A Certain Empowered Avatar

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar (or Korra), and I don't own any part of the A Certain Magical Index(including the Railgun spin-off)

Earth.

Fire.

Air.

Water.

Magic.

When I was a boy, my father, Avatar Aang, told me the story of how he and his friends heroically ended the Hundred-Year War. Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko transformed the Fire Nation colonies into the United Republic of Nations, a society where benders and non-benders from all over the world could live and thrive together in peace and harmony. They named the capital of the great land "Republic City".

Avatar Aang did many great things in his life, but sadly, his time in this world came to an end. And like the cycle of the seasons, the cycle of the Avatar began anew…

Enter Korra, the new Avatar. Born to Tonraq and Senna of the Southern Water Tribe, Korra heroically ventured to Republic City and reclaimed it from a terrible force, becoming the city's savior once again. Along her journeys, she made lasting friendships, fell in love, and finally overcame the barrier to her spiritual self, a task she spent her entire life failing to achieve.

Avatar Korra is now living peacefully with her friends and loved ones, continuing her training to one day become a fully realized Avatar, waiting for the day when Republic City will need her once again.

Unfortunately, that day may come sooner than expected. A new enemy threatens the balance of our world once more, one which we have no means of comprehending.

An enemy that comes from a dimension separate from ours…

"Korra! Breakfast's ready!"

The annoyingly sweet voice of Jinora rang in Korra's ears like an annoying bee in the summertime. The young Avatar sighed.

"For the last time, Jin, I'm in the shower! I'll be out soon!" Korra yelled at the top of her lungs.

All of a sudden, she heard a huge burst of air. Korra gasped, because she knew what that meant. "Why?! Were you thinking of him again?!" Korra turned around to see Jinora floating above the showerhead on an air scooter.

Blushing a bright red (for two different reasons, mind you), Korra covered herself with both hands and created some flames with her mouth. "Out! NOW!" Unfortunately, she forgot to take into account that she was standing over the showerhead, which extinguished the flames in seconds. Upon this realization, Korra grinned sheepishly.

The oldest of the airbender children giggled. "All right then! I'll let you get back to your fantasy now!"

"JIN!" But she was already gone, using her bending and superior agility to make a run for it. Shaking her fist in fury, the Avatar considered going after her. However, remembering her Master's training, she refrained. This was not the way Tenzin had taught her to deal with problems; it was best to deal with them calmly and rationally.

Besides, breakfast time would be a perfect way to come up with a way to dish out revenge on that little pest.

"Who knows? I might even get Ikki to help!" With that thought, Korra laughed to herself a bit. Turning off the shower, she put on a towel and went to get dressed.

It was amazing; she hadn't been this relaxed in a long time. As Korra put her clothes on, she couldn't help but reflect on all that had happened that past year. Dealing with Amon, falling in love, having to stop the entire army of Equalists, it had done a number on the young Avatar who, until a year ago, had been trapped in a giant bunker away from the rest of the world. Nothing could have prepared her for the change she felt upon leaving that stony prison, away from the safety and comfort she had known her whole life.

And she wouldn't have had it any other way.

Korra could sit there all day, thinking back to all the times when it felt like she was hopelessly lost, unable to help herself, let alone anyone else. But that wasn't the case anymore. Because now she had a family. Mako, Bolin, Tenzin, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Pema. Even Asami, though they hadn't been speaking much lately. They had changed her life forever, given her a new reason to fight.

Korra smiled. Thanks to them, she had managed to save the world from Amon's wrath. And now, if there was a new threat, she knew they would be there like always, paving the way for her to save the day.

Look out world! There's nothing you can throw at us that we can't handle! Korra thought to herself.

Now fully clothed in her Water Tribe attire, Korra was gathering her dirty bed sheets. They had really gotten dirty and needed to be taken care of. Unfortunately, Korra was too lazy to get them cleaned and put it off for a week. It was only when Pema scolded her that she finally caved.

Korra sighed again. "Man; I hope I don't get that annoying when I'm old." Respect for elders was still something she was improving on.

Walking over to her window, Korra prepared to put her sheets on the clothesline. "Really hope it doesn't start raining." She then noticed a white lump hanging on her windowsill.

"Huh? Whose sheets are those?" Upon closer inspection, however, Korra realized a horrible truth.

Those were no sheets. She could make out a face under all that white.

"What?" Korra double checked again to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. But sure enough, strands of blue hair were hanging from a cute little face, with closed eyes and a tiny little mouth.

"What? WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

It was so obvious now! Those weren't sheets; they appeared to be sister's robes, the ones that prayed in churches. They were completely white and decorated in gold embroidering, with a small nun's cap covering the little girl's head. The girl was sleeping soundly, breathing very softly.

Korra, shocked, dropped the sheets to the ground, aghast at the whole situation

"What…a girl? How did she get here?" Korra took a step back, trying to process what had just happened.

"I'm…"

Gasping, the Avatar paused. The girl had just spoken.

"I'm so.. hungry." The girl finished, in the softest voice she could muster.

Korra leaned in a bit. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm so hungry!" The girl repeated.

Relieved, Korra hung her head down. "Well, she's alive then…"

"Didn't you hear me? I said I'm hungry!" Korra looked up in surprise, sweat drops forming behind her head. She hadn't expected the girl to retort in a tone like that.

"I would be really happy if you fed me something! Some sandwiches, a pizza, anything!" She closed her eyes and smiled once more to seal the deal.

"Um, sure, I guess," Korra shrugged, "if you'll do me a favor and tell me how you ended up in my window."

The girl shook her head. "No, no no! Food comes first!" Pouting, the girl made what appeared to be the cutest mean glare Korra had even seen.

Gulping, not knowing whether to be scared or confused, Korra started to walk backwards away from the window. "Um, could you, uh, stay here for a moment? I'll see what I can do about your…food situation!"

There was no way in hell she would be able to explain this to Tenzin…

"Mmm! This is good! I can actually feel the flavor running through my nostrils!"

The teenage girls were now sitting on Korra's bed. Korra had managed to sneak a bowl of fire flakes from Bolin's room next door, which the little nun ate with much gusto. Truth be told, she couldn't keep her eyes off her, her mouth chock full of treats.

What exactly was she; could she actually be a Sister? It wasn't just the appetite for material food that threw her off; it was the whole thing. In all her years stuck in the compound, Korra had never seen another human being, let alone a nun. She had been lead to believe they never really existed. In this world of benders and non-benders, there really never been such a thing as a Church.

Of course, there was religion. After all, what else were benders but a product of spirituality and science? In fact, she may have heard Tenzin bring up how before the genocide, every one of the Air Nomads had been an airbender. This was probably due to their having a high level of spirituality. In fact, one could assume them to be the first – and only – religious society that ever existed.

There were other deities, of course. The people of the Water Tribe believed in the spirits of the Moon and the Ocean; the former was said to be the basis for all waterbending, the way it pushed and pulled the ocean. There was even a rumor that in the Northern Water Tribe, there existed two koi fish which symbolized the two spirits that swam in a circular course; as long as they kept their course, the spiritual energy in the Water Tribes would thrive and flourish. While not as prevalent in the remaining two nations, spirituality was present in respect to temples and shrines, although some earthbenders who lived in the deserts became entranced by new mythologies surrounding their homes and became sandbenders. The Fire Nation had the Fire Sages, who were the only established clergy in all of the four nations, though the depth of their spirituality had come into question after the Hundred-Year War.

And yet, she had never head anything about Sisters. Or the Church, for that matter…

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Korra jumped. "What?"

The girl had now put down the empty bowl. "Is everything okay? You were looking out the window an awfully long time."

The Avatar shook her head. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Sighing, she laid back down on the bed. "So are you going to tell me who you are now?"

The girl nodded and put a hand to her chest.. "Of course! How rude of me! My name's Index Libororum Prohibitorum. But you can call me Index!"

Korra raised herself and squinted an eye. "Index Libororum Prohibitorum?" She repeated with a confused tone. "That's not a name I've ever heard of. Is that Latin or something?" Korra didn't know much about the world around her besides Republic City, but part of her Avatar training had involved a lot of reading into various cultures and languages. Of course, Korra had never thought any of that knowledge would ever come in handy.

Until now, that is…

Index nodded. "Yup! It roughly translates into "The List of Forbidden Books". Oh, and my magic name is Dedicatus545. That translates into 'the concentrated lamb who guards the wisdom of the mighty'!"

Whatever confusion that was racking Korra's brain was doubled and sprinkled with even more confusion. One question had been answered, but now a hundred more were dancing around in her mind. Attempting to wrap her brain about it, Korra decided to try the (relatively) easiest question first.

"How did you wash up here on Air Temple Island? And what made you pick my window in particular?"

For a few moments, Index was silent. Korra kept waiting in anticipation, and when the former finally opened her mouth…

…she hung her head down in defeat.

"Sorry. I don't really remember how I got here."

Veins were starting to pop out of Korra's forehead at the waste of time this stupid nun was putting her through, but she managed to restrain herself long enough to ask the next question. "Okay, question two… what did you mean when you say 'magic name'?"

Index looked up. "What do you mean by that?"

"You said that you had a magic name as well. Dedi-something or another-"

"Dedicatus545!"

"Yeah, I got it! What I don't understand is the magic part! Are you telling me magic actually exists?"

Index widened her eyes, as if Korra had just asked her why the sky was blue. "Well, isn't it obvious! Of course magic exists! Why wouldn't it?"

Oh, there are so many ways I could answer that question, Korra thought angrily. She didn't know why she was still listening to this; from the looks of it, she could just be some deranged fan from Republic City who hitched a ride here on one of the ferries last night. Korra decided it was best to report her to Tenzin and let him handle it…

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Index was furious that she had been ignored. Any traces of her old demeanor had all but vanished. "Don't tell me you've never heard of the English Puritan Church! Or the Vatican! Or the Anglo-Saxon-"

"All right, I got it! You're part of some really messed up cults who preach that magic is real in order to strike fear into the hearts of their followers!" Korra decided to play this little fanatic's game for a bit, just for a few kicks. "Believe me, I get it. I'm kind of experienced in these sort of things."

"GRRRRRRR!" Flinging her arms in a fit of rage, Index flung the empty bowl at Korra. The latter used her airbending to fling the bowl off to the side. It was clear from her actions that Korra's words had struck a nerve.

Still fuming, Index crosser her arms and glared at Korra. "You're one to talk, coming from a society of supernatural powers yourself! Are you telling me that someone who believe in the power of bending elements can't find it in themselves to believe in magic?"

Korra eye's widened as she noticed the hole in Index's story. "Wait a minute! If you don't remember anything, then how did you know about bending?"

Her facial features softening, Index's eyes began to well up. "It's because…I was attacked by them."

To be continued…