Chrysanthemum || An ATLA Fanfiction

Staying Put

Hey everyone!! Happy New Year!! I hope you had a great time these holidays!!

So here's the new chapter, it's rather small compared to my other chapters (I'm having a bit of a writer's block) but enjoy!!

Don't forget to comment your thoughts on this chapter!!

Oh and please read the Author's note at the bottom! I have an announcement I'd like you guys to read!

After the visit to the Fire Sage, Reina's mind was reeling with information. Flame-touched, prodigy, the Sun Spirit called Shai. What was all this? This wasn't canon to the show... Especially the Flame-touched prophecy(could she even call it that?) was definitely not canon.

Well considering there were no redheads in the world of Avatar, who knows, maybe it was true but then again it sounded kinda stupid. Just because someone has red hair he or she is considered a prodigy and blessed by the Sun Spirit?

But Reina couldn't help but point out that the legend was technically true. She had red hair, she was blessed by the Sun Spirit as her mother had said on the day she was born and apparently she was a skilled firebender. Though the whole shtick about her birth signalling that the Fire Nation will be entering a new age was bull. But then again if she was the same age as, say, Zuko or Azula, that would, again, be technically true, considering Zuko will be the Fire Lord who will end the Hundred Year War.

Aaaa, this was such mindfuck, Reina couldn't comprehend what all this meant. Though one good thing that came out of this situation is that her parents were now treating her, not as a baby, but as an older child and she could freely question them about anything and everything all of the time. (Yes she was a curious bean)

So the first question Reina asked was what year it was, she had to confirm whether or not the Flame-touched prophecy was true and where she was on the timeline. The answer did not amuse her. It was 84 AG aka 84 years after the Air Nomad Genocide aka a year after she was born which also, if Reina remembered correctly, was also the same year Zuko was born, in 83 AG.

Reina secretly had held on to the hope that she would not be the same age as the Gaang, after all, her meddling would only ruin the timeline and honestly, she couldn't offer much to the story. As she said, she would only cause ripples in the timeline which could have catastrophic consequences.

Though another part of her was kinda happy. She could have the opportunity to meet her favourite characters and learn more about them. But she couldn't be selfish and risk ruining everyone's happiness, so for now she would just stay where she was, with her family in Shu Jing living her best life. After all, she couldn't waste the second chance that was given to her.

After figuring that out, her next question was when would she be allowed to train with her parents in their respective art. The answer did not amuse her once again. She'd have to wait for at least four years to train either with the sword or in firebending.

That sucked major ass. Though thinking it from her parents' perspective, it made sense. They wanted her to have a normal childhood (as normal as it could be considering she was a "prodigy"), so she didn't protest. She had already put them through a ride and didn't want to worry them more. She begrudgingly decided to comply with her parents' wishes and wait the four years to start her training.

In the meantime, Reina would obviously be learning about the world around her. She was absolutely fascinated by the few bits and pieces of lore she had gathered from her surroundings about the Fire Nation.

The elderly were very important here. They were treated with the utmost respect and upon coming in contact with one it was customary to bow down. This bow consisted of placing a hand in a straight fashion with the other being fisted and placed underneath it vertically. Reina had asked her father why people did that and he answered;