Airs of Change: Embracing Transformation in the Avatar's Wake

🍃Book 1 Air: Chapter 1: Beginnings: 🍃

If there were some force in time to get everything back to where we once were, you would do it in a heartbeat.

It was the dawn of a new Era, a peaceful era, in which Avatar Aang and his friends challenged the fire nation into a big all-out war to end the war of all wars, the 100-year war. Peace and tranquility were on the horizon, but another character in this story must be heard before we can get to them.

Izumi lived with her mother in the inner walls of the Fire Nation. Her mother, Asuma, was of the Fire Nation, but her father was of the Northern Water Tribe.  When her mother and father met, Asuma was on political business and met Hai, her future husband.  They both got along well, even when she knew she wasn't supposed to be talking to him.

As time passed, Asuma and Hai had a forbidden love, and Izumi, their little girl, came out of that love. Hai knew that life would be better for both of them back in the Fire Nation, so Asuma said her last loving goodbye to the love of her life, and Hai said goodbye to his loving daughter, whom he would never see again.  Back at the Fire Nation, life went on with both Asuma and her baby girl.

🍃 T I M E S K I P🍃

" ZUKO! COME BACK HERE!" screamed Ursa.

" I'm not wearing that stupid thing, Mom!" Zuko said as he ran away, turned into a corner, and hid.

" Ugh, you have to Zuko, we have to go to an important meeting!" Ursa said as she went down the hall looking for him.

" Oh, thank goodness now I can return to my room..." Zuko said with a sigh of relief.

" Hey, Prince Zuko!" said Izumi as she touched his shoulder.

"AH! What the–Izumi, you almost gave me a heart attack!" said Zuko as he jumped up.

" Haha, who knew the Fire Nation prince would be so easily spooked!" Izumi said while giving a light chuckle.

Izumi and Zuko went near the side of the pond, underneath a cherry blossom tree, where they just sat there and talked for a while.

" So, an important meeting?" asked Izumi.

" Tch, yeah, I have to go to this dumb meeting that the whole family has to attend for some reason," said Zuko.

" Well, I hope you don't get too bored; I'll still be here when you get back so that we can do something more fun then, okay?" said Izumi with a smile.

" Heh, you know you're very weird...but I-I guess I'll take you up on that," said Zuko.

Suddenly, Zuko and Izumi were interrupted by Asuma.

" I see you two are getting along just fine now, huh," said Asuma as she stood behind Zuko and Izumi.

" Oh, Mother! I thought you weren't coming back until later tonight," said Izumi.

" I finished earlier than I thought, and I thought you had to be studying. You know I'm paying for you to be a great scholar so take advantage of it...okay? You can talk to Prince Zuko later, alright?" said Asuma as she gestured for Izumi to get up.

" I guess I'll see you later, Prince Zuko," said Izumi with a sad look.

Zuko was sitting there watching as they both left until his little demon of a sister showed up.

" Zuzu! What were you doing? I thought Mother told you to get ready for the meeting?" said Azula with a hand on her hip.

" O-Oh, I wasn't doing anything. I was going now," said Zuko.

Azula looked behind him and saw Izumi and Asuma leaving behind a door.

" ugh, ew, don't tell me you were talking to the...common folk Zuko, especially her," said Azula.