Chapter One: Exposition
Water, Earth, Fire, Air.
The elements of the four nations. People learned to control these elements. It's called bending. Those with the power to wield it are called benders. They are held in the highest regard and with the utmost respect. Those who can't – well – they aren't as much.
To be born with bender blood is one of the greatest honors in the four corners of the world. It is still acceptable to be born with "unaffected" blood and be "normal" in all nations. But to be born with bender blood and no ability is nothing short of a crime. In a high standing family, many are disowned if one of their parents are benders while they are not.
It is almost unheard of to have two bender parents and be born without bender blood. Those who are in the 'rare margin of error', as bending masters call it, are referred to as bloodwhores. The near impossibility of having this 'error' is so rare, but still everyone knows what they are.
I am third child of Fire Lord Zuko and Katara of the Northern Water Tribe. Sister of Takazi and Zaru, twin heirs to the Fire Lord throne.
My name is Kau. I am a bloodwhore.
The first time it was shown that I didn't have bender blood was at the age of six. While my elder twin siblings were already training in fire (granted they were two years older than me) I was struggling to pay attention to my masters. Considering my parents were of two conflicting bending blood, the outcome wasn't exactly certain of what bending ability any of us would have. They had brought masters of all four elements to try and see what we could do.
I remember Toph and Aang always keeping their patience with us, guessing they wouldn't be needed at all. Aang would make faces behind my father's back while he tried to retain my attention. Needless to say, for my five-year-old self, this was impossible.
After I turned six, my mother tried to see if I would be a water bender, when it was determined that my brother and sister were firebenders. We traveled to the Southern Water Tribe, staying with my great grandad and visited the home of the sun and moon spirits. I remained there meditating – as best I could – trying to get in touch with either bending ability. Without using my own hands, I couldn't even stir the tranquil waters.
Uncle Sokka and Aunt Suki came by to spend a day with us there before we left. That was the first time I met my cousin, Ari. He was barely a year older than me, not that you could tell. Late that night, we crept out of our rooms, pretending to be spies trying to escape our prison. Just before we'd pass the door way where my family was talking, I heard my name.
I froze but they hadn't seen me.
Ari and I stood on either side of the doorway, listening to the conversation. Grandad was the only one to say I may not have any ability. This surprised me. Being very young, and although I knew of people who weren't benders, I had never thought that I wouldn't be able to. My cousin and I stared at each other during the whole conversation, unable to fully understand.
Sokka out-right declared my inability to be impossible. Suki told him to sit back down, and that, although it wasn't something they wanted to believe, that it was a possibility. Especially, she had added, since both my mom and dad had learned very young while having a history of benders in our family. My mom joined in by saying it may be possible that the two elements may have balanced just enough so I don't have any ability.
We stood there a while longer, but I soon began to feel sick. At the time, I didn't realize just how important it was that I should be a bender. Instead, I was only upset that they thought I was incapable of something. After our stay at the Southern Water Tribe ended, I never heard another conversation about being a 'non-bender'.
As I grew older and older, my mother began to give up on me being a bender. She and my father had multiple 'discussions' about it. Personally, I thought it was more of a fight than a discussion. She simply wanted to accept me for whatever I was, saying it didn't matter if I could bend or not, I was her baby (thanks mom). My father, however, only increased his determination of finding my bending ability.
He didn't become mean, or cruel, as his father had done to him. Instead, he spent more time with me when he could, trying to see if I was more connected to any element. During the discussions, he argued that it didn't matter what I bended, he still loved me, but it was impossible for me not to be a bender. He and Sokka were in the same boat. Eventually my mother would simply shake her head and sigh, leaving the discussion unfinished.
That meant it would come up again, but she was done for now. Honestly, their passion was what drove them but when they turned it on each other, it was like the house would catch fire. Or be sucked into a hurricane. It was different each time. But in the end, the heated discussions wouldn't last long because they were never actually against each other. Simply against the topic.
So I spent many years unknowing of what I was.
Now things are different.