Fiery Earth: Leaving Me Behind
Chapter One: That Flowing Feeling
I was sitting on a bench after dinner. I felt the cool night breeze on my face. I thought about the night my mom told me what happened when I was born.
I was 5 years old. "The elders had said there was a twinkle in your eye that determined if you were a waterbender or not. They said that you were." My mom said.
"Then am I a waterbender?" I asked her.
"We don't know yet, my dear Katuna. But we shall tomorrow when we give you waterbending lessons." My mom answered. Waterbending was my favorite thing at the moment. I wanted to bend the water and make it flow with my direction. I thought it was so graceful.
The next day, as excited as I was, couldn't waterbend. Though my teacher was telling me exactly what to do, and in an encouraging way, I just couldn't do it. I was in melancholy for weeks. But I learned to accept it.
Then, I thought I had a feeling inside me. It felt like water flowing. Maybe it was Chi. "No way! I couldn't bend!" I thought, so I let that feeling go.
The next day's lesson passed fairly quickly. I kept trying to concentrate on striking the dummy with my sword, but I just couldn't help it but think about the flowing feeling I had yesterday. Maybe it was Chi. Maybe I just can't bend water. Maybe I can bend EARTH! I would try it tomorrow because there were no lessons.
It was the next day, and I was sitting on my bench again. I thought about all that happened since I was 5.
Father's hometown was Gaoling, and Mother's was the Southern Water Tribe. When they got married, Father moved to the Southern Water Tribe along with his mother. Then they had me. And they found out I couldn't bend. After I had discovered this, though I was 5, I considered myself a failure. I told Mother about this. She taught me something very valuable and something I would keep in my heart throughout my life.
"You have to learn to accept what happens in life. You cannot go back in time and change what happened. And you should not call yourself a failure. You aren't a failure. It isn't your fault that you aren't a bender. It's nobody's fault. My dear Katuna, since we have no other reason to be here in the Southern Water Tribe, we will move to Gaoling." she said.
"Gaoling? Do you mean where Father was born?" I asked Mother.
"Yes. There we will meet up with the Bei Fong family, childhood friends of your father's. They have a little girl just your age you can play with."
I had become close friends with Toph Bei Fong. She was blind, but she could feel the vibrations in the earth to "see". She told me her secrets. She was an earthbender, a very powerful one.
Then, I remembered the flowing feeling. I had intended to see if I could earthbend. But I didn't like the way earthbenders stomped, punched and kicked to bend. It wasn't graceful.
Maybe I can alter this! I thought, Maybe I can bend earth in another way!
Ok, let's try this...
So I raised my hand in a way a waterbender would so the earth would follow. To my amazement, it worked!
I tried a variety of waterbending moves I had seen Mother do.
As I bent the earth, I decided to keep this a secret, but not from Toph. I would keep no secret from her.
Then, I heard footsteps come into my direction...
End of Chapter One That Flowing Feeling
Disclaimer: I got reminded of this when I read that Avii almost forgot hers! I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Emedy