Sorry for not placing in AN on yesterdays chapter; the editor wasn't working properly!
I'm so happy that you all seem to be enjoying the story! the next few chapters will happen in the spirit world, namely in the oceans of it. We'll meet a few new friends and learn that some consequences can span lifetimes.
I hope you enjoy! And thanks to all my reviewers and readers!
The First Avatar
Book 1: Greed
Chapter 07: The Black Sea PT1
The three days of rest passed way too slowly for Korra's tastes. The girl was bouncing of the walls the entire time, refusing to stay still for any longer than it took to eat a meal and shoot off again.
Tahno spent the days selling off his apartment and numerous belongings that he no longer needed. He moved into the temple and became a common sight; trying to redeem himself by helping the acolytes and keeping Korra entertained. Just as Silver had warned, the little water spirit that now lived within him was messing up Tahno's ability to bend, making it difficult and frustrating to do anything he wanted it to. What surprised Korra though, was that Tahno had little conversations with the thing, saying he could hear it's voice in his head.
It was actually kind of cute, the way that Tahno would explain everything to it, the way a parent did with their child.
Even Mako, who still didn't trust Silver or Tahno, was a little bit ashamed of himself, when Tahno offered him a fat wallet, filled with the money that should have gone to the Fire Ferrets. Mako had refused it, and told him to give the money to Tenzin, but not without a reluctant thank you. Mako wasn't a bad person, he was just a little too hot-headed, not unlike Korra.
When the day finally came to go to the spirit world; Asami, Mako and Bolin met with Korra and Silver to wish them good luck on their journey, but Silver laughed them off.
"We won't be long. The Givers of Waterbending don't live too far away from my home." Silver said, estimating that they'd be gone for a day.
"Now, normally you can't bend in the spirit world, but since Tahno and I have spirits living with us, we should be able to. And if all goes well, you will be too, very soon." Silver smiled, looking to Korra.
"I'm going to get my waterbending back… It hasn't been that long, but it already feels like years since I last used bending." Korra said, an odd feeling in her chest. It wasn't a sad feeling either, which was even odder.
Silver, Korra and Tahno sat in a triangular formation in the meditation hall. Tenzin and the others all watched as Silver placed a tiny bell into a dish of water which sat between them. "This is the Spirit Bell. When rung, it will allow us to leave our bodies. It's used for those who haven't got a lot of spiritual awareness, like you two." The Avatar explained, lightly bending the water in the dish, causing the bell to ring, just one. Tahno's body fell backwards and with the second ring, Korra's fell too; their spirits being pulled high above the temple until they were piercing through the sky itself.
Upon going through the sky, the two teens found themselves falling onto a vastly distant landscape. Screaming as they fell, Korra noticed a vast black ocean, a fair distance away. Her thoughts were dragged away as she saw the ground rushing to meet her, but luckily, they landed with a soft thud.
Tahno stood up first, helping the dizzy Korra to her feet. "This is the spirit world?" Tahno said, looking around at the odd looking field they were in. It was like a field of wheat, but upon closer inspection, the wheat was…
"Sea weed?" Korra mumbled, stroking the odd, rubbery plant.
"Yep. This is the Spirit World's White Sea. We're actually about 100 feet below sea level right now." Silver smiled, appearing beside them in a flash of light.
"We can breathe here?"
"Yes, we're spirits at the moment, so we can breathe. My house is actually on an island, just above us." Silver said, pointing up. A single rock of land was floating high above them, held aloft by the invisible sea.
Tahno was enjoying the odd view, when he heard the familiar voice of his new spirit tagalong. "This place is nice…" he whispered. Tahno frowned and looked down, noticing that the little spirit was sticking his head out from inside Tahno's chest. It looked a lot more morbid than it was, but it still freaked Tahno out. This was probably why he hadn't noticed that the spirit had gotten bigger.
Korra laughed at the little spirit, before turning to Silver; "so where are these givers of waterbending?" she asked.
"Not far from here. We'll need to go to the Black Sea, just to the north. There we will find the domain of the Water Spirits, and their king and queen; Tui and La. Only they can summon the being which gives waterbending."
"Wait, Tui and La? As in the Moon and Ocean Spirits? I thought Tui was killed." Korra said, surprised.
"She was, but Spirits cannot die in the same way that humans can. She's slowly recovering, but don't comment when you see her; rumours say she is sensitive of her new appearance." Silver said, smirking a bit. The spirits had their own society, which wasn't unlike humans. The only real difference was that there was no war. That was enough for Silver.
"Getting Korra her bending back won't be that easy, will it?" Tahno asked, doubting that it was as simple as asking.
"No it won't. You will need to pass a trial of some sort, but it changes from person to person." Silver said, looking a little bit unsure. She had faith in Korra, but La had been vicious ever since the humans had killed Tui. He had even returned to the Spirit World to await her return and was not keen to leave again.
"Silver, I've been meaning to ask. What is the creature that gives bending?" Korra asked.
"The Spirit Cities. Creatures so large that Spirits build entire civilisations within them. Millennia ago, even humans could build cities on their backs." Silver explained, picturing the colossal, majestic beasts.
The talk turned to idle chatter as the three of them walked northward, towards a large black veil. Silver explained that the Black and White seas were actually spirits, or rather a hive mind of spirits that had slowly melded together. "Within this spirit's body, you will be able to easily see the ways you have changed throughout your lives. It's waters evoke fond memories of the past, and remind you whom you once were. That is the blessing of the White Sea."
"Does that mean that the Black Sea is the opposite?" Korra asked.
"Yes. In a way, just reaching the Water's guardians is a trial, as the Black Sea forces you to see the person you could have been. Both the monster you could be, and the hero. It tortures you with the changes you could have made to make a better life; it is not pleasant." Silver said, nearly in a whisper as she remembered her own journeys there.
Tahno and Korra looked to each other with worried faces, but decided to ignore it; they needed to stay positive. The White Sea caused Korra to remember how she used to be with her bending; rash, naïve but always well meaning. Korra knew she had never been perfect, but now that she was without her bending, she saw how little she had really changed. For the worst at least.
Korra with bending was a good person, but volatile and closed minded, but without it, she saw how the other half lived; the half she had once pitied. The life of a Non-Bender was not inferior to a benders… it may be harder in some respects, but it was not less important or less meaningful. Korra knew she had changed for the better, and upon reaching the boundary between the Black and White Seas, she focused on this; keeping it in mind as she crossed it.
A sinister wave came over the group and Korra gripped Tahno's hand, both for his comfort and her own. Korra then reached for Silver, whom would never admit it, but she really wanted the support here, just as Korra did. The only real difference in this sea was that it appeared to be night time; the sky illuminated by glowing jellyfish spirits and the occasional glowing fish spirit.
It was about ten minutes into the Black Sea that Korra saw something odd. A little girl was running and playing with other children. In a tiny pocket of this sea, it was snowing. It pooled on the ground and the children played loudly, singing and shrieking as they threw clumps of the cold white snow. Korra saw herself, only four years old, playing with them. She remembered this; it was when she discovered…
"OW!" a child shrieked, flames licking at his face.
"MONSTER!" another yelled as Young Korra tried desperately to control the flames.
This was wrong. The Adult Korra knew this had happened; it wasn't a "Could have" Like Silver said it would be… this was a memory! It was when Korra discovered she could firebend. She had hurt a friend and scared the rest. The boy she burned moved away from the South Pole after his family became afraid of her.
"This isn't right." Korra muttered, breaking away from Silver and Tahno.
"The Black Sea has a slightly altered effect on people like us Korra. Avatars in this place will be forced to face the things which make us guilty. Here, we are judged by our own memories and hearts." Silver said, rubbing Korra's back as the girl crawled into a ball, too afraid to keep watching.
"Korra, the way out of this sea is barred to those who turn their eyes from the truth. Look on, and accept your guilt." Silver whispered, lifting an affectionate hand to the younger girl's face. Korra nodded through tear filled eyes and stood up again, taking the hands of her companions.
The memory that she had seen began to warp away, showing a new version of these events. In it, Korra merely blew up her own snowman with fire, making the children shriek and laugh with amazement. The tiny flames she made acted like fireworks and only endeared her to her friends, showing Korra what would have happened if she showed more control as a child. While it was too late to change that incident, it wasn't too late to learn from it.
"I must change; learn to control myself and my power." She whispered, repeating the phrase like a mantra in her head. Silver heard the whisper and leaned in close.
"Change when it makes you a better person. Look." Silver whispered, pointing to the newly changed vision.
The scene played out again, showing Korra controlling her flames, but it began to warp, showing an older Korra; in her early teens, snubbing the affection of her friends in favour of continuous training.
"Change is neither good nor evil. Embrace that and change when you need to, and you can become a better person without sacrificing who you are. Korra is still Korra, no matter what."
Korra saw what her mentor was getting at, and smiled. Tahno, whom was facing his own demons, reached over and brushed the stray tears from Korra's eyes, making both her and himself blush.
With a feeling of confidence in her chest, Korra helped Tahno deal with his own demons, all of which showed him how much more of a better person he could have been. Tahno appreciated the help, but remained tight lipped on anything involving his family, and Silver didn't speak at all, refusing to tell either of them about her own life, beyond what little they already knew.
It was a journey that weighed on all their hearts, but after one long hour of the Black Sea, they came to a deep trench, too far across to be jumped and too deep to be climbed down. "Are we stuck?" Tahno asked wearily.
"No. The Court of Tui and La is just taking it's time." Silver explained. Korra and Tahno looked at her with confusion, but the ground began to tremble and the invisible water of the Black Ocean began to act like real water, slowing the traveller's movements.
"Here it comes!" Silver yelled and before anyone knew what was happening, a massive white shape began to emerge from the trench. It's massive shell was covered in snow and ice, shaped into a palace. It's massive claws dug into either side of the trench, keeping its position and its large manned head reared back and sighed.
Korra was dumbfounded. "A-A Lion Turtle!?"
The story arcs where Korra get her elements back are a lot different than they previously were. No more turning into a spirit (per say)and likely no more trials. A different method will be used to show her mastery, but we'll come to that later.
Next chapter introduces some of this story version's unique background!
Hope you liked it! Please review!
