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1

Storms

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The rain beat against the windows of the palace with a sharp cracking sound, interrupted by the roar of thunder, the fury of lightening and the howling of wind. "It seems only the earth does not want to spit its fury at us." Sazan muttered.

"We have weathered worse storms." The princess murmured back, tucked under blankets. Beside her young Kuzon slept soundly while baby Iroh rested in her arms. "It will pass before morning."

"But will we get any sleep before then?" her husband wryly asked. He was just about to settle himself down in an overstuffed chair when the wind battered against the windows again and there was a sharp crack. The shutters flew open, spilling a wash of heavy rain and a gust of wind in. The servants who had barred them before rushed to seal them again as Sazan leapt to his feet like a startled pygmy puma. "Doesn't look like it." he added in a low tone.

He paced around the room like a wild animal taking guard before his family; Sazan watched the corners of the room. He shivered at the temperature drop as the chill wind rattled the shutters, and moved to oversee the servants mop up the water blown into the hall. Once things were settled back in place he returned to their chambers. He stretched and started to settle back into the overstuffed chair when his youngest son let out a piercing cry.

The hair rose on the back of Sazan's neck as he turned to his wife and children. Kuzon was stirring groggily while Iroh's tiny face was twisted in terror, gold eyes focused into the darkness at the edge of the room, wailing. "I thought he was sleeping?"

The princess frowned, drawing her baby protectively closer. "He suddenly woke." Her own glittering gaze tracked Iroh's frozen stare, towards the edges of the darkness. "I don't see anything…" Her brows knit as she drew her elder son close as he woke, staring in wide-eyed confusion.

Sazan frowned deeply, his teeth clenched as tightly as his muscles were wound. He called a small ball of fire into his cupped hand and started walking in the direction his wife and son's eyes were transfixed.

He saw darkness, the light ripple of a tapestry as the wind kicked up again, a picture highlighted in his flickering flame. Nothing else. As he held his breath to take one last look he felt something brush past his shoulder. He let out a short breath, his fingers snapped out and the flame in his palm grew to the size of a torch. Still nothing.

"Daddy…" Kuzon's voice was groggy but his eyes were wide. "I saw something move."

As if on cue, Iroh wailed once again.

Sazan held absolutely still, commanding the flame to burn steady. He narrowed his eyes like a hawk does when seeking prey and focused on the very corner of his vision. In the blur at the very edge of the flame light he finally caught sight of it: the figure of a woman, white and nearly transparent. Once he convinced himself it was there, his eyes could focus on it completely. She had long flowing hair, porcelain skin and large gaping holes where her eyes should have been. She gave a whistling hiss as the flame grew near. As her mouth opened up, a thick line of blood dribbled out.

"Boshinki!" Sazan called out, falling back into a fighting stance. Flame danced protectively around him as both instinct and years of study on spirits told him this thing was dangerous. "Do not let it touch the children!"

His wife was already on her feet, with Iroh in her arms and Kuzon drawn behind her. Her face held a murderous intent towards any evil spirits bent on draining the blood from her children, which was exactly what boshinki were known for.

The prince lashed out with a quick set of blows, battering the spirit back until he could smell the smoke rising from the scorch marks on the walls and curtains. He took a faint step back to clear his vision, trying to corral the creature into the hall and away from the children. Sensing an opportunity the boshinki lashed out with its claws. Pain flared and the fire in his hands guttered for a moment as two long red welts on his arm started oozing fresh blood. Sazan bit off a short cry, the spirits' very touch felt like white-hot metal being seared against his flesh.

Faint sparks of red flared in the spirit's empty eye sockets, the smell of blood spurred it forward to press the attack. The prince redoubled his offensive efforts, praying that fire's capability to burn even spirits would protect him before another attack fell.

They clashed, fire meeting claws and slowly burning through. The spirit shrieked, calling and icy wind around its ragged form that battered back the flames. It surged forward in a rush of ice and claws, sending Sazan sliding back to parry the blow. With a disgusting cough it spat a large clump of sticky black blood at him, the wet mass spreading out across his forehead and eyes. Fighting blurred vision, he threw his hands up in a shield as the evil spirit attacked, steeling himself for the worst. Just before the fire-hot claws hit home a searing blast of orange fire blasted the boshinki into a heap against the wall.

"You will never touch my family." The princess' voice was stark and firm, sending a second blast of fire into the chest of the boshinki, which crumpled with a soundless scream.

Sazan fumbled, trying to wipe the black muck from his face. As he could clear enough away to make things out clearly he saw his children staring in shock at the orange fire which was slowly turning to blazing white as the spirit was consumed, and his wife standing beside him, puffed up like an enraged tigerdillo. The children had gone silent; as if they were afraid to breathe until they were sure it was over. When the fire faded, all that was left was a fine grey ash.

The silence seemed to hang in the air like a fine ash, only broken when the princess called for fresh water, salt and juniper oil to be brought immediately. The servants outside the chambers jumped when they heard her voice, as if startled back into breathing again.

Kuzon and Iroh stayed huddled on the bed as their mother washed the spirit wounds their father had suffered, purifying the areas with the dark yellow juniper oil. After she was done she drew a line of salt around the ashes and in front of the window, instructing the servants to not disturb either salt or ashes under any circumstances.

Sazan allowed himself to be helped back to bed where the shivers of two young boys slowly calmed to the faint murmurs of sleep. He rested his head on his pillow and indulged in a glance at his wife. "Will it pass before morning?" he wondered with a hoarse whisper.

She kissed his cheek, drawing both sleeping children close and ruffling their hair. "It will now. I promise."

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A/N: Boshinki is taken from the Polish "Boginki" – an evil spirit sent to capture children.

Also, powers that be: please to be officially naming Zuko's daughter. I hear a new rumor of her name every other day it seems and I'm not committing to any of them yet. -.-