Greetings!
Welcome to the hopefully improving writing experience that is this story. Hopefully it goes along as well as I planned. This would be the first fanfiction I would have officially made. My friends and I have had others but none of us would have posted them! The first few paragraphs of this are quoted from the show itself. Anyway, I hope you find it enjoyable!
I own nothing here except for the plot.
"I talked to the rebels. They said Unalaq's got the southern portal surrounded. Harmonic Convergence is only a few hours away." Korra said to the crowd in front of her. The whole group was in the Southern Water Tribe. The Avatar needed to defeat Unalaq and close the Spirit Portal before the Harmonic Convergence.
"Then we have to break through the enemy lines ourselves and get to the portal now." Tenzin addressed hastily.
Korra leaned forward slightly. "There's no use in talking any more. We know what our mission is."
"A suicide mission..."
Everyone turned to Bolin, who spoke in the curve of his mouth to muffle his words. Bumi's face began to form a small grin.
"You know, I was in a similar situation once. My platoon had crawled through the desert with no water for a week! But when we finally located the only oasis for a hundred miles..." Everyone watched him in total disbelief. "...It was surrounded by angry sandbenders. I realized our only chance to get to the water was to drop in from above. So I fashioned together a catapult, and with the help of a few well-trained hog monkeys..."
"Enough of your ridiculous lies!" Tenzin snapped, causing Bumi to jump slightly. "Can't you see that the fate of the world and Jinora's life depends on what we do here today?!"
"Wait, who's that?" Mako said abruptly as he pointed behind Korra, interrupting the brother's small quarrel.
Everyone turned toward the stranger. He looked mysterious, enough for Mako to immediately distrust him. His robes were frayed and dusted. Over his head was a dulled red cloth that covered his face from the southern cold. A thin blue binding acted as a belt over his loose-fitting pants and overcoat. Tenzin immediately stepped forward in front of the man, who stopped his steady advance toward the crowd.
"State your name stranger!" Tenzin said harshly. He was obviously flustered from Bumi's constant tales. "We happen to be discussing the state of the world now, and we don't have time for small talk!"
Kya stepped forward pushing Tenzin behind her. "Forgive my brother; he has a lot on his mind now. What business do you have with us?"Korra smiled. Kya reminded her of Katara in a strange motherly way.
The mystery man stood in silence as the frigid arctic wind picked up slightly. He raised his head just enough to show his chin and a small smirk. His black hair was long enough for little pieces to blow in the breeze. "I believe one of you knows who I am; you just don't recognize me…"
Everyone looked around, trying to figure out who this one person was.
"Well we can't see your face. How are we supposed to recognize you?" Asami asked. Bolin crossed his arms smugly. "Yeah, how are we supposed to recognize you if we can't even see your face?" A small chuckle came from the man in a playful way. "Now that would ruin the fun now would it?" He held up three fingers. "I'll give you three guesses to try to figure out who I am."
Mako looked at Bolin and Asami, who shrugged simultaneously . "Tahno!" Korra suddenly said. She received a glare from Tenzin. The stranger let one finger down, showing that she failed at her guess.
"What?" It was worth a try wasn't it?" Korra said as she crossed her arms on her chest, defending herself from Tenzin's piercing glare. "Iroh?" Bolin asked sheepishly. "Amon?" He said next, which then the glares came to himself, especially from Korra.
Tenzin face-palmed at their attempts at guessing as the man let all fingers down. "Aw, you ran out of guesses." The man said, you could tell he was enjoying this a little too much.
"Why are we even taking part in this game? We still have to find a way to get Korra to the Spirit Portal!" Tenzin said. His face was barely a shade of red from frustration.
"Stop.-" The man said suddenly in a serious tone. This was such a change from the earlier game that everyone looked at him in confusion. He was going to continue but Tenzin began first.
"Listen sir." Tenzin took a deep breath as he calmed himself down. "We have a lot at stake here. If we can't get Korra, who is the Avatar, to the Spirit Portal so she can close it, then the world will be in darkness for the next 10000 years! I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't want that to happen, right?" He turned to everyone else, as if seeking their approval.
"I know about Unalaq. I'm here to help Korra against him." The man said in a serious tone. "We can't allow Vaatu to escape. I won't allow him to be free again."
I won't allow him to be free again
"How does he know about Vaatu?" Korra thought to herself. The stories of Raava and Vaatu were supposed to be long forgotten to the sands of time. Her face showed confusion, which Bolin acknowledged.
"Judging by my friend's sudden entrance into thought, I think that she might be the one to know you." The earthbender said in a quizzical voice as he stroked his chin.
The eyes of the group were once again on Bolin. "What!? I'm just voicing my thoughts out loud! It's a legitimate statement too…" Bolin said as he crossed his arms.
"He might be on to something there Korra." Bumi butted in. "You are the Avatar after all! 1000 lifetimes can generate a lot of memories and people you might know…"
"Bolin and Bumi are correct Korra. You are the one who knows me." The man said.
"How do you know my name?" Bumi inquired. "Have you been spying on me!?" He raised his fists in warning. "I must have you know that I once fought off a herd of-…"
Tenzin swiped his hand through the air interrupting his brother. "Not that nonsense again!"
Korra ignored them completely and steadily approached the stranger until they were arm's length apart. "Who…are you?"
The wind picked up further while the clouds parted, showing the sun. Mako could feel the warmth encroach on his form. The man slowly raised his arms and began to pull back his hood. His black hair began to blow more freely in the wind as the hood slowly revealed his facial features. Once the cloth was fully off, Korra backed up in utter shock.
"You…you look just like…" She managed to stutter out.
"Korra? Who is this guy?" Asami questioned what everyone seemed to be thinking. Korra backed up so much that she ran into Kya. "He…l-looks just like…NO! That's not possible!" The Avatar said as she put her hands on her head. Everyone turned their gaze to the yet-to-be named man. Mako cupped a ball of fire in his hand and walked over to the mysterious person. He held him by the collar and pulled him closer. The man only smiled at the young firebender's passion.
"Who. Are. You." Mako interrogated. His face glowed with frustration as this new guy was toying with them.
The stranger's left hand patted the air, and Mako's flame went out.
Tenzin gasped at this sight. "Did you just airbend?"
Mako let the man go as quickly as the words came from Tenzin. The man dusted off his pants from the blowing snow. He looked up and his smile disappeared, once again donning a serious expression.
"My name is Wan, and I was the first Avatar…"
"What?" Tenzin yelled. "That's not possible! There has never been more than one Avatar existing in the physical world."
"Well I'm here and as far as I know, I'm alive."
Asami laid her hand on her face and thought. "Korra is still here, and so are you. How does that work?"
"I don't really know Asami. All I know is that the spirits granted my temporary return to aid you guys in your quest against Unalaq."
Korra glared at the man who claimed to be her past life. He did look like Wan, and his presence felt familiar. But it just wasn't possible! There was no way that this imposter was the one she saw in her memories a couple of weeks ago. He was talking with her friends like he had known them for years. It was extremely suspicious why he would turn up now and not months ago when she was facing Amon.
"…and Kuruk hasn't challenged Roku to a game of Pai-Sho since then, he wasn't exactly known for his patience."
"Listen to him, telling false stories about HER past lives like he really knew them!" Korra didn't trust him, not one bit.
"All right enough socializing, why are you here?" Korra blurted, interrupting the small conversation that was taking place. She made sure to look threatening by poking the man's chest as she talked.
"I'm here to help you against Unalaq remember?"
"I don't believe you! You can't be Wan, it's just not possible!" Korra huffed dramatically.
"How can I prove it to you that I am who I say I am?" Wan took a single step toward the young Avatar. Korra eyed him and came up with a great idea, great in her mind of course. Upon seeing the man step forward she ignited her palm and punched it at the imposter. He barely dodged as a stream of flames went over his face.
"Korra! What are you doing?" Tenzin yelled. His face began turning a slight red color.
"If you are Avatar Wan, then fight me! For all we know you could be one of Unalaq's agents!" The girl kicked the air sending an airbending slice at the superficial first Avatar. Wan rolled to the left just out-of-the-way of her attack. "Stop this! Save your energy for Unalaq, Korra!"
"Don't say my name!" Korra yelled. Her eyes suddenly turned a bright white as she entered the Avatar State. Her voice had the echo of 1000 voices as she spoke in a truly terrifying way. "You disgrace the Avatar lineage by pretending to be one of our own, now you pay the price of your actions!"
Much to the awe of her friends nearby, Korra flipped forward and connected her fists out in front of her. A very large blast of fire emanated from her fists and launched toward the man. Wan tried to jump away again but the winds that went along with the large blasts knocked him aside. He rolled over several times on the ground and looked at Korra, who was walking towards him with an expression of pure rage. Wan hit the ground in frustration then returned his gaze to the angered Avatar. "I'm sorry Korra, but you won't believe me if I don't do it."
Wan jumped up and closed his eyes as Korra approached ever so slowly, she wanted to try to scare the man off with her power. Wan wasn't moving, he stood opposite of Korra who continued to approach. In a split-second Wan opened his eyes again, but they were not longer the gold he had sported a couple of minutes ago. Now they were bright white, just like Korra's.
Korra's friends watched with shocked expressions as Wan entered the Avatar State and stood to rival Korra. "No way…" Bolin said, breaking the eerie silence. Korra was taken aback by Wan's sudden glowing eyes. She stepped backwards in astonishment.
Wan's voice didn't have the 1000 other echoes like Korra's did. Instead it had only his own and one other familiar feminine voice. "Avatar Korra, my name is Avatar Wan. 10000 years ago I merged with the light spirit Raava; you already know this because you are my reincarnation."
Korra put her hands on her head and looked down. Was he really Avatar Wan? No! There was no way! This is a trick somehow! Her stubbornness took over. "You are not Wan, somehow this is a trick!" Her voice still had the echoes of her past lives. Kya stepped toward the two beings to try to calm them down. She put herself between the two and held her arms out in defiance.
"Korra! Don't you see? How could someone mimic the Avatar State? I know it's hard to believe, but we must try!"
Korra's white eyes turned to the woman in front of her and stared into her soul. "No Kya, I will end him and we can continue to the portal."
Wan looked down in disappointment. "I'm sorry Korra, but I will do what I must."
Immediately Korra shot a powerful fire blast at the first Avatar. Wan dissipated it with a circular motion of his hands and shot one right back at her. Korra gathered snow up with waterbending and shot it into Wan's fire, creating a blanket of steam over the area. Tenzin airbent the steam away both for protecting Korra and so everyone can continue watching the fight. But only Korra stood in view, Wan disappeared completely. The young Avatar looked frantically for her rival. Suddenly she felt his presence behind her. She smiled and flipped backwards, kicking fire as she went. Soon enough Wan did appear out of the earth and was shocked to see fire heading towards him. Instinct and experience took over and he earthbent a shield out in front of his body. The crowd watched in awe as the two fought with all the elements at their command.
"Why is Korra still fighting?" Mako asked the group, not really expecting an answer. "This guy has used all the elements and is in the Avatar State? What other proof does she need?"
Bolin cringed as Wan earthbent a large rock at Korra, who punched it into oblivion in response. "His earthbending is amazing I can say that."
"Apparently he has had 10000 years of experience to perfect it." Asami mused.
Bumi jumped to the right with a yelp as he dodged a stray fireball. Mako ran out until he was sure they both could hear him. He cupped his hands and yelled out at the battling Avatars, who continued to duke it out in the compound. "Korra! Why can't you see that he isn't lying!? Only another Avatar could fight with you like that!"
She heard him yell and thought about what he had to offer. "I guess so…" she said with a frown of shame. But before she could do anything, Wan imprisoned her in a sphere of air. He then firebent a beam around her, encircled her in water, and had rocks sent around her. Korra was trapped in his prison by the power of the elements.
Wan exited the Avatar State and stared up at the levitating young woman. "That is the exact move I used to imprison Vaatu many years ago. I'm sure you recognize it." He had a sarcastic tone at that last sentence. Korra exited the Avatar State too and Wan released her from his elemental prison. The young Avatar landed on the ground and collapsed from the energy exerted on her. The bending brothers ran to her and helped the exhausted girl up. Wan approached Korra with a smile, she responded with a look of shame and defeat.
Korra pushed the brother's hands off her and she stood alone facing Wan. "I'm sorry for not believing you earlier. It's so hard to imagine that a legend is standing in front of us!"
Wan laughed and put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "I know Korra, but I am here to help you and your friends in the upcoming battle."
The rest of the group ran up to join the two Avatars. "You're going to help Korra defeat Unalaq?" Tenzin asked.
"Not quite. It's her destiny to face Unalaq and I can't get in the way of that. I am here to offer guidance for the battle though.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You will all see. I am going to take you to places that will help in ways that you never would have imagined." Wan pointed at Tenzin. "Let's start with you." He said with a mysterious smile.
Tenzin pointed at himself and looked around. He still couldn't believe he was talking to the very first Avatar. Wan waved his hand in impatience for Tenzin to walk forward. Once the airbender was close enough Wan put his hand on his shoulder and waved to the others. "We'll be back in a few minutes!" Suddenly the two men disappeared with a bright flash. Everyone stared at where they stood just a couple of seconds ago. There was no trace of them even existing.
"Where did Wan take him?" Korra asked. Her answer was silence….
So how was that? Fight scenes are not my forte, so bear with me on that one. I will gladly accept any reviews that are given upon this documentation. Thanks!