Disclaimer: I don't own Korra. It is the work of the talented Dimartino & Konietzko.
Alliance of the Seas
Prologue
Korra felt herself snap back into her body at the Eastern Air Temple. She and Jinora had just faced her uncle Unalaq and he'd merged with the spirit of Vaatu to create an anti-Avatar. She had less than a week to imprison Vaatu again before the ten-millennial alignment was too far gone to do so.
"Did you manage to seal the passageway between the spirit world?" Tenzin asked.
Korra opened her eyes to see him holding his daughter Jinora in a tight embrace. "It's worse than that. Unalaq merged with Vaatu as Wan had merged with Raava ten thousand years ago."
"He's the anti-avatar," Jinora said crying. "And it's my fault."
"No, it's not," Korra said rising to her feet. She was a bit shaky and bent at the waist and clutched her knees and took a deep, calming breath.
"He captured me and forced Korra to release Vaatu," Jinora said wiping her fist over her eyes. Tenzin hugged her tighter and looked askance at Korra.
"I will not sacrifice innocent lives. I will find another way to stop both Vaatu and Unalaq," Korra vowed. She stood, brushing the dust off her knees and made her way to Jinora. She laid her hand on the younger girl's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't go back without me though, Jinora."
"She most certainly will not venture into the spirit world alone!" Tenzin declared. He clutched Jinora tighter to his chest.
"What will you do now?" Bumi asked. He rubbed at his lower back. They'd been waiting many hours for Korra and Jinora to return.
Korra ran her tongue against the inside of her teeth as she weighed her options. She couldn't defeat her uncle alone, much loss defeat him merged with Vaatu into the anti-avatar. "I will do what General Iroh suggested. I'm going to request aid from the Fire Nation. The United Republic Nations' forces can't help without the president's approval and he made it clear he's not interested in the business of the water tribes," Korra said bitterly.
"I will speak with President Raiko," Bumi said. His siblings looked at him with mouths agape. "What? I'm an important commander in the United Forces. I have new evidence to present and I stand nothing to gain by the civil war amongst the water tribes. He'll be obligated to listen to me."
"How will you get to the Fire Nations?" Tenzin asked.
"Same way I got here. The people that saved me from when I washed ashore after my attack by the ocean spirit gave me a flying bison. This temple isn't far from the Fire Nation, as long as I go straight along the equator," Korra said.
"You can't take an unnamed flying bison," Bumi said. "You should name it something powerful like Pegasus!"
"Sorry, Bumi. I was a little loopy when I acquired her," Korra said with a cringe. She still lacked some of her memories, but the important one remained.
"Korra, you need to rest. At least eat something before you go," Kya, Tenzin's water bending sister protested. She held a bowl out to Korra that was full of fresh fruit and berries.
"No time," Korra insisted. "Maybe I can take some food rations from you?" she asked Tenzin. His preserved foods would travel better than fresh fruit and frankly she didn't know how much time it would take to travel to the Fire Nation's capital.
"The keepers of the temple will be happy to see that you are provisioned, Korra," Tenzin said worriedly. "You shouldn't go by yourself.," he said. He released Jinora from his embrace and stood before Korra towering over her with his height looking every bit like her teacher. "I will go with you."
"No, you need to protect your family. And if you could warn my father? He needs to know what he's up against now that my uncle is, as Jinora says, the anti-avatar," Korra said.
"Then I'm going with you," Kya said. "I too am from the Southern Water Tribe. The northern tribe's aggression and now Chief Unalaq's quest for power must be revealed to our allies." She stood and kept the bowl of fruit clutched close to her chest. "And you're going to eat," she said thrusting an apple in Korra's direction.
"Thank you," Korra said accepting the offer of both the apple and her assistance.
"Looks like we'll be cutting this vacation short, little brother," Bumi said clapping his hand on Tenzin's shoulder. "Let's go save the world!"
"All right, Jinora, let's bring you back to your mother. It's past your bedtime," Tenzin said. His smile quickly vanished. "Jinora?"
Korra immediately crouched at Jinora's side. The worry was clearly etched across Tenzin's features. He continued to shake his oldest daughter, but she failed to open her eyes.
"Oh no," Korra said. "She must not have completely made it back," she whispered as a sense of dread began to fill her gut.
"What do you mean?" Tenzin asked, searing her with his intense gaze. "She was just here!"
"Unalaq threatened to keep her soul separated from her body. I thought she managed to follow me back," Korra said. "She's still trapped in the spirit world. Fear not, Tenzin, I will save Jinora. I will find a way back to the spirit world, but this time I'll be going in person. That's the only reason Unalaq defeated me – he still had his bending." However, her uncle only had water, she had all four elements.
"I have faith in you, Korra," Tenzin said. He lifted Jinora in his arms. "I'll take Jinora to mother. She's the best healer. She'll keep her body safe until you can defeat Unalaq and return her spirit to her."
"Let's go, Kya," Korra said. "Time is of the essence."
