Author's Note: Awesome, this is my second fanfic and i'm happy. Ok, so this first chapter takes place between the episodes 'The Southern Raiders' and 'The Ember Island Players'. And guess who's in it...ME! Malika is at least. she my OC that i made up based on me, of course. So you can't use her name for any of your stories, i'd appreciate it. ^_^. So this story is in most of Team Avatars P.O.V., at least everyone who's in relationship issues. you'll understand more into the story. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: i do not own A:TLA or it's characters I only own my characters that i make up.
A New Member
Aang's P.O.V.
I was getting worried. Sozin's Comet was getting closer and closer and I still needed practice on all of my bending. Especially fire bending. We were all sitting in the courtyard of Zuko's beach house on Ember Island.
"Why is it so hot today?" Katara asked as she fanned herself.
I smiled at her. "Maybe we should go into town. Just to look around." I suggested.
"That's a good idea." She agreed.
"And also a bad one." Zuko said.
We turned to him. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"It's too hot out here for me to wear the cloak, but if I don't then I'll be noticed. And then you'll be too hot to wear your hat."
"We'll just have to give it a try. And we're both fire benders. Can't we control our body temperature and possibly cool off?"
"I guess it's worth a try."
Katara stood up and stretched. "Great, we should go now."
The six of us walked into town and no one seemed to notice Zuko. We all stopped when we heard yelling. The six of us ran and found ourselves facing a huge circle of people.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"There's a fight happening." Someone said next to me.
We made our way to the middle of the circle. A girl around Katara's age, maybe a year older, was fighting a man. Her hair was long and black and she was tall. Sweat trickled down the side of her face.
"Do you really think you're better than me?" The man asked.
The girl was breathing heavily. "Yes, I do."
She threw a fire ball at him, but he blocked it. Before he got to do anything else, he was stopped…by Zuko! I was about to go in there, but I was held back by Katara. I stood and watched.
Zuko's P.O.V.
I couldn't just stand there and watch. While everyone was distracted I made my way over to the man and stopped him from striking. I grabbed his wrist.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
I had to come up with something. Anything. No matter how stupid it was. These people should be lucky that I was being nice.
"That's my…sister. What do you think you're doing?" I pushed him to the ground and grabbed the girl's arm.
"What are you doing?"
"Just follow me."
I walked back to everyone and we made our way out of the group. We made it back to the beach house and I finally let go of her.
"You know, I didn't need some jerk trying to save me."
I pulled back my hood, hoping that she'd know who I was. She crossed her arms and smirked.
"Exactly what I meant by jerk. Prince Zuko. Just because you're a prince doesn't mean I should treat you like one. Well, you're technically a banished prince so…"
"Hey! I just saved you!"
"Well I didn't need your help! They might, but I don't."
She motioned to everyone. I froze. "What are you talking about?"
"I know who that is." She pointed toward Aang. She walked over to him and took off his hat to reveal his arrow. "Don't worry, I'm not going to turn any of you in. I'm too nice of a person." She crossed her arms.
"I've never heard of a single nice Fire Nation person." I lied, but most of the Fire Nation citizens weren't very nice.
"Maybe because I'm not full Fire Nation."
We all stared at her. "What do you mean?"
"Did you even pay attention to my detailed features? Obviously you didn't because you were too busy trying to be the hero of the group."
She stared at me. I froze when I saw the color of her eyes. Blue. They were as blue as Katara's.
"You're…you're from…"
"The Southern Water Tribe? Yes, I am."
Katara's P.O.V
I stared in shock at the girl. She turned and looked at me. "You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" I asked.
"By the looks of it, I'm guessing you're from the South Pole too."
"Um…yeah. But…you're a fire bender."
"The Avatar doesn't have to be the only one who knows more than one element."
"What are you talking about?" I know I probably sounded crazy, but I was curious to know her secrets.
"I'm saying that if you or Prince Jerk needs help with your element, I'm your gal."
I stared at her. "You're a…"
"Water bender and a fire bender."
Zuko's P.O.V.
I had enough of everything. "You're a what?" She turned toward me.
Toph rolled her foggy eyes. "Geez, Sparky. No one needs to say things more than once."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Do you ever listen? I'm both a fire and a water bender. Do you want me to fight both of you to prove it? I will. Two against one. Come on, I'm always looking for a fight."
"Well, at least I can see the fire bender part in her." I said.
She aimed a fire ball at my feet. I jumped back. "Hey! Watch it!"
"I did that on purpose, idiot."
She's just like Azula. I glared at her and she glared back, but when she turned to Katara she smiled. I relaxed. "Fine, we'll fight if that's what you want."
She looked at me. "Great, let's go. If I win against both of you I get to join your little group, deal?"
Katara and I looked at each other then at her. "Deal. What if we win?"
"You'll forget you even met me and I'll go back to picking fights on the streets."
"Ok, it's a deal."
"Alright. Someone use earth bending to build a barrier. If you get knocked out of the fighting ring you lose. Let's go."
Katara and I got into position a few feet away from each other and we faced the girl. She didn't stand in any particular position, just standing.
"I'll try and go easy on you."
"Don't hold back." I said. She raised an eyebrow.
"Ok, whatever you say."
Katara struck first, aiming a water whip at her. She easily deflected it with a wall of fire. She kicked her leg high in the air and fire came at both of us. We jumped over it, but I was caught off guard when a fire whip hit my leg. I ignored the pain from the burn and aimed a fire whip at her. She fell into a split(A/N: i can't really do the splits), just like Azula would. I was getting furious. She reminded me too much of Azula and that didn't make me feel any better. Katara threw ice daggers at her. The girl threw a fire ball and it melted the ice. Then suddenly Katara's leg was caught…in a water whip. I looked at the girl. She was grinning. Then she threw Katara out of the fighting ring.
"Well, looks like it's me against the prince. Who's gonna win?"
"I am, obviously."
She glared at me. Suddenly I was knocked off of my feet. I looked at her. She was laughing a surprisingly melodic laugh. "Wow, you get easily distracted."
I growled and turned around on my back, creating a circle of flames. When I looked up the girl was lying on her back. I smiled. She got up and ran toward me and from then we threw fire after fire ball at each other.
Toph's P.O.V.
I felt the vibrations of the girl and Zuko fighting and it seemed that she was the one winning. "Wow, someone besides Azula is better than Sparky. I think I like her. She knows how to teach people a lesson."
"She's powerful." Aang said.
"Yeah, you're right. She's pretty cool. I think you should let her join. If Zuko and Katara aren't around for a reason I don't know, just saying, she could help you."
"I guess you're right."
"She's weird!" Sokka yelled. "I mean, I didn't even know it was possible for someone other than the Avatar to be able to bend more than one element."
"Neither did I." Aang agreed.
"Well, it would be kind of cool to have another fire bender besides Aang in the group." Suki said.
"Why is that?" Katara asked.
"She and Zuko might be able to understand each other. She looks like she had a difficult past. I mean she's only about your age and she's out on the streets."
"I guess you're right."
"Well, now I don't have to pick a fight with Sugar Queen and Hot Head. I can just pick a fight with this chick."
Zuko's P.O.V.
We were still fighting and night had fallen upon the sky. Every now and then she'd throw water in there, but no change in the battle. We got closer and closer, and finally stopped when my arm blocked hers, causing them to make an X shape. My right arm crossing her right arm. We were both breathing heavily and she smiled. She grabbed my right arm with her right hand and turned under my arm and around behind me. She brought my arm behind me and brought me to my knees. I held back my yell of pain.
"You're not as bad as I thought. Looks like it's a tie. So, it depends on the Avatar's choice of what he wants." She helped me up and we backed away from each other and looked at Aang.
"So, does she stay or leave?" I asked, hoping he'd say she has to leave. But he's too nice of a kid so he might consider her staying.
"Well, she is a great fighter and probably the only one in the world besides me who can bend fire and water. I think she should stay."
The girl smiled. "Well, I'm honored. My name is Malika."
They all introduced themselves and I stood there, crossing my arms.
Aang stood up and stretched.
"Well, tomorrow's gonna be a long day. We should get some rest. Where do you wanna stay, Malika?"
She looked up at the sky and I relaxed. "I'm gonna sleep outside tonight. I'm used to it." Aang shrugged and everyone except Katara and I left. Malika looked at both of us. "You guys need something?" She asked as she smiled.
Katara walked forward. "An explanation. How is it possible that you're a water and fire bender?"
She took a deep breath. "I lived in the South Pole for a few years. When I turned eight I moved out here. Being around fire benders I studied them. Learned their every move. Before I knew it, I started fire bending better than how I started. Don't think I forgot you, Katara."
"You do know me. You do seem kind of familiar."
"You had a crush on my brother." I saw Katara blush.
"Yeah, I remember you now." Malika laughed. "I'm gonna get some rest. I'll see you two in the morning." Katara turned around and left.
Malika sat on the fountain. She looked up at the sky and started playing with her long hair. I took a deep breath and sat next to her.
"What is it?" She asked as she looked at me.
"Um…sorry for my behavior earlier."
She smiled. "Well, don't be disappointed when I say that I didn't expect too much from a banished prince."
"Yeah, definitely Fire Nation."
We laughed, but she quickly stopped. She looked down at her feet, hair still in between her fingers. "I lied."
"About what?"
"Well, I didn't really lie, but I did leave out a lot of things from my life story. I trust you, Zuko. Seeing as you might understand where I'm coming from." I waited. "My mother was Fire Nation and a fire bender. My dad being a water bender. On my eighth birthday she came to the South Pole where I grew up with my dad and my brother. Finding out that I could also fire bend just barely, she thought it wasn't safe for me to be in the South Pole during the war. So, she brought me here. My birth home."
"You must've had a complicated life."
"I did, and that's why I ran away. I didn't want to stay with my mother. I grew up on the streets for a few years. I did and still do love the South Pole, but I also love fighting. So instead of finding my way back home, I stayed here and grew up a fighter. So little people fight me now because they're afraid. I never wanted to become like that, but because I did I stuck with it. It's my way of surviving."
She stopped twirling her hair and looked up at the night sky again. "I can't believe you trust me with this."
She looked at me. "I only told you because you see where I'm coming from, don't you?" I nodded. "I miss my family, very much. But if I go back home…I don't know how my mother would see me."
"That's how I felt when I went back home. I didn't know how my life would turn out being back. And that's when I realized that I did the wrong thing."
"We all do the wrong things in life, but that's why we have mistakes, to try again and make things right." She smiled at me and I smiled back.
Malika's P.O.V.
Zuko and I ended up lying down next to each other on the ground. Staring at the stars and telling stories about how we made it through our lives. I silently listened to his story, how he went around the world looking for the Avatar to regain his honor, all the way to where he is now. That's when I realized that not only did I have a friend, but a friend who actually understood me. Someone who went through the same obstacles as me. I fell asleep with a smile on my face. I made a new friend. And he even promised, no matter how strong I was, he'd look out for me. Well, of course he'd look out for everyone, but because of my abilities to bend two elements who knows what the Fire Nation could do if they got a hold of me.
I woke up with a blanket on me. The sun was just rising. I took a deep breath. I moved the covers away and stood up. I stretched and then sat down on the fountain. I formed a ball of fire in my hand. I stared at it for a while. I pulled as much water from the air as possible, seeing as being in the Fire Nation the air was dry. But we were near the beach so there was a little mist in the air. I formed the water into a ball in my other hand and put both of my hands side by side. Water and fire. Total opposites. I should be my own enemy. "Hey." I looked up and saw Zuko walking toward me. I put my hands together and when I opened them steam rose up into the air.
"Hey." I patted the spot next to me. He sat down.
"I actually had a fun night last night. I've never connected with someone as much as I did with you."
I raised an eyebrow. "Not even Katara?"
He looked at me. "What do you mean?"
"You seem to like her. I know that you're going to say I barely know any of you and that it hasn't even been a whole day since I've joined your group, but still. I can read people and seeing as all the times you've had your ups and downs from your story, there's a connection."
"I shared a story with her once. It's not a day I like to remember."
"How come?"
He explained the story. How they were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se. He left that part out last night. "And after all of that…I betrayed her."
"Why?"
"I really wanted to go home. I just…I wish I never did that. After all she did to try and help. I guess it wasn't that I wanted to go home, but because I was mad at Aang for taking my only chance of being free from this scar."
I bit my lip. "Why would you want to be?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know, it's like…it's part of who you are. But I'll tell you this, if I were you I wouldn't want it gone. Just friendly advice." He smiled at me.
"Good morning you two." We looked up to see Aang walking toward us.
"Morning." I said.
"You ready for a lesson, Zuko?"
"Uh…"
"I think he is. I'd love to see you guys practice." I said.
Zuko glared at me but I only smiled. "Ok. Come on, Zuko. Let's show Malika what we've got." Aang got into his stance and Zuko stood up. They got into position next to each other and began practicing.
After a few hours they finally stopped. Both breathing heavily and sweating.
"Wow, that was…something."
"I'm guessing you weren't impressed." Zuko said.
I smiled. "I wouldn't say I wasn't impressed but you probably could've done better."
"Spoken like a true Fire Nation citizen." Zuko said.
I rolled my eyes. Then Sokka, Suki, Katara, and Toph walked into the courtyard.
"Good morning. Suki and I are going to the town just to look around. We'll be back." Sokka and Suki left.
"We should get a little more practice in before it gets hotter." Zuko said.
"Good idea." Aang responded.
I got up from the fountain and walked over to Katara. "So, what do you think?"
"About what?"
"About Zuko. You obviously like him."
"No I don't. Honest."
"Really?"
"Yeah, why? Do you like him?"
I turned to look at him as he and Aang were fire bending. They looked as if they were reflecting images of each other.
"I don't know. We spent a lot of time together last night. I already know his whole life story."
"Wow, he really trusts you."
"Well, I had to trust him first. I told him more of my life story and we just kind of…connected."
"Well that's good." Zuko and Aang finished up their practice. "Doesn't it seem kind of weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara asked.
Zuko sat on the fountain drying himself off with a towel. "I told you, my father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy. That was a long time ago. It's the last place anyone would think to look for us."
Sokka and Suki came running back. "You guys are not gonna believe this. There's a play about us."
"We were just in town and we found this poster." Sokka pulled out a poster with a picture of everyone on it, except Suki, Toph and of course me. But no one knows about me…yet.
Author's Note: So, there you have it. The first chapter to A New Member. If any of you read my profile you'll see that i don't have black hair, or light skin or blue eyes. That's the only difference i have with Malika. My eyes are like the fire bender's kind of gold-ish color and my skin color and hair color is a water bender's. Malika has water bender eyes and fire bender's black hair and light skin. Everything else is the same. :].
So,as you may have seen, the end of thi chapter is the beginning of 'The Ember Island Players' episode. but you can't skip the chapters becasue the only difference is Malia, so you have to read. some Kataang coming up next chapter and two chapters later some Malika/Zuko fluff. tehe. Next chapter is gonna be long because it's the whole episode and it's hard to separate it. ok, c ya l8r. Review plze.
