Book 1: Earth

Chapter 1: The New Find

The boy twiddled his fingers, his mother had told him that a visitor was coming and that he needed to be on his best behavior. He didn't know who this mysterious visitor was and he desperately wanted to. He had asked his father many times that day who this person was and he would simply reply, "Someone who will teach you your duty to the world." The boy didn't know what that meant and to be truthful he didn't want to.

"Hershel!" His father had opened the door, a very tall man walked in, at least the boy thought he was tall, his hat almost touched the ceiling.

"Clark, it's good to see you," the boy knew that only his father's friends called him Clark, "So this must be Luke," the tall man bent down and placed his heavy hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Yes, he has been acting quite strange Hershel, and you, being an esteemed member of Scotland Yard; I figured you might be able to help."

"Ha-ha," the large man laughed, "I am in no way a police officer Clark, I am merely a Professor at Gressenheller."

"Well," the boy's father returned the laugh, "You seem to be on their good side, that's for sure," both of them laughed, but he boy didn't see at all what was funny.

"Now," the tall man looked back at the boy, "What seems to be the problem?"

"He just hasn't been acting normal, he has been locking himself up in his room for the past few weeks, when a regular boy his age should be running around, playing outside." His father crossed his arms when he looked at the boy.

"Hm," the tall man stood up, "Clark would you mind if I took Luke outside for a little while?"

"Of course not," the boy's father smiled at the tall man, "Come back in time for dinner."

"Alright, see you in a little while," the tall man took the boy's hand, "Come Luke, let's go for a walk." The boy nodded, knowing that his father trusted him and followed the tall man out the door and onto the streets of the Southern Water Tribe, better known as Misthallery.

"Where are we going?" the little boy looked up at the man, "Are we going to see Arianna? She's my friend," the boy waited for a response.

"Not now," the man stopped walking when they reached a sidewalk right next to a river, "Luke." He knelt down to reach the boy's height, "Do you know what you are?"

"Um," he placed his finger on his chin, "I'm a boy." He smiled a toothy grin, satisfied with giving the right answer.

"Ha-ha," the big man laughed and again the little boy didn't know why, "Yes, you are a boy, but do you know what you are?"

"What do you mean?" the boy was confused, what was this stranger talking about?

"You probably don't know," the man stood up, "I am an earth bender, I can move stones." The man stomped on the ground and lifted a large rock up into the air.

"Whoa," the little boy looked up at him in awe.

"And your father can move water," the man knelt down againm letting the rck slip back into place.

"I know," the boy crossed his arms, "I see him make things dry when they are wet." The big man smiled.

"Yes, and did you know that you can move water to?" The boy cocked his head, "You can also move stones, fire, and even air."

"No, only the Avatar can do that," the boy argued, he was smart enough to know that.

"Well Luke," the man placed is other heavy hand on the boy's shoulder, "You are the Avatar. It's an honor to be in you presence Avatar Luke."

…Ten years later…

"Can we please stop practicing Luke, you're going to ace your waterbending exam, you've been able to ace it for the past five years," Arianna complained while throwing water back and forth between her and Luke.

"No, I need more practice, the Professor is going to be here along with other Scotland Yard officers and I need to be perfect." He redirected the water back at Arianna.

"You are perfect!" She threw the water back into the lake, where Loosha, her whale-manatee was splashing with her younger brother Tony.

"Don't you get me wet Arianna!" Tony shouted angrily, he was a non-bender, and completely unable to control the element.

"Sorry Tony," she apologized before walking over to Luke, "You'll do fine, you've been practicing for over ten years, and don't you think you could've started earthbending already, maybe even finished it?"

"No," Luke replied simply.

"Well I think you could have," she bent in towards him.

"No I couldn't Arianna," Luke walked to the side, "I just didn't feel prepared the last time they came or the times before that, but I feel prepared now." He turned to her, "After this exam, I'll leave with the Professor to go to London, the capitol of the Earth Kingdom!" He threw is arms up, creating a huge wave behind him.

"I forgot about that," Arianna's expression became crestfallen.

"Listen, I'll come back, for holidays and things," Luke turned in her direction, "I won't be gone forever." He smiled at her and she returned it slightly.

"We will all miss you Luke," Arianna let her head fall.

"I'll come back, okay, I promise," he smiled at her again before running to grab his jacket that had been thrown on an old pipe, "I need to talk to Crow, tell the Professor if he gets here before I get back that I'll come around soon enough," He smiled at Arianna before running down past the dam and into Highyard Hill, he waved to a few people before heading down towards Great Ely Street while on the Bendy Road. Then he darted across the twin bridges and towards the market.

"Luke!" Marilyn waved to him from her stand at the fruit section of the market.

"Hey Marilyn," Luke walked up to her, "Have you seen Crow?"

"Yes, he's down below," She pointed to the ground indicating that he was in the underground Black Market.

"Thanks," Luke nodded respectively at her and started to walk away.

"Wait," he turned around to find an apple floating in mid-air, Marilyn was able to bend the water in plants to make them move for her, which was skill Luke desperately wanted to learn, "Want some fruit, only five cents!"

"No thanks Marilyn, but I'll take a fruit-bending lesson," he winked at her and she giggled while put the apple down along with the rest of her fruit.

"Maybe I'll teach you after you ace your waterbending exam today!" She shouted after him as he ran towards the Black Market, down below Misthallery's regular bazaar. He slipped into the under ground wonder land. Exotic instruments and foods lined the counters and stands, colorful clothing and very interesting furniture covered every inch of the space, well except for the very back room.

"Crow," Luke peered into the back room; more exotic articles enveloped the space.

"Hello Avatar Luke," Crow walked out from behind an old crate, "What do you need?"

"Just wanted to say good-bye," Luke walked towards him," Today is my waterbending exam and I want to make sure I say a final good-byes to everyone before I leave for London." Crow nodded.

"Well, the Black Ravens will miss you for sure," he smiled lightly at Luke, "Good luck, the world outside of Misthallery is dangerous." Luke nodded, agreeing with him, "Wait, I have something to give to you, just so you can remember the Black Ravens and Misthallery." Crow disappeared behind the crate once again and came back out holding a scroll.

"What's this?" Luke asked once Crow placed it in his hand.

"A waterbending scroll, it teaches you how to create mist," He replied, "I've never had much use for it, being an airbender and all, but you can use it no problem."

"Thank you so much Crow, I'll never be able to forget Misthallery now," He rolled the scroll back up and placed it in his jacket pocket.

"I hope we can get together eventually," Crow said quietly, he held out his hand.

"Yes, I'll want to come back," Luke shook his hand lightly; "I'll miss this place." He sighed and began to walk out of the room.

"Wait," Crow ran in front of him, "When you reach the time to train for airbending, I'm your teacher, deal?" A smile formed on Luke's lips.

"Deal," he shook Crow's hand one more time, "Good-bye." Luke left with a reassuring nod and shut the door behind him. He was leaving in just a few hours; he was going to miss Misthallery dearly.

Luke eventually made it back to the Barde Manor, here he had been practicing, it was secluded and right next to a large body of water, which made waterbending easy. It also kept intruders out, leaving the Avatar to train in peace.

"Luke!" Arianna ran up to him once he climbed up the hill and into the over grown garden in front of the house, "The Professor and Scotland Yard officials have been waiting, they don't seem too happy it either," She explained while walking next to him.

"Oh well," Luke sighed, "It's not like they can just cancel my exam."

"I don't know, they don't seem too happy, you better hurry," Arianna gave him a securing push and he took off running towards the lake. Standing at the edge of the water was the Professor, Hershel Layton an esteemed earthbender from London, Chief Jakes, the police chief of Misthallery and a fantastic waterbender, a woman dressed in yellow, and another man whom Luke did not recognize.

"Avatar Luke," The taller man stepped forward, he had a mustache and is face was flushed with anger, "You are late,"

"I'm sorry, I was just saying good-bye to one of my-"

"We don't have time for excuses Triton," he scowled, "And what makes you so sure that you will pass your exam?"

"Well, I've been practicing for a very long time." Luke replied.

"Yes," the man stepped back, "I forgot, let me introduce myself, I am the firebender who represents Scotland Yard, Inspector Chelmey, this is Emmy Altava," he pointed to the woman in yellow, "She is the airbender who represents Scotland Yard, you already know Layton and Jakes," the man took a breath, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Luke said irritably

"Then proceed," Luke took a deep breath and readied his stance, Arianna stood at the other end, she was his partner, "Go!" Luke swung his arms over bringing a large wave of water right over the Scotland Yard officials heads; he spilt it into pieces as Arianna tried her best to keep up. Luke took the first section of water and aimed it at her; she blocked it, and sent another right over. Luke took control of the water and sent it right back, sending Arianna to the ground, afraid of being hit.

"Stop!" Chief Jakes threw his hands up, freezing all of the water in the air, "Your partner is not worthy of training with you." He gave Arianna a look and she just stared innocently back at him, "Let me give it a shot, if you can knock me down-"

"He won't stop rolling," Tony whispered loudly to Loosha who giggled softly.

"Tony!" Arianna looked back at him angrily. Both of them were stilling wading in the water, Arianna was prepared to join them to keep them quiet.

"As I was saying," Jakes gave Tony a dirty look, "If you can knock me down, we'll pass you and you can move on with your training," Jakes readied his stance, "Now go."

Luke immediately took the water that had been frozen in mid-air and redirected it, now in liquid form to Jakes, who at this point was making ice bullets pointing towards the boy. Luke quickly took any water that had been in the ground, a technique that Marilyn had taught him and created a wall dividing him from Jakes' attacks. Soon after the ice bullets began to cease Luke spun the water into a tornado and sent it straight into his opponent's stomach, knocking him to the ground.

"Urg," Jakes propped himself on his elbows, just a little bit dazed, "You- you passed Luke," with that he laid his head back, unconscious. Luke looked towards the rest of the officials; they nodded their heads with a approval.

"Yes!" Luke jumped up, "I passed!"

"Congratulations!" Arianna ran towards him, "Now you can train for earthbending!" She gave him a light hug, "You'll do great."

"Thanks Arianna," Luke smiled at her, "I'll miss waterbending with you though." The smile faded from her face.

"Yes, me too," She dropped her hands; "Tony, Loosha, and I will miss you around here Luke, make sure to write, okay?"

"Of course," He smiled back at her, "I'll tell you about my amazing adventures in London," Arianna's smiled broadened.

"Good," She started to walk away, "I'll meet you at the Triton Manor before you leave, deal?" She held out her hand.

"Deal,"

…

Luke stuffed his things into the Professor's car. His clothes, books, papers, even his pet mouse, Toppy was bouncing around in the passengers seat waiting to go. Almost the whole town had come to watch him drive away. Crow was there with all the Black Ravens, Paddy from Paddy's Restaurant, Arianna and Tony, his parents Brenda and Clark, even Joseph from the Inn, who was constantly drunk, came to watch him leave with the Professor.

"We'll see you again?" Crow asked just to confirm.

"Of course," Luke replied, everything was packed into the trunk of the car, and the Professor was already to pull out of the town.

"Then good-bye," Crow shook Luke's hand lightly, he was sad to loose a partner and a good friend.

"Good-bye," Luke gave him a weak smile before Crow retreated to the back of the group.

"Luke," Arianna stepped forward, "Will I ever see you again?" That was question everyone wanted to know, even the Avatar himself.

"Of course you will," Luke put his hand out, "Deal?" Instead of taking his hand, like he expected Arianna too, she walked closer to him and kissed him on the cheek. Luke's cheeks burned.

"Good luck," She whispered into his ear.

"Good-bye Arianna," Luke looked at her one last time before strolling towards his parents, giving them one more reassuring hug.

"Be careful Luke, alright? We'll miss you so much," his mother whispered into his ear.

"I will mom, don't worry," Luke squeezed her back.

"Promise?" Clark raised his voice, Luke and he hadn't been getting along too well lately.

"I promise," Luke bent over and embraced his father, "I'll be fine." Luke smiled at his parents before walked towards the car and grabbing the handle. He turned around; everyone was watching him, sad looks on their faces. "I'll come back." He said quietly, "I promise I'll come back." He slipped inside the car and faced front, not wanting to look at everyone.

The Professor drove out of the driveway, the town backed up as the car passed. Luke couldn't help but turn and stare sadly through the window at his friends and family that he was going to have to leave. He would come back to visit, of course he would. He could never leave forever, these people were his family. With one last look back at his home in the Southern Water Tribe, the town disappeared into the mist, leaving Luke to ponder at his thoughts. He never thought leaving was going to be this difficult.

Hey! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and/or read this! I've been formulating this story for a while and I wanted to get it started! Please let me know if you thought the way that I described Luke and Jakes bending was detailed enough, sloppy, hard to understand, or if you liked it. I was worried that it might be a bit confusing, but I want to make sure that everyone who reads this understands every word of it! Thanks! Peace out girl scout! –Lil (Remember to review!)