Anyone else feel unsatisfied with how abrupt the last episode was? Good, me too. I think they could have expanded the entire season, but the finale was way too rushed in my opinion. I loved the series, but they could have really set themselves up for another epic tale like The Last Airbender. So, here is my version of the final scene and the sequence of events following. Hope you like it! I own nothing and if you'd like to know my musical muse for this prologue, it is "Femme" from the Tsubasa OST and composed by Kajiura Yuki.
(Korra POV)
As Naga lay in the snow, I dismounted, methodically stumbling to the edge of a sheer cliff of ice. The smell of salt stung my nose and the cold, arctic wind whipped my face as I came to a halt. Looking over the expanse of the ocean, I called to the very depths of my soul, urgently trying to bend a single droplet of water. Putting all of my will into one final attempt, I tried to halt the descent of the single tear falling from my cheek.
Nothing.
Watching that one drop of water fall into the ocean, all hope left me. Collapsing, I hugged my knees to my chest. Not even trying to hold in my despair, I sobbed into my arms. I couldn't even think over my own suffocating tears, content to cry myself to oblivion over the loss of my bending. What good was airbending by itself? I had lost a part of myself; the other three elements had called out to me since I was a kid. Losing them was worse than losing a friend, I had lost part of my very essence, my very identity. It was like a raw wound that never healed.
*crunch*
"Not now Tenzin," I sniffled, seeing a flash of orange and yellow to accompany the footstep. "I just want to be left alone."
"But you called me here."
"Aang!" I yelped, recognizing the voice. Snapping my body around to face him, hope surged in me like a balloon. Even if Katara couldn't restore my bending, maybe Aang still could!
"You have finally connected with your spiritual self," He smiled warmly at me. I stood to face him, looking up in excitement at my past life.
"How?" I asked in amazement.
"When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change," The airbender placed his hand on my shoulder, nodding in approval. "I also discovered important things in my life when in the grip of despair."
"Can you can restore my bending?" I asked excitedly, all worries forgotten. I almost leaped with joy before seeing Aang's face fall. The sad fact of reality crashed into me again, extinguishing all hope once again.
"No, I cannot do that. I'm sorry," He said, confirming my worst suspicions.
"Then what am I supposed to do!" I yelled in frustration, throwing my hands in the air. "You're one of the greatest Avatar's in history! If you can't help me, am I doomed to be a half-baked Avatar until I die?" I crouched on the ground again, facing away from my previous incarnation in defeat. Tears stung my eyes and I stubbornly wiped them away, not wanting Aang to see me cry.
"No, Korra. You're not doomed," Aang stated softly, patting my head encouragingly. I looked up at him in hesitant expectation again, wary to anticipate anything after all the previous disappointments. "But it will not be easy on you."
"I don't care!" I shouted, raising myself to stand defiantly in front of him again. "Can I get my bending back? Please Aang…" I hung my head. "I just feel… So wrong. All of this is wrong. I loved bending the other elements, it's like I'm only partially me as I am now." I struggled to put my feelings into words.
"You can restore your connection to the other elements," Aang stressed. "But that is because only your current link to them has been severed by that bloodbender," His tone became bitter at this word, but he continued. "The source of your bending is still there, but the pathway to accessing it has been blocked. Since you had not opened your pathway to airbending at the time your connections were severed, you were still able to access it in your time of need."
"The spiritual lesson is great and all," I restlessly interjected. "But how does this help me?"
Aang chuckled. "You need to find new pathways to your sources of waterbending, earthbending, and firebending."
"New pathways?" I scrunched up my face in confusion. "How do I do that?"
"By going back to the foundation of bending itself," Aang declared proudly. "Each of the four elements was based on a certain original source. Do you know what they are?"
"Um… I think the original waterbenders were the ocean and the moon," I postulated. "Is that what you mean?"
"Yes!" He agreed triumphantly. "People learned to bend water by watching the push and pull of the ocean and moon. It is the same with the other three elements. The badgermoles taught the first earthbenders, dragons inspired the first firebenders, and skybison were the basis of airbending."
"So, you're saying this can help me bend again?"
"Yes. If you learn the true art of bending, without being twisted and diluted by time and human use, you will be able to learn a different way of bending the elements. By doing so, you can find a different way to access your ability to bend and restore it on your own." Aang smiled kindly as the grin on my face widened.
"Woohoo!" I whooped, jumping in the air. All negative thoughts momentarily forgotten, I pulled Aang into a bone crushing hug and lifted him in the air. "Thank you so much!"
"Hm… Nice enthusiasm," He hummed. "But again, it will not be easy. Do you even know where to look, Korra?"
"Uhh…" I mumbled at his amused expression. Setting him down, I realized I had no idea. What was I supposed to do? Ask the moon to give me waterbending lessons? Slumping in defeat, I pouted at Aang. "Okay, so I have no idea. But, that's why you're here!"
"Yes," Aang chuckled again. "You will always be able to call upon your past lives for guidance, now that you have surpassed your spiritual block. Call on us, and we will help you."
"Huh," I huffed, impressed. "Who would have thought thise spiritual stuff could be so handy?"
"BUT" Aang's voice deepened, becoming layered with thousands of different voices. His eyes and tattoos glowed with an unearthly light and thousands of people appeared at his back. "You also have now unlocked the ability to descend into the Avatar State. It is a defense mechanism, designed to empower you with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars. You must learn to master it, like all your previous incarnations have. Until you do, it will only be called out on instances of extreme emotion and is completely out of your control. In the Avatar State, you are at your most powerful, but also your most vulnerable. If you are killed in the Avatar State, the reincarnation cycle will be broken and the Avatar will cease to exist."
Rendered speechless by this revelation, my mind was flooded with flashbacks of previous Avatars. They commanded tornadoes, leveled mountains, created tsunamis, controlled rivers of lava…. And hurt people. Countless images of destruction and loved ones hurt by out f control Avatars assaulted my mind. Even Aang had hurt people.
"Be warned. Your spiritual connection can be a double edged sword," Aang stated as the glowing dimmed and the images, or rather memories, faded. "Now head for the north pole. I will lead you to the ocean and moon spirits; along the way I will instruct you in airbending."
"Aang… I-" I tried to say something to ease the guilt of the wrongdoings of my past lives, but found I had nothing to say. I knew if I hurt someone like that, I would never forgive myself. But neither did Aang, his memories showed he never forgot that pain.
"Go," He nodded once, then disappeared like a cloud dissipating in the sky.
Dropping to my knees again, I was left alone in the snowy tundra. I was so engrossed processing all the new information, I didn't even notice Naga was still with me.
*Whine*
Feeling the push of a giant nose under my arm, I gradually came to my senses.
"Sorry Naga," I wrapped my arms around her head, trembling slightly. "You must have been worried." She panted and I heard the swish of a tail wagging through snow. Taking note of my surroundings, I saw it was already dusk. Lifting myself up on shaking legs, I pulled myself up on Naga's back.
"Let's go home, girl. I'm sure everyone wants to know where we went," I started to lead Naga back to the complex. However the more I thought about seeing everyone, the more I urged Naga to slow her pace.
"Everyone must be so disappointed in me."
With this thought, I pulled Naga to a stop. Ignoring her questioning whine, my thoughts began to accumulate in my head.
"I've failed them."
"I let this happen."
"I was supposed to save Republic City."
"I've failed as the Avatar."
"No one will want anything to do with me since I'm not the Avatar anymore."
"Not even Mako."
At this thought, I reeled and nearly fell off Naga. Mako. I had completely forgotten about him. Guilt engulfed me as I thought of my friend. If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have been able to get away from Amon, much less expose him as a waterbender. The so-called great Avatar had been useless against one powerful bloodbender because I was too naïve. Too weak.
Mako said he loves me.
"No," I thought bitterly. "He loves Korra the Avatar."
Everyone wanted Korra the Avatar. But I had failed them. With this thought, I found I could no longer move forward. Seeing the lights of the compound in the distance, I bit my lip to suppress crying again. Shame and grief crushed me, even as I had found hope in regaining my bending. I realized with a shock, that for once I could not face this problem head on. Imagining the pitying expressions of all the people I loved was already too much. I couldn't drag them into this and make them wait around with me for an indefinite amount of time. Especially when I could inadvertently hurt them.
I had failed.
"I'm a coward."
And so, urging Naga to a loping trot, I ran away. Directing us away from the compound where all my friends and family were waiting, I set off to the North Pole.
"I'll come back," I promised. "I'll come back once I'm the Avatar again."
Prologue is done! I plan on having a Book 1: Water, Book 2: Earth, and Book 3: Fire if I can keep up my motivation. Please let me know if you liked this or found any errors. I love feedback and it really gets the creative juices flowing when you know someone likes your story. Thank you for reading!