Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its characters or concepts. I only use them to my advantage in creating awesome stories.

This story has been brewing for a while and I have finally determined to post it. I hope you all enjoy the first installment of The Other Avatar: The Darkness Within. Be sure to review your thoughts and suggestions.

Also, this story started out as one of those "insert yourself into the story" ones, so my main character was originally based a lot on me. However, when I couldn't decide what element I wanted her to bend, she sort of evolved. Her personality morphed completely, and while the hair and skin are still based on mine, I decided that I wanted to bring out a kind of "other worldly" vibe. I changed the eye color to one that was inspired by my eight grade English teacher.

Edit October 3, 2018: wow, so this chapter is soon going to be half author's note. I've been rereading old works of mine and had not realized how much my writing has progressed in the past three or four years. The result? Editing. Anybody who reads this, just know that it is always okay to edit your writing. I used to have trouble with that, thinking that what I did was the best I could do and that I couldn't make it any better: well I'm glad to say that my writing style has increased enough for me to make substantial edits. I hope this makes this story more enjoyable for all who read it, and I'm ready to take a trip to the past to work on one of my first fanfictions.

So without further ado, sit back, relax, and reaaaaad. :)

Chapter One: Girl of the South

Some say that spirits control the weather and if that was true, then the ones in control of the weather in the Tennessee Valley were stupid. Springs were hot but summers were hotter. Sometimes September was warmer than it was in June. In the winter, it may have been twenty degrees Fahrenheit one day, and sixty the next. But, anyone who lived there could tell you they were used to it. It was not even unusual anymore.

It was a blisteringly hot Wednesday in the middle of July. It had just rained the day before and there were quickly evaporating puddles littering the town of Achak. Now one would expect the temperature to drop slightly after it rained, but it did not. In fact, on that particular day it was one hundred and five degrees, which was higher than it had gotten in several years.

But to fourteen-year-old Eloise (preferably called Ellie, for she hated her name), a native Alabamian, it wasn't all that odd. Ellie was a proud member of the marching band, drumline to be specific, and had just arrived home from band camp. If you currently have a picture in your mind of people sleeping in cabins and relaxing, let me enlighten you: Band camp does not involve vacation. It involves two weeks of grueling work and marching in the hot sun. Because of the temperature and moderate to extreme amounts of exercise, Ellie was wearing a t-shirt that she had cut the sleeves off of. Her shorts were very short and she wore arch supporting, springy tennis shoes.

Her skin was bronze, having gone to the beach and then marched in the blistering sun every day for two weeks straight. This bronzing effect was the result of olive skin that tanned the instant Ellie spent an hour outside. That, plus the blonde hair that bleached to white in the summer, high cheek bones, and small eyes, resulted in Ellie looking albino Native American. Her grandfather, who learned about Native Americans, used to tell her that if she had been sent back in time, the natives would have worshiped her as the sun spirit.

Her eyes were a golden color with a ring of green around the outside. Sometimes they looked orange, sometimes green, and sometimes brown. Only in specific lighting would the gold in her eyes stand out like a ring of glowing sunlight. They were unique and Ellie loved them as much as she loved her short blonde hair, which was cut in a bob just below her ears.

When camp ended for the day Ellie was exhausted, but that didn't stop her from leashing their two dogs up and taking them on a walk around the neighborhood. The girl walked down to the end of the street and crossed the bridge that went over the creek, which was swollen from the rain. With snuffling noises, the two dogs sniffed at grass and concrete as Ellie looked wistfully over at the pool house.

On a hot day like this, she would give nothing more than to be able to go swimming in the cool, clean pool water, but she had the dogs with her and they weren't allowed in. So, she walked off the sidewalk and down the steep slope to the creek, guiding the dogs around the railing that was meant to keep cars from crashing in the small gully. The girl splashed around in the creek for a bit before climbing out of the water and up onto the steep bank. When she rounded the little hill, she saw a gang of girls standing there, leaning over the railing to watch her. They were wrapped in towels, dripping chlorine water from the nearby swimming pool. As opposed to Ellie's ratty tank and shorts, these girls wore bikinis with dainty white flip-flops.

The leader stepped forward onto the grass and clovers, careful to keep her shiny, white footwear away from mud.

"Well, well, well," she said with her hands on her hips. A little smirk played across her face. "If it isn't little Eloise."

Ellie scowled and drew herself to her full height. She had no idea why the girl opted to call her little when Ellie was taller than her. On top of that, she was only a few months younger which made it all the more annoying. Also the girl insisted on calling Ellie by her hated name, Eloise. Oh, how she wished to bash in that girl's perfectly powdered nose. But instead she smiled. Her counselor would not approve if he knew that she had reverted to childish brawls.

"Hello, Alexia. I understand you lost your cat? How tragic," she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

In case those words sound a bit suspicious, no Ellie did not steal Alexia's cat and throw it under a truck (though she wanted to badly).

It was Alexia's turn to scowl. "What are you doing down here, Jones? Maybe this is why you smell so bad, if you play in the nasty creek all the time."

Ellie knew that the key to bullies was to not show that they bothered her. It unnerved them to see that insults didn't affect her. Therefore she smiled wider and turned around to fix the dog's leash. Her smile fell slightly as she looked at the muddy swollen creek to see the red dirt wash away before her eyes and the water took on a blueish look. She hardly even noticed the hands on her back before she felt herself falling.

As if in slow motion she saw the water draw nearer, lapping hungrily at its muddy banks and a ripple of colors went across the surface. She had just enough time to fear what would happen when she landed in the shallow water, realizing she would probably get hurt, and to glance around frantically. For the briefest second, the fourteen-year-old thought she could see the bottom of an orange robe and a pair of furry feet standing on the opposite bank-Wait, furry? But then, Ellie was totally submerged in the water and couldn't tell which way was up or down. She opened her eyes to see colors swirling around her and began to grow dizzy, so she snapped them shut again.

Then the warm water suddenly felt freezing and her fingers and toes numbed. The light faded and her lungs were searing from lack of air. Then her head broke the surface of the water and she gulped in as fast as possible, registering that the air was cold and her ears and nose were going numb as well.

Ellie opened her eyes to bright light and squinted. She vaguely noticed the white ice caps, reflecting light of a bright sun that was overhead. The water she was in was not muddy red or even clear reflecting the rocks that were under the creek, but was a deep blue.

She tread water, her limbs feeling heavier and heavier by the minute and she drew in shuddering, shaky breaths. She was feeling so cold now that she was burning and shivering. Ellie heard shouts and saw a life preserve being thrown to her. She grabbed hold of it in a sort of dazed way. Ellie was pulled out of the water and slumped on the deck. All ready tired from marching and exhausted from the fight to keep her life, she felt darkness closing in on her. She looked up right before she passed out and saw a familiar, scarred face and her eyes widened in shock before closing altogether.

OA

Prince Zuko stood on the deck of his ship, waiting impatiently for his men to thaw his ship out of the ice so that they could resume his search for the Avatar. He was especially angry because after years of searching for the all-powerful being, he had finally found him and captured him. The glory had been short lived, however when the boy had escaped moments later.

"Hurry up!" he barked.

Zuko stood watching angrily when suddenly the men were scurrying around, fetching life rafts and peering over the side of the ship. He stomped over and shouted on the way, "What are you men doing?"

The prince leaned over the side of the ship as well to see something flailing in the water. He watched for a moment, wondering what it was, but as the water stilled he could see that it was a girl treading water. Though she was staying afloat, it looked as though she was exhausted. The soldiers threw her a life raft and she grabbed hold of it. Zuko watched as she was dragged aboard. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and then she fell limp.

Before his uncle, General Iroh came over, he took note of her appearance. Everything about her screamed Water Tribe except for her unusually pale hair. Sand colored, his mind supplied. Iroh came over and looked at the girl as well.

"Where did she come from?" Iroh asked after a second.

"We pulled her out of the water, sir," a soldier replied, his voice was muffled through his mask.

"Well," Uncle replied after a moment. "Take her to our extra quarters."

The man nodded and scooped her up. Iroh and Zuko followed him, complaining.

"Uncle! What are you doing? She's obviously Water Tribe! What if she was sent here to spy on us?"

They reached a door and Iroh paused looking at Zuko.

"I do not think she is a spy. Would you rather me throw her back into the water and let her drown?"

Zuko scowled, but didn't reply. Instead, he followed the elderly man into the extra room. As she was set down, Zuko noticed that her fingertips were white and her lips were blue. Perhaps Iroh had noticed as well, for he shifted into a firebending form and the girl's skimpy clothing heated and dried until they were steaming.

Then Iroh had her placed on the bed and piled extra blankets on top of her to warm her back up.

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted angrily. "I—"

"Go practice your firebending, Prince Zuko," the retired general replied. "I will alert you when she wakes. If you need to, you may ask her a few questions."

Zuko opened his mouth to explain to him that he couldn't not allow him to do anything, but he decided against it and stormed back on deck. Iroh wasn't called Dragon of the West for nothing.

Therefore, Zuko began shooting fire out of his fists and feet, allowing it to drain all of his anger away. The men were digging the ship out once more and he practiced in silence, all the time brooding angrily. He didn't like the way that girl had looked at him. It was as if she knew who he was. But that was impossible, she was a Water Tribe peasant. He kicked the air, fire spewing from his foot. Uncle acted as if he ran the ship, not Zuko. He punched some fire into the frigid air.

The prince had no idea how long he practiced, but he knew it was a good while. He was growing fatigued and the sun was setting. Finally, a door opened behind him and Iroh walked up to him. He was the picture of calm with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

"She's waking up," Iroh said.

Zuko grunted and shot one last trail of fire at one of the men.

OA

Ellie regained consciousness slowly. She tried to move her arms, but it felt as if there were heavy weights attached to them. She tried to open her eyes, but it felt as if they were glued shut. The girl vaguely remembered that she hadn't gone to bed that night. But, if she hadn't gone to bed, why was she asleep? Maybe I laid down when I returned from my walk to the creek, she thought. But no, the girl couldn't remember returning home. Then, as Ellie remembered being shoved into the creek, she shoved an unpleasant thought from her mind. She couldn't be dead.

Deciding not to think, the girl lay there blissfully, relishing in the warmth and comfort of the bed she was laying on. She heard a loud screech and the shuffling of feet. Finally letting curiosity get the better of her, Ellie wrenched her eyes open. Suddenly, she bolted upright, all exhaustion gone. There were two people standing in here doorway.

Hypothermia and sleep clouded her mind and the fourteen-year-old vaguely noted that the two men standing in the doorway looked foreign. She also noted she was no longer in her neighborhood anymore. The girl wondered where she was before asking, "Where am I? Have you called my parents?"

"Oh, are they nearby?" the older one asked.

Ellie froze. Memory suddenly rushed into her mind as quickly as the cold air that invaded the metallic room as the door was opened. She had been dragged onto a ship out of the water. She had also been surrounded by giant icebergs. Somehow, she suspected her parents were nowhere nearby.

"I…don't think so," she replied.

"What is your name?" the older man asked.

"Ellie Jones."

And then she realized. The girl suddenly snapped into consciousness and began to panic. The two men—one younger, who could've been a teenager, and one older—both were wearing red robes. The older one was shorter and was stroking his goatee thoughtfully as his kind eyes observed her. They were two characters out of a television series she had been obsessed with three years previous. General Iroh and Prince Zuko of Avatar: The Last Airbender were standing in her doorway.

Iroh stepped forward, concern showing in his eyes.

"Are you all right, young lady?" he asked. Ellie looked at him before composing herself. This was most likely a dream. That was all.

She forced a smile. "I'm—fine," her voice was still higher than normal from the panic. She glanced at Zuko to see him glaring at her.

Ellie looked back at Iroh when he asked her, "What were you doing in the water?"

"I-I don't know," she said slowly. Then she remembered Alexia and being pushed into the creek. "I think I was pushed."

In Zuko's mind, he saw a brief image of dark hands pushing this poorly dressed girl over the edge of an icy cliff-but he quickly shoved this from his mind. He would not allow her potentially fabricated tory to draw sympathy from him. Instead, Zuko looked at her eyes to see that they were amber. It was strange. They were the color of Fire Nation nobility, but her dark skin and high cheekbones told him she was a Water Tribe girl.

"What are you doing here?" he growled. Those unnerving eyes turned on him. "Were you sent to spy on me? You're working with the Avatar aren't you?"

"Wha-No!" she exclaimed. Ellie was confused and just wanted to go home. She threw off her blankets, intending on finding how to get back home. Maybe if she jumped back in the water, she would end up in the creek back home. These thoughts were washed away, however when coldness flooded back to her. She remember that she was wearing a sleeveless shirt and short shorts. She turned sheepishly to Iroh. "You don't happen to have any warmer clothes my size do you?"

Iroh nodded. "I am sure we have something for you somewhere."

"When can I go home?" she asked. Once she was standing up, she noticed how tall Zuko actually was. Sure, Ellie was taller than Iroh, but Zuko still had several inches on her. It made her feel insecure and small as the tall young man surveyed her critically.

"I am afraid you are stuck with us," Iroh said. "We have already started moving again. We don't have enough time to turn around."

Ellie's heart sank. Zuko looked even angrier. "No! She cannot stay with us, I forbid it!"

"We cannot turn around, Prince Zuko," Iroh said. "We must get the ship repaired immediately."

"Fine!" the hot-headed prince snapped. "Keep her out of my sight!"

He stormed out of the room. "I'll go find you a robe," Iroh said, leaving as well.

Ellie sighed and sat down at the foot of her bed. Somehow, deep down, she suspected she may never find her way home again.

That's all, folks! A few notes for this chapter.

One, is the town called Achak. It is not a real place. I made it up and its name is Native American in origin. Anyone who can tell me what it means, review! Then you may find out later why I named it that. Also, while Achak is a fictional place, the Tennessee Valley (Alabama) is not. I even looked up weather and stuff for it.

Secondly, yes I had a teacher who had yellow eyes with a ring of green around the edge of her irises. I do believe she is the only person I've seen with that eye color, but I thought it would do nicely to help portray Ellie's appearance more like a summer spirit or something.

Finally, the plot may seem confusing and mainstream at first, but keep reading because I have a few well-thought-out surprises for you along the story.

Hope you enjoyed!

~LittleMissMycroft