ATLA, In A Darker World

The history of a world was vast with its past, present, and future created by the very actions of man itself. From the primitive era, to the industrial age and advanced twenty-first century to the gradual reveal of cutting-edge technology.

Using less than ten percent of their brains, man had constantly changed their world, created countless firsts and weaved the fully unexplored region that was the past which later generations would look back on and learn from, marvel at or emulate to create even greater stories.

The past pushing on the future as the actions of more and more people would create the past, present, and future the world would forever come to know.

Wars, technology development, scientific advancements, laws, and theories..... People would always remember the people who pioneered the way that brought forth the things they could see with their very eyes.

Many would always wonder, assume, speculate on the question "What would the world be like today if this didn't happen".

If Hitler never started the war, If electricity was never discovered, if Leonardo da Vinci never created the Mona Lisa and worst of all ... If the Internet was never created.

From bigger things that was reminiscent to the whole world to smaller things that only dealt with our own singular affairs.

What would have happened if I had studied harder in school, gone to a better college, gotten a higher paying job, confessed to my school crush, pursued my dream of being a soccer superstar and the likes.

Regrets, sorrows, happy events, coincidences, what ifs.....

These were the big things people would think of. A representation of a period of time which major events of importance took place that led to a big impact on their personal world or the world itself today.

Our past, our present, our future. The vast majority of us could vividly list out several main occurrences we experienced during our lives that lead us to the point where we found ourselves today.

Like a paraplegic who became that way due to a horrifying accident, or a sports enthusiast now on a wheelchair due to a terrible injury during a game or simply an instance of Doctor Strange.

A narcissistic bastard who had his hands destroyed in a terrible accident because he wasn't paying attention to the road while driving. Iron Man, who received a major life reform after one trip to Afghanistan, Captain America who turned from a dwarf weakling into a super chad with one bottle of chemicals, Superman ...

A series of main events leading up to those defining moments in our lives.

It all formed the Timeline. The events that took place in the past which constituted our current present.

Just like it was on Earth and different realities in fiction, it was the same on the Natural realm of the Avatar Verse.

The Disappearance of the Avatar, The Air Nomads Genocide, The Fire Nation's hundred-year war ... No matter which nation, people would always remember the greater things. The big events.

Yet little did they realize that behind those memorable happenings were series of seemingly smaller occurrences, coincidences, right or wrong decisions, mistakes, promises, accidents even, that would ultimately lead to the reality they've experienced.

After all, Sozin didn't just wake up one morning and decide to destroy the Air Nomads simply because he felt like it.

Those small happenings, from something as insignificant as a bender at the North Pole taking a deep breath at 6am in the morning to Aang deciding to run away from the Southern Air temple.

Every step, every choice, each action everyone made would be woven together to form a chain of events that created the mystery that was the future.

It was advanced theory that the world was deeply interconnected, such that one small occurrence could influence a much larger complex system. So much so that a casual flapping of a butterfly's wings at a certain place and a certain time of day or night could hypothetically cause a typhoon.

A person deciding to rest an extra twenty minutes more in bed could, through a chain of seemingly unrelated events, lead to the destruction of the Southern Water tribe or the death of an unknown individual.

The butterfly effect. A theory mostly associated to chaos phenomenon on how the change of a single action in an original timeline could lead to all sorts of different possibilities (Problems. In movies, novels, theories, there are never any good endings)

Changing the present and possibly future to something entirely different from what it was supposed to be.

This theory or possibility wasn't even something the residents of this elemental world could possibly fathom at this stage.

Yet unknown to them, however, the helpless unintentional actions of a certain unwanted guest from another dimension was screwing up the future of their world without them knowing.

Earth Kingdom Colonial Territory….

Two days before the winter solstice.

Flying forwards while hovering above the light, white clouds, was a Raptor hawk.

With dark reddish feathers on its back and top and buff colored ones on the belly and underside of the wings and tail, this moderately sized bird of prey had another more prominent name known to anyone he laid eyes on it.

Messenger Hawk.

But contrary to others, this hawk didn't have a satchel worn on its body nor did it have a canister containing a scroll with important contents strapped to its back.

Meaning it wasn't a Fire Nation military avian bird.

Unlike its domesticated brethren, this was a wild Raptor hawk, soaring through the skies as it reveled in all its freedom.

The revelling was short-lived however as it quickly got to work. The kids back home were hungry, and food wasn't going to provide itself.

Even in the animal Kingdom, the fate of hard work could not be escaped. Jobs still existed with the only difference being that everyone's jobs were now divided into two groups. Find what to eat and simultaneously avoid getting eaten.

With sharp eyes, it surveyed the land below as it searched for adequate prey that would serve as its midday lunch.

Normal everyday routine. After all, it ruled the skies for kilometers in every direction. Around these parts, it was long as there were no avian creatures that could contest with its might.

However ... The Raptor Hawk flying in the skies was suddenly covered by a black shadow.

That's right, a shadow. But it was already flying above the clouds. How could it be covered by a shadow?

Caw! It released.

Then .....

Marghhh!

The Hawk was startled at the loud bellow coming from above. Without looking behind to see what had released it, the Hawk swooped downwards at full speed, its survival instinct driving it to flee for its dear life as far away as possible.

"Appa ... You scared it away". The high-pitched voice of a depressed Water tribe male youth resounded from the Bison's back.

"You can't blame Appa. It's not his fault. Besides, you couldn't even catch that bird anyway …".

Soft giggles resounded through the air as the Flying Bison flew forward at a leisurely speed, its resident passengers all laying relaxed and comfy.

"Those clouds are so soft, aren't they?" Katara uttered as she saw Appa's shadow reflect off the clouds.

"Like you could just jump down and land in a big soft cotton heap".

"Maybe you should give it a try". The words fell, and Katara's face scrunched up in displeasure.

"You're hilarious". The Water tribe girl scoffed at her brother's sarcastic remark. There was no way she was going to do something so outrageous. She wasn't seeking death.

However ....." I'll try it". Someone else in their group was more ..... Open-minded. The two siblings watched as Aang jumped off Appa's back, his figure disappearing into the clouds.

"Ha ha ha ha …. Yeah!" His voice rang out with exhilaration while Katara and Sokka had their ears darting in different directions as they searched for his figure.

As a result, Aang flew up from the clouds on his glider and landed behind them, his whole body soaked with water.

"Turns out, clouds are made of water". With a little Airbending, the water was blown away, and the last air nomad was a good as new.

Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Only an Airbender would perform such a crazy act.

She turned her attention away into her distance only to be startled at what she saw.

"Hey!….". She called out to her brother and Aang. "What is that ...". Their attention was captured as they followed her gaze into the distance. Both boys had their faces change drastically at what they saw.

Black, in the vast greenery, was an area that was pitch black.

"It's like a scar .....". Sokka uttered, his eyes wide with shock and his expression stunned.

The trio watched in silence as Appa flew over into the scorched land. Upon getting closer to the earth, they could see it more clearly.

Burned. All the vegetation, wildlife, all of it ..... Gone.

"What happened here …". Katara asked with her mouth slightly open.

"I have no idea". Aang replied. "Come on, let's get down for a closer look ….".

"No, not here". Sokka uttered with a shake of his head. They both turned to him with an inquiring gaze, only to see his eyes fixed somewhere else.

"Let's check that place out first". They could see what Sokka was talking about. The area Aang wanted to land on was surrounded by black earth for a long distance.

The spot Sokka pointed to however was different. It was charred black just like the rest of the land, but the area wasn't large, and it was surrounded by vegetation.

"Alright .....". Aang said while slightly flicking the reins. They deviated from the forest and came to the spot where Sokka had pointed out.

"It's.... It's a village". Katara exclaimed as she saw the ruins of what looked to be a destroyed settlement.

"Was a village is more accurate….". Said Sokka. "Looks like it's been terribly burned down. And from the looks of it, it's quite recent".

"Yeah, but .....". Aang felt his hands tremble. "Where are the people?"

He uttered while Appa descended to the ground. Following which, the trio spread their eyes to understand the situation before them.

However, the next scene they saw made their eyes widen. Bodies, dead bodies sprawled out on the floor.

"Oh my God ….". Katara uttered while covering her mouth.

"Those are ….". Aang turned slightly pale before his gaze was turned away by Katara, hugging the young 112-year-old before turning her gaze away as well.

".... Bodies …". Only Sokka still looked on, his face just as unsightly as theirs.

As on the ground, were corpses. Not just anyone though ..... "Fire Nation". Normally, this shouldn't be a big deal. Aang had already seen Fire Nation corpses, as well as the skeleton of Monk Gyatso back at the southern air temple. However, those were just pieces of armor and decayed bones.

After a hundred years, even the rotting smell had faded away with time and the wind. But this ..... This was brutal. Blood, limbs, torn organs.

When had the young airbender ever witnessed such a bloody scene? It was all so vivid. But that wasn't even the worst part.

No, what worsened it was that among the Fire Nation bodies, there were also ones clothed with regular attire.

Plain, coarse, worn out, they had seen people wearing such throughout their journey.

Combined with the burned village, it was easy to guess their identities. Villagers.

Katara quickly shielded him and averted her gaze as well, not bearing to stand the sight of it.

"Let's go Aang. Appa, get us out of here, yip yip".

Thankfully, none of them had gotten off the Bison's back yet. Appa slapped his large furry tail against the air and took off to the skies.

Sokka had taken over Aang's piloting as the young airbender wasn't precisely in the right state right now.

"Aang, it's ok. There's no need to …".

"It's my fault". The bald kid said, cutting her off.

"It's not your fault, Aang. You didn't do any of this. The Fire Nation did". Katara uttered with distress and sorrow. She had seen what the war had done, how hard it had devastated her tribe..... She lost so many things. Her joy, her peace ..... Her mother. But it had been a long time since then. Seeing this gruesome scene, Katara suddenly remembered the horrors of the fire nation.

Slaughtering a village! Only monsters would do this.

Her train of thought showed just how unsettled she was. Nevertheless, she spoke to Aang softly while hiding the anger in her heart. But Sokka was the exact opposite.

"Fire Nation! Those evil savages make me sick. They have no respect for .....".

"Sokka! Enough!"

"I was just .....".

"It's ok Katara, and you're wrong. It is my fault. The Fire Nation might have done this, but I wasn't there to stop any of it. A hundred years ..... Late".

"Aang …."

"It's the Avatar's job to maintain the balance. To protect nature, to keep the peace. But I wasn't there to do my job".

"... That's why we're going to the North Pole. To find you a teacher so you can master the elements and be the Avatar".

"Yeah ..... A waterbending teacher…". Aang uttered glumly while organizing his emotions. "But there's no one to teach me how to be the Avatar. Monk Gyatso said Avatar Roku was supposed to help me".

"The Avatar before you?" Sokka inquired. "He died over a hundred years ago. How are you supposed to talk to him?"

"I …. I don't know".

"..". Silence reigned among them with the only exception being the flowing wind.

"We'll find a way Aang. We can't worry about things that are out of our control. For now, let's do the only thing we can do". Different from his usually playful self, Sokka looked particularly solemn.

"Get you to the North Pole".

The sky Bison flew over the Senlin village, quickly disappearing into the distance. While the Avatar remained completely oblivious that a critical node in his journey had been cut off.

In the original timeline, Aang was to help the people of Senlin village calm the restless Hei Bai spirit.

During the process, he would accidentally get trapped in the spirit realm in and attempt to save Sokka after he was captured by the Hei Bai.

In the spirit realm, Avatar Roku would send the spirit of his trusted dragon, Fang, to deliver Aang's spirit to the crescent island temple in the Fire Nation.

There, he would learn that Avatar Roku had a message for him, needing Aang to be at that same place in the physical world during the solstice two days later.

Only when these conditions were met would Roku be able to inform Aang about Sozin's Comet coming the following year.

But now, history had changed.

Senlin Village was destroyed, and Team Avatar didn't see the need to stay a second longer.

Sokka would never be kidnapped and Roku's dragon would have no way to contact Aang if he weren't in the spirit world.

Hence, Aang would never go to crescent island to see Roku.

Due to Luca's unintentional actions of drawing the Fire Nation to this area and inciting the anger of Captain Han, an important Key node of the Avatar's journey had been cut off.

As for the chain reaction this would lead to, whether for better or worse ..... Only the future had the answers.

.....

Southern Mo Ce Sea

Kyoshi Island.

On the southern waters surrounding the island of Kyoshi, a ship could be seen departing Koi harbor, from the isolated hometown of one of the most famous people in history.

Avatar Kyoshi.

"I still can't believe this is actually happening". A female voice uttered from within the departing boat. A dark-haired girl wearing pale blue clothes and her haired cut short, failing to reach her shoulders stared at the island she had called home for her entire life with complex emotions.

"Did you ever think this would happen?" She asked while turning her gaze to the female comrade next to her.

Auburn hair, light skin and blue eyes.

"No, I really didn't". Suki answered, her eyes in a daze. "But …. I'm glad we're doing this together".

She said while turning her attention to the other side of her boat. And there they were, walking, talking and laughing, making arrangements and putting things where they needed to be.

These were the other Kyoshi warriors who had chosen to follow Suki out of their isolated world into the much vaster one.

Kyoshi Island had been closed off from the four nations for far too long. After the arrival of Avatar Aang, Suki couldn't stand it anymore.

"Of course we are. We're sisters".

The girl said bumping Suki's shoulder with her elbow and showing a sweet smile.

"Yeah, sisters". A smile Suki happily returned. She moved her gaze from the island and forward onto the horizon. What new opportunities, adventures and excitement awaited them over that line?

"Sisters forever".

...

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