Prologue: Day of Black Sun

The sun is beating down on the city during the Fire Nation's hottest day of the year. Most citizens would be discouraged from venturing outside. However, for a man known by the name of Cheung, the climate's heat couldn't be any better for him to accomplish his goal. The neighbors who saw him run out of his house thought it odd of him, hadn't his wife just given birth? Had he or she looked closely enough they would have noticed Cheung carrying a small bundle in his arms.

The small bundle in question is the reason for Cheung's urgency. For he is carrying his first born child, his daughter, whom stopped breathing correctly not long after she was born. Her breaths are coming out shallow and inconsistent. The infant's mother noticed the breathing change almost immediately. Soon yelling for her husband he began to try to find someone, anyone, who could help. However, his attempts have been fruitless thus far, and so now Cheung fears he only has one option left, and time is running out.

"Oh, great Spirits, please let me make it on time!"

Climbing the massive steps up to the highest point in the nation, Cheung wheezes his way over to the large shrine in the center of the hill. Looking up at the sun before walking into the shrine, he notices that the sun is at its highest point in the sky. Hoping that that is a good sign, Cheung kneels down before the everlasting flame and begins to pray to the Sun Spirit, Ri. The shrine was originally created around the flame, for it is legend that the flame is the symbol of the Sun Spirit and has never dwindled in strength, forever remaining an electric blue, showing its intense heat.

"Please, please spirit of the sun. Please, save my daughter."

Cheung says this like a chant, never differing from those last four words. All the while hoping that his name's sake will somehow help as well.

"Please, save my daughter. Please, save my daughter. Please, save my—What?"

Cheung's amber eyes widen in shock when the fire begins to form around his daughter. After a minute or so, the infant's eyes begin to open and her breathing becomes regular once more. She even has enough energy to begin fussing in her father's arms.

Looking into her eyes Cheung is confused. The first time she looked at him she had amber eyes, like his. Signifying she would be a fire bender. Now, however, they are a light blue. As light a blue as the fire that just engulfed her in a harmless flame.

"What could this mean?"

Cheung didn't think about it too long though. He cradles his daughter in his arms and begins to lightly jog back to his home to tell his wife the good news.

The moment he came into seeing distance of his house Cheung saw his wife, Ling looking out a mirror. Cheung could see the dried tears that streaked her face and was rapturous when her pained face tuned into one of relief once she saw her child alive and well in her father's embrace. Running out of the house, Ling kisses her husband deeply on the lips before taking the baby into her arms and kissing her nose, her cheeks, and her forehead. Cheung gently guided his wife and child inside their house, finally away from the scorching heat.

"What did you do?" Ling asked,

"I went to the Sun Shrine and prayed to the Sun Spirit. Ri must have heard my prayers because the fire enveloped her and then she was healthy and normal again. Except…"

"Except?"

Ling fussed over her daughter, trying to find some defect with her. After she could find none she looked to her husband,

"Her eyes, they're now blue like the hottest form of fire."

Ling looks to see and sure enough, her daughters eyes were now and electric blue.

"Well, never mind that. What's important now is that she's healthy and safe"

"You're right"

Cheung agrees, he leans to kiss his wife's forehead and let's his daughter grab his index finger with her entire fist,

"What shall we name her?"

Ling thinks for a while then,

"She was touched by the Sun Spirit, her name shall be Xia"

"It suits her"

Later that evening, while the family of three is sound asleep, Cheung begins to toss and turn with his dreams.

Standing in a land of nothing but fog, Cheung looks around for something he's unaware he's looking for.

"Cheung,"

Cheung looks around for whoever called him but still doesn't see anything,

"I am here, Cheung, I am The Sun Spirit, Ri. I heard your pleads today at my shrine and helped your daughter. However, I am here to tell you that one day I may be in need of the life I gave to her. Nothing is for sure, of course, but being touched by a spirit comes with a price.

Cheung is shocked for words, he doesn't know how to respond and next thing he knows the land of the awake beckons him…

Cheung springs upright in bed and looks over to his sleeping wife then his sleeping child. Getting up, he walks over to Xia's crib and strokes her hair,

"What did he mean, it comes with a price?"

As he mumbles this, Cheung can't help but worry that something will one day happen to his precious daughter. Praying that day won't come in his lifetime, he walk back over to his bed with his wife and goes to sleep once more, this time without any visions from the spirits.

A/N: Hello there! This idea came to me during an avatar party I had with a couple of my friends. Anyway, I thought it was a good idea and so I'd appreciate it if any readers would comment and tell me what you think about it. If you like this idea, dislike the idea and so on. But no flaming, I dislike that highly, it's rude and inconsiderate of the writer. Also, Cheung means good fortune; Ling means compassion and understanding, Xia mean sunrise and this starts at the year 458 B.A.R…which is an easier way of saying Before Aang is Rescued, you know, from the ice berg. Which is also, from what research I could find, during the time of avatar Kuruk, from the water tribe.

Love, Pastry~