Avatar: One Hundred Years of War

Smoke rose quickly as explosions wracked the Air Temples; flames licking the ornate walls and shredding the canvas huts.

The fighting was fierce.

How the Fire Nation managed to scale the high cliffs was unknown, even to the Monks at the time.

After centuries of peace within the Four Nations, the guard towers and ground-based outposts were left empty.

After mere hours the North, West and Eastern Temples had crumbled against Fire Nation's onslaught. The Great Comet made the Fire Nation's Benders seem unstoppable. And compared to the peaceful Monks, invincible.

Messengers seeking aid from the nearest Earth Kingdom cities had failed... The Southern Air Temple stood alone.

The High Council recalled all Monks and searched for surviving Nuns in the outskirts of the Patola Mountains in an attempt to bolster their defenses.

In the Council Chambers, three monks and a single Nun sat silently. Their faces, only days prior, calm and serene.

Now hardened and rough, a constant glare and fury framed their eyes.

"The Fire Nation Armies will arrive soon, we must find Aang!" Gyastu stated abruptly. This was clearly not the first discussion,

"I disagree!" Tashi denied vehemently, "By sending anyone, we would be leading them straight to him!"

The other two soon joined as the argument grew heated. The four had always been calm and cordial with each other in the past. Yet in this time crisis, they were split for a course of action. Suddenly, all went quiet as a keening whistle sounded.

The Fire Nation had come.

The Council stood as one, bowed to one another for what they all knew was to be the last time, and walked out the open door.

Most the younger Monks had fallen by the time the Council arrived with the Elders. For only a moment there was silence.

Then roaring fire blasted toward the Elders as wind blades sliced through the Fire Nation soldiers.

The violence the Monks abhorred had overtaken them, as one by one their brethren fell before their eyes.

Soon, only one remained:

Gyatsu cut his way through the swarming soldiers, limbs flew upward, much akin to the Bison' that once soared the skies.

Blood coated the cobble ground as Gyatsu fought, his robes torn and his body blackened with flames.

He thought of young Aang, his disciple, his friend.

Aang wouldn't come in time.

But Gyatsu now realized, it for the best. The Avatar was the world's only chance, better for him to survive and the Temples fall, than him dying along with them.

At this time, Gyatsu had his back against a wall. The leading Fire Bender's Captain pushed forward.

"Where is the Avatar?" he questioned Gyatsu with confidence, only to see the Monk smile lightly. It was a gentle smile, one of peaceful acceptance...

A smile that turned just as quickly into a glare of pure rage. An expression unfit for Monk, the Captain thought.

It was his last thought.

With a wide, sweeping strike, the dozen-odd Fire Benders behind collapsed, their bodies riddled with cuts. The Captain's helmet flew by, down the mountain till landing near the now empty Airball Polls with a metallic clanging.

The Captain's now headless body crashed to floor as Gyastu fell back, his body could hold up no more, but as the light dimmed his eyes, the smile returned... a gentle, loving smile.

"Aang..."

PROLOGUE END