𝑾𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑺 || 𝑨𝒂𝒏𝒈 (𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 1)

The Girl from Omashu*

Tying up her black hair into a ponytail at the top of her head, Jade observed her reflection in the mirror.

Just like she would every day, she mentally sighed. As much as she liked her blue eyes, the ones that she'd been told were an exact replica of her mother's, sometimes she did find herself wishing they didn't make her stand out so much. She was already different enough, so why did she have to look it, too?

Approaching the door, she looked over her shoulder. "Shiro, I'm leaving!"

"I'll see you later!" A male voice called back from another room.

Walking out of her home, she was greeted with fresh air and a blue sky. Omashu never got too cold, but it could be quite warm on sunny days like this one.

"Morning, Jade!" The young girl lifted her head to see a woman leaning out her window and waving in her direction.

Jade smiled and waved back. "Good morning, Lanyi!"

"Off to see the King again, are we?"

She nodded. "I'll be back in a few hours. Do you want me to get you anything while I'm out?"

"I'd love some mushrooms, if you can find any." Lanyi replied with a smile. "I was hoping to make some stew today."

"Sure!" Jade began to walk off. "I'll see you later!"

The streets weren't too busy, but there were still people everywhere she looked. Jade had heard of places like Ba Sing Se, where the streets were always bustling with people at the markets. She had never seen a place like that with her own eyes, but she hoped that one day she could.

People all around caught sight of her and struck up short conversations. Everyone knew who Jade was. It was hard not to. They had been talking about her before she could even speak coherently. But Jade couldn't say she knew everyone the way everyone knew her.

When she reached the King's palace, she was allowed in with nods from the guards. Upon walking into the large throne room, she was greeted by the sight of an old man with long, funky royal garments. Just like usual, he grinned and stood up from his throne when she walked in.

"Jade, how lovely to see you again!" He greeted.

The young girl bowed respectfully. Despite her frequent visits to the palace, she was still an ordinary citizen of Omashu like any other.

"It's nice to see you, too, your majesty." She replied.

"How has your practice been going?" He inquired curiously.

Jade lifted her head. "I've been practicing every day on the porch, but I'm still having trouble holding and controlling the water for longer than a minute or so."

It wasn't very common to find a waterbender in an Earth Kingdom city. Girls like Jade, with darker skin, bright blue eyes, and the ability to manipulate water, were more often found in Water Tribe territories. It was just another reason she often felt like the odd one out in this city.

Things might have been different if she had her mother around. Though Nimeda hadn't been a waterbender herself, growing up around them could have helped her to advise her daughter.

If Jade had someone around who was more like her, she may not struggle with the feeling of standing out so much. As much as she loved her non-biological family in this city, none of them could help her with things they didn't understand. They couldn't help her control her waterbending.

Perhaps King Bumi was aware of her struggles. It was likely the reason he why had taken it upon himself to check up on her every once in a while. He had been doing so for eight years, even before Jade's father was lost.