Hi everyone! To my fans, this was a story that I've mentioned before that I might publish on fanfic (I had a poll to vote). For staying with me for so long, I figure I should update this as a holiday gift to you all. Plus, I would love some feedback. This fate of this story rests in your hands. lol.

Now, a bit of introduction to those new before we begin.

My username is JapanDreamer09 (you can call me JD for short). I've written other stories before but this is my first 'sort of' Avatar Korra story that I came up a while back when Legend of Korra had only one season. I was actually going to scrape this story after I heard about the new seasons added but I thought, eh, why not write and see where this can go. I'll give more details once we get further into the story plot.

So a little bit about me as a writer for those who don't know me. I'm mostly third person and updates are random. Holidays are when I update fast and school… not so much. I LOVE reviews. They let me know there are people out there who enjoy what I write or who want to help me improve on my writing. Please keep them tasteful at the very least.

My grammar is not the greatest I'll admit (and you'll probably notice this in my other stories as well), but I hope with practice and editing I'll be able to improve.

I have Author's Notes where I thank reviewers, provide information and updates on stories, opinions, questions, etc. So if you have the time, please read them.

With that said, I've already prepared two chapters for this story. The next chapter will be out in a couple days so keep a look out.

Thank you SinCityAssassin for betaing this chapter.

Enjoy the chapter!

Prologue:

Fire

Air

Water

Earth

The four elements that an Avatar must master, each of them unique in what they bring to the world, but what differences they have regardless connects them together into a single cycle… and into a single entity: The Avatar, a legendary figure that is almost certainly etched in the pillars of history during their lifetime as they fulfill their duties to bring peace during times of trouble.

It was Avatar Aang who ended the Hundred Year War on the day of Sozin's Comet, and it was him who relieved tensions in the Harmony Restoration Movement and help founded Republic City.

Decades after that, during the Harmonic Convergence, it was Avatar Korra who defeated the spirit of darkness, Vaatu, and ushered in a new peace where humans and spirits could coexist in harmony. But the price she paid in victory was tremendous, ending the past Avatar line of ten thousand years with her, branding her as the first in a new line of Avatars.

Because of this event, Korra realized the importance of unity and founded an academy in Republic City that represented her dreams to lead the new generation into an era of friendship and peace.

But there are times when the desire for peace brings trouble instead, a problem that transcends even into the next life of the Avatar. And this is where the story begins…

...

It was a relatively windy, yet calm day in the South Sea. The intoxicating salty air was filled with the sounds of seagulls as they circled up high like lion vultures. In the vast emptiness of blue, the fishing trawler sliced through the water somewhat with ease, bringing a school of dolphin swordfishes alongside. It was a serene image, almost good enough to stamp on a postcard. It was a shame he couldn't enjoy it as much as he could as he continued to vomit over the railings.

"Still not used to the waters, huh?" The thirty-year old man ignored the sailor's jibe and the crewmen's laughter as he shakily got back up. Never again will he agree to do this.

"Be kind to our guest," a stern deep voice boomed through the laughter. "And get back to work! I didn't pay you all here to act like raving hyenawolves." Everybody quieted as the captain came out from port and they returned to their duties. The captain wore a traditional blue Water Tribe tunic, his sunburnt arms thickly wrapped around with white bandages. His large hands were weathered from years of working on a ship. His name was Talulah, but everyone called him "Red Bear" for his thick and messy reddish-brown beard that accented his looming stature.

"Mr. Farran, are you feeling better? I'm sorry you had to experience that terrible storm last night."

Feeling better than he did a few seconds ago, Farran didn't respond for a good minute for fear of throwing up again. He instead straightened his brown duster and the flat cap on his head, his face still slightly green.

"This is stupid. I should not be this seasick," Farran wiped the vomit from his mouth with the back of his hand. He decided to keep one hand on the railing just to be safe.

"Do not worry. Plenty of people cannot handle rough waves, it's perfectly normal."

Not for the rest of the crew. I'm pretty much giving them a free sideshow act, Farran thought bitterly. He was the only one here who had no real experience with sailing, so it wasn't a surprise the rest were faring better than he was. He wouldn't be surprise if by the end of this trip his new nickname would be "Barf Boy", a name that definitely would not carry the same weight as "Red Bear".

"Remind me why we are here again?"

"Exactly Talulah! Why are we here?" A haggard voice called out. A much older man shuffled from behind. Despite his short and feeble stature, the man gave a rather scathing glare at Farran and slammed his walking stick to the ground repeatedly as a way to show his irritation.

"These waters are sacred grounds. Didn't last night's storm prove that?! We have no right to desecrate such a place. I keep telling you over and over again, but ye won't listen…" The old man started to cough violently into his handkerchief. Talulah went over immediately and handed the elder a small open bottle. The height difference between the two was really rather remarkable as they stood side by side.

"Take that away from me!" The elderly man snapped, slapping the bottle away. Pearly white beads spilled and scattered onto the deck. "I will not put that vile poison into my body."

"These medicines will help your coughing. The doctor said…"

"Bah, the doctor spews nothing but lies from his mouth. I make do with healers. As should you!" The old man stalked off. "I've warned you countless times! These waters should be best left alone. You are dabbling into forces you don't understand." The yelling and continuous loud pounding of his walking stick made Farran wonder if the old man was as deaf as he was rancorous.

"Master," Talulah said with a firm voice, "If there is one thing I hate, it is fearing the unknown. You claim it is the work of the spirit, yet they don't add up with tales from men. You have taught me that knowledge should not be shunned away and to never believe that ignorance is bliss." The old man looked with disdain and gave another glare at Farran as if this was his fault before storming off while in fits of coughs.

"Charming," Farran muttered under his breath.

"Sorry," Talulah apologized immediately. "He is a bit stubborn and suspicious toward new guests. It is best to leave it. And you over there! Clean this up." A young and stocky deck swabber appeared immediately with a bucket of water. Lacking a mop, the swabby moved his arms to effortlessly levitate the water out of the pail and onto the floor.

The Red Bear had wanted to follow the old man, but then decided against it. Instead, he walked to the bow of the ship with Farran following behind. That apology didn't cut it for him, especially when it wasn't from the right person.

"That's putting it mildly," Farran said and paused for a moment to grab a cigarette and lighter from his pocket before continuing. "He's a bit of a Traditionalist isn't he?" It wasn't really a question. "I'm surprise you two aren't at each other's throat. Literally. With knives." He offered a cigarette from his pack, but the Red Bear merely shook his head.

"We… have our differences. I had always been a… rather disobedient student under his care, asking more questions than I should have, disrupting lectures with doubts. But he is still an important member of the tribe."

"Won't be for long." Farran took a long drag before realizing that he sounded rather tactless. "I mean, the world is changing and he'd still stuck in the past. Not that I have anything against Traditionalists, but it's the bloody truth."

"That may be true, but I do believe that we can still find a way to work together. There has to be some sort of middle ground where everybody can be satisfied." Talulah sounded so heartfelt, but Farran couldn't help scoffing at such a simple ideal before continuing to smoke. For someone who was almost twice of Farran's age, width, height, and overall body size, Talulah sure had the optimism of a fresh recruit.

"Traditionalists and Progressivists working together? Now I would pay a few bucks to see that bout." There was a pause in the conversation before he felt it was best to change subjects.

"So," Farran blew out a ring of smoke that quickly dissipated in the ocean winds. "What is this whole thing about spirits your master was so worried about?" He tried sounding nonchalant about it, but it seemed he didn't quite pull it off, judging by the captain's face.

"It's just an old tale among the Southern Water Tribe. The waters here are usually dangerous, and storms are unpredictable, even with the right instrument to read the weather. Before we had technology to determine this, many ships had disappeared in these rough waters, never to be heard from again. The elders had claimed it was the work of the spirits."

"So it's just another myth, right? I get it that people just blame spirits for anything they can't understand, but these waters are only dangerous because of the climate and weather." Still, Farran looked uneasily at the floor as if it was going to tear apart under his feet any second.

"Perhaps," Talulah said in a careful tone, "If we were to compare, the storms are more frequent in this certain area than the other places we've sailed. However, that does not make these waters any less mysterious, and no less deadly."

"Great way for explaining by being more cryptic." Farran threw his finished cigarette to the ground and snubbed the flame out with the heel of his shoe.

"Newer generations of ships are able to sail across this area now under the right captain and weather conditions. But it doesn't explain the tales about the waterbenders."

"Waterbenders?"

"Really now, did they not inform you of what happened to them?"

"Please, I'm only here to make sure my little baby works. I am a mechanic, not a librarian." Talulah gave a rather strange look at Farran before continuing.

"Since as far back as one could remember, there have been tales of malicious creatures that would punish those who enter these parts. Any that survive their journey claimed that their waterbenders were unable to control the ocean's waves and their ships would lose control, doomed to sink into the dark depths. This ship graveyard brings nothing but misfortune."

"Pfft… they're just making up excuses for their incompetence." Farran stated, making clear that he thought that the story was full of hogwash.

"Watch your tone," Talulah said with an angry look in his eyes. "Men may exaggerate stories, but no sailor would go as far as to fake a tale about the loss of their bending. Waterbending is the center of our lives, and must be treated with great respect. Unfortunately, I can't say half of this crew thinks the same way I do."

Talulah glared at the younger members of the crew, who took advantage of the peaceful break of the storm performing waterbending parlor tricks and talking amongst themselves, slacking off from their duties. It was clear that a veteran of the sea like Taluah wouldn't want to deal with this sort of behavior on his ship, but orders were orders. At least he had his own crewmembers who were more like him.

"Sorry," Farran muttered, not looking so in the slightest.

"You sure that contraption of yours can handle the job?" There was skepticism was clear in the man's voice that Farran did not like.

"Of course she can," the mechanic said, slightly offended. "Our president would never allow a faulty sea craft to reach the hands of such an important client. We have a reputation to keep." He could imagine the machine just below them, attached to the ship's hull. Sleek and pristine with their shiny company logo engraved, ready for its maiden voyage of sorts. Future Industries' newest invention was going to make the front pages after this.

"The proper name of the contraption is the submarine – it's a design that we've finally perfected and one I'm very proud of. I've said to you earlier that we've had it tested multiple times before we deemed it safe. It's definitely one of the first of its kind that doesn't need a waterbender to navigate. We've also found an efficient way to store air in its tanks, which allow the submarine to dive deeper for longer. But of course, anybody in that machine must be certified in underwater diving and know how to handle the equipment.

"So overall," Farran concluded with a dramatic flair, "any kind of treasure down there is now at the very tip of your fingers. Well, so to speak. You have to use mechanical arms to pick things up."

"Yes, that's what your president kept saying to my superior," Talulah grumbled, still looking unconvinced.

"What can I say? She knows how to sell it to the customer. She had been at this for quite a while. And, let's face it; your boss is what we like to call a 'modern day pirate'."

"And yet, you knew nothing about the tales of waterbenders losing their bending?"

"Hey, your boss wants to loot the bottom of the ocean. I'm only here to make sure nothing goes wrong. If you're wondering if your boss gave me garlic to ward off spirits, I'm afraid he didn't."

"He is a man who doesn't believe in the spiritual side of life. My master insisted in coming here to prove him wrong and prevent the desecration of a spiritual residence."

"Well, it's not like you believe it either." Talulah gave Farran a rather long and hard stare that he was starting to wonder if he had offended the older man when he started to reply.

"Farran, whether it is spirits or not, the truth should not be shunned or dismissed. It is important for people to understand not just 'what had happened' but 'why it happened'. While we're searching for answers, we should never shun out possibilities. It is possibilities that allow us to go farther.

"You are here because my boss wants what is down in these waters. I do not agree with his goals, but I agreed to lead this expedition because I wanted to understand why these waters are dangerous. Maybe then we can find a better method that can spare others of such terrible fates that will satisfy other men's greed."

"Spoken like a man I can truly respect," Farran smirked, leaving the Red Bear puzzled. "But, a word of advice that has 'nothing' to do with what we're talking about now – sometimes a beautiful lie is better than the ugly truth. Think on that."

Before Red Bear could open his mouth to either express confusion or impart a retort back, their conversation was cut short by a rather loud splashing sound. At first, Farran thought a big wave hit the ship but the sound had come from behind them.

The two men turned around and saw a peculiar sight. The water that a young waterbender was bending fell to the ground, drenching the floor. But he wasn't the only one who did that. All the waterbenders had dropped their small body of water to the ground. Simultaneously.

There was a deep silence. The young waterbender, with his pants now soaked, looking like he had wet himself, had a frightened look in his eyes as his hands moved across the floor, but the water remained in its place. He turned to Taluah. "I-I-I…"

"Get your machine ready. It's time to see if Future Industries is all that great as they say."

"What?" But the Red Bear had already disappeared. He ignored the waterbenders before him as he walked across the deck. Barking orders to his more veteran nonbender crewmembers, Taluah's face looked grimmer than before.

Farran turned toward the sea. Nothing looked different to him. The sky was the still same shade of grey; the water splashed calmly against the hull of the ship. But (and it might be his paranoia) the wind seemed to have slowed down into a soft whisper. As though they were in the presence of something terrifying to behold.

Now on the ship was an entirely different story. Farran noticed that all the cocky and cheerful looks on these waterbenders were replaced with horror. They were all still trying to move the puddles of water off the ground and yelled nonsensical words. The ship had slowed down to almost a complete halt and bobbed up and down in the middle of vast emptiness. Talulah appeared next to Farran again and carried a large bundle wrapped in thick cloth.

"What's going on?" Farran demanded. He fumbled in his pocket for another cigarette to steady his nerves.

"We are here," Taluah replied in a dark tone, "The Somers Circle."

Author's Notes

I hope everybody have a good holiday. I spent my Christmas moving furniture, so I'm feeling quite sore at the moment. XP

Anyways, to those who have read this, I would love some feedback as I continue on with this story.

Next update will be in a couple of days. Favorite, Story Alert, or whatever if you would like to know what happens next.

See you in the next chapter and have a good holiday!

-JapanDreamer