Two years earlier, Amai was in her room, alone. She was lying on her bed, crying for the fourth time that week. Her father had betrothed her to someone she had never met, never even seen. She picked up a china vase on her table and threw it angrily at the wall, making it shatter loudly.
"Amai? Amai what's wrong?" Came a worried, male voice from the other side of her door.
"Go away, Kishin! I will not speak to you!" Amai shouted.
"Amai, don't be so childish. You're fourteen years old, it's about time you got betrothed; it would look bad for our family if you didn't."
She looked up from her folded arms and at her closed door. She heard her brother slide down the door and sit on the ground.
"Look who has the audacity to question it! You have broken how many betrothal contracts!" Amai shouted, making her maids scurry out of sight.
"Silly contracts. Easily broken. But for your contract, it's slightly harder, and there is just one solution." Kishin said softly, not to alert any of Amai's maids inside her quarters. Amai got up from her bed, and sat opposite her brother on her side of the door.
"Tell me brother; I will always be grateful to you." Amai whispered.
"Run away."
Amai gasped, but not loudly enough to alert her maids.
"Brother, I don't think I can do that. I cannot just leave my family…not just for this. I will just have to endure…" Amai sighed, getting up and opening the door for her brother. She opened one half of her double doors, to see her brother still sitting against the other half.
"You have not seen your betrothed. If I were you, I would run away while I can." He laughed and got up from the ground, dusting off his hands on his pants.
"I would rather see you an old spinster before I see you married to him." Kishin joked and pulled his sister in for a hug.
"Promise me you'll come back Amai, only after the contract with your betrothed breaks." Kishin whispered through his sister's hair before letting her go.
"I will brother, I promise. What will you say to father?" She asked.
"You needn't worry about that. I will figure something out."
Amai smiled and went into her room. She told her maids to leave her and her brother alone. After the maids had left, Amai pulled out a rucksack from her armoire and put it on her bed. She packed very little clothes, and only the bare essentials.
"I will miss you so brother. Don't let Hiryu get to you. And say goodbye to Yue for me."
Kishin nodded, and hung his head. Amai slung her backpack on to her back, and walked to their front door. Kishin followed in silence, it was getting late, and her father was bound to come home any minute, but luckily it was still six months of day. Amai stood at her door, fastening a water skin to her backpack straps, looking down their street. No one was to be seen, but there was an eerie silence hanging over their city.
"Brother, there is something happening…." Amai said softly, only to be interrupted by a loud explosion outside their walls. They looked at the plume of smoke erupting from the wall, and heard someone shouting for Kishin.
"Kishin! The Fire Nation has invaded! Hurry!"
They saw a young boy running towards them, and Kishin pushed Amai behind him.
"Tell Hiryu I will be there shortly."
"Amai must attend to the healing huts. They need more benders."
The boy ran back to the fortress he was sent from and Kishin pulled Amai into the street.
"Go quickly. I will tell father later."
"But Kishin, they need healers."
"Go now Amai! Everything will be fine. The Fire Nation will never invade this city."
"Brother…"
"GO AMAI!" He pushed Amai hard on her back and down the street. Amai turned to look at her brother, but he was already running in the opposite direction towards his fortress. Amai hung her head and pulled on the hood of her white coat. They would never see her escape the city with her wearing a white coat. She ran towards the city walls, heading for the gate that opened towards the land. Five guards stood present, and she hurried towards them.
"Stop civilian! All benders must attend fortresses or healing huts."
She looked up, showing her pale face and shocking eyes.
"Lady Amai. You should not be here…"
"I know, but you're not going to stop me."
The guard stood ready, but Amai rapidly lifted snow on stuck them to walls.
"Lady, you can't leave!" One of the guards shouted as she disappeared into the snow. She turned, letting them see how far she was.
"Goodbye." She said, swinging her arms around her head and then she was gone in a cloud of cold mist.