Chapter Text
Fire
Air
Water
Earth
For years, the balance of the universe has remained thanks to the Avatar.
Only them, Masters of the four elements, can bring peace and maintain the natural order.
But when evil messes with that order, it will be time for the shadows to take charge, and help the Avatar restore balance to the universe again.
"Time to wake up!" the distant screaming and banging of the gong echoed through the halls of the temple. He groans and takes the pillow from under his head before placing it on top of his face. He doesn't want to wake up yet.
However, that choice is taken from him, as Twice bursts in and starts banging the gong on his room. "Wake the Fuck up, newbie!" he screams as he tries to ignore him and curls further into the bed.
Twice leaves soon after, but he can hear him doing the same for the rest of the people on this floor. Every day since he arrived at the temple, Twice has done the same every morning. Maybe it's his job because he is the loudest person in the temple or the eldest of them who stays full time here. But as annoying as it is, and for much that they want to kill him for it, they appreciate it. He wouldn't be able to wake up if it wasn't for him.
Taking the pillow out of his face and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Tomura gets up from his bed and starts his morning routine. He splashes water on his face before checking his neck and face for bruises and scratch marks. During the day, he can sometimes stop scratching himself if he notices or isn't too worked up. But in his sleep, his hands have free reign over his face. Once he takes care of the bruises, he changes into his training robes and leaves his room.
When he steps out, Dabi is already waiting for him. He had the room next to him, so they always went down to eat together. As the youngest members, they didn't have to worry about breakfast. They had other chores, just like everyone did, except for the council, who were too old to do anything but teach. He and Dabi make their way to the dining hall, Twice still shouting behind them.
When they arrive, the council is already seated at their table, like always, and the breakfast food is already being served. The room is big, enough to hold a group of thirty comfortably, with two large tables and a smaller one for the council. It's kind of ironic that they would never be that many members. Right now, they were thirteen members, though two were out on a purge.
He and Dabi sit next to one another, and not a second later, Kurogiri places a bowl of rice with a poached egg and a bread roll in front of them. Kurogiri brings three more breakfasts and sits on Tomura's other side, with the other two breakfasts dishes in front of them. They wait for another minute for Twice to come down with Compress behind him until finally, the council takes the first bite, and they can start eating.
It's been one year since he's been in the temple, and he knows this pattern like the back of his hand. Twice is messy, and he talks when he eats, spuing everything out to the table. Dabi is the complete oposite. He eats as if the world is watching him without dropping anything and with a perfect posture. Kurogiri watches silently and tries to keep up with Twice's double personality while sometimes cleaning his mess. Compress was having a 'tired day', so he will eat his breakfast in silence to wake up before moving on with his chores. If he hadn't come back from a mission the other night, he would be chatting amusedly with Twice or showing off his magic to them.
Tomura had always been observant and could read people pretty well. Master Jiwe always told him it was a consequence of his bending and connection to the energy surrounding him. He didn't understand it that much, but Master Jiwe told him to be proud of his abilities. And since she had told him to work on what he could do, Tomura made sure to observe everything around him, always. For example, he noticed this morning that she had not come to breakfast. It wasn't the first time it had happened, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But he was proud that he had noticed it.
He liked to think she would be proud too.
When they finish their breakfast, before Dabi or he could leave, Master Huapi calls them over. The two boys share looks of confusion between them before going near him. Master Huapi was Dabi's bending teacher, a Master of fire bending and pro of the blood lightning technique. Him calling Dabi wouldn't be weird, but both of them...
Had they done something wrong?
They go towards the fire bender, who waits for them with the rest of the council. That worries Tomura even more. His neck is getting itchy. "Tomura, Dabi," Master Huapi greets them with a slight bow of his head. The two follow his example and also bow to the council.
"I-is something wrong, Masters?" he asks, his raspy voice weak and trembling.
"Where were you both yesterday night?" Master Huapi asks them, making his heart go to a million.
"I-in o-ou-our r-rooms..." he lies, his voice in a panic.
Since he and Dabi were the only kids around, they spent a lot of time together. And although he had a curfew too, like everyone, Dabi didn't like doing what he was told. Many times he had sneaked into Tomura's room so that they could play or practice together. It made him scratch a lot whenever Dabi broke the rules, and it got worse if he dragged him into it. But he wouldn't change those moments for anything. Even if they just sat next to each other, he was glad Dabi was there.
"Young Tomura, there is no need to abuse your neck," one of the council members tells him. He had been so nervous he hadn't even noticed. Or that he was hyperventilating. "None of you are in any sort of trouble. An intruder got in last night. We wanted to know if you had noticed. But we can see you didn't,"
"The intruder was caught shortly after he came in. But if he had been an enemy, you two would not have been prepared," Master Huapi lectures them.
"We are sorry, Master," Dabi finally speaks, and bows down as an apology, and pulls on his hand so that he copies him. The older man starts scolding them about being prepared or the like, but Tomura doesn't pay much attention to him. Just as he began another one of his monologues, Tomura saw Master Jiwe passing through the outside hallway. Tomura follows her with his sight until she is at the entrance of the dining room. When she gets to the door frame, she is not alone. Another kid is with her, holding her wrinkly hand and fidgeting with the heam of clean training robes. The outfit is sleeveless, just like theirs, and Tomura can see how the kids' arms are full of scars and lashes.
Dabi notices the new arrival and puts himself in front of him, shielding him from the newcomer's sight. Tomura doesn't mind it, and Dabi has always been paranoid in his own special way. Master Jiwe and the kid come closer, and Tomura notices how afraid he is. He can feel it, sense it wrapping around the kid like a blanket.
"Dabi, Tomura, meet the new member of the Red Lotus," Master Jiwe introduces them. Tomura lets out a small and squeaky 'Hi' while Dabi hums and nods to him. "Will you two be so kind as to show him the temple?" she asked them.
"We have chores," Dabi is quick to respond and deflect.
"Good, you can show him that too. He will be joining you two on them after all," Jiwe shuts him down.
"Yes, Master," Dabi sighs. "Let's go," he says, pulling him by his wrist and not waiting for the other kid. He catches up quickly, trotting up to them so that he doesn't get lost.
They don't have to walk a lot to get to their next stop, the kitchen. Since they are kids, they are not allowed to cook, and so their chores are cleaning after breakfast and lunch. When they get there, they find Kurogiri and Compress talking. Since they brought all the dishware from the dining hall while they were talking with the council. The moment Compress crosses sight with the new kid, Tomura notices how tense the kid becomes and the cocky smirk that the teen gives him.
"Hello again, little intruder," he greets him. "Did you sleep well?" the kid doesn't respond, but he doesn't lower his gaze. He also tightens his fist in a way that Tomura knows will leave nail indentations on his hand.
"This is the kid you were telling me about?" Kurogiri cuts in. "Welcome to the Red Lotus. I am Kurogiri. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask," he introduces himself as he bows his head slightly and then leaves, Compress right behind him.
Once they leave, he and Dabi get right away with their tasks. The kid doesn't unwind until the fire bending apprentice yells at him. Dabi has no patience, and having his Master disappointed in him is bound to put him in a worse mood. He quickly explains what chores are theirs to the new kid, and they all jump right to it. The new kid is stuck washing the dishes while Dabi dries them, and he then puts them away.
Dabi would usually tease him or try to make conversation. But the new arrival must have him on edge because he stays quiet and simply stares at him. The kid notices but does nothing about it. Tomura gets it. He had been under Dabi's judging gaze when he first came to the temple. At first, it had been scary, but its Dabi's way of testing people. He didn't trust easily.
The kid is taller than both of them and clearly stronger by comparison with Dabi's lankier body. And although Dabi could be intense and a little intimidating, he still had to look down on them. If the kid wanted, he could overpower them. Even if it wouldn't get him far, it would still leave an impression on Dabi. Tomura guesses that the kid might still be scared.
The Red Lotus were never kind to strangers or trespassers. If Atsushiro found him, he had to treat him like any other intruder, no matter his age. And even if he didn't look like it, Atsushiro could be very scary when he wanted to. All the members of the Red Lotus were frightening, whether Master or apprentice.
Tomura still remembered the first day he had stayed at the Red Lotus. The first person he saw was Master Jiwe, and she was so still and wrinkly that he had thought she was dead for a second. He was then introduced to Kurogiri. When he met him, he had been using his bending to cover his face with smoke, and the only sign that he was more than mist were two shining yellow eyes. They weren't really his eyes, just an illusion that the goggles he used created. But it was like seeing a ghost. And when he wasn't covered in smoke, Kurogiri could also be very scary. He had a giant scar on his face that went from his forehead to his chin. And while he came to like him, it took him a while.
"So, what's your bending?" Dabi asks out of nowhere and not stopping his gawking.
"I- I don't..." The noise startles him, making him splash water on himself. "I can't bend," he answers, his gaze down, avoiding Dabi's scrutiny.
"Then why are you here? You're useless to the council," Dabi doesn't waste a second to attack.
"I don't know..." the kid sighs. "I was scared, and I had been running for so long. And I was so hungry. But then I saw this place, and I figured you would have something to eat. But then that guy found me, and the windows shattered, and they asked me all sort of questions, and then I woke up with that old lady!" he rambles on, losing his fear as frustration settles in.
"You found this place? All on your own?" Tomura asks, making noise for the first time.
"Y-yes," the kid answers.
"Then that's why you are here," Tomura continues. "Why they haven't killed you yet,"
The two stare at him, waiting for him to explain. "Master Jiwe told me that this temple is a place of reborn. Those who come here have chosen to live the life they had behind to begin anew. They become someone else because their old self is gone the moment they step by those doors," he then turns to the new kid. "You found this place by yourself. It probably impressed the council, and they are letting you be reborn, even if you can't bend," the kid looks more confused now. Dabi understands, though.
Tomura understands too. He understands what it's to go hungry and ignored and have no one. He knows what it means to die. And thanks to the Red Lotus, he knows what it means to be reborn.
"So, i-if I get reborn, they won't k-kill me?" the newbie asks.
"Probably," Dabi shrugs, not being helpful as the kid gets more nervous.
"And h-how do I do that!? I don't know how to die and be rebirth by myself," he asks desperately.
"Well, you are halfway done," Tomura tries to help. "You said you were alone and hungry. That was your death, why you found this place. Now you have to leave all that behind and start anew," he tells him, copying what Master Jiwe had once said to him.
"But I don't know how!" The kid complains again.
"Then figure it out!" Dabi snaps at him. "Only you can decide what you want to become. Only you can take the reigns of your life back," he says with such emotion that it might be some other's words.
They stay in silence after that. The kid, too lost in his own head while he and Dabi try not to get lost in theirs. Once they are done with the chores, Dabi leaves to find his own Master and start today's training while he and the kid go to Master's Jiwe side. They find her outside the library with a member of the council. The two elders played pai sho in silence, so Tomura gestured to the newbie to sit and watch. When they are finished, and Master Jiwe ends as the victor, the council member takes the new kid away. Tomura stays and begins his training of the day.
The rest of the week goes as they usually do. The arrival of the new recruit doesn't intervene with anything. The kid joins the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He helps him and Dabi with chores and is passed around between the Masters and older apprentices. He has attended one of Dabi's lessons and three of Tomura's as a spectator. Much to Dabi's displeasure. Tomura doesn't mind it.
The kid also gets to meet Magne and Stain. The two come back from their mission two days later. Big sis is open and affectionate as she usually is, and Stain only acknowledges him with a nod.
Then, one night during dinner, seven days after his arrival at the temple, the council makes an announcement. "Dear members of the Red Lotus, tonight, we welcome a new member to our cause," one of the oldest looking council Master says, raising their glass. "Spinner, the non-bender member of this generation," they point with their cup of tea to the new kid- Spinner, making everybody present look at him. "We welcome you to our temple, and we receive you as you are. We might walk our path in the dark, but it is necessary. For the Avatar is the light, and we are their shadow,"
"We are their shadow," everybody else chants after.
"Master Huapi," the council member continues as said person stands up straighter when he is called. "You are a swordsman, are you not? And you have trained Master Stain in the art of the sword too, right?"
"Yes, I have,"
"Can you vouch for his skills? Do you believe him ready as a Master Swordsman?"
"Yes, I do,"
"Then, young Master Stain, from tomorrow onwards, you shall be Spinners' Master. You will teach him the art of the blade and the way of the Red Lotus,"
"Yes, Master," Stain says, and all the mentioned parties bow. The council member nods with his head in respect and then sits back down and sips his tea. They all follow his example and then resume with their dinner.
Stain gets complimented on being the first member of their group to earn an apprentice and gets reassurance that he will make a good teacher. Dabi teases Spinner on his choice of name, while the latter gets mad and embarrassed, making his cheeks red. Tomura smiles. He can sense the nervous energy coming from the new Master and apprentice duo. He knows it will be fine.
And then it happens.
The day starts like any other. They all get up thanks to Twice and move to the lounge for breakfast. Kurogiri is serving the food with Magne's help, Bao buns with a cabbage dip. Stain and Compress are already seated at a table when they are joined by the three young apprentices, but they don't notice them. The two are too busy staring at the front of the room, where the council's table is.
It's empty. The council members are always the first ones to arrive at the eating lounge. They are the ones who eat first, and without them, they can't start on breakfast. If they are not here, it means that something is wrong.
Tomura can feel it. There is fear and uncertainty laced in the air. The older Masters are trying to keep calm, probably not to scare them, the younger members. But it's not working. Tomura can feel the itching in his neck. Spinner is sitting tightly in his seat, and Dabi is heating up.
It isn't until everyone is seated that the council arrives. The three are wearing black robes and with solemn expressions on their faces. They also had a box of candles with them, and while the eldest goes to stand at the front, the other two start giving them out to the members. The entire Red Lotus was present, from Masters to apprentices, and they all got one each.
"The Avatar Yagi is dead," he starts, making everyone gasp. "Today, he perished in a fight against an enemy. Today we will mourn, tomorrow we hope. For when one Avatar leaves this plane, another takes their place. Remember, the Avatar is the light that guides us. We are their shadow,"
"We are their shadow," they all chant back as they receive their candle and fire benders lit them up.
The procession lasts the entire day. They eat breakfast in silence with their candles next to them. Once they finish eating, they form a line behind the council and start their descend towards the sacred room. It's located at the bottom of the basement, and it holds all the figures of past Avatar's. They leave the candles along with four pots filled with each element where the new statue will be. They stay in silence for thirty minutes before the council dismissed them.
Since it's a day of mourning, there is no training for the day. He, Dabi and Spinner finish their chores as fast as they can so they can take the rest of the day off. They are obligated to wear their black robes, used only for special occasions like this, but for the rest of the day they can do whatever they want. They chase each other through the temple, spend time with the animals and play around the garden. Twice joins them later, bragging and worrying about being tasked with making Avatar Yagi's statue.
By the time night come, Dabi doesn't sneak into his room. They were all tired after running around all day. Still, with tiredness in his eyes and the weight of the day pulling him down, Tomura can't sleep.
He feels that something is wrong. But there shouldn't be. Every time the Avatar dies, they come back. The news of Yagi's passing is sad, but it won't last long. Even Republic City must be searching for the new Avatar already. They probably started the minute Yagi died.
So, why does he feel wrong? Like something is not like it's supposed to be?
Today is July 15th, the day Avatar Yagi died, and his next life was born.