Author's Notes: A chapter with actual Avatar people now! I will be switching POV's (point of views) a few times, beware. The girl's name is Mika, in case you're wondering. Deds go to celtic goddess of fertility. Enjoy!

Disclaimer:I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender." But if I did, you wouldn't be reading this, because I wouldn't be a fan, I'd be a creator. So if none of the people who own Avatar can post here, why must we write this? Exactly.

The day turned out to be scorching hot. My nerves for tomorrow didn't help much either. I was sweaty from head to toe. I couldn't stand it! I loved heat, hated sweat. I headed to a nearby stream, about a half mile away where I usually bathed.

"Ouch!" I stepped on something hard and grabbed my foot.

"What the," On the ground where I had just stepped was a blue and silver boomerang. I thought I was the only one who came here.

I looked up, and was face to face with an extremely pretty Water Tribe girl in a fighting stance.

"Go away." Her voice was shaking with fury. I was scared, and about to throw flames at her. But before I could do anything, I was slammed against a tree by a giant wave, and rendered unconscious.

(Katara's POV)

"Appa, yip, yip." I steered this time. I looked back, a long time after and saw the girl still there on the tree, head down, body limp. I had bound her to the tree to avoid her escaping. I was afraid she could be dead.

Yes she WAS a Fire Bender, but she was just 16, maybe. I couldn't leave her there. Maybe she could teach Aang, and I wasn't a murderer. It simply wasn't in my nature to hurt people. Maybe Zuko... no, even that I couldn't do either. We had to go back.

"Hey Sokka," I said.

"What's up?" he replied coolly.

"Um... I think I left my water skin back at the stream. It'll just take a sec." I hated to lie, but I had no choice. With that I turned Appa around toward the stream.

(Mika's POV)

"Uhh," I moaned. I woke up in the middle of night sitting against a tree. I was so cold and a little scared.

"What happened?" The girl's face came into my mind.

"Her."

My body was stiff, so much that I could hardly move. My head ached terribly, too. I felt the back of my head, where there was a sizeable bump. I saw ropes on my lap and my shoulders. I was about to burn through them, but they were already cut. The Water Tribe girl came out of the bushes where she was hiding and approached me. I struggled to my feet and shot flames at her.

"Leave me alone!" I demanded. She put them out in mid-air with water.

"I'm trying to!" she yelled back. "Just- wait!" She stuck my feet to the ground with ice, but I quickly melted it and was about to shoot lightning at her. The girl raised a giant wave above me and I put my arms down.

"Ok," I gave in. She bended the wave back into the stream.

"I need to talk to you. I'm traveling with the Avatar. He needs a Fire Bending teacher. I was wondering... if maybe you can teach him. You seem like an excellent Fire Bender. Oh yeah, my name's Katara." I scooted closer to her and we sat on the ground. I was still a little scared that she would all of a sudden turn on me, so I kept my guard up.

"I would love to, but my village and I are in battle tomorrow."

"Oh my gosh." she sounded shocked. "I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were a warrior. Who are you fighting?"

"Zuko and his army."

"But aren't you Fire Nation, too? Aren't you fighting your own nation?" Once again Katara sounded shocked.

"Well... yeah." I talked somewhat softly. "Um, no offense, but when I first met you, I thought you were a crazy person. People aren't always what they seem at first." Katara was about to say something, but I started talking before she could. I hung my head. "Neither am I." I paused and looked up at her.

"When the war started 100 years ago, about 40 Fire Benders escaped from the Fire Lord. They wanted nothing to do with the war, and were actually against it. They hid away in barren uninhabited Fire Nation ground, where they developed a secret community. These people had been wanting and dreaming for years of attacking the only thing stopping the war from ending: Prince Zuko. He was the only thing keeping the Avatar from getting to the Fire Lord. But only a couple months ago, the village leader started planning on taking action. We don't call ourselves Fire Nation." I paused again. "I don't call myself Fire Nation. I'm one of them. By the way, you better get out of here. The bad Fire Nation is real close to here. My name's Mika." I stood up and walked home.

I couldn't hear her, but after I left, she whispered, "Bye."

After Notes: Short... next ones longer. Promise!