THE SHADOW DRAGON

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Preface- One thing to keep in mind while reading this story: keep an open mind. Keep an open mind to the possibility of how one being can change a story. Keep an open mind to the concept of "what if". What if there was someone in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender that could change the course of its history? The protagonist in the following story is meant to show a different perspective of the story of Avatar: The Last Airbender and how lives can be changed by the existence of one person. Now enough of my rambling, read the story of Shadow Dragon.

Chapter 1: Death of the Innocence

Nine Years before the Aang's return

Deep in the Fire Nation, there lived a young boy and his family. The boy's name was Ziashi, named after his father who was a Fire Nation Veteran Firebender. Ziashi and his father lived on the edge of the Fire Nation smelting metal and forging weapons for the Fire Nation army, a life Ziashi's father preferred to fighting in the war.

Ziashi was a child of six years and a built one at that. His physique came from the labor of smelting and forging. He had long, black hair that was always in a swordsman's ponytail. He often dreamed of doing something greater than metal work for the war. Ziashi would literally dream great battles won solely by his efforts, honor rewarded to him by the Fire Lord himself, and plenty of other dreams his father called dangerous delusions.

Ziashi was raised by his mother and father, who taught him much. Ziashi's father always knew it was punishment for keeping Ziashi from the war. Ziashi's parents treated him like a blessing. Ziashi learned the morals and ethics of a soldier at an early age with his father drilling proverbs, sayings, and lessons into Ziashi's head. His father's teachings were his foundation, the labor his fuel, and growth was his fuel. Ziashi's mother in comparison would teach Ziashi spiritual lessons so he would know of the Spirit world, the Avatar cycle, Yin and Yang in the world, and much more

Though Ziashi was raised like a soldier child, his father and mother had no intention on letting Ziashi become a soldier for the Fire Nation. That had proved difficult ever since Ziashi's Firebending abilities began to surface. Fire Lord Azulon was determined to have every man marched to Ba Sing Se to level the great wall. Ziashi's father was doomed to fail in keeping Ziashi from war.

The day was hot, as it always was, and a glaring sun shined through the clouds of smoke. Ziashi was anticipating this day for an entire month. It was his sixth birthday. Ziashi awoke to the smell of ash and soot that he knew well. Like always he was the first to wake in the morning. Ziashi pulled some clothes on and went to go wake his father. A couple of shakes of his father's arm and Ziashi's father awoke as if he had never slept.

" 'morning, Father," Ziashi said with a smile.

"Good morning, my son," Ziashi's father replied with a smile of his own. Ziashi turned to prepare the forge for another day's work but his father stopped him, "Whoa, hold on there. We aren't working today, Ziashi. Its your birthday!"

Ziashi's smile widened even more. On days that they didn't work Ziashi's father would always take Ziashi to the fields to learn basic firebending, and Ziashi felt there would be something even more special on his birthday.

"Your mother and I have two gifts for you today," Ziashi's father pulled from under his pillow two items: A sheathe that held two twin dragon daggers and a Yin Yang talisman.

"Those are the very same daggers that I carried into battle, I pray you don't ever have to feed them," Ziashi's father said darkly, "That is your mother's Yin Yang Talisman, it is meant to keep you spiritually balance."

Ziashi always treasured his gifts, but something was different about theses gifts. It was as if they were investments in Ziashi's future.

Ziashi and his parents had breakfast and then they took young Ziashi out to a distant field. The exercises began with brief meditation followed by breathing exercises.

"Remember that a firebender's power comes from the breath," Ziashi's father always stressed this fundamental concept. "Without control of your breath you won't control the smallest spark."

Ziashi breathed in and out at a steady pace, concentrating only on inhaling and exhaling. For his age he showed a lot of discipline because without it Ziashi's father would refuse to teach Ziashi any firebending. This made Ziashi a very capable student.

The exercises continued through the next few hours but were ended abruptly. Ziashi's father froze in his place and fear spread across his face. Ziashi stared in the direction his father did and saw nothing to be afraid of, just a thick cloud in the clear sky.

Ziashi did not have a chance to ask his father what was wrong.

"Ziashi I want you to listen very close to what I am about to say," Ziashi stared deep into his father's eyes knowing something was definitely wrong. His mother's eyes began to well up with tears, "but before I tell you, you must promise me you will obey me."

"What's wrong, Father?" Ziashi pleaded his father to tell him what was wrong.

"Promise me, Ziashi!" Ziashi's father put his hands on Ziashi's shoulders. Ziashi nodded, "I need you to say you promise."

Ziashi sighed, "I promise, Father."

"Ziashi, I want you to run to the tributary as fast as you can and stay their until I come get you or until night falls," Ziashi's father kept a stern face as he spoke, "I want you to go and play with the other kids that will be there and have fun."

Ziashi nodded, "Will you and Mother be okay?"

"Don't worry Ziashi," Ziashi's Father said hugging his son. Ziashi's mother hugged Ziashi one last time. "Now go, RUN!!!"

Ziashi took off and did not look back. His feet carried him further from his home and to the Tributary. Ziashi silently wished Agni would protect his parents from whatever it was that they sent him away for. When he reached the tributary, Ziashi saw kids of all ages sitting around the water all there because their parents told them to come there. Ziashi could not bring himself to play, not with the thought of his parents being in danger lurking in his mind. Ziashi found a quiet spot and clung to his daggers and talisman, hoping to see his father arrive at the tributary to take him home. But Ziashi's father never came.

When Ziashi was sure night had fallen he and all the children who had spent a restless day at the tributary went off in their own directions. Ziashi sped off towards his home only thinking of seeing his parents again.

When Ziashi came close enough to see his house, a feeling like a blade stabbing into his gut overtook Ziashi. His house was in ruins and his parents were nowhere in sight. Ziashi raced to his house, which had been set on fire. Still, there was no sign of his parents. Ziashi called out for them but no reply came. Ziashi searched the yard frantically until he tripped over something. Ziashi slowly looked at what he had tripped over: his mother and father, who were motionless. Ziashi fell to his knees and gave his father's arm a few shakes. That was all it took to wake his father, but Ziashi's father did not stir. His mother yielded the same result and in that moment Ziashi realized he was alone. Orphaned and alone. All Ziashi could do was sit by his parents' bodies and weep.

Ziashi could not weep for long though. A noise came from some tall grass that was only a few feet from where Ziashi sat. Without warning, a raggedy man sprung out from the grass and lunged for Ziashi. Ziashi dove out of the way just in time but the man came again. Without even thinking Ziashi shot out a fire blast from his fist into the man's chest. The man reeled away in pain, looked up at Ziashi, and fled. Ziashi was bewildered at this. He was just six years old and he scared a bandit away.

Ziashi heard the sounds of marching men behind him and realized that that was not the case. Ten men clad in Fire Nation armor stood before Ziashi, following them were many of the children Ziashi saw at the tributary. One soldier, the leader, Ziashi presumed, strode towards Ziashi's parents' bodieds.

"Get away from them," Ziashi growled igniting fire in his palms. The soldier stood and towered over Ziashi.

"Boy, is me you honestly want to kill, or is it the bandits that took the lives of your parents?" the soldier asked. Ziashi extinguished the fire in his palms, "Now, that's better."

"Who are you?" Ziashi asked the soldier.

"Colonel Kenshin of the Fire Nation Army, I have orders to take custody of any children who survived the raids on the homes in this province of the Fire Nation," Kenshin introduced, "That means you are coming along with all these other children with me."

"What if I don't want to?" Ziashi challenged

"You don't really have many options here. If you stay, you will likely die," Kenshin said, "But if you come with me, I can open up a way for you to get revenge on those who did this horrible deed to your family."

Ziashi fixed Kenshin with a stare that was so piercing that it could have cleaved a metal shield in two. Always look into the eyes of a man, you will command respect that way, Ziashi's father's words echoed in Ziashi's mind. Meanwhile Kenshin saw Ziashi's potential rise even higher.

"What will you do?" Kenshin asked Ziashi.

"I will go with you," Kenshin grinned slyly at Ziashi's response.

"Exellent," Kenshin said quietly, "We then head to the Fire Nation Capital."

Ziashi and the other children from the province followed Kenshin and his soldiers to where their old lives ended, and their new ones would begin.

My first fic. Please review, but only constructive criticism.