Hello, It's my second story! I just finished watching Avatar: The Last Airbender and am now an official fan! *laughs* Well, anyway, I'm trying not to make my OC Soraio a Mary Sue, so forgive me if she seems to perfect! Ha-Ha... Btw, Soraio's name is pronounced Soh-Rai-Oh. Sooo... Enjoy! (or at least try to)


"Soraio..."

I felt someone calling me from above. It felt so strange...and familiar.

"Soraio... Soraio, come..."

I opened my eyes.

I was suspended in a clear liquid. It wasn't water, I could still breathe. Light rays flickered above me, shooting past and slowly giving way to darkness. I couldn't tell how far the liquid I was in reached. There was no bottom, only darkness.

"Soraio. Come, come up."

Blinking, I tried to stretch an arm up towards the light. Dimly, I recognized a mark on my hand as I stared upwards. Four symbols, the elements, swirled in a circle, chasing one another. It was the mark of the Esca, the Keeper of the Elements. I stared in shock.

"Soraio, you are the next chosen Esca. The world needs you to assist the Avatar. Go, go from here!"

Suddenly, I couldn't breathe, and the darkness shot upwards, enveloping everything as the light faded away.

"NO!"


Soraio threw back her blanket and sat up. She was sweating heavily.

"No...it can't be... Mother!"

Soraio hurriedly leaped off the bed and slipped on her clothes. Stumbling, she burst out of her room into the dark hallway and ran off towards the Elemental Chamber.

Mother! No, you can't go now! Not when I need you!

Panting, Soraio slid into a halt in front of a giant door. She grunted and pushed them open.

The Elemental Chamber was a large, airy room. It's walls extended upwards, with paintings of the history of the Benders and inscriptions as old as time decorating them. At the very top, a round hole let in a sliver of moonlight that shone onto a round stone table made of crystal. The table was perched on a stone platform that was surrounded by the four elements. First, a moat of water. Then, inside it, was a circle of stones of various kinds. Granite, limestone, quartz, emerald, sandstone, and many more. Next came a ring of candles, and finally a small wind that encircled the platform.

Soraio hurried towards the platform at the center of the room. Atop it, slumped over the table, a lone figure lay unmoving in the moonlight.

"Mom!" Soraio burst out in desperation.

She managed to get over the four circles of the elements and arrived at the platform. Anxiously, Soraio shook the figure. It was an older lady, dressed in white. The symbol of the Esca that had been on Soraio's hand in her dream was inscribed on her forehead. The symbol was a glowing dully. As Soraio touched her mother's shoulder, the symbol flared brightly, and the spirit of Soraio's mom separated from the body.

"Mom...don't go! I beg you..."

Tears began sliding down Soraio's cheeks.

The lady smiled and touched her daughter's cheek.

"It is time for me to reunite with the Spirit of Time, Soraio. Do not miss me, for I will always watch over you."

"No, mom, please! I don't care about being the Esca! I don't want to lose you too!"

"Soraio, my daughter. You are already a young women, ready to step into the role of the Keeper. It has been many years since your father left us. You have been a pleasure as a daughter. I too, will miss you greatly."

"But, what will I do without you? There's no one left here! I'll be...alone!"

"Soraio, it was my decision for us to stay behind to maintain the Elemental Temple. I thought that maybe we could hold onto the legacy of the Escaians. Only now can I see that it was a lost cause. Now, without me, you cannot stay here anymore. Go, go to the Earthly realm and find the Avatar. He will need you. Now is a time of strife and fear, with the Elements out of balance. As Esca, it is your responsibility to protect the elements. Air is on the brink of collapse, with water and earth greatly weakened too. Fire has overstepped its boundaries, and the world needs both the Esca and the Avatar to restore balance."

"But you could help the Avatar restore balance! Why must it be me?"

"I am too old, Soraio. A new era needs new heroes. You will understand."

"I don't want to understand! I don't want to be a hero! I want to be with you!"

"My time is dwindling, and the Spirit grows impatient. Soraio, you must leave in the morning. Bring nothing but the clothes on your back and the memories of your life here. When you step out of the Spirit world, you will arrive in the Fire Nation. The city of Ba Sing Se, the last Earth Kingdom city, will have fallen. You must find the Avatar and his friends, help them defeat the Fire Lord, and assist the people in rebuilding the world."

"Leave here? But-"

"Good bye, Soraio. I will see you when your time has come. Do not fear, for your future holds much happiness. Good bye, and good luck!"

"Mom!"

The lady's spirit withdrew her hand from Soraio's cheek and began ascending upwards. As she rose into the moonlight, her body began fading. As she disappeared, a flash of light surrounded Soraio and enveloped her. Soraio fainted, and the symbol of the Esca appeared on her hand.


Soraio woke up on the platform in the Elemental Chamber. Her mother was gone, and as the pain and shock registered, she prepared herself for a long cry. Strangely, it never came. Perhaps it was the new found responsibility as Esca that took over, but she began obediently getting ready to leave. A dull, throbbing ache and emptiness had replaced the hurt and frustration. As Soraio combed her hair and dressed herself, she thought about all the good times she had shared with the Elemental Temple and managed a small smile.

Mom, Dad, everyone, I won't fail you as the Esca. I swear on my honor that I will live to see the world in peace and prosperity, whatever it takes!

Soraio meditated for the first and last time in the Elemental Chamber. When she was calmed down, she slowly blew out the candles in the fire circle, froze the water in the moat, buried the rocks in ash, and stopped the mini tornado, as was the tradition when the Esca left the Temple. As she stepped down the stairs towards the Gate, Soraio stopped the look back one last time at her beloved childhood home.

"Goodbye, my home..." she whispered.

Lone tear slipped down her cheeks, and she let it fall.

"Goodbye..."

As Soraio stepped out of the gate, she inhaled her last breath of air from her home. When she had crossed, she exhaled, and opened her eyes.

"Ready or not world, here comes your Esca."