I was with my little sister Katara having a snowball fight. Our brother Sokka peers over a snow wall and prepares to throw a snowball at us only to be hit by a snowball thrown by Katara.
I give the loudest of laughs while Katara giggles joyfully. Sokka climbs over the snow wall, carrying an exceptionally large snowball. He drops it, however, upon witnessing blackened snow falling from the sky.
"I'm going to find Mom!" Katara said as she runs off. I tensed me followed after Katara. The black snow falling around us.
"Mom!" I said quickly seeing a man standing above her. I grabbed Katara before pushing her outside our hut. "Find dad." I said to her quietly. She ran as fast as she could as I turned to face the man. I unconsciously entered a fighting stance and flared at the soldier.
"Tell me where the last water bender is." The man said completely ignoring me.
"If I tell you will you promise to leave my tribe alone."
"You have my word." The soldier sneered sinisterly.
"Hai, get out of here."
"No mom. I'm not leaving you!"
"I'm the last water bender." My eyes widened at moms bold faced lie. "Arrest me."
"No need." The fire bender took a stance and cut mom down right in front of me. The scream I let out was silenced as o sent a punch into the air, blue flames sprouting from my hand. The man shockingly began his battle with me before he got close enough to hit me on the back of my head, rendering me unconscious.
*short skip*
"You brought back a prisoner?" The fire lord said as I sat on my knees in a room where three figures sat behind a flame.
"Not just any prisoner, My Lord." The man untied me and made me stand at my feet.
"You killed my mother." I said dropping into a stance.
"Someone stop her."
"No, watch carefully." The soldier said as he dropped into a stance. My eyes narrowed and I sent a punch his way, the blue flame returning once more before I swiped my feet in a circle around me. Flames sprouted around me before I felt my arms being pinned behind me. I felt my body heat up with anger and was released from the person grip. I turned and punched the man causing fire to burn against his skin.
"Blue flames from a water bender." A voice said as the man I burnt stumbled back in pain.
"Do you wish to ever see your family again?" My flames died down as I looked beyond the red flame wall. "Stop fighting now. You will be married off to my son. He needs a strong fire bender for a wife." I glared.
"I want to go home."
"This will be your home for now. Try to escape and you'll be killed. You will began your training in the morning." The shadows of people disappeared before all the flames in the room disappeared. I glared at the floor and felt my arm being grabbed.
"Welcome to your new home."
*Present Time*
"Happy birthday." I heard General Iroh say as I walked to the bow of the boat. I nodded kindly at him keeping my arms on the inside of my Hanju.
"Thank you General."
"Retired General." I smiled softly before sitting beside him. "Are you okay dear?"
"Prince Zuko has been training since the day I met him. Isn't he supposed to be the Crown Prince? All powerful, honorable. He's a banished prince and I'm still his future wife."
"My nephew, although he has made mistakes is still who he needed to be. This is a journey in life that will help him become whomever he wishes too."
"So he thinks after 100 years he'll be the one to find the avatar? He thinks that will change his future? Make his father love him? It's all a joke. The Fire Lord doesn't love him. He loves power. Like Azula's flame, my flame."
"Your flame is indeed very powerful." I sighed and stood up.
"Continue the talk another time?" He nodded with a smile and I walked towards the Prince. I caught his flamed fist and smiled softly. "I think you should slow down a bit. You use your anger and the more angry you get the faster and more wreck-less."
"We're close to the southern tribe, in case of any surprise water benders or army we have to be trained and ready. I will find the avatar." My eyes darkened slightly before I blew out a deep breathe and shook my head.
"First of all there are no water benders in the south. And secondly I'm sure the army is gone, fighting elsewhere."
"Still, I must be prepared." He sassily turned around, his ponytail swinging around.
"Fine." I slammed a palm into his back shoving him forward. "Fight me." I said dropping my hands to my sides. His eyes narrowed at me in anger.
"Prince Zuko!" Iroh said coming between us. I sighed softly and then turned my back and walked away.
"Uncle, she asked for it."
"She is your bride."
"Forced by my father."
"Still your bride. Prince Zuko, it won't happen."
"I will be in my quarters." I said calmly. I walked through the halls and opened the door to my room.
*short skip*
"Finally!" Zuko said. He turns around and looks at Iroh as we sat playing cards. "Uncle, do you realize what this means?!"
"I won't get to finish my game?" I giggled softly before standing up and looking in the direction of the southern tribe.
"It means my search is about to come to an end." Zuko said facing the light. "That light came from an incredibly powerful source!" The light dwindles and disappears. "It has to be him!"
"Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko." Irish said as he looks at the tile in his hand, depicting the symbol of airbending. "I don't want you to get too excited over nothing." He places it on a tile carrying the symbol of firebending and gestures toward the open place at the other side of the table while continuing in a relaxed voice. "Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming Jasmine tea?"
"I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar! Helmsman, head a course for the light!" I sighed and looked to Prince Zuko.
"Prince Zuko, I ask permission to go into the tribe." He turned towards me and then nodded slightly.
"All benders will be going into the tribe, in case of resistance." I frowned slightly then nodded.
*short skip*
Zuko is facing two soldiers dressed in the uniforms of a firebending Fire Nation soldier. Iroh is sitting on a small chair next to them. I stood silently with my arms in the sleeves of my hanfu.
"Again." Iroh commanded, Zuko opens the fight by spreading his arms in the direction of the two firebenders, showering them with flames. His adversaries block Zuko's attack with ease. Zuko shifts his weight to duck under a retaliation blast of the firebender to his left.
The firebender to his right jumps forward to aim a blast at Zuko's feet. The prince propels himself out of the way. He twists around in mid-air and directs another fire blast with his hand to the firebender that retaliated first, and another with his foot to the firebender that aimed for his feet.
Both soldiers jump out of the way of Zuko's flames. Zuko lands and stretches his fists out toward his adversaries, ready to face another attack.
"No!" Iroh said standing, Zuko lowers his arms and looks at his uncle. "Power in firebending comes from the breath," Iroh moves his both hand up in front of him to emphasize the breathing motion. "not the muscles." He stretches his left arm out as if he was sending a fire blast. "The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes: fire!" Iroh directs a fire blast at his nephew that evaporates just before it would scorch him. "Get it right this time."
"Enough! I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set! I'm more than ready!" Zuko said with suppressed anger before he walked toward his uncle and addresses him.
"No, you are impatient." He sits down again on his chair. "You have yet to master your basics." He yells his order. "Drill it again!"
Zuko clenches his teeth in anger. He turns around and suddenly directs a power fire kick toward one of the soldiers. The firebender attempts to stop the fire blast, but he is unable to and is thrown on his back by its power.
"The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements! I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him. You will teach me the advanced set!"
"Very well," His expression changes completely to one of delight as he picks something up from the ground. "but first, I must finish my roast duck." He quickly munches down the roast duck, much to the dismay of Zuko. I giggled loudly and noticed one of the guards Zuko had been sparing with looking in my direction. I offered a soft smile before looking out at the ocean.
"Princess." One of the guards said , I frowned and looked back at him. "Your dinner is ready."
"Don't call me that." I said before sitting at my separate table.