Authors note: This is my very first fanfic, and the first time I've published any of my writing online, please review, I would love to here any suggestions!

The flames swirled around my hands, I breathed in and out, a breath of fire rolled across my tongue. In one swift movement I kicked a wide arching kick. The blaze dissipating as I leaped into the air creating tow sharp blasts of fire. Perfect, I thought.

I was alone, just as I thought. A breeze found it's way into the empty court yard. I shivered as the wind brushed my exposed skin, rustling the thin fabric draped over the upper part of my stomach. I picked up my cloak and firmly buttoned it at the top. I pulled the thick red fabric around me and began to walk home. I stared at the royal palace as a walked by, the thick walls were carefully guarded by armored fire nation soldiers.

A small walled garden came into view and I smiled, per my daily routine I slipped in through the arched door way in to a lush garden filled with flowering vines, and green bushes. In the center was a cherry tree at the foot of the cherry tree was a pond in which the turtle ducks swam. I smiled walked to the pond, sat down, and pulled out a small roll. I tossed a piece into the pond where a young turtle duck snapped it up and looked at me, more? It seemed to ask.

"Sorry girl," I whispered, I lifted the turtle-duck out of the water, and tied a small red string around her right foot, "There you are Zani, I'll alway's know it's you that you this way" I stood up and ran the rest of the way home. I entered the house, it smelled of noodles.

"Happy Birthday Marine!" said Tasani, my best friend. Miku her turtle-cat made a chattering noise. I'd forgotten it was my birthday, today I turned fourteen. I hugged her. My mother walked in with a small cake, my smile widened.

"Mom! You didn't have to!" I said.

"Yes I did, fourteen! That's when you can start working at the restaurant," mom said excitedly.

"Right, the restaurant..." I said, since the beginning of the war at fourteen the oldest child went to work in the family restaurant.

"Awe, come on Marine, you'll like it!"

"Ok mom, I'm sure I will," I smiled, picked up the knife, and began to cut the cake, I put a piece on all of the plates, only four... One for me, one for Tasani, one for my mother and one for my father. Miku mewed.

"No Miku, you know it's really bad for you," Tasani rest of the day passed in a blur, Tasani and I watched an amazing firebending demonstration from the masters. It was incredible, when they let out a breath of fire it rolled around them intertwining their fingers. But somehow their bending seemed different than mine, it seemed more contained, less wild. But they had been trained, I hadn't.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

That night as I crawled into bed my foot hit a small box, I threw a small jet of flame at the candle by my bed, I opened the box and pulled out a cloak, it was heavy and dark red in the candle light, it brought the edge closer to the candle flame, it was trimmed with yellow. But the edges along the inside were lined with a patchwork of blue, orange, green, and brown. I folded it carefully and lay it along the bottom of the bed, smiling, I snuffed out the candle, lay my head on the pillow and smiled to myself. My parents had never before given me such a beautiful item.

My thoughts began to slow as I drifted off to sleep, ideas of new firebending sets meandered through my brain. Maybe if I tried a jump spinning arching kick with three punches...

I never finished the thought.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

When I woke the next morning I was curled into a tight ball. The cloak was still at the foot of my bed, I clambered out and picked it up. I slid it on, as the weight settled on my shoulders I realized it was perfect. I entered the kitchen to smells of tea, and steaming rolls.

"Oh, well don't you look nice in your cloak," my mother exclaimed.

"It's beautiful, thank you so much," I hugged her.

"Just don't go burn holes in this ones, it's nice than the last one and I don't want you cooking in it! Now go get ready, put on your white shirt! Today is your first day at the restaurant!"

"Right... Ok I'll get that done, but mom, what would happen if the oldest child didn't want to work in the restaurant?"

"Oh, well, see, no one has ever not wanted to work there, so i wouldn't know, though I'd imagine the younger sibling would take their place..." she finished, too bad I don't have any siblings, I thought. I took a warm roll, and scarfed it down. With a sigh I went to get dressed for my first day at my new life. I pulled off my cloak and reluctantly lay it on my bed, out of the chest at the base of my bed I took, a white shirt and baggy black pants. The white shirt clung to my skin, suffocating me, it was hard to move around freely in the uniform. Well Marine, you may as well get used to it, from, now until you die, this is it, I thought angrily.

"Stupid tradition," I muttered. My life dream was to teach firebending to children, to be a master, but all my parents seemed to care about was their precious family restaurant, not about what I wanted to do with my life. I took a deep breath, in and out. I stood facing my bed, so many things running through my mind. I don't want to do this. I can't work there. Why am so upset. What is the world like? I should be ashamed of myself, there are people who would kill for this life. What is the world like? What is it like out side of the capitol? Outside of the fire nation?

One more breath, then I turned and walked into the kitchen.

"Come-on Marine, time for your first day!" my mother exclaimed.
"Yay..." I siad unenthused.
"Aw, I'll bet your tired!" she said, "You Tasani were out late last night, what were you doing?"
"I went and showed the turtle-ducks by the palace, you know how much she loves animals."
"Marine sweety, I've told you, stop hanging around that garden, that's where the nobles go to relax, they don't want kids haging around there makeing a racket."
"Mom! We're fine, you guys own a prestigious eating-house that all those nobles like, we aren't loud!"
"Well I'm glad you finally show some knowleged of the family buisness, come-on, lets go."
I rolled my eyes and followed her out the door, I began to run, loving the feeling of the ground flying by my feet.
"Marine!" my mother exclaimed, "Why are you running?"
"Because I have legs, and I can run, and I like it."
"Don't use that tone with me young lady!"
"Why can't I run?"
"You'll sweat, and then you'll smell, and that is very bad for business."
"Well boo-hoo, you can't stop me!" I ran faster, arms flung out behind me, fire flowing from my finger tips.
"Marine, stop that instantly!"
"Was that the avatar I heard? Nope, can have been, he's been dead a hundred years!" I kept running, I hadn't yet broken a sweat when I slowed in front of The Windswept Flame, our wonderful eating-house, great. About three minutes later, my decidedly angry mother came to a halt in front of me, "What was that all about?" she demanded.
"I wanted to run so I ran," I replied bluntly.
"Don't do it again,"
"Why not?" I asked. My mother glared at me as she pushed open the door. Employs bustled around, putting fresh table clothes on the tables and laying out silver ware. A dark haired boy popped out of the crown he green eyes that were unusual for the fire nation.
"Hi he said I'm Harris, I'll be showing you around today," he held out his hand, I shook it and my face turned bright red when he smiled, I smiled back.
"Where will I be working today," I questioned trying not let my voice squeak.
"Well you'll be a waiter. Don't worry you'll be a natural, you're a non-bender right?" he asked.
"Actually I'm a fire-bender,"
"Oh, sorry, I just never heard anyone talk about you being an errr, bender... Sorry."
"No, I'm used to it, my parents know I'm a bender, but they never seem to acknoledge it, so it makes sense no one knows. Are you a bender?"
"Naw, I wish, that would be amazing."
"Enough chat, we have some important people coming for breakfast today," my mother broke in. I glared a her and followed Harris into in the kitchen.
"Here you go Marine, you'll use this to take note of what people order, we take pride in getting costomers what they want," Harris said handing me a pad of paper and a stick, I looked questiononly at the stick.
"Umm..."
"Oh! Burn the end so you can write with it," Harris explained quickly. I close my hand around the end of the stick, smoke rose in a tiny cloud, I removed my hand to reavle a perfectly burnt stick.
"Wow, that's great," Harris handed me his stick tentativley, I took it, a little flash of warmth burst though my hand where we toched.
"We're open!" Someone called from the front. i followed harris out of the kitchen, a large, burly man stepped through the door, he asked Harris for a table of two. Following Harris through the restaurant the man asked, "Who is this knew waitress?"
"I'm Marine," I stated before Harris got a chance to open his mouth.
"Oh! You must be the Solin's daughter,"
"That's me,"
"Could i get you anything to drink to drink Sir?" Harris asked. After the man carefully gave his ansewer, with many specifics and exeption, Harris sent me back to kitchen to fetch it. I brought the drink with out spilling it, the cook filled it to the very top, so full that a single false move would send it to floor.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

It must have been around lunch time, I was carrying a largeglass of water, the crouds were astounding, I had to rush back and forth with the glasses, Harris decided I would get drinks and hewould get food. I was walking as fast as I could, when I stumbled the water spill al down my front, snickers broke out around me as I stood there cover in water. Of course, I thought angrily. I pulled off my apron, people were watching me now.
"Stupid water," I said louder than I intended to. I shot a blast of fire at the puddle, it evaporated not even leaving a single scorch mark on the floor. I walked away, and spent the rest of the day cleaning the kitchen.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

I walked home on my own, brooding silently about my less than perfect day at work. A tear slid down my face, I hated it there I realized. That stupid place how could anyone ever stad to work thier entire life like that, serving the rich and being ordered around like a tow year old. I kicked a rock and I screamed. That felt good really, really good. When I got home my mother asked me, "How was your day?"

"No."
"No what Marine."
"I dont' want to work in the restaurant."
"But it's a long running family tradition!"
"No, I won't do it."
"But Marine honey, this is perfect for you! You'll always have money, and people to talk to, you'll never have to worry about what you'll have for your next meal! All of the improtant people will know your name!"
"I know! I know ok! I get that I could have everything! Everything and more, but no one would remember me, I'm just a shadow! I want to see the world, not stay in the capitol of the Fire nation, serving wealthy people!"
"Oh, Marine I know you'll grow to like it, to love it some day you may meet the Fire lord himself!"
"I don't want to meet the fire lord! I want to see the world!"
"You are my daughter and you will do what I tell you to do, hear me!"
"No, I'm leaving, I'm sorry you are so angry with me, I'll be back, I promise, maybe tomorrow maybe in a month, maybe in three years! Who knows, maybe I'll meet the banished prince and find the avatar!" A long painful silence ensued, I stared my mother in the eyes arms crossed, my hands were just asking my if they could burst into flames, but I waited for my mother to speak, I had to wait for her to speak. And finally after what must have been a three minute standoff, she spoke...