Ok so this is my first attempt at an Avatar story even though this has been rolling around in my head for years now so anyway I hope you all enjoy it!
Alexandria sat in the soft, white sand the dark blue-grey waves lapping at her bare feet. She looked at the sun setting on the horizon casting the sky in orange and red splashes of color, making the sky look as though it was on fire. The breeze played with her long, thick, golden blonde hair, making it twirl about as thought the wind were dancing with her. She felt the sand between her toes and the water moving over her pale feet as thought trying to pull her out to sea. She breathed in the salty sea air and never wanted this day to end.
She saw a strange cloud pass over the sun, it looked like a turtle but the head and feet were wrong. She squinted at it to get a better look, and the head seemed to take the shape of a lion's as did the feet. A lion turtle, she thought with a smile. Suddenly the cloud took a more solid shape and began heading her way. She widened her eyes and stood. That was definitely not a cloud. She tried to run away but she became petrified by its gaze. As it came closer it showed its true size, it had to be the size of an island. Alexandria was lost in its jewel like gaze as her fear left her and she was filled with peace. She reached out and as she touched its snout she heard a voice in her mind.
"You are needed," it said in a voice that seemed to have seen the dawn of time itself. A white light suddenly encircled her. The ground seemed to fall out from under her, and she suddenly was falling. She screamed for what felt like forever before she saw a dot of blue beneath her. She looked down and saw the dot become bigger and then she saw the deck of a ship and several tiny people dressed in varying shades of red. And then the light engulfed her again, but this time an intense pain washed over her and the world went black.
As the light dimmed Zuko saw a girl laying on her side her golden hair spread about her head obscuring her face; he approached her slowly and took some of the strange colored hair and brushed it out of her face. She had a very round face indicating youth, and a rather small nose but large eyes with long dark lashes.
"Who is she?" asked Zuko. She did not look as though she was from a nearby water tribe, as her clothes were far too thin for the arctic weather, nor did she seem to be from any nation he knew of.
"I don't know but we had better get her inside," his Uncle Iroh said the old man bending to touch her cheek. "She is as cold as ice, we must get her warm!" Zuko nodded and bent down. He placed his arms under her shoulders and her knees and picked her up, he was surprised at how little she seemed to weigh, as she was not very small but she was not very large either, the best way to describe her was healthy. The ends of her golden strands swayed a few inches from the rough boards of the deck as he carried her limp frame below.
"Take her to your room, we can get her warm there," Iroh said. Zuko nodded and walked to the door. She stirred in his arms and he looked down at her; her eyes fluttered open to reveal spring green eyes before they closed again and she went limp. He laid her down and covered her in his thickest blankets. Iroh bent a small flame into a pan lighting the coals before extinguishing it leaving the coals glowing red, before putting a lid on it and sliding it between two blankets near her feet. "Now we wait," He said sitting next to the bed.
She awoke to a pounding headache. She slowly opened her eyes, thanking god for the dim candle light. She saw a boy about her age sitting in front of small table and an older man who noticed she was awake and smiled at her.
"It is good to see you awake," he said with a voice raspy with age. He had grey hair, eyes like two gold coins and a gentle smile, she felt like she could trust him instantly. Now the boy on the other hand; his dark hair was tied back in a ponytail with eyes like the old man. His left eye and most of that side of his face was scarred, from what she had no idea, but it made him seem fierce and angry.
"Who are you?" he asked. "Where did you come from?"
"Zuko!" the old man said sternly. "She has just woken up, give her time to adjust." Alexandria slowly sat up the pounding in her head getting worse. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes to hopefully relive some of the pressure. "Headache?" the old man asked. She nodded. "Here have some tea." He handed her a cup and she drank it and some of the pain ebbed away instantly.
"Thank you," she said setting the cup down on the floor. "My name is Alexandria, but most people call me Alex."
"That is a very strange name," The old man said. "I am Iroh and this is my nephew Zuko."
"Well my name isn't very strange in America, that's where I'm from," she said smiling. "By the way where am I?" Iroh and Zuko looked at each other a strange expression crossing their faces.
"You are on a fire nation ship, circling the South Pole," Zuko said. Alexandria blinked not quite understanding what they were talking about.
"So we're circling Antarctica?" she asked feeling dread bloom in the bit of her stomach.
"What?" Zuko asked a confused expression on his face. "What's an Antarctica?"
"Miss Alexandria, did I say that right?" Iroh asked. Alex nodded. "I believe you are from a different world, one very different from ours." She felt shock seep into her bones cold as ice. She picked up her teacup and took a sip of the warm liquid. "I believe something brought you here for a reason."
"Lion turtle," She said dreamily. "He said I was needed."
"A lion turtle brought you here?" Iroh asked. She nodded slowly.
"How do I go back?" she asked panic engulfing her. "How do I go back home?"
"The Lion turtle brought you here for a reason," Iroh said setting a gentle hand on her shoulder, and easing some of the panic. "You will probably be able to go home once you accomplish what you came here for." She nodded her panic slowly fading. "By the way what was that?" With that question her panic returned.
"I don't know! He never told me!" she said her green eyes wide with panic and fear. "What am I supposed to do all he told me is that 'you are needed'" she said her voice rising in pitch.
"Miss, calm down," Iroh said taking her shoulders in his hands. She felt her breathing begin to calm as she looked into his golden eyes. "You will find your destiny." She nodded and closed her eyes as she tried to calm down. "We will leave you some clothes so you can change and we will meet you on deck." She nodded.
"Thank you, for the tea," she said as he stood up. He simply smiled at her and led Zuko out the door, which was shut after Zuko. Alex sighed and thought the best way to survive was to make the best out of this. She pushed back the blankets and found a neatly folded pile of clothes on the small table. She pulled the shirt over her head and she was swimming in it.
"Why does she have to wear my clothes?" Zuko asked slightly irked. The girl, Alex, had struck him as scared and he had no time to wonder about a scared, stupid girl.
"Because you are the smallest person on this ship before her," Iroh said as they climbed the stairs. "And we must be gracious hosts, as you are a prince."
"Can't we just leave her at the next port?" Zuko asked. "She can find her destiny on her own!"
"Zuko," Iroh said turning and looking at his nephew his expression stern. "Does she look like she can survive on her own?"
"Well, no," he said feeling a little ashamed for just wanting to make her someone else's problem.
"So we must keep her safe," Iroh said. "She was brought to us for a reason, what that reason is, we will just have to find out." Zuko nodded. They made their way to the railing and watch as icebergs rolled lazily past.
"Hello," Said a very feminine voice from behind them. Zuko turned to look and had to hold back his laughter. She was drowning in his clothes, as she was quite a bit shorter she'd had to roll the cuffs of the pants several times, she'd tucked the shirt in and belted the pants at her waist with a simple knot and the shirts sleeves had been rolled several times as well. It looked like a little girl trying on her father's clothes. "Thank you for the clothes," she said smiling and running her hand through her golden hair.
"You look beautiful," Iroh said smiling back. She laughed a loud and contagious sound.
"Thanks for lying," She said leaning on the railing next to Zuko, who looked down at her.
"I was not lying, Miss," Iroh said. She blushed and looked at her feet.
"Well, then thank you," she said. Iroh nodded and turned away walking toward the watch tower. She looked up at Zuko and was struck by how angry he seemed. "So what's your deal?"
"I don't know what you mean?" he said staring straight ahead at the icebergs.
"Why are we out here?" she asked.
"I'm searching for the Avatar," he said. "If I capture him and take him to my father, I will regain my honor."
"Oh so honor is a thing here," she said nodding. "By the way, who is the 'Avatar'?" she asked.
"The avatar is a being who can control all four elements, he's had a century to hone his abilities so he will be a deadly enemy, but it is my destiny to capture him," he said his expression serious.
"Time out," she said making a 'T' shape with her hands. "What do you mean control the elements?" Zuko never answered her question as a flare went up in the sky and Zuko ran over toward it and yanked a telescope from a soldier and looked through it.
"There you are," he muttered. "Set a course for that village over there!" he shouted before running below deck.
"Thanks for answering my questions," Alex muttered rolling her eyes. The ship suddenly lurched to the side and she grabbed onto the railing for dear life. After the ship seemed to right itself Alex slowly let go of the railing but her stomach was pretty queasy.
"Miss Alex!" called Iroh. She looked up at the tower and saw him waving out a window. "Please, come and have some tea with me!" she smiled up at him and began to slowly make her way toward the ladder to the tower. She stumbled and a solider caught her and set her on her feet. She looked up at him and saw worried brown eyes.
"Thanks sir," She said smiling up at him. "Could you point me to Iroh?"
"Uh… up the ladder and the second door on the first platform," he said pointing up the ladder.
"Thanks," she said climbing up the ladder he'd pointed out. The solider watched her as she climbed and wondered where this strange girl had come from? Was she a spirit? Or was she just a girl with weird hair? All he really knew was that she reminded him of his daughter back in the fire nation.
Alex felt the wind more strongly here, and it was only a little cold. She went to the second door and knocked twice. Iroh opened the door and waved her in.
"Come in child," he said. She came in and sat at the little table with the steaming teapot and cups. "How are you doing?"
"So far so good," she said taking a sip. "Zuko was rather welcoming."
"I'm glad to hear it," he said. "So you mentioned an America, tell me about this place."
"Well, it's a country made up of fifty states," she began only to feel the boat begin to shift as thunderous cracks filled the air. Alex stood and tried to keep her balance as she went outside and saw a small village that the ship was headed straight for. The ship suddenly stopped and she felt her balance leave her as she fell toward the balcony.
I know a cliff in the first chapter, I couldn't resist it... anyway let me know what you think!