Prologue
Generations have passed and people have progressed since the beginning of time. As the world moves forward, so does the cycle of the Avatar. After Aang and Korra, there was Avatar Hidi of the Earth Kingdom. After the spirit world was opened the word went into chaos and much war. As a last measure Avatar Hidi closed the spirit portal and died in the process… But that is an entirely different story. Currently the next Avatar is being hunted by the Earth Kingdom. The White Lotus organization discovered the plan of the Earth King and acted quickly. Although the Avatar had not been born yet, the identity of his or her mother was revealed. The secret lied within the belly of Aina Ember , almost nine months pregnant. The King's sinister plan was to steel her and the baby all together.
Aina was married to Haruto Ember, the father of the Avatar. Uraya Mashi, the brother of Aina, had traveled with them to ensure the safety of his sister and the baby. The three family members were hidden on an unmarked island, far away from the relentless Earth King. The three remained safely hidden in the forest until three massive ships were spotted on the Eastern side of the island.
A small fishing boat waited on the West side of the island to allow the family to escape. Many large decoys were scattered across the ocean to distract the Earth King's fleet from the fishing boat's escape. A waterbending healer, with an unpleasant look stained across her face, was already aboard the small vessel. Then Aina, Haruto, and Uraya all boarded the boat and entered the crammed room below deck. With a forceful wave the boat took off.
The boat, lying in the middle of the ocean, rocked back and forth. The only sounds were that of the salty sea brushing up against the sides of the boat, and the snarling screams of Aina Ember. "This was not part of the plan" Uraya, stated coldly with an obvious lack of satisfaction.
"Well, we can't do anything about it now. We just need to stay clam" Haruto was speaking to his wife, but the words of encouragement seemed to be more for himself.
"Oh sweetheart," huffed out Aina, "you're not the one giving birth." A wry smile stretched across her face and was instantly overtaken by a contortions of lines and wrinkles that created a picture of agony and pain.
"Yes. You are right," He sighed, "but our baby will love you even more knowing that you worked so hard." She exhaled a short laugh while her face continued to scowl uninterrupted. Aina fixed her gaze to a random point on the wall and strained her neck as she concentrated.
"You don't think the earth kingdom ships will find us will you? We are practically sitting ducks" exclaimed the uncle.
The healer interrupted, "No more talking. If I am going to deliver the next Avatar successfully, I can't have Mrs. Ember distracted!" Immediately a cry of pain escaped Aina's lips, signaling that the baby was soon due. Aina lied on the bed, exhausted from the exertion and was barely able to speak. A thick layer of sweat stretched across her face and continued to travel down her body. By her side, Haruto held her sweaty palm and gave her words of comfort. Uraya stood in the corner impatiently waiting. Everyone was on edge including the healer who was busy at work.
After one last shrill from the mother, and a deep sign, the new cries of the baby could be heard. "It's a girl," the healer announced coldly, "but not very big." Despite the sour comment, Aina and Haruto smiled brightly at each other. Aina's face looked as if it had aged many years, but she still produced a brilliant glow. Delicately lifting Aina's weak hand, Haruto kissed her knuckles and looked up at her with flirtatious eyes.
The baby was roughly five pounds in weight with her arms were thin and slimy. Little tuffs of matted, brown hair grew out of her misshaped head. While the healer proceeded with cleaning the child, Haruto asked Aina "Have you decided the name?"
"Yes," she sighed, "Our baby girl's name will be Calliope."
"What a beautiful name. Such a perfect fit for our beautiful daughter." Their eyes locked on to each other and would never move even if the world came to an end. While gazing into each other they remembered their shared memories and reciprocated emotions.
The healer hastily finished cleaning off the child. Once the slime was removed, the healer could see how fragile the child looked. The baby was much weaker than that of normal child. The healer scoffed at the weak baby and then gave her to Uraya who had his arms open, waiting for the child to be placed in them. The cranky healer then continued to clean the rest of the mess in the small room. The Uncle stood there for a moment as he held the child in his arms. He gazed intensely at her and held the new Avatar with a look of awe. "Uraya," Aina crooned, "could I please hold my baby?" Hearing the emphasis on 'my', Haruto snickered under his breath from complete infatuation with his wife. He figured it would take a while before he could convince her to say that it was their baby.
Uraya interrupted, "No." His tone was harsh, a complete contrast with the atmosphere. "You are a sorry excuse for a mother... and I can't even stand the fact that YOU gave birth to the Avatar!" He pause, composed himself, and murmured "Although, I do have to thank you. Because this makes things a whole lot easier." The joy in the room, like a brief firework, was gone in an instant. Only silence remained.
After a brief pause, Aina spoke under her breath "What… What are you saying?" There was doubt and confusion in her voice. Uraya had always seemed to be a happy person, but the dark thoughts planted in his mind grew. They overwhelmed all that was honest and consumed his very soul.
Uraya's grip around the baby became fiercer. Blood vessels protruded from his arms and neck. A black aura surrounded him and enveloped the delicate avatar he held. The foul mood spread around the room like a thick cloud and it became difficult for everyone to breath. Aina laid in bed, weak and too stunned to do anything. The healer remained in the corner and stayed silent to protect herself.
Haruto, with muscles tensed, started to raise from his kneeling position by Aina's side. His slow, cautious movements were interrupted by Uraya's sharp words "If you come near me I will snap this baby's neck and you will loose your only child." Uraya's piercing eyes supported the power behind his words and shocked Haruto frozen. Haruto's body reluctantly loosened and he kneeled back to his wife's side with an expression of anguish. After a brief stillness of the room, Uraya gained control and continued speaking. "If any of you follow me I will kill," he paused and hissed the baby's name, "Calliope..." his voice full of desire, "You will stay on this boat and except your fate." He then back up to the door, the frail child still sleeping quietly in his arms, and he then left the room and closed the door.
Aina had mentally left and stared aimlessly at the wall, her eyes were cloudy and she was unable to comprehend the situation. Haruto remained kneeling on the floor, his torso leaning forward as if to take a running start, but his legs remained as stiff as a statue. The healer took an automatic step forward to proceed with cleaning the room but immediately stepped back, afraid to set off the parents which resembled crazed lions contained in small, frail cages.
Uncle Uraya's footsteps could be heard outside the door. He rummaged around the boat for a few seconds and then proceeded to escape in the only life boat. Time passed extremely slow, the seconds never ended and the people trapped within the room only grew more anxious. The small boat's motor started and they listened to it travel out into the tumbling waves. As the life boat drew further away, the atmosphere in the small room became dim and somber.
BOOM! The boat rocked back and forth creating unsteady waves and eventually settled in the water. Haruto rushed out the door to see what the immediate danger was and returned back to the room. "The engine exploded!" he croaked a few octaves higher than his usual baritone voice. Looking at the healer he pleaded, "If we don't put the fire out now the boat will sink." With this new information, the healer pounced up and waddled as fast as her legs could take her. The healer's bee line to the door was then interrupted by the piercing shrills of Aina, still lying on the bed. Aina's hands rushed too her stomach as she curled over with new spasms of pain.
The healer whipped around and looked Aina up and down with her beady eyes. It didn't take long for the healer to realize, "You are going into labor" she explained. Aina's head snapped up and they stared at each other until Haruto broke the tension.
"What do you mean by that?" Haruto looked back and forth between the two, waiting for an answer from one of them.
"It means," explained the healer as she slowly walked back to Aina's cringing body, "that your wife is giving birth to twins".
The emotions in the room were boiling over but could not be dealt with because they had to deal with the problems at hand. Aina was going into labor for a second time and did not have the physical strength to do so. Her breathing was sharp and shallow as she wheezed the air in and out of her lungs. She had already deteriorated so much from the first birth and this second child would really take all of her energy to deliver. After several minutes of intense labor the second child was born. When the healer cleaned off the baby she immediately put it into the mother's boney, fragile arms and then left the small room to put out the fire.
The child was sturdier than the first and roughly seven pounds in weight. As well as Calliope, this little girl had tuffs of brown hair and a round face to match. With a sigh of relief Aina Ember whispered, "Her name will be Melpomene". Haruto looked at her both with relief and sadness of this new miracle and the loss of their other child. However Aina seemed to be more conflicted. The loss of the first child immediately after birth, the betrayal of her brother, and the physical toll of giving birth to identical twins. Aina was tired and her eyes grew heavy as she slipped into an unconscious state. Haruto swiftly took Melpomene from her before her arms gave out and stopped supporting the child.
The boat has started to tilt when the healer returned from outside with ash in her hair, "The fire has spread too far and the boat is severely damaged. We are sinking and its only a matter of time before we are completely submerged".
Haruto looked at Aina to only see how hollow her face was and the severity of her condition. "Can you healer her enough to walk?" He asked.
The healer awkwardly trudged her way over to the woman and with the water in her pouch examined the mother. The healer's face at first a scowl turned into one of stone. "I'm afraid that her body is too damaged to repair. Even moving her would only quicken her death." Haruto only clutched the baby firmer to support himself as he looked at his wife laying feebly on the bed. "I can make a path of ice to the nearest shore and cary the child" the healer continued, "The only question is if you are coming with me."
Haruto, eyes red and puffed, slowly shifted his glance away from his wife and toward the healer, as if the question had already been answered. He lifted his heavy feet and slowly made his way to the healer. Haruto delicately kissed his daughters head and handed it over to the short woman. "I only have two requests" exclaimed Haruto with his voice steady and even, "That she is well taken care of, and that she is called by the name her mother gave her." The healer, without breaking eye contact with the father, slowly nodded her head. He then, with a prayer in his heart, whispered "Goodbye, Melpomene". He then turned around to kneel at his wife's bed side and clasped her hand with both of his.
The healer then swiftly made her way above the deck and onto the water. By time she had got off the small fishing boat it was already half submerged. She then continued to walk forward without looking back.