A Legend of Korra Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez (aka SMTsukishiro)
Summary:
A promising engineering student. A mysterious woman capable of controlling the four elements. When their paths crossed, the resulting collision not only changes their lives and themselves, but the fate of the entire world as well. [Korrasami AU]
Author's Note:
So, this chapter will touch a little bit on the past Avatars' story, particularly this universe's Wan and Aang. As you will read in this chapter, their histories are different...though that is not to say that what I have divulged in this chapter is all there is to know about the past Avatars. Wan and Aang aren't the only past Avatars that will make an appearance in this fanfic, as well.
To answer elle112u's question: No. Korra can no longer bend after the Elemental Spirits had been taken from her.
Also, I would like to thank Dreamer for the reviews given to this story. I am glad that I am able to keep you all interested in this story. It's only going to get more interesting from here on out.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter. And if you can, do share your thoughts about this story. I always appreciate feedback.
Allons-y~!
The Legend of Korra
The Schism
Chapter 10. Those Who Lurk in the Darkness
As it was, Opal knew only a little about the history of the past Avatars. Even her collection of information, researched and written on a small notebook—which she had, thankfully, placed in her small knapsack—told little of them. The most Opal could give was the name of two Avatars—Avatar Wan and Avatar Aang—and the slightest of their backstories.
Avatar Wan, according to legends Opal had uncovered, was the first human incarnation of the Lord of Spirits, Raava. He came from humble beginnings and had to learn of his mission the hard way. Undergoing the process of human manifestation, the Lord of the Spirits had to forego all that she knew and all that she was. And so Wan had traversed the world in search of his purpose.
As a child, Avatar Wan had been without bending and had been powerless to stop those who tormented and oppressed an orphan such as him. He lived off the streets, begging and eating scraps that fell from the tables of those who were much more fortunate than he was. Sometimes he would be lucky enough to be given morsels, other times he slept off his hunger in hopes that the morrow would bring something better.
During his teenage years, the War of the Four Kingdoms tore the land asunder. The Kingdoms of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air rallied forth soldiers to fight. Many took to the call of arms, others were forced to take it. Wan was amongst those plucked from the streets and thrown straight to the barracks by the Kingdom of Fire.
Raised as a street rat, Wan knew how to hustle; how to fight with his fists and his feet. When it came to using swords and shields, pikes and maces, however, he was sorely lacking. Often when required to spar and be ranked according to it, the Avatar forebear would just throw the weapon away and proceed to fight against his opponent barehanded. It earned him laughter from his fellow trainees and the ire of instructors.
Months after he was taken from the streets, the Kingdom of Water surprised their camp and slaughtered dozens of his fellows during a night of a full moon. He watched, heart filled with fear and anger, as the warriors from the Water Kingdom relentlessly massacred and ravaged the camp. They did not discriminate nor did they show any mercy, even when the life they took were from boys just off their mother's milk.
The legends state that it was through witnessing such an atrocity that Wan first displayed his powers and became in-touch with his true self as the human incarnation of Raava.
As the story went, there were only a handful of them left against a whole army of Water Kingdom warriors who still thirsted for young blood when, out of nowhere, Wan ran towards them screaming, both fists engulfed in flames. At first, they thought he had burnt himself and was merely running around in pain, panic, and fright. But then he began punching the air and the flames shot out from his hands and towards the warriors, hitting them squarely in their chests. It took less than a heartbeat before they were consumed by the flames that still burned even when there was nothing visible fueling it.
The two other who survived that night—Jaya and Yao, who later became followers and comrades of the first Avatar—swore that Wan not only conjured flames out of thin air, but summoned an earthquake that shattered the ground, powerful gusts of wind that lashed at his enemies, and a great wave of water that pushed and drowned the warriors away, leaving none to return to the Kingdom of Water.
In awe of what he had managed to accomplish, Wan worked to perfect the use of his powers and his abilities, and with Jaya and Yao went about bringing peace to the land. It was said that the four ancient kingdoms stopped warring with each other out of fear of Wan's prowess and promised peace with one another. The peace lasted under the watchful eyes of Avatar Wan and the White Lotus—who were the ancestors of the people of Nia Bayou.
Avatar Aang—the Avatar that came before Korra—on the other hand, had a much fortunate childhood. He grew up in the care of the Air Nomads who taught him of his mission. He had the resources Avatar Wan did not—the pool of knowledge that all the Avatars before him accumulated and left in teaching in the form of tomes, scrolls, and instructions passed and handed down from generation to generation. There was the White Lotus to guide and protect him, as well, leaving him in want of nothing.
Little, however, was known of Avatar Aang. He had fewer legends and stories of his exploits than all of his predecessors before him. Most of the text that spoke of him were too old to read, or were written in an ancient language too few scholars were able to discern. It was as if there was something in Aang's story that only those who were worthy may know. It was strange and enough to pique Korra, Asami, and Opal's interests, though their options were limited on how to satiate their curiosity concerning Avatar Aang. There was, however, one passage Opal was able to translate.
For the world was in turmoil and in need of change, and the people cried to the Heavens. The gift that was given, used disparagingly, caused the schism—the great divide. For in one hand destruction, and in the other, life. For Chaos had consumed much, and much was lost to the Darkness. For the world to not be as it was, much was taken.
Try as they might to find more about that passage, however, they could not. And so their search bore little to no fruit and only served to add more questions to their already growing pile.
"Did the people of Nia Bayou really tell you nothing about Avatar Aang?" Opal asked. Of all of them, she was the one who craved to know more about the previous incarnation of Raava's.
"No." Korra sighed as she fell back on the bed, arms splayed around her. "In truth, I only know little about the past Avatars, lesser than what you have uncovered. What they did in their time meant little to me, and so I never bothered to ask. All I cared about was leaving behind my own legacy. Although…" she paused as a far-off memory trickled in her consciousness. "When I was young, I remember being forced to listen to one of the Elders speak of the past Avatars and their contributions. Always, however, Aang's would be told in hushed whispers and quick tongues that the words all became a blur to me. It was like the telling of his tale was taboo…even if told for my sake."
"A taboo? Why?" Asami asked, tucking an unruly hair under her ear. "I thought Nia Bayou held much respect for the Avatar, worshiping you as one would a god."
The Avatar shrugged.
"Care to venture a guess?" Opal nudged her, always ready to hear the insights of the Avatar.
"I don't know," Korra said. "Perhaps he lived a boring life and did nothing worth noting. Perhaps he was an embarrassment, doing something that didn't befit the title of the Avatar and of being the human incarnation of the Lord of Spirits. Or it could be he failed in his mission of bringing peace and balance to the world—if that passage has anything to say about that. There is also that possibility that nobody just knows what to say about him."
"Wow…now I feel bad for asking," Opal looked at Korra, stunned by her answer.
The dark-skinned girl looked at her in confusion and asked, "Why? Was my answer insufficient? You told me to take a guess, and I did."
"It's not that your guess wasn't good enough, Korra," Asami sighed and shook her head. "It's just…you sounded like you don't respect or give much thought about those who have come before you."
The Avatar closed her eyes, though she didn't say anything. It wasn't like she hated them, or had meant to disrespect them. Korra simply didn't like talking about Raava's past incarnations. Every time it had come up in the past, especially when facing the Elders and Chieftains of Nia Bayou, she felt as though she was being measured up against them.
Korra's silence prompted the two other girls to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"So, does this mean we're really going to your hometown, Avatar Korra?" Opal asked. There was excitement at the thought of seeing where the Avatar had grown up.
"I suppose so."
"You don't sound all enthusiastic about going back home," Asami noticed. She had thought the Avatar would be a lot more pleased than that.
"If you were in my shoes, Asami, would you be?" Korra asked back.
Admittedly, Asami would not. The questions the people of Nia Bayou would ask? Their reaction to what had befallen the being they worshiped? She didn't think she would be able to face them and explain what had happened if it was her. But she also knew that they deserve to know—if not all of Nia Bayou, then the Elders and Chieftains at least. Though it was not her place to make such a decision for Korra.
"You talk as though you will have the liberty to travel to wherever this Nia Bayou is," Mako finally spoke. He had been listening quietly in his little corner ever since Korra and Asami had returned.
Asami had then introduced the two, telling Korra about Mako and the arrangement they had made. The Avatar was not impressed with the young man, however. She thanked him for his help, but the smile the hireling gave was not returned. If anything else, Mako faltered. The bright, sapphire eyes that gazed so intently at him unnerved him. All he could do was clear his throat and back away to that corner where he had stayed quietly until he had spoken up.
"None of you will be able to leave the city after the commotion you've caused at the University," Mako went on, ignoring the look the dark-skinned girl was directing at him.
"Why not?" It was Opal who asked. "There are many ways to leave Republic City. We can even take that boat we used."
"That boat can't travel for long distances. The engine won't be able to take it, and the boat's hull is already worse for wear. Depending on where, exactly, Nia Bayou is, we might find ourselves sinking even before we get there." Asami was quick to say the things she had noticed aboard the vessel.
"Does this village even truly exist?" Make questioned. "I know you say you're from there, Avatar, but it could be that you're just making it up. I mean, none of us have heard of that place before."
"Why would I do that, human?" the annoyance oozed from Korra in waves. "I have no cause to lie. And the reason why you know nothing of Nia Bayou is because it has long been hidden, kept secret from the world."
"And, for the record, Mako, I have heard of Nia Bayou before," Opal chimed in. Even she did not appreciate the words the Guard had uttered. "I have read about the hidden village several times, though only by its name and nothing else."
"Okay, so where is this fabled, hidden town?" Mako asked as he crossed his arms.
Korra did not immediately respond—unwilling to share the information—especially to a human whose allegiance could easily swayed by money. When Asami pressed her for that valuable information, however, the Avatar could only relent. More so when the Prodigy reasoned why they needed to know.
"It's in the Southern Pole," the answer came in a huff as the Avatar looked away. Sharing that knowledge left a bad taste in her mouth. It added yet another thing to the already growing list of things the Elders and Chieftains of Nia Bayou will be disappointed—maybe even angered—with her about.
Perhaps even enough that my tale wouldn't be spoken of in the future as well, much like how it is with Aang, she thought bitterly.
"My boat will definitely not make it that far," Mako said. "And neither will an automobile be of any use!"
"An airship, then. Your family has a fleet of them, right, Asami?" Opal suggested and asked, turning to face her friend. "We can just borrow one from your dad."
The Historian's statement confused the Avatar. She didn't know what an airship was. But she could take a guess judging from what it was called. She wondered why Asami Sato's father would have a fleet of them. She felt it had something to do with how Asami could be capable of paying Mako what she assumed was a large sum of money.
"I…don't think it will be that easy." Asami replied. She bit her lip before continuing to say, "The airships are far too important to my father's business, I doubt he would agree to lend me even the smallest model. And even if, by some miracle, he does, we would still need air clearance which—given our current circumstance—will be impossible to get without first bringing down the entire Republic City Police Department on us. We will be arrested even before we can tell them the truth."
Her father is a merchant then, Korra mused over the answer to her unspoken question. What kind, I wonder?
She was momentarily distracted by the revelation that she did not hear Opal's words prior to the question, "—Will that be alright with you, Avatar Korra?"
Caught off-guard, the Avatar could only look in confusion from Opal to Asami. She smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck, as she said, "Apologies, I was…contemplating on something. What was it that you said?"
"I was saying that if the air clearance is the problem, then I could just talk to my aunt for us. I'm sure I can explain the situation to her and that she would understand. It might take a while, though, but at least then we'd only have to think about how to borrow an airship from Asami's dad." Opal repeated for the Avatar's benefit, before she added, "You must've been thinking of something incredibly important if you weren't able to hear all of that the first time."
Korra looked away and shrugged. She would rather have Opal think that way than for anyone to know what she had truly been ruminating about.
Just then there was a rumbling growl so loud that even Mako was able to hear it from where he sat. All four immediately shot up, tensed and ready for battle. Korra, despite how weak she felt, took on one of her many fighting stances; Asami had flicked her Shock Glove to life; Opal had grabbed the metal pipe she still had with her; and Mako had his hands on his gun. All ears were listening, all eyes scanning, for any sign of whatever monstrosity had made that sound.
For a few heartbeats, no one moved nor made any sounds. And then, they heard it again. Louder than before. This time, however, they were able to ascertain where the noise came from.
All eyes turned to the Avatar, who looked down at her stomach from whence the noise was coming from.
"That's odd," Korra said, confused. "I just noticed a pang in my stomach…And why is it making that sound? I feel…strange. This has never happened to me before…"
A relieved sigh escaped everyone's lips. It was soon followed by Opal snickering, and then laughing loudly. Try as she might, even Asami found it so amusing, she couldn't help the bubble of laughter that surfaced. Mako, not as entertained as the others, merely shook his head at the commotion.
"What's so funny?" Korra asked, brows furrowed, as her stomach grumbled again. "And why does it keep doing that?"
"That's called 'hunger', Avatar Korra," Opal replied amidst her giggles. "It's your body's way of telling you that it needs to eat."
"Eat? You know I don't need to do such a thing. I am always sustained by the Elemental Spirits—"
"—who had been forcefully taken from you," Opal interjected. "Which means, you need to eat just like the rest of us, otherwise your stomach will just keep on protesting like that. You might even get sick."
Korra was about to open her mouth to gripe when Asami stopped her. "We know you're the Avatar and those things don't happen to you, but without the Elemental Spirits it looks like you're the same as us. Until then, you're going to have to eat and sleep like a regular human. And you'll have to take care of yourself. Otherwise, you'll burnout even before we can finish what it is we set out to do."
Turning to Mako, Asami asked if there was anything left from the food he bought hours before. The young man shook his head. "We're all out. I can go and get some more, though."
"That would be helpful," Asami nodded her thanks.
Just as Mako was about to head out, Opal called after him.
"I'm coming too," she said, surprising not just Mako but Korra and Asami as well. When she noticed the look she was being given, she was quick to explain herself. "I figured it's better to talk to my aunt sooner rather than later. Besides, it would be easier to do so while they're not yet actually searching for us in full force."
"Are you sure?" the Prodigy asked, worried.
Opal nodded. She was. "Aunt Lin will listen to me."
Amon read the message delivered to him. It was a very short message, composed of only two lines. But it told him much.
"It seemed you did know what you were talking about," he said as he packed the communication device away, inside his coat's pocket. His back was to the person whom he was conversing with. "Not only with the Spirit Bastille project, but also in regards with the appearance of this young woman."
"Of course," came the reply from hooded figure, voice muffled and distorted to keep conceal the person's true nature. "You will find that everything I have told you, thus far, is the truth."
"That young woman, you say she's this Avatar? A deity-turned-human?"
"Yes. I am sure you saw the feed from surveillance cameras. She is able to control the elements because of her connection with the Four Elemental Spirits—all of whom are now trapped within that machine." The hooded figure responded, watching as the Masked One began to walk back and forth, in thought.
"Am I to understand then that what you said about the Spirit Bastille—what it could do—is no exaggeration?"
"And neither was my offer. The Elemental Spirits are capable of being more than just a source of fuel, Amon. With the right minds behind it, the Spirit Bastille can turn into something more." The mysterious, hooded figure said. The words uttered were emboldened with passion. "War is coming. A war that is waged against the entire world. It has already begun. But for us to make headway, we need the Spirit Bastille to fulfill its true purpose."
"And what of the United Republic of Nations?" Amon asked. "The power supply—"
"Let's be honest, Noatak," the hooded guest put much emphasis to the name, reminding Amon that his identity was not secret—especially to one who knows all. The Masked One cringed. "Do you truly care about that? Do those who follow you truly care about the United Republic of Nations or Republic City? They may spout long-winded speeches on morals and ideals—maybe they even think they believed all of that—but you and I both know they are only after what they can gain for themselves. Even your brother—the esteemed Councilman Tarrlok. If you do not act before he does, he will betray you for the sake of his own glory."
There are moments in life where the person making the choice is aware that their decisions cannot be undone; choices after which, once made, things will never be the same again. As Noatak—Amon—pondered the offer he was being given, he was aware of the impact his choice would make even before he knew what it was. Had he not, he wouldn't have let the cloaked stranger in; he wouldn't have listened to the tales he had first thought were impossible to be true; he wouldn't be considering the offer.
And the stranger knew this too. Greed, the stranger knew, was more powerful than any other force known to the world, especially when couple with ambition. Greed was eternal. And it helped that Amon's past had burned within him a certain need for revenge.
"Very well, my people will move to acquire the Spirit Bastille." Amon relented, though he didn't have much of an internal struggle to make that decision to begin with. "And what of this Avatar? It appears she is making plans of reacquiring the Elemental Spirits."
"Let her do as she pleases, but continue to have her followed." the veiled stranger replied, before turning to leave. "Challenge her if you must, even. It doesn't matter. Not yet, anyway. She is still far from being the Avatar from the legends, though I am curious as to how she will proceed without the aid of the Elemental Spirits and how she will weather the great storm that is to come."