Fire.

Earth.

Water.

Air.

All units, all parts of a recipe for disaster.

Or success.

It depends how they are used, if they are used for good or evil.  This is not the end of the beginning, but the beginning of the end.

Chapter One

The Attack

*Tendrils of smoke arose from the cabins as piercing cries of terror stabbed at the air like knives.  Fires blazed in every home, filling the air with the smell of burnt white birch.  Women, men, and children lay dead in the snow, some burned, some with spears through their chests and blood around them.  The Fire Nation soldiers dismounted their Rhinorses and ran through the village, capturing as many villagers as they could and chaining them up.*

Tanisha was awoke with a start as a scream pierced the air.  Smoke burned her nose, and she heard yelling from outside.  She jumped up, slipped on her warmest fur tunic and pulled on her deerabbit fur leggings. 

"Aniko!  Aniko, the soldiers!  Get the children!" she cried, running to her children's bedside.  She quickly pulled her son, Ano, and her daughter, Itkara, outside.  Ano, only five, opened his eyes, blinked twice, and began to cry as their house went up in flames.  Itkara was only two, and as she didn't understand the catastrophy taking place, asked for her grandma. 

Tanisha did not hear her, as she was too distracted.  She had caught sight of Aniko, and she ran to him.  He turned and yelled to her, warning her of the soldiers behind.  Nonetheless, she ran to him and embraced him.  All of the worry left her as she felt his warmth.

Suddenly, she was torn from her husband and pushed down.  Tanisha heard Ano's weeping, and Itkara joining in.  Aniko yelled and jumped at the soldiers that pushed Tanisha down, but they were too quick.  One turned and blasted flame into his face.  Aniko fell into a crippled heap at his feet.  Tanisha blacked out.

Chapter 2

The Firelord

Tanisha awoke in a dark, cold cell.  It was especially cold, seeing as Ano and Itkara were not there beside her.  Her fur tunic was scorched, and her feet were freezing as she had run barefoot through the snow.  Suddenly, two women stood in front of the cell.  Both had silky black hair and were dressed in red, black and gold, the royal colors of the firelord.  Too tired to argue, Tanisha let them drag her into a warmer, perfumed room. 

It was red and gold, with cushions and a small tea table on the ground.  In the back of the room, fine silk dresses hung in a dresser.  A vanity with a chair stood next to it, with all kinds of makeup on its surface.  The shorter and prettier of the two pulled the finest of dresses out of the dresser; A long, red silk strapless with a gold ribbon around the waist and fine embroidery.  The two women positioned her in front of the dresser, arms out, and stripped her of her clothing.  Then, they carefully slipped the dress over her head and tied the ribbon in the back.

The women sat her down in front of the vanity and silently combed her tangled brown hair until it shone like her dress.  Then, they pulled it up into a bun atop her head and spritzed clouds of perfume all over her.  Tanisha groaned as the duo painted on her makeup and covered her neck in fine rubies and gold.  Finally, they slid her feet into a pair of silk slippers and led her out to a fine dining table.

A tall man with black hair and red eyes sat at the other end of the table.  He wore fine silk robes that glittered in the light of the candle's flame.

"Firelord, here is your Queen," piped up one of the servents.  They sat her in a jewled chair, and he eyed her romantically.  He dismissed the women with a wave of his hand as he grinned mischievously.

"You are my wife.  I have chosen you out of all of our captive women, to bear my children.  You should be honored."  He spoke with a strong, deep voice that acted seductively.  He spotted her eyeing the fried rice and boiled Ratizard tongue and motioned for her to eat.  She served herself and ate rapidly.  He seemed a charming man, she thought.  Then, she realized that his troops killed her people.  She set down her utensils.

"Where are my children," she asked, in a voice stronger than she expected.  He smiled.

"They have been given to another family from the Fire Nation, where they will be taught our ways," he replied cooly.  She nearly choked; her children with another family?  She teared up, remembering their sweet, innocent faces.

"Do not mourn them; they are living in the lap of luxury, in one of the finest families there are.  Relax.  No more talking of your children, for you shall have new ones as you bear mine." 

Chapter 3

Silvia and Thalia

A year  and a half later.

Silvia screeched with delight as Thalia grabbed a Ratbird's tail and pulled it down to the earth.  Bright red bows decorated their hair, Thalia's a rich brown and Silvia's dirty blonde.  Their eyes sparkled with wonder as they toddled after butterflies, reaching for the vibrant, majestic colors.

"Silvie!  Thalie!" called their mother.  Tanisha kneeled down, arms outstretched as her children stumbled over to her.  As she smelled their soft hair, she thought of what the was going to do that night.  Tanisha shuddered and pushed it out of her mind.

She picked them up and carried them inside for dinner.  They enjoyed a fine stew of Cowig, carrots and cabbage.  After dinner, the housemaids clinked and clanked around as they cleaned up.  The Firelord sat, proud and mighty, on his throne.  His fine red robes, embroidered with gold thread and rubies, added to his intimidating appearance.  Tanisha left the throne room, telling him she was going to powder her face, and rushed away to the nursery.

She packed quickly, with only the necessities; warm furs, blankets, and a loaf of bread with cheese wrapped in cloth.  Tanisha swiftly lifted Silvia into a sling over her back.  She held Thalia, collected her bag, and ran down the corridor into the yard.

Chapter 4

The Runaways

Tanisha ran until she was at the edge of the yard; about half of a mile away from the palace.  She ducked down behind some large shrubs as the guards p*censored*ed by.  Once they were gone, she looked around for a way to get over the bushes.  Tanisha's eyes fell upon a small, serene river.  She placed Thalia on her shouldiers, rolled up the sleeves of her robe, and slowly waterbended a long, thin stream of water leading over the shrubbery.  Tanisha swiftly froze the stream and climbed it over the bushes.  She turned the ice back to water to cover her tracks and ran off into the night.

Tanisha pulled Silvia out of the sling and held her with Thalia.  She had traveled from the heart of the Fire Nation to the very edge, on the western part of the Namaku sea.  Tanisha planned to board a ship to the earth nation and live silently in the city of Basiko.  As she was still in the Fire Nation and was easily recognizeable as the Firelord's wife, she pulled a cloak over herself and her children, the hood covering her eyes.  Quickly, she ran up the dock on to the ship.

The ship was taking Fire Nation Soldiers and their families to the Earth Nation to try to gain power over the southern part of the Earth Nation.  The air was filled with talk, laughter, and the crying of children.  Men and women sat cross legged on the floor as children ran after eachother, laughing and playing.  Women were cloaked in black fabrics, only their faces and hands visible from the cloths.  They cradled their babies to their chests, humming lullabies as the men spoke together of the Firelord's plans to take over the Earth Nation.

Tanisha sat huddled in a corner, keeping her children concealed beneath her cloak and away from the cold night air.  She remained silent and still, only murmuring a thanks as a man came around giving the pas.sengers a bowl of beef, carrot, and potato stew.  Silvia awoke from her peaceful slumber before dawn and began wailing.  Thalia remained fast asleep, thankfully, but Tanisha still rushed to murmur a lullaby and hold her tightly.  Talk still buzzed around the ship, all of it about the Firelord's plans.  His plans worried Tanisha, and she wished someone would overtake him.  Preferrably a kinder, more peaceful Firelord.

 Chapter 5

Layna

They arrived at the warf at about nine O'clock at night, which was anounced by the loud ringing of a bronze bell.  The dinging snapped Tanisha awake, as she had dozed off early that morning.  The trio followed the flow of people off the ship and onto the dock. 

Tanisha quickly walked through the city, avoiding the beggars and venders selling their wares.  The city smelled strongly of goat, perspiration, and urine.  Hundreds of voices, calling to each other, all became a buzzing pressure behind Tanisha's ears.  She broke into a run, darting through the streets.  The noise and smells were overwhelming, and combined with the stress of being on the run, Tanisha was completely drained of her energy. 

An hour after they had arrived, they reached the outskirts of the city.  A few small houses dotted the sides of the road.  The silver moon shone full in the sky, enhanced by the small diamonds surrounding it.  The stretch of land between houses became greater as they walked along.  Finally, they stopped in front of a small house about a half mile away from the last.  Lush green hedges grew on the sides of the house.  Tanisha slowly stepped on to the doorstoop, inhaled deeply, and pulled a blanket from her cloak.  She carefully wrapped the twins together in the blanket and kissed them.  Tanisha pinned a note to the blanket.  Salty tears cascaded down her cheeks as she lay the bundle at the step, knocked on the door, and darted behind the hedges. 

She watched as a tall, thin woman with fiery red hair and deep brown eyes opened the door.  She looked around, and turned to go inside.  Silvia woke up and wailed.  The woman turned sharply and looked at the duo.  Her bright eyebrows arched in surprise.  Her mouth opened in a perfect 'O'. 

"Wha....?" she murmured.  "Hello?  Um, anybody there?"

The crickets chirped, singing their empty song of sorrow and loneliness.  The woman, whose name is Layna, cautiously picked up the babies.  She took one last look around and then turned to go inside with them.

lol.  yeah.

Mom was always a bit of a softie, remember? ;3