Ashton loved her family, deeply. But, she had a habit of the betyraying them. The amount of servants she had snuck out of the palace were countless and she loathed what her nation had become. She betrayed them endlessly but it was always a silent rebellion. Never had she outwardly gave her father and nation the middle finger. BUt, she had done worse, and that fact made her smirk.
The day Azula and Ashton had turned ten was also the day at that Ashton had mastered firebending. She was the youngest in her family to do so and her grandfather and father took immense pride in that. So much so that her cursed grey eyes were forgotten and her grandfather sent the young girl, along with a small crew, to find enlightenment. A week after her birthday she was made to say her good byes. Her mother kissed her head lovingly and squeezed her daughter so much so that Ashton remembers almost throwing up.
She smiled nostalgically at that, trailing slightly behind her brother and uncle. If only she knew that it would be the last hug she would receive from the kind and loving woman.
Zuko took the news of her departure hard. he insisted on staying by his sisters side throughout the week and even slept in her bed with the young girl. He always showed compassion towards his sister, No matter how angry or sad he was Zuko would always cheer up in her presence. He was the perfect big brother to her. That only increased Azulas jealousy.
Azula didnt even pay Ashton a passing glance that week. It hurt Ashton greatly. Despite their bickering and coldness towards each other now, Azula and Ashton used to get along amazingly. Ashton seemed to balance out her sisters psychotic tendencies and would bring logic to the table. She wasn't afraid of her sister whatsoever unlike her dear friend Ty Lee who always cowered in her sisters presence.
Ty lee was always kind to Ashton. She always insisted that Ashton participate in her acrobatic endeavors and she even taught the princess how to defend herself without bending. They became great friends and would gush over boys all the time. Ty lee would always talk about how cute she thought Zuko was and of course it would make Ashton exclaim "gross!!" or "Ty lee! That is so just EW!" and her friend would laugh. That week Ashton ans Ty lee were with each other constantly which meant ty lee and Zuko were with one another constantly. Mai liked Zuko so when she walked with Azula and spotted Ty lee and Zuko playing out in the courtyard without her and Azula around not long after Ashtons adventure began , she got angry and didnt speak to Ty lee for a week. Ashton remembered receiving the sad letter from her best friend and feeling awful that she wasnt there to help her. Though she expressed disgust towards her best friend and her brother being together she deep down hoped it would happen and when Ty lee told her that she agreed to never speak to Zuko unless spoken to, she mourned the loss of possibilities.
Ashton never liked Mai and Mai never liked Ashton. So when the princess left and with Azula's new found hatred towards her, Mai and Azula threw a celebatory sleepover. Ty lee told Ashton and Ashton cried. She hoped her brother never paid the gloomy girl any mind.
The princess and her crew first made their way to the earth kingdom where she, for the first time, discovered the true devastation that her people brought on to oher civilizations. The strong and beautiful earth kindom that she read about in the books within the palace was no longer so great and when she gazed into the fearful eyes of residents that she passed on their pit stops, she felt sick to her stomach. She cried when her nations soldiers beat men to the brink of death and she had to look away when they separated families. She couldn't imagine the pain and confusion the earth kingdom citizens felt. She wanted it to stop.
"I can't just sit and watch." She mumbled angrily at her accompanying soldiers as one held her small arm in his grasp. She had enough with the scene before her. A child, not even 4, was screaming for his mother that had been thrown into a burning building by a group of drunken fire nation men. It was the fifth town she was ordered to go by her grandfather. After a few more minutes of struggling the soldier groaned and took of his helmet, threw it on the ground and lowered himself to her height, grabbing her shoulders. He had taken a liking to the young girl, he wasn't much older than her, only seventeen, but she reminded him so much of his sister whom he lost to a plague that swept through the colonies a year ago. He stared into her grey eyes with his bright amber ones. "Listen, I know you're the princess and everything, but I can tell by how you've talked to me about your family that they wouldn't just excuse the fact that you went against your nation and saved that woman." He whispered angrily. The two had gotten close. She reminded him of his sister and he reminded her of Zuko. He went by the name Kai. And Kai was the only one that she allowed to speak to her so informally. "But it's just so...so..." she said eyes brimming in her eyes. Kai grabbed his helmet and put it back on, leading the girl back to the ship "I know, Ashton. I know" he muttered.
It only got harder as she explored the rest of the world. Her travels eventually led her to the southern water tribe, she didn't want to scare the people that inhabited it so they traveled there on a little life boat for the most part. She took Kai and a few other soldiers. Ashton wasn't supposed to visit the tribe but her curiosity just continued to grow. She wanted to know if her people destroyed this tribe as much as they did to the earth kingdom cities. She couldn't believe her eyes, feeling betrayed by the books in her library. The tribe was small, almost insignificant and looked as if it just recently faced battle with the surrounding walls caved in. She couldn't get closer, but she saw a young boy in the distance playing along with a young girl. She remembered feeling a pang of guilt for leaving her brother and turning, ordering the others to turn back towards the ship.
Ashton had always knew about the extermination of the air nomads, as it was well known to be her grandfathers greatest accomplishment. But, it never truly set in until she and her crew ventured to the southern air temple and she walked amount the corpses of the monk. It never truly set in until she saw the scorch marks that ruined the beautiful artistry on the walls of the temple. It never truly set in until she picked up and gazed into the eyes of an old fire nation helmet. She felt disgusted, ashamed, and angry at her nations doings.
The princess and her crew spent many nights there as Ashton had made it her duty to pour over the scrolls upon scrolls inside the temple and she studied their stances in the paintings and even began mediating, something she found ridiculous before. Ashton had, secretly, made it her mission to revive the air nomads culture as much as she could and carry on their legacy. when she read and studied all that she could find among the four air temples, she sent Kai to buy water and earth scrolls in markets and she was stay in her cabin studying and implementing all of the nations arts in her fire bending. It took months and she stopped responding to letters from home and even setting them aside refusing to read them opting to focus on mastering all four elements through her nations bending art.
But, one day, she received a letter from her Uncle, Iroh, and she became intrigued. She had never been in much communication with the man, though they were extremely fond of each other. Her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it. When she opened it she was met with one simple sentence.
I believe that it would be wise for you to visit the ruins of the sun warriors, little one.
It left her confused. She was one month away from having to return home. Why would she visit the ancient people's ruins? It peaked her interest and she ordered her crew to immediately change course from the capital to the beginning footsteps of her people.
"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Kai whispered to the girl as they stood at the daunting entrance to the abandoned civilization. "Yes, Kai. I'll be okay." She lightly smiled at his concerned features, taking his hand in hers and squeezed it for extra reassurances "okay..." He said, knitting his eye brows together, questioning whether or not he should let the girl go alone. "I promise." She added, loving the fact that he felt so concerned about her safety. "Be safe, okay? Scream if you need help. I mean it, I'll be there in a heartbeat." He finally gave in.
With that, she turned towards the entrance and took a deep breath and set off into the ruins. She took into consideration that there could possibly be remaining traps and walked with caution, noticing trip wire every once and a while. But, once she passed through a long passage way she became mesmerized by the temples surrounding her and the beautiful architecture that reminded her so much of home. She made her way to the center of the ancient city taking time to investigate a few buildings along the way. Once she climbed the steps, though, she noticed a grand door with no handle and knitted her eyebrows in wonder and looked for any point of entrance. She spotted a sun stone above the door and sighed disappointedly, she knew what this meant. She needed to be here on the solstice. She turned away from the stone and spotted another right in line with the other and noticed how the light of the sun shined through it and projected on a calendar on the ground.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. Her hair piece, she could use it to change where the direction of the sun rays were pointed! He withdrew it from her hair and let it fall beautifully down her back. When she, after much struggling, succeeded in her task, the temple door opened and she excitedly ran into it.
When she entered, her excitement was quickly faced with confusion. She studied several statues, all that were aligned in several stances and soon she was doing them, practicing every stance along the outside of the circle and slowly mastering it and when she finally did she sighed in content. But, not so long after she heard movement in the temple with her and quickly took a defensive stance. "We're not going to fight you, little one." A man spoke, coming out of the shadows and revealing himself. He wore a big head dress and tattoos covered his body. She recognized them from the scrolls taht she had studied at the girls academy in the fire nation, he was a sun warrior and not only that. He was the chief.
She faltered lowering her hands and spoke with integrity "I'm Princess Ashton of the Fire Nation. I'm truly humbled to be in your presence." she said bowing respectfully. "What brings you here, Ashton of the Fire nation?" He asked curiously but boldly. "My uncle told me that I would find my people's birthplace interesting. I guess I found out why." She answered smiling slightly. Her uncle, always so mysterious. "I suppose you have." He said, placing a hand on his chin, he wondered why the dragon of the west would send such a young girl their way. In fact, he questioned the truth behind her words. The royal family always held amber eyes that almost looked a bright orange, but hers were like the ocean on a gloomy day contrasting the warmth they projected.
"Come with me, Princess Ashton." He said decidedly. She'll never forget the colors when she finished the dance. They gave her life a whole other meaning. She felt anew and was filled with a whole new determination. She would help bring peace to the world. She had to. Her nation has ruined everything.
"Hey, Ashton, are you okay?" Zuko shook her out of her remembrance. She smiled lightly and looked her brother in the eye "I'm perfect, ZuZu." Knowing full and well that she'd have to betray him once again.
A/N
Hello! So this is like my first fanfic so I'm sorry if it's like bad but I'm trying my hardest I swear😂 I hope you're all in enjoying it tho and I'll be working on another chapter soon. Have a great day :)