AN: This one goes out to SakuraTenshi39062 by some-time beta-reader all time friend and comic book buddy. Happy (Belated) Birthday.
Kindred Spirits
Korra didn't know what had happened, but she was sure she recognised the place. The great gates of Azulon stood over to her left, and beside her, on the surface of the water, stood a figure in red and orange.
"It's really somethin', huh?"
Korra jumped slightly and faced the figure, he was an air bender, baring a remarkable resemblance to Tenzin, if the man beside her had grown a beard they would have passed as twins, and yet...
"Aang?"
He smiled, "At your service."
Korra arched an eyebrow, "You're dead."
Aang looked down at himself and poked at his robes experimentally, "Yes, I suppose I am rather... Not alive."
"So..." Korra trailed off slightly, wondering how to phrase her question, "...am I dead?"
Aang laughed, "Nope. Sorry, you don't get outta crisis that easy."
"A crisis?"
"The revolution." Aang said, "Last time we had one of those I was the revolutionary." He made a broad sweeping gesture, taking in the gates as the air between them ignited, "This was one of my greatest failures as the Avatar. The siege on the Day of Black Sun."
Korra detected the far-off look of a man lost in memories, a look Katara had often born during here training, and humoured her predecessor; "What happened?"
"Because of my mistakes at Ba Sing Se, the same mistakes that cost us the city and nearly cost the world the Avatar, our enemies were forewarned, Firelord Ozai and Princess Azula knew when and where we would strike and were able to stall us through the eclipse which gave us our advantage. We lost the battle and all but nine of our invasion force were captured."
The scenery around Korra changed, now she and Aang were standing in the clouds, coming towards them was an airbison.
Appa swept by with a roar and Korra blinked very rapidly despite herself. "Where are you guys off to in such a hurry?"
"We were running." Aang said, "We were headed to the Western Air Temple, where we hoped the Fire Nation would not follow us. It was unfortunate, or perhaps, in hindsight, fortunate that we failed."
An orange balloon had appeared on the horizon, dipping and bobbing with the breeze, as it grew closer Korra could make out it's lone occupant, a young man, barely more than a teenager, in Fire Nation dress.
"Well he looks ominous." Korra muttered.
Aang simply laughed; "In time he grew to be a great friend, and it was he who later ascended the Fire Nation throne."
The balloon drifted past and Korra's jaw dropped, "That's- that's- that's-"
Aang nodded, "That is Zuko, and at the time he was simply Zuko, no 'Prince' or 'Firelord', just plain and simple Zuko."
"I've read all the historical accounts and everything." Korra said slowly, "But none of them mention how /hot/ he was."
Aang laughed again, "Mai kept any potential competition well and truly intimidated, no one would dare make any sort of move on Zuko's affections for fear of being impaled."
"Whoever this 'Mai' is, maybe I should take her advice." Korra mumbled.
"Romantic troubles?" Aang asked, and when Korra nodded he smiled kindly, "Then I have another scene to show you."
"Why?" Korra asked, "All this," she waved her hand at the now empty clouds as a turkey-hawk flew past with an alarmed screech, "these are your personal memories, why are you showing them to me?"
Aang placed a hand on Korra's shoulder, the resemblance between he and his son really was uncanny, and gave a mischievous smirk, okay, maybe not so much, Tenzin wouldn't be caught dead wearing that look.
"They're your memories too, Korra."
The scene changed and suddenly a young Aang was standing nose-to-shoulder with an only-slightly-older but much taller Katara tossing a stupid-looking hat on the floor; "Over reacting? If I hadn't blown my chakras I'd probably be in the Avatar State right now!"
The scene froze.
"Chakras? Avatar State?" Korra frowned, sticking out her tongue slightly in concentration.
"I may have had a habit of over dramatising things when I was young." Aang said, "But aside from the love triangle binding in the theatre, my younger self has raised and important issue." he turned to Korra and suddenly she felt like she was back under a spotlight.
"You need to begin your spiritual training as the Avatar, Korra, or you will never complete your journey."
"What? Why not?" Korra asked, selling forwards slightly.
Aang sighed slightly and the scene changed again, the sky was stained red, a great, burning strip of gold tearing it in half while all around, among great pillars of stone, the charred remains of airships burned.
"What is this?" Korra asked, turning on the spot, "Where are we?"
"The outermost edge of the Earth Kingdom." Aang said, "On day this will be the outskirts of the United Republic, but right now it is the sight of the last day of the war.
"I am ashamed to say, it did not go well." At Korra's questioning look, he shook his head, "Oh, we won. But in my fear of what was to come I lost control, I entered the Avatar State in an effort to save myself, but in doing so, in gaining the knowledge of all my- our- past lives, I lost who I was."
Aang gestured towards a spire, and Korra turned to see the younger Aang, eyes and tattoos ablaze with a strange blue fire, advance on a prone figure. Then he spoke with a thousand voices; "Firelord Ozai, you and your forefathers have decimated the balance of this world, and now you must pay the ultimate price."
Aang's hand dropped and the elements did with it, but without warning the blue light faded.
"What just happened?" Korra asked, speaking over the quiet words the two enemies exchanged.
"I took control." Aang said quietly as his past self imprisoned the Firelord's arms in spines of earth.
The sky lit up, orange and blue, each struggling to gain dominance for the briefest of seconds before the light faded and he Firelord collapsed.
"I took away Ozai's bending." Aang said.
Korra gasped slightly; "That's- that's- that's barbaric!"
"Like what he was doing was any better?" Aang asked; "Like what I was about to do was an less admirable?
"I know the idea that someone can take another's bending away terrifies you but, believe me, it's just another form of bending, this Amon is a hypocrite for hating benders, if he can take away bending then he's just another one of us."
"How can you be so sure?" Korra asked.
"Giant lionturtles are extremely wise."
"Come again?"
Aang laughed, "Come, we have nicer things to discuss."
The scene changed again and Korra was now stood in a teashop, an old man was playing the azungi horn while a much younger man served tea.
"Zuko stop moving!"
The man serving tea froze and everyone looked at the skinny man with a wolftail sitting at another table with a brush in his hand. He pointed at his paper, "I'm trying. To capture. The moment!"
He went back to his artwork; "I wanted to do a painting, so we could remember all the good times together..."
Katara, looking very tasteful with a pink blossom in her hair approached him from behind. "That's very thoughtful Sokka- Wait." she interrupter herself, "Why did you give me Momo's ears?"
"Those are your hair loopies!"
Zuko leaned over; "At least you don't look like a borecupine! My hair is NOT that spiky."
"I look like a man." a sullen-looking girl chimed in.
"And why did you paint me firebending?" the third girl in the room added.
"I thought it looked more exciting that way." Sokka said and, in response to the the lemur that had hopped onto the table, "Oh, so you think you can do a better job Momo?"
By this time the old man had risen to put in his own Pi Sho tiles by way of; "Hey! My belly's not that big anymore, I've really trimmed down!"
The last occupant of the room threw up her arms; "Well I think you all look perfect!"
Everyone was too busy laughing to notice Aan and Katara slip away.
Korra and the older Avatar followed to find them in an embrace, lips locked together in a fierce kiss.
"So you got your happy ending." Korra said, staring at the couple as Aang nodded, also staring at his younger self. "It was a golden moment, and I am sorry it didn't last longer."
At that moment there was a disgusted screech from behind the two spirit figures and the lovers broke apart, both bright pink, the airbender stuttering some lie about not doing anything and the waterbender shouting something at her brother about knocking.
Korra didn't hear his snarky comeback, she was too busy laughing. Sue hiccupped herself into silence and managed to gather herself for a question; "What has this got to do with me?"
Aang pursed his lips, "I'm not sure, but you needed a time out, a time to slow down a little. In a way you remind me of Kyoshi, she never really stopped either, a flameo if ever there was one."
Korra frowned "Isn't that a brand if noodle?"
He vision started to fade and Aang shrugged, "Turtle-feathers if I know."
Then the vision was gone and Korra sat bolt upright.
Mako reversed so quickly that he crashed into Bolin, who, in turn, nearly fell out the window.
Mako rolled his eyes and pulled his brother back, hen returned his gaze to Korra, rubbing the spot where they had knocked heads with a scowl, "A little warning next time you want to go all mysterious, blue and glowy, your Avatar-y-ness?"
Korra blew some loose hair out of her eyes, "Wow, sarcasm, because you've never used that before, 'Jet'."
Mako frowned; "Who's Jet?"
"Katara's first boyfriend, had a kinda similar background to you, you have the same sob story."
Mako managed not to punch Korra and Bolin, who had been concentrating on rescuing the noodles held up a bowl, "Who wants some?"
Korra shook her head, "Maybe another time Bolin, I need to go speak with Tenzin, tell him his dad says 'Hi'."