The Benders

I was running. Running to meet him. I jumped over a fallen tree without faltering, easily falling back into the rhythmic step of my run, and continued running through the thick, green forest. I crunched over dead, fallen leaves as the cool, late night wind blew against me, causing my long silver hair to be blown around relentlessly. The moonlight shone down through the tree tops onto the forest floor, guiding me to the place I wanted to be most. Animals ran about, startled, as I ran past carelessly. He consumed my every thought as I raced towards where I knew he would soon be.

Thick forests and vast oceans separated many of the different nations in my world: the Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth Nations. It was forbidden for anyone to even speak to someone who was not from your birth nation. Currently, there is tension among our four nations, which is the cause for the extreme isolation.

Only the leaders of the four nations can speak. My father is one of these leaders. He and I are from the Water Nation. Our nation is the only nation that is split up into many villages. There are Water Villages at the North and South Poles, and there is my village, located between the two, on a small tropical beach, the best place for my father to rule over the two Water Villages. The Earth Nation has its own island, the Fire Nation is centralized around the giant Kiyoshi Volcano on the island my village is on, and the Wind Nation is in the sky. You could only get to the Wind Nation by flying. There are even rumors of the Light Nation and the Dark Nation in existence, but it is not sure if they actually exist.

Many people are born with special gifts beyond any you would believe. Gifts that give you great powers. Some of us, can manipulate their birth element: Fire, Water, Earth, or Air. They are known as benders, and they can manipulate their birth element to do what they want. My father is a powerful bender, so when he found out that I too was a bender, he was delighted and immediately found me many teachers. My teachers soon discovered that I wasn’t an ordinary bender. I could do much more. I can manipulate snow and ice and I can even pull water out of pretty much anything and I can even heal. No other Water Benders can do as much with water as I can, not even my father who is believed to be the strongest Water Bender.

When my father found out I was a much more powerful bender than he is or even any other Water Bender, he quickly became more protective. Before, I could go about my village, alone, as I pleased, but once my abilities came to his knowledge, he immediately made sure I was to always be with body guards. He said the Water Nation couldn’t afford to lose the Water Princess and since I was so powerful, if the other nations became aware, I would quickly become a target and a war could break out. He made sure no one was to know of my abilities. Desperate for even an ounce of freedom, I would often sneak away, alone, in the middle of the night to practice my bending.

I didn’t care if I was the most powerful Water Bender, and that to me, was hard to believe. How could I be the most powerful Water Bender? To me, I was no different than anyone. But, I loved to Water Bend. I can actually feel the power coming from my soul, making me a strong bender. I can feel the water around me and I can even feel my body’s own water, coursing through me. To Water Bend, is an amazing thing.

The punishment is death for anyone to leave their village to meet with someone from another nation without their nation leader’s consent, as I am doing now. Thus far, my lover, Akira Yoshida from the Fire Nation, and I, have never been caught.

We first met one night when he discovered me bending in secret. He was amazed and was about to run back to his village to tell the Fire Lord about me, but I stopped him, and pleaded with him not to reveal my secret. Somehow I managed to convince him and instead, he stayed with me and began to come back to watch me practice. Somewhere along the way we fell in love, not caring about the laws which stated the punishment for falling in love with someone from another nation was death. I felt as though the laws were silly and nothing could keep me away from Akira now that I loved him, but I still feared that we would be caught one day. My biggest fear.

A meadow with a waterfall, just a few miles from our villages, became our paradise that we escape to every night to be together. That is where I now race to. I was so close, I could hear the crashing water and see the top of the waterfall over the tree tops. I was so close, so close. I burst through the trees and my sudden stop in the clear meadow caused my long windblown hair to settle, cascading down my back. I stepped forward slowly.

“Akira!” I exclaimed once I saw him, sitting near the river’s edge, playing his fingers in the grass, his short black hair rustling in the slight breeze. He turned instantly to face me, his breathtakingly gorgeous blue eyes gazed into mine and his lips curved into a smile, his white teeth sparkling.

“Miyuki,” he sighed as I rushed into his waiting arms. I buried my face into his chest and smiled, content. “I missed you…” he said, while he played with my long silver hair. I pulled back to smile at him.

“I know,” I breathed. “It feels as though its been years.” He chuckled and his soft lips brushed mine, sending my mind whirling and I became slightly unsteady, but his strong arms were around me, supporting me. We sat down near the rivers edge and I cuddled close to him, his strong arms wrapping around my waist. I felt so safe in his arms.

“My little Water Princess…” he sighed, gazing into my eyes. He knew I was the Water Lord’s daughter. I had told him many things about myself, and he had told me about himself. His father was the Fire Lord, meaning he too was royalty, but whenever the subject of his father came up, his face instantly iced over. It was evident that he did not like his father.

In the old days, its possible that we could’ve been married, royalty married royalty in those days when there was peace between the four nations. Now, for the past 25 years, there has been tension, so now people only married within their birth nation. I, however, did not believe in such customs. I believed you should marry whomever you wished, but now, that was difficult since you only knew people from your nation and anything outside of your village home was forbidden.

I considered myself lucky that I had found Akira, even though we were forbidden to be together. I had never been in love before I met him. The Water Nation boys, although some cute, could never measure up to Akira. He was devilishly handsome, mysterious, and clever. He had a carefree attitude, just like me, and he was also very brave and very strong. I believe he could face down just about anyone with his bravery alone. It was impossible to imagine him ever losing a fight and I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

I smiled up at him and played my fingers over his lips. “Why do you love me?” I asked him. “Why do you risk your life to come see me night after night. If we were ever caught, I…I could never imagine…I wouldn’t want you to…” I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence, but I knew he knew what I meant. He could read me so well. But, I couldn’t even think of him in that state… Although I was elated to always see him waiting for me every night, I always feared of the possibility of us being caught.

He looked back into my eyes with a look of extreme emotion. He looked pained, but there was also a look of amusement in his light blue eyes. “Why would I not come to see you, Miyuki?” he replied. “How could I not love you? I live only to see you happy, to see you smile. I would do anything for you. You mean the world to me. No one has ever meant this much to me. I couldn’t bear to lose you and we both have been very careful to escape in the middle of the night so we wouldn’t be noticed. If we are ever caught, don’t worry, Love, I will think of something. We will escape. We will run away somewhere. I will always be with you.”

My heart swelled and my lips slowly formed into a small smile. He was so brave, so confident. He always managed to give me courage. I always felt safe in his strong arms. I wish that time would freeze on one of the nights we spent together, so that I would never have to leave him again. I hated that we could only be together at night, but it was the only way.

I placed my head on his chest and he kissed my hair. The stars shone down on us from above and the light breeze ruffled the trees. Everything was so quiet, and so peaceful, I found myself slowly dozing off, comfortably in Akira’s arms.

“Miyuki,” Akira whispered my name in my ear, causing me to slowly drift back to consciousness. “Miyuki.” I yawned and looked into his light blue eyes. “As much as I hate to say it, Love, its time for us to part…I wish we could stay out here all night together though…” I saw the pained look in his eyes as he said this and how much he really wanted to stay, as I did too. I didn’t want to leave the protective embrace of his arms.

I groaned reluctantly and he chuckled, bringing us both to our feet, but I refused to leave his arms. He leaned down and his lips brushed mine, sending me whirling again. “I love you,” I mumbled, still dazed. He chuckled again and pulled me close. “I love you, too, my little Water Princess.”

All too soon he pulled away and began to walk towards the side of the meadow that would take him back to his village, but not long after he disappeared between the trees I heard the sound of fighting. I began to panic. Akira! my mind was screaming as I ran towards the deafening noise.

As I broke through the cluster of trees, I found Akira, bravely fighting off ten men. They were all benders, but not just any benders. It was clear they were all Fire Benders like him. They were all even wearing the red and black military uniforms of the Fire Nation. We had been discovered, it was all too clear. Instinctively, I jumped in to defend him. Akira was a strong bender too, but he was clearly out numbered, and even with my help, I wasn’t sure if we could take them all down.

I jumped towards the closest man and brought up my arms, calling the water to my will. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I brought my arms down in front of me and the water I brought from the waterfall crashed down on him, just as I was opening my eyes, certain of the water as I could actually feel its flow. Instantly I arched my arms down and brought them back up in a U shape and forced the water into the air, bringing the man with it. Clasping my hands together, I made the water compress onto him, preventing him from moving and crushing his body in the extreme pressure. I let the water fall, bringing the man with it, once I could no longer feel the water flowing through him, meaning he was no longer alive.

Another man jumped towards me, shooting fire from his palms, burning away the material of my blue and white Water Nation dress, that identified me as the Water Princess, until it reached the skin of my leg. I screamed out in pain as the intense heat burned my skin and my opponent smirked.

“Are you alright?!” Akira called out to me, dodging a fire blast and swinging his leg out, forcing his opponent to the ground. When he glanced my way, I saw the alarm and concern in his light blue eyes.

“I’m fine,” I called back, wincing slightly at the throbbing pain in my leg.

Akira shot multiple fire blasts from his fists at the men coming towards him, forcing them back, before he shot a last fire blast at the man he had knocked down, where he burned to death on the damp grass, screaming a series of profanities at Akira.

Glaring at the man who had burned me, I forced my arms straight in front of me, palms out, and drew them apart, pulling the water from the man’s body, and he fell dead. The other Fire Nation men looked at me in utter disbelief and horror, while Akira gazed at me with fear for letting these men witness what I could so easily do. I had forgotten that no Water Benders could do what I just did. They had witnessed my abilities because I had stupidly forgotten. I cursed under my breath. There was no hiding it now.

Akira turned back to his two opponents and began throwing fire blasts at them, from his palms and his feet. One fire blast made contact with a mans chest and he began screaming, but before he could put the fire out, Akira shot another one at him, killing him. The other man kicked two fire blasts at Akira, who dissolved them by gracefully kicking them with his heels.

I shot towards another man, with water flowing around my fingers. I shot my arm out in his direction, making the water shoot towards him, freezing into ice, and cutting clear through the man’s chest and he too fell dead.

It was then that I noticed a man standing back from the others, watching me bend. I stepped towards him, my anger causing the water around us to freeze over.

He stepped back and gracefully shot fire at me from his right foot, that I dodged. “Sosuke,” he called to one of the other men. “Change of plans. Instead of an extermination of the Water whore,” he smirked at me, “she and Akira Yoshida will both be our prisoners. I’m sure the Fire Lord would love to put this whore to good use. Perhaps in our military. We could finally start a war!” I became enraged at all he said and threw an ice dagger at him that went right through his arm. I smirked at his shocked expression as he grabbed at the gaping hole in his arm.

I began to will more water from my surroundings to finish him off, when I noticed from the corner of my eye one of the Fire Benders get in a good hit on Akira, while he was distracted by another Bender, and seriously burn him. Akira fell to the ground, grabbing at his now severely burned arm, but refusing to cry out in pain. I admired his strong will.

Another of the men ran up behind Akira and knocked him out. I began to run to his side to defend him, when one of the other Fire Benders shot out at me, trying to restrain me. I stealthily kicked him in the chest, causing him to stagger backwards, away from me, but another man came at me from behind. He grabbed my arm and shot fire through his palm into my arm. I cried out in extreme pain and fell to the ground beside Akira.

I glared up at the men before me and they all glared back, but with a look of triumph. Akira and I had been discovered, and we had been captured. They had also witnessed my extra Water Bending abilities. The outlook for us did not look good.

One of the men, who I realized must be Sosuke took notice of my dress and smirked, surprised. “Oh, look here men,” he said. “This is no ordinary Water Nation girl, she is the princess, Miyuki Nakamura.” I spit at his feet, but he paid no notice. “The Fire Lord will be very pleased…We have so many possibilities now that we have her….”

He didn’t go on, but I realized that whatever the Fire Lord would want to do with me, it wouldn’t be anything good. Akira had told me that his father wasn’t a very nice man, to put it lightly. I suddenly felt a sickening wave of fear, but I realized I would have to be strong. Being scared now wouldn’t help Akira and I, so I instantly pushed the feeling away.

I cursed at them all, just before I too was knocked out and sent into darkness.