Chapter 1

A/N: I would love to finish this as a multi-chapter story but we'll see. :) I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any aspects of the universe that appears in this story. I am not profiting off this story and only own any original characters and aspects as well as the actual story. If you are paying to read this on any site other than archiveofourown or ff.net, this is stolen.

Word Count: 640 ish. It's pretty good for me.


Enya huffed, blowing a piece of her dark brown hair out of her face. Despite living on the volcanic islands of the Fire Nation most of her life, the heat that constantly hung in the air was oppressive. It pressed down on her and stifled her. It came with being a daughter of the ocean and moon spirits instead of a child of the sun spirit. She was lucky to live by the ocean, in a small house that her mother had managed to procure. She chose not to think about how her mother had earned that money, with her being so obviously Water Tribe in the Fire Nation.

She was lucky, or at least lucky for her circumstances, for the color of her eyes. They were the yellow-amber that was typical of Firebenders. She was a Waterbender and she hid the fact her whole life. Most people had seen her mother and assumed that her mother's 'inferior' blood had canceled out her ability to bend Fire. Bringing her thoughts to the present, Enya sighed as her eyes focused on her ash and soot covered hands. She must have wandered too close to the other side of the island, where the ash from the nearest volcano chipped off and floated in the air. Despite being completely surrounded by her element, she felt completely dry and isolated.

Red. She hated the color. Red, the color of everything she owned, including her favorite pair of hair fasteners. Red, the color of blood. Red, the color of the first and last streaks of light. Everywhere around her was the color that mocked her. Reminded her that she wasn't where she was supposed to be. But yet again, if she didn't belong in the Fire Nation, did she actually belong in the Water Tribes? Such was the trouble of war children. Forever made from enemies yet not belonging to either world. As much as she hated the War and the men who raged war, Enya wished that she was fully part of their Nation. At least she'd have a reason to be stuck on this island and maybe she might be able to say that she was a bender and perhaps she would have been able to get married. The chance of having a baby that could do what she could was too risky.

Sometimes, when Enya was younger, she used to entertain the possibility of being the Avatar. It had thrilled her. Now, with her mother buried under the cherry-apple tree, she was war weary. If the Avatar was to come and save them, so be it. What went wrong with the Fire Lords that they started and waged a war that was nearing a century in length. Like her mother, who had been gentle despite her hurt, she believed that the Avatar could only do so much. They were but one person after all. She followed the worn path back to the house and grabbed her things. A pack of food and clothes, and a map of the world.

She didn't really believe that she would make it all the way to either of the Tribes. She wasn't naive. Waterbenders didn't just waltz across the Earth Kingdom wearing Fire Nation clothes. She doubted that someone would believe her long enough to let her bend water. Or at least let her go along her merry way once they realized she was a half breed. Perverts men could be. First, she'd paddle to a port island, which was about a three days journey by canoe. She prayed to Tui and La that she wouldn't end up drowning in a storm during that time. Waterbender she may be, but she was a crappy self-taught one.

Mind steeled, Enya dropped to her knees, supplies in front of her, and began paddling.

My place in the world, here I come.