Shadow warrior feeling excitement of battle fading away he knew he must hurry to highest point of the mountain to see the stars best. A he flew through the country side the shadow bender noticed that the almost all of the old forest was gone. He glanced west and saw that the one great towers that stood by the sea were gone as well. This made him speed up to his destination. Within in an hour after the fight in the tent the shadow bender arrived at the mountain. He landed on the summit which was covered in snow. He walked to the center of the summit and drew out of his pocket a small blue orb. One of the last great technologies from his people the shadow bender lifted the orb up to the sky. At first there was nothing but the sound of the wind and then a lite humming sounded from the orb. Then the orb began to glow absorbing the star light. The orb shot a cascade of light around the shadow bender and little images began to form. The images were showing the passage of time from when the orb was first deactivated till it was reactivated. The images flashed for many minutes and the shadow bender grew worried. The images stopped at the image of the shadow bender arriving at the mountain. The shadow bender then began to calculate how much time had passed.

"Ten thousand years" the shadow bender whispered. "This cannot be true." But he knew it was because the orb never was wrong. The shadow bender sighed and he knew what must do next. He put the orb back in his pocket and went down to his knees. He began to meditate and slowly he fell into trance. The world seemed to dim and the wind stopped. The moon which as at half went black and out of the darkness a large robed creature appeared. It was eight feet tall even though it looked very frail the shadow bender could feel its power. "Hail! Master of night,long year have passed since one of our order has contacted you."

The Master of Night regarded his most prized and the most hated pupil he had ever taught. How he hated that this one was so powerful yet he would not follow orders. "Ah so you finally wake from you nap have you Metatron? Come to me for answers have you?" said the master scathingly. Metatron looked up at the master and knew this was coming.

"I do want answers master this is true. I see that the land has changed, I feel the energy of a large city near were there should not be a city. What has come to pass master, why was I imprisoned for so long?" stated Metatron. "Has the Avatar finally achieved balance?"

The Dark Master looked sternly at Metatron and a slight grin came across his face. "The Avatar has only achieved balance through war as it was not designed for but humans are always unpredictable."

"Master" started Metatron "I sensed the corruption in the benders that I had fought tonight though they were not powerful as they once were. I can use this corruption to bring balance back and the line of elements will be pure once more" Balance was everything to a shadow bender. Though they were considered as a evil race they ultimately wanted wanted balance in the world. Even if meant to destroy a city or a king or even entire race of people as long as balance was preserved nothing else mattered to a shadow bender. This is why almost all the other benders feared the shadow benders so much. Also some of the shadow bender's abilities crossed the line to being unnatural. Even the great energy benders kept a great distance from the shadow benders. Even though both the energy benders and the shadow benders were mirrors in style and power. However both styles were very dangerous to use because it can destroy a person's chi thus ending their life. When the energy benders separated into the four nations and the four element. They had wanted to further their knowledge of bending but they had not counted on the creation of the Avatar. Metatron knew that the third incarnation of the Avatar was used by the energy benders to start the war with the shadow benders. The shadow benders met the challenge head on and the first battle which took place where the Serpent's Pass now is was a terrible defeat for shadow benders. However many of the masters combined their strength and used the Void Sphere technic which destroyed the valley and created the lake and wall of the Serpents Pass.

Metatron knew that the war had lasted for fifty years and within that time almost all the shadow benders were gone. So Metatron's father lord of all the shadow benders went to the desert to seek the Spirit Library. Wan Shi Tong the keeper of the library counseled that the shadow benders leave this world for the spirit world were no bender could touch them or sleep till no one remembers the shadow benders. Metatron's father knew that if they went to the spirit world they would never return so the lord of the shadow benders ordered almost all of his people to sleep in energy chambers till he woke them. He would go to the spirit world with a select few in hopes of tricking the Avatar and the few remaining energy benders that they had been wiped out. Metatron knew the plan had worked but he had not expected to be asleep for so long.

"Where is my father master? Why had he not come to greet me?" asked the shadow bender.

"He cannot come the other spirits have made him into the night itself. Even the spirits turn their backs to us." lied the master. He wanted to manipulate this one because he was to be free. Metatron's anger grew in is heart and he wanted to find the rest of the sleepers and free them. He would bring the all here and take back what was taken from his people.

"What must I do master?" asked Metatron. The master of night grinned to himself. He knew he would have his vengeance soon and all would be his again. All would bow to him and serve him. The world would be his along with the Avatar's power. "Go to the city of Ohmashu seek the old guard of the south gate. He will show you the entrance to the underground tunnels"

"What will I find there master?" ask Metatron. He waited for the answer but a great gust of wind blew through the summit. Metatron was nearly knocked off his feet. He knew that the Master of Night was gone. Spirits are always trying to be mysterious and important Metatron thought. Metatron knew that all spirits could not be trusted because they had their own agendas. Metatron slowly stood up the wind whipped about him. Its cold biting his skin but the air felt good to Metatron. He felt so alive and free that he could go on forever. He knew he could not delay much longer so the shadow bender took his spear and raised it up toward the sky. Dark tendrils once more snaked their way back to him. In a space of a few heart beats Metatron shot straight up into the sky. He willed himself to Ohmashu . Though he did not know of the city because Ohmashu was not built when he was last freed but he knew the area being place were badgermoles lived. It was also were the first earth benders appeared. Metatron quicken his pace he wanted to get to Ohmashu before the sun rose which would weaken his powers but only slightly because the sun. Though the sun created shadows everywhere so a shadow bender would always have something bend. Some of the masters in shadow bending bend the very darkness within themselves in full daylight however this was dangerous because this could cause corruption of the chi and of the soul. Once a person's chi is corrupted that person is no longer human but a terrible monster and eventually they become a void beast which is a fate worse than death itself. Metatron lost many of his people because of the corruption. The corruption is what prompted the Avatar and last of the energy benders to declare war upon the shadow benders. The Avatar also made sure that all shadow bending was unnatural and the four styles of bending which would become the four nations outlawed any type of shadow bending from being taught in their lands.

All these thoughts swirled in Metatron's mind as he traveled quickly though the country side. He noticed that there were many roads built throughout the land. Even some of the small villages he passed over had roads and lights. When he flew passed a small village beside a river Metatron saw a few people out and they seemed to be arguing about something. So the shadow bender slowed downed to listen. He could feel that two of the people were not benders but the other four people were benders. Metatron could feel their energy it made him stop and land lightly in a tree which was near the arguing people. He noted that all them were fire benders and by how they moved they were not very powerful. Metatron could tell that they mostly used their bending to bully had almost no skill in combat.

"You owe the triple triads fer setting up that daughter of yours! We housed her, fed her, gave her job. You owe! Now pay up!" said one of the fire benders that was the leader of the group. He had yellow hair streaked with red which made it look as if his head was on fire. They all wore smart black and white suits with gold buttons. Another one waved his large knife at the couple.

"Please sirs, we sent the money to Zolt two weeks ago. He had to have got it." pleaded the man who was obviously the father. The fire benders snickered at the man. "Yea he got it alright but that girl of your's isn't the quality Zolt wanted so he sent he to the Mud House. She'll fit right in there if she lasts a week and since Zolt wasn't to pleased with what you sent he figures you owe." laughed the fire bender with the red and yellow hair.

"The Mud House! No not my little Kiko!" cried the mother as she clutched her husband. The fire benders advanced on the couple. Grinning to himself the leader of gang grabbed the husband by the shirt and pulled him to the ground. "You'll pay in one way or another and then your precious little Kiko will pay too. She'll pay all of them very well in the Mud House."

Metatron watched the events that played out from his perch in the tree. Anger festered within him but he knew this was not part of the Master of Night's plan. The shadow bender gritted his teeth and a old memory came into his head. The memory was of his father and of happier times. Metatron was just small boy and his father was training him the a very hard part a the shadow form. Metatron asked his father when he would be able to fight for his father. The old lord looked hard at his son. Then he knelt down and placed a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder. When he spoke to his son the lord said very softly.

"This war is not about us versus them or who is right or wrong. It is not about land or wealth. It is not even about winning. This whole war is about balance. Balance is the world and within ourselves and you must find your own balance in your heart my son. For when you find this balance in yourself you will wield a power greater than anything in this world."

"Even greater than the Avatar?" asked the boy. "Doesn't all the benders say he will bring balance?"

"I do not know my son, I only know that the Avatar is now against us now as well and has say we are unnatural for the lies of the energy benders." Said the lord to his son. His father seemed tired to Metatron which made him want to help. The old lord smiled at his son and gestured to Metatron to continue his training. Ten years passed after that exchange with his father and Metatron would be become a great warrior. He had famously led the his people to victory at the Battle of Silver Tear but he was notoriously know not to follow orders. Many of the leaders did not like him but his father would always support him. As these thoughts swirled in his head Metatron decided that he would show the world and all then benders and all the people of the world that the shadow benders are needed in the world for balance. With that decision Metatron dropped down from his perch in the tree and landed behind the fire bender with the red and gold hair.