This is the Prologue to my Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfiction. This will not be the story of the Gaang, but of the next Avatar and the world they were born into. Obviously original characters will be present, but they will not be 'main characters'.

The prologue takes place after Hama was arrested in "The Puppetmaster".

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.

Prologue - Hama

The guards in this prison have grown slack. At first, I was treated with the respect a master blood bender should be. I had eight guards at all times, one for each cardinal direction. The bars of my cage were thick and stone, but each guard could see their comrades and myself clearly.

The day before the full moon, I was moved to something of a stone box. There was no actual entrance, and an earth bender had to bend the rock out the way when I was taken in and out. There was a tiny air hole, barely large enough to fit my pinky finger through, drilled into the top.

This was their first mistake. It was meant to keep me from suffocating, and so that they could hear me if I tried to do anything suspicious. But I got just as much use out of it as they did.

The guards spoke quietly to themselves when I was in this box, and at first I could not hear them. But as the months passed, they grew more bold. Careless.

This was their second mistake, for through their inane mutterings I learned all that I needed. The current situation of the war. Where the Avatar and his group were last sighted. Who was afraid of drowning.

Understandably, I was particularly sweet to the guard who was afraid of drowning. Their barely concealed terror amused me.

Their final mistake was assigning different guards than usual to watch over my stone box on the full moon. They weren't rookies, perhaps, but they certainly weren't very bright, either. Or, perhaps, they suffered from what most Fire Nation trash suffers from; An unwavering belief that a bender, even a master, of an element other than their own was inferior.

And they relaxed into conversation within twenty minutes of the full moon rising.

"What's so special about the old hag anyway?" A gruff voice asked. He must have been a porker too, because when he leaned against the outside of my supposedly-full-moon-safe-prison, the stone groaned. Until that moment, I had had no idea that stone could groan.

"She's a master water bender, and a criminal." This voice was less arrogant, more feminine and cold. Dangerous. If she weren't Fire Nation, we might have gotten along swimmingly.

"Ain't those the same things?" The first voice replied, quickly letting out a bellow of laughter.

This caused me to pause. Firstly, because respect for one's elders should have been beaten into the boy a long time ago. Secondly, because it was at this point that I realized that there were only two guards assigned to watch over me on this night.

I could not see the full moon, but I could feel it's blessing rushing through my veins. Tonight, I would be free.

My bladder wasn't full, since my previous guards were smart enough to not give me water for a full 24 hours before the full moon until 24 hours after it had descended. But I hadn't asked to use the restroom since my last drink, either.

While others may not have been willing to do what I was about to do, I feel no shame. Freedom is worth more than pride.

Thinking these thoughts made it easier to gather the rags that remained of my skirts away from my legs, squat, and urinate in that confined space.

"What was that?"

I tried to use my most pathetic and strained voice. "I'm so very sorry, but…I really had to go…"

"Agni! Disgusting!" The male voice snarled, before shouting "Earth bender! We need an earth bender in here!"

The third set of footsteps came near. "What's going on?" "The old hag pissed herself. Open it up so we can get someone to clean it up. I am not going to stand here all night with the stench of old pee."

The female guard made a sound of protest, but could not stop the earth bender from opening the side of my prison.

Expect the next update within a week or so.