Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: Last Airbender and its characters… I only own my muses and my own animals. This is my first time writing Avatar fanfics as I did in Xiaolin Showdown fanfics.
Please no flames or something else, but if you did find my grammars wrong, so would you tell me to correcting them. Thank you and please enjoy reading my story.
LadyLizgon
Prologue
…
…
…
A century year ago…
Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip…
The night was cold, cruel, and raining. Moonlight had crept into the seared and blackened battleground, the fine streams of wavering moonlight sending wisps of vapor into the sky to mingle with the tendrils of smoke that still reached into the air like the rippling arms of wraiths.
The black Fire Nation assassin walked among the ashes and felt the still-warm earth heat the soles of his boots. Everywhere splashes of red peeked from beneath boulders and piles of uprooted earth. Sometimes, it was the pieces of corpses had simply been trapped. Other times, it was the blood of one who had been less fortunate.
Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip…
He saw something move in the corner of his cold amethyst eye and turned to see the familiar clothes of an Airbender monk as the old monk twisted and landed himself along the ground and toward the demon of lava. His right arm moved upward in graceful like a bird while his left arm was bleeding at his side and he bled from several cuts on his shoulders. From the way he exhausted heavy, he'd undoubtedly broken one or two of his ribs, yet he still had the determination to try and fight. His hard gray eyes narrowed in determine as he blew at the Fire Nation soldiers off the mountain grounds with his powerful airbending blast.
It was Master Monk Gyatso.
Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip…
"It is good to see you again, Gyatso." The boy said icily behind the nomad monk, hiding his hands into his black Fire Nation robe sleeves as his icy amethyst eyes flashed in the shadows when the white lightning strike behind him. "Where is the Avatar?"
"He is already gone." The monk replied monotone staring coolly at the black assassin without fear. "You can never find him no matter how long it is."
"Hn…" The assassin hummed, slowly pulling out something from his right black sleeve and it was a black katana with the golden hilt. A silence hanging over in the air as the airbending master and the katana master stared at each other, either willing to move. As soon as the loud boom from the temple's side, shattering the wall down to rubbles.
The comet is already appeared in the empty, black night sky.
"No matter. I was spent to find whoever left to survive in Air Nomads is to kill them." The black Fire Nation said deadly calmly, rising his katana in the circle of air, leaving the blue-purple lightning trail behind like a malevolence snake. "Once the air Nomads are gone, we will assault on the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes at the command of our Fire Lord Sozin."
Before he could complete the lightning strike, he was blasted right across the yard with a loud grunt and then he was crushed onto the solid ground with vast, invisible force. "Heh. It seem the old man finally had some gut." He chuckled darkly, holding his lower jaw where the blood was dripping from his lips.
The white lighting crackled loudly in the clouds and night sky as he ran forward, raising the now blue-purple lightning coated katana in the air behind his back at the air nomad monk. With insane grin maliciously, he leapt in the air and brought his black katana down, directing the lightning at the monk who was readily with air bending attacks.
The seventy days battle between the Air Master and the Lightning Master began.
----
A week later after the seventy days of the longtime battle between the masters, the seventeen years old boy dressed in the black assassin fire nation clothes walked quietly through the red hallways. With a cold, empty amethyst eyes glare had almost everyone cowered under them, as everyone knew him as the deadly assassin who guard the Fire Lord with all his life and will kill anyone who were in the Fire Lord's way.
His name is Khu.
No one knew where he'd come from and how he came with the rare, strange purple eyes. None of the Fire Nation people had courage to asking him many questions.
During the afternoon around in the Eastern area in the Fire Nation, Khu walked on the dojo and paused as the single sakura petal fell on his nose. He picked it off his nose and examined it with a startled surprise.
"A sakura petal?" He glanced upward at the beautiful sakura tree and looked faraway dazed in his silver-gray eyes. Brother…
(Flashback)
Khu blinked.
"What are you doing with this water-bag, Kytra?" His thirteen-year-old older brother asked staring seriously at the back of the twelve-year-old young girl, crossing his arms across his chest in annoyance.
"Oh nothing, Xuan… I was looking for something…" Kytra whispered innocently, her playful blue eyes searching down at the dojo field. Xuan narrowed his icy amethyst eyes in annoyance at her and sighed in defeat. "Fine. Don't run to me if you're get yourself in trouble again."
Kytra shot a sheepish looking glance at Xuan's way and returned to her searching for a target. Suddenly, his eyes lit up happily and he grinned wolfishly. "Bingo!"
A small rouge quickly dropped a bag and ducked as an angry yelling from the below. A seven years old child Khu in a black robe turned his head at the sound of his master's friend yelling from the dojo and saw the snickering child rushed out of the temple with his brother.
"Cursed that brat!"
He blinked in surprise to see a streaming warrior with his soaked robe and realized it's only Tai Zu.
"RUN!" Kytra yelled, running past Khu but not before she seized Khu's arms, dragging him along with her through hallway of places, and laughing in glee.
Running along with them, Xuan shook his head disappointing in his little brother, Khu and his childhood friend, Kytra. "Don't expect me to save your butts again, do you?" He mumbled darkly under his breath, but sadly the youths heard him and laughing hard.
Ten years later…
The shadow figure had the dark brown hood over his face, walking lonely on the path in the rain. One of the black boots stepped in the view of the loner's sight, as he looked back revealing his rare color eyes.
Amethyst…
"Xuan…." The owner of the black boots hissed quietly, glaring at the now empty amethyst eyes of a young man. "Why are you betraying your own flesh and blood? Betrayed the one you love? Betrayed my trust in you…"
He narrowed his blood red eyes angrily, holding back his tears. "…Why?"
"I have no desire to reveal anything to you…" Xuan relayed, looking directly at the watered, betrayed amethyst eyes of young boy. He smirked humorous at him and he added, "…Khu."
Blood…
Resting in the blood pool, the fire lord seems sleeping dead with the blood stained on his chest. Slitting the cold amethyst eyes, he turned away from the fire lordand only to face with the familiar softened light sky blue eyes.
"Kytra…." He said taken back in surprise, staring confused at the graceful and innocent priestess warrior. "I…"
"Why…?" Kytra asked being hurt by the sudden betrayal of her love, as her light blue eyes clouded with tears. "Xuan… why must you kill our Fire Lord?"
Betrayal…
Xuan's amethyst eyes softened, reaching for her but to his heart breaks when she moved away in frightful. "…Kytra…"
"What would Kuzon thinks when he found out…" Kytra said softly, turned around and ran.
Trust no one…
The long dark brown haired boy groaned, laying on the crimson pool of his blood and the blank expression on his face. Suddenly, he was in the arms of warm enhanced…
His young brother… Khu…
"Khuuu… I am sorry for all pain I have caused for your teammates and friends…" He gasped, glazing up weakly at the young face of his brother. "I gave up half of my soul… to the great evil… now I've regret to accept it…"
Khu's expression softened sadly, his entrancing dark purple eyes watered up with despair and heartbroken. "Xuan…"
Xuan smiled weakly, gripping his brother's hand and slowly limping in his arms. The final thought leaving his mind, wondering his sin could be forgiven… "Be aware of the Blue Dragon… Never heed at its lies and deceiving words, Khu." The dying fire bender warned gripping his young brother's black robe collar before his hand falling onto the ground droopily.
For all he have done so horrible…
His amethyst eyes sparked was gone and dulled…
Khu mourned over his loss of a sibling, crying with his hands on his face… Xuan…
Xuan was sleeping in the ancient coffin, being burned from the Fire Sages in white robes until his flesh turned into ash and flowing into the graceful wind. As just what Khu had wanted for his honorable older brother…
And regret…
(Flashback)
It had been seven months since Xuan died in the mountain. And then he opened his eyes, watching the snow-like falling sakura petals around the beautiful oak.
A sad smile on his face, the assassin tilted his head upward at the breath-taking sight. Xuan… I hope you found the peace as you want…
"Sir, the Fire Lord had summoned you at the meeting."
Khu turned his head back to the direction of the male voice and not to surprise, he only found the Fire Nation solider patiently waiting for him by the gateway door. "Hn. Coming." Khu said monotone, turning to follow the solider out of the dojo and into the direction of the Fire Palace.
As they left, the sakura tree standing there lonely as the petals falling down from it… As for everyone would have sworn they saw the childhood memory being illusion along with a beautiful oak.
A twelve-years-old girl in an illusion sitting on the branch of a sakura tree, beaming happily down at the blushing thirteen-years old boy while a young seven-years-old boy in an illusion snickered while with his hand hiding his lips at his brother.
----
An hour later, as the golden and red royal doors closed behind the two teenagers' back, standing at each other. The icy amethyst eyes darted back to the pure gold eyes of the fourteen-years-old boy with angry pouting face.
"What is your name, kid?" The assassin sighed looking away from the young prince to the hallway, as he started to walk in the hallway while the young teen tagalong with him.
"Prince Kuzon."
"Hn." Khu nodded with his hands clashed behind his back, walking proudly as silent beside the prince. "My name is Khu. I was assigned to be your bodyguard when you are leaving Fire Nation right after the Agni Kai." He wondered if the prince knew that he lied right through his teeth. Nah… the softhearted prince always falling at the lies Prince Azulon fed to him all years.
The prince mumbled something darkly under his breath, his fists clenching and unclenching at both of his sides. And a few minutes passed, he finally relaxed and beamed a smile at Khu. "I won't planned on leaving right after I'll beat the General at Agni Kai."
A silence hanging over in the air as the assassin looked back at the young prince and then looked back to the hallway in front of him, frowning in thoughtful at moment. Absentmindedly, he wondered if he had to tell the young prince it's not general he had to face at Agni Kai.
And also, he didn't have a heart to tell Kuzon that he will lose his life before the Agni Kai and before the sun rose. The Fire Lord insisted him to murder the prince in the sleeping on bed before the sunrise.
All because of the prince out spoke against the general's plan about killing all Air Nomads left in Earth Kingdom, angering his father…
All because of the prince had a friend from the Air Nomad…
His amethyst eyes slowly looking back at the prince, and then a lazy half smile appeared on his face as he continued walking through the hallways of the palace. That kid… he's always wearing his heart on his sleeve, no matter how much troubles he caused in Fire Nation with the friends of his.
Perhaps… he, too, had to wear his own heart or what's left of his heart on sleeve to do something that no one can at the moment. Hm, this looks like it is time for the White Spirit's job to saving the prince's life tonight.
----
Two long and painful years later, the rouge rode the beautiful, proud fire golden bird as known as the Phoenix Griffin. Only a rare one or two would be found among the Dragons in the parts of Fire Nations.
"Whoa, Good ol' Fak." The rouge in the deep dark green and yellow robe with the black pants he wore pulled gently the leash back, causing the griffin halt with an 'awk' noise. With a sigh, he hopped off the fire griffin and turned his head back at the direction where he came from.
"Hey, Kuzon! What's holding you back?" He yelled pulling the griffin next to the tree and tied him to the branch, as the black haired boy appeared scowling darkly with the other Phoenix Griffin he was riding on.
Unlike Fak, the other Phoenix Griffin was all black with the dark red tip of wing feathers and tail.
"Shut up, Khu." Kuzon muttered darkly as he hopped off the black Phoenix Griffin and tied his griffin to the same branch that Fak was tied to. "What in the world did you talking me into travel with you?"
"Only because you want to find your bald friend." Khu answered with a stern look as the black haired boy rolled his amber eyes at the relay. "He vanished before the war began we have no idea where he is, according to the air master."
Few minutes later as they were setting up tents, rolling the camp beds, picking up firewood branches and hunting the small foods including animals and fishes. A soft wind's gust allowed fallen petals to blow past the group of the two warriors and two creatures sitting together, watching the ember of the fire pit flickering forward and backward in front of them.
The amethyst eyes darted from the ember of the fire pit to the young black haired boy with long black ponytail hair past his shoulders, glaring at the fire until he noted quietly at the distant look in the gold eyes. As far as he could tell, Kuzon missed his bald friend pretty much. He knew him as a troublemaker in Fire Nation along with the young Airbender. As he chuckled softly as he cleaned on his Demon Blade with his white cloth.
He remembered the horror looks on the elders when the two troublemakers destroying all food selling carts, including the man who had great love for cabbages three years ago. But…until now, the Fire Lord suddenly turned the table on the others, killing all Air Nomads but one… As far as he knew it in his heart that the young avatar had no longer in Southern Air Nomad, perhaps running to the Eastern Air Nomad, North Air Nomad, or Eastern Air Nomad?
No…
Khu glanced down at the empty plate. No…at least I didn't think so. At least that's what old man told me. His dark purple eyes darted over the now sleeping form of the runaway Fire Nation prince. It was impossible to get up to Air Nomad's mountain, unless flying creatures like Air Bison. There are only two flying creatures are ours, Phoenix Griffins. Fak can't fly well with his broken wings and Kaw is too stubborn to fly. Maybe it was something does with a rat hiding among the air benders?
Suddenly, he shook his head cleaning his thoughts off as he went over to his sleeping bag and then he was in the sleeping bag, staring up at the millions of stars scattered all over the dark blue and black sky.
It would be crazy idea if I said what if one rat among the air benders started it with our fire lord… All things will revealed once we get to the Desert just like old fire sage said from Roki's Temple. His thought drafted into the darkness as his eyes closed to sleeping in peaceful.
----
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOOOOORINNG, SUNSHINES!"
What the Agni?!
Khu opened his eyes quickly as he sat up in a flash and stared disbelief at the creature eating their foods like crazy in blue clothes. With an annoyed sigh, he didn't sleep well again despite the fact that he had slept in the most comfortable bed with the crimson silk sheets the Fire Nation had to offer.
"What in Agni are you doing here, YUIKU?!" Kuzon snapped angrily, glaring at the creature - oh, that's right, Yuiku is one of the water tribe men who likes food which he's sitting right next to us eating our stuffs out like a flying pig. Khu thought with a grimace after recognizing the boy.
Yuiku stopped eating, as the ham was half way in his mouth with a strange looking small spear when he realized the glares he got from the angry fire benders. And then he grinned at them, biting the ham and swallowing it with one gulp, causing the fire benders grimace at his behavior. "Why? You're just lucky that I'm the one found you instead of Earth Kingdom soldiers."
Shaking his head, Khu crawled out of the sleeping bed and went to the fire pit, reaching for the teapot with a tired sigh. When the teacup were filled, he sat on the log and sipping his favorite tea. Then he relaxed on the log. opening his eyes to stare coldly at Yuiku. "No… Not what Kuzon meant. What are you doing here all way from the south?"
Yuiku suddenly looked down at the ground with a pained look and then looked up at Kuzon and Khu. He swallowed heavy, his forehead sweating as his hands trembling on the plate. He had to know…He had the right to know what happen to his baby sister…
"Where's Kytra?"
A silence hanging over in the air as Khu froze, gawking at the green liquid of tea reflected his eyes like the crystal blue water. His eyes clenching shut tightly, the memory of smiling, dead blue eyes waterbender lying in his arms flashed across his mind. Suddenly, the tea cup slipping through his now trembling fingers and crushed onto the ground, shattering it all over.
Fak the gold Phoenix Griffin raise his bird-like head to see what is wrong with his master when he heard the teacup shattered like an echo when the pin dropped on the floor.
Khu stood up and then he walked away from the fire pit to hid in woods as Kuzon and Yuiku stared after him, the waterbender turned his head to the fire bender with a worried frown. "What's up with him?"
Kuzon looked away, closing his head as he stomped away to waking up Kaw, the black Phoenix Griffin. Yuiku stared confusedly at the fire prince's back, and then he suddenly understood.
His sister was gone.
----
The sun was half way to set behind the mountain as the trio riding on two Phoenix Griffins and one Ostrich Horse, silent as night wolf-owl through the Hei Bai Forest. Grateful, Khu knew the water bender did not pressed on him for what happen to—no, he wouldn't think about her without breaking down in front of his friends. He had to be strong for them to take care of the young ones like them.
His dark purple eyes blinked as he stared at the panda bear statue as they stopped their respectful creatures. "Who is this panda?" Kuzon asked curiously, lowering the leash on the black Phoenix Griffin as he looked over at Yuiku.
"Hei Bai was the spirit guardian of this forest and also he was the Avatar Kyoshi's Spirit Animal Guide. I heard Hei Bai was as harmless as a panda, but as fierce as beast at whoever harm to his homeland." The water bender replied with shrugged his shoulders, kicking gently at his Ostrich Horse as he rode away, leaving the firebenders alone. "Or at least I heard." He yelled back with a goofy grin.
Kuzon sighed his hand covering his eyes and groaned silently, "This is the worst…" He muttered darkly to himself watching at Khu shook his head silently, nudging Fak to continue on.
His amber eyes looked over at the gold and red sunset beyond the hills, Kuzon shook his head before snapping the leash to encouraged Kaw to walk again. Aang… I promise I will find you, no one but me. I will not rest until I die. He vowed silently, following after the lightning assassin and the ice warrior.
Snap!
WHOOOSSSSH!
Kuzon's head snapped up in time to see the arrow with black feather heading for Khu while the assassin was riding on the Phoenix Griffin. As his amber eyes widened in horror and panic, when he realized what's going on.
"Look out, Khu!" He yelled after the dark brunette, but it was too late for Khu to dodge the arrow when it was plunged into his arm as the lightning fire bender cried out in pain, stumping off the Phoenix Griffin and onto the ground with grasping his right arm in pain.
Yuiku and Kuzon jumped off their black Phoenix Griffin and brown Ostrich Horse as their silent comrade fell on the ground, rushing to him in panic and anxious to see if he's okay. Suddenly the arrows raining at them from the sky, Kuzon burned them as much as he could while Yuiku yanked the arrow out from Khu's now bloody arm, as he received a pained howl from the wounded assassin.
"Just hang on, buddy…hang on."
The last thing Khu heard from the water tribe boy's voice before slipping into the embracing of darkness…
----
Where I am…?
"…need be healed before the day…"
Huh…?
"…poisoned by the Desert Scorpion…"
Desert Scorpion…?
"…how long…?"
"…maybe by now he'll wake up…"
"…the comet…"
"…oasis we need find…"
Opening his amethyst eyes slowly to the ceiling, he winced at the sudden light entered into his sight. He shut his eyes for a moment before opening them again, blinking at the ceiling to realize he wasn't in the forest any more. "Where I am…?"
"You're in Eastern Herbalist Institute."
The herbalist appeared in the corner of his eye and turned to see the young woman held up the wooded bowl while the small white kitty appeared at her side, purring softly. "You have been poisoned by the arrow with Desert Scorpion's venoms on its sharp tip. You would have die through the night, if it weren't for the friends of yours."
"I deserved it…" The lightning assassin whispered softly, looking away from the confused look on the herbalist. "I deserved it because I have so much blood tainted on my hands after killing innocents."
"Of course not!"
Khu blinked in surprise as Kuzon and Yuiku appeared at the doorway, grinning in relief at him. "You don't deserve it because you were told to do by Fire Lord Sozin." Kuzon continued, walking over to the assassin's side. "And you left because you thought it was too dishonorable to kill without for a good reason. Am I right?"
His amethyst eyes blinked twice and then he smiled, sitting up ignoring the panicking cries of the herbalist and rubbed his already bandaged arm where the arrow pierced through the flesh. He's right… He thought and then he frowned when something stirred in his mind.
"Did you two see who shot arrows at us?" He asked narrowing his eyes at them.
The fire bender and the ice bender blinked and then at each other, silently agreeing between them before back to Khu. "Yami Yabane (1) Archers. We did caught one of them while they left us alone before the sunrise."
Yuiku snorted, saying sarcastically. "Speaking of the one we caught, the boy did have interesting dirty mouth he aimed at us. Boy, you should have heard him yelling and swearing all night."
Khu raised an eyebrow at this. "May I see him?"
The boys glanced at each other worriedly, one of them frowned and other bit his lower lip in thoughtful. "It seem he hated you more than us. He did say something about you killed his parents. I didn't think you should see him with your sword." The fire bender said quietly, looking away from Khu's stony stare.
"May I know why?" The assassin frowned curiously, pulling the black robe over his shoulders with a wince when he pulled a muscle on his right arm.
"He… he did something to the swords and other items. Probably he's a metalbender instead of earthbender." Yuiku spoke after Kuzon, nervously glancing at the doorway.
"Hn." Khu stalked out of the healing room and headed the ice cell where the lone Yami Yabane Archer was trapped in.
Meanwhile…
Plink!
The chained boy scowled darkly at the ice wall where the small ice cube laying on the ice floor, sitting on the ice bed, wrapping his arms around his legs and buried his chin into his knees. He was wearing the dark green robe with golden tiger and the black pants.
But there was something odd about him.
He had demon-like dark crimson eyes that were glowing in the darkness and also he had unusually purple spike-like hair. The dark symbolic blue tattoos on his face and his hands were easily visible to human eyes. Unlike the Avatar whom had a sense of peace, he had a sense of chaos.
Suddenly, the ice door was opened widened and the Fire Nation assassin that he tried to kill with a poisoned arrow, but only successful poisoned him. Like the Yami Yabane's, he had dark brown spike-like hair and two long bangs at each side of his face nearly at the collarbone, with the icy glower look in the soulless amethyst eyes. The shape of slender face almost like a female yet with muscle six-abs chest were visible enough through the dark green shirt with black robe.
There's no Demon Blade somewhere in sight with the Assassin, he noted. Damn it…
"What is your name, Yami Yabane?" The assassin asked curiously, but icily.
The archer scowled darkly before turned his head sharply away from the lightning bender. "Hmpt!"
"I see… Very well." The assassin turned his heels, stepping out of the ice cell and then he paused. "My name is Khu." He replied quietly before shutting the ice door behind him with a heavy bang.
The black arrow archer narrowed his dark crimson eyes in the darkness, thinking to himself. Khu the Fire Nation Assassin, eh…? Hmpt.
----
In the void of darkness…
The cold, yellow eyes opened slowly, narrowing darkly as the dark cobalt scaled body flashed through the misty of clouds.
It smiled.
It's coming…
TO BE CONTINUE…
Me: The prologue is over! I had checking all grammars just to make sure I had them corrected. But, I wasn't sure If I did the grammars right. Just let me know once you caught them. (Grin)
Me: (smiling innocently) Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: "The Steel Demon"
"What the hell are you thinking about going to hot, endless sand desert?!" Yuiku yelled his arms gesturing angrily at the stone-looking assassin with crossing his arms across his chest, waiting for the water tribe boy to calm down.
"We could have dead of starvation and---Ooooh, cactus juice!" The waterbender jogged over to the group of cactus.
"Oh boy… Leave it to the idiot over there." Kuzon grumbled his palm slapped his forehead with an annoyed sigh as the steel archer shook his head in silent agreement, sharpening his arrow tips.
Review this story, please.
And no flames, too. 'Cause it's a first time I wrote a Avatar fanfic.