'I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad.
Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers.'
:Helen Keller
Note: Short chapter-sorry, guys!
Kida is four when she starts to feel different.
She always knew she was 'special' because her Momma wasn't just the bestest, most super-awesomest ( She had given Momma her two gold stickers that she had picked out of her little book) Momma in the world- although she was pretty amazing. When she first asked her Poppa what an 'A-va-tar' was and why her Momma was called that( B-but if that's not Momma's first name, why doos peoples call her it, Poppa?) her answer was given with a chuckle, followed by a smile.
It means she gives people hope, Lil' Star, and that she's very powerful. People look up to her.
Kida tilted her head to the side, but I look up to you, and not just 'cause I'm little. Are you an Avatar, too? Are you 'Mr. Avatar'?
Poppa had patted her head, while shaking his back and forth with a smile, You'll understand when you're older, sweetie.
.
Kida is four, but she is old enough to understand discrimination. Fear of the misunderstood. Bullying.
The neighbors wanted to have a play date with a friend from preschool, a familiar face when new to this part of the vast City. And what-do-you-know, My, she's the Avatar's daughter? Oh, my, my...
A pat on the head from the mother, with a smile that Kida would in later years learn to associate as pity, a free chocolate-chip cookie before dinner, and Kida wouldn't have known the difference; she was just happy to have a friend to play with.
The girl's name was Kailani, and had eyes the color of an ice cube. Her skin, however, was light and pale like a noodle, and made Kida think of the snow that her Momma told her about during bedtime stories. Her hair was a chestnut brown, and woven together in two braids that met at the center down her back, and mingled in a wave of ribbons. She couldn't bend, but her family seemed not to mind that at all. Maybe her Momma wasn't an Avatar Momma…
Kida thought she was very beautiful, and the way her ribbons caught the light, made her want to touch them. But when she stuck her hand out, smack! She wasn't aloud. Kailani's face puckered and pouted until her pale-noodle cheeks turned red.
"My ribbons!" she squealed.
"Sorry…" Kida whispered. Kailiani's Momma had told them to play nice.
It wasn't until lunch time, that the truth hit Kida hard.
Kailani's Momma had brought over a homemade dish of cheesy bok choy for lunch, and after Poppa had each given them a plate, along with a glass of milk, and had said he was going into the next room over to work, (Play nice girls, and remember to not be messy. I'll be right in this room, okay?) it happened.
Kailani began licking the sticky cheese from her fingers, one by one, her mouth coated with a stash of orange and white. (Very, very messy, Kida thought, Uh, oh.)
But then, after a moment, it kinda looked like fun! Kida looked at her, and began to lick her fingers, too, even though Momma said it was bad manners. Kida giggled, her cheeks getting all orange," Hehehe! Yummy!"
She was in the middle of sticking three gooey fingers in her mouth, and then Kailani exclaimed, "You can't do that!"
Kida pouted and stuck her fingers in her lap, "Why not?"
"'Cause you need ten fingers and you only gots five!" the girl stated, "Why you only got one arm?"
Kida blinked, and looked down at her right arm, "I dunno…'Cause I'm a Firebender, I guess? Except for Poppa! Poppa's the bestest, so he's got two-"
"-Nuh, uh! All Firebenders gots both arms! That's how they make their light!"
"They, do…?" Kida asked.
"Uh, huh!"
"B-but…." Kida sniffled, "I can make light, too! See?" She lit her palm ablaze, the orange-red flame flickering, "I have light inside me! That's what Momma said!"
"That's wrong!" Kailani screeched, "Wrong, wrong, wrong!"
Kida puckered, and tried to calm her down, "Shhh! Poppa says we gos'ta be quiet!"
Then, Kailani's arm went out like a scissor, and the milk splattered on the table and down in her lap like a raging river of creamy white.
She started screaming louder, "My dress!"
Kida closed her eyes and held her breath. She didn't like this girl, no, no, no.
"Girls! What's going on?"
Uh, oh. Trouble.
There was Poppa, coming into the kitchen now. Thump, thump, thump, in his work boots, red scarf blowing in his pursuit.
"What happened," Poppa asked, looking at the messy table, and sobbing Kailani.
The girl didn't say anything, just kept blubbering and pointing a cheese-coated finger at Kida. "She's wrong!"
Kida blinked at looked at Poppa, confused. What had she done?
Poppa sighed and rubbed the space between his eyes with his fingers, "Alright, I think that's enough fun for one day. Kailani, how about I call your Mommy and she can come get you, and get you into something dry, okay?"
Kaiani just crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.
Poppa ran a hand through his hair, then bent down, and lifted her up into his arms, "Up you go, c'mon, sweetie. Oh, wow, you really are all wet and sticky..."
"Bye-bye..." Kida said as Kailani's face stuck out over Poppa's shoulder; she made a face, and dipped down to hide under his red scarf.
After forever and a year... Kailani's Momma came to get her, and she went home, much to Kida's relief. Poppa came back to find Kida still sitting at the table, staring at her dish.
"Kida?" her sat down beside her, "Kida, sweetheart, what happened? Did you two get in a fight?"
Kida shook her head, "My light." She whispered.
"What, baby?" Poppa leaned closer.
"My light," Kida said, holding up her flickering palm, "She said it was wrong."
Looking back on that day now, years later, she doesn't remember much of it, but she does recall how she was forever his 'Lil' Star' he always said, because stars shine the brightest in the dark, and always find their way back home. But really, she thinks, it's because her daddy just enjoys how much she giggles when he says it, and never gets tired of whispering how their eyes match, just like two sunbeams. Either way, she's happy.
Poppa put a sticky finger into the cheese, and plopped it on his nose, with his eyes going all goofy! Kida giggled so much she forgot all about stupid, mean, Kailani.
"Poppa?" She asked, as she crawled into his warm lap.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Can you tell me the story again? The one the about the light that shined so bright, she helped all the Spirits find a new home?"
"Ohhh...I guess so..." he said with a smile.
She was Momma and Poppa's Kida, and they were her Momma and Poppa. And to her, that was all that mattered.
"That story's my favorite, ever."
Just a short little chapter, next chapters with all be various parts and a different POV.
Please tell me, because I cannot decide, first person, of second person?
