A/N: Hi everyone. This is my first Avatar story, and I really am working hard on it, so I hope you all like it immensely! It takes place after they leave the Western Air Temple, which, yes I know, never happened yet, but pretend! By the way, this is just a prologue, so I think I should just explain, the story will not be about book 3, it's going to be something totally different (and original I hope). ENJOY!

Disclaimer: Yeah right, I wish it. Don't we all...

Prologue

My name is Aang. I am only twelve, and already great responsibility has been thrust upon me. I never asked for it, I never wanted it, but I've learned to accept it. Not like I had much of a choice. It was pretty much accept it, or die. So yeah, I bet you can understand why I made the choice that I had made.

What is this great responsibility you ask? Well, to put it simply, I have to save the world from an evil psychopath that thinks only the Fire Nation should rule. Kinda screwy, right? I thought so too. There's supposed to be balance between everything.

That's my job. Keeping balance. If there's a fight, you can count on me being there to stop it in process and restore peace. But, then again, I guess I haven't been doing a very good job. Why else would we have been thrown into a hundred year war?

Some people… well, a lot of people blame me for what happened. I should have been there, fighting alongside my nation. But I wasn't. Now, there are no air nomads left. That makes me the last airbender in existence. For the last few months, I've been hoping that maybe they had all gone into hiding. But after 100 years, you kinda lose hope.

I don't want to lose hope. I've seen people with nothing, who basically strive only on hope. And if they can, then so can I. At least now, I have great friends to help me survive.

There's Sokka, the fifteen-year-old meat eating and pessimistic planner/warrior from the Southern Water Tribe. He's like an older brother to me. And no matter how many sarcastic comments he makes, or how many times he trips over his own feet, he's very strong and caring inside.

There's Toph. A feisty, earth bending, blind, twelve-year-old girl. She's like a best friend and sister combined. She always tries to hide what she's really feeling inside, and covers it with a tough girl act, but I know deep down, she cares for us all and will be beside us threw thick and thin. She joined us since her parents, the Bei Fongs, never truly understood her, since she was blind and wanted to Earth Bend. She said that since she has joined us, she's never felt freer.

Then there's Katara. Wow, there must be so much I can say about her…. She's smart, resourceful, pretty, and she's been with me from the very beginning. Ever since I first opened my eyes at the ice-burg. She's like a fourteen-year-old sister to me, even though sometimes, I want her to be a little more then that. But… I don't think she feels the same way about me. And I think I may have started to fall for Toph a little instead…. I'm very confused at the moment.

Anyway, beside from my love life, my friends and I have traveled around the world, finding bending masters, and thinking of ways defeat the Fire Lord. We almost had him once when an eclipse had come, blocking out the sun and taking away all the fire benders power. But the Fire Lord had known we were coming, and we had to retreat, leaving all the adults behind. Appa, my flying bison, could only carry so many people, and the men had insisted I not be captured. Because to them, I was there last hope for freedom.

I feel like a lousy last hope though. What kind of hope let's more people die each day? What kind of hope let's the world fall into despair? My kind I guess, since that's what's happened.

I guess I'll finish it up now. I just had to make sure my story was recorded somewhere, in-case… you know, I die. Since I'm at the Western Air Temple, and I am an air nomad, I thought it would be appropriate to leave the letter here. We're leaving today, Zuko said it would be safer for him to teach fire bending someplace far away. We're too close to the fire nation here.

Did I forget to mention who Zuko is? Oh, well he's a sixteen-year-old Fire Nation prince, who's father sent him to exile, and the only way to regain his honor was to capture me. And he tried for about two months. Then, at Ba Sing Se, his sister killed me (even though I really didn't die) and he was welcomed back into the Fire Nation. But by then, he didn't want it anymore. So he came to me and offered to teach fire bending. At first, I didn't trust him. But after he saved my life from Combustion Man, I allowed him to stay.

I think Katara and Sokka still hate him, but Toph says I made the right choice and that really, Zuko is confused inside and needs some help to be steered in the right direction. She says I should be the one to steer him to good. I'm not so sure…

So, that about wraps it up. I'll hide this somewhere that no one can find it. If we win the war, I may come back and read what I wrote. It may be funny to see what I thought when I was twelve. Then again, if we lose the war, I hope someone finds this. That way, at least everyone will know I didn't run away, unlike the first time.

We all fought, we all tried, and we will succeed. Some would call this blind optimistic hope, which, I guess it really is. But it's what keeps me going. What keeps all of us going.

If the war isn't over by the time someone reads this letter, and I am not there anymore, I want whoever finds this to take a stand. Fight, rebel, protest, anything to bring down the Fire Lord. Hopefully, you won't have to, because by the time anyone finds this, the war will be over. But just in case…

Anyway, I've spoken enough. I guess this is where I end the letter. I don't really know how though… I guess if you found this, you've enjoyed the story, and if the wars still going, heed the advice above. That's it I guess. Should I end this with some words of wisdom? I don't really know any, so I guess I'll just say good luck. You'll need it.

Sincerely your Avatar,

Avatar Aang

I signed the letter with a flourishing signature, one that I had been working on for a while. I reread it, and found I approved of everything I had written. I wonder if I'll ever see this again? Maybe, then again, maybe not.

"Aang, we're ready to leave!" I heard Katara shout.

"Coming!" I yelled back. I quickly stuffed my letter between a crack in the wall, and made sure it was secure, so the wind wouldn't just blow it away. One day, I have to come back and get it.

"Everything's packed?" I asked, jumping on to Appa's back. They nodded, so I said, "Yip-yip." Appa took to the skies, while I watched as we pulled away from the air temple, until it was just a speck in the distance. I felt some sorrow, but the good kind. I may be leaving behind a memory, but I was moving forward to knew ones.

Turning to look behind me, I saw what awkward positions everyone was in. Sokka and Katara sat on one side, shooting nasty glares to Zuko, while he sat on the other side, shooting the glares right back at them. Toph sat somewhere in the middle, oblivious to what was happening.

After about five minutes of this silent battle going on, I finally yelled, "Enough all ready!" They seemed surprised by this, but didn't argue, and the glaring stopped. I sighed, pushing myself to sit on Appa's head, away from the others.

How would we survive if we couldn't even get along?

This was going to be one long journey…

So, how is it so far?