Prologue
I live in a world where a person can make waves with just a gesture of the hand; and where another person can move mountains with a kick; where someone can fly with just the help of a stick; and where a person can summon flames with a flick of the fingers. It may sound like a fairytale land to you, but I live in a world where all this is possible and more. It sounds like an enchanting world, and truly it can be, but you can quickly become blind to that charm when you witness all of the war that also occurs.
My home is known as the Fire Nation, known for its sharp exterior and fiery interior. It is a land of flames, where only the strongest deserve to live; or so it the belief. It is no wonder that flames are our nation's insignia. Many look to this great nation as a wondrous and tough nation; proud to call it their home. However, when I look at my homeland, all I see is a wildfire.
Long ago it was one of the four nations that inhabited the world; the others being the Water Tribe, the Air Nomads, and the Earth Kingdom. Each nation ruled separately over its own people and land. And while separate, they were all equal. None were above the other, thus maintaining a balance and flow to the world. But that all changed with the actions of my home, the Fire Nation.
No one truly knows why the Fire Nation started the war. Some say they deserved to rule due to their strength and leadership, though these tend to be Fire Nationals. Others say it was because the Nation was greedy for control and craved authority over everyone else. There is also the idea that Sozin, the Fire Lord of the time, found it fun to tromp around and act tyrannical. Whatever the reason behind their decision, the Fire Nation chose to go to war with all others who opposed them.
The war started almost a hundred years ago with the Air Nomads. It was long before I was born, but I have heard this story from many of the elders in my town. The Air Nomads were a supposed peaceful people, though the Fire Nation described them as filthy savages. Without much warning, the Fire Nation launched an attack on the Nomads. And while the Nomads practiced non-violence, they did supposedly fight back as much as they could. But they were not strong enough to overpower the large Nation ambush.
The world gasped at this attack, wondering as to why the Nation chose the Nomads to strike first. There was some thought put into this attack though. One reason was to show that no one was safe from the Fire Nation and that everyone would fall, even the most passive. It was a show of intimidation. The other reason is really a rumor; the Avatar. The Avatar is someone who can control all four elements and acts as "peacekeeper" between the nations. The idea is that the Avatar is an ever-existing being. Once one form dies, they are reborn as a new person. Through this cycle there is always an Avatar. And it is this cycle that stated they would be born a Nomad. The rumor has it that the Fire Nation feared the Avatar stopping them before they even started, so they eliminated them first.
The Air Nomads were almost completely slaughtered. Only a few survived, due to the Nation's "discretion". Thus the fall of the Air Nomads, now under the control of the Fire Nation.
Next was the Water Tribe. They were stronger than the Air Nomads, both physically and willfully. They were willing to fight back with all they got. Sadly, their strength was split between two tribes – the Northern and the Southern – so they could not last forever. It began with the Southern Tribe. The Fire Nation attacked the tribe with full force; fire a-blazing. Every single tribe's member – men, women, and children – were killed. There were no survivors, which gave the slaughter the name, "The Southern Massacre". The Northern Tribe had better defenses and more available to fight. They even managed to keep their attackers at bay for over three months. But after those long, cruel months, the wildfire finally melted the ice. The Fire Nation took control of the Northern Tribe; allowing those who survived to continue to live, but reminding them of what they did to their sister tribe and what could happen to them.
The final nation left was the sturdy and ever solid, Earth Kingdom. Much like they were known to bend, the Earth Kingdom had the best defenses in the world. Whether it was the large, thick walls surrounding their cities or positioning their cities on mountains with only one thin entrance; their defenses helped keep them afloat during their battle against the Nation. Some of the small, less protected villages would fall, but the people fled to the protection of the major cities, like Ba Sing Se and Omashu. The Fire Nation was not to be deterred though. They put all their force towards taken down major cities, especially Ba Sing Se and Omashu. They first targeted Omashu. By cutting off all incoming supplies and constant attacking, the city of Omashu had no other choice but to surrender. Ba Sing Se was next. Their walls however proved to be strong. They had fields on the inside, as well as a water source. Ba Sing Se had no need for supplies from the outside, so they could withhold for however long. It was only through luck that a Fire Nation general – crown prince Iroh – managed to break through the walls that protected Ba Sing Se after almost two years of constant attack. And it was with the fall of Ba Sing Se that the Earth Kingdom fell to the Fire Nation.
I live in a world where those who can bend the waves are now arrested for their blood; where those who can move mountains are forced to move boxes; those who can fly through the air with just a stick grounded forever; and where those who can summon flames burn everything to a ground.
This story takes place in an alternate world where the Fire Nation managed to take over the world. Aang was captured during the ambush of the Southern Air Temple and killed upon being confirmed as the Avatar by the Fire Nation. It took almost 100 years, but the Fire Nation managed to take complete control. The current setting is eight years after the fall of the Earth Kingdom. A group of rebels fight the Fire Nation and try to bring back the balance. Well, them and the Avatar.
This story will feature many known canon characters and takes place four years after the canon setting.
Having received more than enough submissions, I have closed the submissions. Full *main* character list will be released with the next chapter after Christmas. To all those reading this, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.