MARISHA didn't consider herself anything special. Living with her family and friends of the Southern Water Tribe her whole life, she didn't deem herself unique. Her role with the tribe was simple: look over the younger children of the tribe while fathers and mothers did what they needed. Of course, that was before the raids started. Her world flipped upside down, right into the hands of the fire nation.
Of course, it was willingly into the clutches of the power-hungry nation. Her mother and father, sent on a small reconnaissance mission to try and help prepare their tribe, their home, against any more raids. They couldn't afford to lose any more in the ruthless assaults to try and rid the Southern Water Tribe of any and all waterbenders.
And that's where Mari comes in. A waterbender, unknown, of course, right underneath the fire nations' noses. At least, until her parents were exposed and executed under the guise of being traitors ― that's what was told to the public, but Mari knew the truth. (And so did the Fire Lord.) She would've been executed, too ― a child, no older than twelve, executed ― if it weren't for the kind soul who said her punishment should be more fitting to what she could do: servitude. Specifically, a healer.
That's where her story starts. Away from her tribe, from her childhood best friends, SOKKA (who she refuses to admit she has a giant crush on) and KATARA, and into the arms of the unsuspecting royal family. Mari, lost and alone, must find herself.
(Which seems easy, in and of itself, but a certain banished Prince makes it exceptionally hard, especially when she finds out the Avatar is alive, and ― is that Sokka?)