Book One: Bound Wings

Chapter One: The Girl in Chains

"How are you?" Hotaru asked sitting on the bed next to me.

"Peachy," I reply then pull her down so we're lying face to face like we did when we were in the orphanage.

"Akane-"

"How was your day?" I hastily cut her off.

"Fine," she mumbles and blushes slightly. Hotaru doesn't blush unless she's done something really embarrassing or...

"What's his name?"

"What?" she squeaks.

"Come on sis give me some detail."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she says evasively. I raise an eyebrow. "Fine," she sighs, "his name is Ryuu."

"What's he look like?" I ask propping myself up on my elbow.

"Well, he looks like any normal Fire Nation guy. Although, he does have the most beautiful green eyes."

"How d'ye meet?" I ask before she can get distracted in her reminiscence.

She laughs," believe it or not he tried to steal from me." I smile as she goes on but it quickly fades as I realize I'll never meet a guy like that or a guy at all.

"He sounds like a great guy."

"He is but," she frowns, "Mother and Father will never approve." That statement reminds that my twin is just as bound as I am even if her chains aren't visible. I hug her tightly hating whatever spirit did this to us. Hotaru mumbles a good-bye before leaving. I pull my knees to my chest in thought. Someday my sister will be free even if I have to deal with the consequences.

Hotaru sat outside on her balcony, looking out to sea. She feels trapped but knows whatever she is experiencing is ten times worse for her sister. A flash of blue appears on the horizon and she stands up slowly. The light faded after a minute and she shakes her head. The village is high up north as far as it can get and still remain in the Earth Kingdom, and the light was probably just apart of the aurora borealis. She headed back inside and went to the library to find a book for Akane. One title caught her attention. On the bottom shelf behind Father's desk, The Skies the Limit. She reached forward to pull it out but was surprised when it and the four books next to it all slid out as one unit. She sat cross legged on the ground and on closer inspection realized that the books were fake and in fact created a long wooden box. It took her awhile to find the lid but it popped off easily once she did. Inside the box was a worn journal and another metal box with an intricate lock. She checked the lock and shook her head in bewilderment. The lock was made out of two open ended pipes that spiraled inward till the met in the middle were a circular metal piece was. She gave up on the lock and curiously opened the journal to a random page.

Today a man was brought into the hospital with several burns. He kept repeating that his children were in a camp by the woods and refused treatment until someone got them. A few minutes later a man came in with two twin girls. One of them was carrying a metal box. The other kept demanding to see her father but a nurse kept them out of the room as we worked on the man's wounds. Suddenly he grabbed my wrist and told me that they were to be kept together and were to keep the metal box that had once belonged to their mother. He died seconds later and the kids were put taken to the orphanage here in town.

Hotaru gasped and looked up from the journal. She took several deep breaths to calm herself. She faintly remembered that day at the hospital. Akane had been the one holding the box if she remembered correctly. She put the fake books back and took the journal and metal box to her room. She barely put them under her bed when her mother walked in.

"What are you doing on the floor?"

"Looking for something," she says brushing dirt off her pants.

Mother frowned, "you weren't at dinner."

"I wasn't hungry."

Mother sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Is this about the demon."

"No, it's about my sister," Hotaru growled.

"She's not your sister," her mother shouted

"Whatever."

She scowled and snapped, "it's a good thing your father is selling then." Hotaru looked up but she had already left. She grabbed her cloak out of the closet before climbing down the trellis under balcony and heading into the city.

She found him in the bar. Making sure her hood was up, she navigated her way to the counter and dropped onto the stool next to Ryuu.

"I need your help."

"Sorry doll but I think you got the wrong guy," he raises his drink to his lips but doesn't get to take a drink.

"Please," Hotaru begged tilting her head up so he could see her face. She released his wrist when he lowered the drink.

"Alright, shoot."

"I need you to break someone free."

"Who?"

"My sister."

"Sister?" he repeated.

"Will you help?" she asked seriously. He searched her amber eyes and found plenty of resolve.

"Sure thing doll," he answered and shook her hand.

I flip into a handstand. The metal chain attached to my ankle thumps into my spine. My shirt slips down and I shiver slightly. I take shaky breaths as I struggle to hold up my own weight. The door grinds open anpen and I hastily flip back to my feet. The chain clanks and rub harshly against my ankle. My father steps into the room closely followed by two other men. I watch them warily. Father roughly turns me and lifts up the back of my shirt.

"So it's true," one of the men say when I'm released. I step back away from them fearfully. The other steps around me in a quick circle eyeing me in a way one might check an ostrich horse. In that moment I realize what's going on.

"I'll take her," the man says and tossed Father a bag of coins. He checked the amount and nodded. There's a sharp sting in the side of my neck and I collapse as the drug floods my system.

When I come to I'm laying on my stomach in a cage. I push myself up and almost fall when the cage jerks. The cage I'm in is covered by a heavy dark fabric making it hard to decide if it's night or day. My ankles and wrists are bound to the floor with heavy chains. I rub my forehead trying to get rid of my headache. Stupid drugs make it feel like I have a hangover. I sit quietly trying to keep from throwing up. Suddenly the cage stops and I fall forward which does nothing to help with the queasiness. I huddle in the center aware of the sounds of fighting coming from around me. Something lands on top of the cage with a solid thump and I choke on a scream.

Hotaru- firefly, lightning bug

Akane- deep red

Ryuu- dragon

I'm having writer's block on my other stories so I decided to start this story. Please review.