Kat: Hey guys, it's the author here. So, this is kinda confusing, but the main character of this story is a girl of my own creation named Katalana (hence my choice in username), so since Katalana never goes by a nickname, I'll be "Kat" and she'll be "Katalana." Confusion solved? Okay, anyway, this was my first fanfic ever written but my second fic published. I actually like this one a lot more than Yue's Journal because I've been working on it longer (over two years) and with so much more dedication and interest. I've probably read and re-read this a million times and I thiiiiink it's finally ready to be read by someone other than me and my best friend. Also, sidenote, I'll use 5 dots to signal when I'm changing from my commentary to the story & back, and I'll use 3 dots to signal a scene change in the story. Hope y'all enjoy! (Warning: this chapter is exactly six pages out of 200-something and I'm nowhere near finished, so be prepared for a long journey!)
.
.
.
.
.
"Katalana! Katalaaanaaa!" rang my twin sister's muffled voice. I giggled from my hiding place beneath the earth and snow. It was there in the Southern Water Tribe, located near the South Pole, where my family decided to make our home. And where, on that crisp, clear day that Korra and I had run out onto the tundra to play hide and seek. There were many games for two five year old girls to play, but hide and seek was by far one of our favorites – especially when I could use my bending.
Bending, it was a skill that over half of the world's population was able to use. A skill that enabled people to manipulate, or "bend," the element of their respective nation. Benders of the Water Tribes, both North and South, were able to direct the flow of water (or anything containing water) to their will. And some, like my sister, were able to use it to heal people. The people of the Earth Kingdoms were capable of commanding rock, and could literally move mountains if they so pleased. The Fire Nation could conjure and wield fire from their hands, feet, and mouths – which was pretty miraculous in that they never burned themselves or their own clothes. The Air Nomads were a truly peaceful people who could move air currents and change wind patters, but they also had an unfortunate history, leaving only a single family of them left alive.
"Katalaaanaaa!" Korra [KOR-ruh] called again, her voice still muted by my self-made cave. My use of bending in our game, even if later deemed unacceptable by my sister, made the challenge all the more exciting. (Although I lived in the Southern Water Tribe, I presumably took the earthbending talent from my maternal grandfather – who hailed from the Earth Kingdom.) And on that day I used my talent to "dig" a pit through the snow and earth to hide. I had lowered myself in and bended a ceiling overhead to block out the sky and any unsuspecting sisters.
"Come ooon Katalana! I know you're out here!"
I felt the vibrations of her footsteps coming nearer. (Earthbenders were especially sensitive to vibrations in the earth too – which was often used to determine someone's location or even to tell if they were lying by how quickly their blood pumped through their bodies.) Korra took another step in my direction. Come on, just a few feet closer! I thought to myself. She moved forward another step, and another. Oh, this is going to be so mean, but so worth it! One more step and she was in the perfect position. I spread my arms apart, wide and fast. The roof above me split open, flooding my little hollow with the last light of the setting sun. I giggled as a terrified shriek pierced the air and a little body dropped and hit the frozen floor with a hard ker-plunk. The girl sat up slowly, rubbing her rear and blinking a few times to let her eyes adjust to the dim atmosphere. When her vision finally focused, it settled on me, and her pained and confused expression evaporated into rage. I braced myself, still laughing hysterically, as she leaned over and slugged me repeatedly.
"That hurt!"
My laughing suppressed itself some, but more out of a teasing respect for her than from pain. I was still smiling as I swatted her hand away. "Okay, okay! I give! I give!"
Reluctantly, she leaned away and slumped against the opposite wall, still glaring at me, her arms folded across her chest. "That wasn't funny!"
I grinned a bear-cat's grin. "Sure it was – for me!"
"You cheated!"
"You call it cheating, I call it being creative!"
"Well whatever you call it, it wasn't fair," she pouted, continuing to massage her back and backside.
"Oh, like you've never been unfair with me!" I countered.
She stopped rubbing for a minute and sat in pretend thought, then smiled and agreed. At least she never denied it.
"Come on, we'd better head home before it gets dark. Wanna a lift?" She grinned. She knew exactly what I had in mind. "Right, silly question. Going up!"
With that, I laid my palms out flat, holding them close to my body, and pushed down hard. The floor of the hole trembled, then shot up and boosted us out, sending us flying through the air alongside a passing puffin-gull. We sailed high above the snow, the frigid air stinging our faces, when suddenly our upward momentum slowed. Before we could plummet to our possible deaths, I raised my stubby arms skyward. Again the ground rumbled, then rose up into an icy slide. We landed on it softly and slid safely to the ground, shooting across the frozen water until we met a snowbank, causing the fresh powder to explode in a frosty flurry. Korra and I were breathless, but we burst out laughing regardless.
"Race you home!" Korra exclaimed, shoving me back into the snow to give herself a head start.
"See?!" I yelled at her back as I shook the flakes from my hair. "You're not fair either!"
.
.
.
Both of us charged home with amazing speed for five year olds, each of us determined to beat the other. Caution, though, was a priority, because ice in general was dangerous, but thin ice was potentially deadly. Those were the times I was glad that Korra was a waterbender, because anytime either of us slipped or felt the ground beneath us give way, she quickly turned and froze it solid.
Soon enough, the village came into view, the dim glow of the fires radiating heat and luminescence out the small half-oval doors of the igloos.
"I win!" we said at the same time, unanimously touching our palms to the outside of our igloo. "No, I win!"
We glared at each other for a moment, then smiled. I held out my right index finger. "Tie?"
"Tie," she agreed, wrapping her corresponding finger around mine. We discovered a long time before that it was better to let those things go.
Warmth enveloped us as we stepped inside our cozy ice hut. We shed our parkas, which had grown hot and heavy against our skin.
"Welcome home, girls. Did you have fun outside?" rang the soft, melodious tone of our mother, Senna [SEN-nuh]. She was kneeling over a large cauldron sitting on the fire, stirring what was likely boiled sea prunes – our favorite! Her tired smile brightened as her two daughters rushed over to hug her.
"Hi Mom! Yes, we had fun – at least Katalana did." Korra answered, shooting a glance at me.
"Oh?" hummed our mother, turning her attention to me.
I gave them a guilty smile in return. "Yup! I 'dug' a hole and I tricked Korra into standing right on top of-brr!"
A sudden rush of cold air whipped through the igloo. It came from the newly opened door, held wide by our father who was arriving home from work.
"Ah, there are my three favorite girls!" he chuckled once he firmly shut the door and shook the snow from his boots.
"Tonraq," Senna greeted him kindly, releasing us so that we could go to hug him next. He scooped us up and kissed us each, then carried us to the couch and settled us in his lap. We snuggled up to his strong frame, fully content and safe in his large, brawny arms. At first he seemed honestly interested to hear how our day was, but his smile faded when he learned how late we were out.
"You let them stay out until sundown?" There was an edge in his tone.
Senna was taken aback by his sudden change of mood. "Well, I had hoped they would be back a little sooner than they were, but I thought they were responsible enough to decide on their own."
"Senna, they're five years old!"
"Yes...I am aware of that." She stopped stirring the bubbling liquid and stared at her husband. "Tonraq...is something wrong?"
Our father let out a long sigh. He never let out long sighs. Whatever he was about to say next weighed heavy on his heart.
"I met with The Order of the White Lotus today."
The White Lotus...where have I heard that name before? I thought anxiously.
"The White Lotus?" Senna asked, her brow turning up in slight confusion and worry. "Why did you meet with them?"
"They are coming here. Tomorrow evening. They want us to prove Korra is who we say she is."
"Really Daddy? They're coming?" Korra asked, showing no indication of hiding her enthusiasm. She bounced on our father's lap in anticipation.
"Yes, sweetheart." he said, giving her a smile that was obviously more cheerful than he felt.
Senna was a little less than pleased. "Tomorrow? So soon? I thought they didn't announce who the Avatar was until he or she turned sixteen."
"That was what they always did in the past – until Aang, that is. But now there is a new threat, and they need to begin their search early."
Oh, so that's where I've heard that name before.
The Order of the White Lotus was an organization of the world's best and wisest – and oftentimes oldest – warriors, and one of their most important jobs was to find and train the Avatar. The Avatar was no ordinary bender. He or she was the most powerful bender in existence, one capable of bending all four elements, and one chosen by God to bring peace and balance to the world. But, once one Avatar died, another was born into the next nation in the cycle – and that was where The White Lotus' job began. The last Avatar, Aang, was born into the Air Nomads, and after his death five years ago, the Order started searching in the Water Tribes. For the longest time, our family was comfortably in-tune, yet detached from the whole "Avatar Search". Until a few months ago, that is. A few months ago, our family became both incredibly excited and extraordinarily uneasy. We discovered that Korra could bend not only water, but fire as well.
"This early?" asked our mother, concerned. Korra and I both got off of Dad's lap and slipped into the back room so that our parents could talk in private – even though we kept the door cracked to listen in on their conversation.
"Apparently so," Tonraq [TAWN-rock] continued, "They want to prepare for the worst in advance. They don't want another 100 year war."
That was another problem that arose when Aang was young. He was only twelve when he learned that he was the Avatar, but he had been told some...misinformation about his duties, and had almost been taken away from his home to train. So, in a moment of fear, he ran away – where he got caught in a blizzard, nearly drowned, and was frozen in ice for one hundred years. And during that time, the Fire Nation rulers became corrupt and much too powerful for their own good. They abused their authority and eliminated the Air Nomads, hoping to kill the still-unannounced Avatar, and practically took over the world. Of course, in the end, Aang and his friends stopped them, and a new Firelord was crowned, but the lingering disunity between the nations left them unbalanced and at risk for anything.
Senna was still alarmed. "But this early?" she reiterated. "Korra's only five...years...old..." She drifted off, finally understanding the true reason for Tonraq's outburst. Our family was dropped right smack dab in the middle of the Search. The next Avatar...was Korra.
Tonraq pressed his lips in a tight line. "It's out of our hands now. They're coming tomorrow for Korra to give a demonstration."
"And what will they do when they see that she is the Avatar?"
He shook his head. "They won't send her around the world to learn the other elements. Not yet. Not while she's so young. I believe they will begin her training here in the South Pole, in a compound only a mile or two outside of town."
"Well, I suppose that's better than what I expected."
"That is true," he reluctantly agreed.
"But that's not nearly as good as I had hoped..."
"I know."
From my hiding spot behind the door, I watched as my father crossed the room to sit by my mother. After sliding his thick arms around her shoulders in a warm hug, she laid her head on his chest. It was very difficult to see from so far away, but I could have sworn that I saw her eyes close and a stream of mournful tears leave faint lines down her cheeks.
.
.
.
"So they're really coming?!"
"Any minute now!"
"I can't wait!"
The voices came from the back of our igloo, where three little kids anxiously awaited the members of the Order. The second and third voices were from me and Korra, but the first belonged to a boy of the age of six. Matokka [muh-TOE-kuh] was his name, and my mischievous best friend was who he had come to be. The three of us were huddled in that little back room, pressed close against the door, hoping to hear the anticipated knock on the front door beyond. With our small ears pressed to the wood, we could hear the muffled crackling of a fire and the soft whispers of our parents. None of us could make out what they said, but we could guess.
Our wandering thoughts were jolted back into reality as four solid, rhythmic knocks were thumped across the latter door. The deep resounding voice of our father reached our ears first.
"Ah, welcome to our humble home. Please, won't you come in?"
My fingers were spread out on the frosty dirt floor, and I felt the vibrations of six individual feet enter our living room before the door was shut tight and latched securely with a strap made from the tanned hide of an unfortunate whale-seal.
Another voice spoke, though it was one I could not recognize nor understand, for it was strong and haughty, but still so soft that his utterance was garbled.
Beyond our listening post, though, Senna and Tonroq could hear quite well – excellent even. "Good evening," said the first man. He was short and stout, with a balding head of white hair and a wrinkled face. A wrinkled face that did nothing to hide its obvious distaste for his job – and having to do the job on that turbulent, wintry night. His clothes, though askew from the buffeting wind, were crisp and clean. He wore the traditional attire of a White Lotus member: a thick white tunic over long blue slacks, and a shawl-like neck piece that was a rich royal blue hue. And, around the opening for the neck, spreading until nearly the hem, was an excessively large and intricate White Lotus Flower. (That particular flower, I later learned, was chosen as the Order's symbol because over the years, the blossom had come to represent purity, prosperity, and peace.)
Tonroq spoke again. "Please, won't you sit down?"
"I'd rather not," the man said stiffly. "This visit shan't take long; our search has lasted several years and is still ongoing."
Even in the face of blatant disrespect, Senna remained calm and hopeful. She gripped her broom handle to keep her steady. "Then you'll be pleased to know that your search has come to an end."
In the back room, Korra suddenly turned to me and whispered excitedly. "You remember the plan, right?"
"I came up with the plan!"
"No you didn't, but so long as you remember-"
"Shh!" Matokka interrupted. With one finger pressed to his lips, he nodded back to the door.
"No, over here!" I said, redirecting him to the wall. Looking through the ice blurred whatever was beyond, but in various places there were chinks or holes that had not been properly sealed from which we could sneak a peek – however small it was.
Our parents stood by the couch and the sages by the door. The man in lead raised his eyebrows skeptically. "And how can you be so sure your daughter is the one? We have investigated many claims both here and in the Northern Tribe. All have been proven false."
Smiling at her husband in equal understanding, Senna turned to look in our direction. "Korra, would you come in here please?"
I turned to my sister, suddenly doubting our plan. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Katalana! We can't turn back now! I'm ready!" she answered roughly. "I'll burst in, put on a little show, they'll congratulate me, and then they'll find masters to train me. Simple!" Her tough-girl act may have fooled Matokka, but she was at least a little anxious. Twins just know those things – especially when they're sitting next to them and they can feel their sibling's jitters as well as see them.
"Korra?" our mother repeated.
The strain in her voice was evident, so Korra quickly took her place by the wall. "It's time!" she squealed. "Now you remember-"
"I remember, I remember! But if Mom and Dad get angry, I'm blaming you for this!" I shot back before she could finish her nagging.
Korra took a few strong, deep breaths while we scooted out of the range of fire – or water, whichever came first. She took her place by the wall, then kicked up a leg and drove it right through, forcing the ice blocks to fly across the living room and slam into the opposite wall, leaving a gaping hole in its place.
With a triumphant fist raised she shouted, "I'm the Avatar and you gotta deal with it!"
The stunned Lotus members could only gape at her reckless outburst, but that shock soon ebbed into awe as she shifted into a rhythmic routine. Right out of the gate, her hands became engulfed in flames and she shot a few quick fire bursts. The bursts were easily extinguished with a snake of water she drew up from a puddle on the floor. Incidentally she caught one of the White Lotus sentry's pant legs on fire, but she swiftly put out the flame without even dampening his clothes. Matokka and I stared at each other in amazement. That was even better than we had practiced! I knew I should have been jealous, having a sister destined for greatness, but she really was talented.
Except when it came to Earthbending. The next few moves were enacted by me. She stomped the floor hard once, twice, thrice, and then shoved her palms down. I copied from my hiding place behind the door, but beyond it, three pillars of earth rose up from the floor – one, two, three, then the power of my hands forced them to return to their previous state. The sentries could only stare at one another, dumbfounded, but impressed. Then, returning their gaze to our parents – who had by then guessed what I had done – they made one statement. "We will return soon to begin her training."
.
.
.
And so they did. That next week they returned, and explained what was to happen. Apparently the Order had decided long ago what would happen once they found the new Avatar. They said that Aang had prepared for him or her so that they wouldn't make the same mistake he did.
Korra would move from our home into an isolated compound several miles outside of the village. At first, she protested, but she acquiesced once she realized that she didn't have much choice in the matter. It wasn't in her character to give up so easily, but eventually I figured out that she knew she would have to go if she ever wanted to become a full-fledged Avatar – which is all she had ever wanted to be.
There were many things that bothered me about the situation, but one thing in particular tugged at the back of my mind.
"What about us?" I asked my mother later.
"What do you mean?"
"They said that Korra is moving into the compound. Are we going with her?"
Senna bit her lip and hesitated before replying. Kneeling down to my level, she allowed me to sit on her lap as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders like she always did when she wanted to comfort me. Before now, those arms had always kept me safe, kept me happy. They made all my troubles disappear. Every cold I caught, every bump I gave myself while earthbending, every tear shed after a fight with Korra or Matokka. But right then, those arms only felt limp and helpless. I could only guess what her next woulds would be. "Katalana, honey, I know it's going to be difficult, trying to adjust to not having her here, but things will eventually get back to normal. It just takes-"
"No!" I shouted, my fingers curling into tight fists. "I won't let that happen!"
"Katalana..."
"No! I won't let them take Korra away from us – away from me!"
"We don't really have a-"
"Yes we do! They can't take a child away from her parents – Avatar or not! And they sure can't separate sisters like me and Korra! Not twins! It's not fair!"
"I know, sweetie, but...it's for the best. Korra needs to learn how to bend now so she can prepare for...whatever may come."
"I know that. I just mean that, it doesn't matter when or where she's going because you literally can't separate us."
Senna gave me a quizzical look.
"I'm going with her."
Her gaze softening, she talked to me as if she felt like she'd lost another ounce or two of her strength. "Katalana, you know that's not reasonable."
"I don't care! I'm not going to let her go and be lonely for years and years! You have Dad, and if this happens then you'll have me too. But what about Korra? She won't have anyone to talk to but her cutthroat coaches and those uptight Order members. And I'd have Matokka, but it's not the same as spending time with your sister. Sisters, especially twins, need to stick together. Face it: she needs me just as much as I need her!"
After rubbing her temple, she let loose a tired sigh. "Alright. I'll speak with your father when he arrives home."
.
.
.
Another week later and we were both at the compound. It wasn't anything fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but it sure was...solid. The outer walls were as thick as an igloo is wide, and as tall as three Polar Bear Dogs standing one on top of the other. And everything was gray, white, and Water Tribe Blue of course – but mostly gray. The walls, the buildings, the food – all gray. Yet Korra and I were thrilled to be there. Not only did the White Lotus accept me, they were willing to train me in everything that they would teach Korra. Of course we were tutored in normal school lessons and a few several special elective courses, but the majority of our time was spent in training. We learned all styles of bending (even if I couldn't use most of them), sword fighting, and the use of nun-chucks, throwing knives, and warrior fans. But the leaders of the Order were concerned about the little trick that we did during Korra's demonstration. The Avatar has only ever been able to bend the elements in the order of the cycle, with their home nation's element coming first. For Korra that would have been water, earth, fire, then air. The problem with Korra's cycle was that she could bend water, but somehow skipped over earth and went straight to fire. After many days of debating the issue, the leaders decided to start teaching her water, and if earth happened to come along, then they would teach her that. If not, they would continue with fire and air, and hopefully earth would show eventually.
All bending concerns aside, life at the compound was bearable. Besides the grayness and the lack of our parents' presence, the only thing that perturbed me and Korra was the number of guards. We were never followed whenever we walked around, but there were at least two guards at every corner. Even outside our bedroom, there were guards posted on either side of the door. But we eventually learned to live with such a structured lifestyle. Almost every minute of every day was planned out for us, minus a few hours before dark, when we could have some time to ourselves. Korra actually enjoyed her lessons so much that she often stayed late to train, or practiced on her own, or she would go spend time in the stables with her pet Polar Bear Dog, Naga. I, on the other hand, would often sneak away from the compound (after cleverly befriending the gatekeeper early on). Of course the only places I would go were the various locations that Matokka and I went exploring. No one ever seemed to notice my absence. I wasn't the Avatar. I could practically get away with murder as long as I wasn't seen doing it.
.
.
.
.
.
Kat: Hey guys! So what'd y'all think of my first chapter? I know it's really long and the girls haven't even gotten to Republic City yet, but they will, I promise! Just...not right now. And it probably won't for about 5 or 6 chapters because the sisters' backstories shape a lot of who they are as teenagers. So bear with me on this. There's some great scenes coming up and I hope you like them. Each chapter until about the time they reach Republic City they will increase in age (five, eight, 12, 16, and they'll be 17 through the rest of Season 1).
BTW, a lot of times I like to add meaning behind character names. Katalana has no meaning, it's just my made-up name that I liked. So is Matokka (he'll be important later, though). But others from abooooouuuuut Chapter 5 or 6 on will have some here and there.
Anyway, this chapter has a lot of explanations and flashbacks and whatnot that reference "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (aka the prequel to "The Legend of Korra") and I did that mostly for people who haven't seen the one or both of the shows. Sorry if it distracts you from the story!
I might be able to get another chapter up today, but since I'm horrible at dividing 200+ pages into chapters, that may not be as likely as I hope.
So...yep, that's about it. Feel free to make a comment/review or send me a message. I'm anxious to hear your Comments, Questions, and Concerns (CQC's!) :D
.
Final Note: I do not own The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, or any of it's characters, scenes, or plotline. I will try to mention when scenes are purely mine set in the Avatar World. For example, this entire chapter (except most of the demonstration scene) does not exist in the TV show but takes place in the Avatar World's Southern Water Tribe with Korra and her parents. Katalana & Matokka, though, I will claim as my own characters! I truly hope you will grow to love them as much as I do!