Author's note: There has been one thing I have just been itching to write in the Avatar universe, but I think it can only really be done in Legend of Korra.
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based piece of fiction. The Legend of Korra was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
Chapter 1: Dawn
One of the earliest things I remembered from my early childhood was that strange island. I never understood why: the rest of my infancy was a blur. Yet for some reason, that strange island always remained as clear as the glass that adorned the windows of my house in the Fire Nation. Every time I tried to ask about it to my mother and father, I would always be told off by them saying "Teo, that island is just your imagination" or "There is no such thing as a moving island. Teo", in raised or even booming voices if I persisted. One major thing I didn't understand was the look of sickness that would cross their faces when I asked this, a feeling described by my father as 'having to swallow a Waterbender's water'; a look of utter disgust, only in response to a child's curiosity. Why were they so angry about that?
I would remember that particular dream: I was alone on a beach by my house during the night, and I saw a large, forested island drifting towards me on the sea. In the moonlight, I could clearly sea the leaves of the trees glistening, and the seas rippling. I wanted to meet that island, shake its tree's roots (how else could you shake hands with an island? It has no hands to shake) and, I remembered my father shaking hands with various people before talking. I wanted to try it, but maybe say hello to the island, ask it if it was called anything, if it could take me to Whale-tail Island, or if that island was even its friend.
The island got closer to me, and it got far, far larger... I was sure even Father would just be a little baby in its hands. To this day, it was the largest thing I had ever seen, and I was even more amazed when the island crashed on the waters by the beach, where I had crawled to. It rose an arm out of the water, its color indescribable as it had blocked out the moonlight. Its hand came closer to my head, and soon, my entire face felt a large thing pressing against it. I couldn't see anything; not even when a green light forced me to close my eyes.
When it pulled its arm back into the water, I saw the island's eyes looking at me; asking me to do something. Before I could find it in me to speak, the island had already turned around and started, swimming away. I can hear that island's thoughts ringing in my head every night when I go to sleep, but I can never make sense of them. That island's thoughts were-
"Teo, get down here, your meal is getting cold!" Mother's voice interrupted my train of thought, as I sat up in my bed after lying down for the past few minutes. It was like they could see into my mind when they weren't even in the same room as me; every time I try to remember those island's words, I keep getting reminded of something. Nothing for it; I sat up and saw in the glass of the window my own messed up soot-black hair spread all over my face. Father always insisted that I tie up my hair into a minuscule bun, so that at least I would look presentable. Always, I had pulled my hair back and tied a bit of string about it, so as to avoid looking like what he called those 'uncivilised Water Tribals'.
Once I had tied back my hair, I went downstairs to the laden table, where my Father, a tall man with a stiff expression and hair tied back in a similar fashion to my own except his bun was a little larger and failed to stop some hair falling behind his back. "'Another member of the Equalists has been jailed in connection with Anti-Bending terrorism'. For Amon's sake, when will these benders learn?" he spoke, with a large paper in front of him.
"Wait a second Chen, who arrested them?" asked Mother, a woman nearly as tall as Father, which while her black hair was styled in the same way as his and mine, it was still flowing down to her shoulders like a river.
"Well, Li, it looks like they were caught by the Metalbending Police Force... again."
"So those benders are actively oppressing those who want to be free of them again. They are getting more predictable by the year."
"Mother, Father," I asked, "...why are these benders oppressing these people?"
"Because they are monsters," Mother tells me. "They have powers over the earth, fire and water. The only thing that most benders can't control is air, and that is because Firelord Sozin killed all the Airbenders."
"Aren't there good benders?"
"No such thing exists, Teo."
"Not even the Avatar?"
"Especially not the Avatar. That creature can bend all four elements."
"So benders are unstoppable and all evil?"
"Yes. The only thing which can take down a bender is another bender."
"Isn't the Avatar supposed to bring justice to the world?"
"No, Teo," Father spoke. "The Avatar brings balance to the world if the legends are to be believed, but they still proliferate bending and the oppression that comes with that."
"Pro-lif-freight?"
"Proliferate. Make bigger. Now be quiet and eat your food."
The way he spoke, he seemed to be mad at me. So did Mother. Whenever I asked about bending, they always got mad, and after a while, they would tell me to be quiet. We ate in silence, with Father only telling Mother about something in the paper. It gave me time to think about the island's thoughts. It seemed to be asking me to, when I saw the green light, use the ability of wielding the four human-made elements to... I couldn't really understand anything more at the time, so I just ate while Father and Mother talked with each other. I never took part in any conversations when they told me to be quiet after I asked a few questions; they didn't seem to want to let me.
