(Quick author's note: I welcome criticism, but please be specific if you find something wrong. I began this story when I was fourteen and typed the early chapters from what I had in my binder. The newer chapters should be of better quality since they are coming straight out of my head now. I wanted to preserve the originality of the early chapters, but I don't want people to read it and right away go "I'm not reading the rest of this." I feel like Zira's story needs to be told and remember this isn't the Avatar world from nickelodeon, this is their world from inside my mind. I can always work out the kinks later, but for right now I want to focus on the new chapters. I promise all of this will flow together in the end.)
"Come on, you're going to be late!" my mom rushed me. I was looking for my favorite dress that had got lost in the depth of my closet. She left the room when she heard my youngest half-sister, complain. When I figured out my dress was not in my closet, I laid down on my bed and sighed in frustration. I was supposed to meet my dad, the Firelord thirty minutes from now. He was taking me by boat to the Fire Nation instead of my stepdad who, happened to be the Avatar, fly me over on his sky bison, Appa. He caught a cold a few days ago and had a high fever along with it. I gave up on the dress for now and finished getting ready. I looked in the mirror to straighten out a few wrinkles in my red dress and brushed my shoulder length black hair a little bit more. I added a little black eye liner to my icy blue eyes which happened to be my mother's. She always complained how I was so pale and that I needed to go outside more instead of locking myself in my room and drawing. I didn't do it all the time since I was always busy either baby sitting or wrestling with my half-brother. My step-dad kept me busy too with my firebending. I wasn't allowed to do it in the house, but he would help me practice outside. I still couldn't figure out how he could walk outside in the snow without a shirt.
"Are you looking for this?" my other half-sister, Kya, came in with my silk black dress. "Mom put it in my room with the laundry thinking it was mine."
"Oh, thanks," I said looking at her, "just put it on my bed." Kya and I get along fine. She's a year younger than me, but she looks up to me. She has my step-dad's grey eyes and my mom's brown hair. Like me, she's pale which gets my mom complaining over the both of us.
"Are you ready yet? You have ten minutes," my mom came in.
"Yeah," I answered packing my dress. She came over to me and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. I knew what was coming.
"I guess you'll need this," my mom sighed putting my grandmother's necklace around my neck which kind of stood out with me wearing a red Firenation dress. She got me to wear it whenever I went to my dad though she already told me she would give it to me on my sixteenth birthday. "Look at me," she said turning me around to face her. We were almost the same height now and I could look into her pretty blue eyes without having to look up while straining my neck. We were a lot alike and we almost had the same birthday if I hadn't come a day later. My mom finally hugged me tight. "You be careful and write. Got it?"
"You know I will," I answered as she released me, "I have to go. Tell Aang I said bye and I hope he feels better."
"I will, "she answered. I left the room and headed towards the door. Halfway there I tripped over something and fell on my face. I heard Bumi laughing at me and got up to ruffle his messy black hair that he got from my step-dad.
"You thought I forgot about you, midget," I said playfully shoving him away.
"I wanted to get you while I could since I won't be seeing you for six months," he laughed.
"Bumi, let her leave!" I heard my mom yell which made me laugh. I finally got out the door and my biological father was already waiting for me on the shore.
"Hurry, its cold out here!" he yelled as his long black hair blew in the wind and we both shivered. I started running towards him and he caught me in his arms