Author's Note:

This fanfiction takes place almost 100 years before the beginning of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Fire Lord Sozin has launched his global assault, and the Air Nomads have been wiped out. All, it appears, save one. This is the tale of Genbai, a young, uncharacteristically serious (sometimes) apprentice of the Northern Air temple. It is also the tale of Zerain, a fierce yet kindhearted Firebender living her life as an outcast of the Fire Nation. Through their isolation they find each other, and together they both just might be what the other needs to survive.

CHAPTER ONE

Days of Innocence

A cavalier grin split Genbai's face as he clung to his glider, first plummeting then soaring through the crisp mountain air. He shot into a passing cloud, unable to restrain a giggle as the water coated his habit, clinging to his clean-shaven scalp. He knew he had chores to do, and he knew that the Air Nomads of the northern air temple were supposed to exercise discipline. Monk Hotetsa, he reflected, would be very angry with him for shirking his duties to go flying so early in the morning.

A voice jarred Genbai out of his reverie, and he angled his glider out of the cloud, curious. Struggling to keep his glider as stationary as possible, he surveyed the cloudscape until he spotted a flying bison lazily circling above the temple. Two elder monks were conversing on her back. Genbai realized that the wind must have carried one of their voices to him from all the way over there. Failing to rein in his curiosity, Genbai coaxed a current of air to him from the two monks, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"We have much to fear, it would seem." Genbai recognized the bored sounding cadence of Monk Hotetsa. "Our brothers to the south are anxious. It would seem that they have decided to reveal the Avatar's identity four years ahead of schedule."

Genbai gasped softly and his glider careened dangerously for a moment before he steadied it again. Was he really about to learn the identity of the Avatar before anyone else? He reflected that most people had assumed that the next Avatar would be a girl, since the previous one had been male. But if the new Avatar lived at the Southern Air Temple, that could only mean he was a boy. Genbai wondered if he and the Avatar had ever met, and simply not known it.

"What!" Genbai winced at the sound of Monk Winbu's exclamation. The portly monk was prone to outbursts when surprised. "That's a foolish idea! After all, young monk Aang is only twelve, there is no way he can shoulder such a burden! He is too young!"

"Avatar Aang is young, that is true. And Monk Gyatso is fervently opposing the decision. However, Fire Nation hostilities are ever increasing. The Southern Air Temple monks feel that we can afford to wait no longer. Part of me is inclined to agree with them."

"This is madness." Monk Winbu sounded tired. Defeated. "What has become of this world? Why would Fire Lord Sozin attempt such a terrible thing?"

From his cache, Genbai saw Monk Hotetsa shrug one shoulder. "There are some who believe that a signal from the heavens has sparked Sozin's ambition. But the cause is immaterial. For now, we wait. Soon, Avatar Aang will know of his destiny, and then we shall discover our next move." Hotetsa's voice was sad and seemingly as tired as Winbu's.

"Yes. We will wait. Tomorrow brings a new day. The future is rife with hope." Winbu agreed.

Genbai sighed, relieved. Looking back, he would refer to that moment as the last time he ever felt lighter than the air he bent, for the young Airbender's world was about to come crashing to the earth.

When Genbai returned to the temple, an air of unease settled around him. The monks were all very quiet, their shorn heads hung low. He shuddered slightly, feeling suddenly cold. He silently tucked the wings of his staff away, and slipped quietly into the novice hall, where the air was distinctly calmer, happier, and warmer.

"Genbai!" A young voice called out to him. Genbai turned to see a small boy of eight years running up to him. "Genbai, you're back! How was it?" The boy was grinning, and talking very loudly.

"Hey Jindi!" Genbai greeted the child warmly. "It was great." He confided. He proudly spun his staff in his hand before landing it back on the floor with a satisfying clack. The light from the torches and candles glinted off of the varnished wood, making it gleam brightly. "Handled like a dream." For a moment, the disturbing conversation between Hotetsa and Winbu, and the odd behavior of the older monks outside.

"You're so lucky!" Jindi exclaimed. "I can't wait until I get my own staff!"

Genbai laughed. "Give it time. I had to wait fifteen years. You've just got to practice hard, and pay attention to your studies." Jindi nodded eagerly. "Maybe I'll get my staff in a couple of years!" He said. "If I work really hard, maybe I can get my arrows and staff before I'm thirteen!"

Genbai laughed again. "I don't know about that Jindi." He said. "It's really hard to do, and almost nobody gets their arrows before they become teenagers."

Jindi looked slightly indignant. "Gojai did." He pointed out. "And so did Aang, down at the Southern Air Temple." He pointed behind him with his thumb, as though the temple in question were just a few paces away, instead of clear across the sea.

Genbai fell silent at that, and a shadow fell over his face. Aang. He had been known throughout the temples as an Airbending prodigy. Why hadn't anyone figured it out? He was so young when he got his arrows. Genbai was fifteen, and his head, arms and legs were still bare. Aang had had his arrows and staff since he was a child. Shouldn't they have guessed that he was the Avatar?

But Jindi was right. Gojai had gotten his arrows when he was very young, too. And there were at least half a dozen girls at the Eastern and Western Air Temples who had gotten theirs at a similarly young age. Still, no one had been quite as young as Aang, Monk Gyatso's charge.

"Genbai?" Jindi's voice broke Genbai's reverie. "Are you here?" The small boy was waving his pale hand in front of Genbai's face, as though the young monk was in a trance.

"Huh?" Said Genbai, snapping back to reality.

"Oh, I get it." Said Jindi coyly. "You're thinking about the spring equinox, (1) aren't you?"

Genbai blushed. "Um…yeah." He said. He didn't like lying to Jindi, but he didn't want to worry the boy. Later, he would look back on that decision and wonder if maybe he'd done the wrong thing.

"I understand." Jindi said gravely, imitating the older monks. "I'd be zoning out, too, if I was just about to get my arrows."

Now Genbai was thinking about the spring equinox. The monks had decided that it would be the perfect time to proclaim Genbai an Airbending master. To celebrate the occasion, Genbai had been given his very own staff just the previous night. It was his rite of passage, marking him as a master among Airbenders, as well as a man among the Air Nomads. Not that many newly initiated masters took that second part very seriously. Genbai reflected that during a visit to the Southern Air Temple, he'd seen Aang, Avatar Aang, goofing around with the other young monks. Almost as though he wasn't aware of the blue arrows on his forehead, hands and feet.

"Are you nervous?" Jindi asked, bringing Genbai back to reality once again.

Genbai nodded. "A little." He said. He ran a hand over his smooth head. "But I'm excited too." Looking around, he asked, "Have you seen Motsu?"

Jindi nodded. "He's playing airball." He pointed in the direction of the courtyard. "He said he wanted to work off his big breakfast."

Suddenly, Genbai's stomach grumbled. He'd skipped breakfast in order to take his first flight on his new staff as the sun rose. He smiled at Jindi. "I better grab some food for myself before I go find him."

Jindi giggled at the sound of Genbai's stomach, and ran off to play with the other monk children as Genbai made his way to the kitchen for some leftovers.

His arms leaden with fruit and bread, Genbai waded through the sea of young novice monks to get to the airball field. As usual, Motsu was the first one there, balancing easily on a tall wooden pole, gazing across the field of similar poles at his opponent. It was Kiju, Genbai saw, the only other novice who was as passionate about airball as Genbai's best friend.

"Motsu!" Genbai called out, lifting a pear to his mouth.

"It won't work, Genbai!" Motsu's voice was rough with adolescence, deeper than Genbai's, and with a constantly mocking undertone that vanished mysteriously when he was addressing one of the senior monks. "You' can't distract me!" As if to prove his point, Motsu deftly intercepted a throw from Kiju, who had been hoping to catch him off guard, and held it in a swirling ball of air before rocketing it in Kiju's direction with the speed of a buzzard wasp diving for the kill. Kiju leapt out of the way, landing on another pole as though it were three feet wide. Motsu sent a slice of air alongside the ball, angling it toward Kiju's goal. The other novice dove for it, but Motsu was too quick, and sent another current of air to knock Kiju off balance while the ball collided with the goal target, causing it to spin several times before quieting.

"Game point!" Motsu proclaimed, his fists raised to the sky. "You do my chores for a week!"

"No fair!" Kiju complained. He was hanging on by one hand to the pole he had been standing on, and pulled himself back above the forest of carved wood before dusting off his habit. "I want a rematch!"

Motsu shrugged. "Sorry." He said insincerely. He jerked his thumb toward Genbai, saying, "Duty calls."

Motsu jumped lightly from the airball field, drifting through the air and landing softly in front of Genbai. "Hey, arrow man!" He exclaimed, grabbing Genbai into a headlock and rubbing his friend's bald head with his fist.

"Stop it!" Genbai laughed, pushing Motsu away.

"Missed you at rites this morning." Motsu said slyly. "Getting up close and personal with the clouds?" He nudged Genbai with his elbow. It didn't hurt, but Genbai held his side anyway.

"Yeah." Genbai said with a blush. "I couldn't resist."

Motsu laughed. "Hey, who could blame you?" He said. "If I got my staff, you wouldn't see me on the ground until the sun went down!" Motsu was mischievous, but even he would never fly at night, not as a beginner.

Genbai walked with Motsu to a large rock beneath a tree that looked out over the clouds alongside the mountain. He lay on the rock, his hands folded behind his head, while Motsu leaned against it, propped up by his elbows.

"You know," He said, addressing Motsu without looking at him. "I think that maybe after I get my arrows, I'm gonna fly down to the Southern Air Temple. It's been a while since I've visited."

Motsu laughed, and Genbai looked at him. "Why not the Eastern Air Temple." He said suggestively, waggling his eyebrows.

"Shut up." Genbai said laughingly, bending the air under Motsu's orange shawl and making it flop over his head. Motsu laughed and righted his habit, shoving playfully at Genbai's shoulder. Suddenly, Genbai stopped laughing and grew very quiet.

Motsu knew his friend well, and looked at him with concern. "You okay?" He asked softly.

Genbai sighed. Of all the monks, Motsu was the one that Genbai trusted most, and he knew he could tell him anything. He decided that now was not the time to keep secrets. "While I was out gliding," He began. "I overheard something I shouldn't have."

Motsu's eyebrows rose. He didn't say anything, but turned around so he was facing his friend.

"Monk Hotetsa and Monk Winbu were on a flying bison, they were talking and the wind blew their voices towards me." He paused.

"I knew I shouldn't have listened, but I couldn't stop myself. I bended the air so I could hear their full conversation, and what they said…"His voice drifted off. "It wasn't very good."

"What happened?"

"They were talking about the Fire Lord." Genbai said.

"The Fire Lord?" Motsu sounded confused. "Why would they be talking about him?"

"They said Fire Lord Sozin was attacking people, starting a war with the other nations. The way they were talking, it sounded like the Fire Nation has been doing this for a while. They sounded worried, like something bad was gonna happen."

Motsu looked scared for a moment, then waved his hand as if dismissing Genbai's words. "Nah, that can't be. There's no way the Fire Nation could win a war against the rest of the world, especially us! I mean, the Air Temples are impossible to reach without a flying bison! Firebenders can't fly. Besides, the Avatar would never let something like that happen."

Genbai wasn't convinced. "Yeah, but the Avatar's only a kid. Avatar Roku didn't die very long ago, so how can the Avatar do anything?"

Motsu perked up at that. "Hey, you know more than you're letting on. Did Hotetsa and Winbu mention the Avatar? Do they know who she is?"

Genbai didn't answer. He didn't want Motsu to know that Aang was the new Avatar. He didn't want Aang's true identity getting around the temples.

"No." He lied. "They didn't know who he is. But they did say he was at the Southern Air Temple, and that the monks there were planning on telling him four years early."

Motsu whistled. "So it's not a girl." He said. "And he's only twelve? Hmmm…"

"Don't dwell on it, Motsu." Genbai advised. "We'll find out who it is soon enough. The point is, the Avatar is only a kid. I don't think he'll be much of a threat to the Fire Nation."

"You're nuts!" Motsu exclaimed. "I mean, kid or not, this is the Avatar! He can do anything."

"But he's only a kid. He shouldn't have to fight the whole Fire Nation."

"Well, he may have no choice." Motsu sounded serious for a moment. He perked up, "But at least we're safe here!"

"Yeah." Said Genbai. Safe.

---

(1) I don't know when exactly Sozin's comet arrived, so I'm using the Spring Equinox as a base point. This can change, depending on any information I receive. It's something of a nod to the Winter Solstice, since that's when Aang found out about the comet to begin with. And, since I don't know anything about the tattooing process used by the Airbenders, I won't go into any detail for fear of losing authenticity to the source material. If and when we ever find out about the process of receiving the arrows, I'd be happy to put it in, but since we don't know, I have no choice but to remain vague about it.

- A special note from the author: I want to apologize right now for future chapters. There's a reason this is rated T, and maybe even deserves an M rating. Everyone you've just met, with the exception of Genbai, is going to die. This isn't a big surprise twist, this is meant to be abundantly clear. So I'm not going to spring this on you. I'm telling you now. You know this already. You've seen it. You've heard it. The people of the Northern Air Temple don't escape. The Fire Nation attack does destroy them. So, as I said, I'm sorry. I know you'd prefer if I hadn't shown them to you, made them so likable and endearing. Hell, I'd prefer it if I hadn't done that. But that's the whole point. The Air Nomads were good people, and they were slaughtered. Monk Gyatso was a wonderful man, and now his bones lie on the ground surrounded by Fire Nation arrows and discarded armor and soldiers. This is the harsh truth. Jindi is going to die. Motsu is going to die. Monk Hotetsa and Monk Winbu are going to die. The cook who gave Genbai the leftovers is going to die. Kiju is going to die. They died already, and I can't change that. But Genbai survived. If you can hold onto nothing else, hold on to that. Genbai survived.

I can't change the story. I'm sorry.