"Wu, please tell me you can do this." Korra said, voice barely a whisper.
Aunt Wu ll was reading the bones, trying to see who the next Avatar was.
"I see...a young Earth Kingdom girl being trained by the Dai Li. She must travel the world to learn the elements, as Aang did before you. She will face many hardships throughout her life, but she has your determination and strength."
"And her name?"
"I cannot say."
"It's okay, Korra. The White Lotus will find her before the Dai Li does." Mako said reassuringly, placing a withered hand on her shoulder.
"I just want her to follow her own path."
*13 years later* *Qiangda's POV*
"You have done excellently, young Avatar." The head of the Dai Li smiled at me. "It is fortunate your mother turned you in before you were found by the White Lotus. They would keep you cooped up inside your house all day."
I nodded, thinking. The White Lotus trained Avatar Korra and was created when Avatar Aang was around. After Korra shared her story of having to run away to learn airbending, the White Lotus has been the center of controversy in the new Avatar's training.
Basically, me.
The Dai Li are excellent earthbending trainers and are keeping my mother alive by sending her money. They're only going to do it until I've mastered earthbending, however, and I don't have much to go before I finally master it. And I don't know how I'm
/going tolearn the other elements, since the Dai Li only know earthbending. I'll have to travel on my eelhound Arrok to learn.
Just like Aang.
I sighed loudly and continued with my training.
After a few days, I had fully mastered earthbending. Meaning the Dai Li would no longer support my mother.
I turned to my mom and took a deep breath. "I'm leaving to Air Temple Island." She dropped the plate she was carrying and it shattered with a crash. "Wh-what?"
"I have to leave. The Dai Li can't teach me airbending, waterbending or firebending. I have to learn these things on my own. Away from the lower ring of Ba Sing Se." Tears filled in her eyes. "Do you know what your name means, Qiangda?" I shook my headin
/response.
"It means strong. It means I believe in you."
I looked up to her. "Your father is an air nomad at the island. He'll recognize you easily. Go there. Masters Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo can teach you with their class. Arrok is saddled. Now, go."
Arrok rode like the wind on the streets and swam with the fastest agility. Within a few long hours, I finally made it to Air Temple Island. A set of twins were waiting for me, both had their hair in, but the boy had light airbender tattoos contrasting
/against his
dark skin. The other twin had much lighter skin, and was a girl. She didn't have her tattoos in, and her hair was as dark as her brother's. The girl left to get help and the boy was waving madly at me.
"Hey. Who are you?" He asked, gray eyes shining.
"My name is Qiangda. I'm here to learn airbending?"
The girl came back with an older woman who looked exactly like her only with tattoos and grey eyes like the boy's.
"Master Jinora?" I asked.
She smiled warmly. "Avatar Qiangda. I got word of your arrival from your mother."
The twins gaped at me. "Avatar Qiangda?" The girl said. I nodded.
"Who are you guys?"
"I'm Shu, and my sister is Oma."
"Like that old love tale? What was it? The cave of two lovers?"
They both groaned. "It was Mom's idea."
Master Jinora smiled. "Should I fetch my husband? He can guide you to where you can stay."
Shu perked up. "I can show her!"
Oma swatted him in the arm. "You just wanna go in the girls dorm so you can check out Flit, the new air nomad girl. I'll take her."
Before I could reply, Oma grabbed my arm and whirled me hard to the right of the island.
"I love your hair! Oh, and your tanned skin, it reminds me of hot cocoa! And I just love the color of your eyes! Forest green! Beautiful!"
"If you think you're gonna win me over with false compliments about my braid and other features, you're wrong."
She sighed in relief. "Good. Not that you aren't beautiful, it's just Mom said that we had to be excessive, as if the Fire Lord or someone were coming."
I laughed and she smiled. "So, is there anyone you know on the island?"
"My mom said my dad left her to become an air nomad. He should be here."
She nodded and snapped her fingers. "The crazy Earth Kingdom guy!"
"What?!"
"A few years ago, a guy named Li came to the island as an air nomad, claiming to have sired the avatar. No one believed him, not then, anyway. What's your last name?"
"Huang."
"Li Huang was actually telling the truth! I have to tell Mom! You can settle in on your own, right? I'm sure Flit will be nice to you."
She raced off before I could protest.
When I walked in, there was a group of girls talking and giggling.
"Hello?"
They stopped short and stared at me. I was wearing my green Earth Kingdom training outfit and my long black hair was pulled back in a braid. No wonder they were staring at me, I was a mess!
"Um, who are you?" A girl asked.
"My name is Qiangda. I'm the avatar. Is there a spare room?"
All the girls looked at me warily. "Down the hall." One said slowly, pointing.
I grabbed my luggage and went to the room she pointed at.
Inside was a small bed, a small dresser, a window where you could see the bison, and a closet half full of airbender clothing.
I put my bags by the bed and sighed. I didn't know how I was going to get used to constant meditation and calmness. The Dai Li trained me with military based attacks so I would always be alert and aware of my surroundings. Lin Beifong even came in and
/showedme how to listen to the earth and taught me a few metalbending moves.
I walked out quietly as to not disturb the girls and listen in on what they were saying.
"So what do you think of Shu?"
"Suuuuper hot. Like his dad, Kai. Shame he got Jinora's eyes. Oma got Kai's eyes with Jinora's pale skin and dark hair."
"He'd be a good match for the new girl. What was her name? Kweeaangda? I think they'd look super cute together."
"Shut up, Hana! Shu is destined for me. Got that?"
"Flit, just because he talks to you and you have an obsessive crush on him doesn't mean you two are destined to be together."
Flit was a small, bird like girl with blond hair and green eyes. I could tell by her physique that she was incredibly flexible. The girl she was talking to, Hana, had tanned skin and blue eyes. A Water Tribe girl, I assumed. She was a little portly and
/had a bit of adazed expression. The rest of the girls had brown eyes and dark hair, but all different skin tones.
"But that Qiangda girl does seem intimidating. Shu's into that kind of stuff thanks to his sister. God, she's stacking the card pile against you and toward Avatar Qiangda." Hana pointed out.
Flit turned red in the face. "Stop it, Hana. I will eliminate that girl by being better than her at everything. Shu will fall for me because of my natural talents."
I walked in and cleared my throat. Flit and Hana jumped visibly.
"Better than me? For Shu? Wow. That's the lowest I've seen anyone go for a guy."
Flit turned red in the face. "How much did you hear?!"
"Well, I walked in when one girl brought Shu up, and I kinda had to listen in."
Everyone giggled except for Flit and Hana.
"I should go find my dad. I'll see you later, though."
