The Benders: Part II

            After fighting for over fifty years, the rebels lost to the tenth emperor, Kundun.  In his old age the emperor became wise and brought peace to his country so that another civil war would not happen, ever again. 

            When Emperor Kundun died, his son Yoshi became emperor but he was not like his father.  Emperor Yoshi saw that the majority of the rebels were benders, people who could control one of the four elements by the time they reach thirteen.  Emperor Yoshi feared and persecuted benders.  He passed a law that every bender had to be register and shortly after that, many benders were executed.  Many men, women, and children died and villagers disappeared from the map.  Non-benders joined the Emperor out of the fear of how much power the benders had. 

            After twenty years of ruling, not a single bender was left or known.  However there were some benders who were yet to be discovered and take their place in the world.

            In a small village, very far away from the capital lived a newly wed couple.  The children grew up as poor farmers in their village and as children became best friends.  When the two got married, they became happy and became happier when they were expecting their first child. 

“It’s a girl,” said the local doctor.  The husband and wife rejoiced for their healthy child and finally became a family of three. 

“Is the priest here?” asked the wife and just when she said that, the priest entered their small hut.  The priest walked over to the newborn and placed her hand on the child’s forehead. 

“This child will be gifted with strengths and kindness.  She will become a great person and everyone will know her name,” said the priest. 

“She needs a name,” said the doctor who got out the birth certificate. 

“Hope,” said the wife and the child smiled up through the small hole in the hut, staring at the bright blue sky as if being amazed by the happiness and wonders of the world. 

            “Hope!” yelled the wife and the girl poke her head from the top of the tree with a huge grin.

“Up here!” she exclaimed and jumped down.  She ran to her mother’s side and helped her with the work on the farm. 

“Pick those carrots, they are ready to be cooked,”

“Yes, mommy,” but the girl became distracted by a rabbit and held the rabbit in her hand.  She smiled at it and petted it as if it was her best friend.  Then she saw a bigger rabbit near a tree.

“Go home little guy,” she said as she placed the rabbit down to return to its mother.  Unknown to the girl, her own mother was watching her and smiled.  Although her daughter was always on the move, she had her moments to be still and kind.  Her parents became proud of her. 

            The girl grew quickly as the years passed.  She became strong and could easily fight with the boys in the village, which often made them jealous.  However she helped everyone even if they did not ask for it.  The people of the village including the priest became very proud of her and many couples with young males saw her as a very potential wife for their sons due to her strengths and kindness.  Despite being strong and kind, she was also a great cook, worker, and sewer.  She was also very beautiful and many families would like her to be married into their families.  She was perfect in many ways except that she was often a tomboy. 

            Starting as a child she got into fights with the boys, came home bruised or muddy from playing, and sometimes her strength got the better of her.  Sometimes you could see her temper and she never wanted to be a proper young lady.  Hope was often alone in the trees, wondering about the world and her own future. 

“Hope!  Hope!  It’s time,” said her mother and Hope jumped out of the tree just like she did when she was a young child. 

“Wash up and get ready,” her mother said and Hope gave her a look.  A look that said she did not want to participate in the ceremony but her mother knew she would do it anyway. 

            Hope washed up and dressed in her finest clothes.  She walked with her mother to the center of the village.  She stood in line with a boy in front and behind her.  The line went boy girl boy girl and so on.  Then on her right was her father just as the boys had their mother’s on their right. 

“I’m proud of you,” her father said and gave her a kiss.  Hope smiled and when the drum sounded, the whole village came out and gathered around the young teenagers.  The first teen and his mother walked up to the priest, bowed, and the boy was blessed.  Then a girl and her father went up and then the next pair and the next.  Eventually Hope and her father walked up to the priest. 

“I bless thee, Hope,”

“Amen,” and the priest put holy water on her head.  She walked away with her father and found her mother in the crowd.  The three of them hugged and returned to their hut where a feast was waiting for the three of them. 

“Thirteen is a huge step,” said her mother. 

“Remember Hope, you are no longer a child.  You are now a young lady.  Although you will always be my little girl,” said her father with a big smile. 

“I know,” said Hope smiling back. 

“Eat up you two.  Hope I made your favorite dish,” said her mother and Hope dropped her mouth when she saw the cook duck.  She hugged her mother and gave her kisses on the cheek. 

“I love you guys!” exclaimed Hope. 

            After the feast Hope returned to her tree.  She sat on a branch and stared at the sky.  She knew she was not really thirteen.  She would be thirteen when the sun was higher in the sky and she waited till the sun was higher up in the sky to consider her self thirteen.  She waited for the sun and was both anxious and excited.  As a thirteen year old she would have more power in the village, but she would also have many responsibilities.  But she believed that she was ready. 

“Now I’m thirteen,” she told her self and then she felt something.  It was inside her body but it was not painful but it felt uncomfortable.  She did not know what the feeling was and at first she thought she was just nervous.  Then it happened.

            She opened the palm of her hand and in her palm was something hot but it was not burning her.  In her palm was a flame.  She closed her palm and the flame went away.  She opened her palm again and the flame was there.

“Stay calm,” she told her self and she closed her eyes.  With her palm still open, she was able to get rid of the flame. 

“Stay calm,” she told her self again. 

            Hope did not understand what was going on with her body but she knew whatever the flame was, it was nothing that she was taught in school.  They told her what to expect as a young lady, but flames were not part of it.  She kept her powers a secret and started to teach her self-how to control her flames.  After a few months she was able to blast the flames from her palms, fists, and feet.  Then she got the courage to (sort of) tell her parents.

“Mom, were there ever fire people?” she asked during dinner. Her mother gave a worried look to her father.  Her father looked back at her mother with a pale face with the same worried look. 

“What do you mean dear?” asked her father joining in the conversation. 

“Well, were there ever people who could, I don’t know, summon flames?” and by the looked on her parent’s faces, she hit a soft spot. 

“Hope, did someone talk to you about this?  One of your friends?” asked her father.

“It was a story I heard from the other kids.  They said that there were once people who could control fire.  Is it true?” she said lying to them. 

“No,” said her mother and Hope looked down at her dish.

“Sophia, she will learn sooner or later,” said her father and Hope quickly raised her head.  Sooner or later? 

“She’s too young,” her mother said quickly to her father. 

“Mom, I want to know.  Was it true?” she asked and everything went quiet.  Then her mother waved her hand, giving her father permission to tell her. 

“A long time ago, there was a civil war in our country.  I’m sure you now this,”

“Yes,”

“Well, there were gifted people.  These people could control one of four elements, water, earth, fire, and wind.  They were called benders,”

“What side did they fight on?”

“Both sides,”

“What happened to them?”

“Emperor Yoshi felt that they had too much power.  Once he became Emperor he got rid of them all,”

“But these people did exist?”

“Yes,” replied her father.

“Were they born with these abilities?”

“Yes, however their abilities did not take form until their thirteenth birthday,” 

“But Emperor Yoshi got rid of them?”

“Yes,”

“Good riddance,” said her mother with an angry look on her face. 

“Was anyone in our family…benders?” Hope asked her parents.

“My grandfather was a fire bender.  Your mother’s parents were also fire benders,” and when her father said that Hope’s mother got up and walked out of the hut. 

“Why does mom not like them?” asked Hope.

“It’s not that she does not like them.  Because her parents were fire benders, your mother’s childhood was not easy.  During most of her childhood she lived in a lock down facility in the city.  She never met her parents; the government got rid of them when she was a few days old.  Once your mother was thirteen and proved to not be a bender, she was sent to our village.  The priests took her in and the rest is history,”

“Dad, do you believe there are benders today?”

“Oh, no.  The government created a cure so that no one can become a bender.  You got the vaccinated when you were only an infant.  There are no more benders so there is nothing to fear, sweet heart,”

            Hope did not say anything that night and could not fall asleep.  The government hated benders and she knew that if they found out she was one, they would kill her.  Then she thought that if she had a child and the government discovered she was a bender, then the first thirteen years of her child’s life would be horrible and in the end the child might die by his or her thirteenth birthday.  Hope did not know weather to tell or not tell her parents. 

            It was late and Hope knew she could not hide the secret from her parents.  She also knew that she could not tell them the truth for their own safety.  She was afraid that she would have to live her whole life in secret and that her parents would keep a constant eye on her and her mother would hate her.  Hope quietly got out of her bed and packed the few belongings she had.  She walked out of the hut and into the village; there she found a horse that was owned by the priest.  Hope was about to steal it when she heard someone behind her. 

“I know what you are,” said the priest.  Hope turned to see the elder woman standing with her walking stick but she had a huge smile on her face. 

“I do not understand,” Hope said.

“I am a old woman.  I’ve lived a long life and I know when I see a bender.  Even if you were just an infant.  I knew from the beginning that you were special and that you might leave someday,” Then the priest lifted her hand up and water from the water jugs started to rise.  They started to twist and bend by the control of the priest. 

“You’re a water bender,” Hope said amazed.  Then the priest stopped bending and return the water to their jugs. 

“Yes.  I’m the first water bender in my family since my great grandmother and I know that you are a fire bender.  Listen to me Hope.  Take my horse and leave.  I know that your destiny is not here.  I’ve known since the day you were born that you had a role to play,”

“I do not understand,”

“You will, my child.  Get on and leave.  Hurry before the villagers wake up,” Hope climbed onto the horse and thank the priest and was off.  She knew where she had to go.  She was heading towards the capital. 

            Hope was amazed by the capital.  The buildings were tall and the rich people had cars.  There were a lot of people and stores.  There were no farmers or traveling merchants.  There were parks, trolleys, food stands, and lots of noise.  Hope did not have any money so she sold the horse and used the money for food.  Eventually night fell and Hope found a place were many people were sleeping in the ally. 

            Hope woke up to a loud noise.  A man was crying and he was on the ground.  Standing on top of him were three thugs.  Hope rushed to the man and bend down to make sure he was all right. 
“Get away from here little girl.  You have no business here.  If you get in our way, we’ll kill you too!” said one thug.  One of them grabbed Hope by the arm, but Hope was able to flip him over her solders.  Then Hope realized that she had got her self into a street fight.  Then she accidentally used her fire bending to scare them because she got angry at them for hurting a defenseless man.  The thugs could not believe their eyes and ran off.

“We’re going to tell the cops on you!” one of them yelled. 

“You’re a fire bender!” exclaimed the man on the ground.  The man became so afraid of her that he pushed her aside and wobbled away. 

“Don’t come near me ever again!” he yelled back as he disappeared.  Hope then realized that she had to leave the ally before the cops found her. 

“Hey, over here,” said a voice.  Hope looked towards the shadows and could make out the shape of a human.

“Whose there?” Hope asked.

“My name is Gerald.  I’m almost sixteen.  I’m an earth bender,” he said. 

“Yeah?  Prove it,” Hope said and the boy showed his skills to her. 

“Come with me, I know a safe place,” he said and that was when the two of them heard the police alarms.

“Hurry!” he said and he started to run and Hope followed. 

            The two ran down into the sewers and watch the police run above ground looking for them.  Once the police were gone, Hope thanked Gerald for saving her. 

“We benders have to watch out for each other, this way,” he said and after turning many corners and walking down many dark tunnels, Hope started to see a light near the end.  When Hope got closer to the light she was amazed to see an underground community!

“What is this?” she asked.

“Benders.  All of us or at least most of us are benders, except the children.  They’re just children of benders,” and many children ran to Gerald once they saw him.  The adults were also happy to see him and gave Hope smiles too. 

“Who is this?” asked an elderly man. 

“Hope,” she said and shook his hand. 

“Welcome to the secret underground society of benders.  I am Mr. Chu.  I am the leader of this community and an air bender,”

“Do all benders live here?” asked Hope.

“We have many other communities in the other cities and out in the wood areas and deserts,”

“Mr. Chu.  It’s almost time,” said a man behind him and Mr. Chu nodded. 

“Excuse me, young ones,” said Mr. Chu and he walked away with the man into a backroom. 

“Time for what?” asked Hope as she faced Gerald.

“To show the world that we benders are still here.  We are going to start a second civil war.  Not to destroy the non-benders but to bring peace back to our country,”