The Blue Flame

Chapter 2

Aiya

Aiya is looking one last time in the mirror before going to pack her bag. Her black, red, and gold long sleeve split tunic dress is perfectly straight. Her black pants she's wearing underneath and black shoes help complete her look. The perfect outfit for looking fashionable while still being able to kick ass. Aiya's natural auburn hair is in a high braided ponytail with a few strands of wavy hair framing her face. She grabs her moms gold bracelets and necklace and puts them on her. Pleased with how she looks, Aiya goes over to her bed to finished packing her bag. In her bag is an extra pair of clothes, knives, water, food, and an extra few things strewn about. All the essentials to go on a long journey.

As Aiya is packing, she hears a knock on her door.

"Yes?" Aiya says.

The door opens and her Aunt Aika walks through. "Hey sweetie. What are you doing?" she asks Aiya.

"I am going on a small trip throughout the fire nation." Aiya says not very confident. She knew she was going to be gone for a while, but didn't have the heart to tell her Aunt.

Aunt Aika pauses for a moment collecting her thoughts. "That sounds like fun. Where are you off to?" she asks so kindly and genuine. It's hard to lie to her.

"Well I'll probably explore like I usually do and go sight seeing. I'll probably visit some friends and practice my firebending as well." Aiya tells her Aunt with a soft smile. Aiya isn't completely convinced that her Aunt is buying this.

"Be careful on your trip, okay?" she pauses. "Your mom would be so proud of you. We were about seventeen going on eighteen like you whenever we went out adventuring for the first time. I hope you are going on this journey for the right reasons." Aunt Aika smiles at Aiya knowingly.

Aiya's mom wasn't like other fire nation mom's. Her mom was a fire nation Admiral just like her father. Although her mom was the kindest soul you'd every meet, her father was a demon straight out of hell. He had hurt many people during his life time and time as admiral, Aiya included. He always tried to conspire with Fire Lord Ozai and most of the time our beloved Fire Lord would push him aside for his own plans. He died in battle at the Northern Water Tribe almost 2 years ago. Aiya was glad when she received this news. Aiya and her mom could finally have peace and finally feel safe at the palace. Aiya's mom kept her spot as Admiral and was even "promoted". However, whenever team Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, they killed Aiya's mom in the process. Aiya hated Fire Lord Ozai and hated that her mom continued to serve under him after all the pain he caused, but it wasn't Fire Lord Ozai who killed her mom. It was team Avatar.

"I will. Thank you Aunt Aika." Aiya tells her Aunt. Aiya lunged toward her Aunt for a long embrace.

After Aiya's mom passed away, she had no where to go. She went to the only person she knew who would take care of her, Aika. When Aiya was little, she'd always call Aika her Aunt because Aiya's mom and Aika were best friends. The name stuck and Aiya forever called Aika her aunt. She moved in with her Aunt in the fire nation's second level houses. Aika was just a normal middle class fire nation citizen. Aiya lived in the palace her whole life because her parents were important fire nation Admirals, so living somewhere a whole lot different was hard. She missed the friends she had in the palace, so she never made new ones.

Aiya's mom had many friends in the palace and Aiya thought about asking to live with them after her mom's passing. However, whenever Fire Lord Ozai was taken down and Azula was sent away, she knew it would've been a bad idea, especially because she never joined team Avatar like Mai and Ty Lee. Although she knew the new Fire Lord, she knew he would see her as a threat. Mostly because her best friend was Azula. Azula was Aiya's first friend she ever made. They stuck together like glue. Always picking on young Zuko, but Azula always took it too far. Mai and Ty Lee didn't join their friend group until a little later.

One day in particular that Aiya remembers all too well, is when Azula made Zuko jump into the water fountain with Mai. They were all practicing their fighting moves and playing around whenever Zuko walked by with his and Azula's mom. The friend group knew Mai had a small crush on Zuko so Azula told her mom to make Zuko play with them. He obviously didn't want to, but his mom told him to. Azula placed an apple on Mai's head and then spit fire from her finger at it causing it to go up in flames. Azula and Aiya were the only firebenders in their friend group, so they laughed the hardest whenever Zuko pushed Mai into the water fountain to put out the fire. Ty Lee had no problem laughing too. Mai was mad for a few days, but she cooled off eventually.

Many years later, Azula approached Aiya while she was picking fire lilies from the garden of the palace. Azula asked her to hunt down Zuko and team Avatar with her. Of course Aiya excepted because her best friend was asking a favor. They grabbed Ty Lee and Mai and they went on a journey to capture Zuko and the Avatar. However in the end, Aiya's mom died, Azula went insane, and Mai and Ty Lee joined team Avatar. Aiya was so angry at them for joining their side. They had killed her mother.

One day, a few months later after the war ended, Aiya was sitting on the couch nose deep in a book when she received a messenger hawk. There was no address as to where it came from or who sent it. As Aiya started reading the letter, however, she knew exactly who is was from. It read:

Dear friend,

I hope you find this well. I've been in this prison for too long and I want out. I'm deeply sorry for the loss of your mother. She was a great woman, unlike mine. I send this hawk to you for help. I know you are angry with team Avatar as much as I am and I seek revenge. Mai and Ty Lee are fools for helping them. You know this. I propose you this: figure a plan to get me out and we'll take revenge. I'll be on the throne and you'll be back in the palace. They will be destroyed.

sincerely,

BF
Blue Flame

"Blue Flame" was their code name whenever they had to write in secret. They used to write letters all the time back and forth inside the palace. Azula was always coming up with ways to get back at Zuko.

Of course Aiya was going to help her best friend break out and take revenge. Aiya felt the same.

"Well I trust in you my dear Aiya. Always be positive and look towards the light. I trust you will make the best decisions."

Aiya gives her a smile and grabs her bag. She walks into the foyer of the house she grew to love and looked around one last time. She walked outside and into the barn to find her armadillo bear, Fuji.

Fuji was her mom's armadillo bear before she passed. Fuji has been in many battles with Aiya's mother and is still very young.

"Hello my boy, Fuji Wuji." Aiya says in her high-pitched pet voice. She gives him a few pats on the head and some treats and takes off on her long journey deep into the fire nation.