there in letting him have a day or two to look? Besides, we needed supplies and this place is full of food. Even if it doesn't come pre-cooked.

Oh, Sokka, just come on.

Ah, Prince Zuko. Which is the easier predator to avoid in a forest: a rampaging sabertooth lion-moose, or the small but deadly iguana-viper? Having more numbers does not necessarily mean that Zhao will win. In fact it may end up being a disadvantage.

Prince Zuko. Show your respect to Master Zorin. Please, won't you join us for some tea? I ordered some oolong. As I recall, it is your favorite.

I believe the shooting of arrows comes later, Prince Zuko. And the yu-yan aren't merely 'archers'. They are the world's best archers. Simetra Island's training program is one of the harshest a Fire Nation youth can endure. The few who graduate must prove themselves not only as archers but as physically elite hunters that can track down any prey. Isn't that why you wanted one?

I only have a month and we're already behind Zhao. We'll set a course for the Earth Kingdom, north of the Avatar's last known location. He won't escape me this time.

The scroll mentions that he travels with two teenagers from the Southern Water Tribe, a boy and a girl. The boy is a fool, but don't underestimate him. He can be an… unpredictable factor in a fight. The girl is a water bender. She isn't trained, but she can be troublesome. The Avatar has picked up some water bending too, although he still relies mainly on air.

Who's paying you to spread rumors? What does it have to do with the Avatar? Tell me, and I might see fit to double your price.

I'm telling you, Katara, I smell meat. Mmm, juicy, succulent, cooking meat. And it's coming from this direction. My nose is never wrong.

Because I'm not wrong. I know I smelled cooking meat. And don't talk to me about wasting time; this whole side trip is a huge waste of time. Aang hears one little rumor about some sort of flying whatsit and off we go. What happened to us needing to get to the North Pole as soon as possible? What happened to no more distractions?

Hey, did you hear something?

(narration) It is said that of all the people of the world, those born in the Nation of Fire are the proudest. We are fighters, with the determination to carry out whatever we start, and we have always been this way, even before the war. Only those born in our nation are blessed with fire, the superior element. Our benders are the only ones capable of manifesting their element as a physical extension of their own chi. It is that power, as well as the mastery of such that makes us strong as a people.

(thought) They could have at least made the targets more challenging.

(spoken) No! Master Zorin, please! Next time I'll kill the hummingbee and anything else that gets in my way. Please don't send me home!

We're nobodies, and we're always going to be nobodies, just like Aunt and Uncle. We'll spend our days working until the day we die, and it will never be enough. Mother and Father will never come back, never look at us, never acknowledge us. No one will.

Seeing a blue-throated hummingbee is special, Shiori, because… because… because Mom said so.

Look at them, Shiori! They think they're so special just because they were born with a skill… well, so what! They think that they're special, but they aren't! Life's just easy for them. They don't have to work for it; they don't have to prove themselves. The Sun Spirit just decided to bless them, that's all. So what! I'll show them. I'm special too. Mom and Dad will be sorry they ever left me behind…

Her technical skills are great; there is no question on that, Master Zorin, but her level of discipline is lacking. She may have the talent of a fifth-year student, but even a first year knows better than to offer a rebuttal to an instructor. This isn't the first occurrence either. It's disruptive to my class and unworthy behavior for a prospective yu-yan.

She has too much fire in her. She might have the talent; hell, she might even be stubborn enough to find a way to pass the final exam, but she'll only suffer in the long run.

Shiori, congratulations. You showed true wisdom and self-awareness that not many fourteen-year-olds possess. Forcing yourself to become yu-yan when you do not have the spirit of one- when you are incapable of divorcing yourself from the world at large and simply acting like a weapon, it would be a horrible mistake. That is a burden that I would not wish on anyone.

Appa!

Katara, Sokka, you’re all right!

Appa, yip-yip!