Avatar the Rise of Darkness. Book one: Shadows

Chapter 1: The New Avatar

269 AG.

Yan walked through the white lotus' library. It had been three years since he arrived at Lotus Island and the vastness of the library still amazed him. When he was first brought to the Island in Republic City he spent so much time in the library that Master Sho ended up banning him from entering the library on multiple occasions. Of course, that didn't stop Yan, over the past three years he had become a master at stealth, he spent more time learning how to get out of bending lessons than actually bending.

As Yan browsed the shelves looking for something new to read he heard a voice from behind him.

"I thought you were banned from coming in here."

Yan looked at the guy who said it, it was his friend Jian possibly the only member of the white lotus that the avatar had any respect for. He was a young man a few years older than Yan, he wore a white lotus uniform and had a sword hanging from his belt.

"Y'know the monks who built this place would just let anyone in here right, no stupid rules banning someone from finding a book to read." said Yan as he continued to look for something to read, "And besides I have nothing better to do."

"Aren't you supposed to be practicing firebending?" Jian asked. 

"You know I don't care about that stuff," said Yan, "Anyway, if they wanted me to learn firebending they could have gotten a teacher who was less strict."

"Master Azara isn't that strict," said Jian.

"He yelled at me for not exhaling long enough," laughed Yan, "I would call that pretty strict." 

"All right, but he is a master," remarked Jian."Is there anyone better to teach the avatar how to firebend?" 

"I mean Omara's a fire bender, she could probably teach me..." responded Yan blushing slightly. Omara was probably the only friend Yan had besides Jian, she was a fire bender who worked at a tea shop in town.

"Are you sure you don't just want her to teach you because you like her," Jian teased.

"Shut up," said Yan. He grabbed a book about architecture off the shelf. "This looks interesting."

"Well now that you've found a book are you going to leave the library?" asked Jian, "I don't want to be here when you get caught."

"Fine, I'll leave," said Yan, "Oh I just remembered, there's a festival thing happening in the city tonight and I was wondering if you'll help me escape this prison."

"Lotus Island isn't a prison, you're free to leave whenever you want," said Jian.

"Yah but I still need you to distract Sho," said Yan, "I've been skipping a lot of bending practice lately and if he finds me there is a high chance that the white lotus is going to need to start looking for a new avatar."

"Yeh, I'll help you escape," laughed Jian, putting escape in air quotes.

"Thanks, I owe you," said Yan.

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Later that night...

Yan walked through the streets of republic city. There were lights, people, and spirits everywhere. The roads had been closed for a festival celebrating the anniversary of harmonic convergence-- when the Republic City spirit portal was opened and avatar Korra started a new more spiritual era. 

Yan arrived at the tea shop where Omara worked. A sign above the door said "White Jade Teahouse". Yan saw his friend waiting in front of the shop. 

"Hey Yan, what's up?" asked Omara, "Where's Jian?"

"Jian is distracting Master Sho," replied Yan, "He'll meet up with us when he's done."

"All right, sounds good"

The two of them wandered around the festival. Looking at the spirits and humans living together. Watching the light shows and the bending displays. Eating food with way too much grease in it.

Sudenly a large boom shocked the two of them. Screams followed shortly after. Smoke and fire rose from a nearby building.

"What was that!?" screamed Omara.

"Sounded like some sort of explosion," said Yan, as he watched the smoke rise.

"We should go see if anyone needs help," said Omara.

"Yeh good idea," said Yan.

The two of them rushed towards the fire. Once they arived they see a woman wearing clothing similar to the white lotus uniforms, exept with inverted colors, red and black. She was shooting bursts of fire from her hands and igniting everything around her.

The woman was shouting, "We will rise! Raava will fall! The age of Vaatu will begin again!"

She looked twords Yan. "The world will be reborn in anarchy and freedom... starting with the avatar's death..."