Four nations: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. Each existed quite harmoniously with the others, until 100 years ago the Fire nation attacked. Only the avatar, master of all four elements would be able to stop the fire nation, but when the people needed him most, he vanished.
My name is Raven, I hail from the kingdom of Omashu, however currently I am in a bit of a bind, the Fire Nation have blinded me, taken me hostage and now, it is growing colder as the days grow longer, the ship moves southward almost constantly. How am I to escape…? My hands are bound, my eyes blacked out by a metal plate visor, I cannot see, I cannot feel my limbs, I grow colder and colder, what am I to do?
"Uncle, that light came from an incredible source; helmsman set a course for the light!" The ship made its way to the South, toward the light.
"Is he awake yet?" A feminine voice asked. A male shook his head, "Give him another hour, I have a feeling someone, or something is coming…" A teenage boys voice gave in reply. This teenage boy had both a club, and a razor sharp boomerang, both where quite handy in a pinch. Little did these two Southern Water Tribe members realize that this boy, Aang, last of the Air Nomads would forever change the lives of a select few, these two included? A village alarm sounded, a giant bell that was centrally located, this signified something had washed up on shore.
"Katara, we should go check that out, the kid will still be here when we get back, let's hurry!" She gave a nod and followed after him to the edge of the village, the shore, what they found was both odd, and unexpected, to say the least. Before them lay an unconscious man of twenty years of age, at least, but how did he get here? Katara was first to act, pulling him out the water. She looked him over, and even though he was indeed lacking consciousness the earth seemed to resonate beneath him, his feet where bare, his chest was badly wounded, two blade cuts in the pattern of an "X" stretched from one point of his chest to nearly wrap themselves twice over around his shoulder blades, the cuts on his back however, she noticed where burned, seared and cauterized. "Whatever he's been through I know one thing, it wasn't painless, but…something tells me fire nation was behind it." Her brother looked him over as well, "Maybe so, let's get him to grand grand's house maybe she can help him." Upon lifting him to his feet Katara took notice of the snow white belt around his eyes. "What did they do to you…?" she wondered quietly to herself as they began transporting him. Soon after he had begun to support his own weight and thus he began to regain consciousness and further still his steps began to hold power behind them. Katara and her brother looked to one another, was the mystery man awake, or was his body subconsciously protecting itself? "Sokka, wait a sec." Katara's brother looked at her stopping his movement, the man however continued to walk however only after a few steps he dropped to his knees, he was awake, winded but awake. "Thank you, thank you both…" He coughed a heavy cough, "Where am I…?" Katara touched the man's cheek, "Relax, let's get you warmed up first off." Around his wrists and ankles where shackles; broken chains where extending from the shackles. "What the heck happened to you?" Sokka asked. The man stood up and what was left of his shirt fell to the ground and turned to ash, Katara then took notice of a Fire Nation insignia burned over his left shoulder. "Fire nation?" She asked, he turned to her, gave a nod and let his body tighten thus allowing him to stand. "I barely managed to escape…" with that he silenced and walked back toward the shore. Sokka pulled Katara to the side and silently spoke with her, "Who is this guy? What's he doing all the way in the South?" Katara shrugged, "Like I'm supposed to know, maybe he's wanted by the Fire Nation?" Katara sighed, "It's late, let's get some rest, tomorrow we're heading for the Northern Water Tribe, maybe he can help us?" Sokka shook his head, "Absolutely not we don't even know the guy, I mean seriously Katara, besides why would he want to help us?" Katara only smiled, "Let's see, He's been branded by the Fire Nation and on the shore… I felt something coming from him…a great power lies within him, what it is as of yet I do not know, but I intend to find out."
She left Sokka and ran toward the shore to find this man, and she did, she found him standing in a horse stance, his legs spread shoulder width apart, his elbows tucked into his sides. 'What is he doing?' She wondered to herself watching cautiously, not moving." She watched him, saw how he breathed and then took note of his feet, they only slightly moved and the earth beneath him shifted and rose all around him, his feet where hidden by rock then he shifted his weight and the rock ahead of him launched out into the sea. "Hello Katara." She looked shocked, "But, how did you know I was here, you're blind, aren't you?" He gave a nod and the earth by his ankles returned to normal, "Aye, I am blind, however I have developed a keen sense of hearing, I could hear your breathing synchronize with mine…" He walked just past her, "The name's Raven, Raven the rock steady of Omashu" He gave a slight bow and then from beyond Katara the roar of a sky bison was heard. "Aang must be awake, c'mon" Raven followed Katara back to the village and took note of all he heard. "Hey Aang, bout time you woke up!" this was Sokka's voice. "We have to go, before the day gets much colder" This was the voice of a boy, "Oh, Aang, this is…wait, just who are you exactly?" Sokka asked and for a reply he got, "The rock steady Raven of Omashu" Aang shot up, "You're from Omashu?" Raven gave a nod, "Aye, I've left Omashu to travel the world, honing my skills; I will be the greatest Earth Bender of the four nations." His decision was final, "So, Raven," Sokka began, "You're blind…aren't you?" Katara shot him a glance and he silenced himself. "Painfully obvious, it is not by choice that I am blind, my sight was stolen from me…" Raven looked to the side, jumped into the air and as if on air, landed on the sky bison as softly as a feather. Aang smiled, "For an Earth Bender, you're pretty light on your feet, we're heading to the Northern Water Tribe, you're welcome to join us." Raven nodded, sitting cross legged. "Is everyone ready to go, Katara?" He looked toward her, she gave a nod, then he looked to Sokka, who also gave a nod, "Aang, let's move out!" The sky bison jumped into the air and crashed into the water and began to swim. Raven laughed, "Must be tired, having been frozen for 100 years at least." Katara looked shocked, "How did you know he was frozen?" Raven shrugged, probably because I was locked away in a statue for 90?" Sokka shook his head in disbelief, "No way, you were around when the Fire Nation attacked the Air nomads?" Raven nodded, I was Aang's age, twelve, I went in search of the Avatar to warn him that Fire Lord Sozin was coming, but I had arrived too late…" Katara frowned, "So what now, why have you left Omashu, surely it wasn't to travel?" He chuckled. Took a deep breath and began to explain.
"Katara, I am searching for someone, last I heard she was taken…however by whom I cannot say." Katara thought a moment, "Is this a friend you met 90 years ago? Or a friend you recently met, does he or she have a name?" He gave a nod
"She hails from Omashu, Princess Toph…" He grew quiet, and after a calming breath Raven raised his hand and the water began to shift, he jumped from the Sky bison and landed on a pillar of earth off to the side of the others. "What's up Raven, something wrong?" Katara asked looking to him. "No, I…I can barely sense her…" Aang looked over, "Relax, I'm sure she's alright, once we're done at the North, we'll find her, you have my word." Raven gave a nod, "I understand, but It's been years since I've seen her, she'd be about Sokka's age now, 17 right?" Sokka shook his head, "Sixteen, seventeen in 5 months." Raven nodded again and assumed a cross-legged position. Aang took note of his form, he must have been with the air nomads or at least known an air nomad because the way he sat with his hands in his lap in a circular form was specific to the monks of the Eastern Air Temple, specifically Monk Gietso, Aang's tutor.
"Raven, have you ever seen a sky bison before, Appa seems to know you from somewhere." Raven smiled, "Appa, so that's what's become of my old friend." Raven's smile widened "Simple, I spent twelve years among your people Aang, in the Eastern Temple of the Sky, Appa was the first to welcome me, and then, Monk Gietso took me in, we trained alongside one another until after you left, the Fire Nation wiped them out, I stood my ground as long as I could, but when the Fire Lord himself struck me down…he branded me a prisoner of war, and….until recently I was unable to escape, it was thanks to your light display I was able." Aang turned and faced Raven, "I take it he was the one who stripped you of your eye sight?" Raven nodded and grew still, Sokka and Katara watched intently. Sokka attempted to speak but Katara elbowed him, "Shh"
"What's he doing?" he whispered to Aang who had assumed the same stance, eyes closed, breathing steady. "he is attempting to find the one which he resonates with." Sokka just stared confusedly, "The two must share some type of connection else I doubt they would be able to do this, Aang, what do you think?" She received no reply, Aang's tattoos began to glow and before she knew it his entire body was unresponsive. "What's happening?" She asked herself, then Raven had a glow coming from beyond his white belt, unlike Aang's blue tattoos, Raven's scars on his chest shone white, something told her these scars were not just any normal scars, but a possible means to bridge the gap between this world and the next, she didn't know where this assumption was coming from, but he knows the avatar's sky bison, what else was he capable of? The sky began to grow darker; night would be upon them shortly.
Sokka looked around, "Hey, uhhh Aang, Katara, We've got trouble!" Raven opened his eyes. "Fire Nation Navy." The second they were noticed Raven raised his hand and Earth had rendered the entire navy toppled over the entire ship colony was capsized. Katara smiled, "Wow…such…power, how long have you been an Earth Bender?" she asked he replied, "since my first meeting with Toph, she and I where tutored together…it's one of the reasons I wish to find her." Appa seemed to pick up speed a little, he gave a grunt and Raven shut his eyes once again and seemed to fall asleep only to wake up with a chill in the wind and villagers dressed in blue around him, he himself was in what he believed to be a tent. "What's going on…?" Katara's voice sounded, "Easy there, Raven, relax." He got up from the bed roll in which he lay and Katara touched his shoulders. He looked toward her, "Yes? What is it?" Katara smiled, concernedly, "Your shoulder, why is there a Fire Nation insignia, why is it there?" Raven shook his head, "I do not remember, all I remember is being in an Earth Kingdom prison and then…a burned man and then…pain."
Katara lifted him to his feet, want to come with me to the Master?" he gave a nod, "I would like you to, please?" She questioned pleadingly.
He gave a nod, "I would enjoy that, maybe I'll be able to sense Toph better…who knows," Katara looked him over and from beneath his white belt she noticed a tear trail down his cheek, she bended it away and touched his cheek, c'mon we'd better get going." He gave a smiling nod and proceeded to follow her. She hummed quietly and then said, "We will find her, I promise." He nodded, "I have a feeling she's still in Omashu…however, I can feel that something is wrong…the earth itself is not resonating as it should." She looked a little concerned, "How do you mean?" she asked, he smiled, "I can sense her, no matter how far apart we are, however the closer we are the stronger our bending becomes, respectively, however the farther apart we are the weaker my bending becomes." She looked confused, "But you capsized twelve Fire Nation ships, how is that weak?" He smiled, "I never said I was a weak bender, I, like Toph was taught bending from the masters, the moles of Ba-sing-sei Mountains. They are blind, like I am now…" Katara smiled, "You're contempt with being blind?" Raven gave a nod "With me being blind I needn't worry about material things, nor do I have to worry about outward appearances, and also I have been able to see past that which is fake, to see what truly lies within someone's heart, for no one, no matter how much one tries, what lies within their heart cannot be hidden from those who search."
Katara smiled and dodged a torrent of water, Raven kicked at the ground bringing up a wall of Earth which protected him against said torrent. The master spoke, "Well done, quick thinking is a necessity on the battle field, well done." Raven put his hands one fist into his hand, and smiled bowing respectfully, "It's an honor to finally meet you Sifu." The master smiled, and bowed back in respect.
"Katara has told me of you, you hail from Omashu do you not?" Raven nodded, "Yes sir, I do, I left in order to search for a friend of mine, a very special friend of mine…" The master nodded, "So you're the one who is searching for the young Earth Bender?" Raven gave a quick nod, "You've seen her!" the master shook his head, "No, however I can tell you she is still in the kingdom of Omashu, with her father, she is safe." Raven smiled relieved. "Thank you sir…may I watch you and Katara?" The master gave a nod, "Feel free, however I am not the one she's sparring with, she's sparring with my other pupils." The master walked toward Raven, "Your eyes, what happened to them?" Raven gave only one reply, "Fire nation flash burn…" The master shook his head, "I…think I know how that can be fixed, maybe, if the spirits grant it I may be able to procure a sample of the water from the spirit oasis, I'll see about getting it to you, on one condition." Raven smiled, "And what condition is that?" The master smiled, "Just look after Katara, see to it she's kept safe, she is, after all the last Water Bender of the South." Raven gave a nod, "I understand, however do not pressure yourself with such trivial matters, I've grown used to being blind, I can survive as such, for now." Raven heard the groaning of downed students, they must've been beaten. "Katara shows masterful ability, what do you think, master?" The master nodded giving a smile. "I believe you are right, even Aang is showing providence." Aang was bending a sphere of water between both her and him. Raven smiled standing as if he were a rock then, with a stomp of his foot frozen rock raised itself around and beneath his feet, and he sat upon it and relaxed feeling the Northern breeze.