༉˚*ೃ ᵒ³. 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄!

"𝐀 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 of Gaoling, huh?" questioned Sokka as they walked up to the central village on Kyoshi Island, him and the other Water Tribe girl trapping her on either side, the female Warriors of Kyoshi taking up the lead. He was giving her a scrutinizing narrow-eyed glance, like she was suddenly on trial. "Which one would that be?"

          "Uh—" began Luli unsurely, her face going hot under the pressure and worrying that it was building into a nervous blush—which was an embarrassing and sometimes-dangerous tendency when Luli was lying—and she avoided the pricking gaze of his blue eyes, trying to formulate a response that wouldn't make her trip over herself.

          Cutting in gracefully, the other girl at Luli's side gave the boy a sharp glare, before turning in a much gentler stare towards Luli. "Sorry about him," apologised the Water Tribe girl. She was pretty, and notably younger up close than Luli initially assumed—maybe aged fourteen or so. "My brother's paranoid about a lot of things. We've never actually been away from the South Pole before." She gave Luli a warm kind of smile—the type where she shut her eyes and grinned with her teeth, cheeks lifting. "I'm Katara, by the way." Her eyes were an equal kind of blue, stark against her brown skin—it was easy to see now how she and Sokka were siblings. "I'm a waterbender."

          "It's nice to meet you, I'm Luli." She said it with a gentle elegance—awkwardness threatening to grip her. "I— I didn't know there were any more waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe," murmured Luli softly, not wanting to inflict any pain upon the two siblings, but her curiosity getting the better of her. There wasn't meant to be. Firelord Azulon had made sure of that. But Luli was sure there was a lot of things Fire Nation children didn't know.

          It seemed to strike a sore spot with the both of them, and Luli immediately wished she could take the words back. She wasn't used to speaking with people outside of the Earth Kingdom, now—most surely not an actual waterbender. Deep down, Luli knew it would be all different if they knew she was a firebender. Katara's face was fallen, but she spoke with surprising assurance when she said, "There aren't meant to be—I'm the last."

          The expression on Luli's features turned very sad. "I—" She did not know these people well enough to properly comfort them. "I'm very sorry, Katara. It's a lovely talent. I'm sure it'll live on through you." If she'd been any closer with the girl, Luli was sure she'd give her a hug. She knew she gave good hugs. Katara offered her a weak smile anyway—her fingers raising to touch the blue pendant at her throat. Luli, subconsciously, did the same to her own. That glimpse of red was mostly hidden behind her Earth Kingdom clothing, but she still felt its heat a comfort against her hand.

          As that silence lapsed between them, hanging in the air, Luli spotted Sokka pulling out a hunk of odd-shaped metal from his pocket. It was curved in a sharp right angle, blue like the rest of his clothes, and worn at the edges. It took her a few moments to identify what that was. A boomerang. He was polishing it joyfully, inspecting its shine.

          "Hey, I like your boomerang," Luli commented lightly, a smile appearing on her face as she ducked her upper-half forward, hands tucked behind her back, offering Sokka a grin.

          He glanced up at her, the weapon still held fight in his fingers. "You do?" grinned Sokka with his face gleaming, and that was about that of the scepticism. He held it out in front of them in one hand, scheming, grin crooked, the boomerang flashing with light. "He's my special attack." The boy sounded childishly excited.

          Katara turned her head discreetly to Luli and murmured much-too-loudly (purposefully, for effect), "It's, like, Sokka's only identifiable trait." A crooked grin was illuminating her face, jumping at the chance to poke fun at her older brother. Luli wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. Surely it would have made her life so much easier. Then again... perhaps not. Sibling relationships in the Fire Nation could be... complicated.

          "Hey!" exclaimed Sokka, wounded. "That is not true! I'm also Sword Guy, Water Tribe Guy, Cool Guy, Funny Guy, Handsome Guy," he went on, listing off all of his several—apparently few—qualities on his fingers. Luli tried to fight back her smile.

          Katara leaned in, in front of Luli, to speak to her brother with that same lilted grin. "Oh yeah? Who told you that?"

          A snicker escaping her, the firebender continued the jab, "Funny guy? You haven't said a single funny thing yet." It was all rather light-hearted, a playful grin on each of the girls' faces, while Sokka huffed in offense. It was just the three of them walking into the village on Kyoshi Island, now. Aang had already run on up ahead, leaving his 'new friend' in the dust. Between their jabs at Sokka, Luli glanced up and around—at the tall trees bordering Kyoshi Village, the houses cradled before them built with graceful and painted wood, and the large wooden statue of Avatar Kyoshi at the end of the pathway—taking in the island.

          "I'm plenty funny!" Sokka argued vehemently, looking astounded at the accusation. He placed a dramatic hand on his chest with all his fingers splayed, like he was about to break into a monologue of some kind. "I'm Joke Guy, and without me Katara and Aang would be bored all the time. Isn't that right, Katara?" He gave her a kind of irritating, lilting grin, that Luli supposed only siblings could master.

          She frowned at him. "No way! I'm fun too!" argued Katara, one eye squinting. "Me and Aang could totally make up for you."

          "Oh, yeah, yeah, gang up on the nonbender, huh? You're about as entertaining as a stick, Katara," her brother levelled, making the waterbender's mouth drop open in offense. "Face it, the two of you would be lost without me." He smugly crossed his arms over his chest. Katara's face scrunched and the two of them continued to bicker as they lead Luli down through a path between two houses, as she followed along passively between them.

           Katara moved over in front of her so she could shout at her brother easier, "You are a pigheaded, insufferable, infuriating—!" and ended up swapping places, leaving Luli on the outer left side of the squabbling pair. None of what they were saying seemed to be rooted in real hatred, though. Luli missed being able to playfully bicker with somebody like that. "I can't believe I'm related to you!" as Sokka said some jest about her 'bendy bendy magic', "you're... you're—!"

          Luli was so distracted watching their squabbling that she wasn't really paying attention to where she was going, nor that they were beginning to slow. So when she noticed herself stepping on hay, and then glanced up, the muzzle of a gigantic, fluffy monster was not what she expected to shove straight into her body. "Ah!" Her body teetered and she fell back onto the dirt with a thud, arms at her side as she stared right up into the face of the furry beast. Its nose, wet, sniffed over her and huffed a large gust of air right at her face. Luli just blinked.

          It caught the attention of the two siblings, who instantly stopped arguing like nothing had happened. "Don't worry!" chirped Katara. "That's Aang's sky bison." She had a pretty smile, one that crinkled the outer edges of her eyes and pulled her lips back. Sokka had the same one.

          Luli was much more preoccupied with the animal in front of her, standing up to collapse against its snout. "Ooh, I know just what it is," cooed Luli as she rubbed over the bison's face, using her entire arm-span to squash her hand against either side of its cheeks. "You're such a good sky bison, aren't you? Yes you are." She'd always wanted to meet a sky bison—but even based on the paintings and tomes, she'd never imagined they would be so fluffy. Now, she was cuddling it like it was a raccoonpuppy. The animal nudged its nose against the side of her face as she squirmed away, fingers not leaving its fur. "What's its name?"

           "His name is Appa," said Katara delightfully, hands clasped together as she watched the sky bison. Sokka was looking at the scene suspiciously.

          Luli grinned and turned back to the creature, staring into its large brown eyes. "Hello, Appa." Appa rumbled back a greeting in response, nudging back against her. Just the butt of its head was enough to almost send her off her feet. Then it lurched forward with fervour and knocked her flat down once again, "Oof!" and the sky bison began to lick over her face. By face, she meant practically her entire body, as its massive tongue wet her and her uniform from head to toe in slobber. Ugh. Luli shuddered and pushed at its fluffy face. "Ew. Off, Appa! Get off!" She giggled a little as it nudged down on her arms, and she tilted her head away to avoid being licked again.

          "Huh." Sokka's finger and thumb were posed at his chin, his eyes narrowed as he peered at her. Like he was trying to uncover a puzzle. "Appa likes you." Luli was still attempting to get the sky bison off of her and clambering to her feet, covered in slobber. Then he broke into a grin. "That means you're Appa approved!"

           Luli grinned and turned her head back towards them as she rubbed over Appa's face. "And what does 'Appa approved' mean?" Her entire body was squished into its soft fur. It was like lying on a great, fluffy cloud. Luli could get used to this.

          Sokka threw his arms out wide. "Well, it means you're part of the gang!" Then he lowered one eyebrow and peered at her suspiciously again. "Maybe."

          "Maybe, huh?" she goaded, and Appa licked up one side of her body, nearly knocking her straight over again. "Gross."

          Katara was grinning, as she picked up a handful of fresh hay and held it out to Appa. He ate it up messily, spitting half of the dry material over the girls in the process. "He's good, huh? Aang's had him since before the war." Appa opened his mouth and made a low rumbling, groaning sound. Luli relented and shovelled some more hay into his waiting mouth. "He eats a lot." There was a saddle on the bison's back.

          "He carries you guys around?" Luli gasped in realisation, looking over at Katara with practically big wide heart eyes flashing. Her hands were clasped eagerly in front of her chest, bouncing on her toes and entire body springing with excitement. Luli would get to ride a sky bison? A sky bison?! Her heart eyes were still flashing like two firebent flames as Sokka ducked between her and Katara, a finger raised.

          "Uh-huh. The best ride we could get!"

           Luli was practically hopping. "You fly?!"

          Katara shoved her brother to the side, out of the way, sending him flailing to the ground in a pile of Appa's hay. The sky bison proceeded to consider the boy, before leaning down to eat some of the fodder off his head. "Yep!" she exclaimed in turn, grinning widely, and Luli had heart eyes again.

          Sokka pushed himself up out of the hay, relenting in rubbing Appa's face and pressing into the great fluffy mass of his head. "He's like our big buddy." Appa rumbled in return.

          "So," asked Katara, while Luli gathered more hay in her arms, "the rest of the Earth Kingdom, where you're from, is it... doing okay? Sokka and I have never been there before." She was fiddling with the small, tight braids that looped down her forehead and tucked beneath her ears, beaded with blue.

          For a moment, Luli was silent, faced towards the sky bison. Her voice was a bit downcast when she spoke, "Well, to be honest, the Earth Kingdom's... pretty bad." Sokka and Katara peered at her curiously as Luli fed Appa more hay, doing so a little absentmindedly. "It's the Fire Nation's current target. They've been trying to get Ba Sing Se for about twenty years now, but in that time they've laid siege to the rest of it. A lot of the countryside is gone." She rubbed the top of Appa's nose with her calloused hand. He rumbled out a sound of appreciation and licked the side of her face, trying to make her smile even despite the sadness filling her tone.

          "I'm sorry," apologised Katara—for what, Luli didn't know. She rubbed her hands together. "I thought the Earth Kingdom would be better than the South Pole." It made Luli so upset sometimes that she didn't know what to do with herself, hearing the damage of the Fire Nation be talked about like something was better than another. Like the wiping out of the waterbenders and the attempted genocide of a people was better than the destruction of thousands of homes, livelihoods, and people across a large continent. How could such terrible things be compared? How could they be healed?

          Luli just stood facing Appa, still petting his nose with her hands—both, this time. She wasn't going to cry. "I'm sorry too. The whole world is suffering. Like it's... crying, you know?" She clenched one of her hands in the dense, long fur around Appa's muzzle, letting her other hand hang. Then she turned back towards Katara and Sokka, who looked a little worried. "But now Aang's here, right? And he's been asleep for a hundred years, but he's not anymore. And that mean he's going to fix the world. Him, and you two, and... me, maybe. I hope. That's why I came all this way." She couldn't bear to see the world in pain anymore. Much more, and she thought she might just break in two. Her eyes regarded the siblings, wide and open—upset and true.

          Katara glanced at Sokka out of the corner of her eye, who was still watching Luli. When her eyes fell on him, he turned his head to her. After a brief glimpse, Katara looked back at Luli. "We probably need all the help we can get. I mean, if Aang has to fight the Firelord—" Ozai, thought Luli, dread and foreboding creeping up her chest into her heart, "—then it's going to take a lot to get there. You said you know bending teachers?"

          Leaning on Appa's muzzle with her arm now, Luli nodded. A few. "Uh, yeah. There were a few around the Earth Kingdom who could probably teach earthbending to Aang. I can't exactly vouch for how incredible they all are because I'm not an earthbender, but they seemed pretty tough to me. After he learns waterbending, of course." She hadn't really been actively looking for earthbending teachers, just the Avatar, so she wasn't sure if they'd do. But at least now it was something she had on her side.

         Sokka's brow raised, in that same way that Luli had seen Katara do earlier. "You mentioned firebending teachers too, on the beach."

          Crap. She had. Quickly, she nodded. Luli felt hot. She rubbed her fingers against her clammy palms, starting to sweat. "There are a few disgraced soldiers who abandoned the Fire Nation years ago. Some of them live as refugees in the Earth Kingdom. I— uh— I'm sure they'd be happy to teach Aang a thing or two. You know... about firebending." Her face was going red again. Damn her and her cheeks knowing whenever she was nervous.

           Sokka snorted some air out of his nose. "Living as refugees? Right, I'm sure there are just so many goody-goody firebenders out there rushing to leave the Fire Nation." He waved his fingers around dramatically. The amused sarcasm in his tone was a bit darker, not entirely amusement at all. His arms were crossed as he glanced over to his sister, who was wearing a similar expression of disgruntlement and bitterness. And, oh, Luli was sweating.

          She had to tell Aang. She had to tell Aang that she was a firebender now. Or she was going to feel too guilty, and that would turn into nerves, and then she'd let something slip—. And Luli was trying so hard to make friends and not feel bad, but otherwise this could all turn sour. She had, had, had to tell him right now. Like, right now. Right now, now, now—the words were ringing in her brain. "... Do you know where Aang is?" she asked suddenly, nerves gripping her. Spirits, she had absolutely no idea how this was going to go. Bless me, Agni, or so help me—.

          "Uh, I think he's down by the bridge," pointed Sokka, towards the centre of the village and a little out. Luli followed his gaze in that direction, peeking out from around the edge of the house, and immediately took off in that direction without so much as a goodbye. Her fingers were clenched into nervous fists at her side and she was still sweating a little. Lying made her stressed.

          And what if Aang hated her for this? She knew—... She knew firebending was bad, but she was really trying to use it for something good. Luli couldn't help the way she was born. As Luli wove around passers-by—each who watched her curiously, the newest visitor to the island—towards where Sokka had said Aang might be, her nerves seemed to build and build, until she was a giant bundle of it. She couldn't lose everything she'd worked so hard for based on one single lie; on one single truth. She couldn't. How far had she come and how much had she given up, cast away, just to—?

           Luli clenched her fists and kept going: tucked them into the pockets of her Earth Nation clothes. Her pack still hung on her arm, over her shoulder, and there was a deep line between her brows from worry. She had her lower lip in her teeth, gnawing on it anxiously. It didn't seem like Aang could hate her, but...

          And what about Sokka and Katara?

          As the firebender glanced up and to the left, she spotted the bald kid running through the crowd past her, a crooked grin wide across his face and eyes wide. He seemed in a hurry. "Aang—there's something I have to talk to you about—" attempted Luli, chasing lightly after him. She was immediately outrun by about ten little girls, suddenly crushed amongst a tiny-statured swarm and then totally left behind as they ran shrieking after the Avatar. Luli just stopped in her tracks, stared and blinked. It seemed like the Avatar had a fanclub.

          Aang, already growing smaller in the distance, the dust-cloud of girls following close behind. "You can tell me later, Luli!" he exclaimed, deciding it was clearly not of that much importance. When it was. Luli hated lying. And she was totally awful at it. What Aang did seem to find more important, however, was hanging out with his fanclub of ten-year-olds. Luli wished she could think, whatever, it doesn't matter, he's a kid and he should have time to have fun, but all that kept coming to her mind was, there's a war and we're running out of time.

༉*ೃ༄

𝐋𝐔𝐋𝐈 𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 dream that the world was on fire. Even when she was young and snug in her bed in her home in the Caldera, red sheets pulled up around her chin, lightweight because the dormant volcano was always running hot, when she shouldn't have had a care in the world. When the war was so far away, and here, in the Fire Nation—that womb of war—she was safe. And her sheets were silk, because her father being a high-ranking commander meant her family was paid well, and her pillow was soft and light, and her long hair was unbraided and draped all around her, a sliver of the night sky against deep red. And even then, then, she closed her eyes, and heard the crackling sound of embers eating away at wood.

          Fire was a living, breathing thing, and it had swallowed the world up. Like a helpless, tiny creature. Caught in the jaws of a sabre-tooth moose lion. And Luli had smelt smoke all her life—that inhale of ash and soot—but here, trapped in this dreamscape, it had been suffocating, It had choked and poisoned her, stung her dark eyes. And flames—flames licked across the grass, the curvature of the world, the reaching trees and climbed towards the sky. Fire swallowing the earth whole. There were faces within it—her friends, her family, people she had met once in passing, children she had seen in the war. She had seen the fire reflected in their eyes: amber, gold, brown, green. When they had spoken, their voices had been a crescendo, too loud for her to understand. She could see, as the fire caught onto their hair—like hollow ghosts... like trees.

          It all burned.

          She hadn't really known what it had meant back then—back when her mother used to tuck her in and kiss her forehead before every sleep, when she heard her parents arguing through the walls of their home—, the fire. Superiority, generosity, power. Those were all things she'd been taught. All positive, for the Fire Nation. They'd never had anything to fear from the flames. So why, when she dreamed of the world burning, had she woken in a sweat?

          She feared the world burning even after she left the Fire Nation.

          Luli feared a great many things. She feared death and she feared birds, she feared drowning, she feared never being good enough. She feared faces that looked like her own. She had, for some while, even feared herself. But never had she feared anything as much as she had those dreams. When she saw the world on fire, she had learned what the word terror had meant. Fear. The word had always felt bitter in her mouth.

          She had dreamt of the Avatar, too. Feeling treasonous, from the bedroom of her home, under those red sheets, worrying that her father may have developed a way to read minds. Worrying that the Firelord had. What would they have to say if they discovered she—a little girl entirely loyal to the Fire Nation and its cause—dreamed of meeting a master of all four elements, and learning from them? If she had told them that she saw herself playing with an earthbender, a waterbender, a firebender and an airbender all in one in her sleep?

          She dreamt of running away.

          And she mostly saw the world burning. A world of fire. Smoke and ash had turned the sky a sheet of grey, apocalyptic, and it clung to her hair... like fresh snow. Like tears. To her lashes and her eyebrows and her lips and clothes. She was standing in a blizzard of it, a blizzard of fire. When the trees caught alight, they cried sap, and when the houses caught alight, they buckled and collapsed inwards, and when the people caught alight—...

          She knew a world on fire was all her father had ever wanted. All Firelord Ozai had ever wanted. As if it wouldn't burn everyone else.

           Luli wasn't sure they'd ever cared anyway.

༉*ೃ༄

:)

a shorter chapter for all you lovelies! i'll try to keep every chapter around this length for now, i'm so used to writing such long chapters that it's hard to stop.

happy spooky season! looking forward to having a horror movie marathon with my friends and a few drinks on halloween :)

word count: 3,943

05.10.2020.