Avatar: The Lost Path

Prologue Part 1: Brace Yourself

On a dark, gloomy night out in Republic City, two 9 year old cousins, Naoki and Toph, roamed and played around. They were no stranger to the City, despite living on Air Temple Island they often visited the city, only a short ride away from home. Yet, all of a sudden, they heard a stir around them, feeling they were being watched. And then, within a few moments the two were being restrained by four guys. Two guys held each girl, with every guy armed with weapons.

Both were nonbenders, or at least that's how they presented themselves to everyone around them. One of them, Naoki, knew she could bend, yet hid it from everyone. She could not only bend one element, but could bend all four. She was the Avatar. Her being the Avatar alone was confusing, and based on everything she knew it didn't make any sense. None of it did. While practicing her bending alone with whatever chance she could get, she realized she could bend all four of the elements already with no training and no hassle and had good control over all of them, something that even the greatest of Avatars in history couldn't seem to do.

Naoki and Toph used all her might to try and escape the people attacking them. Members of the Agni Kais, she supposed, held them down with so much strength that the two children couldn't escape their holds no matter how hard they thrashed. And then, it hit her. Naoki would have to expose her secret. She tried with as much might as her tiny body could exert, but it wouldn't work. She couldn't manage to move any limb enough to cause any form of element to move.

Suddenly, one of the guys holding Toph down became tired with her constant crying and screaming and pulled out a knife and held it to her throat, giving Naoki an extreme rush of anger. This was her little cousin, her sister, her best friend. And she would do anything to protect her. That's when the feeling within Naoki started to arise. She knew what this feeling was, recognizing the times before when it had arisen within her and she had done her best to control it. Giving in would undoubtedly expose her secret, but she had to choose. And the answer was clear. As Naoki closed her eyes, she reached within her soul to find that feeling, awaken it, and give in.

That's when the infamous glow occurred. The Avatar State.

Once everyone saw the glow of Naoki's eyes and then anger on her face, everyone, including Toph, looked with faces of shock and realization.

Naoki easily broke free from the men holding her down. Any element they bent at her, she threw right back at them. As they broke out their guns, she bent the metal in them and crushed them. In fear, the men let Toph free, and ran away from the scene as fast as the could.

The glow faded from her eyes as she stood facing Toph. Her normal eyes returned and her eyes met Toph's green eyes, still struck with shock, and a bit of fear. All they could do was stand there, facing each other in complete silence, both not knowing what to say.

It was a minute or two later that they heard Former Chief Lin Beifong, a valued close family friend, calling their name. As she approached the scene, she looked around and took in the horror of what had just happened. She looked at the two who were seemed to be unscathed, and gave them a confused look. Toph looked at her cousin, looked back at Lin, and Naoki closed her eyes and braced herself for the words to follow.

"She's The Avatar" Toph said.