Kon ran through the stone paths of Skyloft, his heart racing with excitement from Chief Iroh's story of the world below.
'The world below sounds so big!' he thought, dodging a low-hanging vine. 'I'm gonna see it all, find the One Piece, and make tons of friends!' He reached his family's home, a simple stone house with open arches, and burst through the door.
"Mom!" he shouted, skidding to a stop.
Sora, his mother, turned from the table where she was chopping fish. Her blue hair was tied back, and her face was tight with worry.
She'd been searching for Kon for hours, her heart always heavy with fear that her son, with his air-bending and reckless spirit, would fly off to the world below.
'He's only three, but nothing holds him,' she thought, her chest tightening.
'It seems that the stories of Avatar always wanting freedom is true.' When she saw Kon, relief flooded her, but she quickly masked it with a scowl.
"You little brat!" she snapped, hands on her hips. "Where did you run off to now? I'm tired of your antics! No more desserts for you!"
Kon's face fell, his eyes widening in horror. 'No desserts? That's the worst thing ever!' he thought, his lip trembling.
Tears welled up, and he clasped his hands together, his voice shaky. "Please, Mom, don't do this! I'll be a good… good boy, I promise!" he stammered, wiping his eyes.
Sora's expression softened, but only a little. 'He's such a handful,' she thought, torn between frustration and love.
'But those tears always get to me.' She sighed, crossing her arms. "Fine, but no dessert today as punishment. Now tell me where you were."
Kon bit his lip, swallowing a complaint. 'Can't tell her I messed up Kazu's flowers or stole Chief Iroh's apples,' he thought, shifting on his feet.
'She'd ground me forever.' He looked up, forcing a grin. "I was with Old Man Chief Iroh. He told me about his life as a pirate! He said the world below is huge, and I've decided I'm gonna travel it, make amazing friends, and find the ultimate treasure—the One Piece!" He puffed out his chest.
Sora's heart sank. 'So the day has come,' she thought, her mind drifting to the prophecy etched in Skyloft's history:
'A child shall rise, marked by an arrow, to ride the winds and bring the dawn to the world below.' She'd always hoped the tales of the Avatar's thirst for freedom were exaggerated, but Kon couldn't sit still for an hour.
'He's my baby, but he's already chasing the seas,' she thought, sadness creeping in. She forced her voice to stay steady. "You know the world below is dangerous, Kon. Your father and I won't be there to protect you."
Kon grinned, undeterred. "I'll just get so strong no one'll mess with me! Chief Iroh said he'd teach me fire-bending!"
Sora's eyes widened slightly.
'Chief Iroh wants to teach him fire-bending?' she thought, surprised. 'He must believe Kon's destined to leave Skyloft. He's preparing him to survive down there.' A chill ran through her.
'If the World Government learns what Kon is—an Avatar who can bend all elements—they'll hunt him down before he's strong enough to fight back. The Avatar is after all one of the....' She pushed the thought away, refusing to let fear take hold.
"Is that so?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "And what else did the old man say?"
Kon bounced on his toes, eyes sparkling. "He said to ask you to teach me water-bending and Dad to teach me earth-bending! Then I'll know all three, plus my air-bending, and I'll be super strong!"
Before Sora could respond, a booming laugh filled the room. Akio, Kon's father, strode in, his massive frame filling the doorway.
His burly arms were covered in tattoos of earth and stone, and his grin was as wide as the Grand Line. "Our little Kon wants to master his dad's bending form? That's great!"
He scooped Kon up, rubbing his cheek against the boy's, making Kon squirm and giggle. "Dad'll teach you earth-bending, kid! You'll be tossing boulders in no time!"
Kon laughed, then glanced at Sora, noticing her frown. "Dad, Mom looks angry, though."
Akio chuckled, setting Kon down. "She's just jealous I'll teach you earth-bending before she gets to water-bending." He winked at Sora, who rolled her eyes.
Sora's voice was sharp, her worry seeping through. "You and I both know water-bending will be the most useful for him in the world below, Akio."
Akio scratched his head, unable to argue. He nodded at Kon. "Your mom's not wrong, kid. Water-bending's gonna come in handy down there."
Kon tilted his head, curious. "Why's that?"
Akio grinned, ruffling Kon's hair. "Something I'll explain when you're older. But forget that for now—look what I got!" He pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket, revealing a pile of sweet dumplings. "Your favorite!"
Kon's eyes lit up, but he froze, glancing at Sora. 'No dessert today,' he thought, his heart sinking.
'But those dumplings look so good!' Before Sora could speak, he flicked his wrist, and a gust of wind tugged a dumpling from the bag, sending it flying to his mouth. He caught it with a grin, chewing happily.
Sora's jaw dropped. "Kon! You're punished!" she snapped, hands on her hips. "No desserts means no dumplings!"
Akio laughed, holding up his hands. "Come on, dear, let him have one. He's just a kid."
'He is quite good with Air bending,' Akio thought, watching Kon munch away. 'That air-bending's already second nature for him.'
Sora glared at Akio. "You're spoiling him, you big softie. He needs to learn discipline, or he'll never survive the world below."
Akio grinned sheepishly. "He won't do it again, right, Kon? Tell your mom you'll be good."
Kon swallowed the dumpling, nodding vigorously. "Promise, Mom! I'll be super good!"
'Maybe not super good,' he thought, stifling a giggle. 'But I'll try not to get caught next time.'
Sora sighed, her anger melting.
Kon nodded, but his mind was already elsewhere. "Mom, Dad, why do you and everyone else on Skyloft only use one bending form? I can learn all three, plus air-bending, and it's so fun to fly!"
He jumped, a gust of wind lifting him a foot off the ground before he landed with a grin.
Akio laughed, but Sora's expression grew serious. 'He's already asking questions we can't fully answer,' she thought. 'The prophecy said the next Avatar would be able to wield all elements, but we've kept that truth from him to keep his expectations low.'
She glanced at Akio, who gave a small nod. "That's something Chief Iroh will explain when you're ready," she said. "For now, focus on learning what we teach you."