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"Hey Jade," called the little Water Tribe boy. "Come play with us.

The little girl ran towards the group of little kids. Each of them had a ball of snow in there hands. It was snowing, just as it always in the Northern Water Tribe. They were in the courtyard having their little snowball fights, playing games just as all little kids should. They all seemed the same. The only difference was that some of them were waterbenders. Jade wasn't one of the few.

"What are we going to play?" Jade asked.

"We're just going to have a snowball fight," replied her best friend, Ami. She had light brown hair with the darkest blue eyes and the prettiest tan skin anyone had ever laid eyes on. Unlike Ami, Jade was surprisingly pale for a member of the Northern Water Tribe.

"Okay," she said.

"Positions!" yelled another little boy.

They all split up into two groups. Each had the same amount of waterbenders. Snowballs were thrown across the courtyard. All the kids were laughing, smiling, having the time of their lives. Except for one. One dark haired boy stood in the corner of the fort on the opposite team. He glared at Jade from where he was.

What's his problem? Jade thought as something hard hit her in the face. She fell to the ground. The little boy that was glaring at her crouched in front of her smiling in a way that sent a stab of fear through her.

"That's for giving me this," he said as he pointed to a white puckered line that ran from his ear all the way down to the corner of his mouth.

Years ago, they had a snow ball fight just like this one. Jade had thrown a snow ball at the back of his head and he fell forward. His face had caught a jagged piece of ice ad he got cut. Ever since then, they had avoided each other at all costs.

Ami rushed over to them and pulled his arm.

"Get away from her!"

He shoved Ami and she fell to the ground. She stared at this little waterbender incredulously. He turned his attention back to Jade who was wide-eyed.

"I said I sorry," she whispered. "What more do you want from me?"

"I want you to feel the same pain I did."

He rose his hands above his head and in one fluid motion water was coming down full speed on her. Before it could hit her, though, she ducked her head and shifted it so it splashed into puddle of nothingness to her left. Amazed at what she had done, Jade looked up to see his face. Shock and anger twisted into his features.

I'm not supposed to be a bender.

He raised his hands again and curled them into fists. Above her, two tiny orbs of ice formed. The young boy swung his arms down so fast Jade could here the tinywhooshing noise it made. She looked up saw the ice coming down, so close to her. Then she did the unspeakable.

Jade lifted her hand, palm facing upward. Fire spewed from it. It was beautiful and shocking. Orange flames twisting upward from her hand, smaller yellow ones dancing around those. They young girl marveled at it. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. Just like that. Her palm was still faced upward, her gaze was still fixed in the sky even though there was nothing to look at besides clouds. The two orbs of ice were gone.

It's not possible.

But it was.

"You freak," one said.

"You can't be able to bend two elements," said another. "You shouldn't even be able to bend one."

"Crazy," one other commented.

They kept throwing taunts at her. Ami was by her side in instant. She hauled Jade to her feet. She was now aware of the crowd she had gathered. Looks of shock, pity, disgust, and anger were on their faces. Tears welled and her throat began to burn. Ami tugged on her arm.

"C'mon."

They ran. Even as they did the taunts still rang in her ears. Especially one in particular.

You don't belong here.

Just as they reached her mom, she knew her life would never be the same.

"What happened, Ami?" she asked as she took in her daughter's tears.

And so she explained. From the beginning of the snowball fight to the end when she was bending fire. When Ami had finished, her mom hurried them inside.

"Mom," Jade began. "What's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you, sweetie," her mother assured her. "You're just different."

"Different how?"

"You have a great ability, Jade," she gestured toward a chair. "Sit down and I'll explain everything."

And explain everything she did. Little did the young bender know that this was only the beginning.