The Shadow King
"What if Avatar Wan was wrong? What if spirits and humans could live together peacefully?
-Avatar Korra, A Light in the Dark
The Spirit Portals have been left open and there were so many different spirits coming through, Korra could only watch in awe as she and her friends saw the unusual shapes. There were spirits that looked like flying bunnies, others that looked like plants and others that just looked plain weird like a walking, talking carrot. They all seemed to be as enthralled with the physical world as the physical world was of them. People were pointing and staring, adults with wariness in their eyes while the younger children laughed with delight as some of the more adorable spirits came close.
"Why are they looking around like that?" Bolin asked.
"Well, they haven't been in our world for 10 000 years. I suppose it's all new to them too," Korra responded.
A sprit pranced over. It looked like it was made of wood, dark brown rough skin, with vines imitating hair. It had patterns of leaves adorning its body, creating the illusion of clothing. Where its eyes should've been, there were simply holes, like hollows in a tree. It leaned in close to Mako, twig-like fingers reaching out to touch his face. He jumped back with surprise.
The sprit huffed and said, "Well, rude." It had a high pitched voice, childish and slightly feminine. It sounded strange paired with its irregular appearance. "I just wanted to see what it felt like."
Mako glanced at the others, "Uh, sure," he said hesitantly. He leaned forward and the spirit reached out again and touched his cheek. Mako flinched but didn't show any other reaction. The spirit lit up.
"It feels so soft!" it cried in amazement, "If I had skin like that, I'd spend all of my time petting it!" It giggled.
Korra and the others looked at it in amazement. The tree spirit looked at Korra.
"This is so cool! I haven't been to the human world in millennia. It's a shame that we can't visit all the time."
Korra looked at the others, puzzled, "What do you mean? I left the Spirit Portals open."
The spirit's eye hollows widened, "You mean you that you'll leave them open? Just like that?"
Korra furrowed her eyebrows, "Yeah, I'm mean spirits and humans should learn to live together in harmony."
The tree spirit looked at her in awe and what seemed like a little bit of fear, "Well, better you humans than us."
It turned to prance away to join its friends but Mako grabbed its arm. "What do you mean?" he demanded.
It turned to look at him, "Well, it's a whole new world that the Shadow King can have. He won't stay in our world anymore, not when he has you."
Korra stepped forward, "Who's the Shado-"
The spirit hastily shoved hits hand over her mouth, it felt rough, like bark. "Shh! Don't say his name!" she stepped back, posture tensed and ready to move, "Names are very powerful things." She turned and bounded away.
"Wait!" Korra shouted after it in vain. She turned to Tenzin, "What did she mean? Who's the Shadow King?"
Tenzin's eyebrows were furrowed, "The title sounds familiar but I can't recall it. Bumi, Kya?" he turned to his siblings. They both shrugged.
Kya spoke up, "It sounds kind of like Vaatu. Maybe that's what it meant."
Korra bit her lip, "Maybe.
The next few days were hectic as they all tried to help integrate the spirits into daily routine. Korra was constantly called to settle disputes like, "I don't want a spirit inhabiting my fountain! Well, I don't want a human near my fountain!" She didn't have much time to ponder the tree spirit's words.
Asami was busy trying to keep Future Industries afloat, but she enjoyed looking at the spirits and often helped them when they looked confused. She met a spirit who looked like a humanoid butterfly, wide crystalline, iridescent wings that sparkled in every colour imaginable, with an emerald body, six arms and four legs. It had two large bulbous ruby eyes. Its voice was deep and smooth, like man.
It indicated with three of its arms, "What is this? It is unlike everything I've ever seen?"
Asami smiled, "It's a Satomobile. My..." she faltered slightly, "My father invented it. It can transport people from one place to another very quickly."
The butterfly tilted its head, "Can it fly?"
Asami smiled and shook her head, "No, we have planes that can, but they're only for the army. They're very expensive and most people don't have them."
The butterfly spirit shrugged and looked slightly confused, "Why would one wish travel over ground? Every spirit knows the only way to escape the Shadow King is to fly."
Asami paused shocked, "What did you say?"
The spirit was already starting to flutter its wings in preparation to take off. "Thank Miss Asami, but I really must be going," it inclined its head before taking off.
Asami moved to stop it, but it was no use.
They were all having supper at Air Temple Island with Katara as well. She had decided to travel back with them. In front of them was a traditional Southern Water Tribe supper, complete with sea prunes. No one except Bolin and Katara had even touched them, not even Chief Beifong. Pema and the kids were out in Republic City, to keep them from hearing unpleasant things. Jinora had gone with them at Tenzin's insistence.
During a pause in conversation Asami decided to bring up what the butterfly spirit said.
She put her fork down, "I met a spirit today."
Bolin snorted, "If you haven't noticed, sprits are everywhere now."
Asami glared, "If you had let me finish," she looked directly at Korra, "The spirit mentioned the Shadow King. I was wondering if you had found anything else about him."
Tenzin shook his head, "The name sounds familiar but I've never heard of it." He turned to Katara, "Mother?"
Katara shook her head slowly, "Aang was mentioned that name, but it was such a long time ago. I'm afraid I can't remember."
"Wow, you humans really are clueless aren't you?" a child's voice rang out. Everyone started and looked around the room for the origin.
Mako paused, "I recognize that voice."
"Aww, I remember you to human." A figure melted out of the wood supports, literally, to take on the form of the tree spirit they had originally met. It was frowning and had its arms crossed.
It stepped forward illuminating its tree-like figures. It stopped and bowed to Katara, "It is an honour to meet the Champion of the Painted Lady."
Katara furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm afraid I don't understand. I was simply pretending to be her in order to help a village. I was not her champion."
The spirit imitated the movement of cocking an eyebrow without actually having eyebrows, or hair for that matter. "You took her name, her identity, so she took yours."
The room fell silent, but Lin spoke up, "What do you mean?"
"I told you, names are important. They are your identity, without your identity you aren't a spirit, you are a ghost," she said. She turned to Tenzin, Kya and Bumi, "You've been in the Valley of the Lost, you've seen what happens to those who forget who they are."
As one they shivered. Kya said, "I don't understand."
"You stole the Painted Lady's name, you stole her identity. So she stole yours and made you her champion," the spirit answered. "Katara and the Painted Lady are the same; they both have the same identity."
They sat in shock at its words. The tree continued, "You should be honoured, not many spirits chose to have champions. Especially, not during the war."
Bolin spoke up, "You know about the war?"
The spirit snorted, "Of course we do. It influenced all the spirits. Avatar Aang met the Hei Bei spirit. He was stupid enough to anger Wan Shi Tong. Of course, no spirit can forget how Tui threw a big tantrum when La was killed."
By this point, almost everyone's jaws were unhinged. Korra spoke up, "Who were the other champions during the war?"
The spirit shrugged, "The Blue Spirit chose the prince, Zuko, I believe."
Bumi spoke up incredulously, "You mean Uncle Zuko, Firelord Zuko?"
The spirit nodded.
Korra spoke up, "As interesting as this is, I want to know who the Shadow King was! I mean, I thought I defeated Vaatu! There is no way he could have reformed by now!"
The tree narrowed its hollows that stood in for eyes, "You should be careful when throwing out those names. You can't honestly believe that Vaatu had been the only malevolent spirit."
The teens exchanged sheepish looks while the adults looked exasperated.
"Well, the thought did occur to me," Korra admitted.
The tree spirit stalked forward, "The Shadow King is a malevolent spirit, very old. He is one of the Great Spirits. Not even Vaatu or Raava would confront him unless absolutely necessary."
"Well, what's his name?" Mako interjected.
The spirit looked aghast, "Names are powerful, especially his. He can sense it and he will come through the shadows. Then we will all be doomed."
Bolin smiled, "What, he's going to kill us? We can handle that!" he kissed his biceps.
The tree spirit shook its head, "Worse, that would be a mercy. It would steal your identity." No one looked particularly impressed. "Your identity is who you are. Without it you are simply a ghost, wandering forever, never knowing who you are. You have lost everything that makes you, you. Your memories, your expressions, your feelings. You are lost, wandering for eternity trying to find something you have forgotten. If given the choice, I would take death in a second."
Kya leaned forward, "But who is the Shadow King?"
The spirit leaned forward and spoke in a whisper, "Never say his true name, it will call him to you. The Shadow King is known by many names, in order to prevent attracting his attention. The one that you will recognize is the Face Stealer."
Katara gasped and jerked back as if struck. The others just looked confused.
Bumi spoke up, "I don't understand. What's so bad with him?"
Katara spoke up, "Aang once told me long ago about him. He had met him when looking for help during the Siege of the North, the winter before Sozin's Comet. If you show any emotion he'll steal your face. He had stolen Avatar Kuruk's fiancée, a Fire Nation soldier and there were others."
The tree spirit nodded, "He stole the Blue Spirit's face as well. That's why he where's a mask. Your image is a part of your identity. The mask was fashioned in his likeness in order to help him find it. The Blue Spirit is an old spirit, but even so, his name has been forgotten to time. He is now only known as the Blue Spirit."
Korra sat backed, dumbstruck, "And I gave him a way into our world."
Everyone stared shocked, the beginnings of fear starting to form in their eyes.
The spirit nodded, "You obviously didn't think it through very well. He's probably already here, lurking in the shadows until he gets someone alone. We spirits have figured out ways to evade him. He is very fast, but he cannot fly. The Painted Lady wars a veil, Agni shines so bright, the Face Stealer cannot look at him." It turned to leave, "I would be wary if I were you, he could be anywhere," it leaned close and whispered into her ear, "He is always listening, he could be in this very room right now."
She looked at Korra, "I am telling you to repay the fact that you left the portals open and saved us from Vaatu, which is the only reason why I am telling you. With this new world, the Spirit World will be safe for another few centuries. He will not be interested in that world anymore. It's been so long since he added another human to his collection."
The Face Stealer, the Shadow King, lay curled in the shadows, watching the nymph bound away. He would get her later in revenge for revealing his presence. For now he had a wonderful new world to explore, with so many new faces. The Avatar would be a great prize, the Spirit of Light, Raava herself. It has been so long since he added a child to his collection. They would all soon be his; after all, he is Koh, the Face Stealer.
Hi, it's been so long since I wrote anything. The Legend of Korra kind of bothered me since the Spirit World didn't look anything like in the original series, nor did it include any of the major spirits, like Tui and La, or Hei Bei. Aang was being helped by Roku almost every episode, while Korra barely talked with Aang. Another thing was that she just left the portals open, like it didn't even occur to her that there were other spirits than Vaatu who are less than friendly. This is me expressing those feelings.
Whispered Melodies