A/N: Hey folks! This is my first time ever writing something for Avatar, and so far I'm digging it. As of right now, the rating for this story is T. I'll just say right now that it may change in the future. If it does, I'll edit it into this note to let new readers know beforehand. This story takes place one full Avatar cycle before Roku, which means every character will be OC. If you don't like it, there's the door! If you do like it, awesome!
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.
Hikari flared the flame in her hand, warming the area immediately surrounding her. The moon shone brightly above them. Hikari bowed her head, signaling the start of her final test. If she passed, she would be considered a master of Waterbending. Of course, her skills could always improve. As the Avatar, she had to stop at some point in order to move on and master the other elements.
Hikari pulled water from the trenches lining the arena. She watched her opponent, waiting for an opening in their defense. Master Ilannaq had been impressed with her capability to Waterbend so naturally. In the past, Avatars originating from the Fire Nation typically had great difficulty mastering the polar opposite of their natural element. Hikari unknowingly adopted a style similar to Waterbending as she grew up, which resulted in an easy transition to Waterbending.
Master Ilannaq thought he would catch her by surprise, pulling the water behind her into a wave, but Hikari had expected it. She reacted quickly, dousing her master with water. He pulled his arms up just in time to block her shot, and still stumbled back several steps. He retaliated with a burst of water bolts, which Hikari easily redirected back into their mutual water pool. They moved as one, much like the water they were bending. One would attack, the other would redirect and retaliate.
Hikari slipped in an attack that Ilannaq failed to notice, knocking him flat on his back. "I yield. Very good, Avatar Hikari. Now, come help an old man up," he said as he held his hand out. "Thank you. You have shown great skill in Waterbending, and on behalf of the White Lotus, I hereby declare you a master of Waterbending. Congratulations, you've earned it."
Hikari disregarded all protocol as she wrapped him in a hug. "Thank you, Master Ilannaq. I wish I could've stayed longer, but the White Lotus has already scheduled for us to depart this evening."
"Don't worry about it, Avatar Hikari. I'm delighted to have met you. You are going to bring happiness to whomever you meet, just as you have me. It has been an honor, and a pleasure to be the one to train you." Ilannaq bowed his head.
Hikari responded in kind, a giant grin spreading across her face. "Thank you again, Master Ilannaq. Will you be at the dinner tonight?"
Ilannaq frowned and shook his head.
"Wait, why? Surely you'd want to be there to see the Avatar off?"
"I'm afraid my wife has recently fallen ill, and I must be there to care for her. It is untimely, and quite unfortunate."
"I see. Well, in case I do not see you again before I leave for the Earth Kingdom, I wish you and your wife well." Hikari wrapped Ilannaq in a hug once more. Initially, he had been shocked by the rather casual embrace. Over the course of several weeks, he simply accepted it as the Avatar's way of doing things.
"Thank you, Avatar Hikari-"
"Please, I've told you to just call me Hikari."
"-Hikari, I bid you farewell. May you travel safely to the Earth Kingdom."
On that note, the two went their separate ways. Hikari travelled through the inner city of the Northern Water Tribe, and returned to her temporary home. She was staying with a small family native to the tribe, who had so graciously opened up their home to the Avatar while she trained with the White Lotus.
"Good evening, Avatar Hikari. How did your final test go?" She was greeted at the door by the mother of the family, Saghani. She was tending to a pot of stew over the open flame.
"I passed. It was pretty easy. I'm thankful that Waterbending came so easily to me. Earthbending, on the other hand, might be a bit more difficult. I've yet to bend a simple pebble, and the White Lotus is expecting me to have the basics down by the time we arrive at the Earth Kingdom."
"Oh, Hikari, I'm going to miss you so much. It's been so much fun having you here," a voice said behind Hikari as she was wrapped up into a hug from behind.
"I'll miss you too, Siku. I'll be sure to come back and visit after my training is finished." Hikari unwrapped herself from the arms of her friend.
Siku's lips curled into a pout. "I won't be able to wait that long. . ." A smile replaced her frown. "What if I come with you to the Earth Kingdom?"
"No. You must stay here, Siku. You have a duty to the tribe. You must stay here and become a healer, just as your ancestors have. It is tradition," Saghani said.
"Mother, I don't want to become a healer. It's boring here. I want to travel the world, meet new people. This isn't a life, it's a prison."
"My world is final. Now make yourself useful for once, and go help the Avatar pack her bags."
Siku bowed her head, and walked up the staircase, Hikari following behind her. During her stay, Siku had offered to share her room with the Avatar. It was a quaint setting, with nothing but two sleeping bags and a small fire pit in the center of the room. Despite the icy interior, the room was rather warm. Hikari waved her hands, igniting the fire pit. She sat down on the edge of her bed roll.
"Hikari, you have to help me convince my mother to let me leave. I can't stand it here much longer. Everyone expects me to obey tradition, to live the boring life that has been laid out before me."
"Do you believe in destiny, Siku?" Hikari asked as she stared into the flames.
"Huh?"
"I believe that everyone has a destiny. I'm not sure if everyone's destiny is set in stone, and I'm not sure if I ever will know. It doesn't matter. If you truly believe it is your destiny to travel with me, then you will find a way. And I'll help you."
Siku's face lit up. "You really mean that? You're the best, Hikari."
Hikari smiled, and went about collecting her belonging from the room. She had only a small bag that carried three days worth of clothes, and nothing else. It was all she needed. Everything else was provided by the members of the White Lotus.
"We can discuss our plan on the way to the dinner," Hikari said as she slung her bag over her shoulder. She made her way back downstairs, and found Saghani in the same place as before.
"Ah, Avatar Hikari. It would appear that you are ready to depart," Saghani said.
"I am. Saghani, I am gracious of your hospitality during my stay here in the Northern Water Tribe. Perhaps one day, we will cross paths again," Hikari said.
"It has been an honor, Avatar." Saghani bowed her head. Hikari bowed in response, and left the house for the last time.
Once out of earshot, Hikari began discussing their plans. "The way I see it, there are two options. We can convince your mother to let you leave, or you could sneak out without her blessing."
"My mother has never cared for me, ever since my father left to help defend our sister tribe. I couldn't care less about having her blessing."
"Are you sure? You may be burning a bridge that could never be rebuilt. No matter how she chooses to expresses it, your mother cares about you."
"No she doesn't! She expects me to live exactly the way she did, not taking into account what I wish to do. She'd rather me live a traditional, miserable life than be a little different, and be happy. My feelings are the least of her priorities. I'm not even allowed to Waterbend, other than for healing purposes. They say that women aren't built to be fighters. How could they know who was meant to be a fighter, if they haven't even attempted to find out?"
"That is indeed an unfair assumption. Your tribe is built on tradition, and will not sway from their habits. Are you sure this is what you want to do? Once you commit, there is no turning back."
"I'm sure. I'm ready to experience everything the world has to offer," Siku said.
"Very well. Just before the end of our meal, you should be able to sneak off and board the ship. The White Lotus will be guarding the docks, but it shouldn't be too hard to convince them to let you aboard. In fact, you could take my things to the ship, and just tell them that you wanted to bring my belongings aboard for me. Then, stay hidden until I come and let you know we've left the port."
"Thank you, Hikari. You are the only person who has actually taken my interests to heart."
Hikari bid her friend farewell, as she went to join the head table at the front of the courtyard. She sat in between the officials of the Northern Water Tribe as the guest of honor. Chief Malik gave a brief speech before sitting back down to start on their meal. A monstrous roasted boar was set in front of the Avatar. It's sheer size could feed the entire tribe for a week. A variety of side dishes were presented to the Avatar. It was a feast fit for an entire kingdom. The Water Tribe had taken pride in the fact that they could prepare an amazing dinner.
Hikari sat in silence as she ate. At this point, the dinner was a formality and nothing more. The Avatar had finished her training under the Master of the Northern Water Tribe, and she would be moving on to the Earth Kingdom shortly. Master Ilannaq's students performed a coordinated show for the Avatar. She was impressed, however she noted that it was dominated by male performers. Not a single woman was involved. This left a bad taste in her mouth, but she showed no discontent on the outside. She was the exception to their tradition, and she didn't like it.
After what felt like hours, the last bits of food were being eaten.. Hikari said her goodbyes to the Water Tribe officials, and left for the docks. She enjoyed her stay, but she was eager to head to the Earth Kingdom and finish her training as the Avatar.
"Avatar Hikari," one of the White Lotus guards greeted her. "Are you ready to ship off? We have everything loaded, all you have to do is give the command."
"I am. I have said my goodbyes, and everything is in order. Let us be off to the Earth Kingdom." Hikari walked below the deck, entering her personal room. She found her bag laying on the bed.
"I see you made it, Siku. You can come out now, we've left the port and are on our way to the Earth Kingdom." Hikari looked around the room for her friend.
"Behind you!" Siku said, embracing her friend once again. "I'm so excited, Hikari."
"You know, if you want to travel the world with me, you should really learn to use your Waterbending as more than just a means to heal others. I'm constantly facing dangers, and if you want to be by my side, you must learn to defend yourself. I can begin teaching you tomorrow. For now, let us get some rest." Hikari blew out the candle on the nightstand, and plopped into her bed. "You did bring a sleeping roll, right?"
"Uhm, I might have forgotten to pack one," she said sheepishly.
"It shouldn't be a problem. I always carry mine with me. I'll take the floor tonight, and we can switch back and forth." Hikari unraveled her sleeping bag, and settled onto the cold, metal deck. It certainly wasn't comfortable, but she would make the sacrifice for tonight.
"Oh, Hikari please don't do that for me. It was my fault that I forgot to bring my own bedding."
"Siku, go to sleep." Hikari rolled on her side and closed her eyes.
"You mustn't force it. You're not a Firebender. Water is a constant, smooth motion. There is nothing forceful about it. Watch." Hikari pulled water from her satchel, bringing it into a ball in front of her. She moved fluidly, transitioning slowly to allow the water to form a circle around her. "It is all about constant, fluid motions."
Siku slumped onto the floor of the deck. "I can't do it. Maybe I should have just stayed with the tribe."
"Let's try something else. Get up. We're going to practice passing the water back and forth. All you have to do is mimic my motions. Be sure to move at a steady pace, and concentrate on your breathing."
Siku stood back up, though she still showed signs of frustration. "Fine."
Hikari pulled the water back from her satchel, and directed it towards Siku. "Just copy me. Focus on breathing deeply."
Siku attempted to copy Hikari, though when the water came close to her, it simply collapsed to the ground. "I can't do anything right!" She said as she kicked the puddle of water.
"You are getting angry, which is the exact opposite of what you want. You can't let your failures get to you, and instead you must learn from them. What did you do wrong that time?"
"I don't know. I did exactly what you did."
Your emotions are making you lose concentration. You must learn to block out all emotion while learning to control your bending. It is the only way for you to truly connect with your inner chi." Hikari repeated the same process, and after letting go of the water, she noticed it floating in place a moment before collapsing to the ground.
"See? It just doesn't work."
"It's going to take time, Siku. You just have to trust me. With enough practice, you'll be a great Waterbender."
Hikari ran through the same drill several times. Slowly, Siku began to improve. With each successful improvement, Siku would feel a burst of excitement. Within only a couple hours, she was able to successfully complete the drill with Hikari. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
"Let's take a lunch break. We can pick up where we left off after we've eaten." Hikari went below deck to let the on-board chef know that he would need to prepare two meals for them. She then returned to her room with Siku in tow.
"I know it's not easy working with me. I can't express with words how much I appreciate you helping me, Hikari."
"You show a lot of promise. In time, I'm sure you'll even surpass me."
Siku's cheeks turned red at the compliment. "I doubt that. You're the Avatar."
"Just because I'm the Avatar doesn't mean I'm automatically an amazing bender. I have strengths and weaknesses, just like everyone else."
"But you have the Avatar State. Not even the masters are capable of bending on that level."
"Perhaps you're right. But, if we were to compare raw ability, there are many who would surpass me." A knock echoed through the room. "Looks like our food has arrived."
"I'll get it," Siku said as she opened the door. The man standing at attention was wearing the armor of a Fire Nation general.
"Avatar Hikari, I'm afraid I bring bad news. We have just received word from an outpost in Ba Sing Se. They let us know that the city has collapsed into chaos. They have warned us against bringing you there. It is still too dangerous for you. We have sent for a ship to bring the master Earthbender to the Northern Water Tribe. We will return to the tribe once more, where you will be able to learn Earthebending in relative safety."
"What exactly happened?" Siku asked.
"I don't know the details. All I know is that it is dangerous, and the Avatar must remain in a safe place while in training."
"No."
"I'm sorry, ma'am?"
"We're not turning back. We will go to Ba Sing Se, as originally planned. As the Avatar, it is my duty to help those who are in need. It doesn't matter if I still need to master Earthbending. I am more than capable of handling a fight. The people of Ba Sing Se need me," Hikari said.
"Are you sure, Hikari?" Siku asked from behind her.
"I'm sure."
"As you wish, ma'am. I will relay your orders to the captain," the guard said as he turned on his heels.
Hikari leaned against the closed door. "Looks like it's time to be the Avatar."
A/N: Alright, there it is. I know, super short. Clocked in at 2,800 words. This is just the opening chapter, though. You can expect subsequent chapters to be much longer (5-10k words, probably). Hikari and Siku are only 2/5 of Team Avatar. Two more will be introduced next chapter for sure. I'm not positive on when the last one will arrive. Please feel free to leave a review, especially if it involves constructive criticism. I'm always looking to improve.