The Shadowbender Book 1 ( Avatar Last Airbender FanFic/ Zuko Romance)

Chapter 1: Color is just an illusion

Run, Run for your life little girl!!!" The voice came closer, it was a female voice that gave me the creeps. It was high pitched and demanding. 'Where the heck is Onai?!' I jump from tree to tree. I felt the cold ruff surface of the wood on my hands and how it cuts through my skin every time I slipped. I wanted to bend my way out of this horrible situation but I haven't perfected my form yet and can't do it while I am off the ground. I have to close my eyes and feel the four elements. This form happens all in my head. I just have to concentrate enough and let go of gravity. The only physical move I do during this process of shadow-traveling is "Bao Quan", a hand gesture in which the right hand is in a fist underneath your opened left hand, both are placed in front of your upper body. It is important to keep this gesture tense and pure.

I feel my condition passing away as I suddenly feel the heat burning my back. The extreme heat of this rare blue fire makes the blood vessels in my skin explode. The pain is so intense that it makes my body cramp. I try to stay awake while jumping to the next branch but the searing pain explodes through my whole body. I started having trouble breathing and loosing my vision. Suddenly I hear a loud deep howl. "Onai!" I whisper and jump off the old oak tree with my last power, in the hope to land on his soft white back. I feel the air cooling my wound and somehow like a miracle I land on my wolfs back. Even though I have to admit I had smoother landings. My hands grabbing deep into his fur and my upper body leaning forward, I close my eyes and let Onai run as fast as he can. As my eyes shut I just hope that they will give up. Onai's strength was unique and I trusted him that he would get us out of here to a safer place

When I woke up to the rocking as Onai continued to run. I noticed how we somehow managed to escape, but I still haven't seen my opponent"s face. The woods look darker and older; big old pine trees were outlining the small path we were on. Onai was still letting his paws dance across the leafy floor forest floor with such a speed it sounded like thunder. The moon was rising with the dying sun light and I could feel the wind supporting us. I still had no idea were we would spend the night since we had no time to pack our stuff as we got into a surprise attack by some incredibly talented firebenders. I opened my messy bun and let my hair fly shimmering in moonlight like dozens of angry ravens enjoying their freedom. Onai's and I's breathing seem to melt into one. I feel surprisingly alive and whole once more, besides the burns on my back slowly healing.

* * *

When the morning sun rises, I feel the warm rays tickling my nose, I wake up from my blissful sleep and hear birds singing the melody of "Little soldier boy", the only song that I know.

" Leaves from the vine ..."

I feel a single tear roll down on my cheek as I started humming along to the song.

"Falling so slow

Like fragile, tiny shells

Drifting in the foam

Little soldier boy

Come marching home

Brave soldier boy

Comes marching home"

My back was still filled with pain and I felt hungrier than ever before. My last meal was over 20 hours ago and I am slowly running out of clean water. Like always Onai was nowhere to find and I am alone, sitting on the soft wet gras. As I lie down again and look at the clouds, I think of my bending. I have to admit I don't know a lot of forms. I can make myself invisible, walk over into a completely different world, but I think I figured out away to use my bending to get the power of my opponents. Like shadows absorb light, I can absorb other bending forms and use it against them. It took me months to figure it out and I don't even have to say how many times I hurt myself. I got this idea when I saw an old firebender absorb lighting and breath the energy out again. So I tried it with other bending forms and it wasn't that hard but instead of breathing it out I turned it against my opponents. I corrected this form a little bit and made it more powerful. The key is to slide from your stence with your right leg straight and the other one bend in a full circle around you after you received the energy and using both of you hands to convert your power into your advantage with a gesture like you a pushing something away from you with your flat hands turned out a little. However I must say it works best with firebending because it probably comes closest to light and I am the exact opposite of light. I am the shadow that follows it and distinguishes it.