Kya stood next to Aang legs, holding his hand tightly. Her first day of school had arrived, and the little five-year-old was not ready to go. She would much rather spend her days sparring with her father and brother than learning in a classroom.
Kya let go of Aang's leg when her teacher approached her to join her. She was the first one there, as being the daughter of the Avatar would draw attention from many others in the school. Waving her little hand at her father, Kya follows her teacher into the classroom to begin the day.
For the first few days, Kya enjoyed her classmates and getting to know them. They did many activities together to break the ice. First, she divided the classes into groups based on their bending style, and there was an even distribution of the styles across the kids. Then, she mixed the groups up to where all styles were represented.
Kya's group consisted of herself, an earthbender named Aakav, a firebender named Naretha, and a non-bender named Bao. Aakav was a tan boy with brilliant green eyes. Naretha was a lengthy girl with black hair and pale skin. She reminded Kya of her little cousin, Izumi. Bao was from an earthbending family, but he did not possess the ability. Kya gravitated more to Naretha during activities and recess and didn't care too much for the other boys.
By the end of the first week, Naretha and Kya were partners in crime. On Friday evening, her usual quiet demeanor was gone during dinner when she was recounting her week at school. She had more energy than her older brother, and she made no plans for bottling it.
After dinner, she played with Aang and Bumi in the courtyard while Katara was bending shapes of Tenzin in the fountain. The young airbender would blow down a design he didn't like and would fuss until Katara bent a pleasing shape.
"Bumi, next week we're going to practice bending," Kya shouted as she hurled a soft water whip towards her brother. Bumi, however, dodged the water whip using techniques he learned from Aang.
"I hope they teach you to catch me there," he teased back. Kya used his pompous distraction to wrap water around his ankles and pull him forward.
"Touche," he said, rubbing his head.
Kya gave a toothy smile to her brother, then got back to chasing her father around. The three of them played for another hour before getting ready for bed. Kya got herself ready fast to help Katara get Tenzin ready for bedtime.
She helped with his bath and got him dressed, and sang along with Katara to lull the infant to sleep. Tenzin was compliant most of the time and didn't fuss or squirm in his sister's arms.
The next week brought Kya some difficulties at school. The kids were taught simple bending forms for each of their styles, but Kya had already surpassed her classmates' talents and was bored for most of the instruction.
On Wednesday, she had her first incident of inciting trouble. They were spending time on stances and how to balance it out with their arms. Kya, of course, had learned the move with her father months ago and was eager to bend some water on this particular day.
When the students were free to practice the move, Kya decided to bend the water that ran through the school's courtyard. Her movements were clean and sharp, but she grabbed much more water than she intended and had trouble controlling it all. As she was bending the water closer to her, one of her classmates backed into her and caused her to lose her balance. All of the water dumped onto her teacher's head.
The teacher, a firebender, turned the water to steam in her anger. She whipped her head around and scanned the courtyard until she landed on the group of water benders. Like a spirit, she glided across the courtyard and unleashed her fury on the students.
"Which one of you did this?" she yelled. Kya looked down at the ground and crossed her legs. The other young waterbenders turned their eyes to her. She was the only one of them capable of bending the amount that she did.
"Come here." The teacher yanked Kya by the arm harshly, steam still rising from her clothes. "The headmaster will hear about this, just because you're daddy and mommy are special doesn't mean you are."
Kya began to tear up as the teacher dragged her to the headmaster's office. She flung the door open and shoved Kya through. She followed in behind her and slammed the door shut.
"Headmaster!" the teacher yelled.
A man came from another room from within the dark wooden office of the headmaster's.
"Yes, Master Azura," the headmaster asked calmly.
Master Azura pushed Kya forward and the little five-year-old girl looked up through teary blue eyes at the headmaster. "She looks just like-"
"Well that is her mother," Master Azura cut him off. Kya observed the headmaster closely. He was a man in his 50s maybe, tall and thin, his hair graying and he looked down at the little girl with golden eyes. He was a firebender.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
Master Azura snorted, "this little girl has an ego already. She splashed water all over me today during the children's forms. That's why I'm steaming. The little monster thinks that just because her parents are the Avatar and Master Katara's daughter, that she can bend just like them in school."
The headmaster observed Kya and Master Azura. Both were important to the school. One being the daughter of the most important person in the world, the other, a teacher whose reputation brought many children to this school.
"Master Azura, I'm going to let this one slide. She's only five and is probably not fully aware of her parents' contribution to the world. She's destined to be a powerful bender, we already know her brother is a great fighter."
"But-" Master Azura began to protest.
"But nothing, she is five. She gets off with a warning this time, but next time there will be a consequence."
Kya's tears had dried and were replaced with apprehension and fear. She loved bending and wanted to bend with her classmates, especially Naretha. By next month, the students would begin learning forms of other bending styles.
Master Azura took Kya's hand, and the two returned to the courtyard. Kya rejoined her waterbender teacher and fellow pupils, and silently worked on the forms, making sure to not bend a drop of water. This morning's incident had scared her, and she was afraid of acting badly again. She swore to never mess around again.
Kya's oath to behaving was broken a few years later when she was eight. She spent the past three years flying under the radar at school, making sure not to overdue any bending techniques and being careful with how she interacted with teachers and classmates.
However, during a bending lesson, the sunny day turned into a rainy one, and the young waterbender was excited. Her mother had taught her how to freeze the rain around her and to make a personal umbrella with her fingers. Kya weaved the beads of water through her fingers. As she stretched out her arms to form a wave.
Without even thinking, Kya manipulated the rain into a large wave. The young waterbender attracted the attention of her waterbender classmates, and, to Kya's delight, Naretha's.
Kya smiled at Naretha before she realized she was way in over her head. The wave had grown from a few gallons of water to almost the size of a small pond. Kya fumbled with the water before she lost control and soaked herself and all her classmates. And Master Azura.
The old firebender shot flames out of her fingers in anger and stormed over to Kya. "You again!" she shouted.
Kya grew red when she saw Master Azura coming for her and immediately surrendered herself to the teacher. Instead of taking her hand like she did three years ago, Master Azura gripped Kya's shoulder and pushed her towards the Headmaster's.
When they arrived at his office, there was a trail of water behind the two. Kya had thoroughly soaked both of them in the courtyard.
"Headmaster!" Master Azura screamed as she did all those years ago.
The old man came from the inner room again, this time a little slower. His hair was grey now and he had a bend in his back.
"Ah! It's been a while since you two have been in this position. From the looks of it, a similar event has happened here," he smiled at the two.
"Punish her this time," Master Azura shouted. "She was showing off this time. She needs to know her place."
"Fine," the headmaster said, softly. "I will call in her parents when they come to pick her up today. I'm sure the Avatar wants his children to behave."
"Thank you, Headmaster." Master Azura bowed and left the room. Kya followed out after her, a little timid for this afternoon's meeting.
When the last class of the day was released, Kya walked to the Headmaster's office with Bumi in tow. Bumi was pressing her about why she needed to be there and what happened to make Master Azura mad for his history lesson. Kya did not answer.
"Come on in," the headmaster said to the children. Kya and Bumi sat down on the couch in the office, waiting for their parents.
A few minutes later, Katara and Aang entered with a serious little Tenzin between the two of them. There was a debate about whether Tenzin would fare better at home or at school.
Tenzin took a seat between his two siblings, looking back and forth between the two of them, somehow knowing one of them was in trouble. Aang and Katara sat at the seats across from the Headmaster.
"What's the issue?" Aang asked, leaning forward.
"It seems your daughter is too advanced for her current bending class. She's only eight bending like a ten-year-old. She outperforms her fellow waterbenders, and spars well with the firebenders. Even the earthbenders are beginning to lose their grip on her," the Headmaster explained to the pair. Aang looked at Katara, and both of them had flashes of their early waterbending days. Their daughter was making them proud.
"I teach them the other styles of the elements. I'm sure you've seen Bumi move like an airbender in his non-bending courses, and my young Tenzin here picks up on firebending movements better than airbending," Aang replied. He smiled over to his children before turning back to the headmaster. "I would love to see Kya move up with the older children."
"Consider it done, Avatar Aang." The headmaster extended his hand out. Aang shook his hand and gathered his children. It was a great day to be a father.