Author's Note

WHAAA KILL MEEE

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I made another fanfiction. The plot wouldn't leave me alone.

So, a bit of info about the story.

This is an Avatar: Last Airbender fanfic, and it has an OC insert. Oc/cannon pairing. There in a new element. This takes place when Zuko and his uncle are completely banished from the Fire Nation, A.K.A after he cuts off his ponytail and starts growing his hair out. So..yup.

Disclaimer- I do not own Avatar or any of the cannon characters. I own any Ocs and some of the plot.

I hope you enjoy the story!

…...

"Zuko, we should find shelter!" Zuko looked at his uncle as he spoke.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" He snapped over the roar of the rain.

Zuko returned to his search, eyes scanning the forest. What he found wasn't what he was expecting.

A girl, most likely around his age (which was 16), was unconscious on the forest floor. Her long black hair was fanned out around her. She had on an outfit that looked like that girl Katara's, a purple version, but the left sleeve was dyed red with blood.

Zuko started to walk on, teeth gritted.

"Zuko..." His uncle said softly.

He glanced once again at the girl before sighing, walking back to her and carefully picking her up.

"There's a cave up ahead. Let's go." Zuko growled.

Once they entered the cave, Zuko laid out his cloak, setting the girl down on it. He stood at the entrance of the cave as his uncle took care of the girl, dressing her wound and drying her off slightly with fire placed at a safe distance.

"She matches the description of the Cheshire Cat." His uncle murmured.

Zuko tensed, turning around.

"She's about as wanted as the Avatar is!" He exclaimed, "Bind her hands!"

"She's injured, Zuko..."

"She's the Cheshire Cat. She attacks the Fire Nation almost daily. No one knows what type of bender she is, or her true identity. Bind her hands!"

Iroh sighed but did as his nephew said.

"Maybe father would let me back if I turned her in!"

"Zuko, I think it's too late for that.."

"Yeah...maybe.." Zuko grumbled, looking out of the cave.

Morning came quicker than Zuko would have liked. He sighed, running a hand through his growing hair.

He sat up, looking around the cave.

Zuko's eyes widened as he saw Cheshire trying to bite through the ropes that held her hands.

"Hey! Stop that!" Zuko growled, pinning her to the ground.

"G-Get off of me!" She struggled under him.

"Be quiet, Cheshire!"

Just then, his uncle walked back into the cave.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt anything." Iroh chuckled, setting some tea on the fire.

Both blinked a couple times.

Zuko jumped away from her. Both's cheeks were slightly red.

Iroh sat by the fire, tending the tea.

"So, would you untie me already? It's not like I can do anything right now with my shoulder and arm wounded." She grumbled.

"I suppose, plus, I do believe this has something to do with your power source?" Iroh held up a choker necklace that had six crystals dangling off of it. The middle two crystals were deep purple. On the outside of each purple crystal was a dark red crystal, slightly smaller than the first. On each end there was a white crystal, smaller than the other four.

"Hey, finefinefine, I'll tell you anything you want, just untie me and give that back. Make a deal with you, eh?" She nodded.

"Zuko, untie the lady." Iroh nodded.

Zuko growled but did as he was told.

"Th-Thank you...I-" She cut off with a cough.

"Oh, I hope you didn't catch a cold." Iroh said, throwing the necklace at her. She caught it with ease, placing it back on her neck.

"Honestly, you're to kind to her." Zuko snapped.

"Hey buddy, at least I wasn't kicked out of my own kingdom."

Zuko went silent. He sat at the entrance of the cave with his back to them.

"I would prefer you not talk about that." Iroh sighed, handing her a cup of tea.

"Of course, I'm sorry." She murmured, taking the tea from him. Before she could take a sip, she broke out into another fit of coughing.

Zuko glanced at her. A light flush was on her cheeks. She seemed harmless enough, but she was wanted by the Fire Nation..

"Get some rest, we start traveling tomorrow." Zuko said, turning his gaze away from her.

"You're really going to take me with you?!" A bit of hope was in her voice.

"Don't feel special, one wrong move, and you're off to the Fire Lord, Cheshire Cat." He snapped.

"R-Right..." She looked down.

"You have a fever. Like I said, get some rest." Zuko ordered, "Uncle, let's go and try to find something to eat."

"Coming!" Iroh stood, walking out of the cave with Zuko.

When they left, Cheshire lay back down on Zuko's cloak, covering herself with it.

Why is he...of all people, being nice to me? And his uncle to add...he's old enough that he should remember what happened...

She looked up as she heard footsteps.

"Iroh? Zuko?"

Zuko sighed, glaring in distain at the berries and nut he had gather. The same was for his uncle.

"I hate living like this!"

"Zuko, things will get worse before they get better."

"Yeah? Things just keep on getting worse." Zuko started to head back towards the cave. Iroh sighed, following.

Once they got back, Zuko growled, storming in the cave.

"Cheshire is gone! I should have known that no good criminal would have-" He ranted.

"Taken." Iroh corrected, picking up his charred cloak, "She was taken by firebenders."

"Not on my watch." Zuko stormed out of the cave.

The Cheshire Cat herself was tied up to a tree with chains. Her injuries were pulled uncomfortably.

"Let me go! I demand it!" She growled, struggling against her bonds.

One of the five guys that had taken her slapped her hard across the face.

"Shut it, you filth." He snapped.

"Make me." She snarled, spitting blood on his face from a cut in her lip.

"The Fire Lord will pay me just the same if I just bring back your head!" The man snapped, pulling her head back by her hair and placing a dagger at her throat.

Her eyes widened.

"Get your hands off of my prisoner!" The man was suddenly kicked away from her.

"Z-Zuko!"

"Well, well, looks like I'll be getting triple!" The man cackled. The two other guys went after Zuko.

Her eyes widened as she felt a tug on her bonds.

"Shhh..." Iroh raised a finger to his lips, melting through the chains that held her.

She grinned when the chains fell to the ground. In a flash, she had vanished.

Zuko's eyes widened as Cheshire appeared behind the man he was fighting. Her blue eyes glowed eerily and a wide grin was across her face as she raised a finger to her lips. He followed her finger as she pointed downwards. A black circle was under the man's feet. Zuko heard a snap, and the man fell into the shadows.

Iroh had taken care of the second man, so Zuko started to deal with the third.

Cheshire giggled as she sent shadows at the forth man. They engulfed him. As the shadows retreated, everyone but she was horrified to see the man had nothing but his boxers and shoes on. He ran away.

She clapped her hands.

Zuko stared in wonder for a moment. She was bipolar! No wonder she was called the Cheshire Cat...

He quickly finished his opponent.

He whirled around as he heard a thud. The last guy had slammed Cheshire into a tree. He raised a dagger, ready to slit her throat.

Zuko fire-blasted the man away from her.

"Well damn." She rubbed the back of her head, wincing.

"Let's go." Zuko growled, grabbing her hand and running. His uncle followed close behind.

When they got a safe distance away, they finally slowed down.

Zuko glanced back at Cheshire. She had fallen behind. She coughed quietly, looking away from the two.

He fell back enough so that he could walk beside her. He place a spare robe over her.

"Thanks...for everything." She murmured, pulling the robe around her.

"No problem, Cheshire." Zuko sighed.

"Alice."

"What?"

"My name...it's Alice." She smiled slightly at him. The flush from her fever, and possibly something else, was still evident on her cheeks.

"Alice, that's a lovely name." Iroh smiled, placing his hands in his sleeves.

"Thanks. I prefer you not tell anyone..." The newly dubbed Alice sighed, tightening the robe around her. She covered her mouth, coughing.

"When we get to a town, we'll get you something to heal you." Zuko said, looking away from her.

"Oh, n-no, it's fine! No telling how much a cure will cost!" She shook her head.

"Nonsense. If you're going to be traveling with us now, I won't have you coughing all the time."

"Thanks..."

Iroh glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.

A shadowbender...I thought they had all been killed. How peculiar.

…...

Author Note

Yayy..

FIRST CHAPTA!

So, I hope you enjoyed, drop by a review if you can! Thanks!