Chapter 1 Meet Xaito The Shadow Bender
It had been a week since the plan to attack the Fire Nation during the solar eclipse and Aang and the gang searched for another way to defeat them. It was night and the gang had set up camp. "Man, I wonder, just how ARE we going to defeat the Fire Nation. I mean, the attack during the solar eclipse was a bust. What hope do we have now?" Sokka wondered. "A fool's hope that's for sure," Toph replied. "Hey come on, we will find a way to defeat the Fire Nation. After all, we got this far," Aang said.
"Still, what we need is an ultimate fighter. Someone who could easily take on a bunch, hell an army of Fire Benders. Someone like-" Sokka thought but couldn't really think of anyone matching that description. Toph then remembered something. "Hey, I just remembered something. I've heard of rumor before that there have been sightings of people moving stuff with their hands, but without touching the object. I also heard it looked liked their shadows were connecting with the object they were moving," she said. "So, you're saying that those people are Shadow Benders?" Sokka asked. "Yeah, I guess that's what you'd call them," Toph answered.
Sokka, Aang, and Katara looked at each other and started to laugh out loud. "Yeah right, Shadow Benders," Sokka laughed. "As if there's people that can bend shadows, get real," Katara laughed. "Man, are you just being paranoid or do you seriously believe that?" Aang joked. "Come on, think about it.It may be possible I mean, there were those 'Sand Benders'," Toph said. "You do have a point there," Sokka said. "Still come on, being able to bend shadows does sound incredibly farfetched," Katara said.
"Farfetched maybe, but true," a guy walking by them said. He was 15 years old and wore a black cloak covering all but his from his nose and down on his face, and it covered most of his legs. "You seriously believe in Shadow Benders?" Aang asked. "Sure, I happen to know one. Anyways, I'm outta here," the guy said. He started to leave, but before he was out of sight a net came flying at him. He dodged it but 7 Fire Benders jumped him. "He needs help!" Aang yelled. Katara, Sokka, Toph, and him ran to help the guy but while the fight was going on he he somehow managed to stop the Fire Benders right where they were.
His shadow connected with the Fire Benders' shadows. He then lifted his hand and the shadows trapped the Fire Benders in a ball. He then turned his hand and made a fist. The cracking of the Fire Benders' bones could be heard. The guy put his hand down and the ball disappeared and the shadows got back in place. One last Fire Bender, most likely a scout, was running away, out of his hiding spot and to the Fire Nation. The guy extended his arm shadow and it quickly caught up to the scout. He was stopped right in his tracks and the guy's arm shadow crept up the scout's back and binded his neck choking him.He eventually suffocated and died.
Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph were amazed at the guy's ability. "I guess my secrets out," he said and took off his cloak. He was a tall boy with spiky black hair and black eyes.His clothes were also black. He said "I am a Shadow Bender." "How the-but, that's impossible," Sokka said dumbfounded. "Whoa! That was awesome how you took out those Fire Benders! But still, you didn't have to kill them," Aang said. "Yes I did. If the Fire Nation knows about me I'll be number 1 on their 'immediately kill list'," the Shadow Bender said.
"Really, you'd be more of a threat than Aang?" Katara questioned. "Let me start at the beginning. We Shadow Benders used to be normal people, but then about 150 years ago a meteorite crashed in our city. It contained a very rare element that we call Shadosite because it mutated our genes giving us the ability to bend shadows. However,our peacefulness would not last forever. Ten years ago the Fire Nation nearly destroyed our entire race. I was only five years old, I lost my friends and family. Only ten of us managed to escape I believe, there may be fewer of us. I know that my master, Darisu Ferai, made it out," the Shadow Bender told them. "So I guess you hold a grudge against the Fire Nation huh?" Toph asked. "Not the Fire Nation, just Fire Benders," the Shadow Bender answered.
"Thank God," Aang said. "So I'm guessing you've had trouble with a Fire Nation-destruction obsessed freak," the Shadow Bender said. "Yeah, there was named Jet-" "Whom Katara had a crush on," Toph interrupted. "Shut up, anyways, he was really obsessed with destroying the Fire Nation. He didn't even care if there were innocent lives at stake, so long as there were Fire Nation it didn't matter to him," Katara told the Shadow Bender. "Wow,he must of had some deep emotional scars. I do too but, I'm more level headed. Oh, and I must show this one ability I have," he said. He steeped onto Toph's shadow and seeped into it. He came back up completey covered by shadow. He shrunk to Toph's height and his appearance became more and more like Toph's until he looked exactly like her.
The shadow on the Shadow Bender impersonating Toph disappeared and she said "I can assume people's identities by seeping into their shadow. You could even do a blood test, it'd still say that I'm Toph. You could even kick me in the crotch and you'd feel nothing there." "Wow, that is one hell of an ability," Sokka said amazed. "You wanna join on our quest to defeat the Fire Nation?You'd be a great addition to the team," Aang said. "Sure, by the way-" The Shadow Bender turned back into his regular form. "My name is Xaito, Xaito Giamachi," he said. "Great name. I'm Aang the Avatar." "I'm Katara." "I'm Sokka, her older brother." Toph was about to speak but Xaito said "Let me guess, your Toph, heir to the wealthy Bei Fong estate." "You've, heard of me?" Toph asked. "I've been sight seeing. Heheh, not the doll your parents say your are but still just as beautiful," Xaito said.
Toph blushed a little but controlled herself and the blushing went away fast. "It'll be great to have you on the team," Aang said. "Thanks, but I must tell you of my only weakness. If I'm in a place where there's no shadow I'm powerless. All I can do in that situation is literally hide in my own shadow and flee," Xaito explained. "Say that reminds me, how can you see? I mean your eyes are completely black," Sokka said. "Well, it's a lot like how Toph sees. I can tell where things are by their shadow. At night everything is as clear as day to me. A forest whose treetops completely block out the sun is my greatest ally because everything would be covered in shadow," Xaito explained.
Aang introduced Xaito to Appa and Momo and they liked him. They stayed at their campsite that night. Sorry, no major gender bending yet. Maybe in the next chapter. I'll need help with this fic.