I don't own Avatar. Or anything else that might be mentioned and copyrighted. Hope you like, it's my first slightly frightening attempt at fanfiction. :3

Maki fingered absent mindedly at the crystal strung around her neck as she made her way down the empty street. The black crystal was cool to the touch; Maki's grandmother had given it to her at her last birthday with an enigmatic smile and a wink. She had always wondered just what that was about, as her grandmother had always had a liking for the mystical that her family found odd. Last year the woman had said nothing during her summer visit because Midsummer's Night was 'so magical that it was dangerous to talk at all'. The corners of Maki's mouth twitched upward in a small smile at the memory. Despite all the weirdness, she had taken a liking to the thing.

A black leotard clung to her skin in the heat, but she barely took notice of it. Another time, Maki might have wished that she had brought clothes to change out of after dance class. Perhaps a loose t-shirt with a funny saying on it or something. But at the moment, she was so tired that a good deal of her concentration was on keeping hold of her dance bag and walking. The leotard, tights, shorts, and leg warmers ensemble would have to do for the moment. She hitched the bag swinging at her side a bit farther up her shoulder, suddenly wishing she hadn't crammed so much in it. It felt like her shoulders were going to drop off from the weight.

Maki suddenly blinked in the process of brushing a wavy lock of hair out of her eyes and stared at the ground. She could have sworn that something was glinting on the pavement. A penny maybe? She could have used the luck. Maki knelt down, limbs creaking from the last three hours of exercise and squinted. Nothing was there except... wait! Maybe if she tilted her head to the side... yes! Maki felt a small bubble of pride rise to the surface of her mind as the sparkly thing came into view, but it evaporated in the face of curiosity and confusion. It looked like somebody had tried to draw a pentacle on the sidewalk, although why somebody would do that in the middle of town Maki didn't know.

Curiosity finally got the better of her. She was about to reach down to touch the strange markings when her crystal necklace began to glow. Maki felt her sense of balance vanish as she fell back on the pavement in alarm.

The Markings were glowing.

She squealed in alarm and scrambled to her feet, ready to run as soon as things got too strange. She wasn't given the option. The ground seemed to vanish beneath her in a flash of light and color, and she fell. Maki was immediately enclosed in a tunnel of light. She could barely make anything out through the swirl of colors, but she managed to discern a pattern amidst the erratic flashes. In order it went a bright swirl of blue, purple, and gold that seemed to dance like the wind; shades that varied from deepest navy to the near white hue of ice; a slightly overwhelming display of earthen tones, and a shock of fiery color.

It felt like forever, but it was probably only half a minute before Maki's feet met solid ground again. Her knees collapsed before she could get a good look at where she was. Maki felt a horrible tremor begin to take hold of her body. What had just happened? It was like being in one of those falling dreams, except she had actually landed somewhere. Maki pinched her arm. Hard. She gasped from the pain, but the sensation was overwhelmed by a mixture of horror and fear. It was definitely. Not a dream.

Emotion suddenly reversed. Wherever she was, she had to get back home. The problem was how to do that. She gathered her thoughts together and got to her feet, brushing off a bit of sparkly stuff that clung to her clothes. A reluctant sigh escaped Maki's lips as she scanned the room. All and all, it was pretty much empty. The place was full to the brim with dozens of crates that had a rather burnt smell about them, and the only other living inhabitant was a spider that had made its home in a corner of the ceiling. But there wasn't much point in asking a spider for directions, now was there?

She grabbed her bag, which had miraculously wound up there with her, and hitched it up, onto her aching shoulders. The adrenaline rush from being warped was all but gone as Maki tiptoed silently through the first exit she spotted. There was light coming form it; did that mean a way outside? A small smile began to play across her lips as she hugged the wall of the room before finally darting out of the door. She was suddenly faced with the upper deck of a boat that was... in the middle of the ocean! The smile gave way to a horrified expression. There was no land in sight. Maki's bag slipped off her shoulder and hit the ground with a loud 'THUMP'.

"God... where am I?" whispered Maki, a quiver raking her body. Great. The necklace her grandmother had given her had teleported her to a boat in the middle of nowhere. Despite the shock of fear that was slowly creeping through her delicate form, Maki had to question just what the woman had been planning. At least the place had been deserted. So far she had not come across anybody, but Maki had a feeling that her luck wouldn't last. She was right.

"What are you doing here!"

Maki's head snapped around to find a man in a red uniform glaring down at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The lump of fear that had risen in her throat wouldn't let her. Maki settled for grabbing a fish from a nearby crate and brandishing it at the man. He smirked and stepped forward, hand held out for the 'weapon'.

"Just give me the fish, and nobody gets hurt."

Maki wanted to scream. She felt like her legs were going to give out, yet the guy looked like he was having fun. FUN, for heaven's sake! Maki nearly fell over when the sound of footsteps caught her ears. The guy in armor had been joined by another crew member. Maki noted the fact that he was wearing the same type of armor, but not the same expression. He looked curious instead of menacing, but obviously not to eager to help. Maki felt her flicker of hope wilt. The new guy didn't seem to notice, as he raised an eyebrow and stroked his moustache. Evidently he wasn't as impulsive as his comrade when it came to attacking visitors.

"What's going on?"

"I found a kid on deck," the first guy snorted.

"She can't be from the crew. Must be a stowaway. You didn't leave something open when we last docked, did you?"

"What makes you think I would?" snapped the first guy, who was going red as a beet. Maki nearly dropped her fish at his harsh tone. Given her luck- which was getting worse by the minute- they would chuck her overboard and leave her to fend for herself in the middle of the ocean until something big and scaly with too many teeth ate her and- Maki shuddered slightly, forcing her imagination to stay in line. It was at that moment that the guards began to argue amongst themselves.

"What? I'm not allowed to ask a question?" asked the guy wish the moustache.

"It was a stupid question."

"Spare me. Let's just take this pathetic ragamuffin to the captain and get back to-"

"Who are you calling pathetic!"

Maki dropped the fish and clapped her hands over her mouth. Her face had gone white as a sheet as the blood drained from it. The words had gotten out before she even knew they were there, yet they hung in the air like some terrible omen. The heads of the men practically turned as one to stare at her as though amazed by her bold statement. Judging from their expressions, nobody had talked to them like that without regretting it. Maki took the few seconds of shocked silence to consider her options. She could, a) beg for forgiveness, or b) put up a tough front and hope they bought it. They were both pretty low options, but even in such a desperate situation, Maki's pride flat out refused to let her beg for anything, including her life. Stupid pride.

The two men finally snapped out of astonished-staring mode and their expressions became stony.

"Care to say that again?" asked Beet-face, somehow redder than before.

Maki scrunched her face into a look of mingled apathy and amusement.

"I asked who you were calling a pathetic ragamuffin. I'd like to hope that it wasn't me you were referring to, being called short has always been a pet peeve," she smirked slightly, but her insides were boiling and her mind was racing. This isn't going to work... they'll see through it and toss me overboard... whined her subconscious. Maki forced it back, now alert for any signs of being hurled overboard. Moustache and Beet-face looked at each other for a silent moment.

"Let the captain deal with her?" asked Moustache.

"Works for me." Beet-face smiled as though he knew something unpleasant was in store for her. Both men grabbed her arms and promptly dragged her across the deck.

Maki tried to jerk her arms away as genuine irritation flared within her. "If you want me to go somewhere, just tell me." she snapped, "Dragging people around is just plain rude."

Beet-face opened his mouth with obvious intention to spit out a scathing reply, but Moustache shaking his head was enough to shut him up. Maki wrinkled her nose slightly. Both men were giving off the faint odor of something burning, and her arms were beginning to feel a bit warm in their grip. Maki stoically ignored these oddities, but was nonetheless relieved when they let go. Moustache shoved her in his desired direction and kept her walking. Her hard blue gaze could have burned a hole in the ship as she was led below deck. They soon reached a door with a fire shaped emblem attached at eye level. Maki's eyebrows twitched upward involuntarily at the symbol as Moustache knocked on the door. There was a muffled shout, a silent moment before the door swung open. She couldn't see the room very well, but she knew the captain was in there. Maki's insides squirmed yet again. All she could do was pray that whoever they were, they were in a good mood.

"Get moving," Beet-face prodded her in the back.

Maki glared at him, but held herself high and proud as she walked through the door.

Prince Zuko was not in a good mood.

Of course, this wasn't all too uncommon these days. Between the Avatar evading his capture more and more often and the suspicious signs that Admiral Zhou wanted him dead, it wasn't surprising. The youth was having some of the worst luck in the world. Zuko's face was paler than ever as he surveyed the maps spread out in front of him. For days he had been attempting to discern which direction his prey was heading, but to no avail. The Avatar was one slippery character, and his frequent escapes were not encouraging. It was, at best, a depressing situation, and it was affecting almost everyone. Whatever brought this ship out of its mental rut would have to be pretty unnerving.

"Uncle!"

Iroh looked from the game board (He had been experimenting a pai-sho strategy on some unfortunate crew member), eyebrows twitching upward at the sight of Zuko's irritated expression. His voice was slightly gravelly as he addressed his nephew. "Yes, Prince Zuko?"

"Tell the crew to turn the boat around and head south," the youth's twisted into a look of satisfaction. It looked quite painful.

Iroh nodded, barked a few orders into a metal receiver, and returned to his game. A small smirk crossed his visage at the sight of the game board. His opponent had tried to use his momentary distraction to move a piece to his advantage. Iroh twitched his hand so that a small tongue of flame flickered in the man's direction. His opponent flinched, but grudgingly moved the game pieces to their original place. Iroh had raised his hand to move a tile when a knock on the door made him look up. He watched in silence as Zuko looked up, furrowed his brows in suspicion, and yell- quite literally- 'come in'.

The door burst open to reveal two crew members and a stranger. Dressed in the most bizarre clothing that any of them had ever set eyes on and looking quite pissed, there was little doubt that this newcomer was not accustomed to life at sea. Her near black hair hung in wisps over a heart shaped face, eyes flashing a dangerous red-black. She hissed in protest as the two guards accompanying her shoved her through the door. She stumbled for a moment before righting herself. Though not appearing to be particularly impressive, the girl standing between two of the crew members had achieved one of the most unwavering presence that Iroh had ever seen. The old general nearly laughed out loud at the sight, but whatever humor might have been gathering was quashed as Zuko leapt to his feet. The prince's expression seemed torn between curiosity and fury as he surveyed the scene.

"What is this?"

One of the crew members, a moustached man by the name of Goro, shrugged. "We don't know how she got in, but she isn't one of the crew and-"

"And she was quite rude," interrupted his partner, Matsu. Iroh raised an eyebrow, suddenly regretting putting these particular men on guard (The poor lads were a bit dim, but they followed order excellently.), but his attention remained on the situation at large.

"So you brought her here, why?" asked Zuko, his expression one of forced calm. The youth was nearing the edge of his temper. Why wouldn't he be? A stowaway had just been discovered, and he was relying on a guess to help him find the Avatar. It was amazing that he didn't explode on the spot. Matsu seemed to notice this, and was therefore looking more uncomfortable by the second. The girl snorted as the man scratched his chin awkwardly. She seemed decidedly smug for somebody in her situation.

"We thought you would be able to sort it out," said Goro quickly, "You are in charge, after all."

The girl began to finger something around her neck at this. Zuko merely narrowed his eyes till they were little more than slits of suspicion. Sensing danger, Iroh decided to act before things got out of hand.

"Perhaps we could speak with this... stowaway, ourselves. I am sure she would be willing to explain herself with the right motivation."

Iroh clapped his hands together in what was unmistakably an agreeable gesture. He scanned the room, alert for any signs of an argument about to flare up, but nobody seemed to object. Evidently the crew didn't want to try giving advice with the collective mood so... dangerous. Iroh then turned his gaze to his nephew, but Zuko did not argue. Silently congratulating himself on averting disaster, the general waved a hand, signaling that Matsu and Goro should leave. They obeyed, but there was little doubt in Iroh's mind that due to their efforts, the story would have reached every corner of the ship by sundown. Nevertheless, the old General got to his feet and strode toward their 'guest.' The girl stiffened as he neared, ready to be yelled at for intruding.

"Sit down, we wont hurt you," Iroh smiled and gestured toward a free chair, ignoring his nephew's mutter of 'speak for yourself'. The girl didn't move. At least, not at first. After a few encouraging nods, Iroh finally managed to get her to move. She stared all through this, her gaze leaving Iroh solely to make sure she didn't hit anything. At long last, the girl finally sunk unceremoniously into a chair, her whole body tense despite her stubborn posture. Iroh settled himself into a parallel seat and peered at her. There were so many questions to ask, so many things about this stranger that would have to be revealed in time, but the essentials would have to come first.

"Now, there is no reason to be so tense," he smiled amiably, "I am General Iroh, and this is my nephew, Prince Zuko. What is your name?"

The girl simply stared for a moment before regaining control of her vocal chords. "I'm Maki. Maki Aizawa."

Iroh nodded approvingly. "And how did you get on this ship?"

The girl called Maki paused at this and pursed her lips in thought. She was fingering something as she did so, Iroh noticed for a second time, but he couldn't see what it was. How odd. After what felt like forever, Maki spoke.

"I have no idea."

Zuko exploded. "This is getting us nowhere!" he rounded on the girl, eyes ablaze. She looked decidedly taken aback, but, shockingly, did not flinch as he snapped at her, "Where did you come from, why are you here, what are you doing here, and what do you want. Answer. Now." He snorted and folded his arms as if it made everything final. Iroh could only knead his forehead in frustration. Accustomed though he was to his nephew's random outbursts, one taking place in front of a guest was not encouraging. The girl called Maki even seemed to be trying to get a word in, but wasn't given the chance. The old general finally hushed Zuko's interrogation with a raise of his hand. His nephew glared, but fell silent.

"Finally!" Maki burst out, her face a magnificent shade of magenta from irritation. She had jumped to her feet somewhere during Zuko's rant, her fists clenched. "And for the record, I come from the planet Earth, I have no idea why I'm here, my business is none of your concern, and all I want is to get home!" She glared at the fire prince, who glared right back.

"Pardon me," Iroh found himself interrupting for the second time during their encounter, "But I do believe that we must come to a decision of what to do now that she is on board, prince Zuko. Despite our predicament, it would be dishonorable and cruel to leave her floating on her own," Iroh nodded wisely.

The fire prince seemed to be forcing himself to stay calm. The old general had to give him credit for not setting something on fire, as he normally would have done at this point.

"And why should we keep her here?" he snapped.

"I can cook a little bit!" Maki burst out, "And I can perform- sort of. I'm better at singing than dancing…" she trailed off thoughtfully before snapping her fingers. But whatever idea she might have had seemed to be cause for embarrassment, as she blinked shyly up at the two firebenders. "Uhm, can I have a glass of water?"

Zuko's face was contorted with some unnamable emotion, but Iroh sighed and grabbed a mug, filling it deftly with water. The girl called Maki picked up the mug and poured its contents on the floor. Zuko opened his mouth, expression none other than one of rage, when something strange happened. Maki's features became stony raised her hand above the puddle, but by then Iroh didn't need telling to figure it out.

It was as though somebody had turned off the sound.

The two firebenders watched in silence as a thin stream of water snaked its way into thin air. Maki twirling her fingers so that it danced in a hypnotic swirl before she guided it back into the mug. She looked up, proud that her strange talent hadn't backfired as it so often had, only to find that both men were shocked. Iroh couldn't believe that she seemed perplexed by their surprise. Why wouldn't they be surprised? A stowaway on their ship had revealed an ability they had never expected to find on this ship, one that would have gotten her killed had she shown it to their rival, Admiral Zhou. As for what would happen now, Iroh couldn't say. But there was one thing that was definite.

This girl was a waterbender.