Author's Note:

Hello people! First of all I'd like to thank anyone that took the time to read my story. I'm new here in Fanfiction so please be nice to me ;) English isn't my first language so I'm not sure if some parts of this story are completely understandable. If that's the case please let me know by reviewing or PM me.
This AtLA fanfiction isn't exactly about any character in the series but more about its world. I've taken a lot of time to create my OC, Rya, and all other original characters, and that's pretty much the only thing that I own.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

Middle of summer, 94AG

As always, Kanan was terrifying the six year olds. Mee played with two ragged dolls she had made throughout the years. An eleven year old decided to take a trip outside.

All in all, it was just a normal day at the orphanage.

She stepped outside, through the window in the girl's bedroom. She shared it with Mee, who didn't even notice her when she walked past her and three other girls.

Where should I go first? It had been a while since she had a nice meal. She wondered if anyone would help her or if she had to take the matter into her own hands. She reckoned it was the latter.

With quick steps she swiftly got to the square and looked around. After giving up on asking for food to random people, that only shooed the rag dressed girl away, her gaze was fixed on a few guards that were walking around, on patrol. She had to come up with a plan to avoid being caught.

Deciding the middle of the square was too dangerous, she moved to its outskirts. Rapidly her orangey eyes stilled when she caught sight of a food cart near two buildings.

As she made her way to the kebab trolley her daily pang of sadness roamed through her mind. How did I get myself here?

Every day she tried to remember how she got there, the Omashu orphanage. And every day she established she had no idea. No idea of who her parents were, no idea who had given her, her name. Rya…

And certainly no idea of why she could firebend.

Nobody had the slightest idea she could do it, of course. Quite frankly, the only thing she remembered from her life before the orphanage was the necessity to hide that fact from everyone.

Her life was the epitome of a mess and she so wished she could change that… to have the courage to try… Or at least she wished she had some sort of push from fate to help her with that.

Rya sighed. A warm meal would put her questions and hopes to the back of her mind, at least for now.

The young firebender inhaled the scent of cooked meat and spices in the air. Yes, it had been too long since she had a proper meal. Rya readied herself, and when the owner distracted himself by talking with a customer, she approached the stand from the back and took one of the kebabs that was cooking in the grill, fleeing to the alley where she could eat it in peace.

What she didn't think she needed to know was of Kanan's whereabouts. And the fact that he was hidden just behind the food stall she had taken the piece of meat from. He ran back home, which stood next to the orphanage, with a smirk. He lived there with his grandmother, the one who took care of the children of the orphanage.

She was a mean old woman that had chosen her vocation rather incorrectly. Jaya was already a bit harsh with her grandson, which led him to try and find somewhat questionable ways to please her. He was just in the middle of doing such.

Well, if she was harsh with her own, there was no saying on how cruel she could be with rest. Rya knew that first hand.

Jaya despised when someone disrespected her rules. And the eleven year old was currently breaking one or two of them, since she wasn't supposed to ever be outside. Unless she had permission, which she never got.

To avoid that, she would always sneak out after the elder had lunch, when Jaya took a nap, and returned before she woke up, right before dinner time. It was a system that had always worked to keep her from trouble, but this time she had forgotten to check where Kanan was before she left.

"… and then she went to the alley between the tea shop and the grocery store to eat the stolen food", she heard a boyish voice say in another room as she entered her bedroom through the small window.

She followed the faint sound of someone telling Kanan to shut up and then a loud yell from his grandmother.

Rya entered the living space. It was quite small for nine people. It was painted in a pale tone of green. Near a wall were some old beige cushions and opposite to that was a small worn out Pai Sho table where Rya would sometimes play against other children.

In the middle of the room was Jaya and behind her, with a smug smile on his face, stood Kanan. Rya knew she was in deep trouble, noticing the contorted face of anger of the elder.

"So you thought you could break my rules? Again!?" the old woman spitted, walking in front of her. The girl shook in fear. The fear she would always get when Jaya found out about her disappearances.

Though this was the last time she would experience it.

For once the panic that continuously consumed the children of the orphanage left her, and with her head held high she said, "I actually did, so… yeah". She might not have been as afraid as before but what she managed to say was still lacking in the intimidating department. It was enough to offset the older woman, though. The kids around them were flabbergasted as well. No one had ever stood up to Jaya.

"You dare answering me in that tone!" the old woman fumed, following it with a slap on the young girl's cheek. Rya yelped in pain but it came as no surprise for Jaya to respond with violence. "And stealing! I didn't do everything for you kids so you could disrespect me this way".

Still holding her cheek, Rya yelled, breathing in her rage for the woman, "Well I wouldn't have to steal food" she emphasized, "if you actually fed us like you're supposed to. It's only natural for me to go outside, regardless of your stupid rules, and find something to eat", Rya felt her blood boil, "And now I am telling you, don't you dare slap me again", she added in a huff of unusual smoke.

One could literally see a vein popping on Jaya's forehead, and mocking her words, the woman back slapped Rya once again, this time with enough strength for the little girl to drop to her knees. The eleven year old had her face hidden beneath her disheveled onyx colored hair.

"I own all of you", she turned to the other children, pointing to them, "Take her as an example". Jaya turned once again. "Since you think I'm so bad at my job you can go ahead and leave. For good! Let's see how you hold up in the streets of Omashu on your own", the elder said in a superior voice, laughing at her state.

Suddenly Rya removed herself from the floor, "You know what? I am so glad you said that", she yelled with as much strength as she could muster. Her hands were closed with such force they formed very small fire blades. This threw off everyone in the room and Jaya took three steps back. To Rya's dismay they all had realized she was a firebender.

Rya watched them with an intrigued expression, as she had no idea why they were so frightened all of a sudden. She looked down at her hands and relaxed instantly. "I'm gonna grab my stuff and I'll be out in a moment", she said with a softer voice and headed to her bedroom in quick steps.

A few tears stained her face when she entered the room. Everything was ruined because she couldn't control herself. Looking back she heard the thud of a door closing.

Quickly she wiped the droplets from her cheeks and started collecting her belongings. The few clothes she had in a drawer. The fewer copper pieces she had found and hidden beneath her cot, there for a rainy day.

Lastly she searched for a blanket which she used to make a small satchel where she could put her stuff in.

After that she left through the same window she had used earlier that day.

A/N:

So... I don't know if anyone will notice this but I've rewritten this, so now it's a bit more to my liking. I'll probably change a few other chapters along the way but the content will remain the same, they will only be rewritten.