Becoming A Legend
by: Archer83 and Vergil1989 the Crossover King
Summary: Set during the second season of LOK, and after BDM and the Leaves On The Wind graphic novel in the Firefly verse, life for Korra gets complicated in a hurry when she successfully opens the Spirit Portal, only to land herself in the Verse. The one thing going for her? Turns out Aang already shanghaied a certain Reader and her dysfunctional crewmates into providing her a home.
Disclaimer: Neither author owns the awesome fictional worlds of Firefly / Serenity or The Legend Of Korra.
Authors Notes: Vergil1989: I really hate Archer for this one. He got me addicted to the Legend of Korra a few days ago, and I finished up to Season 2 in two whole days. Thanks a lot you gorram moonbrained jerk! Remind me to blood bend your sorry pi gu into the next eon. They'll need a very small box after I'm done with you.
Archer83: Hey Vergil, would you kindly remind me who insisted on doing a Firefly / Korra crossover again?
Vergil1989: That was you! I have the PMs to prove it! You were the one that said Korra had the Firefly esk humor/twang to it, and that's how all this got started lol. Before I knew it, I was watching TLOK, and rooting for Team Avatar as they went up against Amon, while taking brief breaks to come up with crazy ideas that would possibly fit into this. For YOUR story I might add. So deal with it!
Archer83: Oh. Right. Let the epic western-asian-sci-fi-space opera commence!
Vergil1989: 'Bout gorram time. Was startin' to wonder if you'd ever shut up. In all seriousness, Archer might have come up with the basic idea of combining these two tales, but I was the one that added more by throwing in the new comic called Leaves on the Wind. So if it isn't quite as you expect, I apologize in advance, but this is what we were able to come up with what information we had available at the time. Suffice to say, this story will be heavily AU going forward.
Chapter 1: An Unexpected Bend In The Road
Reaching towards the sheet of ice she was suspended above, Korra ignored the dark tendrils ensnaring her, all her focus on stretching towards it's glowing surface as her fingertips brushed the ice that separated her and the portal she was determined to open. When brute strength failed her, she pulled out her last trick as she fell inward, and opened her eyes just as they began to glow a brilliant white. Her Avatar State had yet to fail her, and it didn't now as she channeled the power given to her by her ancestors, by finding a measure of peace she normally lacked.
The tendrils that had wrapped around her were shredded by the power radiating off of her, and her hand fell flat against the surface of the ice. The moment it did, the ice cracked and shattered as a wave of golden light filled the ice cavern, swallowing everything in its brilliance. That was when her day didn't go as planned as the next moment she could see clearly, Korra realized she wasn't in the cavern any longer. She wasn't even on the ground. To make matters worse, there wasn't a trace of so much as a snow drift, the ground that was rushing up to meet her was instead sand and dirt, dotted with small, ramshackle corrugated metal huts. One of which she was about to meet head first if she didn't act quickly.
"Well this isn't completely insane! Need to slow down before I'm roadkill!" Korra shouted to herself as she tumbled head over heels, finally able to slow her descent by desperately grabbing at a clothesline on her way down. Using it to run along a wall as far as the line would allow her, she bounced off of a vendor's cloth awning before she finally came to a graceless stop, face planting into the dirt with a grunt of pain. Rolling onto her back in the middle of a dusty dirt road, Korra took several long moments to get her breath back and try to get the world to stop spinning on its axis, with her as its center spoke. With a groan, she peeled herself off the ground, her right hand on the middle of her back, and was relieved that other than some bruises, along with what distinctly felt like a sprained wrist, she was alright. It could have been far worse.
Slamming her good fist into the dirt in a futile gesture, Korra stumbled to her feet, astonished to see that the people going by their daily routines seemed completely unphased by her extraordinary plight. "Hello?! Little Help?" Aside from a few glares and curious glances by passersby, she was utterly ignored. With a short cry of frustration, Korra stood to her feet and threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "This is just great! First the spirits go crazy and try to kill me, and now this. So much for Uncle Unalaq's advice. He certainly didn't mention this part. At least I got it opened, so there's that I guess." Whatever else had occurred, Korra was certain she had succeeded in achieving what she had set out to do on her uncle's orders. Her training in that regard had paid off at least, but something had obviously gone wrong as she took another, slower, look around her, taking a moment to properly survey her surroundings this time.
None of the buildings, let alone the various people she could see milling about, were like anything she'd seen before. She was pretty sure Republic City would have had to fall into decay for a few hundred years to resemble anything close to the ramshackle buildings and small huts that were around her at present, and that wasn't saying anything kind about the dirt streaked people running around. Something told her she was a lot farther from home than she knew, especially when Korra's large blue eyes fell on something passing overhead. "That is not an airship." Was all she could think to say as a ship of some kind flew across the sky, engines screaming like some monster from one of the old stories she had grown up on regarding her Avatar ancestors.
"Gorram reckless chwen joo! Ya damn near tore ma roof up!" A strong arm fell on her shoulder before she spun around to see a frowning man with tattered clothes and an unkempt beard glaring down at her.
"Um, yeah, sorry about that. And I'm fine, in case you were curious... Just dropped into town." Korra doubted that the grizzled looking vender would believe the truth, she didn't even believe it. Maybe I just smacked my head on the ice... that would make a lot more sense than... this.
"Damn fool." He spat, shaking his head in annoyance as he walked back to his stall. "You lookin' to buy somethin'? Otherwise, quit standing in front of my stall girlie. Gorram tourists."
"Well excuse me." Korra muttered to herself before walking away. The guy reminded her of the meat vendor she and Naga had ran into not five minutes in Republic City. That crotchety woman had been just as rude, and hadn't made it any secret she was only interested in paying customers. Shrugging out of her heavy fur coat, which had thankfully saved her from breaking something during her impromptu plummet, Korra got five paces before she paused and turned back to the frowning man. "Um, I don't suppose you could tell me where I am?" She asked, throwing her coat over her left shoulder since she had no intention of leaving it behind.
"You sure you didn't hit your head on the way down? Just what I need, another moonbrain girl asking stupid questions. Let me guess, you didn't pay up so the captain tossed you overboard?" The way he eyed her body from head to toe wasn't exactly subtle, and it made Korra's skin crawl. "Stowaway, dangerous way to travel round these parts. Can't imagine why you didn't come to another arrangement, pretty young thing such as yer self." The borderline lecherous glare he threw her way had Korra gritting her teeth, but before she could protest, the man waved her off. "Guess you ain't the type to be a cap'n's doxy. No business of mine anyway. You're on Persephone girl, Eavesdown Docks, also known as the ass crack of the Verse. Now git before I beat ya for almost givin' me a ruttin' heart attack." The grizzled, foul mouthed shopkeeper picked up a long rod laying next to various rusting parts on display and whacked it against his meaty palm for emphasis.
"Fine. I'm going. Thanks for nothing." She muttered, sighing as she rubbed a hand through her long, chestnut brown hair, and started forward. This wasn't how she had envisioned her day going at all. She hadn't been afraid of the perverted old shop keeper by any means, but she figured it was better she kept a low profile until she knew just how much trouble she had gotten herself into before starting any herself.
It wasn't supposed to be this way though! Just open the portal to the Spirit World, start a big light show, and her uncle would probably teach her whatever Tenzin hadn't been willing to. No where in there had she expected to get dumped into the middle of some unfamiliar hovel.
The fantastical ships that continued flying overhead weren't exactly a plus. They only served to further unnerve her, providing damning evidence that she was most definitely not in Southern Water Tribe territory anymore She wasn't even sure she was on the same planet anymore. "Too bad Bolin isn't stuck here with me, he'd be screaming like a little girl at the sight of them." Korra mused as she took in the run down market and its equally depressing clientele. She visibly grimaced when she passed a group of scantily clad women, of which more than a few of them were giving her less than subtle, suggestive glances. "Definitely not interested."
One of the women smirked at her, and gave Korra a playful wink. "Your loss honey."
"I think I'll live." With that Korra ran down a random side alley, in the hopes of putting some distance between herself and the less than reputable women that had tried to proposition her. There was a greater chance of her learning how to fly without wings before she'd even consider getting entangled with someone like that. Walking aimlessly down yet another filthy street, her thoughts were interrupted when a grinning man wearing an odd hat stepped out of a nearby alleyway. "Hey there. Let me guess, new in town? Easy to get lost down here."
She was immediately on her guard, she had been around enough thugs in her life to recognize that there was something unnerving in his brown gaze. Her senses only heightened when three more came out of another alleyway behind her. Dropping into a defensive stance, Korra made sure to keep her eyes on all four as she slowly started to back away with her fists raised. "I'm not looking for any trouble."
"It's no trouble at all darling." The reassuring grin he had plastered on his face slipped away, his grey eyes taking on an all too familiar predatory gleam. "Bit overdressed for summer ain't ya?" He slowly took in every inch of her winter gear, smirking when his gaze reached her bare arms and her skin tight light blue tunic, her jacket now tied around her waist. "Nice outfit though, seems a little too clean for this little slice of town. Clean outfit like that, means you likely came from one of those nice families, and just happened to get lost all the way down here."
"Enough with the sweet talk boss. Let's just bind her fine lookin' pi gu up and hand her over to Badger. Figure he'd pay a pretty penny since his last batch of girls got snatched by the Feds." One of the three grumbled, and produced a length of rope from somewhere in his dirty gray vest.
"Fine idea there Gil, but I figure we deserve a little somethin' extra boys. I say, why let Badger's folk have all the fun? I'm sure she can't be that tough, lone girl like her, all civil like, and four fine gents like us to give her some schoolin' in the way of the Verse."
Korra had heard enough as she took a more offensive posture and stopped backing off. The leader and his men had said the wrong thing, and they were about to pay for it. Her voice took on a menacing tone, ready to back up her words with action. "You know, I was going to walk away. But then I figure you'll just find another girl to 'educate'. Well guess what ugly, you won't get a second chance."
The men behind her started to laugh, as one with several missing teeth and a nasty scar down the right side of his face gave her a disgusting smile. "Got us a stubborn little philly boys."
"I like a girl with spirit, more fun that way. Grab her!" That needed no translation, much to Korra's revulsion as the four started to slowly close in on her. They were clearly planning to enjoy this.
"Grab this!" She snapped back, before spinning on the trio advancing on her, landing a kick across one man's jaw before she flung her arms to summon a stream of fire, encouraging these 'fine gents' to run for their lives. Not that she planned on letting them get far. Instead of a ferocious barrage of flame however, she blinked dumbly when not even a wisp of smoke appeared between her hands. "No….not again." She whispered, stunned into immobility at the realization she couldn't bend the elements for the second time in her life.
"You're gonna pay for that you little whore..." Wiping the blood from his now nearly toothless mouth her scarred assailant charged at her with his buddies not two steps behind.
Two powerful arms suddenly locked around her waist, pinning her own to her sides. Reacting on instinct, Korra smashed the back of her head into the leader's face, who had snuck up behind her while his pals provided a distraction. Even as he let out a yelp of surprised pain, Korra kicked out with both legs, her boots smashing into the chest and groin of 'Gil' and the other, younger man next to him. She barely paid them a second glance as she yanked the rope from Gil's grasp and tied it around his outstretched hand before flipping him over her body, with his arm as the lever. When he smashed into the dirt, the distinctive sound of bone breaking was soon drowned out by his scream of agony.
Korra spun like a top, her right knee leading as it slammed into the stomach of the scarred man she had kicked in the jaw before she rolled over his back when he bent forward from the blow. Their boss made the mistake of hitting one of his stumbling companions in the head as his fist flashed past her, and Korra was ready for him. Alone and outmatched, he tried to run, but Korra ran him down, and threw him head over her heels into the nearest solid object. With a satisfying THUD, he slid down the brick wall and slumped in the dirt.
"Barely a workout." Korra huffed, and looked at her hands in puzzlement and more than a little horror. This was far from the first time something like this had happened to her. "Why can't I bend? I didn't get blocked…. It certainly wasn't Amon, unless he's haunting me." She shivered as her mind drifted back to the confrontation with Amon, the leader of a group that had called themselves Equalists, on how he had taken her powers from her. And then an even more spine chilling thought occurred to her. "Maybe whatever Aang and the other Avatars did to heal me and unlock my Avatar State wore off..."
If that were the case, she was no longer the Avatar, and that was one possibility she wasn't prepared to face again, especially now. In the middle of some hick town, who knew where, filled with less than virtuous citizens. Korra took a steadying breath though and clenched her hand into a tight fist, remembering the last time she had been this powerless and she had come out the other end alright. Master Aang and the rest of the Avatar ancestors hadn't abandoned her then, they wouldn't leave her now. "No….I can't give up, not yet. Not until there's truly no hope left."
"Lost girl wonders about her worth, instead of more important things. Like food... and watching her back." Korra hadn't heard her approach, only that when she spun around, her fists raised for a second fight of the day in as many minutes, her blue eyes fell on a petite, slender dark haired girl that couldn't have been older than she was. To make matters worse, there was something odd about her, something truly unnerving in her gaze. Korra was certain she was dangerous, blood bending levels of dangerous, despite her harmless outward appearance, though she had no proof to support what her finely honed instincts were screaming at her.
"You have my attention. Who are you?" Korra asked, trying to determine if this girl was a threat to her well being or not. Despite what her instincts said about the girl, she didn't think she was a danger to herself in particular. Just dangerous, but not like the thugs that had attacked her.
Cocking her head to the side with a subtle grin, the dark haired girl gestured to the unconscious man slumped against the now blood stained brick wall Korra had thrown him into. "My name is one that could get you into trouble, more than you're prepared to handle. Some advice? Best not to beat on every gang you meet. Dumb beasts they might be, but the herd is large."
"Barely broke a sweat. I think I can handle a few more morons who don't know when to walk away." Korra narrowed her blue eyes in irritation. "And you didn't answer my question."
"A guide, someone needs to keep you from being disappeared, or worse." She said simply, before nodding to the thugs behind her. "An easy fight against thugs that bit off more than they could chew, you barely exert yourself. Not a good test of skill. I could have done that with my eyes shut. I might try it actually."
Korra frowned when the girl smiled and did just that, only to notice one of the men who had attacked her, the younger boy she had nailed in the groin, limping up behind her with a knife. Before she could shout a warning, the dark haired girl spun around, her foot leading, and sent the young man spinning to the ground where he remained face first in the dirt.
Unphased, she continued speaking to Korra as if nothing had happened. "But against organized criminals and the soldiers of this world and every other? That would be a different and rather inglorious tale, Korra of the Southern Water Tribes." The girl rolled her eyes as her face scrunched up into an almost comical pout. "Fine. Avatar Korra, no need to get in a huff. Your Master Aang is quite persistent. Twinkletoes' beard is rather silly, no one must have told him how ridiculous it looks. To his face at least."
Korra had stopped listening at that point since she was too shocked by the idea some random stranger could see what she couldn't without centering herself first. Not only that, but this strange girl knew things no one outside of her world should have known about. "How?! What are you?!" Without even thinking, she had instinctively taken a few steps back from her self proclaimed 'guide' and dropped into a fighting stance yet again.
The girl merely rolled her large brown eyes, shrugged, and started walking away from Korra. "If you wish to know, you'll be wise to follow. But I am a friend, Avatar Korra. That is not in question."
Korra wasn't so easily convinced. "I get attacked and you suddenly appear, claiming to somehow be able to talk to spirits belonging to my family and their legacy. You know things about me no one else should, and you expect me to believe you?"
"Yes." The dark haired girl said without breaking her leisurely stride.
"Arrogant much?" Korra deadpanned in reply.
"No more than you are. Mostly." This Korra noticed was said with a tinge of humor in her otherwise eerily soft voice.
Korra had had enough as she crossed her arms and childishly stomped her foot while staring daggers at the back of her companion's head. "I'm not following you anywhere until you-"
"When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change. Aang says you were standing on a cliff of ice when he said that to you before restoring your Bending after the masked man took it away. Also 'stop acting like a stubborn polar bear dog pup.' One of your earlier ancestors said that, in case you were curious. Keishi, I like her." That got Korra to shut up and stare dumbly at the dark haired girl. An advantage she planned to use to its fullest. "Aang told me to help you. Didn't want to see you get gut shot or flattened by a 'mule' within an hour of arrival to this space-time continuum. Find it curious that your existence proves the multidimensional theory. You should be honored. Maybe we'll get you a sign. First dimensional traveler to bounce off an awning on entry." The very strange girl said in sing song voice, only adding to the creepy vibe that she positively radiated.
"You are a very strange crazy person." Korra said at last, recovering some measure of her composure after the revelation this kid wasn't as crazy, or as delusional, as she might have originally assumed. "But you might just be helpful after all."
"I get that a lot. More than you could guess." There was a strange, almost sorrowful tone to her voice as the dark haired girl started away, with Korra reluctantly following in her wake. With no other prospects, she didn't have much choice in the matter.
"So ah... I don't suppose Aang told you why I'm, ah, here?" Korra asked, hoping she might have some answers for her. After hearing the same words Aang had shared with her on that cliff, Korra was willing to listen to this strange girl.
"He tends to be needlessly vague, like all of his Avatar kin folk. Highly annoying family trait. He simply described it as 'much needed training'. Before you ask your next question, I don't know when or if you will recover your elemental abilities. Odd, defying the laws of physics and nature is not allowed. Besides, you don't want to set the buildings on fire or make the street crumble. Freezing people in solid ice must be fun. All tend to get noticed by the Law. That is attention you don't want."
Korra had only heard so much of the dark haired girl's ramblings before she stopped and shouted, "What do you mean you don't know?!"
Again the dark haired girl didn't break her stride as she looked over her shoulder, an amused little smile on her face. "You really need to stop doing that, people will think you're a boob, well, more of one."
"You're not helping." Korra groaned, briefly curious as to how River could seemingly dance through the bustling crowd while she had trouble just barreling through the packed street they had come up on.
As she picked up the pace, Korra was forced to jog after her as they quickly left the markets behind. "Calm down and you might find a few answers to your mountainous pile of inquiries"
"I don't do calm well." The Avatar shot back.
"Didn't need Aang to tell me that." Her mind numbingly obtuse guide chuckled to herself.
"Oh yeah, what else did he tell you oh wise one?" Korra growled, sarcasm dripping off of every word.
The girl spun on a dime, a confused look on her face as Korra stumbled backwards to avoid slamming into her. "You burned the training house down when you were supposed to be practicing 'water bending' and used fire instead in your enthusiasm. Illogical, how does one bend water? It cannot be compressed."
Korra groaned and sighed heavily in response. "I get the point already. You somehow have a link to the Spirit World."
"In a manner of speaking." The dark haired girl said with a shrug. "Maybe I'm just a good listener."
"Right. So let me get this straight, Aang told you to help me... and you just trusted him, this mystical voice in your head?" Korra found it hard to believe that someone would be willing to trust a voice in their head, instead of, oh say, checking themselves into the closest hospital.
"He's more than a disembodied voice." She emphasized this by looking past Korra's shoulder, before directing her gaze on her directly. "And you make it sound so simple, but nothing worth doing is ever so easy." With another shrug, the girl continued on when Korra shot her a disbelieving glare. "He wouldn't shut up until I promised to help you... First contacted me eighteen days ago, after we rescued a friend. She was wrongfully imprisoned. Made life... interesting after I repeatedly told him he was no more than a frustratingly polite mental delusion. I've had my fill as it is." She added as a quiet afterthought that Korra didn't hear.
"We? Great, I've fallen in with criminals now? Thanks Aang." Korra sighed again and dropped her head in exhaustion. Today was going to be one of those days it seemed, where everything was out to get her and nothing would go right.
"Better us than the people that took our friend. You'll find out soon enough for yourself. Can say this though. You are not in a friendly part of the multiverse. Should have aimed for the 'bunnies and sunshine' continuum instead." A wry grin split her lips as she continued guiding Korra through the ramshackle city. "My friends are the only ones you can trust….except maybe man ape Jayne. Money has a tendency to make him stupid. Try not to kill him when he attempts to extort sexual favors in exchange for not alerting the authorities to your presence."
"Oookay..." Whatever else Korra had to say was forgotten when they left the cramped alleyways and streets behind and soon stood within a bustling square. Dozens of transports, ships, and people were milling about, going to and from the 'docks' that were arrayed in front of them. Korra could only stare in amazement and dumbfoundment as more of the strange ships she had seen earlier flew to and from the area, bringing an equally exotic array of goods with them. The airships from home were small time compared to the number of sky ships she had seen already.
The Avatar was brought back to the present when someone shouted out to them, or rather her eerie guide. "There ya are Little Albatross! Took ya long enough! What in the sphincter of he-llo... and who might this be? Paying passenger by chance? Captain Malcolm Reynolds, it truly is a pleasure to make your fine acquaintance." Korra swiftly tugged her hand back as a ruggedly handsome, brown duster clad captain reached out to grasp it. "Mighty skittish...let me guess, another stray kitten you just had to go and rescue?"
"She's the one we're looking for Captain Buhn Dahn." Her guide retorted, a slightly annoyed gleam filling her brown eyes.
"She's wha-oh, that. Gotcha. Well hell, if that's the case, I take it all those strange disturbances will stop now? Because I would really like to take a shower without worrying about getting frostbite on my naughty bits. As if that ain't creepifyin' enough, Kaylee says we got a gorram ghost haunting the engine room, blowing everythin' about and Jayne almost got his clumsy pi gu scorched off in the hold for no good gorram reason." A thoughtful look crossed the rogue's face before Korra heard him say, "Find it a bit odd that nothin' ever happened around our two tag alongs or Zoe and her new pup. Or Inara for that matter. Huh. Seems we have a mighty selective demonic presence on our hands."
"We won't have to worry about strange things like that happening anymore. So long as we keep her with us." Korra merely crossed her arms and looked down at the dark haired girl next to her.
"Better be sure on that River, took a big enough chance coming down here with the Alliance breathing down our necks. Then there's Badger, gorram yi da tuo da bian will sell us out in a heartbeat if he catches wind of us bein' berthed in town. So…." This he directed to Korra herself, who looked just as annoyed as ever. "Sorry you got dragged into this fine mess Miss Mysterious, but it seems I find myself in a bit of a fix. Apparently, my ship's haunted, and accordin' to my favorite psychotic psychic, we have to take ya along with us to quell angry spirits or some such. And trust me, I do know exactly how moonbrained crazy that sounds. Had a lot of time to ponder how ass backwards bughouse crazy my life has recently become. Seein' as how you're a stranger to this part of town, I figure we're in this together."
"Uh huh, and who's to say I'll have any better luck with such a smooth talker like you Captain..." Korra leaned over to whisper something to 'River', who replied in turn with a grinning smirk. "...Moron? Huh, it really suits him."
Despite the insult, Reynolds' steely gaze carefully swept over the young woman before him, sizing up her current irritated, and somewhat nervous state. "Got the Persephone warm welcome I take it. Yeah, can't say I blame ya none for being distrustin' of us decent folk if that's the case, but you seem able to handle yourself. You aren't helpless, you got that amazon woman look about ya, even if you are a mite outta your element here darlin'. You strike me as a smart woman though, so let me give ya a piece of free advice. I've come to trust my wily yet still amazingly crazy pilot after a bit of nasty business that would take too long to get into here, and if she says we need ya, then I ain't about to argue. But if you want to go and try your luck out in the Verse by your lonesome, that's your choice. Once that ramp goes up, that's it." Without another word, the man shrugged and turned away, heading for the open ramp of the most ungainly vessel Korra had ever seen in her life.
"He likes you." River helpfully offered as she gestured for Korra to follow.
Korra couldn't help the involuntary shudder that raced along her spine at the sight of the rusty, jury rigged looking behemoth. The best description she could think of was a ship created in a girder factory explosion with two engines bolted on either side half hazardly. "I'm supposed to get on... that. It looks like it's gonna fall apart any second! I feel like I need a healing session just from looking at it..."
"Hey! Don't talk 'bout Serenity like that!" Someone shouted from behind the departing captain, before a red haired young woman all but ran down the ramp. "You'll hurt her feelings. She might not look like much, but she's sturdy and true. She's gotten us this far. I should know, I keep her together."
"With what? Bubblegum and molten slag?" Korra asked in open disbelief someone would willingly defend such an ugly looking vessel, let alone risk their life in it.
"It's alright Kaylee, she'll learn. Appearances aren't everything." River said before the indignant engineer could say another word, and put a hand on the woman's shoulder before she could try and hit Korra with the heavy duty wrench her hand had gone for on her belt. "Just give her time to adjust to her current situation. Not very technically minded, prefers smashing, bashing, slamming. And the occasional boom for good measure."
"Oh alright River, but she better learn right quick. Calling Serenity a piece of junk. The nerve... and I just got her hull all shiny. Fixed the broken port stabilizer too." The short red head tried to give Korra her best glare, but the kind smile pulling at her lips gave her away. "Almost wish I hadn't now. Woulda been fun to see your rude friend blow chunks on lift off."
"Asami could do a better job in her sleep." Korra wisely muttered under her breath as she glanced over the patchwork hull and outboard thrusters once Kaylee had walked away. She sighed and sat down on a crate within the cargo hold despite her protests, the rapid fire events of the last hour quickly catching up to her. Without needing to look up at the slender shadow that fell over her, Korra addressed a calmly staring River. "I do appreciate you coming out to pick me up, whatever your reasons were... River. Interesting name."
"Named for water that never stops moving, always forging a new path. Fitting name for me, even when my choices were taken."
Korra sighed and hugged her arms against her chest. "As hard as it is for me to admit, you were right. I don't think I'd have lasted long out there alone, no matter how strong I am….or was."
River gave her a sympathetic look as she sat down beside the young woman and nodded her head. "Might not have all the answers, but you aren't alone Avatar Korra. Your journey hasn't even started yet, don't give up hope until there is no hope left to give. Hope is everything and anything we have left in these dark days."
"You sound like you've had your share of hardships." Korra said, looking towards the strange dark haired girl next to her in a new light. That wasn't saying much since they had only just met, but that didn't stop Korra from seeing as much etched into the petite girl's face. In the way she carried herself said a great deal as well.
River pondered in silence for a time as Korra managed to find the patience not to nudge her, just to make sure she hadn't fallen asleep with her eyes open. "Take the worst experience of your life, and no, Aang didn't tell me what it was. Fairly certain that would have been a mildly annoying day for me and mine."
"Wow. I guess I can see why Aang sent me here. Your world wouldn't know balance if it slapped it in the face."
"That is an accurate assessment of this Verse. We lost so much when we left Earth That Was behind eons ago. What was left in its place was a shadow, one that has become all encompassing, all consuming. It has taken the form of the ruling government we call the Alliance. They meddle…..they tell people how to think, how to feel, don't walk, don't run. They meddle, and they do it because no one is strong enough to oppose them. Like the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War."
Korra cocked an eyebrow as she started to wonder just how much Aang and his fellow Avatars had shared with this very unique girl. "History lessons from Aang?"
"Something like that." River replied, a small, smug smirk on her face.
"You aren't going to give me a straight answer are you?" Korra huffed, even as she couldn't help giving River an honest smile.
"I have, you just haven't been listening." With that, River stood and walked away, leaving Korra to ponder what she had said, and the confusing, bewildering, world she had literally fallen into.
Not knowing what else to do, she followed River to the threshold of the large ship and promptly sat in a meditative stance, watching the passers by before sighing and finally closing her eyes. She didn't want to spend one more minute on this rusty flying deathtrap than necessary.
Alright Aang, I'm here. Time to impart some wisdom or at least tell me what's going on... Aang? I know you're there. I hope...
An amused, bald headed man in red and orange robes appeared beside Korra, and smiled warmly down upon her. Aang was indeed there, and he hadn't abandoned her, far from it. Standing in front of her, the master Avatar sat down in front of her, his own legs underneath him in a similar position before he put his hands on his knees. It's good to see you're starting to truly master this aspect of your training Korra. As for why you didn't see me sooner, that's easy. You hear but rarely listen Korra. Only when you're ready to listen, when you're facing such a trial as this, do you truly connect with your spiritual self as you are now. No matter how dark things get, you will never be alone, Avatar Korra. You might not have your bending abilities at the moment, but you will regain them in time. That much I can promise you with certainty. The rest will be up to you.
Only when I'm at my lowest huh?
You're learning.
But why-
Why this place? Why now? Why this motley crew, this family? Who you haven't even properly introduced yourself to yet. You will see soon enough Korra, allow the answers to find you, do not seek them out as you would an enemy. Which you tend to do a lot by the way. It got me into a lot of trouble when I was your age. History has a tendency to repeat itself.
Korra managed a weak smile as Aang slowly faded from sight. Maybe he was right. She hadn't even given this place a chance before she had passed judgment on it. Whatever Aang's reasons for dropping her into this mess, she was here for a purpose. All she needed to do now was figure out what it was. Easier said than done in her case.