The Request
A strong wind blew rapidly against the large red flags adoring the great palace. The dying light of the vanishing sun cast a large shadow that became enveloped with in the ancient ivy covered stone wall that form the citadel garden. The extinguishing light of the fire orb of the sky seemed to make this place one of the rare beauty with in land of the Fire Nation.
But then an unfamiliar sound broke through the twilight silence. It was a total foreign sound, for it was sweet and pure and full of innocent. It was warm and kind. It was the very sound had awakened the universe at the dawn of time. It was laughter, child laughter. And just like with garden of pretty flora and bubbling fountains it was not normal associated with the nation who only used fire as a weapon for war and destroying when could be used to bring life to the world. For with out fire there is no life.
The sound grew louder and rang out a clear as a crystal bell. A flash red and rustle of feathers whipped past in the flowage. Out of the a thicket of dark fuchsia flowers came bounding a little girl in a long red dress no more than twelve chasing a pigeon sized bird who feathers where all the colors of the sunset.
"Come back here Ion! Don't be such a dodo bird enough of this silliness it is almost dinner time!" giggled the girl her amber eyes laughing as her long dark braided red hair whipped wildly from the chase. She held out her right hand for the bird to land on.
Ion glided down form the blossoming tree and landed on her hand, his talons dug an inch into the black leather glove, which concealed a secret.
"That a good boy my little phoenix. Sing me your sweet song please." Said the little girl as she stroke his breast with her index finger as the rest of her hand clutched a doll.
The doll seems to be a mixture of the four nations. It had the head of an Airbender, torso of a Firebender, legs of an Earthbender and the feet of a Waterbender.
Ion began to sing to his lovely mistress when the sound of angry voice interrupted the beautiful melody. Cringe in discomfort but brave enough to find the sources of noise the child climbed the stonewalls and peeked over. She could see two people in the shadows of the two old stone guardians statues. They must of thought or didn't care if anyone heard them for they were speaking very loud. She could tell that the one on left was a mere cadet sent to deliver a message but the other who she knew was Fire Lord Ozai was not please with what ever the message was. Before you could blink an eye the boy who could be no older than 18 was on the ground screaming in pain as he rolled over and over again to put out the fire that engulfed his body. She slide down the wall and walked very slowly like a she just been to a graveyard to the dinning hall as she held back tears of rage and confusion.
When she got there she took a seat at one end of a long glass table and the Fire Lord took the seat at the other end. A pretty woman with long fox colored hair with violet eyes in a red dress began to serve them.
"Thanks you, Saffron. That enough for now I'll ring if we need anything else." Said Ozai as he took a hearty helping of swordfish. After a few minutes he gazed at the little girl before him and said
"Everything ok Zara? You look most unhappy."
"No it, nothing, Father, well two things. One must you punishing our men so harshly when the bring news of the outside world?" asked Zara as she picked at her fruit slices
"How I deal with my men is my business! Have your visions been given you any trouble?" he asked greedily
"No they haven't. That not what I want to talk to you about." She replied smoothly. She didn't want to talk about her vision with him right now.
"What to you want to talk about then?" he asked
"In case you have forgotten it's my 12 birthday today and you promised that I could have anything I asked for." She stated
"I have not forgotten. Tell me what to you desirer. A princess should have anything she wants. You have become a fine lady just like your mother, Zalika you even look like her. So what do you want?" he said as start to eat his fruit.
Gritting her teeth she gather up her courage and said. " Let me go to my brother. Please Father I miss him."
"Don't mention that traitor at the table please he a failure and has lost his honor his name is not worth remembering!"
A thousand fire heat combined couldn't compare to Zara rage at that moment she forget to choose her words careful and narrowed her eyes till they were mere amber chips and she said with all her angry and fury what she thought. "FATHER! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT? HE IS YOUR SON AND HIS NAME IS ZUKO! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU THINK HE A TARTIOR WHEN HE BEEN THE MOST LOALY TO THE FIRE NATION. AND THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF HONOR IS STUPID BEYOND HELL! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO PUT HIM ON AN ABSURD QUEST TO FIND SOME ONE WHO NO LONGER ALIVE! I WANT MY BROTHER FOR MY BIRTHDAY AND YOU SAID YOU GIVE ME ANYTHING I WANT THAT WHAT I WANT. GOOD NIGHT!" she screamed at him as factually left a trail of smoke as she ran to her room crying.
"Children! She not even an adolescent yet and she already making me nuts. More wine pleases Saffron." He said as he held out his precious stone chalice.
"Beg your proton my Lord. But I think it is best for her to see him. He might have an untimely end or accident and I think it would be the right if they saw each other again. My own daughter ran away from me after her older brother Cedric died in battle and I don't want you to see your daughter go though that. It was painful when you lost Zalika it was a painful blow to your family. I won't say anything if I didn't think it would help Lord Ozai. You know my loyalty has been as my family been to the Fire Lord and Nation for the past 500 hundred years so just consider what your daughter needs for really." Said Saffron timidly
Up in her room on her gold and red silk bed was Zara crying. "It not fair! All I want for my birthday is my brother. It has been so long! Things have not been the same since you died Mom. I wish you were here to tell me what to do." She said as hugged the doll. Just as she finish wiping her tears she a strange sound outside on her roof. She went out to the balcony and looked up.
Hidden in the cloak of night was a figure standing on top of the roof. It remains hidden till the moonlight found holes to seep through. Then the figure slide down on the roof tiles creating a shower of sparks. Three feet from the edge the figure jump gripped a flag and swing around a few time till they released to a total 360 digress body twist before landing on the balcony with cat like grace.
Zara clapped three times and said "You defiantly have the skills and the moves but I still don't understand why you and your "friends" did what you did Callista. You have your mother-worried sick. So why don't you get out will you still can. Come home."
"My name, said the girl who violet eyes and short fox orange hair made her a dead ringer for her mother downstairs said, "is not Callista. Not anymore. Not since those monster killed my brother! Fire Nations soldiers killed my brother! Our own people killed him and all he did was the right thing!" she hissed
"He disobeyed orders." Said Zara unsurely
"You think not setting a village on fire with women and children is wrong?" asked the girl in her brother's armor
"Well no. It would be wrong to kill innocent people like they were cows to be slaughtered. What is the new name you have chosen because since I know when you join the Fire Nation Rebellion you pick a new name to burn a way the ways of wick ness." Asked Zara
"It is Crimson and if your wondering how we destroy 6 war ships and raid the weapons supply I can't tell you. I think Zara it high time you start listening to your heart. Your mother would have wanted that. I will see in future right? I mean you are clairvoyance right?" asked Crimson as she turned to leave.
"It is my mother gift to me. For with clairvoyance comes empathy and don't know if it a gift or a curse. So watch your back Crimson. I will tell your mom your all right." Replied Zara sadly as hung her head.
Crimson smiled and left. The moment she was gone Ozai stepped into the room. He was hold in a lead box and he said gently "Daughter. I have been think about your request and I will allow you to go to your brother proved that you give me a week report on how he treating you."
"Sure! Thank you!" she said.
"Here this is something your mother want to give you the day you become a lady. I believe today is that day." He said as he handed he the lead box.
Opening it she gasped as she pulled out on an iron chain necklace. Clasped in the center was a glowing red/yellow stone. It seems to glow in tune with her heartbeat.
"The Eye of Ember! You're giving me this necklace!" she said in wonder
"Yes it was the first Fire Lord give to his love. He went to the very heart of a volcano to get it. Here let me put this on you. You look just as beautiful as your mother. Now get some sleep you have a long journey ahead of you.
That night as the light of the full moon reach the midnight point the same dream she had every time there was a full moon at midnight since her mother died started.
She was standing in a grassy green field with flowers everywhere. A waterfall was near by. The sky was bluest and no clouds it was a position of paradises. Then all of sudden the land became barren and lava shot up form the ground and the sky become filled with thick black clouds that rained blood. She could feel all who died in the war and she seeing millions of bodies piled high to the heavens.
"Somebody anybody save me! Help me! Ahh!'' she cried as she fell into craves and screamed. Suddenly she was not falling but flying! A small boy on a glider was carrying her. She couldn't see his face but she saw his beautiful gray eyes. He laid her to rest and with a wave his hands thing were wonderful again.
"Thank you!" she whisper kindly
"Don't mention Lets go have fun," he said but before their hands met she woke up.
"That the first time he been there. I wonder who he is. I couldn't forgot those eyes." She said as she dressed.
Soon she was on a bout that would reunite her with her brother. She used her time wisely planning what to do. After a week they made it her brother bout just as dawn was at hand.
"Why are stopping? I like to get to our destination soon. We are out of tea. And I would also like cake." Said Iroh as he yawned.
"I'm sure we'll get there soon. But first you must show me to my quarters sir." Said a slightly familiar voice behind him.
Turning around he saw his niece who he had not seen in two years! "Zara! How good it is to see you!" cried Iroh as he hugged her.
"It is nice to see you to Uncle. Where is Zuko?" she asked eagerly
"In his room meditating. Come lets surprise him." As he lead her through the long corridors. Reaching Zuko chambers Iroh knocked. "Prince Zuko there is someone out here who like to speak with you."
"In less it about the Avatar I don't wish to be disturbed Uncle. Out of curosisity why have we stopped? I order the ship to go full steam ahead so we could make it to our goal in two days." Zuko replied angry as sat with his back to the door.
"We stopped to pick a guest. Someone who is more important than the Avatar." Replied his Uncle
"Who is more important the Avatar?" Asked Zuko as he adds more to the fire in front him.
"Me." Said a tiny voice that made Zuko head do a 180 and his eyes meet with the eyes Zara and she smiled. "Hello Brother. Been awhile."
All the hate and angry and evil that normal was etched onto his face melted away and ran to her and picked her up and hugged her. Laughing and crying he said in a chocked voice "I thought I never see you Zara again. Come I'll make you breakfast and you can tell me all about your adventures and I'll share mine. We are still a few day away form where going."
"So Zuko where are heading and what were you and Uncle Iroh talking about. I thought I heard the word "Avatar" she asked.
"You did. The Avatar is alive. And we are on course to the island known as The Isle of the Avatar. It is said every Avatar that every lived has visit this Isle at one time or another and my bet that where we'll find him. It also said that the first Avatar created the Island as a sanctuary for benders. Come lets eat you must be starved."
Smiling they began to chat. She gazed out at sun on the sea and she knew she was in for adventure. But she had no idea what kind of adventure she was going to be in for.
