Preface

The following story is loosely set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. By loosely set, I mean that I liked the idea of four nations bending four elements and decided to run with it. This story does not follow the Airbender timeline. There is no Avatar, although there are still people who can bend all of the elements. This is not intended to be a prologue to the series or to fit in with it in any way whatsoever. This is just me having fun in a modified version of that world.

That said, please enjoy the story.


Prologue

Zhen stared at the crowd that surrounded him. He knew why they were here. It was the very same reason that had forced him from his home and caused him to seek solace in this place: energybending.

For thousands of years, stories had been told of the energybenders. It was said that at the dawn of time, anyone could bend any of the elements. Most people would focus on learning one or two, but there were some who mastered all four. These masters discovered a new element called energy. No one knew exactly how it worked, but it was thought that energybenders could take away another person's powers.

In time, the energybenders rose up against the rest of the world in a long and bloody war. They stole the powers of the common people until there was almost no one left to challenge them. But somehow, someone managed to drive the energybenders back. The aggressors were systematically destroyed until none were left. Those few benders who survived the war could bend only one of the four elements, and nations formed around these new groups of benders. Generations passed, and gradually the world adjusted to the new system.

But ever since, if a child was born with the ability to bend all the elements, he was marked. No one wanted a repeat of the Energy War, and anyone with the potential for energybending was killed.

Such was the case here. Zhen watched the crowd carefully, thinking about what his gift had cost him. Rejection from his family, fleeing for his life–it had all been because he was an allbender. Zhen had managed to conceal his abilities for years now, but he had known that he would not be able to hide forever. Here, now, it all came to a head. Zhen would die tonight, he knew. But that didn't matter. All that mattered were those he fought for. They had to have time to escape. He hoped they were far from here already, but still he stood, trying to gain them a few more precious seconds.

Zhen saw the change in the crowd seconds before they rushed at him. Taking a slight step back, he released a wave of fire that forced some back while others screamed in pain from the flames. Zhen felt projectiles hit his face as benders in the crowd began to propel things his direction. He threw up a wall of ice and jumped over it, spreading yet more fire in his path. His attackers had sorely underestimated him. Zhen battled on the left, right, front, and rear, doing anything to keep the crowd's attention on himself. As long as they're thinking about me, they can't be looking for them, he thought.

But even he could not keep so many at bay indefinitely. Zhen was beginning to tire. Countless projectiles pierced his body. He didn't have time to heal himself. Suddenly he was thrown to the ground. The people stormed over him, and he tasted something metallic in his mouth. Zhen felt himself go numb, and the world faded to black.