𝑯𝑰𝑫𝑫𝑬𝑵 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶𝑵, 𝒂: 𝒕𝒍𝒂

➳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯: 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵

KIDA REMEMBERS WHEN SHE FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS A FIREBENDER.

Her father had told her the truth about his heritage when she was young; although, it wasn't until later that she realized he hadn't revealed the whole truth, but that's another issue, for another time.

Even so, Kida never quite believed that she was part Fire Nation. Or, she didn't want to. Then, one day, she almost burned down their house when her brother, Hiro, told her there were some kids in the village who were teasing him.

That was a pretty clear sign that what she never wanted to accept was, in fact, true:

Not only did she have Fire Nation blood running through her veins, but the spirits had bestowed upon Kida a fire inside her, threatening to burst out at any minute.

In a way, things in Kida's life started to make sense, like the way she felt the air grow hotter whenever she was angry or how her skin was always warmer than normal, even when she didn't have a fever. Her mother did always say that Kida was hot-headed, but Kida never thought she meant it literally.

Maybe there was a little part of Kida that was excited by the idea of creating and controlling fire. She felt powerful, and energized, and relieved that she would always have a way to protect the people she loved. No one else in her family was a firebender (at least, Hiro was too young to show signs of carrying that trait), so there wasn't much she could be taught. The one thing her father wanted Kida to know was that fire was unpredictable.

That's what makes it dangerous, he said during her first 'lesson.' Don't let negative emotions control your bending because you'll only cause destruction and pain — for others, and for yourself.

Kida hadn't seen who killed her parents, but the scorch marks and scent of ashes was enough for her to guess that it was a group of firebenders; probably the same ones who ambushed her and Hiro a month or so after the fact.

Anyone with blood ties to the Avatar can be extremely powerful, especially if they're a bender. The Fire Sages predicted that a descendent of Avatar Roku will help the new Avatar restore balance to the world.

Her bow had been burnt, her mother's sword thrown somewhere far away. The only weapon Kida had was the fire inside her, and it was her only hope of saving Hiro. In a fit of panic and anger, Kida shot out as many flames as she could, not caring where they went, until she realized she had hit her own brother. He fell to his knees, clutching his freshly burnt arm.

While she was in shock, one of the soldiers sent a blast towards Kida. The fire reached her chest, and Kida was knocked off her feet. Her head crashed to the ground with enough force to render her unconscious. Fighting the urge to pass out, Kida looked beside her to see Hiro reeling in pain. He was crying and screaming, and Kida willed every muscle in her body to move so that she could do something, anything, but it was no use; and it was too late.

The Fire Nation soldiers dragged Hiro away while he called out Kida's name over and over and over.

Flames were burning through her clothing and finally reached her skin, causing an unbearable pain to spread through Kida's body. The last thing Kida registered before she finally passed out was a pair of soulless golden eyes and a stern voice telling the others to leave Kida behind because she would die from her wounds anyways.

The Fire Nation doesn't want balance. They want power, and they will get rid of anything — or anyone — who stands in their way.

Kida hated fire. She resented it, and everyone who had the power to wield it, including herself.

Especially herself.