The war was over, but balance would never be restored. No one could ever heal the wounds that Fire Lord Ozai and his ancestors inflicted upon the Four Nations. The world would never fully return to how it was before the Hundred-Year War. It would never change. But during what seemed like the darkest hour for humanity, a light shone through. A new generation, glowing with new ideas and new traditions. Mankind's last hope for redemption. They were the Children of Heroes. Their destiny was clear.
Zeth
Today, I rose with the sun. Just as I did every morning. But I could tell that there was something special about today. Today would be the day I finally set out to fulfill my destiny.
Getting out of bed was always easy for me. As was it for my sister, Tajiana. We awoke at dawn every day, mediated for a half-hour, then spent the rest of the early morning sparring in the courtyard. By breakfast we were primped and polished and ready for the day, unlike my three other siblings who could barely keep their heads out of their porridge bowls.
This morning, however, there would be no sparring. Father had instructed us to stay out of the courtyard, so that it could be decorated for this evening's festivities. Instead, we were to stay in our chambers until breakfast was served. I didn't mind. In fact, it was a nice break from Taji's competitiveness. She always strived for perfection, and threw a royal temper tantrum when she didn't attain it. Father said she takes after her aunt, which is odd considering none of us have actually met Azula.
I strode out onto the balcony and stretched. The sunrise was especially bright this morning, with splashes of pink and orange adorning the sky. I inhaled slowly, savoring all the smells of the Fire Nation. The fragrance of the fire lily wafted over from Tajiana's balcony, which was across the courtyard from mine. I could see her sitting on a gold bench, surrounded by her favorite flowers, sipping tea. I smiled at her. She waved back.
I looked to my right and noticed a silver tray. On it was a Great-Uncle Iroh's favorite tea pot, the one his son Lu Ten had given him. Pale pink roses were hand-painted on the sides, and a flowing light green trim crawled up the sides. It reminded me of the Earth Kingdom dress that Xia always wears, the one that her mother wore just after the war had ended. Instead of just one teacup on the tray, there were two, sitting face down. Next to them was a note. It read:
Good Morning, Prince Zeth!
The sunrise is so lovely today; perhaps you would like to enjoy it with a nice cup of Jasmine Tea? I have left two teacups, just in case you would prefer to have a companion…
Your Dearest Great-Uncle,
Iroh
I rolled my eyes. Whenever Iroh did something nice for you, he had ulterior motives. This time he wanted to get his Great-Nephew and the beautiful Princess Xia together. Oh, Iroh, still a matchmaker at the age of one-hundred and five.
Princess Xia. The exotic jewel of the Fire Nation. Sun-kissed skin, caramel brown hair, and eyes that looked like pools of liquid sapphire. We had grown up together, since the age of two. We were best friends, but I wanted something more. Even though she tried to hide it, I could tell that she wanted me as well. It wasn't proper, our relationship. Our parents were married, her mother to my father, making up step-siblings. And although are not tied by blood, we are siblings nonetheless.
We have pursued each other in secret. Dark hallways, secret rooms, and empty throne rooms made excellent places to steal a kiss, or perhaps something more.
I smiled as I looked at the note. Maybe I would invite Xia to tea, if she was up, which was unlikely. Airbenders usually slept in pretty late, but not as late as waterbenders. Perhaps Xia's airbending schedule was running early this morning. I figured I could knock on her door and find out.
Three minutes later, I was waiting outside the entrance to her chambers as she clambered around, trying to make herself look presentable. She appeared in the doorway, dressed in an ornate Earth Kingdom robe, with colors matching that of Iroh's teapot. Her thick brown hair was braided into a delicate-looking bun, a pink jasper-rose sitting on the side.
She took my arm and I escorted her back to my balcony, where we drank tea and laughed and watched the sunrise.
Sango
Travelling by air bison is not a fun experience. Especially when said bison is 132 years old and reeks of crude soap and rotten cabbages. The entire experience was made worse by the fact that there were twelve people in a saddle designed for four. My obscenely large family, plus the comparatively small "Aang Gang", as my father refers to it, were all forced to sit in a very uncomfortable proximity to each other. Avatar Aang was steering Appa, while my father sat next to him, reading the map.
I tossed and turned in my small space. It was nearing dawn, and we were flying into the Fire Nation. Only a few more hours and we would be safe and sound in the spacious Royal Palace. But for now I was trapped in between Lady Toph and Yori, with baby Sun on my lap. Sun was the Avatar's child. At only the age of two, he emitted more gas than a Fire Nation garbage steamer. But he was adorable, so I let it slide.
Yori squirmed in his sleep. He was having another nightmare, most likely the same one he had every night. My parents didn't like to talk about it, but I could tell that they were terrified for him. I remember the first time that he woke up from a nightmare…
*FLASHBACK*
"Gaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" I heard a scream come from the twins' room. Before going to check it out, I woke up a dazed Suzume and dragged her along with me.
"Help! Help!" I heard Yuji cry. While running to their room, Suzume in tow, I nearly collided with my parents and Avatar Aang, who was visiting for two weeks. All three of them looked horrified.
When we finally got to the twins' room, Yori was rolling around on the floor, caked in dust and sweat, his eves still shut. Yuji was just sitting on the bed, screaming at the top of his lungs. Mother went to calm him down as Father and Aang tried to wake up Yori.
"What happened, son?" Father asked him after they had managed to render him awake and coherent. He was still shaking, though, as was Yuji.
"….a bug….really big….it was like a snake or something. And it kept changing its faces. A woman's face….then a monkey….and a mask. I tried to scream, but it tore my face off…" Yori resumed his crying, burying his head in Mother's lap.
Aang's face paled. "Koh."
*END OF FLASHBACK*
I didn't know what a "Koh" was, but I knew that it haunted my little brother's dreams every night and made my mother cry. And I was going to get to the bottom of whatever was happening in Yori's mind.
But for the time being I had to postpone my investigation; we were arriving in the Fire Nation.
A/N: And so begins what will most likely be an overly extended series of events! YAAY! Rest assured, everything that happened in this chapter was not just incoherent nonsense! Tajiana's balcony, Zeth/Xia, and Yori's dreams will all be major parts of the upcoming story.
Just to clear a few things up:
Zuko/Katara Children: Zhen (zuko/mai), Xia (katara/aang), Noko, Tajiana, and Ashana
Aang/Toph Children: Haria, and Sun
Sokka/Suki Children: Sango, Suzume, Yori, Yuji, and Luna
Some of these kids haven't been introduced yet, but all will be revealed in the next chapter! R&R please! Your reviews mean sooo much to me!