Igniting Their Hearts ~Zuko x OC~

Prologue ~ 0

"Makinota sweetie, would you come here and help me steam the bath?" A woman called from the other room. The little girl in question rushed in with a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Mama, Mama! Dad taught me how to make a campfire today!" she stated, looking up at the woman with a close-eyed grin. Her mother just smiled back.

"That's amazing darling, is your father coming? You know we can't miss a visit from your auntie," she was looking out the entrance of they igloo-like home, the flap of a door blowing in the wind. She could hear muffled shouts from outside, but didn't know why.

"I don't know. A man in a weird black and red suit came up to him and tried to burn him, so he told me to come get you," the little girl watched the horror spread across her mother's already pale face, her strange emerald green eyes widening significantly. "Mama, what's happening?"

The mother just leaned down to her child, and grabbed her by the shoulders. She then ushered the little girl into the kitchen, hiding her in a cabinet. She then pulled her slick black hair into a ponytail, securing it out of her face. Her daughter did the same, her light auburn hair messily tied back. It was almost laughable if this moment wasn't a nightmare come true.

"Listen to me Makinota. You need to stay in here until the noises stop and your friend Yue comes to find you. Those people are only here for me and your dad, they'll leave the town alone," she instructed her child, knowing that even if the invaders made it past their singular home, they would never make it into the Northern Tribe's walls.

The family had chosen to live as far as they needed, but only so that they could raise a fire bender without fear of melting down the entire tribe. The mother then glanced behind her once more, and took off her necklace, safely securing it around the neck of her daughter.

"Here love, take this," she whispered, securing the satin band around her neck. It was her betrothal necklace to her husband, and was made with a lovely dark red satin, and a light red- almost pink- stone shaped like a raindrop clipped to the front with a gold ring. The fire nation and water tribe insignias were both carved onto the front; water hidden inside the folds of fire. Just like her daughter.

"But Mama, this is your favorite thing. Why are you giving it to me?" The child protested, but her mother shushed her, and smiled.

"Don't worry my sweet little fire lily, everything will be alright."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Everything was not alright. Makinota had come out of the cabinet when everything was quiet, only to find her parents charred and on the ground before being scooped away to serve the fire nation. Ans as a maid no less. Could things get worse? Maybe.

She had been forced to work in the fire nation palace as a house keeper for a few months, before she was assigned to work for princess Azula as her handmaiden. At first it was absolutely horrible, and she was treated less like a person and more like an object.

But then she met the girls. Azula's closest friends, Mai and Ty Lee. Mai was heavily pessimistic and a bit closed off, which Makinota had become more like after her kidnapping. So naturally, the two got along. Ty Lee however absolutely fawned over the girl, insisting on doing her hair and teaching her gymnastics and flips, along with this thing called Chi-Blocking. Azula was fine with it, but still treated Makinota harshly when it was just the two of them.

"Servant, put my hair up," Azula ordered one morning. She expected Makinota to just comply and do it. But this time, she wanted to try something.

"Would you like it the same as yesterday, or something different you highness?" She questioned, beginning to brush the tangles out of Azula's gorgeous ebony hair. The princess was silent, scaring Makinota (though she would never show it). Whenever Azula goes quiet, you never know if you're about to die or have a heart-to-heart conversation. Maybe Makinota was just lucky.