I only own Zera and the changes in plot line:

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The hustle and bustle of everyday life in the village brought a warm smile to my face. Glancing around at the kids threw snowballs at each other and the women managed their daily chores, I brushed my hair back from my eyes. I suppose I stuck out a bit like a sore thumb, dark red locks against a sea of black, pale skin and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of my nose. My violet eyes squinting against the setting sunlight. At twenty years old I was fairly fit, constantly helping hunt and skin game, and moving supplies around had me in fairly decent shape. Glancing back to my work I stirred my wooden spoon around the cooking pot.

"Good evening Zera"

Lifting my head, I nodded a greeting to our unofficial leader. Kanna, while somewhat gruff had always been kind to me, ever since Koda hand brought me back to live at the village six years ago. She had been quick to take me under her wing, showing me everything from simple healing poultices to basic fishing skills.

"Evening, Kanna."

She stopped next to me and peered into the cooking pot. She grinned fondly.

"Five-flavored soup?" she asked

I hummed in affirmation. Taking a sip of the broth to test the salt level. While fairly simple in nature, it was a favorite dish of mine. Using thinly cut strips of seaweed, and other preserved vegetables it was a staple of Southern water tribe cooking. It was also the first dish Koda had ever taught me to make. Soups thawed you from the inside and warmed your soul.

"I figured we should plan on something that doesn't require meat, seeing as you sent the terrible two-some off to fish together." I narrowed my eyes at her accusingly.

Kanna laughed, "Those two will have to learn to get along sooner or later. I figured the fishing trip would give them a common goal."

I rolled my eyes, "Sure, a common goal that will likely end up in sarcastic comments, potentially coming to blows, and ending with no fish."

Kanna huffed and lightly cuffed me behind the ear. "Mind your elders, you cheeky child."

I laughed and added a few more of our dried vegetables to the pot, hoping to make it hearty enough in case my hunch about the sibling's fishing venture was correct. As I start ladling the soup out and handing it too the forming line of people I can't help but feel a pang in my chest at the missing faces. two years ago, Koda, the closest thing I had ever had to a father and the rest grown men of the tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation. Hakoda had done his best to keep our tribe out of the fighting, five years ago a raid by the fire nation had resulted in the death of his beloved wife, Kya.

It took our chief three years to train all the men who were of battle age, put together supplies, weapons. Kya's death had been the finale straw and our tribesmen could no longer stand by as the Fire nation pillaged the land. And, to the surprise of no one, Koda was his first volunteer. I had seen him off, all of my 19 years doing nothing to help me hold back my tears. I understood why he had to go. He was my father figure, but he was also Hakoda's best friend, he could do no less than be there to fight at his side. He had always been a warrior.

The last time I saw him was right before he had loaded onto his boat. He had placed his hand on my cheek and kissed my forehead, asking me to look out for our leader, Hakoda's, kids and had handed me his machete. Saying it was to help keep me safe. I always kept it on me strapped to my belt, unable to part with the one physical connection I had to Koda. It has a hooked edge for hacking, a straight backside, and a flat end, and its grip is wrapped in leather. It also had a small symbol, identifying it as Koda's carved into the hilt.

I had done my best over the years, being older than Sokka by four years, to help around the village. Cleaning, cooking, looking after the kids. But more often than not I'd be out fishing hunting, or training in any free time I can find. I felt restless, agitated. I hated sitting at waiting, I wanted to do something to contribute. If I was lucky I got to go out on a several day fishing trip and could practice a few of the basic air bending tricks my mother had shown me, what now seemed like a lifetime ago. But if I was being truthful to myself barely put me at novice status.

I was just cleaning out the soup pot, most of the young children having been sent to bed, when over a snowy hill came a huge white furry head and I dropped the metal pot with a loud clang. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and checked again. My jaw dropped.

"By the spirits!" I hissed in disbelief. A sky bison. There was an actual sky bison walking toward our village.

"Zera! Hey!"

Blinking dumbly, I glanced to the creatures back, seeing Katara waving happily at me. Sokka was just behind her and a young bald boy in bright long-sleeved yellow shirts, loose orange shawls, brown pants, and tall red boots. The shirt was held in place by an orange, belt-like wrap, and the end of the leg draping was tucked securely into the top of the knee-high boots. He had a striking blue arrow tattoo on his forehead and along the back of his hands, which rested on the reigns of the sky bison.

I felt rather than saw, other villagers crowding up around me, all in similar states of shock. My ears were ringing, Katara and Sokka slid off the bison clumsily, Katara's mouth moving but I couldn't hear the words. Little black spots edged my vision, and my breathing was becoming erratic. This wasn't possible, it couldn't be possible. Then in a flurry of acrobatic grace, wind spun around the boy, who flew, FLEW, up in a spiral and landed gracefully nearby.

My brain was firing a million miles a second and I was hyperventilating. As my eyes began to roll into the back of my head and I felt myself begin to fall back a single thought rose loudly over all the others before my world went dark.

'This boy was an air bender. Like me.'