Book one: Air

Chapter 1: The New Avatar

As Isamu ducked his head to dodge a wave of fire, he couldn't help but to feel a sense of excitement. In only a matter of hours the identity of the new Avatar would be revealed. Which meant that he would have to stop working so hard to impress his masters, along with the visiting ambassadors from the fellow nations. Ever since this year came, his masters have been pushing him, along with the other fire-bending students he studied with, to their limits, and now they announced that today was the day that the new Avatar would be revealed. Isamu was a dark skinned boy who had long hair was braided into multiple braids that fell to his shoulders in different directions. His eyes were light green, and he stood to be about 5'11, the average height for a 16 year old boy. He wore the typical fire-bender training garb, a buttoned, collared, sleeveless shirt with baggy black pants.

Isamu leapt high into the air and kicked forward releasing a long line of fire towards his opponent, Ikkaku. Both he and Ikkaku had always been rivals, never friends. Ikkaku ducked below the fire, whirled himself around, and fired off two more fireballs. Isamu mimicked his motion to dodge the first fireball, but then turned his body to face the second. He then thrust his palm forward and the fire dissipated. As the fire cleared Isamu felt his heart sink as Ikkaku had completely vanished from where he once stood.

"What's wrong, shrimp," came a mocking voice from high above him. "Losing your concentration?"

Isamu hastily looked into the air to see Ikkaku coming down for a fiery kick, a arrogant smile on his face. Isamu flipped to the side, just barely dodging the flaming hammer kick in time. Isamu then thrusted his fists forward repeated and fireballs shot out with each thrust. Ikkaku merely spun around swinging his arms to dissipate the fire. Isamu fell to his hands and performed a sweep kick creating another wave of fire that stayed close to the ground. Ikkaku fire-bended at the ground and launched himself into the sky. Isamu then smirked at his rival.

"I got you now."

Isamu then twisted his hands and lifted himself off the ground and performed a powerful kick that projected a large ball of fire into the air. Ikkaku flipped himself in the air, letting out a loud battle cry as he performed another hammer kick that cut through the fireball. He then began to spin his body downward, creating a dangerous firey axel. Isamu landed on his hands and began to spin on them until he created a large ball of fire that spun around him like a vortex. Ikkaku's leg collided with the vortex and both fires were instantly subdued. Ikkaku landed and leapt backwards, putting space between thm both. But even in that distance they both instantly locked eyes once they were upright again.

"ENOUGH," cried out their master. "Sparring is over."

They both returned to attention and bowed their heads as an elderly man walked onto the sparring area. He eyed them both but went first to Ikkaku.

"Excellent form Ikkaku," complimented their master. "I was very impressed by your mastery of your forms. You are truly a prodigy, why if i didn't know any better, i wouldn't sworn i was watching the Fire Lord, or even the Avatar himself."

"Thank you Master, Ruzu," said Ikkaku. He then looked up to stare at Isamu with a smirk. "I only did what came naturally."

Ruzu then nodded once in approval and left his side to walk over to Isamu. Isamu knew what was coming next, he always did.

"Isamu," said Ruzu as he reached him. "What was that? Those were not the forms i tought you."

Isamu then stood upright and a wide grin appeared on his face. "Well, i kinda made them up myself. The official stuff you taught me were kinda boring, and i couldn't never really get them, so i decided to make my forms."

"Well," said Ruzu, his face turning red with anger. "If you are having such trouble mastering these forms, you can stay behind and continue to practice, until the Avatar ceremony begins." Ruzu then turned his back to him. "We all know who the most reasonable candidate his, but none the less, you are required to show." As he past Ikkaku he motion for him to follow. "Come Ikkaku let us leave and prepare for your crowning moment."

Ikkaku then gave Isamu one last arrogant smirk. "Have fun, squirt."

As they walked away from the training area, Isamu stuck his tongue out at them. "Assholes."

"Can you believe those two," asked Isamu as he and his childhood friend, Kara walked through the streets of their festive city.

Kara was a year younger than Isamu and she had pale skin, like most nobles like herself do, along with long black hair. Her eyes were golden and she was dressed in a very prestigious outfit. "Well, you know that they got it out for you."

"It's not just that," said Isamu as he stared into the fireworks filled sky. "Its the fact that they count me as nothing. Just because i have no parents and live with my grandmother, they think that automatically makes me an animal. I hope Ikkaku isn't the Avatar. It would really suck having to show him some respect."

"Calm down Isamu, the Avatar could be anyone. Its not just limited to the upper class or prodigies. Its also for the flunkies."

Isamu then cut his eyes at her. "And what is that suppose to mean anyway?"

Kara smiled, "Nothing at all."

"Well," said Isamu, "at any rate we should hurry, we don't want to be late for the ceremony."

Isamu stood among the thousands of other students as the ceremony became underway. Isamu looked up into the main part of the ceremony and watched as the Fire Lord, and three other adults appeared on the stage. A female monk, which he knew instantly to be the Ambassador from the Air nomads. The next was a medium sized man who wore blue clothing with a wolf's head on top of his own. He was from the Water tribe. The last was a girl, a few years older than Isamu, who was barefooted, and extremely beautiful. She was from the Earth kingdom. The second she joined the others she looked in his direction and smiled. Isamu instantly averted his eyes.

"My fellow Fire nation citizens," cried out the Fire Lord, "along with my brothers and sisters from the water tribe, earth kingdom, and air nomads. I welcome you to the Avatar ceremony. As you know, the next Avatar has been identified to myself and the ambassadors, but tonight we hold out ongues no longe. Tonight the cycle continues!"

Just hurry up and say Ikkaku's name, thought Isamu. The sooner you say it, the sooner i can go back to be lazy again.

"So without further ado we shall name the next Avatar." There was silence as the Fire Lord eyed the students. "Each of you have done splendid in your training but only one of you is the Avatar."

Ikkaku smiled, "This is my moment."

"And the next Avatar is...ISAMU!"

"WHAT," exclaimed Ikkaku, the air turning hot around him.

"WHAT," exclaimed Ruzu as he spat out a mouthful of tea.

"YEAH, ISAMU," exclaimed Kara as she sat beside her parents in the audience. Both her mother and father completely dumbfounded.

"Crap," said Isamu, as he realized that his lazy days were now gone.