A/N: OK, so here's my own Avatar: the Last Airbender story. I'm really bad at explaining what something's about, so just read and tell me what you think. I do not own Avatar (I wish I did). :)

~*Chapter 1*~

Elaina knew she was in danger.

As she lied in bed with the covers pulled up to her chin, she sensed something was off. Wearily, she pushed herself up out of bed and sulked over to the large window on the other side of the room. Elaina pulled the curtains back, moonlight pouring and forming shadows. She stared out at the vacant courtyard and sighed.

Nothing's wrong, she reassured herself.

Elaina crawled back into her warm bed and closed her eyes. Right when sleep was about to pull her back, the door slowly creaked open.

Elaina's breath caught in her throat. She heard soft footsteps quickly pad over to her bed. Standing above her was her mother. She looked down at Elaina, a look on her face that Elaina couldn't decipher.

"Mother? What are you doing?"

"Shh, Elaina. We must not be heard," her mother whispered. "Now listen to me. You need to get out of here. Now."

Elaina stared back at her mother. She opened her mouth to protest, but her mother cut her off.

"Do not argue," she snapped. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Your father has upset His Majesty. Our entire family is in trouble. Your father is in jail as we speak and I have no doubt we shall be next."

"What did Father do?" Elaina exclaimed. She could picture her father in a cold jail cell, all alone and terrified.

"Don't worry about it," her mother told her. "All that matters now is that you get out of here as soon as possible. Now get out of bed and get dressed. I will pack your bag."

Elaina scrambled out of bed, tripping over some sheets as she went. She yanked open her dresser and pulled out a dark dress and leggings. Quickly and quietly, she pulled them on and pulled her dark blue, velvet cloak over. Within five minutes she and her mother had packed a bag of clothing along with some personal items.

"Let's go," her mother whispered.

The two tiptoed out of the room and down the hall, careful not to wake any of the castle's residents. Once they were outside, Elaina's mother pulled her close.

"I've had people hanging around the docks. There's a fire navy ship down there. I'm not sure whose ship it is, but I know it belongs to someone very important from the fire nation."

"Mother, everyone here hates the fire nation," Elaina whispered. After being brought up in an anti-bender country her entire life, she had come to learn that benders of the elements and her people did not mix.

"I know, but it's your only chance," she replied. "When you get to the docks, I need you to find out whose ship it is. Ask around if you need to, but don't give away your identity. When you do find out, get a job on the ship. If anyone asks what you were doing here, think of something to tell them. Do you understand, Elaina?"

Elaina gulped and nodded. "Yes, Mother."

"Good." Elaina watched as her mother's eyes began to tear up. She reached at her neck and pulled off the locket she wore. It was a silver E surrounded by tiny, intricate patterns that looked like delicate, silver roses. The E stood for Ebony, Elaina's mother's name.

"I want you to have this so you'll always remember your family and I in case we don't see each other again."

A tear rolled down Elaina's pale cheek. "Mother…"

Ebony pulled her daughter in for an embrace. "I will miss you. I'll try to find a way to get in touch with you. Go now, my dear, before it's too late."

Elaina took a step back and nodded. She began to walk into the woods but turned around to look at her mother. She gave her a weak smile. Elaina looked up at the castle for a last glance. She turned and walked into the deep forest, leaving the life she once knew for a new one.

Prince Zuko of the fire nation stood on the deck of his ship, tall and fierce, observing the land before him. The prince scowled at the dock with all its peasants. He had been in Padraic, the largest anti-bender country in the world, for the past three months searching for the Avatar. After tearing the land apart and unsuccessfully leaving without the Avatar, Zuko was ready to leave this God-forsaken place. He and his crew were stopping at a small fishing town not too far from the capital to stock up on supplies. The ship slowly pulled up to the dock and Zuko watched as his crew members scurried around, tying the ship to the dock.

"Prince Zuko."

Zuko turned at the voice of his Uncle Iroh. The short, stout man approached his nephew and stood next to him.

"I'm so relieved to finally leave this place," Prince Zuko told his uncle.

"I know you're upset about not finding the Avatar," Iroh replied. "You knew he probably wouldn't be here, too. But I really don't understand how you hate this place! It's beautiful! So many interesting people, tons of land, and great cities! The fire nation should really consider buying some land out here." Iroh snuck a glance at Zuko who was staring straight ahead. "I bet you could find a great girl out here…"

"Uncle," Zuko cut the older man off, growing more and more petulant with his uncle's optimism. "I've told you hundreds of times—I'm searching for the Avatar, not a wife. I have no time for women and their foolishness. Plus, marrying a girl from an anti-bender country would be an absolute insult to my father and people."

"You have to get married sometime!"

"Uncle Iroh!"

"Okay, okay!" Iroh tried not to laugh. Zuko always got so irritated whenever the topic of marriage was brought up. "I'm going to bed now. You should probably get some rest, too."

The prince shook his head and walked towards the ladder. "I need to get off the ship for a while. I should be back soon."

Iroh nodded. "Take your time. Don't forget we're leaving at dawn."

"I won't," Zuko replied. He jumped off the ladder onto the dock and made his way into town.

Elaina made her way out of the forest and stood on a hill above the small town below her. The town was lit up and she could hear the feint voices of people. At court, no one ever stayed out this late. Then again, Elaina had never been outside of court and really had no idea of how the commoners lived.

The small town was full of life. People walked the streets, bantering amongst themselves. Carts were lined up and loud men and women tried to sell their goods to others. Children chased one another, laughing and yelling the entire time. Elaina wanted to join in with these people and have fun like they were. More than ever, she wanted to know her family was safe and she had nothing to worry about.

An old man with his two front teeth missing sat on the side of the road, a can placed at his feet. He noticed Elaina and shook the can. It made a jingling noise when he shook it and Elaina could see a few coins bouncing around.

"Would ye be so kind to spare a coin fer me, luv? I'm very hungry."

Elaina reached into her cloak and pulled out a shiny, gold coin. The man's eyes bugged out of his head when she threw it into his can.

"Thank ye!" he exclaimed and ran down the street.

Elaina watched as the old man merrily ran and couldn't help but smile. She began to wonder what he would buy with the coin when she felt someone put their hand on her arm.

"Lady Elaina."

Elaina spun around and came face to face with a young man with short, curly, brown hair. His gray eyes were hard on her face and he seemed a bit antsy. Elaina recognized him from court. Just when she thought her heart would stop, he nodded towards a building.

"Come with me," he said. "We need to talk."

He began to walk towards the building but Elaina stayed put. When he noticed she wasn't coming with him, he sighed.

"You can trust me, okay? You're mother asked me to be here for you."

She hesitated for another moment. Then, she sighed and decided to follow him.

The building they entered turned out to be a small bar. A few people were there, quietly sipping their drinks. Elaina and the young man sat at a table in the corner of the room, far away from everyone else.

"Thirsty?" he asked Elaina.

"I don't drink," she replied.

"How about water?"

Elaina nodded and watched him walk to the bar. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Something didn't feel right about having drinks with a stranger at the moment. The man returned and gave Elaina her water. The two sipped quietly, not uttering a word. Finally, Elaina broke the silence.

"Who are you?" she quietly asked.

The man put his glass down. "Will Sydney. I work for your mother."

"What do you do for her?"

"I get information and news from court about your family. Whenever I hear something she might like to know, I tell her," Will explained.

Elaina nodded. "Now tell me this: what's going on with my family?"

Will stared back at her. "That, I'm still working on. They've kept quiet for a while. All I know is that they were starting to get suspicious of your family."

"Who is 'they'?"

"The king's advisors."

"Do you know why my father was arrested?" Elaina asked quietly.

"No. It was a surprise to me. All I know is that he did something to make His Majesty angry. There were rumors going around that it had to do with your sister."

Elaina's head shot up. "My sister?" She thought of her older sister, Perdita, the queen of Padraic.

"Yes. That is all I know," Will told her.

Elaina fell quiet for a moment. Then she remembered what her mother had told her.

"My mother said to get on some fire nation ship. Do you know anything about that?"

Will nodded. "Yes. Your mother asked me to make sure you got on the ship okay."

"What's so important about that ship anyway? Why does she want me on that one when I could get on any other ship in Padraic?"

"Tell me, Elaina. What do you know about the prince of the fire nation?"

Elaina thought for a moment. "Not much."

"Okay. Three years ago, the fire lord banished his son, Prince Zuko, from the fire nation. From what I've heard, the prince spoke out of turn at a war meeting. His punishment was to fight his father in an agni kai. He refused, though his father still attacked him and gave him a scar because of it. The fire lord then banished Zuko and told him he could only return once he'd captured the Avatar," Will explained.

"Okay. But what does that have to do with me getting on his ship?" Elaina was more confused than ever now.

"Think about it. This guy travels all over the world. If the king were to send anyone after you, the last place he would look for you would be on a fire nation ship. Besides, even if he did know you were on the ship it would be too hard to keep up with the prince and his ship."

"But how am I even going to get on the ship?" she asked.

"Make a deal with him," said Will. "Tell him if you help him capture the Avatar, you want something in return. Your mother is always telling me how you want to go to college. Ask him to get you into a college."

"Okay, but what should I tell him if he asks about my life?"

"Tell him you were born in Padraic—but don't tell him wear your really from. Say you came from a poor family who couldn't afford to get you into a good school, but you have the brains for it," said Will.

Elaina began to worry. "I don't think I can do this."

"Yes, you can. You have to. From what I've heard, you're one of the smartest, strongest girls at court. He'll be begging you to join him," Will said knowingly.

Elaina stared back at Will. He seemed so sure of himself and her. She sighed. "Okay. I'll do it."

Will smiled. "Your mother will be proud. Now, I saw the prince walking around earlier, so he should still be around here. If for some reason he won't take you, wait until nightfall tomorrow. I'll come back and we'll find a new way to get you out of here."

"What do I do if I get on the ship?" Elaina asked him. "How will I know what's going on here?"

"I'll write to you. Let you know what's happening." Will stood up to leave.

"Will! Wait! How will I know it's him?"

"He has a big scar on the left side of his face. His head is shaven except for a black ponytail on top. Oh, and he's wearing fire nation clothing," he told her.

"Okay, I'll remember that."

"And Elaina?"

"Yeah?"

"Put your hair up. You can't be noticed by anyone around here."

Instinctively, she ran a hand through her long, wavy, red hair.

"I'll contact you soon," Will told her and left.

Elaina sat there quietly for a moment. The world seemed to stop as the night's events swirled through her mind like a tornado. She pushed her chair away from the table and walked into the bathroom.

Once in there, she stared at her reflection. She looked the same—long, red hair, startling blue-gray eyes, and flawless skin. But on the inside, she felt like an entirely different person.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a hair tie. She pulled her hair away from her face into a neat, tight bun. With one final glance at her reflection, she left and walked out of the bathroom as an entirely different person.

Zuko pushed the door of the bar open and walked inside. The bar was just about empty except for a few old men and a bar tender. Zuko took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink.

Just then, a girl about Zuko's age, walked out of the bathroom. Zuko watched her out of the corner of his eye as she made her way over to the bar. She gave the bar tender a coin and quietly thanked him. She was about to leave when she caught a glance of Zuko. Something flashed across her face. Zuko wasn't sure which emotion it was, but he didn't like the way she was looking at him.

"Got a problem?" he asked coolly, without taking his eyes off her.

This seemed to catch her off guard. "No, not at all," she replied. She squinted as though se couldn't see the prince. "You look familiar…"

Zuko raised a brow. In his mind, he thought of where he might've run into her to make her say that. He turned his head to get a better look of her. Zuko watched as the girl's eyes went wide.

"You're the prince of the fire nation!" she exclaimed.

Zuko couldn't help but let a little smile form on his face. This girl was the first person in Padraic to actually know who he was.

"Someone's obviously been doing her homework," he replied.

The girl blushed. "You could say that."

Zuko observed the girl. She wasn't wearing the typical clothing of one of the four nations.

"Where are you from?" Zuko asked.

"Around here," she replied. "I'm trying to get out of here, though. Padraic isn't really the place for me."

"Where are you planning on going?"

"Probably the fire nation," she told him. "I heard there are some pretty good schools out there."

"True. But you'd probably have a hard time with that. Most of the fire nation can't stand people from the anti-bender countries." Zuko shrugged.

The girl sat down next to him. "You could probably help me with that."

"I hardly know you."

"What if I made you a deal? One that involves the Avatar?"

Zuko leaned forward. "I'm listening."

"You obviously want the Avatar. From what I've heard, capturing him will get you your honor back. Am I right?" she asked.

Zuko nodded.

"I'm willing to help you capture the Avatar for one thing in return: get me into the college of my choice."

Zuko leaned back. What this girl was offering stunned Zuko. No one knew where the Avatar was, nor had they seen him in a hundred years. What made her so sure she could find and capture the Avatar?

"I'm not sure…"

"Come on!" There was a look of determination in her blue eyes. She took a deep breath and tried again. "I can help you. I've got the brains, the agility. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't do this."

The prince sat there silently, pondering the idea of letting a girl join his crew. The girl stared at him with pleading eyes. Finally, Zuko gave in.

"Fine," he said. He watched as her eyes lit up. She was about to say something but cut her off. "One condition though. I will only get you into a school if you get me the Avatar. So if we haven't captured him by the time you're getting ready to enter college, the deal's off. No Avatar, no support from me. Got it?"

The girl nodded. "Deal. Thank you so much!"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. We leave at dawn tomorrow. Don't be late. My ship is at the dock, big fire navy ship, hard to miss."

"Okay," the girl replied. She grabbed her bag and stood up.

"What's your name?" Zuko asked as she was walking towards the door.

"Elaina," she called back and left.

Zuko sat there for a few moments. Elaina, he thought to himself. And just like that he knew she wouldn't disappoint him.

Thank you for reading! I'll try to get Chapter 2 up as soon as I can. Please review and tell me what you think! (: