The marketplace was bustling as usual. People were rushing about trying to get the best prices, and merchants were yelling out what deals were on or what they were selling. There was a very eccentric cabbage merchant in particular that Rei noticed. Overall, not one of Rei's favourite hotspots. There were just too many people about, bumping into each other and invading her personal bubble. She couldn't wait to be in and out of that place.
Rei looked over the list her mother gave her. Just a few simple things were needed, then again they could only afford the simple things with both of the men gone. She planned her route accordingly to make the most out of her time and set off.
After buying the previous items, Rei was finally on the last thing on the list; a birthday gift for Mayu. There wasn't too much money to spare, but she was going to do her best to get the best gift she could find. They didn't have too much to celebrate nowadays, so they had to make birthdays special.
Rei made her way down the street, stealing quick glances at the adjacent shops. A small cart on the side of the road caught her eye, filled with small trinkets. She started to ponder through the wares when a short, elderly gentleman came up beside her and asked "Looking for anything in particular, miss?"
"Oh, just something for my little sister's birthday." She replied.
"Well, if you're interested, I have a fine stuffed saber toothed moose lion doll perfect for any little girl." The elderly man smiled and reached underneath his cart and pulled out a cute little doll.
"That would be perfect!" Rei exclaimed. "I'll take it."
They exchanged wares, and as the old man hands her the doll, he smiles and says, "Wish your sister a happy birthday from me now, won't you?"
Rei smiles back, "Thank you, I will."
Rei, being fully satisfied with her shopping, made her way back to her ostrich horse and loaded the doll gingerly into her satchel. She hoped that Mayu would like the doll, she's never seen a saber toothed moose lion before, so maybe this would spark her imagination when playing with the other children. She smiles as she finishes securing her wares onto the ostrich horse, but a raised voice catches her attention. She turned towards its source, which turns out to be the elderly man's cart.
"Hey old man! Where's our protection money?" A man shouted.
"I-I'm sorry sir, business has been slow. I don't have it!" The elderly merchant stuttered.
Rei saw a gang of three burly men in fire nation colours looming over the old man's cart. The leader, a tall brute, was holding the old man by the collar of his shirt.
"Well, if we aren't paid, I cannot guarantee your cart's safety. Or yours, might I add." The leader grunted menacingly, bending flame in his opposite hand.
"Hey! Leave him alone!" Rei yelled as she started her way towards the gang.
The three men looked over towards Rei, and laughed. "If you were smart, girl, you would walk away." The leader sneered as he directed his attention back to the old man.
"I said, leave him alone."
The brute shoved the old man to the side and stomped towards Rei. He towered over her, almost a full foot taller than her! He leaned down and asked, "What are you going to do if I don't?"
"I'll make you sorry." Rei hissed.
"Maybe little girls should be taught to hold their tongues." He sneered as he reached out his hand towards her.
"Don't touch me!" Rei exclaimed.
"Or what?" The man laughed.
The man reached out and grabbed Rei. She struggled with all her might, flailing her arms with her eyes closed and screaming at the top of her lungs. The three men were laughing menacingly as they proceeded to push her to the side. She then heard a familiar voice, so faint that she could barely hear it.
"Rei…"
She heard someone call her name, like a faint whisper in the wind. It was barely audible, but the voice was familiar.
"Use your inner strength…"
It was the same voice from her dreams! She was shocked, but Rei didn't have time to contemplate this, with the men closing in on her. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. She put herself in a strong stance, which she learned by studying her brother and father earthbending. She focused all of her available strength and with all her might, she pushed the man as hard as she could away from her. All of a sudden, she didn't feel the man's hand on her anymore. She opened her eyes and say that the man was face-first into the ground at least 10 feet away from her, his rump facing towards the sky and with a layer of dust on him. She stared at her hands for a moment, not sure what had happened. Sure, she pushed him but she doubted that she could have pushed him that hard. Even a strong man couldn't have pushed him that far with a simple push forward. She pondered these thoughts, until the man started to get up. She ran to her ostrich horse and took off as fast as she could, not daring to look back at the shouting men behind her.
When she returned home, Rei was too shocked to immediately get off the ostrich horse. She sat with her market goods in the village's stables for a few moments in the rays of the setting sun before even considering getting off. She slid off the animal in a slow motion, not fully taking in how stiff she became until her feet hit the ground. She trudged towards her house in a daze. What in the world happened? She thought to herself. How did she send that man flying off his feet? Did she do some sort of bending? She's never been able to earthbend like her brother or father, so why would she start now? But it wasn't earthbending, she thought. That was true; the earth was not disturbed at all other than a little bit of dirt. The man was just covered in dust as if…
"Rei, do you have the things from the market?" Rei's thoughts were interrupted by her mother, standing in the doorway of the house.
"Oh yeah…Here you are mom." Rei replied absently, handing the bag of goods over to her mother.
"Rei, is there something wrong?" Her mother asked, concerned. "Something seems off about you."
"I-Its nothing, mom. I'm fine." She stammered. "I'm just going to go to bed."
"Without supper?" Her mother asked, surprised. "Are you sure everything's ok, sweetie?"
"I told you I'm fine, mother." Rei snapped. "I'm just tired, is all. I'll see you in the morning."
"Oh, ok honey." She replied, her voice still laced with worry.
Rei quickly slipped past her mother and into her room, closing the door behind her. She let her hair down and fell into her bed. She stared at the ceiling, unsure how to process the events of the day. She could hear Mayu in the kitchen, asking where Rei was and why she wasn't having supper. Rei felt a bit bad for not saying goodnight to her sister and for snapping at her mother, but they couldn't understand how she felt at this moment. No one could understand.
No one except for the woman in my dreams, she thought.
She turned onto her side and tried to get comfortable enough for sleep to take her. If anyone could explain to her what happened, that woman can. She tried to relax, not letting her head fill with more buzzing thoughts. After what seemed like hours, Rei found herself in the familiar serene forest.
She immediately set forth, walking briskly about the forest. All she could see were long stretches of trees, now set into the darkness of night with fireflies providing the only source of light.
"Where are you?" Rei cried out into the darkness. "I don't understand!"
"Rei…" The faint blue glow emerged at the left end of her peripheral vision, inviting her to approach.
Rei ran up towards the light, seeing the woman floating above the pool of water. Her pale hair floated gently around her face. Her robe also floated carelessly in an absent wind, gently caressing her skin. Her pale blue eyes gaze towards Rei, though no significant emotion reflected through those eyes.
"What happened at the marketplace?" She demanded. "I heard your voice, and I pushed him and then he was on the ground and…"
"My child, you must calm down and look deep within yourself." The woman replied calmly.
"What the fuck does that even mean!?" Rei shouted. "I want answers! No more riddles!"
Rei stepped closer to the woman. "Who are you, even? Why are you here?"
"I am who you need me to be," The woman replied. "I am a guardian, a friend, a voice of wisdom. I have been called by many names, but you may call me Sora."
"What, are you my conscience or something?" Rei retorted. "I didn't ask for a guardian to send me cryptic messages in my sleep!"
Sora chuckled. "That is usually one of the primary functions of a spirit, Rei."
"Spirit?" Rei questioned. "So, you're a spirit? One of those floaty people that lives in the spirit world?"
Sora nodded.
"But, what does that have to do with what happened? What did I do?" Rei asked.
"You tapped into your inner strength." Sora explained. "You drew from the well of power that lay dormant inside you."
"But WHAT did I do?" Rei shouted. "I don't understand."
"I believe you already know the answer to your question, my child." Sora sighed. "You are just afraid to admit it to yourself."
"But it's impossible." Rei insisted. "My family are of the earth kingdom. There is no way that I…"
Rei stood in shock, unable to process this thought for a moment. She drew a shaky breath before saying the words out loud.
"I'm an airbender."
Yay chapter 2 is now up and running! I kinda had a little bit of trouble writing the dreamworld part, it's hard getting the atmosphere established! Hope everyone liked it! My reading week is coming to an end, but I'll keep giving weekly updates. Maybe even sooner if I get some comments/reviews :) Have a great week lovelies, and stay tuned for more adventures in the Legend of Rei!
