~Night of the Broken Comet: Book One Water Prologue Start~
Perhaps . . .I should have been born under a different star. Blue-tinted lips quivered as dust fell to hide their once pink hue. The bearer of said lips made no move to remove the offending particles, hoping, in vain, that it would instead bury them.
Salty remains of tears stuck themselves to tender cheeks, an unwelcome reminder that they were alive. Everyone else is gone. The blue-lipped figure stared at the aurora as it became a sickly shade of green. The dancing lights gathered to the giant figure in the distance, a strange machine that seemed to eat up everything spiritual. Despite knowing its purpose to be a beneficial one, the figure couldn't help but look at the sight with sorrow. The clothes around their knees were absorbing the melting snow that touched them, but the figure paid it no mind, having no motivation to move or look away. I failed.
It's okay. The figure looked up at the three silhouettes that had haunted them since birth. This isn't the end.
A breathy, disbelieving laugh escaped the frostbitten lips; Can't you see? Everything is gone. Every human is dead, the plants and animals soon to follow, and the Spirit World is leaving this place behind. Even the Sun itself seemed to be winking out of existence as the world had turned dark and grey. Cold was encroaching on the lone warm body, grasping and taking until eventually there would be nothing left. Despite all the power at their fingertips, the figure couldn't seem to warm themselves anymore.
"Why did this happen?" The figure demanded of the world, ignoring the silhouettes behind them. "Why wasn't I strong enough?" Cold fingers reached out for the snow, becoming fists in a last attempt to reach for any form of life on the planet. Nothing, as usual. Their tears were dry, but sobs still racked their body as if nothing else mattered.
A comforting presence made itself known to the figure, ethereal hands laid themselves on shaking shoulders in an attempt to soothe what was left of their heart.
Ketu. The silhouette whispered once the figure's sobs died down. This is not the end. The silhouette's tone said gravely. Blue lips still quivering, the figure, now dubbed Ketu, tilted their head to indicate that they were listening. That . . .thing, the one that caused all of this. It will move on once it has absorbed the very core of this planet.
"That . . . ." That thing was going to move on? To the next planet? The one where the kids were heading?! This would happen again?! "No!" The figure's words left their mouth without thought, a painful action, as it left them coughing, trying to expel the blood that filled their lungs.
The silhouette gave a nod that confirmed all of the figure's fears. Residents of the Spirit World have agreed to transport what is left of human life to the next world safely, just as they promised you, but I fear that will not be the end of it.
"What do we do?" Ketu asked desperately, ignoring the red substance running down their chin to look at all three silhouettes before focusing on the one closest to them, "Korra, what do we do?!"
The older Avatar looked at her broken, reincarnated self with a heavy expression. You have two choices ahead of you. You could trust in the future generation. The water-bender tried to smile reassuringly, but it was unconvincing. As someone very wise once said, 'Sometimes you just have to leave it to the kids.'. Ketu waited, a frown on their face as they considered that option. Or, you can follow them.
"Follow . . . ." At a loss for words, Ketu looked up at the giant figure in the distance as it ate up the familiar Northern and Southern lights. While tempting, the figure didn't know if they had it in them. The current Avatar was very tired of fighting, being a natural pacifist, and had been beaten down more times then they could count. Their fight seemed to be a constant battle, one they weren't winning in the long run despite the number of victories. With blood-filled lungs and no will left to move, the choice seemed obvious.
In another time, Ketu would have turned to look at their predecessors and shake their head sadly, choosing to quietly die in the soft comforts of the snow. Ketu would have sent away the children that were safely hidden in the Spirit World, hoping that they could forgive the cowardice of their supposed protector.
This time, Ketu's eyes looked slightly to the right before turning back to the dead spirits behind them, catching sight of something they would not have noticed otherwise.
A dandelion. A single, weed of a flower poked itself out of the snow, usually a significance of the coming of Spring, but Ketu knew that it would only be a matter of time before it too would be killed to feed the greedy invader from the skies.
An indignant anger swelled up inside of the Avatar's chest. How dare it take everything! How dare it kill my home! How dare it! Uncharacteristically, Ketu turned to their predecessors with a predatory spark in their eyes. "I'll do it." Their voice rang out to the empty air, but their determination didn't even falter at the disappearance of the dead Avatars, as they now knew what to do.
Crossing their legs, Ketu looked up at the last of the fading aurora before reaching for their core. I'll follow them. If not in body, then in spirit. I will watch over them with all that I am. Taking deep breaths, Ketu meticulously separated their spirit from their body, abandoning it in favor of joining the fleeing Spirit World.
They had a duty as the Avatar after all.
Normally, when an Avatar was born, a celebration was to be had. They would be watched over, protected, until the time came where they would be sent out for training. They would immerse themselves into the four main forms of bending, learn to have an appreciation for the cultures they came across, until eventually they would become the balancer of the world.
However, when the Spirit World was forced to leave, it only carried a handful of the surviving humans off of the planet, most of whom were children. Although the Avatar followed them, helped them, and protected them as best they could, they could only do so much without their body. Ketu once wondered if they should teach the children what they knew but more often than not, memories of a dead world only made the journey more painful.
"Ketu . . ." One boy looked up from his steaming cup of tea. The Avatar turned to look at messy, dark-brown hair, chocolate skin covered in scratches, and tear-filled blue eyes. "What's going to happen to us?"
Not wanting to lie, the Avatar looked at the young boy with a mournful smile, "You're going to live on."
The welled-up tears started flowing, "How?"
Ketu made an effort to teach the children their lost heritage after that. Being from the Air Temple, Ketu knew just how important history was. More than that, the Avatar wanted to make sure that the children had something to live for. A legacy to carry on, so to speak.
Time didn't hold any meaning to Ketu, who was effectively dead, and although the Spirit World aged the children slowly, they still aged. In an effort of normalcy, the Avatar counted the days as best they could, if only to give everyone a sense of time. When roughly fifty years past, Ketu grew worried about where they were headed. How long would it take before they reached this new world? The children didn't seem upset, although a few had grown into their teenage years during the fifty year period, but Ketu knew that if it took too long, they would eventually lose themselves to the Spirit World.
A steaming cup of tea made its way to the front of Ketu's face, effectively cutting off their train of thought. "Instead of sitting here making storm clouds, perhaps you could share what is troubling you so." The Avatar smiled half-heartedly before taking the cup.
"Thank you," Ketu said to the General, who made himself comfortable next to them. How the old war hero had kept his human shape in the Spirit World for so long puzzled Ketu, but the Avatar wasn't about to complain. It was nice to have a friend who wasn't a child more concerned about the color of their own snot. "I am . . .worried about how long this trip will be."
A humming noise came out of Iroh's throat as he nursed his own cup of tea. "I understand your concern, but you cannot control how long we will be out here for. Perhaps it is better to sit back and enjoy the time you have." Furrowing their eyebrows, Ketu only took a sip of their tea and waited for the General to continue, "A glance outside of the Spirit World may help calm your nerves."
General Iroh reached forward, tapping the air in front of them with his index finger. A phantom ripple spread out, blackness stretching out from the middle of it. It wasn't long until the soft fields of the Spirit World melted away to the great expanse of stars that they were traveling across. A sigh escaped Ketu's lips as the two of them sat there, content to just watch the stars go by.
"It does help to know that we're getting farther and farther away from that . . .thing." The General nodded in agreement before sipping his tea. ". . . I don't know what to do." Ketu's voice broke, so young and unsure. "When we do reach the new world . . .I can't protect them like this. What am I going to do?"
Iroh looked out into the great beyond with a thoughtful expression on his face. "You will eventually be reborn, I would imagine. Although, I do not know when, as your spirit may have trouble moving on while you are here." Old hands reached down to the teapot between them before refilling both their cups. "These children are stronger than you think, young Ketu, teach them what you know, but give them a chance to make their own way into this new world."
A smile crept onto Ketu's tattooed face, happy for the advice regardless of the situation, "'At some point, you just have to leave it to the kids,'" The words Korra spoke seemed to resonate within the Spirit World, making it shimmer with agreement. Moving to take another sip of their tea, Ketu paused, a spark of color having reached their sight.
"Is that . . . ?" Ketu asked with amazement as they came closer and closer to the speck of green and blue in the distance.
Iroh smiled, "Perhaps you need not have worried so much."
The new world was already occupied. By a Spirit World of their own, no less. Worried, Ketu tentatively reached out to the other plane of existence, careful not to be too aggressive, as they didn't want to aggravate their potential hosts. The new world's spirits responded in kind, by pushing a piece of itself into their Spirit World.
"Ketu . . ." Two of the youngest children grabbed onto the Avatar's clothes and hid behind their legs, the Spirit World was warping, twisting to accommodate the new presence that stepped into their domain.
It was not the first time that the Avatar wished they had their bending within the Spirit Realm, and it wouldn't be the last. Getting their shaking body under control, Ketu stared ahead, careful to keep their pose as unthreatening as possible.
"Visitors, what is it you seek from the will of Gaia?" The voice was booming, demanding, and yet, seemed to be trying to work itself gently. A shapeless figure of light floated before Ketu. The being seemed to still be deciding on a shape, as its form was ever-moving, ever-changing.
Ketu glanced back to the children before taking a deep breath. "We seek refuge, our world has been overtaken by an unknown entity from the skies."
There was an unsteady pause before the voice responded, "And how do I know that you will not bring this entity with you?"
A heavy sigh escaped the Avatar's lips, as they had already anticipating the question, "If you will not welcome us to your world, then we will leave in search of another, however, you should know that this entity will not stop with my world. It intends to move on to the closest planet with viable life." Or at least, that was what the people infected with the entity's sickness had told Ketu. The airbender forced down the memories of phantom friends, sent to issue a cruel warning of the universe's future. "Seeing as this is the next life-filled planet within the galaxy, I doubt that our presence will make any difference as to when it arrives."
The shapeless being seemed to contemplate this. "Very well, but in return, you must provide all of your knowledge of this entity to the inhabitants of my world. What happened to your world will not happen a second time."
Ketu's eyes turned steely at the words, holding a fierce resolution. They already knew this, determined to never let what happened back home to happen here. Still, it was good that this being believed them so easily, though the Avatar doubted they could have lied even if they wanted to. "Thank you . . . ." Ketu hesitated before a name flowed into their head, "Minerva."
"They seem to get along, despite their differences." Iroh commented, handing Ketu a fresh cup of tea. "The humans and the Cetra." The Avatar nodded, contemplating the accepting and caring nature of the Cetra before taking a sip of tea. Jasmine, with a faint hint of cherries.
"It won't be long before they form their own countries, most humans prefer the comforts of a home." Ketu commented, watching the world that they had learned was named Gaia. It had already been two hundred years since they arrived. The children were long dead, integrated into the society of the Cetra, but their traits and culture still lived on. Already the Avatar could see the merging of the Fire and Earth nations, their brash and proud nature bringing forth a new nation. Stories and cultures being changed by the unreliable form of verbal communication. Strangely, however, Ketu found they didn't mind the change, it felt good to be moving forward.
Still, "We're from a different era Iroh." Ketu tapped the teacup with an impatient forefinger. "Are you sure they'll still need us in a few hundred years?"
Iroh laughed heartily, "I imagine that they'll need us just as much as you need your previous lives."
"So, in other words, only when it gets too dangerous to do it alone. At least we're not completely useless to them." Ketu chuckled before putting down the empty teacup. A few minutes passed before a somber expression overtook the Avatar, "It's coming, and they're not ready." Not to mention that Ketu's spirit was nowhere near reincarnation.
Iroh shook his head, reaching over to refill his cup. "We can only hope that they can handle it if the time comes too early."
Four hundred years after the arrival of humans, The Calamity of the Skies crashed into Gaia. Ketu watched as the Cetra and a handful of humans fought against the Calamity, powerless to do anything.
"That should be me!" Ketu cried, fists crashing against the invisible barrier between the Spirit World and the Lifestream. Despite being ready for reincarnation, Ketu didn't have the ability to walk through the Lifestream, which was the only thing that had a direct connection to Gaia. The Avatar could only watch as the Calamity impersonated dead loved ones and infected the world, just as it did before. "I should be fighting that thing out there! What use am I stuck in here?!"
However, the Avatar's plea was ignored as they cried out in sorrow while another child was slaughtered, another village was burned to the ground, and another world descended into chaos.
It had been a welcome relief when the Calamity was finally defeated. Sealed away by the remaining Cetra. Still, there was an uneasy feeling that resided in Ketu's being, telling them this wasn't over.
A thousand years past, and the two spirits watched as the residents of Gaia slowly forgot about the Calamity. The Cetra, having been crippled from the entity, were dying out, like a candle at the end of its life. In its place, humans rose from the ashes, creating new cities and empires. "Iroh . . .do you know how I can connect with my previous lives?" The General paused in his action of pouring out a cup of tea before sighing and shaking his head. "I need to reconnect with them. Against that . . .thing, we need something more than just four people. We need an army." Despite the Entity being sealed away, Ketu knew that it was only a matter of time before it infected the world again.
Iroh sighed once again, reaching over to place a hand on Ketu's shoulder. "I understand your frustration, but I don't think there is any known way to reconnect with any of your lives before Korra."
"Then what should we do?" A desperate question that never seemed to be given a satisfactory answer rang out of a cracked voice.
The retired General stroked his beard before responding, "It will take a while, but I have sensed that the Lifestream has been integrating the Spirit World into itself. Soon the two will become one." Ketu nodded, having sensed that as well, "When the time comes, and the two merge completely, then benders will return to humanity."
Sighing, the trapped Avatar leaned forward to rest their head on the table. "And with benders, comes the Avatar, right?" Iroh nodded, going back to his task of serving tea to the spirits that surrounded them.
It was another thousand years before Ketu found their chance. The Lifestream seemed to be weakening considerably, relying more and more on the Spirit World to make up for the lack of energy.
"What's going on?" Ketu asked, looking out at the weakening barrier between the two worlds. Instead of its normally flickering energies of blue and green, it seemed like the green light was pulling at the blue. Reaching out a hand, Ketu gently pushed on the barrier, feeling it give away ever so slightly.
"A group called Shin-Ra seems to be stealing the energy that the Lifestream produces." A frown appeared on Iroh's face. Ketu knew how much the General respected the spirits, and shared his distaste at such an invasive way of acquiring power. "It seems like the Lifestream is destabilizing."
Tired, Ketu closed their eyes. They should be feeling elated, having the barrier finally be weakened, but it wasn't the way they wanted things to pan out. Reaching within themselves to find their determination, Ketu's eyes opened with a familiar defiant spark, "I'm going."
Iroh looked over to the Avatar that had become his constant companion over these twenty-five hundred years and smiled. "It looks like the world needs its' Avatar. Good luck, Ketu."
Taking a deep breath, the tattooed airbender of an Avatar reached forward and pushed themselves into the Lifestream. As their old form broke down into mist and their memories were swept away, Ketu couldn't help but give Iroh one last triumphant smile before disappearing completely.
It was time for them to fulfill their duty as the Avatar.
~Night of the Broken Comet: Prologue End~
Entries . . . .
Name: Korra Meaning: "Maiden"
Status: Reincarnated
Role: Avatar of the Water Tribe
History: Despite having a natural affinity toward bending, Korra struggled with the more spiritual aspects of being the Avatar. With bending-sealing enemies and persistent world-reformers, she was faced with many trials. Overcoming these trials, while not easy, allowed her to discover the history of the first Avatar and reunite with the spirit of peace and balance, Raava
Name: Ratna Meaning: "Gem"
Status: Reincarnated
Role: Avatar of the Earth Kingdom
History: Following Korra, Ratna was about average in terms of the inherent abilities of the Avatar. With the industrial age reaching its end, it became apparent to Ratna that the Spirit World was becoming more and more ostracized by humans. Using his charm and wit, Ratna was able to establish a peace between spirits and humans, and continued to be an ambassador between the bickering groups for the rest of his days.
Name: Hikaru Meaning: "Light"
Status: Reincarnated
Role: Avatar of the Fire Nation
History: An intuitive child and an orphan, Hikaru discovered she was the Avatar on her own, reluctant to reveal it to anyone around her. Knowing that the world was at an age of self-reliance and technology, she felt that she had no place in a society that was rapidly moving forward. At sixteen, she was forced to reveal herself when the different nations started kidnapping benders at a young age and forcibly recruiting them into their armies. Leading the rebel cause, Hikaru was able to free the captured benders and established the Human Rights Treaty, which allowed for the common people, benders and non-benders alike, to be able to speak for themselves against injustices placed upon them.
Name: Ketu Meaning: "Comet"
Status: Awaiting Reincarnation
Role: Avatar of the Air Nomads
History: A natural pacifist, Ketu was unsure about being the Avatar. However, despite their pacifism, they were forced to step up as a fighter when the Entity from the Sky crashed into their planet. Their efforts were in vain, however, when Ketu was unable to beat back the mysterious enemy. Contacting the Spirit World for help, Ketu spent the last year of their life wandering the planet for people to save. Through sheer luck, they found a small group of children who had been roaming the world alone. Ketu hid them within the Spirit World before setting out to confront the Entity one more time. Unable to defeat it, the Avatar detached themselves from their physical body to join the fleeing Spirit World, hoping to start again.
Reign: Oh wow, so much writing. I can't believe that I wrote eight pages of this already.
Hi there! To those of you who do not know, this is a new account that I have decided to dedicate different works to in an effort to organize my published writing. My old account name is RikuRoyalty, and unfortunately I haven't updated anything recently on that account as there has been some file confusion about which works were on which computers, but if you're interested, check it out!
I have been working on this story for a while now, which is why it is much more fleshed out than my previous works. This work is much more expansive and less "I wrote this at 3am because I had inspiration so there are a lot of grammar/spelling errors". As a consequence, I probably won't be updating this nearly as often as my other works (which still aren't updated that often tbh) but if you enjoyed it or didn't enjoy it, please leave me some constructive criticism either way. I am always looking for new ways to expand my writing and I hope any readers out there can help.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments or PM me! I am much more diligent about responses, I promise.
Next: Chapter 1: Bending Over Backwards