"Kailani, sweetie, you have to run!" A middle aged woman held her 7-year-old daughter, tightly, in her protective arms as she whispered demands into her ear.
"Mum?" The young and innocent girl looked up at her mother's deep blue eyes, which wereonce filled love and hope now concern and fear took its place.
"Kai, daddy and I will be fine. Just hide in the woods and Mommy will come and collect you okay." She kissed Kailani on the top of the head, "Promise me you will not come back to this village until I come and get you, okay. You are the only hope we have for the Air Nomads to survive."
Kailani nodded, tears brimming her water and sky blue eyes. And with that gesture the woman released her daughter and ushered her to the woods surrounding the small Earth Kingdom village. She sprinted as fast as her little legs would take her to the edge of the woods, where she hid behind the large tree which she rememberedthat her and Haru, an older boy from the village, liked to play on.
After a few moments of waiting in the dreary silence, an eruption could be heard from multiple places across the village, the bakery, neighbor's houses, and her house. When Kailani saw her house go up in dancing flames, she knew that if she didn't move now something unspeakable could happen to her. So she ran.
All those good memories that she had made from that place disappearedandwerereplaced by dark memories, the bright ones being pushed away and forgotten. Just because of that day, the day the Fire Nation took all hope from the villagers by imprisoning all the earth-benders and terrorising families. And Kailani couldn't do anything about it.
Kailani awoke with sweat dripping down her forehead. After that devastating day, 5 years ago, Kailani hasn't been able to have a proper rest without seeing those burning houses and people that lay in that village.
"Kai!"
Kailani sighed at her name being called from her 'sister'. 4 years ago, she arrived at Kyoshi island, by accident, and was taken in by a family who already had a daughter of their own, who was 4 years older than herself.
"Kai!" A more demanding tone called from outside her door.
"I'm coming Suki!" Kailani quickly pulled her green, Earth Kingdom dress over her undergarments and then swiftly brushed her fingers through her short, dark brown hair. After she was happy with her attire, Kailani unlocked her door so Suki could come in.
"Took you long enough." Suki teased as she opened the door.
"Aren't you meant to be training or something?
She just rolled her eyes at Kailani's reply, "I'm going in a little while, that's why I came up." Suki said as if she was stating the obvious.
"Okay, well bye." Kailani gave a quick wave to her adoptive sister before falling back onto her bed.
"Oh no, you are coming with me because you need to help me go grocery shopping before dad wakes up and realise we have any food left. We don't want him trying to go grocery shopping again do we?" Both girls shuddered at the memory.
"Okay, Okay I'll come."
"Great!" Suki clasped her hands together, "We need some more milk and fruit. Now come on."
Suki dragged Kailani down to the square filled with different sorts of foods in carriages. As Kailani was choosing what sort of fruit she will get, a Kyoshi Warrior ran up to Suki, dresses in her armor and face paint.
"Suki, three unknown outsiders have landed on the shore, accompanied with a giant hairy beast."
Suki nodded her head at the Warrior and then turn around to Kailani, "Kai, you continue shopping, I'll be back in a few minutes." And she ran off before Kailani could reply. But she didn't complain, she was completely use to it by now.
Nearly half an hour passed before Suki was seen again, her and other Kyoshi Warriors dragging three bind and blindfolded kids, 2 wearing Water Tribe clothing and one Air Nomad, with arrow tattoos covering his bold head and going underneath his clothing. Suki tied all three of them to the post that held the Kyoshi Statue. The rest of the Warriors stood behind Oyaji, the leader of Kyoshi island, respectively. The rest of the villagers, including Kailani, stood behind the gate going to the houses.
"You three have some explaining to do." Oyaji demanded with his hands firmly on his hips.
"Show yourself, cowards!" A young Water Tribe boy with a ponytail, around the age of 16, challenged. Suki, accepting his wishes, unmasked the boy as two other warriors did the same to his comrades.
Ponytail boy's frown deepened, "Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?" He aggressively said towards the Kyoshi Warriors. Kailani gasped at his disrespect to them, no one has ever disrespected a Kyoshi Warrior and left without several broken bones.
Suki stepped towards him and placed a fist in front of his face, "There are no men. We ambushed you. Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?"
The boy just looked at Suki with disbelief, "Wait a second," he glanced at the tattoo boy on his right, who seems to be the same age as Kailani, as if looking for confirmation, before mockingly stating, "There's no way a bunch of girls took us down."
Kailani face-palmed, wondering how stupid this boy could be, his comrades seem to be wondering the same thing since the tattoo boy winced while the girl just shock her head in shame.
Suki grabbed the ponytail boy by his collar and stared at him angrily, "A bunch of girls, huh? Unagi is gonna eat well tonight."
Hurriedly, the girl leans forward in her bonds, "No, don't hurt him! He didn't mean it. My brother is just an idiot sometimes." She gave her brother an annoyed glance as Suki released him from her hold but continues to stares at the boy in dismay.
"It's my fault." The tattoo boy's words startled Kailani, since he has been silent throughout the whole interrogation, but his words rung with sorrow, "I'm sorry we came here. I wanted to ride an elephant-koi."
Oyaji, not believing a word he uttered, angry replies, "How do we know you're-" He points at the three hostages, "not Fire Nation spies? Kyoshi stayed out of the war so far. And we intend to keep it that way."
Kailani was about to interject and say that she believed them but the tattoo boy got to it first with a new found brightness across his face, "This Island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!"
Oyaji scoffed, "Ha! How could you possible know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here 4 hundred years ago. She's been dead for centuries."
Tattoo boy bowed his head and replied almost inaudible, "I know her because I'm the Avatar."
Kailani gasped, along with the rest of the village. She knew that if he was the Avatar that means he's an air-bender! Kailani almost jumped for joy, she might not be the last air-bender after all. For the past 12 years of her life she always thought that she was the last hope for the Air Nomads, but if this tattoo boy could survive that means that more air-bender's could have.
Suki clenched her fists in front of the boy's face, "That's impossible! The last Avatar was an air-bender who disappear a hundred years ago!"
The claimed Avatar smile sheepishly, "That's me!"
Angrily, Oyaji pushed passed Suki and points at the Avatar, "Throw the imposter to Unagi!"
Kailani's eyes widen at Oyaji's harsh decision and was running forward ready to help, but once again the tattoo boy already had that covered. After the Water Tribe girl's demand, he broke free of his binds and flipped over the Statue Of Kyoshi's head and slowly descended to the ground as if he was flying. He gently touches the ground in front of the large crowd while his robe still fluttered around him.
"It's true..." Oyaji said in awe, "you arethe Avatar."
With a serious look on his face, the Avatar pulled some marbles from underneath his robes, "Now, check this out!" He used his air-bending to spin the marbles at a high speed in between his hands, with a large, over exaggerated grin plastered on his face as he looked back and forth between the marbles to the villagers.
The crowd went nuts, cheering, and one guy mouth began to foam and then fainted. Kailani just laughed with joy. She wasn't the last air-bender after all.
