Child of Sky Chapter 11
"Sho! Hiroshi! Akemi! You have to- Oh! Sorry... " The voice sprinting
toward the bedroom was Ichiro, finding the emotions running rampant in the
bedroom, he found himself standing there blushing in embarrassment.
"What is it?" Zuko demanded.
"Oh! Right. Th-the Fire Nation Army found us. They demand Akemi"
Iroh and Zuko stared in shock, but this bit of information was nothing new
to Akemi... who had learned this earlier along with her true name. She
wanted so much to tell them, but that would have to wait until later.
"We should go talk with Zhao." Iroh concluded.
Zuko nodded, "I'll come with you"
Akemi could not speak, watching the two men she cared so much for walk out
of the room to greet the predator who wanted nothing more than their lives.
Outside, Zuko and Iroh approached Zhao, careful to be only within shouting
distance.
"What do you want with Akemi?" Zuko demanded, though he already knew the
answer.
"I'm just taking her to meet the Fire Lord. I'm sure your father would be
interested in meeting a specimen like her." Zhao said coolly, a mischievous
grin played upon his face.
Zuko growled, his fists warm with the fire he wished to fire at the
infuriating Commander.
"Zhao! You have no reason to be after this girl. She is innocent and has
nothing to do with this war. Turn and leave now." Iroh instructed firmly,
his voice tense with anger.
"I cannot do that. This family has been harboring fugatives and so the
option to leave is now void." Zhao said hotly, seemingly flaunting his
expertise of the rules.
Anger welled within the banished prince's chest, growling in frustration.
His uncle put a reassuring hand on his nephew's shoulder. Before either
could speak, a barrage of arrows erupted from the trees expertly aimed at
the myriad Fire Nation troops.
"We must get out of here!" Iroh shouted over the panicked shouts and orders.
The farmer's land had instantly become a battlefield. Zuko caught a glimpse
of an Earth soldier's face, riddled with determination and eyes full of
something Zuko did not understand. It could only be described as a
readiness. A readiness to fight, to defend and even to die.
Inside the cottage, Akemi was slow to rise from her bed, having watched the
scene unfold from inside.
"They won't leave." She said knowingly. It wasn't a question.
"They're determined to get you, and they don't care if they have to plow
through those Earth Kingdom troops to get here." Zuko said, unable to look
her in the eye as he recalled the soldier's face.
"What will we do?" Rairu asked, fear apparent on her face as her husband
held her close, he children clinging to her kirtle.
"We'll wait it out and hope for the best. It's the only thing we can do."
Iroh advised, turning to watch the bloody struggle from the safety of the
window.
"I won't stand for that! I will join my comrades and fight!" Hao shouted
bravely.
"And do what? Die for the sake of one girl and leave your family behind? You
will stay here and protect them. It is the best thing you can do for them
and we will help you do it." Iroh snapped, his voice gradually softening in
his consoling.
Akemi cringed at his reference to her as a mere "girl" in his anger. Though
she understood it was frustrating and stressful to have an enemy empire
fighting only yards from your safehold with the intention of slaughter and
capture.
"Uncle, what if we were to help them?" Zuko suggested.
"No, Prince Zuko. We are probably the best chance they have for protection."
Iroh said quickly.
"Prince Zuko? I know you! You're the Fire Lord's son!" Hao said through
shock, his voice growing tense with anger.
"We mean you no harm. We want to protect you." Zuko offered, his voice
soft... almost tender.
"You're that banished prince! Your own father kicked you out! We were
harboring Fire Nation!" Hao shouted in anger, his children cowering at the
sound of his tone.
"Please calm down. It isn't what you think." Akemi pleaded, her own voice
calm and soft.
Hao snapped his burning fury on her, "And I suppose you're a Fire Nation
wench as well? I want you out of my house and off of my land." Hao demanded,
stalking threatening toward Akemi.
Akemi's brow furrowed in anger, her hand swiped across his face, the flesh
of her palm seared with the force of flesh striking flesh. She had struck
Hao across the face.
Her own face held her surprise and bewilderment if but for a moment before
she composed herself, her tone was firm and strong as she spoke, "We have
helped you and your family in what short time we have been here and we will
continue to help. If that means we must protect you against your will, so be
it"
Hao's hand pressed against the inflamed skin shaped to match Akemi's
handprint as he soothed it from it's burning sensation.
Rairu nodded, stepping forward from her huddled family, "I agree. You help
us in whatever way you see fit and we will do the same"
Akemi nodded, reaching an agreement with Rairu they all departed, seeking a
way to seal the house from the impending danger raging outside.
Hours later, the house had been boarded shut and windows locked to prevent
any danger from reaching their boarders. But even they knew this wouldn't be
enough.
Akemi sat in a wooden chair, placed before the window facing the field where
the battle continued to rage even as the moon began to rise into the dark
twilight sky.
"Akemi?" A small, childish voice asked, interrupting Akemi's thoughts.
Standing only a few feet away, shifting her weight from one foot to another
was the youngest child, Junko. Her two brothers stood behind her, standing
close to each other for reassurance.
"What can I do for you?" Akemi asked, her voice devoid of any warmth, having
lost it all that day.
"We're afraid and we can't sleep. Momma is weeping and Daddy is arguing with
her. They're scared too. Can you sing us a lullaby?" Junko asked, her voice
as sweet and polite as her vocals would allow.
"I haven't sung in a while, so I may not be good and any songs I know, you
probably aren't familiar with." Akemi offered sadly.
Junko brightened, "That's okay. We would just like you to sing"
All three children hurried to her side, Junko making herself comfortable
upon Akemi's lap as her brothers knelt beside the chair.
Akemi thought for a moment, recalling any songs she may know by heart before
singing a lullaby she remembered from an old movie based on a story older
than most.
Hush now, my baby
Be still now
Don't cry
Sleep like you're rocked by the stream
Sleep and remember
my lullaby
And I'll be with you when you dream
Drift on a river that through my heart
Drift as I'm singing to you
I see you smiling
So peaceful and calm
And holding you I'm smiling too
Here in my arms
Safe from all harm
Holding you I'm smiling too
Hush now, my baby
Be still, love
Don't cry
Sleep like you're rocked by the stream
Sleep and remember
This River Lullaby
I'll be with you when you dream
Here in my arms
Safe from all harm
Holding you I'm smiling too
Sleep and remember this River Lullaby
I'll be with you when you dream
Sleep and remember this River Lullaby
I'll be with you when you dream
I'll be with you when you dream
The children's fears had ended as the collapsed to the floor, entangled in
each other's embrace, having succumbed to their slumbers that beckoned to
them.
Standing from her chair, Akemi had made a decision as she sang. She would
give herself up and stop the pointless fighting, saving everyone's lives.
As she unhinged the window of which Zuko and Iroh slept, it having been the
only window left unboarded, Zuko's voice startled her from her task.
"What are you doing?" Zuko asked sleepily, lifting himself from his bed.
"Ending all this stupid nonsense, that's what. I'm going to turn myself in."
Akemi returned coldly. It hurt to speak so harshly to someone who had been
remotely so kind to her.
"You can't! We're protecting you from here." Zuko said desperately, a tone
that did not suit him well.
"To what end, Zuko? Hao is at his end and ready to throw us out. Rairu is
slowly losing her senses, and Zhao is getting closer and closer to
demolishing the Earth Kingdom forces that have held him at bay for this
long. It won't be long before they come here, slaughter everyone in order to
fetch me. This is the only way that saves whatever lives are left." Akemi
explained angrily, having opened the window that she would soon jump out of.
"You're not leaving! We've done all this to help you." Zuko ordered, his
hand firmly wrapped around Akemi's arm.
"Sorry, Zuko. But you can't order me around anymore. You said that when I
remember everything, I was out of here. So, I'm leaving. You can't stop me.
I'm sorry." She said remorsefully, pushing his arm away as she leapt from
the window, landing gracefully upon the ground before sprinting off to stop
the two warring sides.
A.N.: I know this was short and probably not written as well as it could
have been. You see, it was a bit rushed, so I'm sorry if that shows. Anyway,
hope you liked it overall. I want to finish this as soon as possible.
Anyway, take care!! Don't forget to review!