Chapter 4 – Encounter, Part I

I ran. Ran fast. Ran very fast. Ran very, very fast. Long ago I had discovered a pathway in the Water Villages that led back to the Gifted Embankment. On an ordinary day I would stop by the magnificent fountain, one of the major attractions of the Villages. It was out of the way, which was great for me. But I didn't have time today – and it was not an ordinary day. Why? Because I discovered the existence of a secret resistance the benders. As I ran past the fountain, I couldn't help a girl there. She didn't look like a Waterbender – in fact she looked more like a young Earthbender. Even though I was in a hurry, I stopped.

"Hey, um, are you okay?"

The girl looked up at me and her eyes were red, as if she had been crying. "No, I'm not."

"Want to talk about it?"

She wiped her eyes. "Yeah, I'd love just pouring my heart out to a complete stranger."

"Than I'm you stranger."

She laughed, and it was nice to hear. A pleasant sound. "All right, sit down than. My name is Aiana. I'm a Waterbender."

I sat down next to her. "Really? You look more like an Earthbender."

"Well, my mom is an Earthbender. But my dad is a Waterbender. I'm an okay Earthbender, but a while ago I moved here to be with my dad and learn Waterbending."

"Okay, I follow so far, Aiana. But what's the problem?"

"Well, there's this one move. I've been stuck with it. I can't do it at all, no matter how hard I try. My teacher whips me with the water and my classmates mock me. It's horrible."

"That is horrible. What move?"

"Are you sure you want to see?"

"Sure, maybe I can help."

"You don't look like a Waterbender – or a bender at all, for that matter."

"I'm not. But would it really hurt?"

She smiled. "Nope. Here, I'm supposed to freeze the water." She stood up and made some fluid motions over the water. And nothing happened.

"Here, try closing your elbows in a little more. And move more smoothly."

"Like this?"

"Watch me." I stood up and demonstrated the move. But as I ended it and extended my hands, a small part of the water froze.

Aiana held a stunned expression on her face. "But… I thought you said you weren't a bender!"

I started to back away. "I…. I'm not." I turned around and started to run.

"Well, good-bye!" I heard Aiana yell back at me. "Wait, I didn't even get your name!"

And while I never looked back, never even turned around, I yelled it back to her.

Shortly after, Aiana was still by the fountain. She was performing the move perfectly over and over again, freezing and unfreezing the water. Soon, a young Earthbender appeared to her. They seemed to be the same age.

"Did you see a gifted pass through here? Maybe in a hurry?" Coralin asked her.

"Yeah," Aiana answered in reply, "He took off that way."

"Thanks, girl." And Coralin was off.

Aiana continued to practice, but something was unsettling her. She turned and looked at the path Coralin had recently gone through. And she made a gut decision.