Book 5: Modern Era

Book One: Sisters

Prologue: The Spirit Realm 

Mai Lee POV

Mai Lee was having that strange dream again.  She was lost in an oddly colored fog, as the dream usually started.  Mai wasn't told was it was called, yet she already knew it's name.  The Fog of Lost Souls.  Once in a while, she would bump into someone, but quickly walked away, trying to get to the exit only she could go through.  

When she first woke up here, she had walked around and tried to ask where she was.  She was only ten.  Most people would have helped the little Mai, but the people in the fog often ignored her.  So young Mai was lost, until she found a path of slightly less-dense fog.  She had walked through the path, and the next thing she knew, she woke up in her bed, at home in her snug little room in Republic City.

This cycle continued for five years, her entering the dream and waking up at home.  And each dream was usually the same, wake up in The Fog Of Lost Souls, follow the path of less-dense fog, enter a more friendly part of the dream world, have tea with a old spirit named Iroh, who became her only friend in the past five years.  

But today this dream was different.  As she walked the path, someone grabbed her arm.  Mai shrieked and turned her head, flinging her long black hair towards her attacker.  The first thing she noticed was the mask.  It was white, with yellowish markings, and straight nose and a red circle in the middle of the forehead.  He was dressed in old-fashion equalist-clothing.  He looked familiar, but from were?

Mai attempted to shake him off, like she was usually able to do, but unlike other lost spirits, who were often distracted by their darkest memories.  Unfortunately, he seemed different.  When she looked into his eyes, they were alarmingly clear.  And unlike the mumbling most of the lost souls did, he spoke without any trouble.  Which was pretty scary, and Mai wasn't scared of most things.

"Get me out of here", demanded the lost soul, "This place is driving me crazy."  Mai was stunt, but quickly recovered.  Her onyx black eyes' harden.  Most would call it very intimidating, even though she was in her black Pro-Bending Fire Ferrets pajamas.  Mai simply said, harsh and cold, "If you were put in the Fog of Lost Souls, you were meant to be here for eternity, weather you like it or not."  She attempted to push him away, but he hung on to her arm, not letting go.  After several minutes she gave up.  "Fine.  But if I get any other spirits chasing me, I'm blaming you."

She began to drag him down the path.  As she went, she had the odd feeling she was dragging along something else.  She quickly turned her head.  She was right.  Holding the soul's other hand, was another one dressed in blue.  He had long hair did in three ponytails, and looked like a waterbender.  Mai snared and demanded, "I thought I said-"  "You nothing about bringing my brother", cut off the soul.  She growled, hated to be corrected by others, but she understood what it was like to have sibling(s), and continued on.

Finally they reached the other side, which was a wonder.  Iroh had told her that souls in The Fog of Lost Souls usually were never let out by the other important spirits, like La, who imprisoned Zhao from the Hundred Year War, who killed Tui the Moon Spirit before Princess Yue became the next Moon Spirit.  Finally the soul let go of Mai's hand.  He stood there with his so-called brother, and walked of without saying thank you.  Mai wasn't surprised; she almost never got thank yous from others, except her family.  So, she walked off.

Eventually, she reached the little meadow with the hut and tea party.  Iroh awaited next to the two headed frog, and two others who were Zuko and Iroh The Second, his nephew and great-grand nephew.

She sat down quietly next to Iroh the Second, and sipped the tea that had gone long cold.  "Hello Uncle Iroh.  I apologist for being late."  Uncle Iroh was the name used for the first Iroh, and they got along great.  Zuko and Iroh the Second were also easy to get along with, but Iroh II, was a little harder, even after five years.  She just didn't like "perfects" all that much.  They had to earn her respect.  

"So, Mai, what took so long?" asked Iroh II.  Mai not bothering to look up from her tea, said, "Some lost souls decided to tag along".  The three others looked others looked at her in confusion.  "Other souls?  What do mean?" asked Zuko.  Mai looked up and looked directly into his eyes.  "The souls that tagged along in the Fog were different, almost unaffected.  It was weird, really", explained Mai.  Iroh looked at her with some concern.  "What did they look like."  Mai began to describe what they looked like: "One had a mask with a red circle in the middle of the forehead and dressed in Equlist-clothing.  The other was dressed in blue, like a water-tribe councilman from the 200's.  And the one in the mask called the other-one-"Mai hesitated, which ment she was unsure about something-"brother."  Iroh didn't know who they were, but Iroh II and Zuko did.  

"Amon."

"What?" asked Mai, looking at Iroh II, not sure she heard him clearly.

"Amon and Tarrlok.  Blood-bending brothers.  Once was a rebel bent on getting ride of bending-"

"-And the other a corrupted councilman.  I remember them-"

Mai didn't get to finish your sentence, because someone woke her up.