Sound Bender (Avatar: The Last Airbender) #Wattys2017

||Chapter 3 - Anniversary||

Up above is Himoko's usual attire. -Golden

Himoko's POV (15 years old, present time)

"Princess Himoko, it's time to wake." I heard a voice tell me and I groaned, turning over

"45 more minutes..." I grumbled in my pillow, my voice barely audible. I felt myself being shaken and I huffed annoyingly

"Come on now, there is a bunch planned for you today. No practice with Lady Carlie or banquets with Royal Ambassadors."
,OMB
"Good, now let me sleep."

"But it's your birthday-" I shot up instantly and looked over at the maid who was trying to wake me up

"Wait, who's birthday?" I asked her and she awkwardly laughed

"Yours, your highness."

"Oh... Please tell me that he didn't-"

"Sadly, yes he did." I looked over horrified to see a long flowing gown hanging on my wardrobe. I fell back onto my bed in denial. You have got to be kidding me, he is seriously expecting me to wear a dress

"Come on now Princess. The King would be most happy to see you in a dress after so long-"

"Try 5 years long." I haven't worn a dress since I was 10, reason why? Because I got tired of wearing them when training which soon led to me not wearing them at all. I'm just more comfortable in something that doesn't suffocate you with every move you make. I rolled my eyes before swinging my legs off of the bed and standing up

"You may leave now." The maid nodded and bowed before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. I walked over to my wardrobe, removing the dress and throwing it on my hope chest before searching through my wardrobe, looking for something to wear for the day that wasn't a dress. I pulled out brown trousers and a long sleeve green top that was a v-neck. I changed out of my sleepwear (Which is just shorts and a cami) and put on the clothing grabbing my somewhat muddy boots and white socks putting them on my feet. I studied myself in the mirror, shrugging once I saw my bed head that was just a mass of black hair and knots. I grabbed my comb and began getting out the knots and smoothing the hair out the best that I could. I grabbed an elastic band putting it around my wrist before leaving the room. I walked throughout the halls until I came into the main dining room to see Pappy enjoying his breakfast, two guards stationed behind him on watch of any suspicious figures

"Morning." I greeted him and sat down to see breakfast laid out for me still steaming hot

"Happy birthday dear, I should have known you weren't going to put on what I had laid out for you." He mused taking a big bite out of his chicken leg. I cringed slightly, moving my steamed asparagus around on my plate waiting for it to officially cool off enough to eat

"Well, you know me Pappy I am not one for such attire." He nodded swallowing his food before speaking

"Dinner tonight with the nobles has been cancelled due to your birthday, I decided we spend all day together."

"What about my training with Carlie?" I asked him raising an eyebrow

"Oh! It's only one day besides Carlie had to go and take post at the wall considering we are short on men from the war." I nodded in understanding, taking a bite out of my asparagus. If the war has gotten any worse since the first I have came to live here, it has. Fire Lord Ozai has been working non stop to get rid of the last kingdoms in the Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se and Omashu stressing out Pappy to no ends when it comes to sending out men and how much produce is allowed into the city along with any new residents seeking refuge here. I of course, asked if I could help in anyway but he denied it stating of how I only need to worry about my training which is actually progressing finally.

Me and Carlie finally managed to get me to use harsh winds to my advantage, I am able to knock over several dummies and herself included. We were ecstatic when we accomplished that to the point of stopping the training session and running around Omashu screaming at the top of our lungs, well half-lungs for me. My Sound Bending Training is finally finished, I have learned all that I could of my new bending and mastered all of the forms and moves that comes with it. But you see, this war seems to be almost over especially now that news of the Avatar returning has leaked having an uproar sound throughout all of the many nations. Pappy told me that the last Avatar in the cycle was an airbender and since he is thought to be dead it only means that a water bender is the new Avatar.

Only I wish that wasn't the case because with the Fire Nation close to winning the war, I need both sides of my bending to defend my home and loved ones. I need a master to teach me airbending, a master who can bend air and not water like Carlie. I solely need a Airbending Master.

I finished breakfast and excused myself from the table to walk around the city, needing to after so long of not greeting the ones I was sworn to protect. I exited the castle and into the city to see the many guards stationed around the place, all of them stoic with no emotion on their face strictly nodded when they caught sight of me. I walked around for about a hour, taking in the many places and faces. I could feel the children of Omashu staring at me and pointing at me, curiously wondering who I was. I walked through the market smiling as I saw the daily life of the citizens, the school boys and girls heading to their next lesson in a hurry. Oh of how my life has changed since I was 5 years old, 10 years ago fire nation soldiers attacked my original home and murdered my parents and I would have ended up with the same fate as them if it wasn't for my Sound Bending.

I knew what had happened that night when I was 11, the guard who saved me told me of how he heard my screams that reached the City of Omashu's ears and when he came with a few other guards he found me laying passed out on the ground next to the burning body of the fire nation soldier. At first when learning of that it terrified me to be the cause of one's death just because I let out a bloodcurdling scream, but I remember the pain I had felt that night and the sadness and rage when I saw my parents die right in front of my eyes.

I shook my head at the thought of it, the bad mental image of them appearing in my mind. The nightmares I had every night because of it to the point of not ever wanting to fall asleep. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and opened my eyes to find myself walking towards the gates that led into the city. While today was my 15Th Birthday, it was also the anniversary of my parent's death.

To Be continued