Fire *foooom fooom*
Air *whooooosh*
Water *shhhshhh*
Earth *kpew kpew*
My father used to tell me stories about the old days, how the nations once lived in harmony under the Avatar. How everything changed when Avatar Korra vanished. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only she could stop the Fire Rebels from taking over the Fire Nation.
Nobody had seen her for ten years until it turned out to be my sister, an earthbender named Tashi. The problem is, my sister hasn't mastered any elements yet, so she can't really save the world, yet. Many people in the world want to capture Tashi before she masters all four elements, so I must keep her safe until she's ready to fulfill her destiny. But I believe, somehow, Tashi can save the world.
Book 1: Fire Nation
Chapter 2: Southern Water Tribe
Tashi Song wanted to breathe. She was floating aimlessly in the darkness, not knowing where she was or how she got there. It was like she was floating through space, blackness in all directions; no sense of gravity whatsoever. Pressure filled her lungs, forcing all the air out of her. Yet all around her, she was weightless.
Suddenly, the weight pressing down on her chest lifted, and when that happened she fell back to earth with gravity. Always at balance. When gravity was great, the pressure in her lungs was low. When the lung pressure was high, gravity was low. One grows and the other subsidies. It has been the order of the universe from the beginning of time, seen everywhere in nature. When the moon grows full, the tides are pushed out. When the moon subsides, the ocean pulls the tides back in. Push and pull. Moon and ocean. Gravity and pressure. Earth and space. Growing and subsiding. Always at balance.
Tashi violently pulled in a breath of crisp, cold air. It filled her lungs and supplied oxygen to her bloodstream. She opened her eyes and found herself in... an igloo? Wait, what?
"Where am I?" Tashi asked, "How did I get here?"
A girl around 15 years old with a thick blue coat was stirring a mixture in the corner. She glanced and Tashi and realized she was awake. She rushed to her side and helped her up into a sitting position.
"Drink this," the girl said, motioning for Tashi to drink the hot soup. "You had a long night." Tashi sipped the mixture and felt the warm liquid travel down her throat.
"So, where am I?" Tashi asked once she calmed down. "Who are you? How did I get here?"
"My name is Meili Hua," the girl answered, smiling sweetly. "You, your brother, and your leopard-sea lion are in the Southern Water Tribe. How you got here, I do not know. I just found you guys on the side of an iceberg and decided to take you here." Tashi nodded, taking it all in. THE SOUTHERN WATER TRIBE! she thought. YOU WENT EVEN FARTHER FROM REPUBLIC CITY! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, TASHI!
Meili continued, "You got some really nasty bruises though. Katara will be here shortly. Who are you?"
"I-" Tashi stuttered. "I-I'm Tashi Song and this is my brother Tao Song. Oh, and the leopard-sea lion is Kuna. We come from Gaoling Village and were heading to Republic City. I-I think we got caught in a hurricane though." Tashi gasped as the details from yesterday flooded into her memory. She sighed and brushed the thoughts off.
Tashi glanced at her brother laying next to her, "Will he be okay?"
"Yes," Meili answered. "Lemme just..." She put her hand a couple inches away from his mouth. She bent the water out of his mouth and Tao gasped violently.
"You're a waterbender!" Tashi exclaimed. Meili nodded.
"Are you okay?" Meili asked, helping Tao into a sitting position and giving him the same drink.
"Uh-erm-" Tao stuttered awkwardly. "Yes. Well, now I am..." Tashi shook her head.
Meili got up and headed toward the doorway, "Well, just stay here for now. I'm going to get Katara."
"We need to get moving soon. We can't stay here for too long. We need to get safely to Republic City," Tao said. He tried to get up but winced as he put pressure on his left leg and immediately sat back down. Just then, Katara and Meili came back in the room.
"So, Tashi and Tao, is it?" Katara asked, bending the water from her canteen and placing it on Tao's left leg. The water started to glow as she healed the leg, bit by bit. "Why are you going to Republic City anyways?"
"Uhhh..." Tao said, thinking about what to say (BTW, he's a terrible liar). "Because... we have to go to a... field trip... to learn about... comic books... and how they... changed the world by... uh... teaching waterbending to... Pro-Benders?"
"It's okay," Katara smiled. "You don't have to tell me." Tao grinned in gratitude.
Tashi, on the other hand, was jumping up and down in excitement, "You're Katara? The last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe? OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG! I can't believe I'm meeting you in person!"
Katara shook her head, "You know, after Harmonic Convergence, airbenders weren't the only nonbenders who got their ability. People from the Southern Water Tribe also got waterbending."
"Why?" Tao asked, curious.
"Because there must be balance between waterbenders and nonbenders. Northern waterbenders and Southern waterbenders. Just like there must be balance between airbenders and nonbenders," Katara explained.
"That's how I got my bending," Meili added. "When I was born, I was a nonbender. My parents and I were traveling to safety from the Civil War between the water tribes. Then our ship was bombed by Northern Water Tribe ships. Both of my parents died on the boat, leaving me abandoned in the ocean. I would've died. During Harmonic Convergence, I was given waterbending. Then I was guided to safety by La, the ocean spirit. Then Katara found me and took me home. I owe La my life."
"Wow," Tashi gasped. "What a backstory!"
"That was a very sad and somewhat happy story," Tao remarked.
"Sad and happy?" Meili asked, confuzzled.
"Sad that your parents died, but happy that you didn't die," Tao clarified.
"Oh," Meili realized.
"So," Tashi asked, "who exactly is La? I mean, he sounds familiar but I don't really know who you're talking about."
Katara smiled and answered her question, "Two spirits, forever circling each other. Opposites, yet always at balance. One cannot survive without the other. Otherwise, there is chaos." Katara removed the water from Tao's leg. She came over to Tashi and placed the water on her wounds. The water glowed a bright blue as they started to heal.
"Two spirits? But I thought La was only one."
"Our strength comes from the Spirit of the Moon, Tui; our life comes from the Spirit of the Ocean, La. They work together to keep balance." Tashi gasped in understanding. But why it felt so familiar, she still did not know...
Meili added, "Tui and La. Push and pull. Moon and ocean. Two koi fish forever circling each other in the North Pole Spirit Oasis."
"Welp," Katara sighed, getting up and bending the water back into her canteen. "I guess I'll be going now. I have a busy schedule. You can't believe how many people get hurt these days... Like there's this one guy that got two fishhooks stuck in his thumb."
"Two? How did that happen?" Tashi asked.
"He tried to get the first fishhook out with a second one."
"Didn't Sokka do that?" Meili asked.
"Oh, right..." Katara sighed. "Oh well. Bye!" She walked out the door.
"So..." Tao continued after a while. "What kind of activities do you have here?"
Meili answered, "Well we have snowball fights, canoe rides, penguin racing..."
"Did you just say," Tao interrupted, "canoe rides?" He smiled mischievously.
Sakura approached Mary. "Where is the Avatar?" Sakura cried angrily. She knew Mary knew.
"I will never tell you," Mary smiled.
"You won't have to," Sakura realized. She placed a thumb on her heart and a thumb on her forehead. Sakura calmed her mind. This citizen had a very strong connection with the Avatar. She was her mother. Sakura inhaled and exhaled slowly. By reading Mary's energy, she was able to track the Avatar. A golden path appeared, going down the hill, to the shore, and out into the ocean. Miles of ocean flew by her vision until it stopped at one place.
The Southern Water Tribe.
Tashi, Tao, and Meili readied their canoes. Tashi smiled as the cool breeze blew against her face. She was ready to start rowing as soon as Meili said go.
"Remember," Tao reminded. "No waterbending, no airbending, no firebending, no earthbending, no energybending, no Avatar State, no bloodbending, no mudbending-"
"Blah, blah, blah," Meili interrupted in boredom. "Just GO!"
Tashi kicked off, sliding on her canoe down an icy pathway. Snow and wind whipped at her face as they hurtled downhill. She cheered in excitement as she came in the lead. Tao urged his canoe onto a slippery surface and he shot forward. Meili turned her canoe onto a rock and she flew over Tashi and Tao, coming in the lead.
The three racers hit the water, momentum carrying them forward. Tashi paddled as fast as she could go. Icebergs littered the canoe course. Tashi used an iceberg to launch herself next to Meili. Tao stuck his paddle into a nearby iceberg to launch himself forward next to Tashi and Meili. They were all tied.
Tashi and Tao entered an ice cave, each trying to beat the other. As soon as they exited, a canoe flew overhead, landing a good 10 feet in front of them.
"Haha!" Meili laughed. "Noobs!" Tao saw a hidden icy pathway and used it to make up for that 10 feet. Tashi saw another iceberg and flew over 5 feet of the distance. Tashi looked for a way to pass Tao's canoe. Cold water splattered into her face. But in the end, Meili won first, Tao won second, and Tashi won last.
"Shame," Tao said as Tashi came to a stop on the shore in front of a big house. Tashi got up. Meili laughed, covered in water from Tashi's stop.
"Meili Hua!" an important looking man walked to Meili from the big house. "What are you doing covered in water? Get that water off you and then visit the waterbenders right now!"
"Sorry," Meili whispered to the twins, reluctantly bending the water out of her soaked clothes. "Gotta go. That's my dad. I'll meet you at the snowcone place in one hour!" She turned to leave.
"Wait!" Tao called, rushing after her. "Where are you going?"
Tashi rolled her eyes, "To visit the waterbenders. Duh!" Tao sighed, and turned away.
"Come on, Tao," Tashi said. "Let's go get some snowcones."
Mako and the White Lotus reached Gaoling Village. It was a small village but filled with bustling people. The school bell rang as kids of all ages ran to their next class. Some glanced at Mako, pointing at the symbol on the flag and whispered to their friends. They soon turned away because they didn't want to be late for their next class.
The boat bumped the sandy shore. Mako and the White Lotus jumped down, their feet hitting the sand. They walked between houses and buildings, glancing at them as they went. Soon they reached the mayor's door, where they stood outside and knocked.
"Who is it?" the mayor asked from inside.
"The White Lotus," a member answered. The mayor opened the door to let them in.
The room was a simple one. A big desk on one side for the mayor and his papers, three chairs facing the squishy looking mayor's chair. Mako and the two other White Lotus members sat down and the mayor sat down on the other side.
OMG, Mako thought, That chair looks so squishy. I feel like I could just sit down and bounce on it. Or maybe it's one of those chairs that you just sit on and the foam presses down, shaping around you. It must be so comfortable to just sit in that squishy chair all day...
"Mako?" the mayor coughed, breaking Mako from his trance.
"Erm... yeah..." Mako said awkwardly. "We think you have the Avatar in your village. Is that true?" Mako's eyes slid to the squishy chair again. So squishy... Mako thought. No Mako! Focus! The world's fate is in your hands and you're thinking of squishy chairs?
"That is correct," the mayor confirmed. "A crazy Northern Water Tribe waterbender came to take the Avatar. It turned out to be Mary's daughter, Tashi. Avatar Tashi, her brother, and her animal guide escaped from the waterbender and is heading to Republic City on their own. I think the waterbender held the symbol of the Fire Rebels..."
"The Fire Rebels?" a member gasped. "Do you know how dangerous that is? We must send a search party immediately!" Squishy squishy... Mako thought, imagining himself bouncing up and down on the chair. Squishy chairs...
"Wait," the first member said. "This guy's not telling us everything. Tell it to us!"
"I'm not saying anymore," the mayor stated. "I'm not wasting time on any of this Avatar business. I gave you the information and that's all you need. Get help from somewhere else!"
"Fine," the second member sighed. "We're not getting anything out of him anytime soon. Let's just go and tell the other White Lotus members about this too."
Squishy squish- "Mako?" Mako's thoughts were interrupted.
"Uh. Yeah. Bye!" Mako stuttered awkwardly, following the other members out. I gotta buy a squishy chair like that when I go back to Republic City... Mako thought, making a mental note.
Mako and the White Lotus members stepped outside of the mayor's office, their feet crunching on gravel.
"Let's go ask the Avatar's mom," the first member suggested. "Maybe she knows something."
"Yeah," Mako agreed. "Maybe she has squishy chairs also..."
"Wait. Wut?"
Meili sighed and pushed open the door. The snowcone place was almost empty, except for Tashi and Tao, eating snowcones at a table for 3. Meili sat down at their table.
"Lychee nut snowcone, please," Meili ordered. The waitress nodded and went to get the item.
"So," Tao said. "Why's your dad so crazy about you getting water on you?" Tashi took a bite of her strawberry snowcone.
Meili answered, "You see, I'm the next leader of the Southern Water Tribe. My dad's all crazy because I'm becoming the leader next year. He wants me to be as ready as possible."
"Oh wow," Tao commented. "That explains a lot."
Tashi looked at Meili carefully. She looked tired, bored, and... longing. Meili glanced out the window to the ocean. "But," Tashi continued for her, "that's not what you want, do you." Tao slowly and dramatically took a bite out of his snowcone.
"How-" Meili gasped. "How do you know?"
"Well, since we're all giving away our actual identities," Tao explained, "Tashi's the Avatar." Meili looked surprised for a moment, eyes widened and mouth slightly open. Her face was priceless.
"So, why do you not want to become the leader?" Tashi asked.
"Erm... well... don't tell this to my dad... but..." Meili stuttered, recovering from her shock, "All I ever wanted to do explore the ocean. To travel the world. I don't know why, but the ocean, its like it wants me to come. Calling me, sort of."
Meili continued, "I feel like I have two identities. One of them, an obedient daughter, heir to the Southern Water Tribe. She's kind, helpful, loves her people, and proper. But another part of me, she's fearless, wild, and adventurous. She's a wild explorer, sailing the seas.
"For as long as I can remember, I was drawn to the ocean, fascinated by how vast it was. I kept wandering off, trying to answer that call. But my dad then told me how dangerous it was to explore the ocean at this time when the Fire Rebels were growing in power. Plus, he said, that I was the future leader. He said that I should be preparing to be the leader, helping citizens out and all that stuff. I grew to love my people. I started to ignore that call, thinking of it as a childish dream. Soon, even if I tried, I never heard it again.
"But somehow, when you two came, that all changed. You showed me again how amazing it is to be riding on waves in the ocean again. I hear that call again. I feel that longing. But, I know, I can never be that person I wanted to be. I have a duty to my people. I can't just abandon them because of a dream." The waitress came with her Lychee nut snowcone and placed it in front of Meili. She took a bite when the waitress went away.
"Meili Hua," Tao said. "I know how you feel. Just four days ago, I thought my life was paved out for me. In my village, earthbenders are forced to work in mines or join the police when they're 11. All I wanted to do was to learn. Lavabending, sandbending, mudbending, and metalbending. But I knew I could never be that person. Or so I thought.
"Three days ago, Tashi and I found out she was the Avatar. That changed my life forever. A crazy Northern waterbender landed on the shore of our village, looking for the Avatar. Our mom sent Tashi, Kuna, and me to go to Republic City. But then a hurricane hit us and, well, we ended up here. But once I thought would be my destiny, isn't anymore. I know I could become whoever I want. You see, society is an illusion. They tell you what you should be, and make you think it's your destiny. But in real life, you can do whatever you want to do. Pave out your own destiny. You have that power. But it's your choice to decide if you want to see through this illusion, or not."
"Wow," Tashi clapped. "Well said! Maybe your destiny is to become another Iroh!"
Tao asked, "Is that a compliment or are you just teasing me?"
"Both."
Meili looked down at her Lychee nut snowcone, "So, what do you think I should do? I love my people, but I also love the ocean."
"Which of the love feels the most real?" Tao asked. Tashi giggled. Tao grew red at the phrasing of his question.
Meili seemed not to notice. "The ocean," she replied after a moment's pause. "But I can't abandon my people. I'm the next leader. And I don't have any other siblings to take over that position." She took a bite of her snowcone.
"You already know how it feels like to be the leader," Tashi suggested. "So why don't you try out sailing the seas. Just one ride." Meili looked out onto the ocean. The sun came out, reflecting light from the ocean. The sparkle reflected onto Meili's eyes as it grew with the sense of eagerness.
"Letz do this!" Meili cried, rushing out to the ocean.
Meili, Tao, and Tashi climbed onto a Southern Water Tribe sailboat. Tashi and Tao pulled the sail up as Meili waterbended them out of the harbor. Tashi tied up the rope to hold the sail up. A gust of wind blew in, throwing them forward.
Scary looking icebergs scattered the sea. Meili's eyes sparkled with determination and excitement. Tashi's eyes sparkled with fear. They shot forward, heading toward an iceberg. Meili waterbended the boat sideways. Meili whooped with joy as they went over a particularly large wave. Tashi's insides felt abnormal. She was getting really seasick right now... They headed straight toward another iceberg, but she waterbended it in half. They were heading straight toward a giant iceberg, twice as big and ten times as long as a normal iceberg.
"Hold on tight!" Meili cried in excitement. She waterbended the boat faster. Tashi gripped the side of the boat in fear. What was Meili thinking right now?
But right when they were about to crash, Meili created an ice ramp over the iceberg. Meili whooped as the boat soared over it. Tashi's stomach lurched forward as they crashed into the top of the iceberg. The boat's bottom easily splintered as Tashi, Tao, and Meili went flying over the iceberg. Luckily, they landed safely on the edge of the iceberg.
"That was awesome!" Meili cried. She glanced at the twins. Tashi was throwing up into the water and Tao was pressed against the side of the iceberg.
"I guess, sailing isn't for everyone," Tao said, trying to make Meili feel better.
"Talk about it," Meili agreed, wincing as Tashi finished throwing up.
"How are we gonna get back?" Tashi moaned. "I never should've agreed to this..."
"The damages aren't that bad..." Tao said optimistically. "Just the bottom is a bit splintered." He took a piece of wood and wedged it in tight in the hole. "See?" Meili shook her head and bent water from the iceberg and put it in the hole. She froze it into ice.
"Guys, check this out!" Tashi gasped, running to the other side of the iceberg. "This is the iceberg that Avatar Aang came out of!"
"Really?" Meili asked, rushing toward her. Tao, on the other hand, rolled his eyes.
"Just meet me on the boat once you're done staring at weird ice formations." Tao walked to the fixed boat and waited.
"Let's just go," Meili sighed. "I won't want to keep my dad waiting." Tashi nodded and the girls headed to Tao.
"Ugh," Tao grunted. "Finally."
"Tao, it has been, like, 5 seconds," Tashi said, annoyed.
"Whatevs," Tao replied. "Let's just go."
"Hello, Mrs. Song," Mako greeted as she opened the door. "I'm Mako and this is the White Lotus."
"I'm guessing you're here to talk about my daughter who just happened to be the Avatar, right?" Mary guessed.
"Yup!" Mako nodded. He and the members walked inside the house. Inside, there was a low table with cups of steaming tea.
"Have a seat," Mary welcomed. They sat on mats cross-legged. Mako picked up the tea and sipped it. Mako's eyes grew wide as soon as the tea met his taste-buds. He gulped the rest of it down as fast as he could. Wow! Mako thought. This is almost as good as Iroh's tea from Ba Sing Se!
"So," the first White Lotus member asked. "Is it true that you sent the Avatar to Republic City, correct?" Mary nodded. "And the Avatar is not anywhere else?" Mary hesitated.
"You can tell us," the second said. "We just want what's best for the Avatar."
"And I just want what's best for my daughter," Mary mumbled.
"So, where is the Avatar?" Mako asked.
Mary hesitated again, thinking, "Tashi, well, she might be going to Republic City. Probably going there... but..."
"But what?" Mako asked, leaning in.
Mary exhaled, "The... the crazy Northern waterbender, she came to attack us. She chased Tashi away, but she escaped in one piece. After interrogating everyone in the village, she came to me and asked me if I knew where the Avatar was. I lied, but she knew I was lying. I don't know what she did, but she figured out where the Avatar was. Then she started heading south, away from Republic City."
"South?" the second member asked. "Where exactly?"
"Like, toward the-" Mary gasped in realization.
"What is it?" Mako asked.
"The... the..." Mary hesitated. "The Southern Water Tribe."
Meili, Tao, and Tashi climbed onto the sailboat again. Tashi and Tao pulled on the rope to raise the sails. Meili pushed the boat off of the iceberg. As Tashi prepared to give the final tug to set sail toward the tribe, an icicle tore through the sail, ripping it clean in half. Tashi looked around to see where it came from and saw the attacker.
Sakura of the Northern Water Tribe.
"ARGH!" Tao cried out. "SAKURA AGAIN?"
"Whozzat?" Meili asked.
"Oh, just someone who somehow followed us ALL THE WAY FROM GAOLING VILLAGE! WE GOTTA GET OUT OF DIS PLACE FAST!"
"Meili," Tashi said. "Block as many attacks from Sakura as you can. Tao and I will try to get us out of here." Tashi and Tao each grabbed a paddle and paddled as hard as they could.
Another icicle came hurtling at them, but Meili melted it and the water fell down. Meili sent a huge wave at Sakura. She separated the waters to prevent it from damaging her boat, but the wave has done its purpose. Sakura was sent 50 feet backward.
Sakura waterbended the ship faster than ever before. Meili gasped and tried to bend her boat faster as well.
"Turn right!" Tao told Meili. Sakura created a huge wall of ice on the right.
"Now left!" Sakura created a wall on the left.
"Forward!" Tashi screamed, paddling her paddle. Sakura sent a waterbending slice. Meili turned around, but it was too late. The water completely destroyed the ship, sending the three sailors flying into the water.
Meili swam upward, trying to reach the air, but the water kept dragging her under. She tried waterbending herself up, but the water wouldn't bend. The water crashed her into the shore of the Southern Water Tribe. She climbed up, coughing out water, dragging her legs behind her. The last thing she saw was a tall figure standing over her, and then her world went black.
"Meili?" someone asked her. "Are you okay? I found you-"
Meili groaned, "No spoilers, please. I want to read it myself..." She opened her eyes and found Katara standing over her.
"Meili!" Tao yelled in happiness. "You're okay!" Katara, Tao, and Tashi were all standing around her now. Meili got up into a sitting position.
"What happened?" Katara asked.
"I... uh... went for a little sailing," Meili admitted.
Katara laughed, "It's about time. I thought you were gonna do it WAY earlier than this..."
"So... you're not angry at me?"
"Of course not. It is who you are."
"It's not anymore," Meili said, standing up.
"Why not? You've been wanting to do this ever since you were a kid."
"Dad was right. The seas are dangerous. It's swimming with Fire Rebels..."
"But this was your dream..."
"I never knew that the dream was going to be a nightmare."
Meili turned around, "I'm ready to become leader, now."
Katara put her hand on her shoulder, "First let me show you something."
Katara, Tao, Tashi, and Meili all walked to the docks. It was lined with sailboats. Katara helped Tao and Meili onto it.
"Yeah, I think I'll stay here," Tashi said. "I had enough sailing for one day. Don't wanna throw up a second time, right?"
"If you say so..." Tao sighed, pulling the rope tight. Meili and Katara waterbended themselves forward, moving their arms from one side to the other, like a paddle.
"So..." Meili asked. "Where're we going?"
"You'll see..." Katara smiled mysteriously. She kept that smile for a full five seconds.
"Can you... not smile like that?" Tao asked. "Like, seriously, it's creeping me out. You look like that Joo Dee from Ba Sing Se..."
"Ah well..." Katara sighed. "We're here!"
"Cool," Meili breathed, running her hand on the side. It felt cool beneath her skin. Soon she ran her hand over a divot, and she realized it was an opening. She gasped at what she saw inside.
Spirits spiraled around this one spot. Grass grew around a pool of water. The temperature was strangely warm. Meili felt the grass. Under it was not ice, but earth instead! What was this place?
"H-how?" Meili gasped, words unable to form.
"This is the iceberg that I found you in," Katara answered. "I found you in the pool of water."
Meili walked over to the pool of water and sat down next to it. She looked down into the hazy water and saw... a fish?
"Wha-what's down there?" Meili asked.
"Here," Tao suggested. "Lemme help." He readied his hands into an earthbending pose. Suddenly, the drifting pieces of haze (dirt) froze in place. Then Tao bent the haze outward. It clung to the sides of the pool. Meili gasped.
A black koi fish circled at the bottom. It looked so far away. Meili recognized him almost instantly.
"La!" Meili gasped. She dove into the pool.
"Meili!" Katara shouted, heaving her back up. "This is a seeing pool. It shows you who you really are. La is not REALLY down there..."
"I am... a koi fish?" Meili asked.
"Look closer..." Katara motioned toward the pool. And Meili did. She placed her hands in the water and she wasn't seeing the visions anymore. She was envisioning them.
Meili gasped at what she saw. She saw the past, how her mother and father were traveling to safety in Southern Water Tribe ships. Soon after, Northern Water Tribe ships approached too. They were preparing for battle.
She saw the water glow bright blue as the Koizilla (aka La) started to form. Princess Yue (aka Tui) came down from the sky and landed on the water, barely sending any ripples across the surface. Meili understood now. The spirits did not want the waterbenders fighting.
"Stop this fighting," Yue demanded. "The Water Tribes are supposed to live together in harmony."
"Those Southerners don't respect the ancient water tribe traditions anymore!" a Northerner accused.
"Excuse me? We were better off without you before you came and started attacking our people!" a Southerner defended.
"You attacked us first!"
"You attacked back!"
"That was self-defense!"
"I can't stand the sight of those Northerners," the Southerner scoffed. "Southerners, ATTACK!" The Southern Water Tribe waterbenders came out and started shooting ginormous ice shards at the North. The Northern waterbenders came out also and shot water blasts at the others.
"STOP!" Yue yelled, but they did not listen. Ships were being destroyed on both sides by the second. Yue and Koizilla summoned a giant wave, towering above both sides. The wave separated. Yue bent her side toward the Northerners and Koizilla bent his toward the Southerners. The ships were pushed back so far that it disappeared from Meili's sight.
Princess Yue turned to leave, but Koizilla stayed. He was looking at a little rolled up blanket floating on the ocean surface. Inside was a crying baby. Embroidered in the blanket was the name, Meili Hua.
"We must go, La," Yue said. "Harmonic Convergence is almost here. If we stay here any longer, our mortal form might die."
Koizilla seemed to understand. He formed a huge iceberg. Inside he made grass grow. A pool of water was in the center of this. Koizilla placed Meili into the pool. He closed off the opening and created a wave to push the iceberg into the Southern Water Tribe.
He looked up. The planets were aligning. Koizilla sank into the ocean, his glowing blue form rushing toward the Northern Water Tribe. Princess Yue drifted up and into the moon.
The scene changing to the iceberg during Harmonic Convergence. The planets aligned, sending a dark purple sheen of color across the world. The seas were disrupted, sending a ship crashing into Meili's iceberg. It was Katara.
"Oh, come on..." Katara groaned. "How come the Avatar can't defeat the bad guy before they become super OP..."
Meili thought about this, and it was true. Korra defeated Kuvira after she made the spirit laser, Zaheer after he got flight, Unalaq after he fused with Vaatu, and Amon after he took away her bending, and that was only Avatar Korra. Avatar Aang defeated Ozi during Sozin's Comet, Avatar Kyoshi after Chin the Conqueror took over almost the whole Earth Kingdom, and Avatar Roku didn't even defeat Sozin because he was so OP.
"Aww..." Katara sighed, looking at her completely broken ship. She groaned until she saw the iceberg, still glowing dark blue from Koizilla's encounter. She placed her hand on the iceberg, melting the side of the iceberg via waterbending. Inside she saw Meili Hua, covered in the blanket in the pool of water. Katara picked the baby up, and it started crying.
"Don't cry, Meili," Katara shushed. "You're safe now." But Meili kept crying.
Soon the dark purple sheen of light was replaced by the normal golden sheen. The sun began to rise, removing all the darkness from the world. Only then did Meili stop crying.
Katara jumped onto the water, creating an ice surfboard holding Meili in one hand. She rode all the way back to the Southern Water Tribe (that actually wasn't so far away in the first place).
Meili inhaled and exhaled. There was a break between her visions. She was transitioning from the visions of her past to visions of her future. She breathed once more before diving into the visions of her future.
17-year-old Meili stood on the rim of a sailboat. She was wearing a casual Southern Water Tribe outfit, not the fancy kind she usually wears. She pulled on the rope to raise the sails and tied the rope tight. She bent the water to make herself go faster. The salty wind blew against her face, lifting up her bangs. The ship splashed into a wave, splattering cool water onto her skin. A new sense of adventure and excitement of exploration filled her. It was her dream come true.
Meili removed her hands from the water. She gasped and fell backward. Tao rushed to her side.
"What do you think now?" Katara asked.
"I'm going to talk to my dad," Meili confirmed. "And tell him I have to go."
Tashi waited at the docks, completely bored. She already doodled with her pencils on the sides of boats, she already picked her toenails, she already sharpened her pencils until it hurt to even touch them, and she already did everything else she does to not be bored.
"Ugh..." Tashi grunted. But she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until it was too late.
"Gotcha!" some cried in delight as a bag fell over her. Tashi wiggled and wriggled in surprise. She tried to scream, but the bag muffled it.
"Don't even try to struggle," the familiar voice called into the bag. But Tashi didn't care about who said it. She just wanted to get out. Plus, the bag stank like dirty socks.
Tashi took a pencil out of her ponytail and stabbed it into the bottom of the bag. Then she used her hand to tear open the fabric. She wiggled out of the bag and crawled out.
"Good thing I brought extra," the voice said, throwing another bag over her. Tashi tried the same method, but her pencils were already too dull now.
"Time to take a little nap," the voice said, and something hard hit Tashi's head. Darkness pricked the edges of her vision, clouding it. But Tashi finally realized who said it.
Sakura of the Northern Water Tribe.
"Dad," Meili said, approaching him. Tao and Katara were right behind her. They entered Meili's house.
"Good," the dad said, barely noticing her. "You're on time for dinner."
"I'm leaving," Meili stated.
"Leaving?" the dad asked in surprise. "Where? How? Why?"
"I'm leaving on the sailboat. I have to go. It is my destiny to explore the ocean. To sail the seas. I've made up my mind, now. And nobody can change it."
"But... your people..."
"I know you love me, and I love you. But I can't live like this. Go find someone else to become the leader. I bet there're so many other good leaders out there. It just... can't be me."
"But... the Fire Rebels... they're dangerous."
"I know. And so is become the leader."
There were moments of silence before her dad spoke again, "If this is what you wish, then so be it. All I want is your happiness. It is your destiny."
Meili smiled, tears pricking her eyes, "Thank you, Dad, thank you!" She cried streams of tears. "I love you..."
"I love you too..."
Meili Hua, smiling as big as anybody could possibly smile, headed out the door to the docks.
"No Meili," Katara shook her head. "I knew this day would come, so I planned ahead." She lead Tao and Meili along the shore to a secret cave, "THIS is your boat."
Just as Meili had envisioned it in her visions, a boat stood tall and grand. Meili couldn't help but gasp. The sails sparkled with designs of the four elements. And, of course, the flag at the top was the Southern Water Tribe symbol.
"This is amazing!" Meili gasped. "Thank you so much!"
"Food is in the bottom compartment," Katara reminded before Meili squeezed the air out of her.
"Tank U Tank U Tank U Tank U Tank U Tank U Tank U Tank U!" Meili squeeled, squeezing Katara tighter.
"Datz... *gasp* enough... *inhale* now..." Katara managed to say.
"This day..." Meili sighed, letting go of Katara (finally). "It's perfect!"
"One problem," Tao corrected. "Tashi's gone."
Thank you again for reading this story! Hopefully, you enjoyed it! I made up my mind about the updating schedule and decided to update every Monday.
I know I should've updated this on Monday, but today is a special day in the Avatar universe...
HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE EVERYONE!
NOTE: I am not updating THIS Monday. I am updating NEXT Monday...