Chapter 1 – Prologue to War

The meeting place looked like something out of a fairy tale, but then again, the entire Spirit World looked like a fairy tale.

Out in the open, on the top of the Spirit World's highest mountain, a meeting is awaiting to start.

Arriving first, the very ground rose up, shifting up until it formed a very distinct shape. The dark dirt fusing together to form a body. Stepping out, her tanned skin seeming dry, with her sharp green eyes, dark brown hair, and wiry but firm muscles, green and yellow robes form around her.

Behind her, an earthen throne rose out of the ground, before she sat firmly down and waited, for Earth is the element of substance. Her features are bland, but she is as patient and stubborn as the Earth is unmoving.

The fate of both worlds is at stake. They will be here.

The smell of a sea breeze greets her before they do. The moisture in the air swirling around, before converging onto her right side. Looking cool and collected, the mist takes two forms.

The first form is a female, dressed in light blue robes, with flowing white hair and deep blue eyes. She looks calm and beautiful, so serene as she emits a faint glow of moonlight, and yet there is a hidden power, just bubbling under the surface.

Her companion is also her husband. Similarly, he wears robes of dark blue, the colour of the deep ocean. His eyes swirl with colour, as the ocean currents do. His hair is pulled into a warrior's wolf tail, but is the same shade of bright white as his wife's.

The excess water forms two thrones behind them, as they sit back, and the water condenses into ice, they turn their attention to the woman sitting beside them, who offers them a curt nod in way of greeting.

"Tui, La", she says to them in turn, and Tui smiles brightly at her, while La offers her a nod in reply.

"Prithvi", they say simultaneously.

Any further speech between them is halted by the next arrival.

The winds pick up violently, before spinning together to form a miniature vortex. The wind battered against the three seated spirits, causing them to raise their hands to cover their eyes. When the wind dies back down, the new arrival is already seated.

"Tui, La, Prithvi", he says, as he addresses each one in turn, offering them a wide smile, his bright, innocent silver-grey eyes open in happiness.

"Vayu", the three intone, trying not to laugh at his childlike innocence. Despite being the oldest of them all, as well as the wisest by far, he often acted as the youngest, but he made them all smile.

His clothing matches that of his chosen people. A light orange robe a red outer robe, and a red sash around the middle. The arrow tattoos are visible, despite being bright white against his skin, the most noticeable being on top of his head. A small beard on the bottom of his chin points straight down, giving him his wise elder quality.

He's about to speak again, as he moves to sit on his own seat, made from the swirling winds, opposite Prithvi, and to the right of Tui and La. To anyone else, it would seem impossible to sit upon, but he is held in place somehow. After all of the years they've known him, they've simply stopped asking.

He is stopped from speaking by a burst of bright light, making them all clench their eyes shut tightly.

When they open their eyes again, the cause of the small explosion has appeared.

In pointed black boots, black trousers and a red tunic, he has appeared. The golden bands on his arms seem to reflect the sunlight. His eyes are a fierce molten gold in colour, which clashes with his pale skin. His hair is combed back, hanging to his shoulders, as his moustache hangs down to the same length. His hair is also white, but unlike the vibrant white of Tui and La, his is dull and lifeless.

A sign that the true nature of his art is becoming lost.

"Tui, La, Prithvi, Vayu", he offers each one a small smile in greeting, and receives one back from most of them, though Prithvi is too stubborn to do anything other than nod.

"Agni", is the one worded greeting they all give him.

He steps backward slightly, completing the circle of the elements, before a large fire erupted behind him, startling Vayu, who was watching him far too closely.

Smirking slightly, Agni sits atop his throne of fire, completing the circle.

The Council of the Elders begins.

"This is getting us nowhere", Prithvi's tone is one of boredom, bordering on annoyance, the five of them have been talking for several hours and they've been talking in circles.

Agni wants to send one of his people to help with the war. Vayu wants to help the avatar save the world. Tui and La are both supporting the idea that the spirits need to intervene directly.

By Raava this is pointless. The solution is right in front of them.

"No. What we need to do is-"

"WE? No, we should pick a human-"

"Aang is already there. If we could just-"

"ENOUGH!"

The earth may be continually patient, but Prithvi had reached the end of hers.

The four warring heads turned to face her, shock was on the faces of Vayu, Tui and La, whilst Agni wore his usual look of intense anger, though it receded when he saw that Prithvi had stood up.

"You are all arguing around in circles, like little children", Prithvi was close to breaking point. "You", she said, pointing at Agni, "Want to send a human to fix this, from the Fire Nation, as well as start tp restore true firebending, right?"

Terrified to speak, Agni nodded his consent, words might've set her off on a warpath.

"You two", she rounded on Tui and La, "think that the spirits need to intervene directly, correct?"

Tui and La nodded aggressively, also afraid to anger the Earth Spirit.

"And you", she rounded on Vayu, who visibly flinched, "think we need the avatar – Aang?"

"Well, yes I thi-"

"Who also happens to be frozen in a block of ice, and has been for the last eighty three years?"

"Well, yes but-"

"No buts", she cut Vayu off abruptly, before he could start on his lecture, "all four of you are missing the obvious"

To her left, she saw Agni smirk, as he finally figured out where she was going with this.

"We need an avatar. No Vayu", she cut him off before he could interrupt, "Not Aang, but an anomaly, a second chosen avatar that can help bring balance back to the world"

Agni leaned back against his fiery throne, nodding his consent. Tui and La had a whispered argument, before turning back and nodding their agreement.

Vayu took longer.

"He is not to become the first in a cycle, but a singularity in the world"

"Yes Vayu", Prithvi offered him an apologetic smile, "He will not replace Aang, but the world needs help now, and we do not know when Aang will awaken"

"He? You have a candidate in mind?" Tui's gaze held her curiosity and Prithvi knew she had won.

"No, I do not", Prithvi watched as Tui's face fell slightly, "But Agni does"

Four gazes turned expectantly towards him, as he straightened up on his throne.

"I think you will all find him to be an excellent choice to embody your elements and beliefs. He will be born this spring as a child of fire. He will be born as a descendant of both Sozin and Roku. His name will be Zuko, and he will bring balance to the world"

Author's Note

So, my first Avatar: The Last Airbender FanFiction. I hope you guys enjoy.

As far as pairings go, I'm undecided. Zuko/Mai? Zuko/Katara? Zuko/Toph? Aang/Katara? Aang/Toph? Sokka/Suki? OC Pairings?

Anyway, leave me a review and tell me what you think, and leave a pairing choice too.

-MarvelMatt