The clouds seethed an eerie grey this morning, blanketed by a venomous red. Aidan had grown to hate the red.
Did he hate it himself? Or did he hate that his brother loved it?
"'Ey broth! It'll be time tae go soon! Ye ready tae watch me kick arse?"
Aidan turned from the place at their window, his clover eyes locking onto the smile of his over-eager brother. His emerald eyes were alight, and it seemed he'd even attempted to brush his unkempt ruby hair. Aidan couldn't help but chuckle at the observation. "And who says ye'll kick arse? There's young lads waitin' te join tha' could be even stronger than ya."
The young man narrowed his eyes, gritting his white teeth and he clenched his fists. "Are ye kiddin?! They donnae have the same fire I have! And
yer the one who taught me!" He smirked at his older brother. "Tha' means I
have tae be accepted!"
Aidan couldn't help but smile at this. He gave a sigh though, ruffling his younger brother's ruby hair before trotting to their door. "Come on ye oaf, recruiters are waitin'."
_
The duo came along those cobbled streets, and Iain's eyes and ears seemed to be sensitive to every sight and sound. Aidan knew it was because of his overwhelming excitement. Ever since the man was a young lad, and Aidan would know, he had been absolutely fascinated and obsessed with the idea of joining the Fire Nation's military forces. He had a fire in his belly, and not just from his fire bending. No, he wanted to fight for his nation, to restore its glory and honor. Aidan couldn't say it was a bad dream, a bad passion....
But it was the Fire Nation's leadership that he did not trust.
In a meager half-hour walk (with Iain boasting Aidan's ear off with how he would "smoulder" the competition), they came upon the distant noises of grunting, yelling, and flames.
"Tha's it!" Iain exclaimed, and the fire grew alight in his eyes. His elder brother sighed, yet nodded, and followed the man who continued almost at a sprint. Aidan knew that this experience alone, to even attempt to join the Fire Nation's elite, was a dream come true for his younger brother. Even though he did not trust these officials, he could not deny the boy that.
They stopped at the edge of a cobble arena, Iain's grin nearly splitting his face in-two as he began to witness and incredible battle of tenacity and technique. Aidan crossed his arms, clover eyes critiquing every move. He had seen better in his time, these two recruits were sloppy in the thrust of their arms, and the firm stance of their legs. In midst of the battle, Aidan noticed a semblance of a line, which Iain had totally disregarded stepping into since he was so enthralled. Sighing, the orange-haired man gripped his brother by the collar, dragging him to the line and ignoring his protests.
"Two new recruits? A fine day this is." A man grinned toothily at them, whom Aidan assumed was the recruiter for today. "Jus' one." He stepped back, and Iain eagerly stepped forward. "I hope yer ready tae see the competition squashed," he boasted to the recruiter, who gave a short laugh and jutted his thumb towards the end of the line. "We'll see, kid."
At least five more pairs of duels ensued, each having their own winner, one who would become a member of the Fire Nation's army. Aidan could see, from Iain's body language, that he was using all of his restraint to keep from jumping up and down with glee. Perhaps Iain himself would make this trip more enjoyable.
Finally, all pairs had gone, save for Iain. Aidan's brows arched, however, since there was no-one behind him to commence the duel with him. The redhead was practically seething hate, his emerald eyes whipping to the recruiter as he began to spit anger. "I cannae be disqualified jus' because ye donnae have enough people! If it's such a feckin' problem come fight me yerself, ye old
cunt!"
The recruiters, nearby soldiers, and commoners watching all froze with mouths agape. Aidan let his head fall into his hands, rubbing his temples slowly. "Way te screw yer chances broth..."
What he, or no-one was expecting, was the recruiter himself to smirk, pulling off his gloves and stepping up into the arena. "With pleasure,
boy."
Aidan's head snapped up. He knew the idiot Iain would accept this challenge in an instant without thinking it through. The orange-haired man gritted his teeth, and in an instant their duel began. Aidan recognized the stance, the form his brother immediately fell into, for it was the one he had taught him as a small child. Iain waited, the recruiter charged, and he gave a quick fiery thrust to the man's gut. Aidan gleamed.
The battle ensued for minutes and minutes, longer than any battle previous, and it was drawing an even bigger crowd. Aidan's eyes narrowed as he noticed something, the recruiter was fighting with one hand now, a large ball of flame building onto the hand kept behind his back. It grew...grew...
Wait! Aidan recognized this form, this move he was about to use. It was usually followed by a deadly strike to the neck, instantly killing...
The recruiter had taken this too far.
In mere moments, Aidan had shoved past the crowd, flames erupting beneath his feet that propelled him high into the air. With a front flip, flames building about his body, he landed in between the quarreling men. The flames erupted, whirling about him and sending both men flying back. The recruiter sat up, enraged. "Damn you! I cannot lose in my
own arena!"
He could hear Iain shouting behind him, angry shouts of "I had him dammit!" and "Stay oot of this!"
The man built up his flaming ball again, summoning all of his rage into this one attack. The man thrusted his fist suddenly, sending a huge hungry ball of fire towards the waiting man.
"Get back! Broth!" He heard the pleads behind him, but the man stood his ground. Suddenly he leapt, twirling directly into the deadly maw of the flame. With his own fingers, he grasped its energy, and as he finished his leap he launched right back at the man.
With a scream of surprise, fear, and pain, the recruiter fell to the floor, burns etching his body. People gasped in awe, and many cheered for the incredibly impressive display of fire bending. Aidan did not savour it, going to his brother and helping him to stand. "Let's ge' out of h-"
"Not so fast. We need to talk, Fire Bender."
It took Aidan moments to realize this man was addressing
him. He heard gasps from soldiers of "
general!" but did not falter. "Yer man was out of line. I intervened te save ma broth." "Oh, and there was nothing wrong with that." The man smirk. "I very much enjoyed what I saw, and I must say....you have earned an automatic recruitment into our forces. If you will take it."
Aidan looked astounded, and not in a way he would like to be. Him? A soldier? He noticed his brother's eyes, his performance was ignored, he was in pain. With an angry snarl, Aidan met sharp eyes with the general's.
"I'll join yer wee masquerade, bu' only if ma broth can as well."
Five years later...A legend was born in the Fire Nation, a legend of a great hero.
He was a man of endless endurance, endless vitality. His amazing flames could rival even the Fire Lord's. In war, he was a weapon of endless destruction, a single man alone who could tear down entire towns and armies.
They call him, the Western Phoenix. He never seemed to die, but always reborn. Never once had he been captured, nor defeated.
Rumors say, that the Fire Nation contracted him into their endless search for the Avatar. He joined the masses of armies in the conquest, but there is one horrific tale that ends all, and it led to the Phoenix's disappearance.
Their searches led them to the Southern Water tribe, where he was ordered to burn everything to the ground. As a soldier, he followed orders, and countless innocents perished. The General himself of the mission proclaimed that the Phoenix had gone rogue, and had betrayed the Fire Nation in the acts of defiance that followed from the man.
Somehow, they captured him. But, somehow, he escaped from the prison where they were to execute him. Wanted posters now dab city streets with his face, searching for the legend in hopes of bringing him in to punish him accordingly. Some legend, huh? He couldn't even serve his own people right!
The Fire Nation's greatest hero, had become its greatest traitor.
And so very few remember his real name, that the Western Phoenix was all along, Aidan Kirkland.
-
Present Time...."Good mornin', Abby!"
A large man with fiery orange hair, tied down in a low ponytail nearly kicked the door open this morning, his arms brimming with the weight of heavy logs. He wasn't sure whether the woman would be angry about the door being kicked in, or the fact that he had taken so long to get the firewood. He couldn't help if he loved to stop and appreciate nature for many moments.
Life for the man had changed here. He was known as "MacCarthy" to the locals, and had never even revealed his identity to the one who had taken him in, a kind girl named Abigael. He had wandered far from the Fire Nation, and now lived on the Earth Kingdom's rim. Far, far away.
A green tunic slung around his chest, hanging from one broad shoulder as he began piling logs near the old fireplace, laced with soot and the ashes of overused wood.
"Abby! Did ye hear me? I'm home!"
Subject: ATLA x Hetalia 
Fri Oct 18, 2013 5:28 am
