The Last Water Bender

Prologue

Silence was something hard for me to comprehend, but it wasn't difficult to accomplish. Though my father stopped me before I could get any farther from the front door.
"Where do you think you're going Kya?" he asked in a teasing manner.
I tried not to giggle as I put my hand on the front doorknob.
"No where." It was an obvious lie. I creaked the door slightly open.
"Oh really?" He picked me up easily and spun me around in a circle. The whole neighborhood could probably hear me. I erupted in laughter until he set me down gently onto the small cushy mat that we called a bed.
"Happy birthday my sweet Kya," father stroked my dark brown hair, gently moving it behind my ear, "8 is a pretty big number for a big girl like you!"
"Well you're pretty old too Papa!"
Father laughed in response.
"You are right about one thing my little water bender. Your mother would be very proud." I smiled. Anytime he mentioned my mother it made me happy. She died from illness when I was too young to remember, all I had left was my father. He would tell me stories about how she was an amazing water bender, and about how brave she was. I wanted to be just like her.
"Now time for your gift," slowly, he took out a small blue box, setting it on our small wooden table.
"Go on now, open it!"
Gently I untied the blue ribbon around the box and lifted the lid. There lying at the bottom of the box, was a betrothal necklace, native to our tribe. It had the symbol of the Northern water tribe on it.
"Oh Papa I love it!" I yelled, giving him a big hug.
"Now that's not all," he then took out a water skin, "When you're older and more experienced with water bending, you can use this to store your water when traveling!"
"That's awesome dad!" I took the water skin from his hands and wrapped it around my waist. But before the day could continue, there was an explosion. His eyes widened, quickly coming to a sudden realization of something. Which obviously I didn't understand.
     "Papa, what's happening?"
     "We have to go Kya." In seconds he grabbed a bag, stuffed it with our belongings, and ran out the back door grabbing my wrist. The door led to an alleyway, only a couple of civilians lingering near the wall.
     Before we could leave the alley, a horde of what looked like fire nation soldiers, blocked both exits. Father's cold stare was locked in their fiery gaze.
     "Hand her over Kudok." One of the soldiers yelled.
     "Not a chance Sojon." He put his long arm in front of mine, shielding me from the soldiers.
     "We're going to have to do this the easy way or the hard way. Hand her over right now, and no one will get hurt. Do this the hard way, and things will be much more violent."
   "Never will I sacrifice my innocent daughter to monsters like those of the fire nation."
     That was the last thing I ever heard my father say. After those words, the leader of the soldiers slashed him with a fire ball, leaving him with a severe burn on his chest. I knew it was unrepairable.
      The general looked down at me, as if I was no use to him. Except apparently I was, that's why he killed my father.
       Tears streamed down my face as I yelled and screamed at my lifeless father. The fire nation soldiers began to crowd around me, but before they could corner me, I ran with my father's bag.
        It was the fastest I'd ever run, letting my legs carry me out of the alleyway and into the busy streets of Ba Sing Se.
       And then I was alone, completely and utterly alone.