Spark [Prince Zuko - Book One]

❃Prologue❃

In the summer of 84 AG, a spark was born under a blanket of stars and murmured prayers.

The mother of the baby girl gently held her daughter in her arms, staring down at the pale face. Tears streamed down the chubby cheeks as she cried into the otherwise silent night air, and the mother brushed the tears away. Her older son crouched next to her, his lean figure covered by the shadows of the night that settled around them. He gently reached out, his fingers brushing against his younger sister's face.

"Where is Father?" he asked, and the mother looked at her eldest child. In the dim moonlight streaming in through the small window behind her, she saw the smattering of freckles across his face, very similar to hers. But that was where the similarities ended, for he looked just like his father with a square jaw, bright orange eyes, and dark hair that curled beneath his ears. "I thought he was here."

The mother shook her head gently, looking back down at her daughter. The baby quieted down as she stared up at the stars above her, and the mother said another quick prayer to Nao Van, a phoenix spirit of all the lands, asking for his guidance in their lives. "He was here," the mother finally said, struggling to get the words out. Her body was exhausted, and she laid back on the chaise lounge, snuggling her daughter close to her chest. The girl didn't stop crying. "He was supposed to get me water."

Her son stood up and leaned against the rough-hewn window. She knew what was going through his head, that he was thinking about running away from this wretched place. Her heart ached in agreement. Then, the baby in her arms stirred, yawning widely. In the moonlight, she saw the muddy brown and orange color of her baby's eyes mixing with a dancing bright spark, one that would lead to her daughter's destruction. The mother hoped that no one else would notice. Her own eyes pricked with tears, making a decision on what she needed to do.

Things were different in the Fire Nation, she knew that. Things would always be different in the Fire Nation until hope returned, but there was no hope left. The Avatar was long gone, the cycle broken, and the Fire Lord and his family caused all this strife and heartache in the world. The Spirits were out of order without the Avatar, and the world was seemingly at its end.

And then she saw the familiar phoenix spirit she was fond of, smaller this time, flying over the small body of her daughter. The red and orange hue of its body glowed brightly in the night air, spreading its light around the small room she found herself in. A wing dipped down and gently brushed against the baby's head, and the mother knew the Spirit was going to protect her daughter, no matter what happened in the future.

As the Spirit dissipated into thin air, the father came barreling through the house, a small jug of water sloshing in his hands. His sharp features were taut, pulled back just like his hair as he struggled to set the water down. The man she had fallen in love with so long ago was different now, his face weathered and worn, his dark hair graying, his warm orange eyes now ashy and cold. He didn't even look at the mother, grumbling to himself about the late hour and how he had a meeting early in the morning.

The father kneeled down in front of the mother, his eyes zeroing in on their daughter. His face cracked and lost some of its hard edges, and he held his hands out. "It's a girl," he said as the mother slowly sat up, grimacing in pain. She laid her baby in the man's arms, immediately wanting to take her back. Her son dropped back down next to her, bowing his head in the presence of his father. "She's beautiful, my dear." The mother looked away from the father, clenching her jaw as she allowed the tears to fall down her cheeks. "What's her name?"

"She is going to be so loved and cherished," the mother said instead, her voice shaking. She looked outside the window and saw her Spirit friend watching the scene play out. His warm brown eyes blinked slowly, and she swallowed hard. She knew she was one of the only people who could see this particular Spirit, and whenever it came around, something important was coming. Nao Van had been with her since she became pregnant with her daughter. It must have been a sign that the baby will do great things. "Her name is Asake for she will be great, beautiful, and powerful."