Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA. If I did, there would be a lot more seasons.
As I step outside, rain is pounding down. I quick grab a gray umbrella, and then keep going. As I look around, the rain mesmerizes me as it never had before. I marveled the fact that I could pick out one droplet, and just hold it in my hand. After ten days, I'm still not over the shock of being a waterbender. And even more crazy, I have to go confront the masters themselves! Of course, that's what I'm doing right now, I think as I walk through the city.
Once I leave town and enter the forest, I decide to rest under the dense trees. I'm soaked, despite the umbrella. But.. I am a waterbender. I try to bend water off one of my shoes. Just one droplet comes off. Makes sense, it's all I've learned so far. But then I remember another move I learned in the second scroll, picking up water once it's spilled. I don't remember it exactly, so I reach into my pack and grab the scroll. Once I read it over I stand up, arrange my stance, and try it out. As I slowly lift my hands, the water quivers a little at first, then starts to lift. I turn the water I lifted into a sphere, and drop it gently on the ground. Then I sit down, glad to be dry. I think about doing the third scroll, but I decide against it, since I'm so tired. So I quickly pack up my umbrella and second scroll, use my pack as a makeshift pillow, and go to sleep.
I open my eyes, gray morning light seeping in through the treetops. I sit up, stiff from lying on the ground all night. I open my pack, and make sure everything is there. Yup. My stomach growls, and I realize I didn't eat lunch or supper yesterday. I grab my ham sandwich and eat about half. I have to ration food, or I'll never survive the journey. And packing a ton of it would just slow me down from the weight. I drink part of my first water bottle, and that shaves the edge off my hunger. I'll have to find my own food later, but not yet.
As I keep going, I read through the third scroll. There are three moves on it today. Freezing water, Heating/melting water, and basic shaping of ice. Simple enough. I notice that the stances using ice are like those of an earthbender. I guess it is a solid. I reread the first move, dump out my full water bottle, and jerk my hands, slowly emitting ice breath. The water slowly freezes, making a crackling sound as it does. I look at the second move, melting water. I get into my stance, swirl my hands, and lower them. The ice sizzles, and liquifies. I freeze it once again and look at the third move, shaping the ice. This looks exactly like an earthbending scroll, which I've seen firsthand. I get into a sturdy stance, stomp, and the ice lifts off the ground. I shift my hands, and it turns into a sphere. Satisfied, I melt it, and stream it back into the water bottle. Those moves were harder. I put the third scroll away, but keep the water bottle out. As I walk, I absently lift and drop a sphere of water out of it. I notice the ground steepening. I'm probably approaching one of the first mountains. To get to the masters, you have to cross mountains, go through forests, trek through a desert, and somehow get through ocean. At first I was worried, but I'm a waterbender! I have to be able to get through this. I wish I didn't have to go alone. Well, I can't bring anyone from my hometown, which is where I currently live. Weird rules, but I didn't make them. I'm snapped out of my thoughts by a rustling in the trees nearby. Not knowing battle moves, I just create a sphere of ice. I hold a sturdy stance, glancing around for the source of the noise.
"And what are you going to do with that? Throw it at me?" says the maker of the noise, emerging from the trees. It's a girl, with short blonde hair and amber eyes. She looks about my age. She laughs. "Don't look so freaked out, I'm just another traveler." I melt the sphere, bending it back into my water bottle. "Sorry to scare you, though. I'm Angela. Most call me Angie. What's your name?" she asks.
"I'm Kira. What are you traveling for?" I ask.
"You won't believe me, but I'm going to see the masters," she says. I nod.
"Me too, actually. They messed up my waterbending scrolls. Why are you going?" I ask.
"I dunno. I'm an explorer," she replies. "Wait, you're a waterbender?" she asks.
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm a firebender. I have my scrolls in this bag," she says, pointing to a backpack. Then she laughs again. "Of course you're a waterbender. Ocean blue eyes, brown hair, even the traditional southern hairstyle!" she exclaims.
"Stereotypical much?" I mutter. We laugh. "Hey, do you want to travel with me? We're heading to the same place, anyway."
"Sure!" Angie accepts. We keep walking in silence for about an hour, until Angie speaks. "Hey, do you mind if I show you some firebending? It's so fun, I just want to do it constantly."
"Yeah, go ahead. I know how you feel, waterbending is awesome too," I reply. Angie nods, and creates a small flame, light blossoming from her hand. I watch it carefully.
"That's amazing! When did you start practicing?" I ask.
"Years ago. I can do better than that. Watch this!" Angie exclaims, shooting a blast of fire over the tree tops. I freeze in my tracks. The fire is going to burn those trees! But just before it does, Angie stops it middair, and dissolves it.
"That was incredible! But, I thought firebending was uncontrollable. You know, that once you create it you can't stop it.." I say.
"Like I said, I've been practicing for a year. Being out in nature helps me pick up techniques. Hey, by the way, when did you start practicing?" Angie asks.
"Ten days ago," I say, feeling unimpressive.
"Well can you show me something other than a sphere of ice? I've never seen waterbending besides that before," she says. I nod.
"Well let me find a cool move, I still have some scrolls that I haven't practiced. I reach in to my bag for the fourth scroll, and open it up. The first move is making a small wave, just pushing and pulling the water. Well I can't do that one, I don't have a body of water nearby. Maybe we'll run into something later. I only have this bottle of water.
"Kira, look! A pond!" Angie exclaims. I shrug and smile. How convenient. We walk up to it, and I instantly realize something is off about the pond. I look at it. Oh, I see what it is. The pond is perfectly still, and clear. No plants, no animals, no dirt or anything blocking it up. Angie must have noticed it too. "Uh, what's up with the crazy-water?" she asks, side glancing it. I laugh.
"It's spirit water. I can't believe we found it! You know, this is a really rare phenomenon. It can be used for healing, drinking, and best of all-" I pause.
"Tell me!" Angie urges.
"It can send anyone to the spirit world," I finish.
"What? Like the Avatar?" she asks. I nod.
"Hey, we should try it. It's completely safe, and we aren't exactly in a hurry," I suggest. Angie looks at me excitedly, and nods her head.
"Wait..But how do we do it?" she asks.
"Just do what I do," I say. I place my hand in the water slowly, and so does she. The water starts to glow, and the wind starts howling.
"Just keep your eyes open! That's all you need to remember!" I shout over the noise.
"Okay!" she shouts back. Our eyes water as we both struggle to keep them open. Then suddenly the wind calms, and all is silent. We're still by the pond. I keep my eyes open. Angie does also, and then they start glowing white. Like the avatar. I can tell mine are too. The world vanishes around us, and we're left in blackness, just staring into each other's eyes. Then scenery starts to form around us again, and it's definitely not the pond that we were just by. It's.. the spirit world, from the looks of it. Just to make sure, I try to bend. It doesn't work, so that confirms it. Angie looks at me, and I can tell she's just as amazed as I am. It actually worked! Someone grabs me by the shoulder, and I whirl around. It's avatar Ying! He was the avatar that came after Sith, who came after Brunko, who came after Korra, who came after Aang, who came after Roku, who came after Kyoshi, and so on. But why is he here?
"Kira. You've come," he says, still holding my shoulder. I stare up at him, speechless. Angie is too.
"Um. Hi?" I manage to say weakly.
"I assume you have received your waterbending scrolls," he says.
"Yeah... Sort of," I reply. "But why does that matter to you? You're the avatar!" I exclaim. Ying looks confused.
"Wait, nobody has told you?" he asks. Now I'm bewildered.
"Told me what?" I ask.
"You are the next avatar." I stand still as the words sink in.
"You must be mistaken." I shake my head.
"No. You must begin your training soon," he says.
"What? Why soon?" I ask, my nervousness growing by the second.
"Uh, duh. You're the avatar. Don't you wanna be all cool, whoosh splash pow?" Angie cuts in. I didn't realize she'd been listening. Ying nods.
"Oh. That's it? That's the only reason? The world isn't in danger or anything?" I ask.
"Nope!" Ying says.
"Wait, don't you have some epic avatar way to say that?" I ask.
"I was never good at making speeches," Ying says defensively. "Buy you have to go now, begin your training."
"But how? I need to know how!" I say, but he has already sent us back. I'm sitting in the grass, drenched in sweat. I look over, and see Angie next to me.
"Uh.. Just making sure, you saw all that too?" I ask.
"Yeah. I saw that. Wow," she says.
"Wow," I repeat.
A/N: Sort of a cliffhanger. Just to get it straight, I made up a few avatars so that Kira could have waterbending as her first element. Please review!