What one?
When I had imagined my sixteenth birthday, I saw a party and my dad handing me the keys to my very own, most likely used, car. My day started just like one of those movies about the end of the world, y'know: "A day like any other". I woke up way too early to my older brother Roark jumping on my bed scream/singing "Happy Birthday Yoko!" opened a couple presents my parents brought in, video-chatted with my other brother in Republic City, while I had breakfast in bed. When I got to school, I saw that my best friends, who were waiting nearby to see my reaction, had decorated my locker. In my classes the teachers droned on in the background as my friends and I whispered about our plans for my party that night.
The party in question took place at my family's cafe called "Sunrise" and all my friends from my small town were invited. Just like the birthday parties of my older brothers, the tables were cleared out, and a banner was hung across the ceiling, as well as a few strings of twinkling lights to provided some visibility in the dark room as everyone danced to the loud speakers. Alcohol was not provided but snuck in and my parents pretended to know nothing of it. All that was missing was the old car pulling up and my dad stepping out and handing me the keys.
Instead of an old car, a sleek silver car pulled up and a strange man in a suit stepped out with a Lemur-like creature bearing a medium sized trunk. I watched as they approached my mother at the door who frantically called over my father. The music was too loud for me to hear anything they were saying so I tried to continue dancing. I really didn't get to dance long because my brother almost immediately came up and grabbed my wrist.
"You need to go outside, those people need to talk to you," he whispered in a voice very unlike his own.
Immediately I thought of everything bad I ever did, and anything that could've possibly happened. Not even then did I think of what they were going to tell me.
"Ah, There she is!" Aye-Aye exclaimed excitedly, waving me down to them.
"You're Chiyoko?" the suited man beside him asked, giving a judgmental look at my crop top and high waisted shorts combination.
"Yes?" I replied skeptically.
"Well, that was easy enough. I thought we'd never find you in that crowd." he sighed waving to Roark awkwardly, to show his thanks.
"As you may or may not know, I am an Agent of the Order of the White Lotus, and this is Aye-Aye" he then proceeded to flash his official badge at me to prove it.
I nervously glanced at my parents who gave me no reassurance. They were on the steps behind me; my father was fanning my fainted mother in his lap, refusing to look me in the eyes.
The agent cleared his throat to regain my focus and continued, "When you were younger we had you, and several other children of earth kingdom decent your age, take part in a series of simple tests for the first three birthdays of your life. Due to the results of those tests as well as the input of several spirits we have come to the conclusion, that you are the one that we have been searching for."
"Which one?"
"The Avatar of course!" the White Lotus agent grinned excitedly.
My response was obviously not the excited one he had been looking for. Instead I just stared at him as I tried to sort through the millions of questions racing through my mind.
"Me!? B-but I can only earth bend!" I blurted.
"That's quite alright, we're heard you are rather athletic you are sure to get the hang of the other elements qui-"
"This has to be a mistake!" I was yelling now
"The tests you took part in are the same tests that Avatar Aang and the avatars before him took, that could not bend more than one element early on. They have never been incorrect." He seemed insulted at my accusations, but I don't understand what he expected after dropping that bombshell.
"Did you know about this?" I turned to my father and now recovered mother.
"They did not." the white lotus agent interjected. "Avatar Korra gave us specific instructions to go back to the traditional ways of finding the new Avatar, as well as the practice of waiting until he or she is sixteen to inform them. She wanted to be sure you had the foundation a regular life."
"So what now?" My mother asked him.
"You have exactly seven days to prepare before we announce Avatar Chiyoko's identity to the world. At that same time we will return here at exactly 5 a.m. to get Avatar Chiyoko and take her to the southern portal. She will remain in the spirit world during the announcement period and until she decides which of the other three elements she wishes to start learning first, for your safety and hers." He recited
"Oh! And before we go, take this!" Aye-Aye chimed in, handing me the slightly heavy trunk he was holding. "It's somewhat of a birthday present. I recommend you open it when you are ready" And with that they said their goodbyes and drove away, leaving us all standing paralyzed in silence.
Our silence was interrupted by the front door slamming open, "Um, Hellooo? Birthday party missing a birthday girl here!" Tomae yelled over the music. "You coming or what?"
"One sec!" I replied breathlessly. I wish I could say I enjoyed the ending of my last party as a regular person, but I don't remember. I don't even know if I want back inside after that. All I could think about was whether or not I'd ever be ready to open that trunk.