Disclaimer: Never will I own the ATLA series.
There were few things this child loved. Yet, there was certainly one thing that remained above the rest amongst her many loves; it was the sea. For as long as she could remember, she had always loved the sea. On this land of tundra, surrounded by the beautiful blue waters, she liked the sharp and salty smell of the air that filled her nostrils with every sniff. She liked the vastness of the horizons that were bounded only by a vault that was the azure sky above. For many reasons, it made her feel small but in odd ways, it made her feel free.
Across these waters where places she had never seen. People of different cultures and foods of different spices. This child, Ruyi, had wanted to see them. She wanted to explore the world and enhance her freedom but that would mean leaving behind her people. Her people were weak. They were weak because of what the Fire Nation had did to them. Capturing and killing their waterbenders, and Ruyi was sure that they would return again, but she wanted to fight this time. Even if she would die doing so.
Ruyi was only nine but her hatred for the Fire Nation had consumed her like she was in the middle of a large tsunami. She wanted them to suffer as her tribe did, she wanted her vengeance for what they took from them. Some of these children were parentless, only to be taken in by other people, some who were only children themselves. How could she make them pay? She was just one child. One person couldn't fight against a nation of people unless you were the Avatar.
The world hadn't seen the Avatar in over a hundred years. Where he had vanished to or what became of him had become a mystery. No doubt the Fire Nation was probably worried about them, maybe even searching for them. The children all spoke of the Avatar, saying that they would bring peace and set the world right. Well, Ruyi hadn't believed it. In fact, she resented the Avatar for their absence. If she ever saw them, she would wring her hands around their neck and question why they had let the world become such a devastating place like this; where people were being burned alive, drowning in flames.
From old times, they saying that the world would end in either fire or ice was probably true. It certainly was going to end in fire at this rate. The ice was weak, melting under the fire. How could ice bring such destruction the way that fire can?
It was shame really. To be at the tender age of nine and having to suffer through this, to see how life has become. Ruyi had to be grateful that her mother prepared her for it, that woman knew that being naive and a child in this world would get you killed.
Such was life in this cruel world.
"Ruyi!" The voice voice had interrupted her rather grim thoughts, her azure eyes slowly looking away from the open sea and towards a bright pair of blue eyes. Instantly, the girl had smiled at the sight of the familiar face.
"Katara, what are you doing here?" She asked, donning a mature tone. Ruyi wanted Katara to stay a child, even though the girl already had her mother. Ruyi wanted to look out for her like an older sister would, let her keep her innocence just a little longer.
The round face had created a closed-eye smile, which warmed Ruyi's heart to the core. "Will you go penguin-sledding with me?"
That was Katara's favorite thing to do. If the girl had the choice to do it every day, she would. "I'm sorry, Katara, but I can't. I have to take care of the twins."
"Oh..." Despite the disappointment evident on her features, Katara still managed to keep her smile. "Well, can I help you with that then?"
It was clear that the young was bored and trying to find something to entertain her. There wasn't much to do in the south pole. It was such a barren place outside the large wall. You either fish, penguin sled, or did chores and take care of children. There were no places to go or other people to see.
"Sure." Ruyi caved, not wanting to shoo Katara away. An extra hand wouldn't hurt, especially since the children were quite the handful when it was just her.
For precaution, Ruyi had held onto the girl's small, gloved hand. "I'm not a kid anymore, Ruyi." Katara's lips had formed a pout, her eyes gazing up at the taller female.
"I know, but I like to know that you're beside me. You're so short that I forget sometimes." The teasing tone in her voice had made Katara's pout worsen, her eyes narrowing before she managed to find herself smiling. "By the way, where's Sokka?"
"He went fishing." Ruyi nodded, "But he was looking for you earlier about something."
"Probably about that stupid boomerang." The older girl sighed, rubbing her right with her freehand. "I told him to watch where he throws that thing. It hit me upside the head and so I hid it."
"But after knocking him around with some waterbending?" She asked, which Ruyi smugly nodded too. "You should teach me what you know! I want to be a good waterbender, and you learned a lot."
There were no other waterbenders in the tribe save for her and Katara. Ruyi decided to learn her own way, which was quite more ferocious than the gentle, push and pull traditional way. Since there was no other way to learn, she improvised and found her way to be more comfortable. "I can't teach you what I know, Katara. I've put too much of my own spin on it."
Confused, Katara's eyebrow rose. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"That its not the traditional way; the right way. You should learn the right way because I know you'll be able to do great things."
Katara's eyes had widen, hope creating a glassy sheen over them. Ruyi smiled at the expression, "You really think so, Ruyi?"
"I know so. The world is going to need a waterbender like you, Katara. Just you wait." Katara's confidence soared at her words. Ruyi had hoped this confidence stayed with Katara, and then she too could defend the Southern Water Tribe in the future.
Their walking had came to a stop, they stood before the tert that the twins lived in. Ruyi had lifted the curtain with a smile, seeing the two toddlers playing with their makeshift toys. "Hello Kori and Kien."
"You're gonna watch these two?" said Senya. "These two are a handful, and they tried to pull out all my hair!" The old woman had let out a sigh of relief, quite content she would be relieved of her duties for some time. "Bless Mienna for bringing you to the village when you were just a babe or else I'd be stuck here with my nerves getting shot."
Ruyi chuckled, combing her bangs away from her face. "Don't worry, Senya. Kori and Kien are a little bit less of a handful if you give them some seal jerky."
"Oh?" The woman blinked several times in thought, "You should've told me that before!"
"Its a trick I learned. I can't share them with everybody." Ruyi crossed her arms, nodding her head. Katara went into a fit of giggles at Senya's glaring eyes.
Ruyi took several steps before kneeling towards the two, blue-eyed toddlers. In their hands were a hammer toy and a small drum, "You guys were making music? I'd like to hear it."
They couldn't comprehend exactly what she was saying. Without her question, they had playfully slapped the drum and hit the hammer against the floor. Although there was no steady rhythm, it was amazing that they were trying. Music moved people, even babies.
Katara had walked over, smiling as the two babies giggled and played to their hearts content. "Katara, could you help me carry these baskets? I'm having trouble lifting just one let alone two."
The eight-year-old glanced towards Ruyi, who had given her a smile and nod. "Okay, I'll be back when I'm done." She said to her, which Ruyi nodded again understandingly.
An hour had passed, the babies officially wearing themselves out after a helping of seafood stew. Ruyi grew worried by the absence of Katara and Senya, but decided that maybe the baskets became a little bit of trouble through the snow. Her eyes glanced towards the window, seeing the pristine snow falling towards the ground. Her smile, however, had turned into a horrified gasp when she saw the snow change color. It changed into soot, which was the sign of a raid.
Immediately, she surrounded the twins with furniture so that they would be unseen and wouldn't be able to leave even if they had awoken during it. She scrambled to her feet and ran out of the tent to see Fire Nation soldiers. It was as if they were looking for someone, possibly any waterbenders. None of them knew that she was one, but they could probably discover if…
"Katara." She said breathlessly, her heart stammering in her chest in fear. She couldn't let them capture her. Even though Chief Hakoda was here to make sure that she was safe, she wasn't sure if he was around to make sure they didn't get their hands on her.
Her walk turned into a run, her eyes frantically looking around the village for any sight of the eight-year-old. Ruyi's heart tightened when she couldn't find any sign of her, but it immediately stopped when she felt herself being picked up by the collar.
"Let me go!" Her voice raised confidently, her head turning to stare at the man who dared grabbed her.
She was greeted by a scary face, one that made her feel entirely small. The golden eyes of the people of fire had immediately instilled fear in her heart. "What is your name, child?"
"Why do you want to know my name?!" She asked with defiance, "What do you want?!"
His eyes nearly turned into slits by her unsubmissive attitude as his voice grew deeper, and darker. "I will not ask again. What is your name, child?"
"Ruyi! My name is Ruyi Wu!" Ruyi practically yelled the answer. Her eyes stinging as tears pooled at the corner of her eyes. She hated that she gave in, that she didn't do as she always said would. She hadn't fought them, she was just too afraid to.
His eyes then shifted away from her and towards other soldiers, "I found her. Take her into the ship."
Her eyes grew wide, the fight into her sparking. She immediately threw her fists, her knuckles smacking against his nose, which made him drop her and hold his face. She started to dash, still looking for Katara. Maybe they already knew they were waterbenders. What if someone told because they threatened them?
Just when the girl's home was in sight, she was picked up again and more roughly this time. "You're not getting away with that again, peasant!" He snapped, slinging her over his shoulder and she continued to punch his back and kick her feet.
All her efforts seemed to be in vain. He continued walking as if none of her hitting was effecting him. Her throat was trying to hold her sobs, daring not to let him hear her cry or show any fear. That was the motto of the Southern Water Tribe: "Show no fear!" But her courage wasn't working. She wasn't able to save or even believe herself.
He was already making his way up the gangplank, her eyes staring at her home which was becoming further and further away from her. She was now in this metal ship, shades of black, red, and gold decorating the place. "Let me go! I wanna go back home!" Ruyi yelled, "Stop it! Please, leave me alone!"
Her cries were in vain and she didn't want to face it. 'I was going to fight! I was going to protect everyone! I-I didn't do anything! And now I'm a prisoner!'
She was brought to her feet, now inside what looked to be a cabin. Her eyes searched around, trying to find an exit but all that stood in front of her was man dressed like another soldier. Her eyes stared at him, glaring at him even, and he had slowly turned around to face her.
His skin was a deep, rich brown and his eyes were slant and a cool shade of grey. His hair was pulled into a tight topknot and a charcoal black that seemed like it was trying to grey. His face held a serious expression, but there was a kind warmth to his eyes. Ruyi, however, remained nonplussed and took several steps back once she heard the man that carried her in leave.
"What do you want?" She asked, fists raised in front of her face in a fighting stance. The man's eyes observed her stance, quite surprised at how she seemed prepared to fight him. There wasn't a lot of water around them, except in the flower vase. That could be enough to put a fight, she supposed.
His head tilted in a curious angle, "Are you going to fight me, Ruyi?"
Her eyes nearly turned into slits when her name left his slips, "Don't you use my name!"
"And why not? What should I call you?" He was as calm as ever. Like he was tethered to the ground and her anger would not shift his balance.
Ruyi had enough of talking, she shot a hook forward and the water broke through the vase and flew straight towards him. His head immediately looked in its direction, surprised by the attack but he was quick and moved away so that the water splashed against the wall instead.
"I didn't know that you would be a waterbender." Her body froze at his words. Her head immediately whipped around to look at him. "I should've figured because of your mother. Mienna said it was a possibility."
The fact that this Fire Nation man spoke her mother's name enraged her. Her eyes glassed over, her jaw set from her clenching her teeth. "Don't you say her name!"
"And why not? Mienna was my wife."
That was a shocking blow; an explanation she hadn't foreseen. "Your… Your wife?"
"Yes, Ruyi. Why do you think I asked them for your name and to bring you here?" His hands were behind him in an authoritative, militant stance. His aura wasn't intimidating though, more so calming.
The shock invaded her face, she warped her head around and powered her steps to every corner of the room, keeping her eyes open for any sort of sign that this was some kind of dream. Whirling around, she faced him. "So, you're my…?"
"Yes, Ruyi. I'm your father and I'm here to take you home."
A/N: The name Ruyi has several different meanings.
I chose this spelling of it 如意, which means "as desired; as one wishes, as one likes; according to one's wishes; following your heart's desires", but in Chinese poetry it was used/meant as "a green willow looks like a bird relies on a human".