Post by Teяa253 on Mar 27, 2008 8:13:38 GMT 1
This Chapter is a little longer becuase it is not only the ending chapter of "Avatar: Mysteries", but also the Prologue of "Avatar: The Cycle Survives". SO yeah, HUGE plot twist in chapter 14, and a little unexpected material present in this chapter. So, I hope you enjoy it.
THE CYCLE SURVIVED
The next 18 years passed by quickly. By then my child had been born. She had dark skin and brown hair just like mine. She grew up to be a strapping young woman. I had been told that she looked tough. I just said she looked like me. I was not one to brag. One very peculiar thing about Kai Serenes II, as she was named (I was now Kai Serenes I) was that unlike me, she had been born with the N-shaped tattoo on her arm. It was blue. Now, by age 18, I had not told her that her marking had a meaning.
Kai II was not normal. She had certain aspects in her life that made her incredibly different. I did not dare tell her who she really was, because that would cause mass confusion. However, since usually the information I was withholding was revealed when the person was 16, I figured Kai’s time was coming fast. In the meantime, there was new leadership over the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, and the Earth Kingdom. The world had seemingly returned to peace, but there was an international uneasiness. The new leader of the Fire Nation was having trouble keeping things in order, because some people wanted a different person on the throne. Whoever was in charge was doing a good job at keeping them subdued. Ironically, all three leaders were seldom where they should have been. They were often abroad.
My friends Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Sanaki were all okay. Zuko however, had been killed by Tera 3 years previously. I had only learned this recently; otherwise I would have revived him. I was so distraught by this. He and Katara had been married only a few years before. Toph and Sokka had married as well. From what I understood, Sanaki had supposedly married a man named Saza, but to this day, their relationship is still unclear. As far as anyone knows, she is still not married. Kai II and I would visit them often.
My mother, Kai I, was so sweet to me. I could see why Sanaki loved her so much. She had apparently made a good mother figure to her. She was now 55. I was only 18. My other friends, Sokka, Toph, Sanaki, and Katara, were between 31 and 34. I looked exactly like my mother by this time. I even wore my hair the same way she did. The differences were that I was still a few inches shorter than her height of 6’0”, and her hair was beginning to turn grey. She was getting old.
I had recently begun hearing talk about the last Avatar, a person who could master all four elements. There were rumors that the Avatar was still alive—that the last Avatar, Avatar Aang, had not been killed while in the Avatar state like people thought. The supernatural, Tera, was supposed to be taken down by an Avatar, but how could that happen when such a being no longer existed? For some reason, this talk about Avatars made always took my fancy, and I wanted to learn as much about them as I could. However, every time I asked my mother about them, she would get really sad and change the subject. I never pressed her too hard—I grew up just like her. She taught me to be selfless—to always put others first.
However, my mother constantly diverting the subject from Avatars was about to change. It did one day, midway through my 19th year—5 months before my 19th birthday.
“Kai,” she said, “come here for a moment. I need to tell you something that will change your life forever.”
“What is it, mother?” I asked, and Kai led me to a small, secluded room and made sure no one could possibly hear us.
“Do you know about how Avatar Aang died?” she asked me,
“Aye,” I replied, “it ended the avatar cycle forever.”
“Actually,” said Kai I, “it did not. The Avatar Cycle survived.”
“WHAT,” I exclaimed,
“SHH,” my mother whispered, and I calmed down. I had not been expecting that. “What do you mean?” I asked her,
“Avatar Aang had left the Avatar State right when he was killed. It was an act. He knew that he was going to die as he saw the lightning coming. His reflexes were only quick enough to take him out of the avatar state before he died. You do know the cycle, right? The order in which the Avatars come from; if so, that means that the next element after air would be…”
“Water,” I said, “right?”
“Precisely,” my mother replied, “and you know about Tera the supernatural, correct?” I nodded.
“Tera thinks that the avatar cycle ended. I have just told you that it didn’t. I know who the next avatar is, and they are indeed a waterbender. Kai, there is a reason you are so interested in avatars. Have you had weird dreams about meeting people you’ve never seen, but that know you and recognize you by name?”
“Yes,” I replied, “yes I have. There was this huge woman with a pair of fans, an old man with a long, swaying beard, and a young bald boy with arrows on his head and arms. They would often talk to me. I recognized them as the avatars. Why though, are they talking to me?”
“Kai,” I said, “they are talking to you because you are a reincarnation of them. You are the next avatar.”
My jaw dropped, and everything suddenly went black.
I woke up to find myself on the floor.
“What happened, mother?” I asked,
“You fainted after I told you that you are the avatar,” my mother replied, “Kai, I did not push you so hard to learn my skills for no reason. I knew it from the day you were born.”
“So,” I said, “what about the Avatar state? How come I’ve never gone into it? Weren’t you supposed to tell me this when I was 16?”
“I would have,” said Kai, “but I was deeply concerned for your safety. I know that young people that age will somehow accidentally leak news as big as that out. It was not that I didn’t trust you; it was that I worry for your safety. If people find out that the Avatar still does exist, it would mean your demise, and likely mine as well.”
“I’d sacrifice myself for you, mother,” I said, tears forming in my eyes, “I would never let them get you. So, why have I never entered the avatar state if I’m really the avatar?”
“Usually,” my mother replied, “at this young of an age, an avatar will only go into the Avatar state when they are very frightened, or when they are very angry. You have adopted my personality very well, and you almost never get angry as a result. You are just like me.”
“Oh,” I said, still trying to take in the fact that I, Kai Serenes II, was the next Avatar—that the cycle had survived.
“I do hope you will forgive me for delaying it two years,” my mother said humbly, closing her eyes and lowering her head,
“I do, mother,” I replied, “I could never get angry at you of all people. You are far too calm and collected.”
“You are just young and slightly unstable, like all youth are.” My mother replied, “By the time you are 21, you should be completely grown up as well.” I nodded.
“Anyways,” she continued, “Kai, since you are the Avatar, you must go and find teachers for the other three elements that can teach you the ways. You have obviously mastered water—for I have taught you everything; and you might even be able to outperform me. I will take you to the other lands to help you learn to bend earth, fire, and air.”
“So, how am I going to find my teachers?”
“I already know who two of them are,” Kai replied, “I will take you to the Northern Water Tribe first though, because there is something else you must learn.”
My mother went into a back room and brought back a pair of katana. “These blades belonged to your father,” she said, “he was a master warrior, since he could not bend. You must also learn to master these.”
“Okay,” I replied, “I suppose you know of a teacher for these as well?”
“Indeed I do,” my mother replied, “there is a master in the Northern Water Tribe. That is another reason we are going there. The first reason is so we can meet the head of the Water Tribes. They might be able to give you some pointers that I cannot.”
“So,” I asked, “Am I going to have to learn waterbending again?”
“No,” my mother replied, chuckling slightly, “but I do want you to master the art of blade-wielding as well. There are times when bending will be of no use. These are the times you will need these weapons. You wear them on your back like this.”
I showed my daughter how to properly wear the sheaths of the blades. I then put the katana in them, and looked her over.
“They make you look tough.” I said, “That is a good thing. Avatar Kai, there are some things though, that I must warn you about before we depart.” Kai nodded and looked me straight in the eye.
“What are they, mother?” she asked me,
“You must not let anyone—not even your friends—know that you are the avatar.” I replied, “Again, there is always a possibility that word would leak out. If Tera ever found out that the avatar was still alive, she would destroy this entire world.”
“Okay,” she nodded in response, “so, I suppose I’ll just change my clothes with each place I go to then?”
“Indeed,” I replied, “one thing though that I am going to request for your benefit, is to always go barefoot. It has been proven by various people that those who go barefoot will perform better. There are various reasons, but the main one is because I can testify form experience. This is the reason I have never let you wear shoes either.”
“I understand,” the young avatar replied, “so, who are my teachers?”
“Well, the blade master is in the Northern Water Tribe, as is the head of the water tribes.” I replied, “They will teach you some things. Your earthbending teacher is also the leader of the Earth Kingdom. That will be next. Once we complete our tasks there, we will go to the Fire Nation. There, we will meet the ruler of the Fire Nation, and that will be your firebending teacher. As for Airbending, that will be difficult. I have heard rumors of an airbender that has been seen around the western air temple. If this person really exists, she will teach you airbending. I believe you may have crossed paths with her at one time or another.”
“So,” I said, “it sounds like my teachers are all pretty important people, huh?” my mother nodded.
“In that case,” I said, “let us be off. My lips are sealed. I will say nothing about being the Avatar.”
“You are the one hope for removing Tera’s authority,” my mother warned as we headed out the door, “Avatar Kai,”
~Mai~
THE CYCLE SURVIVED
The next 18 years passed by quickly. By then my child had been born. She had dark skin and brown hair just like mine. She grew up to be a strapping young woman. I had been told that she looked tough. I just said she looked like me. I was not one to brag. One very peculiar thing about Kai Serenes II, as she was named (I was now Kai Serenes I) was that unlike me, she had been born with the N-shaped tattoo on her arm. It was blue. Now, by age 18, I had not told her that her marking had a meaning.
Kai II was not normal. She had certain aspects in her life that made her incredibly different. I did not dare tell her who she really was, because that would cause mass confusion. However, since usually the information I was withholding was revealed when the person was 16, I figured Kai’s time was coming fast. In the meantime, there was new leadership over the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, and the Earth Kingdom. The world had seemingly returned to peace, but there was an international uneasiness. The new leader of the Fire Nation was having trouble keeping things in order, because some people wanted a different person on the throne. Whoever was in charge was doing a good job at keeping them subdued. Ironically, all three leaders were seldom where they should have been. They were often abroad.
My friends Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Sanaki were all okay. Zuko however, had been killed by Tera 3 years previously. I had only learned this recently; otherwise I would have revived him. I was so distraught by this. He and Katara had been married only a few years before. Toph and Sokka had married as well. From what I understood, Sanaki had supposedly married a man named Saza, but to this day, their relationship is still unclear. As far as anyone knows, she is still not married. Kai II and I would visit them often.
My mother, Kai I, was so sweet to me. I could see why Sanaki loved her so much. She had apparently made a good mother figure to her. She was now 55. I was only 18. My other friends, Sokka, Toph, Sanaki, and Katara, were between 31 and 34. I looked exactly like my mother by this time. I even wore my hair the same way she did. The differences were that I was still a few inches shorter than her height of 6’0”, and her hair was beginning to turn grey. She was getting old.
I had recently begun hearing talk about the last Avatar, a person who could master all four elements. There were rumors that the Avatar was still alive—that the last Avatar, Avatar Aang, had not been killed while in the Avatar state like people thought. The supernatural, Tera, was supposed to be taken down by an Avatar, but how could that happen when such a being no longer existed? For some reason, this talk about Avatars made always took my fancy, and I wanted to learn as much about them as I could. However, every time I asked my mother about them, she would get really sad and change the subject. I never pressed her too hard—I grew up just like her. She taught me to be selfless—to always put others first.
However, my mother constantly diverting the subject from Avatars was about to change. It did one day, midway through my 19th year—5 months before my 19th birthday.
“Kai,” she said, “come here for a moment. I need to tell you something that will change your life forever.”
“What is it, mother?” I asked, and Kai led me to a small, secluded room and made sure no one could possibly hear us.
“Do you know about how Avatar Aang died?” she asked me,
“Aye,” I replied, “it ended the avatar cycle forever.”
“Actually,” said Kai I, “it did not. The Avatar Cycle survived.”
“WHAT,” I exclaimed,
“SHH,” my mother whispered, and I calmed down. I had not been expecting that. “What do you mean?” I asked her,
“Avatar Aang had left the Avatar State right when he was killed. It was an act. He knew that he was going to die as he saw the lightning coming. His reflexes were only quick enough to take him out of the avatar state before he died. You do know the cycle, right? The order in which the Avatars come from; if so, that means that the next element after air would be…”
“Water,” I said, “right?”
“Precisely,” my mother replied, “and you know about Tera the supernatural, correct?” I nodded.
“Tera thinks that the avatar cycle ended. I have just told you that it didn’t. I know who the next avatar is, and they are indeed a waterbender. Kai, there is a reason you are so interested in avatars. Have you had weird dreams about meeting people you’ve never seen, but that know you and recognize you by name?”
“Yes,” I replied, “yes I have. There was this huge woman with a pair of fans, an old man with a long, swaying beard, and a young bald boy with arrows on his head and arms. They would often talk to me. I recognized them as the avatars. Why though, are they talking to me?”
“Kai,” I said, “they are talking to you because you are a reincarnation of them. You are the next avatar.”
My jaw dropped, and everything suddenly went black.
I woke up to find myself on the floor.
“What happened, mother?” I asked,
“You fainted after I told you that you are the avatar,” my mother replied, “Kai, I did not push you so hard to learn my skills for no reason. I knew it from the day you were born.”
“So,” I said, “what about the Avatar state? How come I’ve never gone into it? Weren’t you supposed to tell me this when I was 16?”
“I would have,” said Kai, “but I was deeply concerned for your safety. I know that young people that age will somehow accidentally leak news as big as that out. It was not that I didn’t trust you; it was that I worry for your safety. If people find out that the Avatar still does exist, it would mean your demise, and likely mine as well.”
“I’d sacrifice myself for you, mother,” I said, tears forming in my eyes, “I would never let them get you. So, why have I never entered the avatar state if I’m really the avatar?”
“Usually,” my mother replied, “at this young of an age, an avatar will only go into the Avatar state when they are very frightened, or when they are very angry. You have adopted my personality very well, and you almost never get angry as a result. You are just like me.”
“Oh,” I said, still trying to take in the fact that I, Kai Serenes II, was the next Avatar—that the cycle had survived.
“I do hope you will forgive me for delaying it two years,” my mother said humbly, closing her eyes and lowering her head,
“I do, mother,” I replied, “I could never get angry at you of all people. You are far too calm and collected.”
“You are just young and slightly unstable, like all youth are.” My mother replied, “By the time you are 21, you should be completely grown up as well.” I nodded.
“Anyways,” she continued, “Kai, since you are the Avatar, you must go and find teachers for the other three elements that can teach you the ways. You have obviously mastered water—for I have taught you everything; and you might even be able to outperform me. I will take you to the other lands to help you learn to bend earth, fire, and air.”
“So, how am I going to find my teachers?”
“I already know who two of them are,” Kai replied, “I will take you to the Northern Water Tribe first though, because there is something else you must learn.”
My mother went into a back room and brought back a pair of katana. “These blades belonged to your father,” she said, “he was a master warrior, since he could not bend. You must also learn to master these.”
“Okay,” I replied, “I suppose you know of a teacher for these as well?”
“Indeed I do,” my mother replied, “there is a master in the Northern Water Tribe. That is another reason we are going there. The first reason is so we can meet the head of the Water Tribes. They might be able to give you some pointers that I cannot.”
“So,” I asked, “Am I going to have to learn waterbending again?”
“No,” my mother replied, chuckling slightly, “but I do want you to master the art of blade-wielding as well. There are times when bending will be of no use. These are the times you will need these weapons. You wear them on your back like this.”
I showed my daughter how to properly wear the sheaths of the blades. I then put the katana in them, and looked her over.
“They make you look tough.” I said, “That is a good thing. Avatar Kai, there are some things though, that I must warn you about before we depart.” Kai nodded and looked me straight in the eye.
“What are they, mother?” she asked me,
“You must not let anyone—not even your friends—know that you are the avatar.” I replied, “Again, there is always a possibility that word would leak out. If Tera ever found out that the avatar was still alive, she would destroy this entire world.”
“Okay,” she nodded in response, “so, I suppose I’ll just change my clothes with each place I go to then?”
“Indeed,” I replied, “one thing though that I am going to request for your benefit, is to always go barefoot. It has been proven by various people that those who go barefoot will perform better. There are various reasons, but the main one is because I can testify form experience. This is the reason I have never let you wear shoes either.”
“I understand,” the young avatar replied, “so, who are my teachers?”
“Well, the blade master is in the Northern Water Tribe, as is the head of the water tribes.” I replied, “They will teach you some things. Your earthbending teacher is also the leader of the Earth Kingdom. That will be next. Once we complete our tasks there, we will go to the Fire Nation. There, we will meet the ruler of the Fire Nation, and that will be your firebending teacher. As for Airbending, that will be difficult. I have heard rumors of an airbender that has been seen around the western air temple. If this person really exists, she will teach you airbending. I believe you may have crossed paths with her at one time or another.”
“So,” I said, “it sounds like my teachers are all pretty important people, huh?” my mother nodded.
“In that case,” I said, “let us be off. My lips are sealed. I will say nothing about being the Avatar.”
“You are the one hope for removing Tera’s authority,” my mother warned as we headed out the door, “Avatar Kai,”
~Mai~
