Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar: The Last Airbender references or the trademark of the Avatar in the Avatar state in this chapter.

Also, please review. I want to hear your thoughts. But I'm not forcing you/harassing you, okay? This is my first story, so I must know! This story also only contains OC, although there will be some of the original characters mentioned or seen.

Chapter 1

Vivid dreams danced in my mind. They were interrupted by an abrupt rumbling. I woke up with a start. My eyes willed me to back to sleep, to surrender myself to the sweet, sweet dreams, but I knew better—my brain refused. Then I heard the word I had been taught to fear: "Earthquake!"

And like a flash, I snapped back to reality. This cannot be happening, I thought as I managed to stumble down the stairs. Everything hazily churned around my head: questions, answers, thoughts.

Are my parents safe? Are my friends okay? Will we survive…or die?

I was out of the house in a split second. As I beheld the destruction and madness the earthquake had inflicted, I saw that my parents were out. A sigh of gratefulness that I hadn't known about escaped my mouth. To me, they were one of the most primary things that mattered at that instant.

I made my way toward them—through the bewildered little kids screaming their heads off. Through all the people frantically trying to warn others about the disaster taking place, all huddled in a circle like frightened sheep.

But something in the air felt strange. I could feel it. Usually an earthquake lasts a few seconds, maybe longer. This one had already surpassed a minute. In my head, I thought that maybe a corrupt earthbender was behind this scheme. But I deducted the notion out of my head. Element benders were only real in that cool show, "Avatar: The Last Airbender"….. Were they?

The trembling became more intense. My body couldn't take it. I couldn't keep my balance and fell. Hard. As I collided with the ground, a searing pain flowed into my ankle, all in a rush.

"Ellie!" my mom shrieked. She hurried over to my side and examined me. Mom did that all the time. Checking me to see if I was hurt—as you would expect, since she is a nurse. But for once, I was pleased to have someone worrying about me.

She peered over to my dad. "She's sprained an ankle."

My father's ashy gray eyes flashed a look of concern and fret.

I'll get the medical supplies," he said as he ran back to the house. By the appearance, I could tell it would cave at any moment.

"It's too dangerous!" my mom called. "Don't go!"

I knew he wouldn't turn back. Once he sets his eyes on something, he has to do it. Even if it means his own demise.

It happened all too quickly. Giant slabs of rock seemed to rise from the ground. They slammed into our house, shattering the walls to bits. Our house crumbled into dirt. It was too late. Dad was gone.

"No," I cried. "Dad!" I winced as I tried to edge toward the remains.

My mom snatched me by the neckline of my pajama shirt and shook her head as I furiously tried to free myself from her iron grip. "No, Ellie. He's gone. Even if he was strong, he would have never survived ….that."

But in her eyes, I still saw a glimmer of hope. As though she had a secret. Nonetheless, tears still rolled down her cheeks. She held me close as we shed our tears without a sound. However the earthquake still seemed suspicious. It had already been five minutes.

At that point, something caught my eye. The next worst thing had happened. I watched in horror as my best friend's house disintegrated into dust. Everything was in underwater as I called out his name.

"Wesley!" I extended my hand out into the air, as though I could save him from the grasps of the tremor. "No!"

Mom's voice shook violently as she spoke. "I'm so sorry, Ellie."

"No you aren't! You just care about yourself and no one else, you selfish woman!" I snapped out of anger. I didn't really mean that, but I was too enraged to care. But inside, I felt something more than that. What was it? Grief.

My mom seemed to be flung back by an invisible force. Then I started to zoom away. Soon I was watching myself far away, away from my body and then…and then…I don't know.

When I woke up in my mother's arms, everyone was crowded around me, and yet, the earthquake had not ceased. My ears could pick up whispering from the mass of citizens.

"Did you see that?"

"Her eyes were glowing."

"She was airborne!"

"She knocked down her own mother without even touching her."

"She's an alien from outer space!"

"She's not one of…us."

My mom glared at them gloomily. "Go away! All of you!"

And so the swarm slowly eased away until we were all alone.

"W—what happened?"

She just stared at me awestruck and fearful at the same time. Had what the people said really happened? Had I really… hurt her?

"You have to accept their deaths, Ellie. It's the only way you—we—can move on."

"They aren't dead." I said firmly.

She just gave me that sad, sad stare again. Only then I couldn't restrain my emotions anymore.

"They're NOT dead! They're NOT!" I yelled this to the world. My brain denied the very fact that they had passed on. Or maybe they hadn't. I tried to cling on to the fantasy where they were still alive, where maybe the imaginary evil earthbender hadn't done this to us. Where nothing had happened. But it didn't work.

My body lay limp against my mother's as we cried. And there we were—weeping silently until the ground stopped shaking.