Chapter 1
Korra yawned and rubbed her temples, groaning in exhaustion as she slumped against the backseat of the car. She blinked sleepily, picking at the frayed edges of her jeans as she smacked her gum noisily.
"Are we there yet?" she sighed, brushing her bangs out of her sticky forehead, "It's so hot in this car. I just wanna get to wherever it is we're going and get whatever it is we're here for over with."
Her mother glared back at her from the passenger seat, furrowing her eyebrows in irritation.
"Korra, a great man has just passed away and you're complaining about the weather?" she scolded, ignoring her daughter's look of defiance, "Show some respect. Tonraq, talk some sense into your daughter!"
Korra's father chuckled light-heartedly, reaching over to clasp his large hand around his wife's.
"Don't be so hard on her, Senna," he gave her a reassuring smile and patted her softly, "Korra's just tired from our long flight – we all are. Let's just get to Tenzin's place quickly without all the fuss, alright, girls?"
Korra and Senna pouted and both mumbled in compliance, folding their arms as they fell back into their seats. Korra leaned her head against the cool glass of the car window, watching the sights of Republic City whiz by, perking up as she caught glimpse of a particularly tall and attractive, pearly white building at the center of a plaza – AVATAR Company.
"Who was this family friend of yours, anyway?" she asked, squinting at the glowing logo in interest as the car slowed at a red light, "Didn't you guys say that he worked for AVATAR?"
Her parents exchanged wide-eyed glances.
"Worked for AVATAR?" Tonraq turned to stare incredulously as Korra curled up against the leather seat, "Honey, he was Avatar Aang. You have heard of him, haven't you?"
"Oh, yeah…" Korra tapped her chin and looked up at the familiar name, "I've heard of him. Didn't he get AVATAR to become the world's leading company by the time when he was twelve or something?"
Tonraq burst into hearty laughter.
"Well, he did take over the company when he was twelve, but not without the help of many friends and his predecessor. He got AVATAR to where it is today by the time he was twenty years old," he replied, smiling in admiration as he steered the car into a narrow road, "He'd been known in the business world as a prodigy ever since. His death was a huge tragedy for companies all over the world."
Korra hummed thoughtfully as their car descended into a dark parking lot, bouncing out of her seat in excitement as they came to a stop. Pulling her old backpack on before sliding out of their blue minivan, she bounded back to begin hauling their suitcases out of the trunk.
"I see you've arrived safely."
She froze at the unfamiliar voice, almost swallowing her now-tasteless gum as she whipped around to see a bald man clad in a baggy orange shirt towering above her. She choked as her eyes drifted to the large, blue arrow tattooed on his head.
"Oh, Tenzin!" Senna stepped up to embrace the man, looking like she was being engulfed in his billowing clothing, "It's good to see you again. How are you holding up?"
"Better than the others are," the man replied, smiling wryly as they separated, "I'm glad you're here."
He clasped hands with Tonraq firmly and they patted each other on the shoulders. Korra shrunk back awkwardly, grabbing the last suitcase out of the trunk and slamming it shut loudly. As she turned, her eyes locked with the bald man's.
"Korra, do you remember Uncle Tenzin?" Senna wrapped an arm around her, pushing her forward until she was standing directly in front of the man, "Be polite and say hello."
"Um, hi," Korra flashed the man a mixture of a grin and grimace, stuffing her hands into her pockets, "Sorry, but I don't really…"
Tenzin bowed accordingly, placing his hands behind his back and smiling sympathetically at her.
"That's perfectly alright," he chuckled, stroking his beard fondly, "You were barely a toddler the last time we met, so I do not blame you. Look at you now – you've already grown into a young lady. Time sure flies, doesn't it?"
Korra returned his smile in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her head as she eased back behind the broad back of her father. Her heart clenched painfully and she felt a pit in her stomach at Tenzin's remorseful tone – she suppressed this, biting her lip as a feeling of dread began creeping into her soul, chilling her to the very core.
"Pema, please hurry up, or we're going to be late to the funeral!"
Tenzin's face was sullen with dark bags under each eye that twitched when he spoke. Korra could see his shoulders sagging as he checked his watch impatiently, tapping his foot against the wooden floor of his studio apartment.
"I'm coming, dear, I'm coming!" Tenzin's pregnant wife waddled out of the bedroom in a black dress, prying a small boy off her leg, "Meelo, get off, Mommy can't walk with you clinging to me like that—"
The teen looked on with horror as Tenzin's children raced around the room, coming straight towards her. She yelped as the two youngest crashed into her legs, grabbing onto her black silk pants for dear life. The girl, Ikki, beamed up at her and rubbed her cheek against the smooth fabric.
"Hi! You're Korra, right? Are you in high school? Do you have a boyfriend? Can you do a handstand? 'Cuz Grandpa Aang could! He taught me how! Want me to show you?"
"Alright, that's enough Ikki," Tenzin sighed, taking her tiny hand in his and leading her to the front door, "Let's go to the car, everyone."
Korra breathed a sigh of relief and shot the man a grateful look as she followed the group down to the parking lot, feeling an overwhelming admiration for the man. He'd just lost his father, after all. She felt a tug at the hem of her shirt and looked down to see his eldest daughter, Jinora.
"I am sorry about Ikki and Meelo," she said solemnly, sighing as she patted her short bob in resignation, "The two of them have always been particularly…active, around guests. I don't think they understand the concept of death yet. They still think Grandpa Aang will come back someday."
Korra blinked at the child's mature tone and nodded in understanding.
"That's okay, Jinora. But what about you? I mean, I hear you and your grandpa were really close," she smoothed down her shirt anxiously, "You gonna be okay?"
Jinora shrugged, shuffling her feet as she looked down at the ground. Korra gave her a small smile and patted her shoulder comfortingly. The group squeezed into Tenzin's van, pressed up against each other uncomfortably in the small space. Tenzin looked back at them with a grim expression.
"Is everyone ready?"
They nodded wordlessly.
Tenzin placed his hands on the steering wheel and took a deep breath.
"Off we go, then."
Korra leaned against the back of a plush, ornate sofa and watched as the guests left the room one by one. She had to admit – Aang had some pretty unusual friends. She could not help but stare as an elderly man with scars covering the entire left side of his face brushed past her with a heartbroken expression, arm wrapped around a woman, presumably his wife, who rubbed his back in comfort. Another man with a wild mop on his head and face led an older, crying woman past, sighing as he ruffled her hair.
"There, there, sis," he whispered, reaching up to wipe his own tears.
Korra never liked black. She tried to avoid wearing it at all times, and would get agitated every time she was around it. Sighing and picking at the thread unraveling from the sofa's fabric, the young girl looked up to see her parents mingling with the other guests. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Tenzin standing with two women – one was old, whose wrinkled face was contorted in sorrow, and the other was middle aged and scowling, lips pursed into a thin line.
"What do you mean you haven't told her yet?!"
Korra flinched.
"Lin, please lower your voice," Tenzin grimaced, placing a hand on her shoulder, which she shrugged off, "Things have just been very hectic, is all – I was planning to tell her after the funeral."
"This is why I was against this in the first place," the woman – Lin, apparently – frowned and turned away from him, "She's much too young to be taking on Aang's job. Look at her! The kid probably doesn't even know what a stock is. Hell, she'd drive the company to the ground within two weeks!"
Korra reddened as she felt the three's eyes on her, anger and confusion swelling up in her chest. Are they talking about me? She turned and her eyes met with Tenzin's. He held the gaze with a sorrowful look.
"I'm sure Aang knew what he was doing, Lin," the elderly woman piped up, nodding knowingly, "Don't worry – Tenzin and I will handle this."
Lin huffed in defeat and turned on her heel, passing Korra as she headed toward the door. Their eyes met and Korra broke into a cold sweat.
"Don't get cocky, kid. You've done nothing to deserve this," the woman sneered, narrowing her green eyes and stomped out of the room.
Korra watched her leave with her mouth open, twitching with anger. What's her problem? She growled to herself, folding her arms over her chest in irritation.
"Lin is just a bit emotional today. Please don't think too hard about it."
Korra jumped at the voice and turned to see the elderly woman sauntering up to her, smiling sweetly as Tenzin followed suit.
"Oh," she nodded instinctively in respect and stepped backward, "Hello."
"Korra, this is my mother," Tenzin seemed nervous while he stroked his beard.
"Call me Katara," the woman said sagely, stepping forward to pull Korra in for a big hug, "It's nice to see you again, Korra. It's been a while."
Assuming she was also an old family friend whom she'd met as a baby, Korra returned the hug naturally, appreciating the warmth of the old woman.
"I'm sorry for your loss," she stated as they separated, "I wish I got to meet Aang. He seemed like a wonderful person. Talented, too."
Katara merely smiled sadly in response, holding Korra's hands in her own wrinkled, calloused ones. Korra immediately felt safe with her. Tenzin edged closer, looking nervous as he tugged and smoothed his clothing.
"Korra – well, uh, I need, I need to tell you something," he coughed, scratching his head sheepishly as Korra raised an eyebrow, "About Aang – um, well – this is going to be strange for you to hear, but—"
"What is it?"
Tenzin's voice drifted off into a tiny mumble. Katara looked at him expectantly.
"Oh, Mother…She's so young," he sighed, "I don't want to make her go through something like this."
"I'm sure your father would not want to burden such a young girl either, Tenzin," Katara agreed reluctantly as she frowned, "But she needs to know."
Korra blinked and tensed as she glanced back to look for her parents, but found the room totally empty. She looked back at Tenzin with wide, uneasy eyes as she her fingernails dug into her thighs. Katara turned to her and folded her arms beneath her robes.
"When you were born, Aang requested that you be his successor after his passing."
The world around her froze as the woman's voice melted into a low humming. Korra began finding it hard to breath. She staggered backward.
"Your parents have known this for many years and are prepared for allowing you to assume your role as president of the company," Tenzin's voice was muffled as he reached over to place a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I know this will take some time to sink in, but please understand…"
"I—"
Korra gripped the edge of the sofa to steady herself as she gaped up at him in horror. Shaking her head repeatedly as she began edging away from the two, she turned, suppressing the nausea gripping her throat, and sprinted out of the room, wobbling in her heels.
"Korra, wait!"
She ignored Tenzin's cry, squeezing her eyes shut as she stumbled into the empty hallway, running her hands along the wall to guide her away from the room.
President…
Company…
Aang…
Aang's successor.
Korra came to a stop, leaning against the wall and burying her face in her hands. She groaned, trying to stop her trembling, and felt the neat bun her mother tied up for her that morning become undone as her messy, brown locks cascaded down her shoulders. She took in a deep, shuddering breath as she threw an arm over her face.
"Are you alright, Miss?"
Korra's breath hitched in her throat as she looked up to see a man clad in a black suit with his hands hanging casually in his pockets, staring down at her. She gulped and said nothing.
"Quite a tragedy isn't it?" the man heaved a big sigh, running a hand through his hair and glancing over at her, "Avatar Aang was a great man."
"Um, yeah," Korra straightened up, biting her lip, "He was."
The man made her feel uneasy and she edged back, eyeing him suspiciously. He simply smiled nonchalantly.
"You look familiar, Miss," he cocked his head slightly, "If I am not mistaken, I believe you were seated near the late Avatar's youngest son?"
"Oh, yeah…" Korra sighed, clasping hand around her other arm and shrugging at the mention of Tenzin, "He invited us to come to Republic City. We flew down here from the South just for the funeral."
The man froze for a split second, then relaxed and smiled amiably at her.
"I see," he hesitated, furrowing his eyebrows, "And you are?"
"Uh, my name's Korra, if that's what you mean," Korra rubbed the fabric of her shirt, "Tenzin's just a family friend of my parents."
She heard a sudden intake of breath and looked up at the man, whose misty blue eyes flashed dangerously. His face reverted back into a smile, and she wondered if she'd imagined it.
"So, Aang had chosen a mere teenager to succeed him," he mumbled to himself, "How very like him."
"Did you say something?" Korra turned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
The man blinked and chuckled, shaking his head.
"It must have been your imagination."
Korra shivered involuntarily.
"I suggest you return to your unfinished conversation, Avatar Korra," the man said, smirking as he turned around the corner, "We shall meet again soon."
He disappeared before Korra could say anything – she stood there, frozen in place as the two words reverberated in her ears: Avatar Korra.
She began to tremble as she glanced back toward the way she came, clenching her fists as her brain began to process what she'd just heard. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her feet, Korra turned and began treading back to the room. They looked up as she shuffled in.
"Korra?" Tenzin whispered, looking up at her from where he was sitting on the sofa, "Are you alright?"
"I understand."
Tenzin's eyes widened at her statement and Katara smiled knowingly.
"If Aang wanted me to be his successor, then…" Korra took a deep breath and stepped forward, "That's what I'll be. When do I start?"
Smiling as Katara headed over for another hug, Korra gulped and let the tears flow freely down her face, already preparing herself for what was to come.