Chapter Text
You know, little one, it’s dangerous to go out in the woods late at night. But- no, don’t run. You got lucky tonight. Sit with me, I have a story to tell.
My tale starts with a young girl, running in the woods, as flames eat up the trees behind her. She begins to think it’s her end, that she’s going to join the rest of her people in a fiery death, when she finds a cave cut unnaturally into a mountain. Though she is young, she can recognize an earthbender’s work. She scampers in and waits for the storm of death to pass.
Hours later, days later, weeks later, the girl emerges, her bald head covered in hair for the first time in years. The forest is burned and smoking still, but she doesn’t feel it. The air cools her face- the air that has been with her ever since the beginning. Her shoulders fall as she realizes where she will have to go- the Fire Nation. It’s a long ride- and a longer walk, she remembers, now that her bison is gone. Before she leaves, she kneels in the ashes on the cliff above her home.
“ I will avenge you. And if not it’s not I who does it, it will be my daughter- or my grand-daughter, or my great-granddaughter. My family will not stop until the airbenders can rest in peace.” It’s ironic how it all turns out.
oOo
Fei was born singing. It’s said the birds fell silent and the creek stopped moving at the sounds of her wails. Her mother beamed down at the girl- she doesn’t know her daughter’s destiny. She doesn’t know that her daughter will help save the world.
It was a good year to be born in the Fire Nation. They were well on their way to taking the planet, and the citizens were rejoiceful. It was a bad year to be born an airbender. Ever since the beginning, Fei was taught to hide her power. It didn’t take long for her parents to decide that their girl was safest inside the home of the people hunting her. The girl was sent to work in the castle of the Fire Lord, where she was joyful in her duties. She sang every day on her way to work, and while she was waiting for her father to pick her up. She sang while cleaning, while cooking, while bathing. The only time she didn’t sing was when she was in front of the royal family. Then, she was silent and respectful- the songbird knew how to close her beak.
And the joy she got from song is what makes it all so tragic. She didn’t mean to be treasonous- she had just been repeating a lullaby her mother sang her. But it didn’t matter, the Princess still heard her.
“You know, that song sounds an awful lot like an airbender lullaby.” the 11-year-old turned to face the voice, feeling dread fill her stomach. She sunk into a bow when she realized who was speaking to her.
“I’m so sorry, Princess Azula. I didn’t mean it, I was just-”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter what you meant. What matters is what you did- and what you did is disrespect my family.”
“Please, Princess. I’m so sorry.” Fei spoke into the dirt.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let my father punish you.” Azula stood from her spot under the tree.
“Thank you, Princess.”
“I’ll do it myself.” Fei looked up at the princess as her hand lit on fire. As the young servant opened her mouth to scream, the princess shot a jet of fire down her throat.
The damage, in the end, was minimal. Her mother brought her to a waterbender she knew- being an illegal descendant of airbenders came with valuable knowledge of others who had escaped- and she was told to be grateful that the Princess was merciful and stopped before she killed Fei. But not even this healer could fix the girl’s vocal cords. The songbird would never sing again.