Kyoshi

From A Little Girl to an Earthbender

"I said be careful, Kyoshi! Hey, come on. You can cry. Come here." Jaya picked up her daughter and rubbed circles on her back as Kyoshi sniffed away her tears. Kyoshi was practicing not crying- if she cried, someone made fun of her. She was naturally clumsy but her mother said it would get better as she grew older. She didn't see any improvement- she was 4 years old and she still just as easily ran in to the cupboards as she did when she was 3! "Hey, it's ok, Kyoshi, mama's got you." a tear rolled down her cheek. Then another. Next she was crying. Crying because she was crying. Jaya pulled back from her daughter to look her in the face. "You know, when you cry, you show that you are human and humans are as strong as anyone can be in here," her mother's finger poked her chest. "So it's ok to cry, Kyoshi, and if anyone dares to laugh at you for it, I give you full permission to punch them in the nose and see them try not to cry." Despite her tears, Kyoshi grinned at the thought.

"Ok, mama. What's for lunch?"

***

Kyoshi was running and laughing with the other children in her village when ran into a tree. She cried a little because it hurt.

"Ha! Still a cry-baby, Kyoshi? Cry-baby Kyoshi! Cry-baby Kyoshi! Cry-baby Kyoshi!" Daruka sang while slowly others joined. With tears still coming down her face, Kyoshi stood up and walked up to the ring leader. Without a word, she planted her fist into his nose. He started crying instantly. Feeling slightly bad, she took Daruka to his mother and explained to situation in her most adult and factual voice. She apologised and helped clean up his nose (which was bleeding from her punch).

"You know, Kyoshi, you're really strong for a girl." he attempted to say (the cloth on his nose didn't help)

"No, I'm just really strong. Sorry I punched you."

"Sorry I laughed at you. Shall we be friends?"

"Yeah, ok." Kyoshi smiled at him- she'd never had a friend before.

***

"Hello Daruka, how is your mother?" Daruka gulped down his water.

"She is well, Miss Jaya. How are you?" Jaya smiled at the boy. He was always polite.

"I am well, thank you. Where's Kyoshi?"

"She's making mud pies. I'm coming to help her. Thank you, Miss Jaya!" Daruka slipped off the chair and ran off through the door. Jaya smiled at the pair. They had remained friends for 2 years now and they were like twins- inseparable and almost identical. The pair had the same brown eyes, mop of brown hair and sharp chins. Jaya watched the two play.

"If we make enough mud pies, Kyoshi, we can sell them to the other kids and make lots of money! And we could have a mud pie shop!"

"Yeah! And we can say they are the best mud pies ever! But what about the Choo sisters? They can make theirs without touching them. We can't beat that." Kyoshi sulked. Daruka smiled at Kyoshi before taking a traditional stance. He frowned and lifted his arm, hand in a fist and a small lump of rock lifted. Jaya smiled at her daughters delight and determination to now try.

"Ok, Kyoshi, put your feet really wide and like your arms like this," Daruka said, adopting the horse stance.

"Yes, Sifu Ruka." and Kyoshi copied.

"Now feel the energy flowing through you?" Kyoshi nodded, "yeah, now send it through your foot and into the earth to make a little rock hill, as big as your hand." Daruka demonstrated perfectly but with obvious concentration. Kyoshi set her face and mirrored movement. A spire of earth shot out the earth, as tall as Kyoshi's leg. Jaya laughed at her daughter's surprise while Daruka smiled at Kyoshi.

"That was great but you need to have control. Maybe if you get better at understanding the earth, you might not trip over as much." Kyoshi frowned as she weighed up what Daruka meant.

"So I try again, make it smaller and I won't be so clumsy? Ok!" Kyoshi made the same pose and tried again. The result was smaller but only marginally. Kyoshi's brow furrowed further. She tried again and again, smaller but still a spire. She tried until it was knee height, Daruka tried telling her she was doing well but Jaya knew Kyoshi was not going to speak or knowledge anyone until she had made a mound the size of her hand. On her 7th attempt she did made a small enough. Kyoshi whooped and then fell on her face in the soil.

"Kyoshi! You did it!" Daruka shouted. "Kyoshi?" he asked, noticing she hadn't moved.

"Give me a minute and I'll do it again." She mumbled.

Jaya walked outside and placed her hand on Kyoshi's back. "Just like your father. You know, he would keep doing something until he collapsed or got it right. And then it was whichever came last." Jaya smiled- Kyoshi had always been more of her father than of her. Jaya picked her daughter up. It’s wonderful that you can bend but you need some food. Ok?” Kyoshi nodded. Daruka ran on ahead into the house while Jaya carried her daughter. “You know, you are way too heavy to be 6 years old.”