This is my first fanfic...please be gentle...I know its short, but I guess its a way to give you, the reader, a chance to acclimate to my style of writing...Of course I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender...


Book II: Earth

The Nature of Balance

The dreams were getting worse…much worse. His out of body experiences continued even after he learned the nature of the Avatar State. In fact they began to increase ever since then. Of the most vivid, would have to be the times when he saw the remains of his dear mentor, Gyatso, and when he was inhabited by Tui, the moon spirit. His most recent activation of the Avatar State was the most vicious. Most of the time, the avatar state was triggered by grief, or out of necessity to save someone he loved. When he had finally found who had taken Appa, all that he could feel was anger.

"Where is Appa?" his voice echoed with the voices of his past as he glowed with the spirit of a hundred Avatars, "Give me back my bison!"

Since then, Aang's dreams were different. No longer were they out of body experiences, which ended in the arms of Katara, but of past lives. Aang began to dream of his past lives' exploits, like Avatar Kyoshi's fight against Chin the Conqueror, or Avatar Roku's treason against his own nation. Avatar Roku…his memories were the topic of Aang's dream tonight.

A burst of fire blew towards a grandly decorated metal door, which opened to reveal the Fire Shrine. The red robbed man looked exactly as he had whenever he appeared to Aang. His long white hair and beard flew gracefully as he walked into the high ceiling Shrine. His golden eyes however, looking down, were covered in a look of worry. "I fear that not even the Avatar can prevent this war from happening…" Roku said to himself. The door shut and flashed a blue light as clouds began to gather and cover the room in its ethereal beauty. The Fire Avatar knew that he was no longer in the Shrine, but the spirit world. "It's almost like the Fire Lord is waiting for something, and I worry that it most likely involves me…" Roku murmured again.

Alas, you are correct Roku...A mysterious voice began to say, Sozin waits for a comet that will pass over and become stronger tha you can even imagine. Hearing what his previous life had to say, Roku raised his head in disbelief.

"There has to be another way Avatar-"

-There is a way, but I refuse to tell you how! It is much too dangerous, even for the Avatar! The voice boomed in anger.

"Please, there is no other way! You must tell me or else the whole world will be pulled into a war in which hundreds of thousands of people could die!" Roku pleaded.

So be it. Deep in the dark part of the Spirit World, there is an ancient spirit that can help, but you must be wary. His name is Po, and he is as treacherous as he as powerful. The Solstice is ending. We must go our separate ways...for now. It is a dangerous path to take, so I will help you to get there, but only if you are ready. Looking back with renewed hope, a determined Roku opened his eyes, now illuminated by a bright light, said

"I'm ready"