I hate the fact that we don't regularly update and even more that there is no easy way to contact you all on ehre without getting your hopes up for a new chapter. A lot of you follow us on tumblr but if you don't please come visit us - lexaterra - we're the same everywhere! We try to update on there about the progress of the chapter and try to reply to everyone that contacts us - we get so excited everytime we get a message or a review because feedback is so amazing!

We also have fanart being made for this fic by my co-author because it's always nice to have a visual on the characters. For anyone wondering about the progress of the book cover it's slow work but I got a sneak peak yesterday and it's looking amazing so far! Excited for you to see it!

Otherwise enjoy the chapter!

BOOK ONE: CHAPTER FOUR

Clarke looked up from where she was sorting herbs as someone entered the room. She smiled at the sight of Bellamy standing in the doorway. The left side of his face was red and started to blossom into a bruise.

"Nice face." She commented as she tore herself away from her work. Bellamy rolled his eyes and sat down on the furs as Clarke stood up to collect the medical supplies she would need,

"Your mother is dealing with the other guy. Training got a bit rough today. Believe me, he looks far worse."

"Any particular reason for the increase in violence?"

"No," He grumbled.

Clarke knelt down in front of him and began to bend water; tending to his forming bruise, the water glowed an ethereal blue against his skin. She shot him a look and Bellamy sighed in annoyance.

"Fine. I was in a bad mood and I may have taken it too far." He confessed.

"Why?"

"I don't know," He shrugged, "Octavia is frustrating me."

"What has she done now?"

"Besides ignoring me and training with you?" He ignored Clarke's glare, "She keeps following Lexa around and all she ever talks about now is watching Lexa train or training with Lexa," He scowled at the thought of Octavia being around the newcomer. Clarke bit her tongue as she finished the healing session, and moved the liquid back into the water skin it came from.

"What's your problem with Lexa? You know she's really not that bad."

"Not you as well," He scoffed, "I don't understand what's so great about her."

Clarke just shook her head. When they had all returned from the fire nation ship the previous night Jaha had taken it upon himself to inform everyone who Lexa was. There had been a mix reception but most people were awed at the idea of having the Avatar in their presence though it seemed Bellamy was amongst those that were reluctant.

"Besides the fact that she's the avatar?"

"The great powerful being that can control all the elements"

"The Avatar brings balance to the world," Clarke stepped away from him as his voice became bitterer.

"One all powerful being doesn't bring balance to the world Clarke. They just have unimaginable power that no mortal should ever have." Clarke raised her eyebrow.

"You're starting to sound like Jaha. Tell me, does that go for all benders?"

Bellamy froze, his eyes wide as he realised what he'd insinuated, "Shit, Clarke, I didn't mean it like that."

"Really? Because both your sister and I have a quarter of that unimaginable power that no mortal should have, remember?"

"Yeah but it's not the same."

Clarke rolled her eyes, "Bellamy that's not the first anti-bending statement I've heard you say."

"I wasn't being anti-bending," He defended, "I have nothing against you or what you do with-" Bellamy cringed and waved his hand towards the water container, "That."

"Yes, you do." Bellamy gaped at her. His face was flushed and Clarke took a step forward finding her anger rising at his attitude.

"Bellamy you have a problem with it, always have, and I do understand it. But that doesn't mean all bending is bad and you don't need to stop Octavia from learning something she can do but you can't."

"I don't want her to get hurt, Clarke."

"You can't protect her forever, Bell."

His shoulders dropped and he looked to the floor with a small nod. Clarke looked at him sympathetically and pulled him into a hug. She understood his worry, she really did, but she also knew what his worry and restrictions were doing to Octavia.

"You need to trust Octavia," Clarke whispered and smiled when she felt him nod his head. Pulling back Clarke gave him another smile and lightly pushed him towards the door, "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to actually talk to her instead of telling her what to do with her life."

Bellamy nodded and turned to leave. He opened the door and stopped briefly to look back at Clarke. With small smile he gave her a nod, "Thank you Clarke."

She watched him go and she had just turned back to what she had been doing before when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. The door had barely closed behind Bellamy when it was opened again to reveal Lexa. She had replaced her water tribe furs for her fire nation attire that had no doubt been packed in the trunk they had brought back with them. Her hair was pulled back into intricate braids with the gold flame of the fire nation princess pinned at the back keeping her hair in place. It struck Clarke how regal Lexa looked and yet no different to the Lexa she had come to know.

Clarke grinned at the brunette, who gave a small chuckle as she sat down on the edge of the table where she was working, "Was that Bellamy?"

"Yeah, he's having trouble… dealing."

"Dealing with what?"

Clarke's silence was answer enough and Lexa let out a sigh, "Right. Me."

"It's not like that," Clarke leant a hand on Lexa's knee in reassurance, "Bellamy's problem existed long before we met you."

"Is it because I'm the avatar?"

"Partially," Clarke admitted, "But also because Octavia is spending so much time with you. Bending is something Bellamy has only ever seen the bad in and it's a part of Octavia that he can't understand or control. She's the only family he has so he's protective of her."

"I understand that," Lexa nodded, "When my parents died Anya became my family. She was like an older sister to me."

"I had the same with Wells… It's not the same but I never knew my father and my mother and I have an on and off relationship. We used to visit the Jaha's often. Wells and I used to play Pai Sho." Lexa watched as Clarke's gaze faded off and she smiled at the memory. The brunette took Clarke's hand in her own and squeezed it. Clarke looked back up, slightly dazed, as she seemed to come back from the memory.

"I'm sorry."

Lexa shook her head, "You don't need to apologise, Clarke."

Clarke smiled thankfully and the two enjoyed a moment of silent comfort. She did miss Wells, but the pain that had been there in the beginning had faded to a dull ache and, she realised with a jolt, having Lexa around had filled a small hole in her chest that Wells' death had left. She sucked in a deep breath and allowed a smile to cross her face. Raising an eyebrow at Lexa,

"Did you ever play Pai Sho?"

"Of course!." Lexa grinned as Clarke returned to her herbal work on the table, "My father used to play with me when I was younger and then Anya when we began training. She explained that it was a good way to start learning tactics and moves for war. It was a way to learn how to predict your opponents move."

"Did it work?"

"It certainly gave me an advantage when I trained with the other students. I think that's what my father had been trying to do all along. Train me before I even began learning fire bending so I could one day take the throne," Lexa shrugged, "That was before we knew I was the Avatar."

"Speaking of which," Clarke leant against the table and smirked up at Lexa, "When do you want to start learning water bending?"

"As soon as possible."

Clarke snorted at Lexa's smirk and raised her eyebrow, "We can start now if you want? I've finished all my work for the day."

"Please," Lexa inclined her head thoughtfully, "How are we going to start."

"Basics," Clarke smirked, "But I want to teach you all I know about healing as well, not just the offence and defence of water bending. You're going to need to at least be able to move with the water and understand the element before you'll be able to do that." Lexa listened wide-eyed as Clarke explained further, "You have to feel the water as an extension of yourself. It isn't about just about moving the water, it is about being able to feel it, feel the energy as you move with it. Be one with the element."

Lexa was nodding slowly along with Clarke's words, "I understand. When I use my fire bending it's an extension of my own energy. I create the flames."

"Water bending is similar except you're taking your own energy and using it to morph with the water. It's calm and healing even whilst bending."

Lexa opened her mouth to say more but a loud crash had them both spinning towards the entrance. The door was flat against the wall and an apologetic looking Octavia was staring at them.

"Sorry," She cringed, "Clarke, Abby is looking for you."

"Why?" Clarke groaned in frustration, "I'm finished for the day."

"Two people from the Earth kingdom have just arrived for healing and she wants you to help her."

"Of course she does," Clarke snapped and shot Lexa an apologetic look, "We'll have to pick this up later."

Lexa jumped down from the table and shrugged off Clarke's apology, "That's okay, you go help your mother, I haven't been to visit Jaha yet so I'll go and see what he knows about the Avatar."

"Alright, I'll come and find you when I'm done."

The three stepped outside and Clarke hugged Lexa briefly before turning away to go and find Abby. Octavia shoved Lexa playfully, drawing the brunette's attention away from Clarke's disappearing figure.

"Clarke shouldn't be too long and in the mean time I'll keep you company."

Lexa snorted and let out a laugh as Octavia practically dragged her down the snow path towards the temple.

"You're a water bender as well, yes?"

Octavia dropped Lexa's arm with a smile, "Yeah, but I'm not as good as Clarke, I didn't start training until I was around eleven… twelve," She corrected herself with a shrug, "I actually discovered I was a water bender by accident."

Lexa raised an eyebrow and Octavia looked away sheepishly, "I was out with Bell on a fishing trip and… well, I accidentally turned the boat over." Octavia looked almost relieved as Lexa began to laugh, as though she had expected the older girl to judge her. "Bell was so angry. We both ended up with hypothermia and that's how I met Clarke, though she had known Bellamy for a while."

"I singed my mother's hair," Lexa chuckled at Octavia's shocked expression, "She laughed it off, I think she was just pleased I could bend fire, but she went around with a tuft of hair poking up for weeks. My father tried to start my training the next day but I almost set fire to their book case so that's when they hired Anya to train me."

"We have several water bending teachers around but I mostly learn from Clarke. She's much more patient."

"I can imagine," Lexa smiled as she remembered watching Clarke train with those children and how much they had admired her.

Octavia rolled her eyes and pretended to gag, "You two are gross." The two came to a stop at the end of the path as Lexa faltered at Octavia's words.

"What?" Lexa's cheek turned a shade of pink as Octavia let out a bark of laughter.

Ignoring Lexa's question she merely grasped the girl's arm again and dragged her into the temple. It was dimly lit but a river of crystal blue water ran around the edge of the walls to meet in a small pool at the end of the room. The light filtering in through a circular window in the ceiling reflected off the pool and gave it a mystical air that Lexa was instantly drawn too.

Kneeling beside the water was Jaha, who looked up at their entrance, and beamed at the sight of Lexa.

"I wondered when I would be seeing you again."

Lexa walked slowly over the pool, leaving Octavia watching quietly beside the door, and stopped beside Jaha's knelt form.

"How much do you know about the Avatar state?"

"I don't claim to be an expert but I know more than anyone else in the water tribe and you at the moment," He indicated for Lexa to join him, "I would like to show you something."

She dropped down next to Jaha and followed his hand to the water, where two fish were circling in unison. One black, one white, both with identical circles of opposite colour on their sides.

"What is this?"

"This is the sanctuary," Jaha dipped his hand into the water and gently swirled the water, "The yin and yang… The sun and moon spirits."

"They're fish," Octavia said and Lexa looked up to see that the younger girl had quietly made her way to stand on the opposite side of the pool. She was looking into the pool of water with her brow furrowed in confusion, "You're telling me that the sun and moon spirits are fish?"

Jaha laughed gently, "In a way. The spirits themselves are ethereal; however they do take a form when they enter the mortal world. The sun," He indicated to the black fish, "and the moon," the white fish swam past Lexa and she couldn't take her eyes away from the creature, "they are both synchronised with each other. Just as the sun rises and falls each day as does the moon."

"What does this have to do with Lexa being the Avatar?"

"You ask a lot of questions." Octavia merely shrugged. Jaha removed his hand from the water and turned to face Lexa, whose focus was still on the white and black fish that were circling around each other

"The Avatar is the bridge between our physical world and the spirit world. You could talk to these spirits if you so wished."

Lexa looked up at him, "Does that have something to do with what happened on the boat?"

"It is all connected," He nodded, "What happened on that boat is called the Avatar state. It's a state in which your link to the other Avatars allows you to harness their power, or in other words all previous Avatars become one with you."

"I couldn't control it."

"There is an element of control that comes with mastering the Avatar state. It's not as simple as mastering the elements but rather than it controlling you completely you will be able to guide it and come and go from the state as you please."

"Can you teach me how to do that?"

Jaha let out a sigh and pushed himself up so he stood, "I'm afraid not. But I can tell you what I know about your links to the spirit world."

Lexa nodded and shared a brief look with Octavia, before standing alongside Jaha. He smiled at her and took a step back from where she was stood.

"As mortals we cannot make contact with the spirits unless they wish it. However as the Avatar you can speak to spirits and go into the spirit world at your own choosing."

"I know of the spirits," Lexa nodded, "The fire sages taught us about respecting and praying to them."

"As a fire bender you will have a stronger connection to the sun spirit. As the Avatar you have the power to unite all spirits and people," Jaha indicated for Octavia to step away from the pool and stand beside him, "If you meditate you can connect with your predecessors and with the spirit world. You may not get it on the first try but this is something that will be easier to master with practice."

"Here?" Lexa looked to the pool again where the fish were still circling.

"All temples create a spiritual connection for the avatar to the spirit world. You may be able to enter it outside a temple but the connection will not be as strong… I think this will be the perfect place for you to start."

"How do you know all this?" Octavia asked.

"As a preacher of the spirits, it is my duty to know."

"I sat at one of your preaching sessions," Lexa told him, "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect your son, or help the village when it was attacked. I need to know if you really believe that the Avatar has too much power."

"I do. I also believe that men and women that rule kingdoms and nations have too much power. Each are entitled to their own opinion, I along with many, share the same views. You will encounter people who will have their own perspective of you. What you do with your power is up to you, but, remember that the outcome will affect everyone."

Lexa swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded. She sat back down beside the water and crossed her legs. Straightening her back, she entwined her hands and breathed deeply. At first she attempted to close her eyes, but a strong pull guided her to open them she once again became entranced with the pattern of the fish. Lexa could hear Jaha and Octavia talking, but as she became more focussed onto the fish their voices drowned out.

Suddenly the movements blurred and the ying yang sign morphed into one before her. At the same moment Lexa felt the energy flow through her tattoos and she knew they were lighting white again, except this time she didn't feel as though she was losing control. Her surrounding blurred together as her mind slipped away from one world to the other.

It was murky. A never ending stretch of darkness surrounded her. As Lexa looked around she noticed that her feet were planted on something hard and she looked down to see what looked like blackened, smouldering grass beneath her; parts of the pasture were still alight and glowed a dull red that crumbled to ash when she moved her foot.

Lexa looked up and tried to find any kind of sign of where she was, but it was all hazy. She realised that the air around her was sooty and smoke-filled, yet it wasn't suffocating her.

"Hello Lexa."

She spun around to the sound of the voice and stared as a woman appeared through the clouded surroundings.

Lexa looked the woman up and down, noting that she wasn't significantly old and was wearing plain Earth kingdom garments. Her hair fell in loose black waves over one shoulder.

She smiled politely at Lexa, "I've been waiting to speak with you for a long time."

"Who are you?" Lexa stared at her but after a quick moment her eyes widened when she recognised the figure before her, "You're the previous Avatar. You're Becca?"

"I am."

"Where are we?" Lexa looked around but still couldn't make out anything. Becca watched her thoughtfully.

"We're in the spirit world, believe it or not."

"I thought the spirit world was..." Lexa's voice trailed off as she struggled to find the words.

"Prettier?" Becca suggested, "It was once. The sky was blue, the grass was actually green," she kicked the ground and a cloud of ashen grass flew into the air, "There was life here...once."

"What happened?"

"This is my doing," Becca's face flashes with shame as she looked away and into the smoke, as if she could see through it, "I made a lot of mistakes as the Avatar, none of which I am proud of… but my biggest mistake will always be her."

Lexa watches her, feeling more confused than before, "Who? What mistakes?"

"When I was the Avatar the world was… divided. Benders and non-benders. Those that couldn't bend felt threatened by those that could, those that could bend felt repressed and victimised. It was difficult times."

Lexa's mind flickered back to Bellamy, "It's not a view that's completely gone."

"No, I doubt it has," Lexa didn't know how but she felt the heaviness of Becca's regrets drown the previous Avatar, "Fights would break out across the nations; after a while fighting becomes exhausting, Lexa, you begin to look for easy solutions and after a while I found one." She took a deep breath, "Her name was Diana. She had rallied a small group that believed in the extinction of benders and we finally crossed paths. Diana believed that bending began and will end with the Avatar and that, by killing me; she could put an end to that. I was so tired of fighting the same war and I knew Diana would never let it go, even if she did kill me. I killed her."

"But you and no choice," Lexa reasoned, "Killing her wasn't a mistake."

"Killing Diana wasn't my mistake," Becca said grimly, "Alie was. I became so angry with what the world was doing to itself; I ended up visiting the spirit world more and more because it was so peaceful. An escape from the hatred and wrath. I thought that the world would be a better place if everyone could do that… I didn't even know it was possible but…"

"What is Alie? What did you do?"

"I found that the spirit world tampers with the sense of reality. Divided between my duty as the Avatar and my own delusion that I could take everyone to the spirit world, I split."

"Are you saying that Alie is you?"

"I wanted to be able to end the world's fighting between benders and non benders." Tears shone in Becca's eyes, "This is what happens when you try to do the impossible!" She indicated to the world around them, "This is what you get when you try to take the easy way out. Don't forget what is real. Remember not to go against the nature of these worlds, don't make the same mistakes. I saw the worst of both sides in that war, Lexa, but nothing will ever compare to the destruction that I watched myself do to the world, that I watched benders do to the world."

"Do you think the world would be better off without benders?"

"In a way," Becca admitted, "but committing genocide to end fighting… That's not the way of the Avatar but I couldn't reason with myself back then. The Avatar is supposed to create peace but I lost that."

Lexa nodded slowly, "It's a continuous fight."

"It is," Becca smiled, "But it is one we must endure because it is who we are, Lexa. It is our job to bring balance to the world, not save one side or the other. I lost that and that's why I had to die. That is why I had to end it myself." Lexa's eyes widened as she gaped at Becca. The other woman looked back at Lexa grimly, "You have to understand that I had no choice. I was lost my mind and couldn't trust myself. I was a danger to everyone."

"How are you here? Did you die in the spirit world?" Becca nodded in answer, "and Alie...She is you? She is here with the same views that drove you crazy?" Her thoughts flickered back to Jaha, "What if she can travel to the physical world?"

"You are the bridge, Lexa. She can't get through without you," Becca assured her, "But I can only imagine the damage she could do if she could." Lexa swallowed as Becca stepped forward and grasped her forearm, "Promise me this Lexa. Promise that you won't forget what's real and what's not. The spirit world was only ever meant for spirits, not those who are mortal. Visit but don't stay. You may be the bridge between the two but you're still human. I trust you to do what's right."

"I promise," and she meant it. She'd heard Becca's story and had always known the spirit world lay on top of theirs for a reason. Touch but never meet, that's what Anya had always said.

"Good."

Everything bled away, the smoke and ash melted into recognisable shapes and Becca's face disappeared as Lexa left the spirit world and returned to her own. The grey faded away and the colours of the temple lit the world and the sounds of Jaha and Octavia talking flooded back to her.

Lexa's eyes focused on the pool in front of her, the fish still circling each other. The warm energy that had been flowing through her tattoos had dissipated and Lexa looked up to see both Jaha and Octavia. They were now sat on the furs played out on the ground watching her with interest.

Jaha remained silent whilst Octavia beamed at her, "Your tattoos lit up again but you didn't set fire to anything… Did you do it?"

"I did," Lexa smiled with a nod, "And I met Becca."

"The previous Avatar? What an exciting meeting." Jaha's eyes were sparkling. Lexa smiled, but frowned as she mentally replayed her conversation with the past Avatar.

Octavia pulled her up off her feet, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Are you going to try again? Because that was pretty impressive."

"I don't think so," Lexa chuckled then turned to Jaha with a small nod, "Thank you for your help."

"Anytime, Lexa, please don't hesitate to return."

With another nod in his direction Lexa followed Octavia back out into the cold evening air. She shuddered at the drop in temperature and looked around at the empty streets.

"It's later than I thought. How long was I there?"

"A while," Octavia nodded, "It's probably too late to start water bending today. We should go and find Clarke and tell her everything!"

"Lead the way."

Despite the layers she was wearing the evening air still seeped in and by the time the two of them returned to the healing rooms Lexa was starting to shiver. Her leathers were just as warm as the furs she had been borrowing but even so it did little for the snowy tundra.

Octavia directed her to a section she hadn't seen before. The rooms were larger and placed further inside, no doubt for better warmth for the patients. She led Lexa to the furthest room at the end of the hallway and pushed open the door.

The room was circular and twice the size of the one Lexa had been staying in, and it was lit by the roaring fire in the corner. Three people huddled around the bed looked up at their entrance. Bellamy nodded to his sister and Clarke greeted them both with a smile but Lexa didn't recognise the third man dressed in all green of Earth Kingdom clothing. As she and Octavia drew closer to the bed they finally got a better look at the person occupying it.

The girl was no older than Lexa, adorned in Earth Kingdom clothing with makeshift furs, and her leg was supported by extra furs. She grinned up at the new arrivals.

"Come to see the show?" She snarkily questioned.

"Lexa, Octavia, this is Raven," Clarke snorted, "She is fluent in sarcasm."

"That's not true. I cover all elements of being awesome."

The man snorted and rolled his eyes which earned him a kick with Raven's good leg.

"And that's Lincoln, they travelled together." Clarke introduced the man.

"What's wrong with your leg?" Octavia butted in before Lexa could stop her.

Bellamy shot her a warning look but Raven just shrugged, "Injured my back during an Earth bending tournament. Doc reckons I'll be right as rain."

"My mother," Clarke rolled her eyes, "thinks you could make a decent recovery, not full, if you rest here for a few weeks and proceed to rest when returning to the Earth nation."

Lexa followed the conversation with rapt attention but perked up at the mention of the Earth Kingdom, "You'll be returning in a few weeks? Where about are you from?"

"Ba Sing Se," Lincoln supplied, "We would like to stay here longer but we can't afford to be away too long at the moment. We need to join the others in the underground movement."

"Underground movement for what?"

"Defence against the Fire Nation."

Silence filled the room and all eyes were on Lexa. She gaped at Lincoln, who only then seems to register the colours of the clothes she is wearing.

"Wait… You're-"

"What do you mean defence? The Fire Nation would never attack," Lexa spat out angrily. Though even as she said it her mind shifted to her aunt and she knew that truthfully she would do exactly that.

"Fire Lord Nia declared war against Non-Benders and those who would defend them," Lincoln shook his head in confusion, "How could you not know any of this?"

Lexa was completely stunned that all she could do was stare back at him, speechless. First her aunt assassinated her parents, attempted to kill her and now she's declaring war. Was this her plan all along? Were her own family merely obstacles in her way as she aimed for the throne?

Clarke seemed to sense her anger because she placed a hand on her arm in an attempt to calm her down. She half stepped in front of Lexa creating a barrier between her and Lincoln.

"Lexa was travelling and has been here since, when she left everything was peaceful. We are a bit isolated from the other nations, you see, so nobody has heard anything… When did this happen?"

"The day before we left and the people have rallied a resistance group almost instantly," Lincoln said as he tore his eyes away from Lexa and instead looked at Clarke, "We need to be back in time to defend Ba Sing Se."

"My people aren't killers," Lexa snarled, more to herself than at Lincoln. She had to believe it. This can't be happening. He had to be lying.

She attempted to move around the blonde but Clarke pushed her back. She didn't want Lexa to do anything she might regret and Lincoln looked as though he could put up a strong fight if she were to lash out.

"Maybe not, but Nia is, and she's heading for Ba Sing Se."

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