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My name is Aishida and I live in Republic City. Or rather, right on the edge of where the center of Republic City used to be. Not long ago, after Team Avatar’s battle with Kuvira, the area that got destroyed by Kuvira’s spirit vine weapon got declared unfit to live in. What didn’t get completely incinerated became overrun by spirit vines. After the area was thoroughly, cautiously investigated, President Raiko 一presumably under the recommendation of Avatar Korra一 announced that the area around the new spirit portal was to be a public nature reserve intended for Human-Spirit cohabitation. The prior owners of the properties are gradually being reimbursed, and we’re all finally adjusting to being even more intertwined with the Spirits. Although some individuals have been rather hostile about the entire setup. There was a whole to-do about an angry business-man and some street-gang shenanigans. The Triple-Threat Triad is absolutely deplorable. I just cannot with them. Regardless- Republic City, flexible as her citizens are, is re-adjusting to the new changes quite well.
Take me for example, myself and my colleagues founded a Spirit inclusive library just along the outside of the spirit reserve. We purchased a somewhat spirit-vine infested building fairly cheaply, cleaned it up pretty nice, and arranged an acceptably sizeable collection of books. I moved out of my previous apartment into one down the street from our makeshift library.
Coincidentally, my family’s home is just a street or so away from my new dwelling and I shall withhold my thoughts on that as they may be construed as rather unseemly. Do not mistake me, I most assuredly adore my family, my parents and siblings are all quite dear to me, but they tend towards judgment with most of my activities and I have become beyond fed up with their perpetual passive disapproval. Not to mention my parents’ constant pestering makes it exceedingly difficult to operate as I do. Of course, it can be rather difficult to merely get work done with their love of popping in, but far worse is the struggle to keep any secrets with them always around. Now, you, omnipresent someone to whom I am speaking, may be wondering what secrets little old librarian Aishida would have. Well, I suppose there is no point in trying to hide it from you, dear listener of unknown origin, but I will have to explain a few things so you may grasp its significance.
I live in the United Republic, which, while technically not part of the Earth Kingdom, absolutely is part of the Earth Nation. My family, non-benders all, are of primarily Fire Nation descent. After the hundred year war, the Fire Nation, under the guidance of Firelord Zuko, spirits bless him, began communicating civilly with the other nations again, and slowly, the Fire Nation redeemed itself. Despite the rebuilding of public opinion of the Fire Nation, there is still a huge mistrust of firebenders. Which, while somewhat warranted by firebenders in street-gangs being some of the most vicious abusers of non-benders, is troublesome, to say the least. I’ve heard so many concerned parents speaking of firebender children being bullied by other children. I don't suppose the children really understand what it is they are doing, but it will probably leave a lasting effect nonetheless. Anyway, the significance of all of this is that despite my family members being all non-benders, I, dear listener, am a firebender.
I was not always aware of my firebender status. At first, I figured I was just another non-bender child just like my siblings. Then one day when I was 6, I lit a candle just by staring at it. I do not remember all the details of this event, it was long ago and the less important parts have gotten all fuzzy in my memory of them, but I remember I was by myself in the dark, and I was staring at a candlestick, wishing it would light, and then suddenly it lit, by sheer force of will, I had made a flame. I was astonished. I stared at it for a while in a daze, my mind enraptured by the dancing flame. Then I snapped out of it. I was so terrified. I started panicking, my hands shook and my mind raced with thoughts of everyone I knew hating me. I decided never to let anyone find out.
I did not firebend again until I was 7. It was around that time that I had been exposed to firebenders who weren’t criminals and began to have some interest in my powers. So I began attempting to firebend in secret. Not easy. I had done some research as to the nature of firebending and how it worked. But it was all so violent and aggressive. Dear listener, how I wished I was a waterbender, that was the element for me, smooth and elegant, life-giving. I was determined, however, to learn this skill. So I did what I always do when in a bind, I went to the library and researched all I could about every type of firebending there was. Eventually, I stumbled upon a very dusty old scroll, oh my, it looked as though no one had touched it for many years! Well, in the scroll was a good bit of information on an ancient group of firebenders called the Sun Warriors who practiced firebending that drew energy from the sun and viewed fire as representing light and energy. It was from that scroll that I learned that fire was not destruction, but life. After that, I found firebending a lot easier, but I was still not a fighter.
By the time I was 10, I had developed my own way of firebending. It was a lot more like waterbending than firebending. Instead of puffs of fire, I bent the flames into a stream of fire, fluidly turning it this way and that. I had done much reading on the subject of waterbending forms. It was through these forms that I actually began cultivating a theoretical and semi-functional knowledge of bending as a form of combat. I still had no desire to fight or to let anybody know, and it remained as such for many years.
A bit after the founding of our library, some of my coworkers and I were discussing the whole business with the street-gangs getting more difficult after the spirit portal going up. All of us were in agreement that perhaps the police were just a tad in over their heads with it. Then one of them, I believe it was Suluk, suggested that
we
do something about it. I was initially rather flabbergasted. It seemed to me quite a wild idea. However, Suluk went on to explain her reasoning, that if things weren’t improving then we shouldn’t just sit idly by. I must admit I was very quickly convinced. Soon enough we were discussing the concept, deciding that we could dress up in costumes to hide our identities, form teams, gather information, and try our hands at dismantling the street-gangs. We then went around talking about what each of us could do and what our costumes might be like. They were not yet aware of my firebender status, but they still thought I could be of use, even if I was the least confrontational of the non-benders present.
Well, we gathered intel, formed teams, developed costumes, made codenames, and set out to work. I was dubbed “Koi” as a reference to a part of my name. The “ai” in Aishida is one of the words that mean love in the language my name is in and “koi” is another one. So, as “Koi” I composed a costume of white, black, orange, red, and gray. We organized our teams, scheduled the night, and put our plan into action.
The first mission was not easy. We hadn’t really trained as a team yet and I was still trying not to expose myself so I wasn’t much use during the struggle. We broke into a smaller gang’s headquarters, but it did not go smoothly at all. We ended up in a really confusing fight and we kept tripping over each other. It was a complete mess. We all made it out and we definitely made a dent, but the gang did not get taken down and we were chased out of the place. It was during our escape that I was almost hit, one of them almost knocked me out. I, luckily, reacted fast enough and blocked it with some fire and we all got away and back to the library but we were pretty disheartened. We all regrouped for a strategy meeting and I was pretty sure we were gonna quit.
Well, we didn’t quit. We decided to get some team training in and keep going. I was beginning to feel a lot more comfortable and confident with everyone when Suluk made eye contact with me from across the circle. She gave me this puzzled look, then spoke.
“Aishida,” everyone glanced at her, then all gazes turned to me “what was that earlier?”
Oh no.
“What do you mean?” I got out in the most level tone I could manage.
“When we were leaving, a person came at you and…” she let her sentence trail off as confusion and hurt swirled in her eyes. Then her eyes flared and she said, rather indignantly “What the heck, Aishida?” the others looks at her, baffled.
“What happened?” a non-bender man by the name of Kala spoke, bearing a tone of concern.
“Aishida, why didn’t you tell us?” continued Suluk, ignoring the concerned faces around her.
She’s just going to keep pushing with this, isn’t she? No point in keeping this up, then.
“I’ve never told anyone. No one knows. I was always afraid.” I admitted, quietly.
“Told anyone what?” the gentle voice of Kala spoke, comfortingly.
“I’m a firebender,” I said, finally. It felt as though a great weight had been lifted off of me, and then it immediately dropped back on as I took in the baffled gazes of my coworkers. “I’m from a non-bender family and it always felt like they would get mad and I just never told anyone. I’m so sorry.” I spat out with increasing speed as I began panicking.
“Hey, it’s okay.” came the soothing voice of Kala as everyone else began murmuring agreements.
“I’m sorry I called you out like that, it’s clear that you were really uncomfortable with people knowing about your bending.” Suluk chimed in.
“Oh, I just… yeah. I worry about things a lot.”
“Hey, Aishida?” called Kala gently. I nodded a go-ahead and he continued “Do you think Koi could firebend?”
“Oh yeah! That’s a good idea!” Shouted Suluk, reinvigorated.
Hmm…
“Well, I guess, since you guys already know, and we’ll be costumed anyway… sure, I’ve been itching to actually use these powers of mine for a while.” I replied, after giving it a bit of consideration.
“Great! We’ll start training next week!” shouted Suluk with her usual enthusiasm despite the time of day. I resigned myself to firebending in public and decided that it would be alright.
We did, in fact, start practice the next week. My life as Koi was getting a lot better as I became more comfortable with my firebending. My life as Aishida was roughly the same, go to the library, help people with books, try to look out for the neighborhood street kids, talk to spirits, the usual. A new person joined the library staff, though. They seem interesting and very pretty, too. Fei Lian was their name, I think. They don’t know about the missions yet, or the firebending. I’m nervous.
Still, there’s something about Fei Lian. They seemed, sort of, androgynous, but also… female. In a particular way that’s different from me. This person, seemed as though they were both neutral and female. I will have to be around them more to fully comprehend, but… I mean, I understand neutral, despite people referring to me as “she” or “he” neither has ever struck me as being unsuiting. I’ve met plenty of people like myself, many of them referred to as “they”, which, I suppose, I also wouldn’t mind. I’ve met people who sometimes prefer “she” and sometimes “he”. It really isn’t all that uncommon either. Some people are men, some are women, some are neutral, and some are combinations, it has always been this way. I find it best just to call everyone by “they” until I’m certain.
With Fei Lian, it’s not even just that, it’s also… they seem sort of… ethereal. I believe they are a non-bender, but there is simply something almost magical about them. Inexplicably, they almost have the aura of a spirit. I mean, we have some spirit customers and some spirit coworkers, I know what their auras feel like. Fei Lian feels somewhat like that, except also… not. They are rather complex in their nature. I shall have to learn more.