At the threshold of an era swallowed by darkness, where the balance between the four nations crumbled like ashes in the wind, one nation conspired to erase an entire culture from existence.
The initial spark of the Hundred Year War wasn't an army clashing against another, but a meticulously orchestrated genocide led by a sovereign whose soul had been consumed by an ambition as vast as it was cruel.
Sozin, the Fire Lord, once a friend of Avatar Roku, nurtured a dream of uniting the world under his banner, spreading the "glory" of the Fire Nation. Roku stood firm against his friend's plans, quashing his imperialistic aspirations and maintaining the world's balance. But that fragile harmony shattered when, during a volcanic eruption, Roku fell—betrayed by Sozin, who watched the Avatar's death without lifting a finger to save him.
With the Avatar gone, the last obstacle to Sozin's reign of terror had vanished.
Knowing that the next Avatar would be born among the Air Nomads—a free-spirited and pacifist people who mastered the air and lived in remote temples— the Fire Lord devised a plan to exterminate them.
This was only possible when a comet tore through the sky, lending the firebenders "the power of a hundred suns."
The four Air Temples, beacons of peace and wisdom, were engulfed by flames and smoke. Monks, children, elders, even the majestic flying bison—none were spared. The sky, once alive with dancing air currents, was stained with ash.
The blood of the Air Nomads marked the beginning of the Hundred Year War, a conflict that spread ruin, pain, and despair for generations.
***
In the year 88 AG, in a small village in the Earth Kingdom, the sun was slowly setting, painting the sky in shades of orange. Ikari, a five-year-old boy with messy black hair and bright eyes, was sitting in the backyard of his modest wooden house. He was holding a wooden yoyo, a simple toy made by his mother.
The wind blew gently around, rustling the leaves of the trees nearby, while Ikari furrowed his brow in concentration.
He stretched out his hands, trying, with clumsy gestures, to make the yoyo roll without touching it, but nothing happened. Huffing in frustration, he didn't give up, moving his arms with more force. "I'm going to do it!"
After several minutes and failed attempts, a small gust of air escaped from his hands, and the yoyo slid a few inches across the ground. Ikari's eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at the toy in disbelief.
Then, as he processed what he had done, a radiant smile lit up his face. "I did it!" Wasting no time, he ran inside, his bare feet pattering against the wooden floor.
"Mom! Mom!" Ikari called, bursting into the small room where his mother, Hana, was sewing a shirt under the window light.
She looked up, surprised by her son's sudden entrance. "What is it, Ikari?"
"I did it, Mom! I mastered the air! Just like the people in the stories you tell me!"
Hana smiled, amused by her son's excitement. "Very good, my love," she said, returning to her sewing, thinking it was just a child's imagination.
Ikari, noticing his mother's disbelief, puffed out his cheeks. 'I'll show her!' He pointed his hands toward her and tried again, making exaggerated gestures. Nothing happened on the first tries, which drew giggles from Hana, who watched her son's clumsy movements from the corner of her eye.
But her joy was quickly replaced by shock when a gust of air blew across her face.
"See! I told you I could do it!"
Hana dropped the needle, her eyes widening in a mix of shock and fear. "By the spirits…" She let go of the shirt and knelt in front of Ikari, grabbing his shoulders firmly. "Ikari, you must never, ever do that in front of anyone, do you understand? Never show that to anyone." Her voice was low and urgent.
Ikari blinked, confused, his smile fading. "But, mother… it's just like the airbenders from the stories…"
Hana shook her head, her eyes heavy with worry. "Promise me, Ikari. This is dangerous. No one can know."
"I... I promise," he said hesitantly.
"Good boy," Hana said, running her hand through his hair, trying to mask the rising panic in her chest. "I need to speak to Grandpa. Stay here, alright?"
Ikari nodded, still puzzled. Hana forced a smile, kissed his forehead, and stood up. "I'll be right back." As soon as she shut the front door, she broke into a run.
'How is this possible? Is he the Avatar? Or was he just born an airbender? It doesn't matter! If anyone finds out, he'll be hunted forever!' Picking up her pace, she reached a house similar to her own. "FATHER!" Hana shouted, pushing the door open forcefully, startling the old man who was watering a plant.
"Trying to give this old man a heart attack, girl?" he said, placing a hand over his chest.
"I'm sorry, father, but it's urgent!" Hana hurriedly closed the door and the windows, lowering her voice. "It's Ikari. He… he bent the air."
The old man's eyes widened, the watering can nearly slipping from his hands. "W-what? A-are you sure?"
"Yes! He sent a gust of wind right into my face!"
The old man ran a hand across his forehead, the weight of the revelation sinking in. "Then… my father's blood…" he murmured, his gaze distant. "If he's an airbender… or worse, if he's the Avatar… the Fire Nation won't stop until they find him."
Hana swallowed hard. "What do we do, father? I can't lose him."
The old man took a deep breath, straightening his back. "First, we mustn't let anyone find out. Second, we need to figure out if he really is the Avatar or just an airbender."
Hana nodded, her eyes glistening with tears but resolute. "And if the Fire Nation finds out?"
"They won't."
***
The next morning, Hana held Ikari's small hand as they hurried down the dirt trail leading to the grandfather's house. The boy was oblivious to his mother's tension, swinging his free arm and humming a tuneless melody.
"Mom, why are we going to Grandpa's so early?" he asked, looking up at her.
"It's just a visit, my love. Grandpa wants to see you." Hana avoided his gaze, afraid her worry might show.
When they reached the house, Taro, Ikari's grandfather, was already waiting for them on the porch. He sat in a rocking chair, the rhythmic creak of the wood matching its slow motion. Seeing them, he stood up. "Good morning, Hana. Ikari. Come on in."
Inside the house, Taro pointed to a straw mat on the floor. "Sit down, little one. We're going to play a game."
Ikari brightened, hurrying to sit cross-legged. "A game? What kind of game, Grandpa?"
Taro exchanged a quick glance with Hana, who remained standing, biting her lower lip. "It's a special game. We'll see what you can do with your hands, so I need you to cooperate with what I ask, okay?" he said to Ikari, who nodded eagerly.
"Great. Let's begin." Taro retrieved a small wax candle from a shelf and placed it carefully on the floor in front of Ikari. "First, try to light this candle."
Ikari frowned in confusion. "Light it? But I don't know how to do that, Grandpa."
"Just… try, boy," Taro insisted, his eyes fixed on the boy.
Ikari sighed, stretching his small hands over the candle. He closed his eyes, concentrating as he did with his yoyo, but nothing happened. After a few minutes of clumsy gestures, he huffed, crossing his arms. "See? I don't know how to do this!"
"I see, Ikari," Taro said, his voice neutral. He removed the candle and placed a wooden cup filled with water in front of the boy. "Now, try to move the water inside."
Ikari glanced at the cup, confusion returning to his face. "Water? I don't know how to do that either…" He shot a suspicious look at his grandfather. "Why are you asking me to do these weird things?"
"Try," Taro repeated.
With a grimace, Ikari stretched his hands toward the cup, waving his arms and furrowing his brow, but the water remained still. "See? It doesn't work!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "Stop asking me to do things I can't, Grandpa!"
Taro gave a faint smile, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Okay, okay, sorry, little one." He then picked up a Pai Sho piece, a small lotus flower carved in stone, and set it upright in front of Ikari. "Try to knock this piece over. Just that."
Ikari's eyes widened, his excitement returning. "Oh, I can do that!" He stretched out his hands, fingers splayed, and focused.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, as he flicked his arm, a sudden gust of air burst from his hands, knocking the Pai Sho piece over with a soft clack against the floor.
Ikari jumped up, pointing at the piece with a triumphant shout. "See, Grandpa? I told you I could do it!"
Taro remained silent, his face hardened as he absorbed what he had just witnessed. He rose slowly, walking to a shelf where he kept an old scroll. His fingers trembled as he unrolled it, revealing a faded drawing of a temple floating among the clouds, with figures in orange robes dancing through the air.
"Daughter… he's not the Avatar," Taro began, his voice low, almost a whisper. "But he is a miracle."
***
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.