Avatar the Last Air Bender: The New Generation

Over a century ago, the four nations were reunited as one by the heroic Avatar Aang. Together with his comrades, peace and balance was restored to the world. Next, Avatar Korra helped the world solve its differences in reintegrating the element of air into the natural cycle. Long after even her, the race of benders is expanding; bursting old seams that years of unsteady conflict have worn away. Meanwhile, the old civilizations once well known have eroded, and have given away to two new empires, resting on an unchanging terrain.

Generations have passed since the integration of elements, and inter-elemental families are on the rise. But with them, come things that we haven't witnessed before, or things that we even understand in this new world. The western hemisphere is now known as the "New West'" and has become home to the non benders, who have transformed the region into a technologically advanced society. The east remains nearly unchanged since the decades of war, and continues to hold on tightly to their cultures. But as those gifted with strength of the elements, and those gifted with strength of mind drift apart to each territory, the tension between the two groups mounts.

Currently, the benders and the non-benders are at a standstill, as each waits for the other to strike; people are taking sides. People are afraid that if the public cannot solve their differences themselves, new sparks will fly to start a war; though this time, they will not cast by the fire benders. If the Avatar does not step up to his or her duties, the world may be facing the next war of a century; but how long can the two groups brace themselves before the Avatar comes forward to fight. Where is he? It's something that we'd all like to know…and something that we're determined to find out.

Book one: earth

Chapter one: The place we knew

(POV:1)

"Come see things from over 100 years ago! Ancient relics from the days Avatar Aang!" Shouted a man from across the street. There were an endless amount of these entrepreneurs in this city, but his voice rang above the normal hubbub of the town. I subconsciously glanced over a sea of earth coloured hair twisted and looped into complex hair ornaments, or sitting stoically in a bun atop dark heads, to the entrance of the Avatar museum in Ba-Sing-Se. Now, I do find history interesting and all, but everyone in the entire kingdom knows the story of Avatar Aang, and I really didn't want to hear his defeat of Fire Lord Ozai for the eighteenth time running. But today the blinding noon sun was beating over my head, and I was appreciative for any grounds to step into the familiar coolness of shaded regions.

Just glancing around the streets, I could tell who were travelers native to the earth kingdom; mostly barefoot, tanned, and stout, like the earth itself they plowed down the streets. Then were the obligatory mass of fire benders; or people indigenous to the Fire Nation, identified not by their appearances-which were very similar to earth kingdom inhabitants-but by the fact that they strode confidently out in the sun, absorbing its warmth gratefully, fueling them with natural chi. All the air benders would be in the southern part of the city, where one of the new air bending temples had been erected. But still on occasion, a small bald child might whizz past on an air scooter, laughing maniacally while blowing up ladies skirts and tangling everyone's hair. Then, there was me. I suppose I represent the outstanding element; I am a water bender, and can manipulate the fluid element of the lakes, rivers, and seas. Though my tunic and pants are made of the thinnest silk, this intense sun alone seems to deplete me of all my chakra…

Maybe that's where the fire benders were getting it from?

I thought slightly resentfully; growing up in the North Pole made me accustomed to the cold. Being in the sun too long can change me from overly maternal to downright manic in a matter of overly exposed minutes. I decided to take keep a cool head and refresh myself indoors for a while.

"Best Avatar museum you'll ever visit!" the same man said again cheerily, as several people entered the building. "The Avatar museum; its free! Always has been, and always will be, c'mon, come and learn some history!" His amusing jingle won me over, and I directed my feet away from the iced tea stand and towards the highly proclaimed Avatar museum.

I stepped into the cool stone house in the upper circle, the Avatar museum was nothing but an old house the Avatar had once inhabited when he was lodging in the city. Certain locations had been roped off with golden braids, preserved the way they had been since the Avatar had left the city. So, the Avatar, Aang, His wife Katara, Toph Bei Fong, and Katara's elder brother,-whose name fails me-had stayed in this house and walked these very halls, searching for the strength to help all nations. Heroes had stood here, laughing jovially like normal human beings; still they were completely aware that they were obligated to one day rescue the world from the scorching rule of the fire nation.

On the wall next to me was a portrait of a very pretty girl with a long dark brown braid and eyes like the moon hued blue by the sea. Such were the eyes of most water benders; this must be a portrait of the late Katara. She was so brave, and I did host a prejudice in her favor for she, like myself, could heal damage so often inflicted by anger or bitterness. Next to her, a portrait of a handsome, yet goofy looking young man hung, the caption read: "Sokka: Captain of the southern water tribe-" Then went on to state his accomplishments and the years he was active as the chief.

Sokka…that's right.

That was what Katara's older brother's name had been. He seems to be forgotten constantly in abridged retellings of the Avatars tale, but then again, history is told by the winners, and the winners are always the benders. Sokka had not been a bender, so people just assume that he was just a piece of luggage along for the ride. Though I have never met one…I want to meet someone who's isn't a bender that can make history. Someone that can do good. Normally that is the Avatars job, but, our current Avatar holds a low profile, and no one knows her location or how to contact her, even in this period of high tension.

Actually…now that I think about it…people aren't even looking to the Avatar for help anymore. They seem to want to fight for themselves, like they've given up believing in her. Well I'd doubt a third Avatar related miracle as well…Aang, then Korra…I can't blame the people any more than I can blame the Avatar for not being there; it all comes down to the fact that the war is so under the surface. Things right now seem peaceful…I hope in the future they truly become that way.

I moved along through the house, reading more dull billboards on facts about the Avatar and his companions. I entered the main hall, and the first thing that I noticed was that one wall had been blown out, letting in the lazy sun's golden tendrils over the scene of rubble. The second thing that caught my eye was on the street, in the form of a girl running. She adorned royal clothes covered in dirt from days of travel through wilderness, sprinting through the crowds, weaving in and out of irritated shoppers. Now, though I didn't understand it at the time, the hands of destiny pushed me on every step I took to follow the strange girl down the twisting alleyways of Ba-Sing-Se.

(POV:2)

I was being tracked, not followed, as that's for the unskilled; only very prestigious earth benders can track a person's every move, feeling their residue chi left behind in their dusty footsteps. I ran through streets of vendors selling varnished teapots and old rusted Tsungi horns, through cramped stalls selling piping hot street food, fresh out of the wok. My stomach rumbled ferociously as I caught a whiff of teriyaki armadillo-bear, but I forced myself to run faster. Faster, away from the earth benders who were hot on my heels.

I had been sneaking through the large bazaar in the Lower ring of Ba-Sing-Se, blending in with the rest of the citizens by impersonating a browsing shopper. But the Dai-Lee seemed to be everywhere I went, lurking like an infectious shadow. I needed to escape this pestilential city of secrets and traditions. A large congregation of finely robed ladies cued up in front of an earth bending powered elevator, going into the Upper ring.

"Pardon me!" I shouted as I pushed through the mass of cherry blossom emblazoned silk and plum-jasmine perfume, and into the head of the line. "I'm sorry sir!" I addressed the earth bender, who seemed to take no notice of the women now squabbling at my impolite behavior. "But I've just missed my parents! Please, I'm frightened of the Lower ring! Take me up!" Surprisingly, the man did what he was told. Another irritating thing about Ba-Sing-Se; appearance is everything. If you look the part, people will believe you, and I happen to look like the quintessence of class.

The earth platform moved up the lower wall, and into the Middle ring. As we approached the end of said ring, I begun to see the figures of the Dai-Li storming through crowds on the stairs to the proceeding level; the Upper ring.

The elevator stopped, and I rushed off, nearly bumping the other passengers back into the slums. My words of thanks were lost to the wind as I began to sprint into the district. I ran past gilded gold and jade green houses with spacious grounds full of exotic flora and fauna from neighboring nations. This Upper ring was home to only the most elite of government officials and politicians, though even they were not the top of the pecking order. Outclassing them were the cultural consultants to the Earth King the Dai-Lee, and the earth king himself. The politicians lived like royalty, which leaves me only to guess how the actual king of the earth lived himself.

I shot through the end of a long street of wide spread houses, into a cul de sac ending in a large circular clearing. Inside the square, was the grandest merchant trading space I had ever witnessed; bright, multicoloured caravans overflowing with priceless merchandise filled every inch of space. There were so many consumers in all shapes and forms; I could barely see one stall from the next. To my right, a girl in pale blue peasant robes strode past me; a commoner who must have snuck in to see the foreign treasures. All this meant to me was that, if she could sneak in to the upper ring without being spotted by the Dai-Li, then there was a chance that they wouldn't notice a lost princess in the sea of people either.

(POV:3)

I was dying. The world turned blurry in front of my eyes as I hunched lower on the back of my Fox-Antelope, Hymn. I kept swaying precariously starboard, trying to splay out the left limb I no longer possessed. My right arm, whole and intact, pressed a bandage crust and caked with brown blood to the ragged scoop; an indentation of flesh where my left arm had once connected to my shoulder blade. Daring to look at my injury once again to assess my chances of survival, I stole a glance at the wound. It was bleeding worse than ever, and through the tissues I could see the marred end of bone, protruding out of my body like the tip of a stick in deep mud. I leaned over Hymn's neck and vomited right in the middle of the street. Hymn whinnied, and started to trot faster down the elaborate stonework of some unknown village, or possibly town, even I didn't know right now.

Hymn seemed to slow as he entered a big circular square, and sniffed the ground once; I moaned in pain and keeled over his neck, landing on the cobbled street. Hymn whinnied again, and clamped his jaws on the mane of my lion's mask, dragging me along the ground. I barley registered regal looking people staring down at me, their hair-raising screams turned to buzzing in my ears, and I realized at that moment that I was just about ready to die.

I find that death is a lot scarier when you aren't experiencing it. You don't fear those tantalizing moments that proceed excruciating pain, and your wounds, they really don't hurt anymore, and your vision clears up, and slowly, you might begin to see the face of a girl with bright blue eyes, then hear the voice of death slowly talking, but it's all muddled together, like you're underwater. "She's not gone!" It said, "I healed her best I could! B-but…she's not moving."

I see…my soul must have been leaving my body, floating to the after world! Be free soul! Free! Maybe I'll be reborn as the avatar! Now that's a thought!

Then a new face came into view, a striking girl with a mane of curly auburn hair, her voice came a few seconds after her lips moved, "well, if she's dead, I'm going to search her, this necklace looks rare…"

"NO! MINE!" I roared, finding my voice, my strength, and apparently, my body. I sat bolt upright, entire body aching from the strain of muscle use. The tall girl yelled, the blue eyed girl screamed, and the glowing that had been suspended in the air above my shoulder splashed to the ground. A water bender, and…I held my breath, and glanced at my left shoulder. New skin grew over scar tissue and bone, the wound from mere hours back looked years old now.

A healer.

This strange water bender had healed me. Experimentally, I raised my right arm, and the water on the ground shakily rose into the air, and formed into a sphere. I changed it into ice, but lost my energy flow when the chi escaped out where my arm should have been, and it crashed to the ground.

"There." I said, "Girly, make me an ice pack." I flopped back down on my back and gazed at the sky, still trying to decide if this was death or life.

"How did your Fox-Antelope know how to find me? How did he know I was a healer?" The water bender asked, squatting next to me and gathering up the ice from the stones.

"Animal instinct?" I replied roughly, "well Now that he's past any further usefulness, let's cook him up, I'm starved! And he's stolen anyways." I added, like it somehow justified my lack of gratitude towards the beast. What I failed to mention was the fact that it had been Hymn's owners who had robbed me of my limb. And an animal as rare as a fox antelope would probably be searched for. Searching for him, they'd find me instead. Then they might get both my arms, or even worse…I grimaced and rubbed my neck gingerly.

"I wouldn't slaughter that stead if I were you." A new voice said from behind the stall. A short blonde haired girl with a perky face swished into view, wearing the long robes of earth kingdom royalty. "He knows much about you. He can tell much about all of us." She said in a somber and mystical tone, hands placed squarely on each hip.

"Darn then! I wish he'd be more talkative! I could really use a psychic-magical-talking Fox-Antelope." I replied sarcastically, the pain was starting to ebb back from my brain.
"I know he can because I can sense benders, and unique abilities in people. It's a useful skill…though I am no bender myself." She looked pointedly at the water bender, then at my arm, and she nodded and hastily begun numbing it once more.

"Is that why he was so obedient?"

The girl nodded. "He wishes to stay with you."

"Well," I said, getting to my knees, "that's all nice and chipper, so Hymn and I will be-wh-wh-WHOAA!" I yelled as I fell over, not being used to the drastic weight change of my missing arm. And once again I was lying on my back stupidly, like an upside-down lion-turtle.

"Sooo," I said awkwardly, "I think introductions are in order, but if being anonymous strikes your fancy you could possibly give me a bite to eat, some sake, and perhaps an amusing tale?"

"Perhaps we can skip the introduction, abbreviate the meal, and if you have anything to sell- like that lovely necklace of yours-we could strike up an accord?" the tall girl said genially.

"Perhaps we can discuss the matter over lunch." I said.

"Excellent" The tall girl said, clasping her hands together, "Now, first there's the matter of putting down the deposit, or you could take the pawning route, then you'd have to sign the waver, to lease over your relic to the Sand Bender clan, the Hami, and allow-"

"HEY! YOU FOUR! HALT!" A man's baritone voice bellowed, and seven Dai-Li agents burst through the crowd.

"Us four?" We all asked in unison, and looked around at each other questioningly. The short girl who had told me about Hymn laughed nervously, and through clenched teeth whispered, "Guys, they think you're helping me escape. I'll explain later. But for now…run."

"Kinda problematic sweetheart…" I said, "I'm sort of…grounded."

"No problemo!" the tall girl said, stomping her foot. The earth rumbled underneath me, and suddenly I was shooting upwards on a huge chunk of what was once a cobbled square.

"Huh!" I grunted as I landed roughly on Hymns back, as if on cue, he started to gallop through the rapidly emptying square. "Whoa boy!" I shouted, as he jumped over the heads of screaming people running away from the Dai-Li's destructive earth bending. Huge stalagmites were shooting from the earth and ripping through layers of cobbling on the streets, blocking the left exit. Hymn reared, and turned instead to gallop towards the right exit, we were almost there, into the outskirts of town, when a behemoth wall of slate burst from the ground. Hymn had no time to stop. He jumped as the rock wall was getting higher and higher, rapidly growing before my eyes.

Miraculously, he landed on the top of the slate and was thrown over the wall by its momentum. We went past the outer wall of the upper ring, and into the vast agricultural setup of the outer wall. We were free! But for how much longer we'd be alive, I wasn't quite sure. The ground was approaching at a sickening pace, I had already died once today, and I didn't wish to do it again. I shut my streaming eyes and prayed to the gods, and suddenly…I was slowing down. Hymn came to a sudden halt, hooves hitting the green slope of a hill, and I gracefully fell backwards off Hymn, and onto my ass.

"I'm…I'm alive? I must be the luckiest person alive! Get it? Alive?" I said in disbelief, touching my face with my right hand. I heard laughter behind me, and I glanced over my left shoulder. Suddenly, the reality of my incapacitation struck me like lightning. Maybe it was the shock, maybe the trauma, regardless of the cause, I swooned right on the spot, and blacked out.

(POV:4)

We'll skip the pleasantries, and cut right to the chase. No, this time it's not an expression, we're literally being chased. And by 'we', I mean, myself; Zo, this rich lady who the Dai-Li are chasing, and a little water bender healer girl. The one armed girl bounded away on her stead, half of the Dai-Li following her to blockade the exits of the square. We ran to the northern exit, plowing through terrified people on our way, I do have to admit I am guilty of rather full pockets by the time we reached the northern doorway, which had been sealed by a wall of black stone. I grinned, and stomped the ground hard once with my right foot, and pushed both my fists out, a huge door way appeared in the rock, revealing the actual door behind. I kicked it open with satisfaction and all three of us dashed through. After the water girl scampered through it, I jerked my hands together fast, and the hole I created slammed shut like window shutters.

Now I could hear the roaring of water, we turned around to face a giant gated off sewage way, the main water source that led directly out of the city. I glanced at the water bender, and she nodded, knowing exactly what to do. I raised my arms over my head and pulled downwards, the thick wrought iron bars sealing off the gaping mouth of the water fall were swallowed into the earth with an ear piercing shriek. From behind us, I could hear more Dai-Li storming into the square, looking for us. It was only a matter of time, before we would be surrounded. I grabbed the two girl's hands and we jumped into the rush of oncoming water.

FWWOOOSHHH!

My lungs felt compressed as I unwillingly inhaled water, I spluttered as my head broke the surface, but was quickly submerged again. The long tunnel of rapidly cirrulating water shot us downwards in a 45degree angle. I got one last breath of air in before the water fall started. And we plummeted.

We were screaming for dear life, but the water bender, though panicked, raised her hands up gracefully, and in a circular motion formed a figure eight in the air near her solar plexus. The water scooped up around us, encasing our bodies in a protective sphere, so that the force of the crash as we hit the bottom felt like the equivalent of jumping off a 6 foot wall (instead of a 600ft one.) I gasped and spluttered as I hoisted myself out of the river, dragging the short girl with me, her royal clothes weighing her deep into the river bed.

Then, from above, I heard new screams, the injured girl was falling with her fox-Antelope, they were going to be crushed into Lechee butter if I didn't do something. Reluctantly I spread my arms out like a bird, and then whipped them close to my abdomen, circling them together. A great sphere of wind erupted around the girl and her stead, slowing their descent. The beast touched the ground softly, and its rider dismounted, and babbled about being the luckiest person alive. I laughed out loud; savoring the hype of the near fatal escape, but the girl heard me and glanced around. I in turn looked over my shoulder to catch sight of the water bender; she too looked behind her, at the sopping wet girl in the fancy robes. The one who had gotten us roped into her little problem with the Dai-Li agents. Brilliant.

We still had some ways to travel before we would reach the outer wall of Ba-Sing-Se, so silently we all headed north, the afternoon sun drying out our clothes.