Prologue - A Boy Was Born

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

He lay on his bed, almost lifelessly. Time has etched numerous wrinkles on his skin and dyed his hair white. Around his sickbed men, women, and children kneeling and sobbing, praying to the spirits to grant the old man just a little more time. The man's amber eyes blinked as a tear rolled down his face. Half a century ago, he was the one kneeling beside the very same bed as his wife lying on it, struggling against an incurable illness that ate her from inside. His heart ached as he looked at the full moon outside his window and being reminded of the sapphire glint of his wife's eyes.

"Nala, my love… I will find you again…"

That was the last moment of Yi, the founder of the Lin family, as remembered by his children and grandchildren who attended to him at he drew his dying breath.

It's funny how time affected human's life. A man grew from a weak infant to a powerful warrior, only to gradually grow again into a fragile old man, as weak as he had been during his infancy. Yet, the moon stayed the same, untouched by wrinkles caused by time.

The full moon shone that night, the same full moon that illuminated the Fire Nation's Lin family's estate as the Great General Yi, the founder of the prestigious Lin family, passed on to the spirit realm hundreds of years ago. That night, as if trying to make up to the ancient bloodline of firebender warriors, the full moon offered its faint light to usher in the birth of a new life in the Lin family. A baby was born that night.

A loud cry was heard from the nursery room. A loud and healthy cry. Jiang, the heir of the family, hurried his way to the room.

"It's a boy, young master", said the midwife. She placed a bundle of tiny red baby on the new father's arms. Jiang looked down to his son and saw a pair of amber looked back at him. He smiled for the first time for that night. He has his mother's nose, he thought. The sight of the boy successfully softened his mouth again. The screams that his wife produced during the delivery earlier somehow managed to freeze his jaws.

Wait! His wife-

Lian had been screaming all way through the delivery of the baby, but after that, she had been very quite. Jiang glanced at his wife and felt a sickening jolt on his stomach when he saw how pale she was. Any paler and her face would be transparent. He had never seen his wife in such vulnerable state before. Jiang approached his wife with the baby in his arms, not knowing what to say.

Lian spoke softly, "how is he?"

"He's perfect."

And she smiled. The delivery had been rough to her. Very rough. The woman had always been weak and sickly. Being able to safely conceived and deliver a baby itself had been a real blessing from the spirits.

The midwife and the handmaidens assigned to assist her had left the room to give the new parents some privacy with their newborn, and to announce the happy news to the rest of the family, of course.

"Name him", said Jiang to his wife. They had made an agreement before, back when they were still young lovers. Growing up as the oldest of five sons, Jiang knew how disastrous raising a son could be; therefore he wanted his firstborn to be a baby girl. Lian, on the other hand, wanted her firstborn to be a baby boy. She did not have any particular reason for her preference, really. She just loved messing with Jiang.

That's why they made an agreement: if their firstborn was a girl, Jiang would name her and if it was a boy, Lian would have the privilege. Lian smiled faintly as she remembered the good old days.

But she could barely speak. She knew that her life was fading away. An old life for a new one. A mother's for her son's. And she did not regret it. She opened her mouth, but she could only make a weak choking sound.

Jiang, understanding his wife's gestures, lowered his head so that she could whisper to him.

"I… name him…"

Jiang nodded his head as his wife whispered their son's name to him. An hour later, Lian of the Lin family passed on to join her ancestors in the spirit realm…

Author's note:

hey guys!! hope you enjoy it!!

btw, the first part of this chapter is actually a flash back

and also i realize that this chapter is a bit boring. but, worry not! it'll get more interesting in the later chapter.

oh, and some notes about the names:

1. Yi means 'one' in chinese. it is a reference to the character being the founder of the clan

2. Jiang is a generic chinese surname. i don't know what it means though (sorry... my mandarin sucks... T_T. well, my english sucks, too for that matter)

3. Lian means 'lotus' in chinese. but it can also mean 'paradise' or 'weeping' which is a reference to her death early in the story.

and that's about all! review plz!