The Forgotten Avatar

Chapter Two

Haunting Memories

Avatar the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra are owned by Bryan Konitzko, Micheal Dante DiMartino, and Nickelodeon. I do not own any other mention properties.

"Hurry up Kise! Or you'll be buying lunch!" Akio called a few rooftops ahead, I would never know how he ever talked me into doing stupid things like racing on top of buildings.

"Not fair, you got a headstart!" I shouted as I chased after him, tripping up but miraclously didn't fall to my death. In all the years I've been friends with him, I could never figure out how I haven't killed myself with these stunts.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." he giggled michievously, as he always did when he lied.

~~~~A few years later~~~~

"Good God Kise! Who'd you get in a fight with this time, the entire athletic department?!" Akio demanded. Shocked by my sorry state, brown eyes swimming in concern.

Bloodied and brused, I could only blink and stare dully at the average sized, silver-haired teen before my lips twitched into a faint grin. "If you think I look bad," I husked quietly, bleeding from several places, "you should see the other guys." I chuckled weakly before hissing in pain and struggled to catch my breath. "Okay, they got a few good hits in."

"A few?" Cocking an eyebrow.

I was silent for a few seconds, "A lot." I admitted.

Sighing tiredly and grabbing the back of his neck, "Can you stand?" I tried to, bracing myself against the alley's wall only to slam back down into the blood stained pavement. Panting heavily, I had spent the last of my energy and slowly shook my head no.

Sighing agian, he gently grasped one of my arms and drapped it over his shoulder before grabbing my side and hoisting me to my feet to allow me to lean on him for support. He has had to at least done this twenty times by now, but it still amazed me that someone his size could lift and carry a behemoth like me.

"So what was it this time?" he asked impatiently.

"Don't remember." I said slowly, struggling to keep my eyes open at this point. "But I was able to knock out ten of 'em before they started beating me with whatever they could find."

"Masochist."

"Am not." I agued childlishly as we shuffled awkwardly at a snails pace down the empty street. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

'This feels...nice.' I thought as I had so many times before blacking out.

~~~~A couple months later~~~~

"She said yes Kise! She said yes!" A familiar voice shouted in pure joy as someone burst through the front door of the apartment.

"Who the what now?" I asked, confused as I looked up from my book to see Akio smiling like an idiot.

"You know, Chiho, the girl I've been dating since we started high school. I asked her to marry me today and she said yes!" he exclaimed in breathless joy.

"Oh." I said simply, concealing the world that was crumbling behind a blank face. 'I should've expected this, but still, why does it hurt so much?' "Well that's great, I'm happy for you." Putting on a happy facade to conceal this confusing pain.

"Actually, you're the first person I told. I thought it right that my Best man should be first to know." Looking smug.

"Wha..really?" Shocked.

"Well yeah. I mean," throwing his hands behind his head in the care-free way he always did, "we've been best friends since forever and I wouldn't have it any other way." Looking off in the distance, smiling at the bright future to come. Bright for him anyways.

I continued to play along as if nothing was wrong as my world descend further into the abyss that was unexpected sorrow.

~~~~A week later~~~~

I felt a chill as I jolted awake, finding myself lying on the cold floor of an underground cistern. Memory hazy, I felt as though I were in a dream and none of this was real. Sitting up, I found that I barely had the strength to push myself to my feet. The place smelt of mildew and metal and I could hear the steady drip of water hitting flesh. Turning to the sound, I was met with a gruesome sight.

Dozens of men, all dressed in similar robes, littered the room in every direction. All their blood stained faces had the same, terrified expression as their limbs were either impaled on earthen or icy spikes, jutted out at odd angles, or burnt by some great heat. I covered my mouth in horror only to recieve another shock. My hands were stained scarlet, it being the blood of those around me or my own, I did not know.

The greatest of these terrors came in the form of a man with a dagger burried in his chest, his beautiful silver hair stained with red.

The memories flooded back then, all at once. Akio and I were celebrating his upcoming marriage with a rooftop race for old time sakes when these men in robes kidnapped us. We were gagged and blindfolded as we were shunted into a vehicle that drove us to some unknown location. These men then tortured Akio, constantly telling me that if I went in to the 'Avatar State' that they would stop. Tied to a chair, I pleaded through tears and shouts that I had no idea what they were talking about and just let him go. But a woman with a cruel face, that looked vaguely familiar for some odd reason, walked up to him and swiftly stabbed him in the heart. I watched in horrified silence as the light left his shocked eyes before he was tossed to the floor like trash.

"No." I whimpered, Akio's blood pooling beneath him. "NOOOOOOOO!" I howled. The rest was hidden behind a haze of pure rage and pain. They had got what they wanted, but it wasn't at all what they expected. 'I did this.'

I dropped to my knees to lift the face that had changed so much since the first day we met into my lap and closed his sightless eyes. "I'll avenge you, I swear it. But it will be a while, okay Akio." Kissing him on the forehead, "I love you, always had apparently."

"Hurry, Lady Sao Fang wants the Avatar captured alive!"

Standing, quickly looked for an exit and bolted. Guilt heavy in my heart as I left the man I loved's body behind. 'Forgive me.'

~~~~Later that night~~~~

Panicing and with no where else to go, I ran for my parents' home because I thought for sure that they had my apartment staked out. I felt heavy, barely able to keep moving at the pace I was going, I rounded the street corner to see the house I grew up in come into view. Breath coming out in shuddering pants, I slowed to a hobbling walk and approached the front gate as I looked on to see a bedroom light on upstairs. But as soon as my fingers touched the latch, the building erupted in a great inferno and my limbs seemed to move on their own as I took a steady stance and brought my arms up to block upper body from the flames. The burning I had expected to recieve was replace by an intense heat at my sides. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to see a jagged boulder that stood at fifteen feet tall and six feet wide that appeared to have shoot out of the ground when I tried to sheild myself.

"You have finally awakened." Said a strong, yet motherly female voice in my head.

"What the hell is going on?! Am I going insane?!" almost shrieking in fright.

"Hush child," cooed the voice, "you are not losing your mind. You have only finally realized who you truly are."

"And who is that?" I asked in cautious terror.

"The keeper of balance," hummed the voice, resonating throughout my body, "the Avatar."

At that moment, one of the men I had been running from had appeared on a nearby rooftop and shoot out his hand. My body moved, once agian, on it's own as I spun away, feeling gusts of wind carry me along, and punched in his direction as heat traveled down my arm and extended past my fist a great blast of flames that was the same size as me. They hit the man full on and he began to scream in angony as I watched in horror as to what I had done.

~~~~The present day~~~~

I bolted up and quickly slammed a fist into the nearest wall to insure my safety, the screams of dead men still ringing in my ears. Satisfied when the vibrations confirmed that I was safe, I remembered where I was as I felt Ravaa stir deep within me. Takashi had insisted that we stay at his parents' house for the night and let them know that we would be traveling the world together. They were good people, though I could tell that they didn't want their son traveling with some man they had just met. But they relented when I proved to them that no harm would come to him, on my honor as the Avatar.

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I grabbed my smokes off the bedside table and began walking down the hall towards the front doors. Barefoot and shirtless, I strode out onto the estate's enclosed yard. Sticking one in my mouth and lighting it, I took the first drag and continued my moon lit stroll of the grounds. My eyes briefly met with a faded painting of a flying boar above the front gate before I turned to the stream that wrapped it's way though the expanse of grass. As I walked, I couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu, like I had been here before.

I stopped at it's edge when I saw a reflection I did not recognize, only to realize it was my own. I really wasn't used to the forced groomming I had to endure after being introduced as the man who had been living in the woods for several years. My hair had been trimmed to about mid-length and was neat and tidy before I ruffled it to give it a more care-free look and all that remained of my beard was a small bit of hair under my lip. I think the kid called it a soul patch. It had been a while since I had seen my face this clearly and I definitely looked older than I was, living in the wilderness does that to you apparently.

My eyes flicked over to the near full moon's reflection for an instant and I continued my walk, dragging on the last of the first cigarette while crossing the stream before incinerating the remains and lighting another one. Takashi was definately not the most graceful of people, the thought occurred as I felt the vibrations of him falling from window as he was most likely climbing out of to come join me.

I stopped as I neared one of the walls, a corner not to far off from my left, and inspected two identical divets in the ground. Whatever made them left behind flecks of metal and a sense of being trapped. I put any questions I had about this mystery on hold as Takashi full on slammed into me, which would have knocked me over if I hadn't been expecting it, and wrapped his arms just below my rib cage. I found this to be a habit and a type of greeting of his, I was rather taken aback the first time he did it. But now I just allow it to happen, knowing that he would let go soon.

"So watcha doin'?" Releasing his grip and standing beside me.

"Taking a walk to calm my nerves." I answered simply, taking another hit of nicotine.

"And is it working?" Innocently leaning forward to get a better look at my face.

"Yep."

"Nightmare?"

I nodded.

"What about?"

Surprisingly, I answered. "People that I cared for that I couldn't save, things that I've done to survive." Pausing for a moment. "I thought that it had stopped, but that was probably just a fluke."

"When was the last time you had it?"

Slamming a heel into the ground, I made a bench for us to sit on as we talked, "Couple nights ago, before I found you I think..." trailing off, puzzled.

As I tried to find an answer as to why that was, I began to pull the metal flecks from the ground and had them congeal into a single, small orb. As soon as it touched my palm, everything felt fuzzy and I was shown an old areana where a small, blind girl stood across from me, talking smack. I was then shown the same girl again, but this time she was dressed in a white gown and standing in the very spot Takashi and I were. I somehow knew her name and that this was her home. As my senses returned, I had the urge to go to that first place I was shown.

"Kise, are you okay?" Takashi fretted, a sad smirk played across my face at the all to familiar phrase and tone.

Swaying slightly, "I'm fine," looking around for my missing cigarette, "Ravaa likes to tell me places that I should go from her memories, usually for a very unspecified reason. She's been my one of my only guides in this whole Avatar mess really. " I explained, giving up and just looked around. Now that I knew why this place felt so familiar, I began to smile at the memories that weren't mine but they were in a way.

"Wow, none of the stories Grandpa told had nothing like that in them!" he said in awe.

"Ravaa has always been content to stay out of the stories about the Avatars, though she doesn't mind us telling people about her." Changing the subject, "Hey Takashi?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know where I could find the old Earth Rumble Six stadium?" I asked.

"No, but I think my dad knows. He's always talking about how all the 'ruffians' from town go there for fighting tournaments." he answered thoughtfully. "We could ask him during breakfast." Dawns first light shining upon his bright face, imprinting a wonderful memory among those that hurt and I felt lighter because of it.

~~~~Later that evening~~~~

Takashi's father had been of some help, he had given us a starting point. But that only started one of the longest goose chases I've ever been on. We kept having to go from person to person, bar to bar, and were almost ambushed a couple times. Needless to say, I was slightly weary from fighting when we finally arrived at the cave entrance of the underground brawler's tournament. From what I'd gathered, as we slipped the doorman some cash, all the fighters that particpated were benders. At least that's what one man told me after I earthbended my way out of his ambush. Curious, I decided to enter the tournament to find out more.

"Name." demanded a pretty, yet crabby looking woman at the regestration desk.

"Kise," I answered dryly.

"No no no, your name," she said, tapping the paper in front of her with a pen.

"Oooh, ummm..." thinking quickly, "Elemental Spirit." I said on the fly.

"Bending style."

"Earth."

"Singles, Doubles, or Battle Royale."

"Hmmm, Battle Royale."

"That's the last fight and the winner gets the entire pool," indicating a large pot of cash, "some of the best come here for a chance at the cash prize."

"I'll take my chances." Smirking.

"Whatever, please contribute five thousand to the pot and wait in the designated area until your name is called." Pulling out the remainder of the Yuan I picked up from the camp a couple days ago, I tossed it into the kettle with the rest and went to the locker room I was directed to. Most of my cash had gone into finding this place.

As I walked in, I did see that there was possibly quite a few capable fighters. There were firebenders in one corner, waterbenders by a fountain, and the rest were most likely earthbenders going by their bulky builds. There was one young man around Takashi's age, I noticed after changing, that sat by himself. He had a strong, yet compact build, long, light brown hair that was pulled into a bun at the crown. On a small nose sat a pair of thin, half-moon glasses that, at this angle, almost hid his smoky grey eyes. He looked rather out of place here, like a college student here on a bet.

After checking to see no one was looking, I lit a smoke and walked over to the young man. Since I looked like an earthbender, steady bulid, shirtless, barefoot, studded bracers and greaves, baggy pants, and a green shash around my waist, it wouldn't do if someone saw me firebending. "Mind if I have a seat?" I asked, flicking my ashes away from him.

Dropping the serious look on his face for a friendlyer one, "Not at all." he said, his voice warm and brimming with youthful optimism.

"So," I began, taking a drag, "What's someone like you doing here, college hazing?"

"No, I dropped college sometime ago."

"A bet then?"

"Nothing of the sort."

"Huh," I huffed, stumped. "I take it you're here for the cash prize, if anything else."

"Yes, I was hoping that..."

"Hoping that what?" Said a brutish man loudly as he walked by, "That a pipsqueak like you could win the whole thing by yourself? Yeah right!" laughing harshly before his face met the ground as I tripped him.

Taking another drag, I stood up to meet his seething expression, "Yes, sunshine?" I said with a cheshire grin, blowing smoke up into his face.

"You're dead!" He growled menacingly, blood dripping from his nose.

"Oh am I now?" purposely flicking ashes at him, "Go on, make my day."

"That's it!" His punch falling short by an inch when some people, most likely his friends, pulled him back and restrained him.

"Easy Shu, this guy's not worth be disqualifed over." The guy around his middle chidded.

"Fine." regaining some composure, "but watch yerself in the ring." he threatened.

"Yeah, yeah." waving him off and returning to my seat, tossing the cigarette butt in the nearest trash can. "Gods people like him really rub me up the wrong way." I muttered surrly under my breath.

The call for the Battle Royale participants could have come sooner. I needed to get rid of all this pent up aggression before I could take it out on the wrong person, namely Takashi.

The ring was bigger than the one in my vision, lower as well. Surrounded by water, and cutting through the middle, the main square was made of rock. Each contestent walked out across a metal bridge from their own tunnel as their names were called.

"And our last newcomer to the stage, the mysterious Elemental Spirit!" Called out an enthusiastic commentator. I casually strutted out to the ring as I recieved a thunderous applause, some of the women in the crowd turning to whisper something to their friends. I waved in Takashi's direction when I spotting him making one hell of a scene by overexcitedly cheering for me. Not that I didn't appreciated, but I wished he'd show a little restraint.

From my corner, I counted forty-five fighters in the ring other than myself. In my sweep, I met the gaze of the man I tripped back in the locker room and immediatly felt uneasy. He looked almost too happy as he caught my line of sight, as if he had some plan to sabatoge my chances. Only half hearing the rules being explained, I readied for any scheme that he could be throwing my way. But I didn't account for their being more than one person being involved.

It happened almost instantly. As sixteen were quickly tossed into the drink, three men and a woman made their advance. Handicapped to one element, I took a ready stance and raised a wall of stone as two men began their assualt with fire blasts from each side. All the while, the woman skated on ice, making it impossible to track her through the earth, and flanked me from behind and encased my feet in ice. Distracted, the third man, the one I tripped earlier, broke my barriers as the firebenders comitted to a simutanious barage of fire. Bringing my fists up and together, I created a pillar wide enough to protect me from the brunt of the attack and unfreeze my feet from the floor. Feeling a tug at my waist, I was caught off guard when the woman took my sash and used it to blindfold me. I tried in vain to remove it, only to find a complicated knot that would take more time than I could get while on the battlefield to undo.

Since it was purely cosmetic, my pants stayed where they were as the commentator said with sympathy, "And a dirty move against our brave newcomer, I'm afraid he won't last much longer folks." There was a combination of cheers and boos at this point, I almost didn't catch what my 'warden' said.

"I warned ya, yer fate is in my hands now." the large man jeered.

"You sound pretty sure of yourself," I said calmly, straightening and looking looking directly at the man, "is there a rule against killing?" I asked.

"Don't answer that!" spat the leader as one of the firebenders began to answer, "he's trying to find us by our voices. Yeah there is, why do need to know? We're gonna do much worse than that."

"Just checking. Oh and," with a quick jab to the floor, I sent him out of bounds. "I don't need sound to find you." I said quitely, giving a fearful jolt through my opponents. Taking advantage of their distraction, I sent them to join their friend soon after.

"Amazing!" cheered the commentator as I tried to rip off my blindfold, "Even though he was at disadvatage without his sight, the Elemental Spirit took out his opponents with minimal effort! Truely we are in the presence of an earthbending master!" recieving a resounding roar from the crowd as my frustation grew. "With twenty other contestants still standing in his way, even he might be hard pressed to take home the gold!" Wait...did he just...FIREBEND!?"

"Oops." I said quietly as the crowd went silent, the ashen remains of my sash slipping through my grip. My emotions having gotten the better of me, I had accidently set the cloth on fire while trying to remove it.

"In all my years of commentating," the man behind the mic having recovered first, "I have never seen a person bend more than one element. This is astounding! Let's just see what other hidden talents this young man has!" reaving up the stadium once more.

This, unfortunately, roused the other fighters slowly from their shock induced trances. With a screw it mentality, I lit a cigarette and took a rather deep drag. Instead of letting out a great cloud of smoke, I released a great comet of flame with a roar that cut my competition in half. With a smirk, I placed the smoke in the cornor of my mouth as they looked at me as though they weren't aware that was possible and started to charge.

Oh this is just too easy, none of them know their true potential. The waterbenders are still dangerous though, the moon is full tonight. But, then again, they're just amatures. I thought as leaped lightly over the artificial creek and brought two great waves along to knock nine more out of bounds as the young man from earlier jumped at least ten feet into the air.

"Ohhh and a good effort from the Elemental Spirit but now he's dealing with our own resident airbender and reigning champion, the Phantom Flyer!" The commenter said, giving the audiance some flavor text.

"Well aren't you full of surprises, not many airbenders around anymore." I complimented.

"Not as much as you, bending more than one element. If I didn't know any better," devoid of his friendly tone, "I'd say that you were..." he trailed off. "Noooo. You can't be!"

"Oh hey, someone else who figured it out."

Akio

Age: 19 (at death)

Height: 5'11"

Hair: Messy, somewhat short, silver.

Eye Color: Warm brown

Build: Average

Scars/Tattoos/Peircings: two bolts peirced in his right eyebrow.

Habits: Mischievous laughter when lying, throws hands behind his head for lack of anything better to do with his hands, dragging Kise into rather dangerous bouts of physical strength.

Likes: Food, parkour, and teasing Kise

Dislikes: Rules, being told to wait, being lied to

Personality/History: Often inpatient and carefree, Akio and Kise had been friends since they very young and he pretended to be oblivious as to why Kise got into so many fights. He always knew they were for his sake and that his friend couldn't control himself when others teased him for his unusual hair color. He was to marry a girl he had been dating since freshman year of high school, but was kidnapped by an unknown organization to use against Kise and was killed to awaken Kise's Avatar State so they could end the cicle permently. Takashi sometimes reminds Kise of his lost friend.