So... I am trying out a new story. This one is a bit darker than my Blazing Crystal series. However, if I get good feed back then I hope this story will take flight. The first chapter will be pretty dark and emotional, but things will hopefully get lighter from here on out. Let me know what you all think.

-Faith

summary: Amara is the daughter of two nations. Her father: A Fire Nation Admiral. Her mother: an imprisoned waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. Her half-brother Zhao sees Amara as nothing but a mistake that he has been burdened with after his father's death. Abused both physically and mentally for sixteen years by her Fire Nation family, Amara begins to lose hope that she will ever know what it means to be happy and free. However, that all changes when she is saved by a strange man with a great love for tea.

Suck at summaries...

(Caution: This is teen rated so there will not be any sexual scenes, but there are mentions of rape and some detailed scenes of abuse)

The Tale of Amara

Chapter 1: Caged

"Let go! Please!" I dug my heels into the dirt, but the force on my arms caused me to continue to stumble forward. "Just let me go!"

"Stop!" One of the soldiers that worked for my brother kicked me in the heel hard to silence me. I gasped from the pain and almost fell. The two men holding me up kept me from falling. "Commander Zhao has ordered we bring you to him immediately. You resisting will only make your punishment worse!"

I struggled harder; my eyes were blind with the salty liquid that continued to fill them. "Please! Don't do this! Please!"

The rough hands only continued to jerk me across the Fire Nation harbor camp towards the large square tent. I struggled and fought my brother's men more, wishing they wouldn't be so cold hearted and loyal to their commanding officer. As I tried to dig my bare feet into the cold hard earth again, I hissed as stones dug into my skin. Before I could escape my captors, I was shoved through the tent flap entrance which had been pulled apart by two soldiers standing at the opening.

Being shoved into the large open area, I was forced onto my knees immediately and held down by the two soldiers who had dragged me across camp. I had been so close to escape... I had made it two miles from camp. However, my brother realized I was gone and sent his fleet out to find me. Too weak to run, I was caught and dragged back.

This was my tenth escape attempt since being brought to the Earth Kingdom. This was my tenth failure.

Commander Zhao stood in front of me, his back turned as he gazed at the map on the maroon tent wall. His hands were behind him in tight fists, and he stood straight with authority. His red armor was polished, and his black hair was in a tight topknot. I could see even with his back turned his stupid sideburns.

"Leave us," Zhao ordered. "Guard outside and make sure no one enters."

The two soldiers finally released me, and they left the tent. Once they were gone, the flaps falling behind them, silence fell over the area as Zhao continued to examine the map. I kept on my knees, knowing that any other attempt of escape was pointless. The soldiers were outside, and my heartless half-brother was in front of me. I was trapped and done for.

"Amara," his cold voice spoke, sending shivers down my spine. "You understand why I am not pleased, correct?"

I felt my body shake involuntarily in terror. I hung my head letting my long black hair fall on both sides of my face. The pain would be coming soon. I breathed to try and calm myself though. I did not want Zhao to sense my fear.

"Where were you planning on going this time?" He turned to face me and stepped over to me. I saw his boots in my vision. "Trying to run east to get to Ba Sing Se? Or south to your mother's people? You are such a foolish child. Do you honestly think anyone would want a half-breed like you? You don't belong anywhere." He crouched to get a little closer to me. "You are a mistake that is lucky to still breathe."

I grit my teeth. I would not show my fear. I wanted to be strong and brave. "I'm willing to try and go anywhere that you are not..." I shut my eyes. "I don't understand why you won't let me go? Don't you have more important things to do than chase after a bastard child... Why won't you leave me alone and let me die in the wilderness?!"

Zhao chuckled. He grabbed my hair to jerk my head back and force me to meet his burning gold eyes. The strain sent sharp shocks through my scalp. I grit my teeth to keep from crying harder from the pain.

"My dear little sister," Zhao whispered with amusement. "I promised my father and your sweet mommy before she was executed that I would care for you. I would be breaking that if I let you run off alone. You don't want me to be irresponsible, do you?" He released me and stood straight again. His tone turned dark. "Stand up!"

His order did not scare me. I stayed down.

"Now!"

I still made no move. I would not give in to his wishes.

He growled. He grabbed the back of my shirt collar and jerked me up. I was forced to my feet. I refused to let him see me afraid. "You are as stubborn as your worthless mother. And my father was a fool for getting that waterbender pregnant and not having the heart to kill her while she was with child. His weakness left me stuck with a stupid mistake!"

I grit my teeth. "Then kill me already! Kill me like you did to my mother! You know I'll just keep trying to run away from you! You should've left me chained up back at the Fire Nation under Uncle Xi's control! Anything is better than being dragged around by an insufferable cow-pig like you!"

He slapped me, his hand causing my vision to blur and me to stumble.

"You clearly need to be reminded of your position, Amara! You will not speak to me with disrespect! I am your brother!"

I choked out from my pain, "You will never be my brother you heartless monster!"

"If that's how you truly feel, then let me show you just how heartless I can be!" He grabbed me by the arm and jerked me forward. I gasped as he shoved me down onto my knees and forced my stomach on the low table that was in the center of the room. He called for backup, and the two soldiers who had caught me earlier came back in. "Hold her down." The two men did as they were told and grabbed my arms as I struggled. I gasped, knowing what was about to come. Zhao left me for a moment, walking over to the weapon stand near the wall of the tent. I heard him grab something from the collection and then he stepped behind me. I struggled harder, moving my legs to try and escape my captors holds. They did not release.

He sighed. "Amara... My sweet Amara... I really wish you would just learn to behave. As much as I find pleasure in beating you, if this becomes a daily thing then you may be in too much pain for me to enjoy it."

Tears blinded me, but they were more from spite. I yelled with hate, "I hope you rot in the deepest pit when you die, Zhao!"

He chuckled. "As you've told me before... But until that day, I will enjoy your screams, my dear sister."

The whip crashed against my back. My flesh burned. I cried out in pain. The leather hit me again, and I cried out once more, my body lurching from the force. I was not certain how many times he hit me with the whip. By the thirteenth one, I let the pain knock me out.

As I fell away from the pain, I dreamed of the past...

Sitting on my mom's lap, I sat back against her as she hummed a Water Tribe tune to me. Her sound was so soft and comforting. I wished I could hear it forever. We were in the dusty attic room that was our life long prison. The room had no window. The roof was slanted above, and one door was to the left of us. Our cot, which was stained with blood, was the only furniture. There was a chamber pot, and a small pile of wooden turtle-duck toys my dad had given me, but other than that an emptiness was around us. My mother had a chain on her ankle, and I had a smaller chain on my own. We both had darker skin than my father, but I knew we were pale compared to my mother's people. We both rarely saw sunlight...

As my mom hummed along, I asked softly, "Where did you learn that song, mommy?"

I was five. My voice was so soft though. So broken. I was always scared if I spoke too loud I would anger my Uncle or brother.

My mother hugged me closer to her. "Your grandma used to sing it to me. And I would sing it to my little sister."

I fiddled with the straw Fire Nation doll my father had given me. While my brother was a monster, my father was nice to me. He was at war though, so we were stuck at home with my mean brother and Uncle. We were hoping no one would come upstairs and beat us, so we were doing our best to be quiet.

"Tell me more about them," I whispered.

She sighed and hugged me closer as she thought about her family. "Your grandma is so sweet... beautiful... She was born at the North Pole... betrothed to be married. She decided to find her own path though. She ran away to the South Pole where she met your grandpa and fell in love. They had me shortly after their marriage. Then five years later they had my sister."

"Aunt Kya," I whispered.

My mother let out a shaky breath. "Yes... Aunt Kya... she was always so excited to watch me waterbend. I always wondered if she would be a waterbender as well. I wish I could see them all again... I miss them so much." My mother pressed her face into my hair and gave a gasp as a cry escaped her. "Oh sweetie... I wish so much you were with them... I hate that you've spent your whole life trapped in this prison. I'm so sorry... If I could get you away from this nightmare, I would."

I looked at the chain on my small ankle. They started to lock me up like my mother when I was old enough to walk. They didn't want the world to learn about me. I was a secret that would bring dishonor to my father's family. I was a mistake.

"I have mommy though," I spoke. "That's all that matters."

She sobbed again. "Oh, Amara... you are the only good thing that came out of this... I love you so much."

My eyes watered as I heard the sorrow in my mom's voice. I turned in her lap and hugged her tight, pressing my face into her faded brown shirt. "I love you mommy."

When I came to consciousness sometime later, I felt a cool sensation on my back. I whimpered as a sharp pain shot over my skin. "Miss Amara..." Tu Lan whispered. "Are you awake?"

Slowly, I opened my eyes and tried to focus. I was back in my cell, which was an iron cage inside a small tent. My personal cell guard- and only friend- Tu Lan was beside me. He had a bowl next to him with red stained water from what I assumed was my blood. My bloody shirt was beside him as he knelt next to me. Tu Lan was about my brother's age, early-forties, with hair he kept shaved short. He was muscular from his training as a soldier, but had a lean body as well. He had soft brown eyes. He had been in my life for as long as I could remember, having once worked for my father.

"Tu Lan... how... how long was I out?"

He frowned. "Only an hour. They dragged you back to the cell. I came as soon as I heard you were returned." He sighed with frustration. "Why won't you listen to me? I told you not to run this morning... I hate seeing you hurt like this." He dabbed the bloodied cloth on my torn flesh again. I gasped and pressed my face into my moldy cot. "Your wounds from last week were finally healed too..."

"I... I'm sorry... but I have to get out of here... One day he's going to kill me," I whispered. "Soon he'll become bored of me... He'll dispose of me just like he and Uncle did to my mother." I shivered at the memory that wanted to return.

Tu Lan sighed. "I fear that as well... I wish I knew how to help you, but I cannot betray my commanding officer..."

I rested my cheek on the mattress, and my deep blue eyes met his with agony. "Tu Lan... If I don't get out of here soon, I fear I may not be able to handle anymore... I may just end it all myself... I... I don't want to keep living like this."

He was horrified when I spoke this. He shook his head. "No... Just a little longer, Amara... I'll try and figure out something. Don't give up yet..." He brushed his hand gently through my hair. "I promised your mother I would look out for you the day they executed her. I will not break that promise," he whispered. "I swear I will get you out of this. Just give me a little more time."

I shut my eyes, drifting away again as his hand stroking through my hair soothed me back to sleep.