Prologue: Tragedies

I do not own these characters! They belong to their creators! I'm just making stuff up.

"So this is the girl we are looking for, is it not?" Two White Lotus sentries were huddled in a tiny igloo, a small light shining down upon a parchment with a series of names written upon it.

"Yes, I believe we've found her." The smaller of the two said, pointing at a single name and nodding. "She is said to be a very powerful bender."

"When are we going to begin her training if she actually is the one?"

"Immediately; we are making plans to go and formally name her tomorrow."

"So, what is the name of our new Avatar?"

"Korra. Her name is Korra." The smaller guard answered, smiling to himself. This little girl was going to have a full life ahead of her if the rumors proved themselves to be true.

Outside in the cold, two cloaked figures were listening in on the conversation between the sentries with extreme interest. Their black clothing contrasted with the white snow surrounding them, but they managed to avoid any wandering eyes due to darkness that accompanied the new moon.

"So what do we do?" the first man said, his hand pulling back a pair of green goggles that revealed a pair of icy blue eyes. His partner was quiet, recalling an earlier meeting that had set things in motion.

~~A rotting tree stood at the outer edges of a swamp, its spindly branches breaking through the feeble beams of sunlight that flashed upon the murky water. A hooded man slowly made his way to the opening in the enormous trunk, pausing briefly before entering. Inside was a winding staircase, spiraling down into the darker depths of the tree. He made his way down, his face still hidden by his cloak.

A scuttling sound soon began to echo in the chamber. The man took a deep breath before proceeding. Behind him, a leathery creature inched forward, waiting to make an appearance.

"Hello, Koh." The man said, his voice betraying no emotion.

"I see you are growing familiar with my usual methods of introduction." A detached voice answered back. The scuttling noise grew louder. Slowly, the creature emerged in front of the man. Its body resembled that of a centipede, although its face, which resembled a mask, betrayed the fact that this creature was a spirit.

"I need your help." The man said. Koh smiled, swiftly changing his face to that of a man with green eyes and pale skin.

"What is it?"

"The benders continue their tyrannical rule. They abuse their power and bully the non-benders. They are becoming corrupted. I need to purify them. But I need help." The figure said again. Slowly, he raised his head so that his hood fell back, revealing a mask that was nearly identical to Koh's. Once again, the spirits face changed into that of a woman with long flowing hair and deep blue eyes. The face gave a wicked grin.

"I have a plan."~~~

"Amon, what's the plan?" The blue-eyed man asked again, grabbing two metal rods from his back and twirling them in his hands as he waited for an answer.

"We need to take the Avatar." His partner smiled.

"I'll take car of the guards." He said, giving his sticks another twirl before slipping into the hut.

Had anyone been walking by, they would have not noticed any signs of distress from the small hut, save for a burst of light that briefly shone from the window, and a muffled thump that marked the sentries collapse. As quickly as they arrived, the cloaked figures departed the hut, backing away into the icy tundra until the blackness of the night swallowed them whole. The falling snow filled in their footprints, making it seem as if they hadn't ever truly existed in the first place.

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"Tonraq, please be careful with her." Senna said, as she attempted to fill in the hole in their hut with ice. "She's going to take this place down, and you are going to help her."

"I can build us a new house; a bigger one! Korra is going to need the space. Look at her go!" Tonraq said, his broad shoulders shaking with laughter. Senna smiled at her husband.

"Momma, look at this!" Korra shouted. With a graceful wave of her arms, she commanded a wave of water around her on the floor, and then quickly froze it. She giggled, and then proceeded to make faces through the ice at her parents, loving how the layers distorted her image.

"That's wonderful, sweetie." Senna said. Korra definitely had inherited her parent's aptitude for bending, and they loved watching her practice, despite what it did to their hut. Tonraq smiled proudly.

"That's my girl! Tonraq yelled, punching the air with glee. She giggled before melting the ice and bending it into a series of ribbons, watching as it caught the light.

"So does this mean that I'm the Avatar?" Korra asked.

"Maybe. We don't know much yet. We'll find out very soon." Senna promised, giving her daughter a quick pat on the head. "But regardless, even the Avatar needs sleep, and I'm afraid that it is time for bed." Korra pouted.

"I'm not tired. Avatars go to bed whenever they want!" Tonraq laughed at his daughter.

"The sooner you go to sleep, the faster tomorrow will come. And I've got a feeling something pretty great is going to happen tomorrow." Senna told her daughter. Korra pondered her mother for a moment before nodding.

"I guess I could use some rest." She said. Tonraq winked at his wife, impressed with her tactics. Korra let the water drop, waiting for a moment to watch it splash before giving her parents a hug.

"Goodnight! The Avatar is going to bed." Korra announced, strutting back to her room. Her parents laughed together before deciding it was time for them to get to sleep as well. As they made their way back to their room, Tonraq bent water onto the flames, extinguishing the light from the hut.

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The two men waited outside Korra's hut, watching as the lights inside went out.

"We move now."

Slowly, they opened the door to the hut. The lights inside were out, and the candlewicks still let off a small amount of smoke. The furniture was strewn about as if it was constantly moved; decorations were loosely hanging off the wall or were simply left on the floor, as it had been knocked off the wall far too many times. This was definitely the home of a young bender.

The men crept across the threshold towards the first door they saw. Slowly, they pulled it open and entered the room, their faint breathing the only sound that accompanied them. The masked man peered around the room they entered, his eyes stopping on the sleeping girl sprawled out on her bed. Her wolf tails were in complete states of disarray, and she was tangled up in her blankets, constantly moving in her sleep.

Amon slowly made his way towards her, thinking of his plan, when suddenly she bolted up, twirling herself out of her blankets. She landed on the floor, her arms spread out and hands bunched into fists.

"Who are you and why are you in my room!" Korra yelled. Her blue eyes shone with anger in the dark. She knew these men were not here peacefully. The masked man advanced on her, his hands balled into large fists. His partner twirled his metal rods menacingly. She didn't do so much as bat an eye.

"Korra! What's going on?" Tonraq and Senna burst into the room, still slightly groggy and completely unaware of what they were walking into. Tonraq took a few seconds to gather his wits, looking at the figures and his daughter.

"Korra, run!" Senna yelled, as she launched an orb of ice at the intruders. The masked man easily dodged the attack, but his partner caught a piece on his shoulder, and he staggered backwards. Tonraq followed his wife's attack with a water whip, attempting to wrap the water around the men's legs and yank them forward. They jumped up and dodged the attack, displaying an agility that unnerved the benders.

Korra watched in confusion before deciding to join in the attack, waving her arms around her. Water pooled at her feet and wrapped around her legs, building up to form shapes that resembled octopus arms. The girl waved her hands, sending the legs forward into the attackers. The goggled man was hit square in the chest and was thrown backwards into the wall. His partner managed to avoid it, though narrowly. Quickly, he made his way to Korra and delivered a series of punches to her arm.

"Ah!" Korra yelled, as her arm fell limp at her side. She attempted to continue bending with her remaining arm, but the masked man was too quick. He poked her sides and neck, and Korra felt a jolt as her arms went heavy. Her muscles refused to cooperate, and her vision blurred.

Her water pooled around the floor as her parents rushed forward, attempting to reach their daughter. The masked man stood up, and faced them, poised to attack. Tonraq growled.

"DON'T YOU DARE HURT OUR DAUGHTER!" He roared. Senna bared her teeth like an angry polar bear dog. They pulled the water around them, raising it into a long whip that wrapped around their bodies. Senna jumped one way as Tonraq attacked straight on. Senna swiped at the intruder's feet and Tonraq wrapped his water around the man's chest.

"We've got him!" Senna yelled, sparing a glance towards their daughter. Korra was unconscious on the floor. Senna blanched and caught her husband's eye. This was bad.

They began to freeze the water when the goggled man raised himself from the floor. He nodded at his partner before slamming one of his metal sticks into the floor. The masked men gave a quick chortle before spinning out of his holds and onto the bed. Senna and Tonraq had a split second before they were zapped with an electrical shock. There was an abrupt thud as they hit the floor. Senna fought to stay awake as she watched the men pick up Korra and walk over her and her husband. Senna's eyes watered as she lost consciousness.

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Korra's vision was blurry when she woke up. Her balance was off, and there was a metallic taste in her mouth that might have been blood. She tried to move, but her arms and legs still felt heavy. Something was very wrong. She groggily lifted her head to gauge her surroundings; she was outside on what looked to be the deck of a boat. Rain was falling on her, and she was chilled to the bone. Dark figures surrounded her. This isn't okay.

"Avatar Korra, I would like to formally introduce myself." A deep voice rose from behind her, and someone grabbed her hair, pulling her head back. "I am a man that wants things to be even, to be fair, to be equal. You, as a bender, disrupt this balance that I want. As the Avatar, you cause a much bigger problem for me; you are a symbol that benders cherish. You are something that the can look up to. You set an example, and you show how strong and powerful benders can be." Korra tried to focus. She felt the man place a finger to her forehead.

"Well, Avatar, I have found a way to put an end to that problem. Someone told me that the Avatar Cycle can, in fact, be broken. They taught me how make people equal, to make things fair, to make sure that people cannot be corrupted by power. And I can do this by taking away people's bending. Young Avatar, I can take away your bending; I can make you like the rest of us.

"But, then you have the spiritual connection; you can still be the Avatar, even without your bending, because you possess a connection to the Spirit World and the power of the past Avatar's. That power still makes you special. But when you break that connection, you truly break the Avatar Cycle. And that is when I truly make you equal." He finished. Korra hear the things he was saying, but they didn't make sense to her; they couldn't be real. They couldn't.

"Who are you?" Korra asked, her head still pulled back. She willed her limbs to work.

"My name, Avatar, is Amon. And I am the man who took your bending." With that, Amon pressed his finger into Korra's forehead. She felt a surge of energy rush from her limbs towards the center of chest. Her heart beat faster, and she felt like she was about to explode. Then nothing. Korra felt lightheaded again. Her spine refused to support her weight. She would have fallen forward except Amon refused to let her go. His cold skin grasped her neck, and he laughed.

"Your bending is gone. And now, for your spiritual connection." Amon said. He pressed his fingers into her temples now. Korra closed her eyes. No.

Before any pressure could be applied, a crack of lightning ripped through the sky, illuminating the turbulent sea. A wave crashed into the side of the boat, knocking people off their feet. Korra rolled away from Amon as he lost his grip on her head. Amon crashed onto the deck, his mask cracking on the cheek. Korra's eyes connected with Amon's. The two had only a moment more before another wave smashed into the boat, this time spilling over onto the deck. Amon and Korra were thrown against the railing and over the boat. As she was tossed over, Korra's head smacked against the metal, leaving her nearly unconsciousness as she spilled into the ocean.

"Amon!" The goggled man from the South Pole rushed forward, looking for his leader in the water. He didn't have to look far; a gloved hand still clutched onto the railing of the boat, hanging over the side. Amon, completely soaked, threw himself back onto the deck, breathing heavily.

"Where is the girl?" He asked. His followers looked around, unsure.

"I think–– I think she fell over." Amon rushed back to the side of the boat, looking into the turbulent water. Korra wasn't there.

New cracks decorated Amon's mask. It was starting to break. I broke the spiritual connection. I got her. He was sure. He ended the cycle. He did it just before the wave crashed into the boat. He did. He knew it. Maybe.

"The Avatar is no more."

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"Korra."

There was water everywhere, filling her lungs. She was surrounded. She was sinking. Her eyes wouldn't open. Where was she? How did she get here? Her head hurt.

"Korra."

There was a flash of white. Someone was there, underwater, dragging her up. Where was she? Who was she?

"Breathe." Her head broke the surface of the water. A voice, a kind voice, was telling her to breathe. Why was that voice familiar? There was a flash of red and yellow. There was a blue arrow.

"Korra, you hit your head really hard. I'm sorry, but this is going to be a difficult journey for you. I can't do much to help you, but this should ease the transition, at least for now."

Warm hands toughed her forehead, applying a faint amount of pressure. Every nerve ending in her body sprang to life; energy seemed to reverberate from her chest to her fingers and toes. She was alive. But she couldn't remember a single thing. She had no idea who she was, where she was from, or how she ended up stranded in the middle of the ocean.

"I'll be here if you need me." That voice; that familiar, wonderful voice. Where was it coming from? Korra opened her eyes, but nobody was there. She was treading water, her arms and legs weak for some unknown reason. She had to get to land.

Waterbend. The thought popped into her head. Could she waterbend? She continued to tread water. Through the calming storm, there were lights in the distance; a city. She had to swim.

Waterbend. Korra shook her head. She took a deep breath, and began to move her arms. Power coursed through her limbs, and the water began to churn. Her instincts took over; water swirled around her, pushing her up and out of the ocean, propelling her into the sky in a swirling tower.

"I can waterbend!" Korra shouted. She had no idea how it worked, but she could do it. That was good. She focused on the city lights, leaned forward, and let her muscles take over. The young girl shot forward, skimming across the surface of the water like a flying fish, her hair blown back against the wind. She tried not to think about how lost she really was. Her head throbbed uncomfortably.

Half an hour later, a small girl, dressed in soaking wet water tribe clothes, crawled her way onto a beach on the outskirts of Republic City. She was exhausted and could barely move. She collapsed onto the sand, unable to support her own weight. Luckily, a woman passing by noticed the girl, and rushed forward, wanting to help.

"Sweetie, what happened? Why were you out in the water?" She asked anxiously, pulling Korra's head onto her lap. Korra's eyelids were heavy.

"I… I don't know. I woke up, and I was out there. I don't remember… I don't know." She was too exhausted to panic. She just felt numb.

"It's okay. It's all right. What's your name? Can you tell me your name?"

"I… I…"

Korra. Her eyes flew open.

"Korra. My name is Korra."

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"Mom, I can't see!" A young boy laughed, as his mother wrapped a red scarf around his head, smiling down at her son. Her husband stood beside her, laughing.

"Momma, look! Pabu and I are racing!" A younger boy said, his green eyes sparkling misceviously as he chased after the fire ferret. His brother grinned, untangling himself from his father's scarf.

"Dad, can I wear this?" He asked.

"Sure thing, Mako. It looks good on you." His father said, ruffling the boys hair. Mako proudly wrapped the scarf around his neck. His mother smiled, watching as the boy tried to stand like his father, mimicking his movements.

"Mom, can I run ahead to the park?" Mako's younger brother, Bolin asked, hugging his pet fire ferret to his chest. "I promise I'll be careful." He said, with all the sincerity a six year old could muster.

"Sure, but be careful. We'll be there in a few minutes." She answered kindly. Bolin spared her a toothy smile before darting forward down the street. Mako watched his brother go, his hands still grasping the scarf tightly.

There was a loud crash from behind them. Mako and his parents turned, startled by the noise, to see a man dart forward out of a shop. The windows had exploded and smoke was pouring out of the building. A second man followed him, though he was much older. He coughed through the smoke and pointed at the fleeing man.

"Get him! He's a thief!" He managed to get out before succumbing to another coughing fit. Mako's father began to run after the man, quickly catching him and lunging for his feet. Together the men crashed into the pavement. Mako and his mother watched, unsure of what to do. The man turned on the ground and delivered a swift kick to Mako's father's abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. His mother rushed forward to her husband, but was immediately blocked by the thief. He glared at her, raising his hand and flexing his fingers. Flames appeared, dancing over his upturned palm. He advanced on her and Mako.

"This is what you will get for not staying out of my way." He said. The flame grew larger. Mako's mother glared and took a defensive stance, She grabbed a stone from against the wall and threw it at the man's head, narrowly missing it. Mako watched, fear beginning to take over his instincts. He couldn't think, only watch.

The firebender was almost upon his mother when Mako's father lunged forward and delivered a kick to the man's feet, knocking him back onto the ground. His wife rushed forward as well, but was stopped when a sudden burst of flame erupted from the man's feet. He gave a twirl and spun away from the attacking couple, looking angrier and angrier with each movement.

"Enough! You need to learn that you shouldn't get in the way of benders!" He shouted. His gaze fell to rest on Mako. He raised hand again and made a swift motion with his arm. A ball of flame shot its way out of his hand, racing towards the boy. Mako was frozen to the spot, his hands tightly gripping his father's scarf.

"No!" Mako's father sprinted forward, throwing himself in front of his son. He gave a cry before falling to the ground. Mako heard his mother's sharp intake of breath as she rushed forward, kneeling next to her husband. Her face paled.

"Move." The firebender said, glaring at her. She stared back.

"No."

Without another word, a second jet of flame was shot at the family. Mako felt his mother push him out of the way before falling backwards. His arm hit the concrete hard. He cried out.

Both of his parents were on the ground. They weren't moving. Mako was shaking.

"Mom? Dad?" He pushed himself up. The firebender laughed at the boy before sending one last flame in his direction. Mako put his hands up to cover his face, and he felt his palms burning. He ignored the pain, waiting. Nothing else happened. He didn't catch fire. In fact, the flames disappeared as soon as they made contact with his hands.

Mako slowly opened his eyes. The firebender looked at him with a mixture of confusion and humor. He cracked a crooked smile that did nothing to warm his eyes.

"I'll bet that was the first time you've ever firebent before. Ironic, isn't it, that this was when it had to happen." He laughed at the boy before turning and running down an aisle, using a burst of flame to propel himself up and over a wall.

Mako was shaking. He turned and vomited. He couldn't look at his parents. He knew why they weren't moving. His mind was numb. He didn't know how long he stayed on the ground.

"M-Mako? What happened to Mom and Dad?" A small voice said. Mako turned and saw his baby brother on the sidewalk, his eyes wide and frightened.

"Bolin… there was a man, a firebender, he…. He…" Mako couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't want to think. Bolin made a move to go forward, but Mako stopped him. The flesh on his palms burned, and he had to keep from crying out. Bolin noticed.

"Bolin."

The younger brother collapsed, his shoulders shaking as he began to cry. It was then that Mako's brain turned back on. He took a deep breath before standing, going to his brother and giving him a hug.

"I'll take care of us. I promise."

The Sato's lived in a small house in a tiny neighborhood, but Asami loved it all the same. Her friends were a windowsill away, and she loved jumping and twirling over the rooftops, staying up with her friends and watching the sun rise and set. Sometimes, when her father wasn't working on his inventions, her parents would take her to a park where they would play with the turtle ducks. Asami loved these moments.

This was why she initially hated the success her father found as an inventor, going on to establish Future Industries in Republic City. Her mother was proud and happy, but she noticed that the change the family went through wasn't exactly what her daughter wanted, which was precisely why she would act like things hadn't really changed; the child and her mother would still go the park –– though now they attracted more attention –– and she would still sit on the roof with Asami and watch the sun rise, even when the roof was on a mansion rather than a run down house. Asami loved her mother for that.

"Mom, I'm going to be on the roof for a bit." Asami said as she bounded up the stairs one night. Her mother gave a smile and waved, showing that she approved.

"I may see you up there later." She said. Asami smiled back.

Getting onto the roof was a bit tricky, though Asami never had any true difficulty with it. Even at nine, the girl had excellent reflexes, and she enjoyed climbing a great deal. She had perfected the art of leaping from terrace to terrace, hooking her arms around the flagpoles, and throwing herself onto the roof. Her father balked at her ability, and feared for her safety, as did her mother, but they were confident that their daughter could take care of herself.

Asami landed lightly on the roof, settling against the shingles as she watched the city before her. The one thing Asami truly loved about the new house was the new view that it offered. The moon shone down on Yue Bay, the water rippling enough to cause a bit of a distortion in the reflection. The buildings twinkled as lights went on and off; people were always coming and going in Republic City. Asami lay down, letting herself drift off while imagining her next trip to the park.

It was late when she woke up, which itself was strange; her mother always came and got her when it got too late. Always. Asami stretched before flipping off the roof and onto her balcony. She wanted to see if everything was okay.

The house was eerily quiet. Asami knew that her father was out of town on business, but her mother usually had music playing. It made the large house feel less empty. Now there was nothing. Maybe she fell asleep.

Asami continued to roam the halls, looking in the kitchen, the living room, dining room, her parent's bedroom, even the pool. Nothing. Asami started to get worried. She was going to go check outside when she smelled it: smoke. Something was burning.

Following the smell, Asami raced upstairs, finding herself going to her father's study. The hallway was hazy from the smoke that slowly wafted out of the office. Asami pulled her shirt up to cover her nose before advancing. Something was definitely wrong.

Asami's eyes were watering as she entered her father's study. The smoke stung. Glancing around, she knew that her fears were not unfounded. Someone had been here, and they had destroyed a significant amount of her father's things. Scorch marks lined the wall, and her father's papers and books lay scattered about the room, some burnt nearly to a crisp. A firebender. Asami's heart was beating hard against her ribs.

It was when she circled her father's desk that Asami saw it: something large on the ground. The smoke was making it more difficult to see. Asami coughed. She stepped forward, and felt a sharp pain in her foot. She glanced down. It's a teacup. I stepped on a teacup. That's when Asami's heart fell through her stomach. She realized what the large object was.

"Mom…" Asami rushed forward. She saw the burn marks on her mother's jacket but didn't understand. She saw that her mother wasn't moving but it didn't make sense to her. Her brain wasn't working.

"Mom, wake up. Mom. Mom!" She shouted, shaking her. Nothing.

"Mom! Mom!" She cried, yelling over and over again. There were sirens outside. Smoke was spilling out the window. People saw it. Help was coming.

Asami didn't stop screaming.

Author's Note: Hello! I am still figuring out the whole 'writing and posting' thing, which is why I am resubmitting the first chapter because the page breaks were all screwy and everything seemed to run together. Anyway, I've kinda got this story figured out, so hopefully I can get to publish on a consistent basis. But I hope you like it! Reviews would be appreciated. I enjoy constructive criticism.

Seriously.