Fire Bending

"Fire bending…?"

Bo was caught off guard. Since his realization that he was in the world of Avatar he had always dreamt of bending the elements.

To shatter earth with his fists, to fly in the sky, or to surf the waves. Never had he looked forward to fire bending.

Sure, Bo thought it looked cool as a kid. But as he got older he realized fire bending was more of a burden than anything.

Thinking further, Bo realized that for his master to make such an offer to teach fire bending meant that Master Chong Chong was a fire bender himself!

Still doubtful, Bo said, "Master, are you a fire bender?"

Hearing his apprentices question, Master Chong Chong's eyes filled with sorrow, "Yes it is a curse I was born with, and used foolishly when I was young. I vowed to never use it again, fleeing from the fire nation and using various identities."

Bo, a bit overwhelmed by all the new information asked, "Various identities? Who are you?"

Master Chong Chong's posture straightened and introduced himself, "In a past life I was an admiral in the fire lords navy, seeing the atrocities committed by the fire nation I fled and began a hermit life in the earth kingdom. My name is Jeong Jeong."

'Jeong Jeong! Aangs first fire bending master?'

The more he looked at the old man before him, the more his traits connected to the character he remembered seeing in the show.

Bo hadn't been able to recognize him seeing him as a real person and going under a different name.

'But shouldn't he be with that mountain clan in the woods? Or is that later on?'

Deciding to put that aside, Bo said, "Master, though I have some reservations on fire bending, if I have the talent I'd be honored to accept your teachings."

'Psh, no way am I going to pass up this opportunity to learn bending! I'm not picky.'

Nodding in understanding and glad at his apprentices humble answer, Master Jeong Jeong said, "No need to worry about talent young Bo. I have already done a thorough check of you chi and your aptitude for fire bending is sufficient."

Inwardly, Master Jeong Jeong thought differently, 'Sufficient my ass! This kids fire bending talent is through the roof. Plus his odd chakras I'm certain he will progress smoothly!'

Relieved at hearing his masters reassurance Bo readied himself for his masters tutoring.

———-

"There was a time, when fire bending wasn't a manifestation of hate and violence, but rather it drew out someone's passion and transformed that passion into strength."

Continuing on, Master Jeong Jeong said, "With the beginning of the 100 years war, this old style was erased and replaced by what is now a militarized atrocity."

Intrigued by his masters lesson since Bo didn't recall much about fire bending from the show, Bo asked, "Are you going to teach me this old style Master?"

Shaking his head in disappointment, Master Jeong Jeong said, "No, that style is lost in history, wiped out by the fire lord. However that does not mean you can't find your own style."

"My own style?" Bo asked, dumbfounded at the thought of creating a fire bending style.

"Yes, I believe that will be for the best given your unique composition. Don't fear, I will guide you and show you the basics so you can experiment on your own."

"Yes, master…" Bo decided to just go with the flow and learn whatever Master Jeong Jeong had to offer.

"Now with that out of the way…let's begin!"

———-

And just like that, Bo's training arc was underway.

"Let's start with your eyes, they are shrouded in mystery and if you want to unclog your full potential you must begin by unlocking your ocular abilities!"

Nodding in agreement Bo asked, "How do I do that master?"

Closing his eyes Master Jeong Jeong said wisely, "Don't ask me, look within yourself…"

Listening to his masters advice, Bo closed his eyes and looked within himself. Ignoring the countless anatomical intricacies of the human body, Bo focused on on his two chakra points behind his eyes.

Unlike his other chakra points, which felt inaccessible and locked Bo felt like he could access these two chakra points.

So with haste he sent a sliver of chi into his ocular chakra points

Not feeling much of a difference, Bo opened his eyes.

What he saw was a surprise. It looked like he was looking through a x2 reticle and he saw the world with renewed clarity.

If someone had asked him how many insects where on the summit top, he could have answered. Looking too his master and seeing every pore on his face was revolting and on instinct he was able to zoom out.

His master meanwhile was starring at Bo quizzically, "Your eyes…"

Surprised by these new developments Bo said, "I can see extremely well when I pour chi into my eye chakras! But for some reason I can't pour chi into my other chakras…"

Nodding in response, Master Jeong Jeong responded to the best of his abilities, "Every chakra point must be awakened by an internal uplift or realization, you have not met the requirements to unlock your other chakra points."

Bo still curious, asked, "The how can I use my ocular chakra points?"

Thinking for a moment, Master Jeong Jeong said, "It must be from some jarring event you've experienced, can you think of anything?"

Bo just chuckled in response. Could he think of anything? He could name quite a few things that happened these past few weeks that could lead to some sort of trauma.

"Your enhance isnt all that changes, your eyes changed as well…a red color with a black dot."

"…" Hearing that Bo's circuits fried. 'What? There's no way right? Are my dual ocular chakras just this worlds versions of… a sharingan?'

Realizing his apprentice was in deep thought, Master Jeong Jeong decided to give him room and figure out this mystery on his own.

———-

With the newfound ocular discovery, Bo wanted to focus on his bending so the following day the duo changed pace.

Master Jeong Jeong guided Bo in the key importance of patience and breathing to fire bending. Things that Bo already had a decent understanding on from his time at the dojo with Enzo.

After days of what Bo thought was just an endless amount of stance and breathing practicing, Master Jeong Jeong finally told Bo how to fire bend.

"Just breath as you have been, and look inside you. Your chi is like water, your body is a vase. Manifest your chi with your breath and passion!" Master Jeong Jeong said wisely.

"Yes Master!" Bo yelled with as much passion as he could muster.

Getting into one of the basic stances he learned these past few days, Bo took a deep breath and looked inside himself.

He saw his 9 chakras and the countless flows of chi that connected them. Using his excitement of being in this new world as a springboard, Bo drew out the chi in his body and propelled it outwards with a punch of his fist.

Following his punch, a flowery burst of flames erupted from the lines between his clenched knuckles and spewed forward like a flamethrower.

Enchanted by the beauty of his flames, it took the presence of his master to snap him out of it and quench his excitement, which subsequently snuffed the flames out.

"I'm a fire bender!" Bo yelled at the top of his lungs shooting his fists out in joy.

'Two long weeks in this world and I finally have the ability to do something!' Bo thought

Master Jeong Jeong was quick to bring Bo down to earth, "You called that fire bending? More like spark bending! You need more of the discipline!"

Taken out of the clouds by his master, Bo was quick to respond, "Of course Master, I still have a long way to go and look forward to more of your teachings!"

Master Jeong Jeong turned his back to Bo and looked down the mountain summit and at the rolling clouds bellow.

"Your apprenticeship is over! I have taught you everything you needed to go out and into the world…"

Shocked, Bo said, "But master, I still have so much to learn-"

"No buts! If I teach you anymore it could get in the way of your growth, trust me this is for the best."

Starting at his masters back, Bo knew that there was no way he was going to convince this stubborn gramps to keep teaching him.

'I don't want to learn on the spot, just teach me everything!' Was what Bo wanted to say, but he knew that would only strain his relationship to Master Jeong Jeong.

Tears gushing out of his eyes, Bo said, "Very well then master… thank you for everything!"

And with that, Bo turned his back and walked down the mountain summit.

What Bo didn't see was the tears at the edge of Master Jeong Jeongs eyes.

———