Prologue[]
Water... Earth... Fire... Air...
Long ago, the four nations lived together, in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.
A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an air bender named Aang, and although his air bending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he is ready to save anyone.
But I believe that Aang can save the world.
Previously, on Avatar[]
When Aang has a vision that Katara is in danger, Aang, Sokka, and Toph all rush back to Ba Sing Se to save her. They meet up with Iroh, who asks their help in saving Zuko who had been captured as well. As Aang and Iroh journey to the prison where Zuko and Katara are held, Toph and Sokka go to save the Earth King, but are captured by Azula.
In a daring move, Princess Azula attacks Aang and Katara. She is soon helped, surprisingly, by her brother Zuko. The begin a very matched battle. In a daring move of metal bending, Toph escapes the metal prison, taking along with her Sokka and the Earth King.
As Aang and Katara fights, the Dai Li enters and overpowers the two.
"There's too many." Katara says, seeing the hopelesness of the situation.
"The only way, is to let her go." Aang remembers the words of the Guru who was trying to teach him to master the Avatar state. He realises that this was the only way that he could save them now.
"I'm sorry, Katara." He said, more to himself.
Aang walks and encases himself in a dome of earthen crystals. He then meditates and he tries to master the Avatar state. His tatoos starts to glow and everyone stops, afraid of the power of the Avatar. Aang rises, breaking out of the crystal dome, moving higher into the air.
Then, suddenly, the is a bolt of lightening. The Fire Princess, Azula, shoots Aang out of the air, and he falls unconciously to the ground. With tears in her eyes, Katara summons the water around her and rescues the falling Aang. She is being cornered by Zuko and Azula. Luckily, Fire Master Iroh comes and creates a diversion that allows her to escape with Aang still unconcious.
The Fifth Element[]
Aang wakes up, but where he is, he does not know. The land was different, he had never seen such landscapes before. Aang had travelled to almost all parts of the world on the back of his pet flying bison, Appa, and had seen most of the world. The only places that he did not frequent were the lands of the Fire Nation, though he was sure that these lands were not part of the Fire Nation, since they were the most beautiful lands he had ever seen.
The grass were green and skies were blue. Children were running along the fields, playing with each other, happy. The Fire Nation was never here, these lands were save from the dreadful rule of the Fire Lord Ozai.
Aang realised that these children were benders, at least some of them, though he was uncertain of exactly what type of bending they were. Most of them seemed to be beding the water as they played, while some were bending the earth and others still were bending fire. But what surprised Aang was a particular boy who was busy bending the air around his kite to make it fly.
Aang started running towards this boy. He was excited to meet, for the first time since he was found, another Air bender. Was this a decendant of his temple that was lost a hundred years ago to the Fire Nation?
Before Aang reached the boy, a figure appeared in front of him. This figure was the spirit form of Avatar Roku, the Fire Nation born Avatar before Aang.
"Avatar Roku!" Aang exclaimed as he saw the Avatar's spirit form appeared in front of him. "Where am I? Am I in the spirit realm?"
"No, you are not." Avatar Roku answered. "This is the land of the peaceful Fifth Element Race."
"Fifth Element?" Aang asked. "I see the children bending water, earth and fire. I even saw one kid bending air! Are the air benders still alive?"
"That was not air bending." Avatar Roku answered.
Aang became dismayed. He has always hoped that somehow there were survivors of Air benders somewhere, living in peace ans secret from the Fire King.
"So what is the Fifth Element?" Aang asked.
"That is not for me to say, for even I do not know." Avatar Roku answered. "I just know that this place is as mysterious as the Spirit realm itself. In fact, if I am not mistaken, it is a pathway between Earth and the Spirit Realm."
"A pathway?"
"The inhabitants here are even a mixture between spirits and humans, and are able to bend all the elements, thought I do not know how." Avatar Roku explained.
"Are you telling me that everyone here are Avatars?" Aang asked. "I mean, if they are able to bend all the elements and are a link between the real world and the Spirit World?"
"I am not sure." Avatar Roku explained. "And that is not really why I am here. I am here to warn you of your doings. You were almost killed, Aang, while in the Avatar state. Remember that I told you that if an Avatar is killed while in the Avatar State, then the chain of Avatar ends, and the balance between the four nations will be left unto the people themselves."
"I understand." Aang said, fear and sorrow in his voice. "But I had no other choice. They were too many, there was nothing else that I could do."
"I am just saying that you should choose your fights more wisely." Avatar Roku said. "And be wise in when you go into the Avatar State." And with that, the spirit form of Avatar Roku vanished.
By now, almost all the of the children who were playing had stopped. They were now looking at Aang and the spot where Avatar Roku was before he dissappeared. Aang guessed that they too had seen Avatar Roku, since he now knows that these children are some link between the spirit world as well.
"Hello there." Aang said to the children. Most of them were about his age. "Can you tell me where I can find someone who can tell me more about this place?"
"You need to go visit Lord Psyne." One of the younger child said. "He is in the Head House of our town, I can take you there."
"Thank you." Aang said, as he followed that child towards the town.
Lord Psyne was a tall, dark, slim, elderly man. And although he was old, which was indicated by his long grey beard and deep-sunk eyes, he seemed very agile and aware of what was going on around him. He welcomed Aang as he entered the room, without looking up from his drink.
"Welcome, Avatar Aang." The man said. "This is the first time in eons that an Avatar has visited our sacred land."
"Where am I?" Asked Aang. "I have never seen or heard of this place before."
"You are in the Lands of the Fifth Element Race." Lord Psyne said. "And it is my understanding that Avatar Roku has visited you and already told you of this."
It was not a question, but Aang felt compelled to answer. "Yes, he did, a little." But Aang's understanding of the Fifth Element was still limited. "But what exactly is the Fifth Element."
"You are aware, i'm sure, of the four elements and their connection to each other?" Lord Psyne began. "The four elements, Water, Earth, Fire and Air are all connected to ensure the survival of all the creatures. This connection is what we call the Fifth Element. You, see, we are not water or air or fire or earth benders, for we bend none of these. Instead, we bend the thing that links these elements."
"I'm not too sure that I understand."
"Imagine two children playing tug-of-war." Lord Psyne said. "Now, suppose that you need to move both of the children simultaneously, how will you do it?"
"I will trip one down." Aang said, imagining the scenario. "Then both would fall."
Lord Psyne laughed. "I have never thought of that option. However, what I had in mind is instead of you moving any one child, you move the rope that bonds them. This is the nature of the Fifth Element. It is the bond that holds all the elements together, and we are able to bend it."
"That is amazing." Aang said. "Everyone here is like an Avatar, then. In fact, a much stronger Avatar than myself, since I refuse to Fire bend."
"Refuse to Fire bend?" Lord Psyne said. He then closed his eyes, as if looking into the minds of Aang.
Aang, at that particular instant was thinking of the first time he Fire bend, and how it had hurt Katara, who he loved so much.
"Yes, I can see why you are afraid of fire." Lord Psyne said. "However, we are not Avatars here. We may be able to bend all the elements, and we may be able to communicate with the spirit world, much like the Avatar is able to. But you have one strength that is the the greatest weapon of the Avatar, the Avatar State."
"I'm not sure that I will be able to return to the Avatar State either." Aang said. "For I fear that if I am killed while in that state..."
"Have no fear, Aang." Lord Psyne said. "Everything will happen as it should, trust in the elements. First, you need to get back to your world where you are needed."
"And how do I do that?" Aang asked.
"Like the Spirit World," Lord Psyne explained, "this world is in a different dimention from yours. The Lords and Ladies of my race has long ago moved it unto this plane to keep us away from the more violent humans. Now I am not too sure if that was the best choice."
"And how do I return?" Aang asked.
"When they made this realm, they created a doorway. Although they made it so that only Fifth Element benders can pass through." Lord Psyne said.
"So then I am stuck here?" Aang asked.
"Not really. You are the Avatar, master of all the elemets, Fifth Element included." Lord Psyne said. "Also, there were persons from your world that had tapped into bending the Fifth Element. Fire benders such as Azula, Master Iroh and Fire Lord Ozai had tapped into the Fifth Element when they bend lightening. Water benders tap into it when they heal. Earth benders, such as your friend Toph, has tapped into it when they bend metal. The Avatar should surely be able to do it."
Lord Psyne leads Aang to a field, in the middle of which stood a single stoned archway. Aang had guessed that this was the portal back to his realm, and now all that he had to do was to Fifth Element bend to go through. This, he had no idea of how to do.
Aang tried water bending, earth bending, air bending... nothing happened to the archway. "What am I doing wrong?" Aang asked.
"Nothing." Lord Psyne said. "Except that you are not Fifth Element bending. You see, try not to bend the elements, try to bend the thing between the elements."
Aang tried again. Again he failed.
"Perhaps I can simplify it for you." Lord Psyne said. "Instead of focusing on one element, try bending all together. For the only way that you can do that is by bending the Fifth Element."
Aang tried. Failed.
"Do you know what that connection is?" Lord Psyne asked. "It is the thing that connects all the elements, including all of us. You have felt this connection, I sense. You were forced to let go of it. Do you know of what i speak?"
Aang turned away, sorrow in his heart. He was thinking of Katara and how he was forced to let her go as he tried to master the Avatar state; somthing that he was unsure that he will ever want to do again. "You are talking about love."
"I sense that in this you are clouded." lord Psyne said.
"Confused." Aang said. "I don't understand. I need to feel close to those I love, and yet be able to let them go?"
"You are the Avatar." Lord Psyne said. "it means, above everything, that your love for all things that live should be greater than anyone else's. Although I can sense that your love is concentrated more so on one person. Love is what give us and even yourself, power. But the fear of loosing someone can drive anyone powerless. Therefore we must train ourselves to let go of those we love, so that the fear of loosing them does not harm us."
"So, I should love Katara, and yet be able to let her go to complete my duties as Avatar?"
"Precisely."
At that particular moment, the portal began to light up. There was an image emmanating from the portal, it was Katara. She was holding in her arms an unconcious Aang. She took the vial of water from the northern water tribe that she had obtained in one of their earlier journeys and healed the unconcious Avatar.
Aang woke up. Katara had him in his arms. They were on Appa flying over the outer walls of the city of Ba Sing Se along with Toph, Sokka and the Earth King.
For more information on Avatar, its characters and history, see the wikipedia articles.