Hey everyone! This story is actually based off a RP that me and my friends did together. I thought we had a good thing going on, but then it died… I was sad… so I decided to make my own version. Now to disclaim the credit:

Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related characters and such are copyright to Nikelodeon (erm… that is correct… right? Well… in any case it's not mine… so yeah…)

Zephyr is copyright my friend Xascher (who is completely brilliant BTW!)

I'll do more as the other characters come in. So… you may now enjoy!

The Begining

Long white hair flew behind her from the blast of air. Fighting against the intense wind she performed the motions to direct the stream of wind back at her attacker. She charged forward, her redirected wind propelling her faster.

The bald monk facing her was surprised by the sudden charge, and only just managed to nimbly step aside as she ran past. She was expecting him to dodge; the monk she was facing was a master air-bender after all. So with a small smirk plastered to her face and a mischievous gleam to her blue-silver eyes, Mei placed a bracing foot to the ground and turned mid-step toward the retreating monk.

His grey eyes widened further as she grabbed his outstretched hand and attempted to flip him over her shoulder. But he was a master air-bender, he grabbed her hand with his free one and directed the wind to sweep her feet from her.

The sparring session ended with her on the floor face-down with an old monk sitting lightly on top of her, restraining her hands.

Her white hair was a mess and fell into her eyes, creating a rather comical look as she attempted to see through it by crossing her eyes, "I was so close!" she said, before blowing her hair out of her face with a puff of air.

"You were very close, MeiLin. It is very much apparent why you have been chosen as a successor to the Northern Air Temple," the monk replied, lithely rising from her back and turning to help her up.

"That's still a long way off, Monk Frianzo, I'm nowhere near the level of the monks at any Temple," Mei replied.

"You only lack in experience, young MeiLin," Frianzo smiled at her, "now, off you go. I know your social visits to our temple are for more reasons than to play with us old monks," the other presiding monks nodded, and Mei smiled.

They watched her run off, "I don't know what she sees in that boy," one said.

"Now, Monk Kaatra, we must not let the prejudices of the world affect our decisions in the temple," Frianzo said.

"But you know the Fire Nation has become more violate as of the last few years," Kaatra replied.

"We all know that, Monk Kaatra, but the boy has been here since he was young."

"The Fire Nation could be keeping contact with him, using him to spy on the temple."

The other monks sighed, they'd heard this argument many times before, but the Fire Nation was becoming more war-like and there were rumors going around that there were attacks on the outreaches of both the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes in the north and south.

-

Mei knocked on the door, excited to finally see her best friend again.

The door creaked open and a tired, "what'd'you want?" echoed out.

"Well… I wanted to see my best friend," Mei said, a grin lighting her face, "but if you're too tired I could come back again some other time."

"Mei!" the door flew open and a golden-eyed, naturally spiked ebony-haired teen stood in rumpled robes.

"Zephyr!" she hugged him, "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Three months and twelve days!" Zephyr replied, hugging her back, "what have you been doing?"

"Going around to the temples, visiting monks, teaching classes."

"That's right, you were named a successor monk in the Northern Air temple weren't you?" Zephyr grinned and let her go.

Mei sighed, "yes, it's really annoying actually."

"What?"

"No one treats me the same, all the other students at the Temple won't hang out with me anymore, and all I do when I visit the other temples is spar with the monks or teach the younger kids."

"Don't worry, you won't have to do that here," Zephyr said, "I know all the hidden passages!"

Mei raised her eyebrow at him, "hidden passages?"

"You know… the ones I make myself."

Mei laughed, "oh. Those ones. Like the one you have for your window."

Zephyr sheepishly scratched the back of his head and looked toward the blackened hole in the side of the window, "that one was an accident!"

Mei laughed harder, "oh yeah! And the other ones were on purpose right?"

Zephyr smiled, he always was able to cheer up Mei when she was down, "Well, let's head out to the stables, I haven't seen Yang in a long time, either," the tall boy walked away leaving a still-giggling Mei to follow after him.

They reached the bison stables via a window and some bending to soften the fall from 50 feet in the air.

The Flying Bison all bellowed in greeting, making the two teens smile as they found Mei's bison Yang.

Yang was the average Flying Bison, off-white with the grey arrow marks in his fur. He was lying in the corner of his stall, resting from the long journey from the Northern Air Temple. When Mei and Zephyr walked into his door-less stall he perked up.

"Hey boy!" Zephyr laughed as Yang licked up the entire length of his body and knocked him to the ground, "It's good to see you too!"

After Yang decided Zephyr was sufficiently 'loved' he went back to his corner to sleep some more.

Zephyr wiped the slobber off his face, "as much as I know this means he likes me, you think he could do it less… ew…"

Mei chuckled at her friend's predicament, "it's your fault for not coming to visit more often."

Zephyr sighed, "Mei… you know the monks won't let me have a bison."

The atmosphere darkened as Mei thought about the restrictions put on the fire-bender, "well they should! You were raised with the monks' teachings just as much as any of us were. They should let you leave the temple grounds sometimes, too."

"We know they should," Zephyr agreed as they walked out of the stables and back to the temple grounds, "but I know you've heard the rumors about the Fire Nation going around right now. No one's said anything but they've all started to treat me differently, they think that I'm a spy for the Fire Nation."

Mei blinked, "Are you kidding?"

"No…" his eyebrows rose questioningly.

"With all the restrictions they put on you how could they think you sneak out?"

Zephyr laughed, "I know! But sometimes logic fails in situations like these. You studied the same history I did; remember the Earth Kingdom rebellions 150 years ago?"

"Yeah, both sides started attacking their own believing them to be spies for the opposing factions," she replied quickly with a dismissing hand, "but this is different!"

"Is it?" Zephyr asked in a whisper, stopping by a window and looking out to watch the younger kids play a game of air-tag on their gliders.

Mei was quiet; she walked up to where he was standing and wrapped her arms around him. He was a good few inches taller than her so she had to pull his ear down to the level of her mouth.

"YES!" she yelled, startling him out of his solemn mood.

"Mei! What was that for!?" he stumbled away from his smirking friend.

"Zephyr, you were raised as an Air-bender, by the teachings of the monks. They have no reason to conclude that you have any connection to what the Fire Nation may or may not be doing."

He glared at her, but couldn't hold his face for long when she burst out laughing.

"Don't think about it too hard, fire-boy, you might hurt yourself," she managed to say before jumping out the window to escape his fake-wrath.

"Mei! Get back here!" he called out, playfully shaking his fist at her.

She stuck her tongue out, "no!"

Zephyr grinned and followed her out the window, using his fire-bending to stabilize his landings and flights to the different rock formations around the temple as he followed Mei.

-

"Then we have agreed?" Monk Kaatra said more as a statement than a question.

Three voices replied in affirmation, one in hesitation.

"Monk Frianzo, we have heard your concerns, they are no longer an issue in this matter."

"But still, he is one of our own, he was raised alongside the other boys in this temple and should be treated as such," the monk said calmly, "but if you all agree this is the best thing for the temple, then I will be the one to tell him."

"Very well."

"We will see the boy gone from the temple by the end of the week."

Frianzo sighed, "of course."

-

Zephyr eagerly answered the knock at his door, expecting it to be Mei again, "Monk Frianzo!"

"Hello young Zephyr," the monk greeted.

"Come in."

"Thank you. Zephyr," Frianzo paused as he entered the room and stood by the bed, "I have come to speak with you about a very important matter."

Zephyr nodded for him to continue.

"The other monks and I have had many long and hard debates about you."

"I know," Zephyr sighed.

"I know you know," Frianzo smiled sadly, "and I'm sorry our debates have caused you stress. But we came to a decision yesterday," he stopped, this was harder than he expected it to be, "we have decided that it would be best… if you left the temple."

"You mean… I can go out now?" Zephyr was hesitant to be excited at the prospect of being able to leave the grounds; there was something in Frianzo's voice.

"Yes, but… but you would not be coming back."

The world seemed to spin in his eyes and he fell back against the wall, sliding until he hit the floor in a defeated position, "I knew there was a catch… there's always a catch."

"Zephyr… I am sorry…" Frianzo moved to place a hand on the boy's shoulder, "I am so sorry."

"I know," Zephyr's amber eyes were dull as he slid them shut and fought against the tears that threatened to fall. He was going to lose the only place he'd ever called home. Suddenly the restrictions placed on him didn't seem so harsh.

"When MeiLin leaves, you will go with her."

-

"Come on Zephyr," Mei held out a hand to help him onto Yang. The tall boy grabbed it and climbed onto the Flying Bison.

"Ah… Miss MeiLin," a wise monk, not one of the head monks of course but a respected one none-the-less, named Gyatso stepped forward, "a word please."

Mei easily slid off the bison and the monk pulled her aside. They spoke quickly and quietly away from the crowds.

"Do not worry, Miss MeiLin, I will do all I can to dissuade the prejudices against your friend. We are taught to respect all life, young Zephyr falls into that category I do believe," he smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you Monk Gyatso."

"No need for thanks, Miss MeiLin, it is simply our nature as monks of the Air Temples… or at least it should be."

Mei smiled at the monk, "you are wise, Monk Gyatso, if only they all could see your wisdom."

Gyatso smiled back at her, "we will see. Now go, your friend is waiting."

Mei nodded. She turned to leave, but paused and pulled Gyatso into a warm hug, "thank you."

He was startled but returned her hug, "You're welcome."

Mei then ran and jumped onto Yang with lifted spirits. With a simple, "yip yip," they were off.

Zephyr sat at the back of the large saddle, staring at the large temple set above the clouds.

Mei didn't want to spoil his memory of what could be his last glimpse of the temple so she remained quiet until the tall building disappeared behind the clouds.

"What do I do now, Mei?" he asked quietly, resting his head on the saddle behind her.

She looked back at him, almost tearing up at the pain present in his expression. She set the reins down and jumped into the saddle beside him.

"You'll be able to go back, Zephyr," she told him.

"Stop trying to make me feel better," he said bluntly, losing his temper a bit, "I've just lost the only home I've ever known! No amount of pretty words could ever make that pain go away, Mei!"

She held fast as his glare bore into her own calm gaze, "I know that, but the right words can give hope in even the most dire of situations."

"What could possibly make this situation better?" he huffed wearily, turning away.

"The teachings the monks live by say to respect all life. Monk Gyatso pulled me aside to talk just before we left with his word to try and dissuade the other monks of their rash decision to send you away. And with me in the position I'm in, I can surely have some sway in the decision."

"That doesn't give me any hope," he replied broodingly, staring off into the darkening sky.

"But it at least gives me some," Mei replied in a light tone, playfully ruffling his ebony hair, "and sometimes a little hope is all that is needed."

Zephyr made a noise halfway between a grunt and a hum, Mei smiled before turning to look at the sky. The sun was just reaching the horizon in the west signaling the end of the day.

Mei unbuckled the pack attached to the back of the saddle and pulled out a couple blankets, it was cold at night when you're up that high, and handed two to Zephyr.

"Thanks."

She re-buckled the pack back to the saddle and turned to lay her own blankets out.

Yes. It was the end of the day, and the end of one life. But in the nature of the sun, one ending is the start of another beginning.

Little did the two friends know they would be starting out on a journey that would take them across all the nations, and lead them to become some of the deciding figures of the outcome of the whole history of the world.

-

And so begins their journey! Okay. Seriously now, I need to know if this is even worth continuing, so leave a review, if I don't get positive feedback I'll just scrap it. But if you guys like it, then I'll keep going. I don't have anything else written out at the moment, but I have all the RP chats from my friends and it won't be too hard to get it into story format.

So leave a review telling me to go on or not!