My first story enjoy. This takes place in the Southern Air Temple.

"Mother please, I'm sorry!" I yell.

"No you're not. You disrespected the Fire Nation and the Fire lord's favorite general that was me!" She said with such anger in her voice.

I could feel tears burn my hazel eyes. I refused to let them fall.

"I'm sorry! I won't ever do it again!"

"Why do you love your own father more than me?" She said with such anger and hurt. "You would rather spend time with him in the Southern Water Tribe then me! With the Fire Nation! I thought you loved it here."

I looked away. Then I spoke again.

"I did. Now I don't." I never knew what a terrible mother you were. You think your job is more important than me. You don't care about me. You just care about power. That's all you want. Why would you want a child to get in your way? I said that with such venom in my voice I could tell the poison was working on my mom.

"You know what Marissa? You're going to pay for this whether you like it or not!"

Then she grabbed my hand and dragged me outside to the back yard. It was a beautiful place. It had a pond and a lone single cherry blossom tree that I would sit under. I always thought it was peaceful until now. My mom was angry I could tell. Just then quick as a flash I felt like I was on fire, right on my left shoulder. I yelled.

"Keep quiet or I'll kill you." She hissed.

The burning feeling was gone on my shoulder but, it moved towards my arm and it kept going, like an ocean. Then when she got to elbow it stopped. I fell to the ground, crying. I looked up at my mother. Her dark amber eyes looked at me with such hate.

"I told you, you would pay." She sneered. "Oh by the way I'm sending you back with your father. I'm sure you'll like it better there, in a cold barren poor wasteland.

I woke up with a start. I was 15 and, I was 11 when that happened. I still wondered why I still get that nightmare. I shook my head. My brown hair fell in my face. I knew that I needed my rest for tomorrow so I forced myself to sleep.

It was about two years after my mother sent me to the Southern Water Tribe. Life was good here, way better then Fire Nation life. Even though I didn't have my mother my father taught my lots of things. He taught mostly guy things like how to fish, ice dodge, and how to skin animals. I even discovered I was a water bender! When I wasn't helping my dad with something I would practice water bending. I even helped a girl named Katara. She wasn't the best one but I saw potential in her to become a master. I also played with the other children such as Katara's brother Sokka. Sokka was a really annoying kid but, he was really funny and, he was the only kid around my age. But the happiness would soon fade. In the dead of winter I woke up in the middle of the night. I looked at my father's bed but, it was empty.

"Dad?" I said .

No response. I began to get worried. I knew he got up early but, never this early. I went outside the tent. It was pitch black and snowing hard so, I made some fire. Just then I saw footprints. I followed them but I soon realized they were going towards the tundra. One place children were forbidden to go. I thought long and hard and I soon was following the tracks once more. When the tracks ended I was dumbfounded. I looked around for him but, all I saw were snowflakes hitting the ground.

"Dad! Where are you?" I yelled. The only thing that answered me was the wind. I feel to my knees but instead of hitting the snow I hit something hard. My eyes widened and I started digging. I almost cried when I found what was buried under the snow. It was my father, burned badly.

"Dad!"I shook him." Wake up….dad" No response. Then it hit me. He was dead. The tears fell heavy. It was worse than when I got burned. As I got up I looked at my dad one more time. I looked like him more than my mother. I had his hair color and more of his eye color. The only thing I had from my mom was the Fire Nation pale skin color.

"Dad, I'll miss you."

I woke up again in my cell. I knew I was crying again. I felt a hot warm tear fall off and land on the ground. I sat there in silence. Then something interrupted my silence. I looked up and saw a Fire Nation guard before me.

"Come on peasant. You ready for your big day?" He laughed.

He hand cuffed me and lead me out of the dark unforgiving cell. My black pants were dirty from sitting and lying on the floor. My shirt was dirty too. It was black and it went down to my elbows to cover my scar. We got above deck on the ship. I looked at the sky, something I didn't see in what seems forever. But I know today wasn't going to be peaceful. After my dad died I returned to the Fire Nation. My mother was still general and we still haven't made up from our fight many years ago. One night she came up to me and asked why I still hated her. I didn't say anything. She slapped me and challenged me to an Agni Kai. She said I needed to learn respect considering she was one of the best generals. I saw the ocean. Water. Even though water benders usually bend with their hands I could sort of bend with my feet. I filled up my two water pouches; one on my waste one on my ankle, covered by my sort of baggy clothing.

When I got to the place where the Agni Kai was held I saw someone was already in it. Two guys were fighting.

"Remember Prince Zuko, Basics!" I heard a man say.

Prince Zuko… I've heard that name before I just don't know where. Just as we got there the fight seemed to end. The younger boy the one with the high pony tail won. As they were leaving the guard that was leading me told the old man and the young boy to stop.

"We don't have time for this." Said the younger one.

"Prince Zuko where are your manners?" Said the older chubbier one.

"You to have to stay. You might have someone join your group." My guard said.

He brought me forward so I could see them. The one with the pony tail had a scar on the left side of his face.

It's just like mine. I thought

I quickly looked away having my hair that went past the shoulders cover my face. I looked at the older one. Gray hair, facial hair, chubby nothing interesting.

"Go back in the stadium." My guard said.

The prince was opening his mouth about to say something but the old man interrupted.

"Okay." He said.

They went back into the stadium and my guard and I followed after them. On the other side of the stadium there stood my challenger, my mother. I stared at her for so long I didn't even know the guard un-cuffed me.

"You ready my daughter." I heard my mother sneer.

I felt the stare of the Prince Zuko and the other person that was with him. I didn't care though. I just wanted to show that I could bet my mother. I made sure my water pouch was on my side and down by my ankle. They were. I smirked.

"Bring it mother." I said almost laughing.

She started to send bright orange fiery fireballs at me. I stood still I planned this perfectly. Right before the bright balls of orange and red came at me I redirected them towards her. I smirked. I wasn't a firebender but I could redirect their attacks. She looked at me shocked. She sent more of them towards me but, I swiftly dodged these.

"Fight me! Don't be a coward like you were many years ago!" She yelled.

This time instead of fire balls she sent fire streams and I was ready to redirect them. Just as the first one came the second one seemed to speed up and knock me off my feet causing the one fire stream that I was about to redirect go over my head. She ran up to me with a wicked smile on her face. She grabbed me by my shirt with one hand and started to create a fireball with another. I knew how Agni Kais ended; usually in death. She looked me dead in the eyes.

"I always knew you were weak like your father." She laughed.

My father… I tried not to think of him a lot. The pain pierced through my heart like a knife. Just then like something came over me I bended the water that was in my pouch and whipped the water at her knocking her off balance and, allowing me to get up.

"You're….you're." My mother couldn't seem to get the words out of her mouth. " A waterbender?"

I quickly bended more water out of my pouch and whipped some water and her wrist and ankles, then froze the water to the ground so she couldn't get up.

"Yes I am. And I'm proud of it." I said with pride.

She tried to get out of my bending but she couldn't.

"I can't believe I lost to a waterbender, let alone you!" She said. I could tell she hated it and I was happy because of that.

" You travel with the banished Prince Zuko and his lame Uncle!" She roared.

"Whatever." I said. I mumbled under my breath "You stupid bitch."

Prince Zuko and his uncle looked at me. The look his uncle gave me was of pure shock.

"I'm uncle Iroh and this is my nephew Prince Zuko!" He held out his hand so I could shake it. I shook it.

"My names Marissa." I smiled. He seemed really nice. I looked at Prince Zuko I was expecting a hand shake out of him but he just gave me a cold hard stare. Then he spoke.

" I can't believe were traveling with a waterbender. Uncle how are you cool with this?" He asked.

His uncle just gave him a stare. "Prince Zuko you must not be rude to our guest."

Prince Zuko didn't say anything he just started walking out the stadium. That's when Iroh turned to me.

"He'll warm up to you, just wait." He said. Then he gave me a smile. I couldn't help to smile back and I followed him out after Zuko.