Chapter 1: A New Beginning
This Story begins with a young man waking up out of what would seem was a nightmare. As he slowly came to the realization that it was just dream and his face changed from fear to joy he exclaimed "Today's my last earth bending test with Dad!" while leaping out of bed and lunging for his training gi. He then rushed downstairs dressed in his gi to meet his father and mother actively eating breakfast and having their usual conversation comparing their schedule his father being the earth bending teacher in their little village and his mom being the a water bending healer there time was pretty much occupied by family time, teaching and healing at the village's clinic. "Terra, what do you have today?" inquired his mother of his father. "I have Riku's mastery exam today and a few classes with beginners this afternoon. What about you?" he said inquiring of her plans. "Dad, are you ready" shouted Riku while exiting the stairway from upstairs and rushing to his father's side and before he could say another word his mother in a correcting tone said "Good morning to you to Riku, i raised you with manners, didn't I?" laying a plate holding Riku's breakfast in his usual place at the dining table to the right side of his father then sitting in front of him and to the left of Terra."Good morning Madam Kiara Queen of Roark Village." Riku said in a patronizing manner bowing his head raising one hand in the air and resting the other on his stomach "Good morning again Riku you silly boy now sit and eat." she replied hitting him gently on the head with a dish towel then sitting herself next to her husband and laying her hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure he's ready for the mastery exam?" she asked her husband looking directly in his eyes for any hint of untruth. "Yup, 100 percent no doubt" he replied looking directly into his wife's eyes and reassuring her by placing his hand on hers with Riku looking on as they exchanged their looks and eating his breakfast " You guys are weird, I'm eating here yuh know. With a throat clearing cough Terra stood up kissed his wife on the cheek and bid his family farewell saying "Bye Honey, meet me at the test site in ten minutes." exiting the house and earth bending off into the distance.
As Riku continued eating breakfast he could hear in the background on the Mover Screen the announcers exclaimed "The next Avatar has been found she's from right here in Republic city and she's 16 year old Noaka and she's demonstrated her ability to bend earth, fire and water all's left to master is air which she'll be learning from master Jinora on air bending island.
"Cool!"Riku exclaimed finishing the last of his breakfast then walking into the kitchen to put away his dishes. "Hey, mom can we talk I've been having these weird dreams and?" asked Riku scraping off his plate in the sink.
"Well, you are that age when you experience "His mom interrupted sitting at the table. "No, not those dreams you know what never mind I've got to go" Riku interrupted in order to avoid an awkward conversation with his Mom and rushing out the door briskly and closing it quickly so and whistling it call his Saber wolf Kang from her house and out came of the backyard came his huge Pet Riku then propelled himself into the air using earth bending and landing on Kang's back and shouting "Go!" and grabbing onto her reigns and rushing off to the test site.
As Riku ran through the village he greeted all his neighbors and friends and they wished him luck on his mastery exam. A few minutes later Riku arrived at a Rock Creek earth bent into a well-crafted battle field and in the dead center there stood his father and two of his students one of them his older brother Roku he was a tall 19 years old 6"2' man that resembled their father with jet black hair light olive skin like their father's and dressed in a traditional green earth nation green gi much like Riku's but with a three stripped black belt instead of a two stripped one like Riku's.
Compared to his brother Riku is a 5"7' tall young man freshly turning 16 a few weeks ago with black hair like his father's green eyes and lighter skin than his brother's and the other student was one of Riku's best friends
Barra a 17 year old 5"9' tall guy with spiky brown hair wearing the same gi but with a three stripped black belt and a band on his hand that bore the earth nation symbol on it.
"Hey Riku, you ready for your test it's not going to be easy! " yelled Barra waving at Riku while he drew closer to on Kang then stopping and jumping off to the ground "Why can't you just earth bend to get here like everyone else, why didn't you leave her at home with mom, huh?" commented Roku drawing near to his little brother and rustling his hair
"Hope you're ready for this test I'm not going to easy on you at all Riku not even for a second got that " Roku continued as their father approached and took a hold of Kang's reigns and she lunged forward to lick his face and he returned the favor with scratch of under her chin to which she purred Terra then pulled her and walked to the further end of the battle field out of harm's way before the test began Riku, Roku and Barra walked over to Terra and looked at him patiently to cut through the silence Terra spoke to explain the Exam again "Today this mastery exam is for Riku, to show mastery he must repel two opponents using earth bending for five minutes or defeat them outright , now take battle stance." he finished earth bending a pole to tie Kang and walking to his students who were no facing each other two against one "Shall we commence, Go earth bend!"
Shouted Terra walking backwards out of the way
Roku immediately stomped the ground and a big circular rock flew up and bent it towards Riku who bent a thin rock wall in front of himself that Roku's Rock smashed on Barra bent two rock around the rock wall to hit Riku and thought he had done so he exclaimed victoriously "Gotcha didn't I "
to his surprise Riku came from underground behind him and bent the earth under him to throw him to the floor before he could continue. Roku threw a rock at him forcing him to dodge sideways Roku then fired two rocks at Riku one above the other Riku bent away the lower one rolled forward and punched the ground in Barra's direction turning the ground beneath him into sand and sinking Barra into the ground leaving only his head free. Before he could finish Roku launched six small pebbles at Riku all dodged but one that nailed Riku in the right arm but he ignored the pain back flipped away from the rest and slammed his hand on the ground to make the sand holding Barra solid again. The battle was between Riku and Roku now. "Well done son." shouted Terra cheering on his son in the background as his sons took the battle stance of one on one. The both began bending rocks and throwing blows when a dark figure came flying out of the woods and landed in-between Riku and Roku as it snarled and surveyed the two young men it clearly honed in on Riku lunged for him but way attacked by Terra bending four pillars to hold it . Before they could relax the beast shifted its body to face its back to Riku and flared its back and Riku and bent a thick rock wall in front himself and the beast fired seven large spikes six getting stuck in the wall and the last one bursting through the top and pasting through the top and passing right between Riku's shoulder and ear and getting stuck in a tree in the background. Riku then ran from behind the pierced wall bent a large rock and smashed the beast with it. It then rose up snarled at Riku and disappeared into the forest. Riku was prepared to go after it but was stopped by his father "Choose your battles Riku, it's already been defeated" said Terra placing his hands on his son's shoulders drawing all his attention to himself. "It tried to kill me, Dad" replied Riku pleading his case. "You don't know what that was or if it has friends waiting to ambush you out there, so let's head home and Riku i think you deserve this "Terra continued handing Riku his three striped belt to his surprise. In the following weeks many more beast attacked Roark Village all in pursuit of it would seem of Riku.
All leading to an unfortunate conversation between the Village Leader and Riku's parents "The Spirits seem to be after Riku and attacking everything that gets in the way with extreme prejudice." chimed in Village Elder Xian a seventy year old man with long grey hair and beard dressed in a green dress wear and a platinum cane "This is our son your speaking of Elder Xian we can't just send him off anywhere " pleaded Kiara patiently. "Perhaps you could send him to stay with a relative for a while so we could do repairs" replied Elder Xian "Do you have any idea as to why these spirits are after Riku I mean as far as i know he hasn't done anything to anger them" entered Terra standing up in defense of his son all of which Riku could hear because he sat on the staircase listening to the conversation. "As far as we know these attacks make no sense and stopping them is in the best interest of the village. Riku then rushed downstairs to put his opinion in seeing this as an opportunity to see the world he said "I can go to Republic City and meet Air Master Jinora who's a spiritual guru and the Avatar the bridge between the human and spirit world to get to the bottom of these attacks and solve the problem" he finished by sitting in front of Elder Xian to hear their answers. "I agree seems like a good idea. "Answered Elder Xian lifting his cane above his head.
"N-" his mother was about interrupt but was then in turn interrupted by her husband "Fine, but Roku and Barra will go with you, you are far too impulsive to go on your own son plus there's strength in numbers, right honey." finished Terra taking a sip of the tea Kiara had prepared for the three adults as his wife looked at him with an irritated look out of the corner of her eyes. "Can we leave tomorrow mom, Dad?" inquired Riku smiling cheek to cheek. "Hold on honey maybe you should think about this a bit , can't we just place a call to find the answer to this problem?" argued his mother trying to change his mind "No, I just want to see the world just this once and i can't do it at home mom so please let me do this. "Pleaded Riku to his mother looking directly into her eyes."Fine." she answered easing into the chair she was sitting in and relaxing."Agreed your group will leave in three days so as to giving us some more time with my boys and refine you bending skills in case you get into trouble in republic city." said his father to end the awkward silence in the room.
"I'll ask old man Kraig to ferry your boys to Republic City" said Elder Xian
Standing up to leave and trekking towards the door. "Aren't you older than him by a few years Elder Xian" commented Terra as he left
"Have you seen him if you look at us no one's the wiser I'm still young, in my mind yuh know."replied Elder Xian flexing the little muscles in his arms before getting in his car to leave.