Chapter One: Take the Boy

"Take the boy." The cloaked man commanded, his cruel golden eyes penetrating even through the darkness.

"He'll never fetch a good price a market. He's barely alive," the trader replied.

"You will take my son!" The man roared, as he shoved the sack containing the boy towards the trader.

"Why would you want to sell your own son?"

"That should not concern you. But if you take him far from this place, I will make it well worth your while." He replied, as he patted the purse filled with gold pieces.

A sick smile began to form on the trader's face. "I'll do anything for the right price. How far away do you desire him to go?"

"I don't care; just take him away from the Fire Nation. He may never return here."

"If I may ask, why not kill him? I would be happy to…"

"NO. He must live, that is the one thing I promised his mother."

"Alright. This burn, how do I explain this to the buyers? What will I say when he wakes?"

"Figure it out. He's not my responsibility anymore." At that, he tossed the gold-filled pouch towards the trader and began to walk out of the alley, never looking back.

The trader threw the sack over his shoulders and walked in the opposite direction towards his ship. He patted the sack "Let's hope you make it through the night."

On the day Zuko was burned within an inch of his life and sold into slavery, he had just turned five.

Kya

"Mama, why are sea prunes so squishy?"

I smiled. "I don't know honey, why don't you ask them?"

"Because they can't talk mama duhh"

"Katara, where did you learn that word?"

'What word?"

"Duh"

"Sokka always says it, he told me-"

"RUN!" the man yelled, as he burst through the door leading into our home.

"Why? What's going on?" I screamed.

"Fire Nation! They're here!" He yelled, as he scrambled back towards the door.

"Mama, I'm scared." Katara sobbed.

The look of terror in her eyes only made me fear all the more. I scooped her up in my arms and ran out as fast as I could. The first thing I noticed was the black snow that littered the ground. The air was filled with smoke. People were running everywhere, carrying children, pulling along the elderly.

Sokka and Hakoada! Where were they?! Panic began to flood my heart and I could barely breathe. The caves! They had to be there, Hakoda told me we would always be safe there. I ran past herds of crying children and screaming mothers, trying to find my husband, trying to find my son.

I was halfway to the caves when I finally turned back to glimpse what had happened to my home. All I saw were Fire Nation soldiers carrying every sort of weapon I could think of heading full speed towards us.

Katara was screaming. All of a sudden they were everywhere, surrounding me and my baby girl.

Tears welled in my eyes as I begged them "Please, leave this place. We have nothing you could ever want."

One stepped up and replied. "Oh, yes you do. We know about you and your child. We know that she is the last waterbender."

No. How could they know? Hakoda and I had taken every precaution. Why were the fates so cruel?

"Please," I pleaded. "She's only four years old. Take me instead."

The same man replied, "We plan on taking you both. You will never produce another waterbending child again and I will personally make sure that your daughter never learns of her homeland or…of your existence."

A sadistic smile crawled across the man s face as he ordered his men to rip my little girl from my arms.

"NOOOOOOOO!" I yelled as they dragged me away.

The last thing I remember is my little Katara screaming "Mama!" before I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head and I blacked out.

I awoke in a dark jail cell with an ear splitting headache. I was dehydrated and my stomach was growling. I looked around to see I was alone with nothing but a burlap blanket and some straw for comfort. How long had I been in this place?

I felt like I was missing something when all of my memories came upon me at once. Where was Katara? Why wasn't she with me? Why couldn't I save her?

I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Where is my daughter?" I pounded against the bars with all my might. I did this until my voice went hoarse and my hands bled. I received no response.

I leaned against the wall and sobbed. Did I even have a daughter anymore? Did I have a son? Did I have a husband? Did I have a tribe? Did they burn everything that ever meant anything to me to the ground?

I cried for what felt like hours until I heard the distinct sound of footsteps coming towards my cell. The door to my cell was opened. I looked up to see a fire nation man carrying a small child whose face I couldn't make out in the darkness.

My baby! Could it be her? I jumped up running towards the figure only to gasp in horror when I saw the child the man carried was not mine and that this child had been badly injured. He was fire nation, I could tell that, but a burn covered half of the left side of his face. That poor boy…but where was my daughter?

"Where is my child!" I shouted at the man. "Have you done to her what you have done to him?" If they would do this to their own kind, I could only imagine what they would do to my daughter.

"Water wench! You will not address me in such a manner. You will refer to me as Captain Zhao from now on! I charge you to care for this boy and his injuries or you will NEVER see the light of day again! If he dies, so will you!"

I could only stare at him. How could I care for a child in these conditions? How could I care for a child of whose people split my family apart?

"Don't just stand there. Take the boy!" he commanded.

At this, I scooped the child into my arms as I had done my daughter a short time ago. Captain Zhao walked out of my cell leaving me alone with a boy on the verge of death. I laid him down and piled all the straw I could together, forming a sort of pillow under his head. I was laying the blanket over his body when another person entered the room, this one carrying a large sack and a jug filled with water.

The person turned out to be a female with jet black hair and kind brown eyes.

"My name is Sora and I'm so sorry that this has happened to you. I have some food, water, and blankets for you and the boy. I, also, brought you some medical supplies to tend to him. Hopefully, with your help, he will wake soon."

"Thank you, but can you please tell me what happened to this boy and why I have been chosen to tend to him?"

"No one knows. Our captain brought him aboard yesterday evening. No one knew how badly he was injured until we removed the gauze covering his face. He hasn't woken in his entire time with us and we don't have enough men aboard the ship to spare one for his care."

"I understand, but how did I come to be here?"

Sora sighed, "We picked you up from another ship on its way to the fire nation this morning. You are to be sold at an auction in a Fire Nation colony tomorrow."

"What of my daughter? Is she to be sold too?"

"I know nothing of your daughter. You are the first slave I've interacted with on this ship, but if I see her I'll tell you."

Tears formed in my eyes at this woman's kindness. "Thank you, but why have you been so nice to me?"

"Because I don't believe you deserve this and neither does he," she said as she patted the boy. "I want him to live and you're the only person on this ship whom I believe can save him."

"Sora, your words give me strength."

She smiled and exited my cell, locking it behind her.

I turned my attention back to the boy. I began to tend to his injury, cleansing it and applying ointment. I fed him a little of the rations Sora brought and got him to drink a some water. He remained unresponsive, but his shallow breathing remained stable.

I was wondering how anyone could do this to a child and why they would, when he began to thrash and cry out. I gathered him into my arms and did the only thing I could think of doing, I sang.

Hush now, my baby, be still now, don't cry
Sleep as you're rocked by the stream
Sleep and remember my sweet lullaby
For I'll be with you when you dream

Slowly he stopped his thrashing and opened his eye not covered in gauze. "Mommy" he breathed as he looked into my eyes. I didn't have the heart to tell him I wasn't his mother so I said "Yes baby, now go back to sleep." He obliged, and I sat there for the remainder of the afternoon and evening holding him. If I couldn't live for myself right now, I could live for the boy in my arms.

Gradually, I too, drifted off to sleep.

I awoke to the sound of erratic footsteps, only to look up and see Sora haphazardly opening the cell. Still holding the boy I got up "What's going on Sora?"

"You have to go! We're under attack; I think they're here for you!"

Had Hakoda really found me and Katara? Relief spread throughout my body, but as I looked down at this poor boy, I realized I couldn't leave him behind. "Can I take the boy?"

"Sure, as long as you get out of here and quick!"

I followed her down the hallway and up a flight of stairs only to run into the middle of the melee. I scanned the deck seeing both watertribesmen and traders fighting one another. I hadn't noticed Hakoda until I heard someone shouting "Kya!" I'd know his voice anywhere. I turned and ran towards him with the boy in tow.

He stared at the boy in my arms for a moment and eventually said "Kya, you've got to get off this ship. I'll go search for Katara."

I nodded. If anyone could find her, Hakoda could. I got onto my people's boat and was escorted to one of the bedrooms in the lower deck. I placed the boy on the bed and I waited…and waited…for what seemed like hours, until I heard the bell signaling retreat. I heard the thudding of footsteps and felt the boat start to move. I ran upstairs, excited that my family was finally united again. I met Hakoda and threw my arms around him. We stood there for a moment embracing one another until I broke the silence "Where's Katara?" I asked.

His once smiling face turned solemn. "Katara…Katara wasn't…Katara wasn't there Kya."

The meaning of his words sunk in. My only daughter was dead. I stood there for a moment in a daze, then I passed out.

A/N: All credit for Kya's lullaby goes to the creators of the movie The Prince of Egypt, which is an awesome movie I would recommend to anyone. I only changed a few words to make it fit the story. I really hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Please leave any questions, suggestions, or comments that you have in a review. I would really like to hear from you all, since my motivation to write kind of depends on it. I'm excited to write the next chapters of this story which will cover a lot of growing up. By the way, OOC(ness) should be expected in this fanfiction since roles are reversed. Please. REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW.