It had been 75 years since benders had appeared.
In the year 2025, when the first bender, Ozai Mishimato appeared in New York City, , war had taken hold of the earth. He deemed himself the fire lord, and exhibited a power people had only heard about in fairy tales. Stating that he was here to take control of the world, he lead an army of people who had similar powers. One by one countries found themselves caught up in the conflict. Men tried to fight back with guns and tanks against the men who could control fire, but found that they where vastly out powered.
Leaders where in panic as they tried to figure out a way to fight against and enemy with an unlimited source of power. Talks between nations on launching nuclear strikes had stirred, causing fear that the world would become a nuclear waste land. Yet the talk remained talk, since no one could bring themselves to make the call. As the countries struggled to hold their ground, one, by, one cities began to burn. People believed that soon enough their world would be one ruled by fire.
Then came the appearance of people who could control elements other then fire. Men and women, who could now control the earth rose up besides the Ally governments to put an end to the Fire Nation's reign of terror. Yet the sheer amount of fire benders who had found purpose in Ozai's message was overwhelming, and amongst the those who could control fire where nations who aligned themselves with who they believed to be the winning side.
When the earth-benders where not enough to repeal the fire-nation's attack, the water benders had stepped forward. Their natural opposition to the fire was the only thing that kept some countries protected, but it just led the war into a stalemate. It seemed the world was left in a constant struggle, war tearing apart the lands that where once peaceful. It was when the world seemed to be at the verge of collapsing that 'Avatar' appeared.
He was a bender like no one had ever seen yet. Able to control the four elements of earth, wind, water and fire, he put a stop to the ceaseless war. He united the ally countries, and put a stop to Ozai's path of destruction with the help of a small group of friends. With the war finally at an end, and the world at peace, the study of how the benders came to be begun.
No one knew how the benders came about, or where they got these powers from. Some blame it on modern science, saying they where experiments released from a goverment, that had gone rogue. Other's blamed it on supernatural phenomena, while some said it fell more into religious scripture. Opinions on the origin of the bender's abilities was the cause of debate and study upon both scientific and political circles. As a next generation of benders where born, nations began to invest in the education, research and control of these abilities. Schools popped up all over the planet, each with the specific purpose of training these kids to control their powers.
Governments dropped millions of dollars into research, each country trying to compete with each other in an arms race that was the 'Benders'. It was here, in America, in the small, unknown town of Republic City, Colorado that the US's first 'Private Institution For Benders' was formed. Children who where born with the ability to bend, where selected by the government exclusively to attend and hone their bending skills by instructors who had fought in the 'War of Flames' themselves.
The students who where chosen to attend this academy, where the best of the best. The brightest, strongest and talented students that the nation could provide. Avatar Aang himself had help start the school, and the country started to prosper from other nations wishing to enroll their own students. Yet despite how far they had come in their understanding of 'Bending' there was a question not even the top scientist where able to answer yet.
Why hasn't there been another 'Avatar' since the death of Aang.
-Republic Public High School-
"Are you serious bitch! Look what you did to my clothes!"
Korra Maston should have grown used to insults and comment such as these, since they made up the majority of her school life. With a natural klutziness and awkwardness she often found herself, bumping, spilling and running into people, causing her high school and middle school years to be filled with bullying, beatings and teasing. It didn't help this time that her most recent victim was a notorious school gangster, who didn't mind hitting a girl.
Quickly she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she apologized hastily, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to! I'll pay to get it dry cleaned!" She said quickly, averting her gaze.
The teenager in front of her just sneered as he grabbed her by her collar, pulling her close to him. "Do you think that's gonna make up for the embarrassment of having to walk around like this all day?"
Throwing her hands up to protect her face, she closed her eyes, "I'm really sorry! I'll wash it out!" She cried and the man had a cruel smirk cross his face, as he picked the glasses off her face.
"You bet you will," He said as he started to drag her through the hallways. Tossing her glasses onto the ground, he made sure to walk over them as he pulled her away. She kicked and screamed, trying to get away from him, hoping someone would come to her rescue. Yet it seemed her school mates where just as afraid of him as she was, and he pulled her out to the courtyard, where a small, dirty fountain was.
The water should have been a clear crystal blue, but since most of the town's resources went to the special bending school across the town, the janitors didn't bother to maintain the grounds. Slowly the teenager pushed her onto the fountain, giving Korra just enough time to brace herself against the edge.
"Well you said you where gonna wash my uniform...but I think you need to get yourself cleaned up a bit first!" He said, laughing as his friends hurried up behind him. People gathered around to watch the spectacle, like it was some sort of play unfurling in front of them. "Go on now, get in?"
Korra's eyes bugged out of her head, and she pulled on the sleeves of her blue sweat shirt, shivering in the cold november air. "You must be joking! It's freezing! I'm not gonna get wet!" She yelled, feeling strangely defiant for a change. It wasn't so much that she was sticking up for herself, but she couldn't afford to get sick again, since she was already behind on her school work.
"Oh well then, let me help you!" He said, grabbing Korra by her ponytail, as he started to force her head towards the water. She was strong for a girl, and she fought against him to keep her head away from the water. Yet despite how strong she was she could fight back when his friends decided to come over and help him. As her face inched closer and closer to the disgusting water, the only thought that crossed her mind was how she wanted the water to get away from her.
/Don't touch it, push it away. Push it away. Push. Push. Push./ She thought to her head, squeezing her eyes shut and then she heard the horrified cries of three males and the laughters and shocked gasps of people. Her eyes shot opened as she looked down at the fountain, only to see it drained with water, and the clear marble that was underneath.
Without the weight of the hands pushing her down, she slowly stood up, aware that the spectators eyes where now all focused on her. At her feet, where the three bullies, soaking wet in the disgusting water as they staggered to their feet, stepping away from her afraid. Nervously, Korra Maston turned to the crowd and stuttered;
"I-I didn't mean to do that."
-One Week Later-
After the fiasco at RPH got out, the government began to make some house calls to Korra's home. It was only natural that they wanted to enroll her into the Institute, now that she was discovered to be a waterbender, and they where even more curious as to why her powers remained dormant for 17 years while others had theirs from birth.
All Korra wanted to do was forget about the incident and get a new pair of glasses, but the government had their ways of being persuasive. In fact it came down to her father, Tonraq, an Alaskan Inuit native, was being threatened out of his job as some scandal about being hired due only to his race instead of skill. Her mother as well, was risking getting kicked out of the state stating their was some clerical paperwork, and that she would have to return to one of the reservations in Alaska.
Yet all these problems could be miraculously resolved in Korra would attend the Institute, for those with 'Bender' status, and that were in government schools received all sorts of special privileges. As if they couldn't twist her arm and more, Korra was also offered all sorts of free medical care for her family, and even the chance to get contacts instead of cheap, 20 dollar Walmart glasses.
As the date of the new semester started to approach, the young water-bender was enjoying her last few days at home, before she would be sent away to the 'Institute'. She looked up at her mother, lazily chewing the food in her mouth as she stabbed her steak with a fork. "You know Mama, living on the reservation wouldn't be so bad..."
Senna sighed, it was an argument they had countless times, "Your father has a really good job as a lawyer, and this area is nice and cheap. Also, he needs to stay at this firm long enough if he ever wants to open his own partnership..." She reminded her and Korra puffed out her cheeks.
"Some lawyer he is, he couldn't even find a loophole to all those government threats!" She groaned and Tonraq coughed into his hand, giving his wife and embarrassed look.
"If I had more time I could of, besides remember! You're Papa is gonna be the best lawyer in the world!" He said and Korra stuck out her tongue, hanging her head in defeat. "Besides you might actually like it. Bending is become a really respectable profession, what with the American Pro-Bending League, starting up."
Korra's eyes brightened at that, since the APBL was the one bright side to all the chaos that the Bending controversy brought. It actually gave her an opportunity to meet Pro-benders in life and not just watch them on T.V. anymore. As Tonraq watched his daughter's eyes brighten at the mention of the league he continued on;
"Who knows Korra you might even make one of the Pro-Bending team at the Institute..." he told her and Korra's facial features dropped in disappointment once again. Senna glared at her husband and Tonraq winced as he noticed the land mine he just stepped on.
"All these kids have been bending their whole lives! How long have I've been doing it? A week! Man I'm never gonna fit in and I'm gonna get made fun of!" She groaned, smashing her face into her mash potatos and Senna scolded her to wipe her face and sit up.
"Well at least you'll be used to it!" Tonraq said trying to cheer her up, but Korra and Senna just gave him a flat look. "Perhaps I should shut up now..."
"That would be best dear..." Senna said with a dangerous smile, as she handed a paper towel to Korra. "Don't worry Korra honey, you will be fine, you are strong." The teenager sighed, pushing her brown hair out her face as she wiped off the mash potatoes.
Korra tossed the paper towel onto her plate as she sighed and bended the water out of her cup. "I just hope that I won't stick out to much."