The White Jasmine's Howl
Part 1: Introspection
Chapter 1: Formation
A small girl cowered in an alley, hidden by mounds or trash, her tiny body shook as she sobbed. Her vision blurred for the tears and the stench, "I so, so scared," She barely managed to expel her words into the night air, "I-I need help." She took a sharp intake of breath, "som-me-on-ne." Her shaky voice was so quite no one passing by on the street could hear her and there wasn't a single adult that looked into the dark alley, even if they had they would not have seen her ball like form.
"You called?" A middle aged woman's voice whispered.
The girls head snapped up from her knees and looked at the woman suddenly before her, this middle aged woman seemed to glow. All the tiny girl could manage was a strangled squeak before pushing herself away from the new woman and deep into the pile of trash.
"Now, now don't be like that." The middle aged woman knelt beside the trash covered girl, "If you ask for help the right way I will always be able to help you." This woman seemed to have been tan even though her skin seemed to be glowing in a strange hue of blue.
"I-ah-I um…" the young girl tried to inhale through her still falling tears, "lost."
"You're not that lost," the woman gently smiled, the crows feet under her eyes spread, she then pointed to the busy street, "get on the road and walk straight until you recognize where you are. I will walk with you." The woman got back to her feet and seemed to float back several steps. "Wipe your tears Liling."
The trash covered girl took another deep sob before rubbing her eyes with her grimy hands and smearing a sticky brown fluid on her pale cheeks and in her pure black hair. This small girl then crawled out from the pile of trash onto the uneven cobble stone, her green dress becoming more and more filth covered.
Following the glowing woman the young, barefooted, girl staggered along with tears occasionally filling her vision once again. The glow of the shops gradually decreased as did the number of people the girl had to doge when finally she realized where she was. She quickly turned to look back at the kind glowing woman.
She had vanished.
The young girl titled her head and cuddled her grimy hands close to her chest before backing away from where the glowing woman had stood and towards a dark collection of dark buildings.
She snaked through them, carefully stepping over trash strewn on the gravel she approached a hut and stepped in through the open entrance.
"Oh Liling, you were out?" a boy asked. He stood holding a pan of steaming water and was just a couple years older than Liling, "Ugh, your covered in filth."
"Mm, Mom?" Liling squeaked looking to a corner of the hut, several people gathered obscuring a person laying down.
"It hasn't been born yet," The boy stated flatly and walked with the water towards the group.
Seconds later a woman's scream filled the hut, other women chanting "Breathe! Breathe!" an elderly woman screaming "Don't push! The head's-!"
The small, three-year-old Liling buried her head in her knees and her ears under her hands as she curled into a ball in the opposite corner. The screaming had started at high noon and had not ceased even as the sun had set. Liling dozed between the fits of screaming throughout the night and with dawn light screams of horror filled the room. Loud slaps echoed until finally a soft, whimpering, moan could be heard to the sighing crowd.
Every detail of that night burned into Liling as her first true memory.
But years pass and children age.
"What is.. bending?" the five-year-old Liling whispered to her oldest sister who was holding her hand.
"It's a power that people like us will never deserve," her nine-year-old sister stated, "Oh!" she interjected, letting go of Liling's hand, "I just found my friend, you can make it to the bridge right?" Not even pausing for an answer she stuffed a bag into Liling's arms and ran towards her friend. Leaving Liling to stand in the middle of the street.
Liling bumbled through the street, side stepping the hustle she slowly made it to the bridge with her eyes firmly fixed on the cobble stones and her dirty bear feet. Finally she made it, the bridge was made of stone and had only a slight ridge along the side. She found her oldest brother, the same boy that had been holding the pan of hot water the night of her youngest brother's birth. He sat along the ridge with a collection of stones on a battered cloth and boy his age laughing, standing around him.
He noticed Liling, "Where's MingChi?" referring to their older sister.
Liling starred at the ground and poked it with her big toe.
"Whatever," he sighed, "Did mom make me lunch?"
"Mhm" Liling nodded and handed him a brown cloth bag.
"Cabbage again? We haven't eaten anything other than that in at least three weeks." He groaned opening a small box within the bag revealing a small bowl and a pair of chopsticks.
"At least you get something," one of the other boys laughed, "I haven't had a midday meal in at least three weeks." He slapped Liling on the back in good humor.
Liling squeaked and lost her balance, and stumbled forward before regaining herself. Tears flowed from her eyes, not from pain or embarrassment but in fear of this non-family older boy.
"Hey, don't be beating up Liling," her brother casually called as he stuck his chop sticks into a small bowl of stir fried cabbage.
"Sorry, sorry," the boy laughed, "A girl as small as Liling is just fun to tease, watch:" he stated, laughing before pushing Liling hard into the shoulder. Completely forgetting their location.
Her foot caught in the small ledge as she stumbled backwards from the slight push, her knees buckled and her back leaned over the bridge before gravity took over and pushed her the rest of way off the bridge. She held her hand out desperately grasping the air as her brother rocketed to his feet and tried to launch towards her.
As he disappeared from her view she glanced down to the approaching stone ground below her, screamed and quickly brought her arms down to her sides.
A burst of air blasted from Liling's movement and shot her back up to the bridge, she reached out and this time her brother was there to grasp her hands and pull her back onto the safety of the bridge.
Liling clung to her brother and cried, outside of her realm of focus, below the bridge, a man was screaming out his cabbage stand being destroyed by the gust of air to the gathering crowd cheering about a new air bender in Ba Sing Sae.
A few days later following rumors that has spread like wild fire of an air bender in the outer ring a group of three men clothed in deep blue robes and white helmets, one of the men carried a large bag on his back and the shortest man with the largest helmet knocked on the wall bordering the opening where a door would be if only the hut had one. "Hello, we are of the White Lotus," he called into the dark hut.
"Yes!" Liling's mother smiled, "Lord White Lotus Officers, I apologies for the humble state for this hutch, but I sincerely appreciate this visit." She knelled and bowed with her nose touching the floor.
The White Lotus Officers stepped into the hut. "Please raise your head. We have come hearing a rumor of a young airbender." His gaze settled on a small two-year-old boy that sat in the corner without regard for the strangers that had entered his home he stuffed his fist into his mouth.
"Again, I apologize, my youngest was a hard birth, and has never spoken a word." She stated noticing the man's gaze, she motioned to the corner behind the officers, "His older sister, Liling, is also very quiet but she is the one you seek."
Liling stood with her gaze focused on her bare feet, her toes fiddling with her other foots toes with her hands held behind her back.
The officer looked back to Liling's mother, "You understand she is of the right age to be the new avatar and we must test her?" he half asked.
"I have heard that the Avatars are born leaders, my daughter is so timid and scared of her own shadow I can guarantee there is no possible of her being such an important person."
"Still we must test." The main officer stated and one of the two other men approached Liling with a bag.
"Liling, would you like a toy? You can grab four of them." He quietly stated and unfurled a large blue cloth.
Liling brought her arms to her chest and pressed her body into the corner with a slight squeak.
"Liling, please look at the toys," he smiled at her calmly.
Liling shock her head and tears flowed from her eyes.
He picked a couple of the toys up and waved them around in front of Liling's face, each time she violently shock her head and cried without making much noise. Eventually the man sighed and stood. "This isn't going to work. I don't think Liling's the one."
"Ah well, she still should be trained by the air nomads, if that is okay with the mother?" The shortest man spoke and turned back to Liling's mother.
"Yes! Please!" she clasped her hands together.
Liling cried quietly, "Mom?"
Liling's mother embraced her, "You're going to go with these nice men. You will be able to eat more than just cabbage and rice. You will be able to have shoes, a roof that doesn't leak, a bed without bugs, a bed you don't have to share, chances to bathe, you will have the best life of all my children," She then pulled away slightly and looked into Liling's tear eyes with her own teary eyes. "I want what is best for you, and this is it. I love you, Daddy loves you, all your brothers and sisters love you. We will always be here for you but for now go with the White Lotus."
Liling's mother sniffed and stood hugging her tiny five-year-old daughter, walked over to the three men and handed Liling to the man who had not spoken during the meeting. "Mom! Mom! Mommy!" Liling screamed from the strong arms. Her mother once again bowed with her face to the floor, the men not holding onto Liling returned her bow and all three departed.
A/N: Thank you to my good friend (SimpleAngel42 on wattpad) for helping me develop Liling and many of the future characters as well as helping guide me to more interesting future twists. I hope you all Enjoy this post-Avatar-Korra story. Please R&R if you have the time, all criticisms are appreciated.