"Real connections"
An LOK fan-fic by J.W. Appel
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
AN: Here's my next Avatar "paradoxverse" fic which will feature a real meeting between Aang & Korra. Their meeting in the finale of Book 1 dissapointed me and Aang's supposedly wise saying made no sense at all. This was also inspired by Kaylabelle's "perspective" story where Katara tells Mako about what Tenzin and his siblings were like as kids {from his/her personal beliefs.} Any dialogue surrounded by '' instead of "" represents thoughts.
Korra had always known she was just the latest link in a very long chain. From an early age, the Order of the White Lotus had schooled her in the history of not only Avatar Aang, but every other Avatar as well. She know the story of how Avatar Roku's best friend stabbed him in the back and how Avatar Kyoshi flattened Chin the Conquerer before bringing equality to Ba Sing Se. She knew how Avatar Kuruk had paid the price for neglecting his duties and how Avatar Yangchen did whatever it took to keep balance. She admires them all in her own way and admits to having a special fondness for Kyoshi but Aang has always been the standard she has held herself to.
The Avatar before her had been the hero of a century-long war, the first person in literal ages to learn energy bending, and the co-founder of the United Republic itself. His youngest son was considered the salvation of an entire culture for spirits' sake! To say that Korra often felt the weight of Aang's legacy was an understatement. And though she would gladly count Katara as one of her best friends, she too often reminded the Avatar of the shoes she had to fill.
Even now as Korra underwent meditation, thoughts of her predecessor dominated her mind. It had been a month since the battle for Republic City and things had failed to truly improve. There were still Equalist fractions causing trouble in various districts, determined to make Amon's dream a reality even if he himself was a lie. Adding to this was the fact that so many "equalized" people were still that way because the Avatar couldn't perform energy bending on more than one person without nearly passing out. The police and United Forces could handle the remaining Equalists well enough and some citizens had learned to live without bending but that didn't make Korra feel like any less of a failure.
'Aang would never have let it get this bad' the current Avatar thought bitterly even as she struggled to meditate 'he wouldn't have even let the city be taken in the first place! I let Amon terrify me the first time I saw him and let Tarrlok play me like an Unagi horn. Not only that, but when I finally face Amon, he took me down easy. If Aang hadn't shown up when he did, I wouldn't even be the Avatar right now! That guy shows me up without even being alive!'
These had been Korra's feelings for the past several weeks and they were causing her quite a few problems with her training. Her air bending had been quite impressive for her first days with it but now her forms were sloppy and erratic. It was so bad that she has resorted to using the Avatar State to perform them correctly. This trick had gotten her a lecture after she won an Air Scooter race with Ikki by using it.
"The Avatar State is not a toy!" Tenzin bellowed as an angry wind whipped round his robes "you're misusing a great power that Aang gave you as a gift, one that other Avatars struggled for years to master! I expect you to show at least a little gratitude considering how easy you've got it!
The air bending master had been under stress after his latest meeting with the City Council. Despite his best efforts to convince them otherwise, they were convinced that every non-bender in Republic City was an Equalist in the making and needed to be punished for Amon's crimes. It was because of this thinking that imbalance still reigned in Republic City even after Amon's defeat.
Korra however, was in no mood for any sort of lecture. Tenzin's words stirred anger that she had been fighting hard not to unleash on anyone else for weeks. She had come very close to taking Mako's head off during a spar a few days prior and Ikki 's usual chattering had already whittled away what little self control she had clung to.
"Tenzin…just…SHUT UP!" With this furious scream, the Avatar had stomped the ground and actually earth bent at her teacher, sending him flying straight into the air and landing with a thud. Korra was so mortified by her own behavior that she ran away in tears, ignoring any attempts to call her back.
That had been several hours ago and the Avatar had locked herself in her room out of shame. With Naga as her only company, she attempted to meditate on this…feeling she had towards Aang. It felt like a mix of jealousy and anger but often clashed with the feeling of immense gratitude she felt towards him for restoring her bending and more to her. This combined with her guilt over having this feeling in the first place left Korra very confused.
Letting out a sigh of frustration, she got up and walked to the window. As usual, meditation was no help to her. Korra gazed out at the city for several minutes until she caught sight of Aang's statue. It looked powerful and wise even from a distance and was a constant reminder of everything Korra wasn't. Lately, she didn't think she ever would be either.
"Let's be honest Aang" Korra muttered to the statue "the problem isn't you, it's me. I know I'll never be as good an Avatar as you and I'm taking it on everyone else, just like when I first starting learning air bending. I even have to use the Avatar State you gave me access to just to do that right. You gave me everything I needed after I blew it the first time and I still mess up. Why didn't you just make someone else the Avatar and forget about me? I'm sure everyone would be better off!"
With tears in her eyes, Korra stomped over to her bed and collapsed in a sobbing heap. All the anger and frustration she was feeling towards herself had finally been let loose. "Why can't I just different? Why can't I just be like Aang,or Kyoshi, or anyone else? Why can't I be a better Avatar?"
Naga listened to her master's sobs and instinctively sought to comfort her. Regardless of the consequences, the big Polar bear-dog climbed onto Korra's bed and cuddled up to her. The Avatar did not acknowledge her animal guide's presence and simply continued to cry until sleep claimed her.
…
Korra knew something was off before she even woke up, Even though she was still considered very rusty in terms of spiritual matters, the Avatar could just feel that the world around her had changed while she slept. She opened her eyes to find herself in an odd swamp and Naga was nowhere in sight. "Where am I? Korra wondered out loud "and how did I get here?"
Just then, Korra heard a low chant that some of the more annoying Air Acolytes did while meditating. She looked straight ahead and saw what looked like a monkey in red robes sitting on the bank of the swamp. The Avatar didn't quite know what to make of this but decided to take a chance and walked towards the strange figure.
"Excuse me, could you tell me where I am?" The monkey didn't respond so Korra tapped him on the shoulder until he opened one eye. "Oh great, you again" the monkey grunted "and you're a girl this time so I guess that means you'll be extra annoying this time" Korra frowned deeply but tried to hold in her temper. "Look, I know you're busy but I could really use some help figuring out where I am." "You're the Avatar, aren't you? Where do you think you are?" Korra thought for a brief moment then asked "is this the Spirit World?" The monkey rolled his eyes and said "of course it is. Do you get dumber with each new incarnation or something?"
Korra felt her eye twitch in anger and spoke through clenched teeth. "Does that make you a spirit?" "Of course it does" the monkey replied indignantly "isn't it obvious? I am Enma." "Well of course it's obvious" the Avatar replied sarcasticly "I always think of monkeys when I think great and powerful spirits." Enma huffed. "How rude! I guess your manners are as bad as your breath."
Korra's temper flared at that and she grabbed the monkey spirit by his robe. "Look monkey boy, I'm in a bad mood so either tell me why you brought me here or we'll see just how immortal you spirits really are!" "I didn't bring you here, honest!" Enma stammered "he did!"
Korra turned her gaze where the monkey spirit pointed and saw something flying towards her in the sky above. It was a Sky Bison but was larger than any she recongnised. It landed in front of the Avatar with a low roar and she got a clear look at the rider. It was Aang but different than the way she had seen him in visions and the day she got her bending back. The beard was there but he looked at least a decade younger and was dressed in Air Acolyte robes. There was also a twinkle of mischief in his eyes that was nonexistent when he had faced Yakone.
"Hello Korra, it's good to see you" the previous Avatar greeted warmly as he dismounted "I trust Enma hasn't given you too much trouble?" Korra was confused. "Is that you Aang? You look…different." Aang chuckled and replied "mortal spirits can assume any form they had in life after crossing over. This is me when I was about twenty-eight or so and this is the me that you've seen" The previous Avatar's image blurred for a moment and he was forty, then about twenty-one, the same age depicted in his memorial statue. He smiled briefly at Korra in this form before changing into a form that more closely resembled Tenzin only much older with a longer beard that was pure white and a playful spark in his eyes that made him look more relaxed and serene.
"This is me at sixty-six, the age at which I died and the form I crossed over in. Some Avatars like Roku prefer their aged forms for various reasons but most of us prefer our prime" Aang explained even as he resumed his twenty-eight year old form "I choose twenty-eight because that was the age I had Tenzin and felt renewed hope for my people. Avatar Kyoshi however, chose to retain her youth because she doesn't want anyone to know how she looked at the age of two hundred."
The previous Avatar chuckled again and Korra couldn't help but roll her eyes. "That's a neat trick and all Aang, but the fuzzball says you brought me here. Why?" Aang smiled and said "Let's go for a ride and I'll explain everything. Have you met Appa?"
Korra's eyes widened slightly and she walked over to the giant sky bison, roughly dropping Enma in the process. It took her only a moment to realize that she was looking at Aang's legendary animal guide and the father of Oogi, the last of his kind until the discovery of a lost heard many years ago. "No way,this is THE Appa?" "The one and only" Aang confirmed with a grin "say hi buddy." Appa eyed the current Avatar for a moment before licking her affectionately for several minutes. Korra couldn't help but laugh and be reminded of Naga.
Aang watched the scene with a big grin before coming over to pet his bison. "Okay you two, that's enough for now. Korra and I have important business to discuss, Avatar to Avatar. You ready?"
Korra nodded but couldn't fight the knot in her stomach. What did Aang mean? Both Avatars were soon mounted and with a cry of "Appa, yip yip" from Aang, took to the air. Enma watched them go with a scowl and muttered "Avatars before resuming his meditation.
For several minutes, neither Avatar spoke. For her part, Korra was nervous and afraid that Aang would blow up at her the minute she opened her mouth. Aang on the other hand, was patiently waiting for her first question. "Look Aang, I know why you why you brought me here." "You do?" "Yeah, you're angry because I've failed to fix Republic City and misused the Avatar State. I deserve whatever it is you have to say so let me he have it."
Aang was silent for a moment, as though contemplating his successor's words. Finally, he said "Okay then, I will. First off, I'm sorry." "Huh?" "I'm sorry for choosing the White Lotus to look after you. I should've known they would willingly misinterpret my orders and put you in that stupid compound. They were always so much more difficult to work with than Iroh's group. You were robbed of any true freedom and that's one reason you couldn't air bend at first."
Korra was stunned. "So…I was right when I said you didn't want to keep me prisoner?" She wasn't used to being right, or at least being told she was right. She was always the headstrong, arrogant Avatar who needed to be put in her place. "You were right about quit a few things" Aang confirmed "I tried to make up for it by sending you Katara."
Korra flinched involuntarily as she recalled a distant childhood memory. Master Katara hadn't been her water bending teacher when her training first began because the memory of teaching her husband would've made it too painful. Korra's parents were both powerful water benders and had tried desperately to get the position but the Grand Lotus refused, saying that they would be too soft on her. Thus, the young Avatar was to be taught by Master Sangok, a gruff old man from the Northern Water Tribe.
Sangok was from the old days of the North where women fighting was forbidden. He and Katara had studied under the same master during the war and he was regularly beaten by her in the sparring circle, often with pathetic ease. These defeats left him bitter and cold in his later years and turned a once awkward teenager into a woman hater who enjoyed putting a young Korra through verbal and physical abuse. She could still remember his water whip lashings if she didn't do a form exactly right the first time.
"You and I were always connected in some way or another and I could feel your suffering" Aang explained "it took appearing in a few dreams and actually showing her your situation but eventually, Katara came around." Korra smiled as she remembered meeting Katara for the first time. She had stopped Sangok from lashing her, effortlessly beat him as she had years ago, and began her training by teaching the Avatar how to heal her own wounds. Even after Korra had mastered her native element, Katara stuck around to keep the other masters from following Sangok's example.
"I can't remember a time when I didn't trust her completely" Korra said with fondness in her voice "next to Naga and Bolin, she's like my best friend." Aang smiled when he heard that. Friendships really could transcend lifetimes it seemed. "Well, thanks for the apology Aang, but it still doesn't make me less of a screw up" the current Avatar said suddenly and Aang's smile vanished.
"You are not a screw up Korra and you know it." Aang said firmly "I know how you've been feeling lately and how you feel like a bad Avatar compared to me but it's all untrue and I'm taking you somewhere that can prove it." "Where?" "I'm taking you to my past."
AN2: Well, the first chapter's complete. This fic shouldn't be more than five or six chapter long but I trust you'll enjoy it all the same. P.S. Next chapter may contain spoilers for "the promise", even though I can't say I care for Gene Yang's work.
