Fireproof

Kelani stands, bored, leaning against the wall towards the back of the ship, watching the barker lead in a group of young kids who look roughly around her age. They catch her attention when she recognizes the water tribe robes, and she stands up straighter, watching them more closely as they browse the ship’s stock of stolen goods.  

The Water Tribe girl pulls out a waterbending scroll, and excitedly shows it off to her friends. The shorter one, dressed in old airbender robes, shares in her excitement. Kelani cringes, remembering the day the pirates looted the Northern Water Tribe, taking both her and the scroll, along with countless other things. The smaller boy asks Captain Aimo where they got the scroll from. Kelani grimaces. 

“Let’s just say I got it up North, at the most reasonable price- free.” Captain Aimo grins. Kelani sends him a death glare. 

After seven years on this ship, Kelani still harbors intense hatred for the Captain and his crew. Any reminder of what her life used to be summons her anger and a pit in her stomach. 

Seeing this group of young travellers gives Kelani hope. She sparks an idea that, maybe, she could sneak off of this disgusting ship and travel with them instead. It doesn’t matter where they plan to go, what matters is that it would mean Kelani isn’t here with Captain Aimo and his grimey crew. 

The Water Tribe boy puts the pieces together. 

“You guys are pirates!” 

The small boy and the water tribe girl try to haggle for the scroll, making Captain Aimo crackle at them. The girl looks around shifty eyed, and suggests the trio head on their way. One of the crew members, Oh, notices the scroll is missing, and runs after them, calling them thieves. 

Kelani follows, both out of curiosity, and the hope that maybe now that she’s left the ship, she won’t come back. She’s unable to keep up, however, and Oh corrals her back to the ship after he loses the group of young kids. 

“We lost the Water Tribe girl and the little bald monk she was travelling with.” Oh reports, catching the attention of the new patrons on the ship. 

They looked like a pair of fire benders, reminding Kelani of Captain Aimo. The younger one strides quickly up to them. His face is nearly blank, his eyes filled with determination and rage. The right side of his face is burned around his eye. 

He asks about the small monk boy and hatches a plan with Captain Aimo to track down the young travellers. 

“I want to come too.” 

The snow falling from the sky slowly turned to ash. Kelani and Yue froze from their game of tag, staring at the sky in wonder and fear. Though it was only a few ships of Fire Nation soldiers, they coward from the shore and tried to make it to shelter and ask for help. Yue ran ahead to find her father, and Kelani glanced around, desperately trying to find someone, anyone to warn. 

In their panic the two girls didn’t notice a smaller, wooden ship or the gangly crew of fire nation pirates that filed out of it. With Yue out of sight, the pirates nabbed the young, terrified Kelani. She squirmed and shrieked, but the Water Tribe soldiers were too distracted fighting the Fire Nation fleet to notice or hear the young girl for the last time. 

Zuko watches Kelani step into the small boat as they get ready to sail after the Avatar. She caught him off guard when she volunteered to help them on their mission, but the pirate captain didn’t object. 

He takes a second to really look at her, she looks similar to the Water Tribe girl and her brother who are travelling with the Avatar, but she carried herself like a pirate. Self-assured, unbothered, independent. Though she looked like she belonged to  the Water Tribe, her clothes would never give her away. He assumes she must loot her clothing as they travel, leaving her indistinguishable in that way. However, her hair, braided to the side, did remind him of the Water Tribe. 

Kelani feels him looking at her and glances over at him. He notices her eyes are grey, meaning she could easily be of Water Tribe or Earth Kingdom descent. 

“You gonna get on the boat, or what?” She asks, gesturing around her. 

He huffs, looking away and stepping onto the boat. Iroh chuckles and follows his nephew. 

“Pay no mind to my nephew, Zuko, his annoyance is misdirected.” Iroh explains to Kelani, then whispers, “he’s upset I rerouted his ship. Nothing a good cup of tea won’t fix.” 

Iroh’s effortless charm makes Kelani smile. 

“How long have you known the captain?” Iroh asks. 

Kelani grimaces. 

“Most of my life, really. But I’m ready for something new.” 

Iroh nods. 

The boat sets off down the river, and Kelani takes a deep breath. Iroh mimics her action. Zuko and the captain stand towards the front of the boat, keeping watchful eye for anyone familiar. 

“Shouldn’t we stop to search the woods?” The captain worries. 

“They stole a waterbending scroll, right?” 

The captain nods. 

“Then they’ll be on the water.” 

Zuko’s intuition pays off when they find the Water Tribe girl not far off, or rather they hear her frustrated yelling. When the boat stops, she immediately readies herself for a fight. The recognition of the pirates and Zuko undoubtedly set off alarm bells for her. 

Kelani sits back to watch as Zuko and the rest of her crew gear up for a fight against one small girl over a scroll. She can’t help but snort at the prospect of such an uneven fight. Iroh laughs as well, his belly shaking. 

As the fight goes on, they tie the young girl to a tree, which feels like overkill. Kelani notices Iroh’s nephew pull out a Betrothal Necklace and freezes. He presents it to the Water Tribe girl, who immediately tries to take it from him. 

“My mother’s necklace! How did you get that?” The girl exclaims, looking hurt and angry. 

“I didn’t steal it if that’s what you’re wondering. Tell me where he is!” 

“Enough of this necklace garbage, you promised a scroll!” 

Kelani rolls her eyes at Captain Aimo, ready to fight him on her own for being such a pompous ass. Of course he couldn’t give less of a shit about a young girl and her emotional ties to something as significant as a Betrothal Necklace. He doesn’t care about anything or anyone other than money and himself. 

While she’s technically on the side of the pirates and this angsty firebender and his kind uncle, Kelani silently hopes that the young girl can get her necklace back, especially if it was her mother’s. 

Zuko holds the scroll above a flame in his hand, proving the worth of the waterbending scroll. He convinces Captain Aimo and the others to help him and they run off into the woods in search of the Water Tribe boy and the Avatar. 

They come back, having successfully bagged the two boys. Kelani watches solemnly, hoping this ends better for the young travellers than it did for her. Though, these three are all older than she was when they took her, so they stand a better chance against Captain Aimo and his men. 

An intense fight breaks out among the two groups. Iroh sighs, uninterested in the debacle. Kelani nods, agreeing with his silent sentiment. 

“So, what kind of new adventure are you searching for?” Iroh asks. 

“Honestly? Anything. I didn’t ask to be a pirate, and I’ve been looking for a way out since I felt confident enough that I could handle myself.” 

Iroh nods. 

“You could come with us. Perhaps we can sneak you away when this silly fight is over.” 

Kelani beams at the old man’s generosity. He’s truly one of a kind when it comes to Fire Nation and their people. Despite his nephew’s bad attitude, Kelani felt comfortable and safe around this wise man. Perhaps the duo is on the run from the Fire Nation and their despicable goals of world domination. 

“Thank you, that would be fantastic!” 

Iroh smiles, and stands to leave the small boat. Kelani follows. By now, the pirate crew have started fighting against the young firebender. This would be her last day with her dreaded captors. In a split second Kelani remembers her belongings that she left on the pirate ship, and walks back on willingly to retrieve them. 

Hidden in a cubby next to her bunk, Kelani finds her pouch of stashed savings, her favorite ring from home, and her earth kingdom necklace she stole from a shop merchant last spring when they were docked outside of Ba Sing Se. On her way out, she decides to take some extra gold pieces from the pirates’ stash. Before she can actually make it to the doorway, the ship starts moving. 

Panicked, Kelani rushes to the top of the ship, finding the group of young travellers hijacking the ship down the river. Kelani grins. 

“Karma’s a bitch!” She laughs, startling all three of the strangers. 

“If you try to fight us, I won’t hesitate to use my boomerang!” The Water Tribe boy tries to threaten. 

Kelani continues laughing, swatting the boomerang out of his hand with surprising ease. The Water Tribe girl, and the small, bald Avatar look at her with fear. 

“Relax, I was hoping to get out of here anyway. Not my anticipated escape route, but I’m not complaining. Those assholes deserve what’s coming to them.” 

The three kids all exhale a collective sigh of relief. The roar of a waterfall overtakes everyone’s hearing, and panic begins to set in again. 

“Shitshitshit.” 

The Water Tribe girl and the small boy begin waterbending to avoid the waterfall. 

“Woah…” Kelani watches. 

“It’s not that impressive,” the Water Tribe boy mutters, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Are you kidding? I wish I could bend.” 

“Finally! Another non-bender!” The boy exclaims, immediately wrapping his arms around her without warning or asking her consent. 

“Excuse me, can you-” 

The boat falls over the waterfall’s edge, and Kelani wishes she had just gone with the nice old firebender. 

Rather than falling in the water and being impaled by rocks at the bottom, Kelani’s fall is broken by a sturdy surface, and continues moving, this time upwards. 

“What the fuck?” 

“I knew this bison whistle would come in handy. Thanks Appa,” the small boy says, petting whatever they’re flying on. 

Kelani looks at everyone, wide eyed. 

“What is this?” 

“This is Appa, he’s my flying bison! I’m Aang, by the way.” 

Aang offers a hand for Kelani to shake. 

“That angry firebender kid says you’re the Avatar… Is that true?” She asks. 

Aang nods. 

“I’m Katara, and this is my brother, Sokka.” The Water Tribe girl introduces. 

“Kelani…” 

“That’s a pretty name! Are you from the North? If so, why were you with those nasty pirates?” 

Kelani sighs. 

“The same way they got that scroll.” 

Everyone’s faces fall. 

“Oh, yeah,” Sokka says, pulling the scroll out of his pocket. 

“Sokka!” Katara scolds. 

Kelani takes in the view of the setting sun, admiring the way everything looks from this high up. The air feels different on a flying bison, more free. Or, it's escaping the clutches of Captain Aimo that makes her feel free, but either way, she loves the feeling.