I'm finally taking this off Hiatus. I've re-done some concepts after re-watching all the Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes, reading the comics, and watching a few Avatar: The Legend of Korra episodes.

I've also grown quite a bit from the time of my first naive attempts to write a story. Although I have gotten better, there's still large portions in which I can improve. So until then, please bear with me.

Back and re-written, I bring to you Separate Times, New Lives.

Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA. Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Nickelodeon.


"Speech" - Double Quotes

'Thoughts' - Italics and Single Quotes

Narration - Nothing


Prologue - Dark Shadows


The Spirit of Chaos and Darkness seethed in anger, confined eternally within the Tree of Time. Every escape thus far had been met with defeat at the hands of his opposite. The only consolation he had received from his numerous defeats would be from bursting forth out of the Spirit of Peace and Light, tearing away at her body, proving that even the purest of creatures could never evade the dark.

And wherever he should burst out from his opposite, he would spread chaos before inciting the flames of war between them invariably yet again. This in turn would cause more destruction before his inevitable defeat once again. The Spirit paused in thought, an idea coming to bear.

Must he always induce immediate destruction for similarly immediate battle? Perhaps falling back for once and waiting within the shadows would ensure greater success. If impatience had been his folly, perhaps in hiding amongst the shadows of discord might he better his chances of victory. After all, to strike so hastily has only quickened his demise. There still remained the problem of his confinement to the Tree. But if he could not break the barrier the Tree of Time provided, could he not just simply disappear from it? A quiet laugh echoed within the hollow tree. How had he not thought of this before?

He shall wait, hiding until a time would come when his opposite's power has weakened. And when that happens, nothing would stop his rise to power. Nothing would stop him from the destroying the world. Finally the triumph over his opposite he yearned for millennia shall come, crushing her before she could ever manage to retaliate. And how he will relish at the sight.

With that last thought, a beam of amethyst light enveloped him as he disintegrated within the Tree, the only evidence of his existence being a deep vibrating roar echoing into oblivion.

Fifty years into the Hundred Year War, the Spirit of Chaos and Darkness burst forth from the immobile Avatar only to phase through the ice and into the deep ocean where he patiently waited for his opportunity.


Before the creation of the world, there was nothing. Or possibly something, though the aforementioned epoch still remains an enigma waiting to be researched. Most legends assume nothing existed until our universe exploded into being, which in turn created the world as we know it. So the legends say.

The legends are partially correct. There is a forgotten tale, known only to two, that completes this fractured story. According to the legend, when the universe first burst into creation, cosmic beings born from the vast amounts of stardust were brought forth. They spread far and wide, distancing themselves from each other. Though legend named them Hoshi, humans have long called them Spirits. With the high influx of Hoshi in this world, their original name has been forgotten in the sands of time. Instead, they have resigned themselves to that which they are now referred to as: Spirits, though this information has faded even from some of the most knowledgeable beings.

Contrary to the traditional belief, there existed a pair of Hoshi: a male and a female. From their will came the creation of the world and life as we perceive it. In an effort to bring forth new life, the male Hoshi gave up its physical form to create the two dimensions, the Spirit World and the Mortal Realm. Exhausted, he lay dormant between the two planes. The female took the task of creating life, and thus the first two spirits were born from a part of her soul.

However, the two new spirits were mirror opposites of each other. Beliefs, wants, and desires clashed as the two spirits fought violently amongst themselves, neglecting the female Hoshi. She wandered the world, trying to catch glimpses of her creations only to find the devastation of their passing. It was not long before loneliness overcame her. For decades, she wandered aimlessly, following their traces until the devastation left behind became indistinguishable from the last.

Fear and doubt began to claw imperceptibly at her heart while she watched the world mend itself anew every morning from the power of the male Hoshi. Unable to draw solace from the male Hoshi, she decided to once again create a new spirit, one with a more personal connection to her. And so she created a son.

But she feared for her son, not wanting for him to suffer loneliness as she had. So she began creating friends for her son as he grew - all the while giving a portion of her soul to each new spirit - only to replenish her soul from the cosmos above. Enchanted, her son watched as she made more friends, and for a while, they were happy. Together, they watched their creations live in the new world she had created.

However, the seed of fear and doubt had taken root, growing larger each time she created a new being. Before long, she lost herself in her creation; her thoughts absorbed with crafting the next one, the next one, the next one. Twisted by paranoia, she persisted in creating new life mindlessly, her original intention lost and almost beyond repair. And the son began to despair. He watched as she gave up parts of herself to create another new being. The beautiful creations that once surrounded them both now focused solely on his mother.

And so he vowed to piece her back together, to gather all her creations and return them to his mother. If he were to accomplish this task, she would be whole again. At least that's what he'd kept telling himself. Thus, he ran away to start his quest, taking on a new name to try to bury his past. To focus only on the mission, to save his mother from the creations that occupied her. His only mistake was in attempting to steal from a Great Spirit. He was banished to a barren wasteland, cursed with but slim opportunity to take back what was rightfully his mother's.

Eras passed this way, unchanging. The mother, neglecting her son for the high demands of her masks as she continues endlessly to design the next, became known as the Mother of Faces, left forgotten by the very creations she developed. One can expect to find her in the Forgetful Valley in the Mortal Realm. Meanwhile, within a foggy wasteland, her son Koh the Face Stealer whose purpose he has long forgotten, resides under a giant inverted tree. There he waits for a new face, the only thing that reminds him of his family.

And within the confines of the Tree of Time, a dark spirit relished in his victory.


Koh the Face Stealer watched silently as his desolate territory crumbled around him, previously towering stones tumbling into the fog below. Deafening booms could be heard where the sky met the ground. The atmosphere, though usually a golden yellow, seemed tainted with a light shade of gray. He couldn't stay here much longer, not that he was planning to. Would he still call it home when he comes back? He shifted the thought aside, deciding to ponder the notion later.

He gazed off towards what he believed to be the Spirit World equivalent of the Forgetful Valley. Or it could quite possibly be the very same that once resided in the Mortal Realm. It had become difficult to tell these days…

A presence manifested itself behind him, though it was of no surprise.

"Are you ready, Koh?"

The voice belonged to a Spirit, one of the few that had survived following the demise of his mother. The sounds of crumbling ground rang through the air, even as they stood there. His tree wasn't going to last much longer.

"… I believe so. Little remains of this place anyhow."

The Spirit turned silent for a moment, lost in sorrow at the destruction of not only their home but those of their fellow Spirits' and mortals'. The Spirit recalled a time when the war between the Fire Nation and the rest of the Mortal Realm was their only worry. The Face Stealer's voice interrupted the Spirit's thoughts.

"But who am I to judge?"

Koh's eyes remained fixated on the distance. The Spirit's eyes softened, understanding as it continued to watch him. Despite their strained relationship, Koh had always cared for his mother, even in his own demented ways.

"She would be proud of you…" the Spirit muttered softly.

"… No. She would not."

The Spirit wanted to argue, but couldn't deny the possibility of Koh facing the Mother of Faces' disappointment. Most likely, Koh's assumption would be correct.

Another lapse of silence, and Koh decided it was time to leave. The edges of the earth were getting a little too close for comfort.

"Let us go. There's nothing more here but rock and ashes."

This was an accurate description befitting rest of the world, both Spirit and Mortal. Both chose not to voice it aloud. Not because a chance to correct the balance had arisen, but because complications always trouble even the best laid plans.

The Face Stealer wondered why he couldn't tear his eyes away from the Forgetful Valley when they were already so short on time. He stayed put, neither of them moving. The wind blew softly, as if urging them on. The Spirit looked to Koh before turning slowly away.

"I shall go first."

"… Thank you." Koh replied quietly after a long pause, somewhat relieved but equally distressed.

He doubted his fellow Spirit had heard him under the noise the destruction caused. Yet, he could feel a ghost of a smile coming from the Spirit behind him. To think that an opportunity to reap another face would present itself at a time like this…

Koh found himself disgusted at the thought.

Great Okiyo, when had the world become so wrong?

Koh listened as the Spirit disappeared before turning to where it stood mere moments earlier. Longingly, he spared one last glance towards the distance before disappearing in suit.

'I've strayed far, Mother. But no longer shall I idle by. I'll make sure he pays for the pain he caused. You'll just have to wait a bit longer… I promise.'


[Word Count: 2,165]

[Edit: Beta-ed by theheroineinprogress as of 01-12-2014]

[Edit: Beta-ed by Miyauchi-san as of 01-13-2014]

Criticism is welcome. Thanks for waiting. My gratitude goes to my betas, theheroineinprogress and Miyauchi-san. I hope you enjoy the story...

- Kenna Cat