the girl with the dragon tattoo

chapter 1

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished.

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Standing by the edge of the boat, I gazed upon the moonlit sea. I rested my arms along the ledge and sighed. I was getting tired. We've been searching for the Avatar for three years, and Zuko gets more impatient with every dead end we reach, I thought to myself. He was like a ticking bomb, and it's getting harder and harder for Uncle Iroh and I to calm him down each time he is met with disappointment. He'll only drink so much tea.

"Thinking again, Elizora? You've been coming out here every night for a while, Princess. What troubles you?" I jumped, startled by my Uncle's voice. His ability to sneak up on me when I wasn't expecting it has not faltered, even after all my years of knowing him.

He walked up to me, and mirrored my position on the ledge. "Uncle, I worry for Zuko. I don't believe the Avatar is alive, and I don't think he has been for a very long time. He's so focused on regaining his honor, that he doesn't see the people who care for him, right in front of him." I looked down at my feet. "I could never regret defending him in front of father... But he acts like he is the only one who lost his home."

Uncle put his hand on my shoulder, and smiled sadly at me. "My dear Elizora, you have always been loyal to those that you love. Do not feel bad for missing the place you were born; that is not your home. Your home is with the people you love; with the people you would do anything for, and would do the same for you. I know how much you miss Ursa." I flinched when he uttered my mother's name. It still felt painful to this day to remember how suddenly she left Zuko, Azula, and I. Well, Zuko and I- Azula always sought father's acceptance, and she got it.

"Thank you, Uncle. You always know how to make me feel better." I smiled weakly at him, squeezing the hand rested on my shoulder. "Do you want me to make you some ginseng tea? It's your favorite," he said, smiling in return. I shook my head, laughing slightly. "It's alright. I'm going to sleep now, I'll see you in the morning." I turned and walked back to my quarters, across from Zuko's room. I could hear him pacing, even at this hour, and I shook my head and entered my room. I walked over to my bed and threw myself onto it, falling asleep sooner than I expected.

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I awoke the next morning to a guard banging at my door. "Princess Elizora! Shots have been fired from a fire nation ship! Prince Zuko and General Iroh have requested you." I groaned, sitting up in bed. I put my feet on the floor and hurriedly threw on my clothes, opening the door and slipping on my shoes as I rushed out of the door.

I walked into the room to see attendants dressing my brother in armor, a very determined look on his face. "Elizora, we believe we have found the Avatar. I-we, can finally restore our honor and go home." As he was saying this, attendants ushered me over and began dressing me in armor as well. Zuko and I, ever since we were children, always matched strength in combat and firebending. I was too stubborn to let him beat me and he was too prideful to let his younger sister be better than him in any way. I'm still pretty sure I'm better than he is at firebending, though.

"Are you sure about this?" I said, glancing at Uncle Iroh, who was giving commands to other soldiers. "As sure as I have been in a long time." Zuko put his helmet over his head, and I looked at the scar over his eye, and felt a pang of guilt. In the Agni Kai, where Zuko was burned, I had stepped in front too late to shield him completely from the force of Ozai's blow. It burnt my left arm and shoulder, and hit his left eye. My scar, unlike Zuko's, is easy to cover up with clothes, and as soon as I was able to I opted for a tattoo. I picked a dragon, both so I never forgot what the fire nation did to me, and well, because it looked cool.