Chaos Theory

Prologue

Then

"You make me an airbender, now!"

Tenzin knew better than to pull his head back as the young Avatar grabbed his beard, but it was a near thing.

"Korra!" Senna placed her hand on her daughter's small arm, and gently squeezed, "don't do that, it's not polite!"

Korra released Tenzin's beard, only to cross her arms and pout.

Chief Sokka turned to Lord Zuko, and whispered, "You know, if Aang's in there, he's buried pretty deep."

Zuko's only response was a sad smile.

"I wanna airbend," Korra said miserably, as she sat in her mother's lap, "wanna do it now."

"I'm so sorry," Senna said. She hugged Korra close to her, "Korra only knows that she is the Avatar, not what it entails.

"Think nothing of it," Tenzin smiled.

"Just think of this as what you have to look forward to when you and Lin have kids," Chief Sokka gave his nephew a playful jab in the shoulder.

"Yes, when," Tenzin said under his breath.

"I want to thank you and your husband for meeting with us," Lord Zuko said. They were all gathered in the main conference hall of the Souther Water tribe. Normally, the hall would have been bustling with dozens of councilmen, interns and just people in general, doing the work of government, "I know that parenting alone takes up much of your time, even before they start bending."

But at the moment, it held only a select number of people, Lord Zuko, Chief Sokka, Tenzin, the last airbender, and the Avatar Korra and her parents. Aside from them and a small security detail, they were the building's only occupants.

Or so they thought.

"She was a handful long before she was the Avatar," Senna smiled.

"We asked for this meeting so that we could reassure you about your daughter's future," said Lord Zuko, "being the Avatar comes with responsibilities as you well know, but that's no reason why it should take Korra from her family."

"We're glad to hear that," Tonraq said, "because Avatar or not, Korra is still our daughter."

"And we respect that," said Chief Sokka, "that's why…"

The hair on the back of Sokka's neck stood up. After a lifetime of war and conflict, he'd developed a sixth sense when it came to imminent violence, and now it was ringing. He glanced at Lord Zuko, and saw the man had likewise become tense.

Sokka glanced at Korra, and saw the hyper-active child was leaning against her mother, unconscious.

"Poison!" Sokka snapped, "Tenzin, clear the room!"

"What's happening?!" Senna pulled her daughter closer, seconds before the far wall exploded.

"We only want the Avatar," Senna couldn't make out the figure that stepped into the room. For years, she swore she saw demons. A woman built like a statue, another with a dozen arms and a third that glowed with fire.

Senna turned to run, but she felt a whip of ice wrap around her ankle, and she fell. She twisted as she came down, protecting her daughter as best she could. Before she could stand again, a chunk of ice grazed her skull, and blood trickled down her forehead.

Senna didn't remember much after that. But she remembered when strong, feminine hands gently pried her daughter from her grip.

"Korra, no!" Senna struggled, but thinking was a struggle equal to moving an iceberg, "Don't do this, please! Korra, Korra!"

"…I'm sorry."

oooOOooo

Ba Sing Se

"Idiots, they're all idiots," Hou-Ting muttered as she made herself ready for bed. Every day, her subjects found new and interesting ways to fail her, to addle her with their own gross incompetence. There seemed to be no punishment that she could inflict that would stem the tide, nothing that would make those who served grow an actual brain, "why am I the only one in this entire country with an actual brain?"

The Earth queen sighed.

"Do you really think that's the issue facing your kingdom?"

The Queen spun around, and found herself face to face with Zaheer. He stepped out from behind the curtains that decorated her bed, and looked at her with a steady gaze, hands folded behind his back.

"You tax your people, you demand they worship you in their own homes, and you lord over their entire lives with walls most will live their entire lives and never once see over," Zaheer said, "and you think you're the burdened one?"

"How…dare…you…!" Hou-Ting raged, "to speak this way to a queen…!"

"Here I am in your private chambers, with no guards to be seen," Zaheer observed, "and that is your objection? And you think that you're the only one in the earth kingdom with brains?"

"Guar…!"

Zaheer's hand was around her throat in a moment. Hou-Ting struggled, but Zaheer lifted her off her feet as effortlessly as he might lift a tea-pot.

"If it means anything, know that your death will usher in a new age of order, of true balance," Zaheer said, "and it will be the only thing you will ever be celebrated for."

Six weeks later, Fire Nation

"Thank you, father, for taking this meeting," Ursa said softly. Father and daughter walked side by side, "I know the responsibility should fall to me, but…"

"The responsibility is mine," Lord Zuko said bitterly, "I was there with the Avatar. It is I who failed."

"You had no way of knowing," Ursa said, "but that's not why I want you in this meeting. When I heard what happened, I couldn't help but think of Iroh. I know it didn't happen to me, and it's selfish to think of my child when another was taken, but…"

"It's not selfish, it's human nature," said Lord Zuko, "I felt the same way, before. Our family knows this pain too well."

"Where…is…he?!"

The voice resonated down the hall, and both leaders of the Fire Nation quickened their pace. The moment they entered the room, they saw the now leader of the Southern Water tribe grab the meeting table, and heave it towards the corner. Chief Sokka and several Fire Lord generals wisely stood back, looking to one another before they even attempted a response.

"Zuko!" Tonraq snapped, "you've taken your damn time!"

"I apologize," Zuko didn't even think to state that he and his daughter were in fact early to the meeting, "but now that we're here, we need to have a discussion like civilized people. Destruction of property will only distract from the matter at hand."

"I've been speaking to your men when I was waiting for you," Tonraq's fists trembled, "and I have learned you have called me here for nothing?!"

Lord Zuko found he couldn't meet the water bender's eyes. All that rage, all that hurt. To the world, the Avatar was missing. But to Tonraq, it wasn't the Avatar who was missing, it was his daughter.

"We don't intend to waste your time," said Chief Sokka, "but we thought it was important to update you on our search. As best we can determine, Zaheer and his Red Lotus followers developed an exit strategy before they took your daughter. After killing the Earth Queen, they've become heroes in the earth nation. The White Lotus has been unable to pick up their trail for weeks now."

"Do they even know," Tonraq's tone was that of a soft growl, "if she's even alive? If they've made themselves heroes to the earth nation, then…"

"If that was what they intended, they would have killed Korra, not taken her," Lord Zuko said.

"Do we even know why they took her to begin with?" Tonraq demanded.

Zuko and Sokka glanced at one another.

"They seek to restore balance," Chief Sokka said, "their definition of balance, at any rate. We believe that they intend to use the…your daughter to spread their message."

"And what in the name of the sprits, is their message?"

Lord Zuko sighed, "Nothing less than the destruction of the world as we know it."

End Chapter