Risho of the Black Snow (ATLA Fanfiction)

Chapter One: Dinner For Two

 The water sloshed out of the bucket as she walked, spilling and freezing on her skirt. This was one of those times when Risho wished she had been born a bender. Her life would have been a lot easier if she had. The tribe wouldn't be able to ignore a waterbender if they tried. 

They would be grateful, Risho told herself. They would love me. They would cherish her, accept and protect her. Risho couldn't think of anything better. She was still holding out hopes that she was just a late bloomer- that one day she'd wake up and find that she'd transformed her and her father's little igloo into an ice palace. That would show them!

Risho looked around to see if the cost was clear. She didn't want to embarrass herself, even though she knew very well that any witnesses would ignore her if nothing happened. That was what they did every other time anyways. She set down her bucket and took a breath. When she exhaled, she waited for the white puff to dissipate and she went for it. Slowly and carefully, Risho held her palm over the top of the bucket. Another deep breath and Risho closed her eyes. Now! she ordered herself. And shakily, she raised her hand. She could have sworn that something tugged in her gut. Could the water have been calling to her soul? Yes! Risho willed it to be true. She was a waterbender! She was a waterbender! She was- Risho opened her eyes. She was not a waterbender. She was just a fool with hands that were numb from the cold. Her heart sank.

Risho picked up her half-empty bucket and ducked inside of the igloo.

Her father had just finished making dinner, but even her favourite Sea-prune soup couldn't cheer her up today. Not even Mohu, who was sliding around the house on his little white belly was capable of such a feat.

"Did you get the drinking water?" Her father asked. He used his prized bone ladle to dish out five bowls of soup- two more than they'd ever needed before. Risho hadn't even known that they owned so many place settings. She wondered who they were for.

"Please tell me Mohu isn't having kits." she groaned, even though she already knew the answer. Mohu was a male otter-penguin who wouldn't leave the igloo without her.

Her father didn't look up when he spoke and left her to look at the burned profile of his face. He'd been slashed by a firebender during the last raids and had never fully recovered. Haona's scars looked like angry red cuts that had swollen into welts. 

When she was younger, Risho had wondered if they were the reason her father had never married and given her a new mother- he never talked about why her old one left, or who she even was. 

Now, Risho knew that most people weren't shallow enough to push her father's love away only because of his burned face. She'd accepted that she would be confused forever, that she'd carry her theories with her until her grave. Risho knew what fire nation citizens looked like- and how similar some of their features were to hers.

 As she always did, Risho buried the thought deep inside. Her father was a good man. Her father was a southern wolf who fought the Fire Nation before she was born. The battle was permanently etched on Haona's face. Risho could not possibly be fire nation. Never!

"I sent a letter to Norrek and Madara and invited them over for dinner. I hope that's alright." Risho held her tongue, knowing full well that their soup would go cold waiting for guests that would never come. Haona's deep voice was starting to crack. Risho couldn't explain why it happened so often. "You like Maya, don't you, Risho? She might come too." 

Risho crossed her arms. Maya had refused to play with her no matter how hard she begged. She didn't know her personally, but the girl hadn't made a very good impression of herself on Risho so far.

"If they all come," Risho said softly, "you'll give Maya Mohu's bowl of soup?" Her pet wouldn't be happy about that, Risho was sure. Dinner was his favourite part of the day.

Her father laughed. "She could have mine, of course. I wouldn't do that to poor Mohu." Mohu waddled over to Haona like he'd been called and graciously accepted his head-scratch. He was such a suck!

Risho whistled him over to her and topped her father's affections with a full on tummy rub. And this, she said in her smile to Haona, is why I am his favourite.

Her smugness only lasted until Haona lowered the ladle to the floor. As Mohu waddled back over to him, he replied with, "But I'm the one who feeds him."

"Hey!" Risho protested, stomping her feet on the ice "Papa, you're cheating!" But then Risho remembered that her father was simply being resourceful. She pulled a silver fish from her own parka and waved it until she caught Mohu's attention.

He went sliding to his real best friend and secured Risho's victory. She pumped her fists, secretly trying to force the water up with them. Not even a ripple.

"I guess he likes fish better than my cooking." Haona admitted.

Someone rang the door-bell and Risho's father nearly jumped out of his skin. A visitor? Risho's family had never had a visitor before! Never in her life? Risho froze like the outside air. How was she even supposed to act around her neighbours? Was she supposed to be cute? Mature? Facetious? Smart? She didn't know what was normal for girls her age- but she was eager to find out!

Risho re-clipped her braided loops and rushed to a chair. She sat straighter than she ever bothered to before. Company! Risho thought. How exciting!

But new faces didn't appear in her home. Only her father came back in. He was clutching a small note.

"Papa?" Risho asked, her voice sad but still hoping her instincts were wrong.

"It's nothing, Risho," he said "but it will just be the three of us tonight. You and Mohu can have as many helpings as you want. That's good, right?"

Defeated, Risho slumped back in her chair. It was wrong of her to let herself get so excited. Her cheer always let her down in one way or another. Without even fooling Mohu, Risho nodded. The more the merrier rule didn't really apply to food for anybody but Mohu.

"Fat penguin." she grumbled to herself as she lifted him onto her lap.

Haona sat down and they started their billionth dinner for two.