Chapter 7: Akiya's Curse

Sorry for the Delay, School's been hard af with exams and all that stuff, and I kinda forgot about this Story. When I finally remembered this Story, I reread this Chapter and realized it was too short and was written terribly, so I rewrote a lot of it to make it bigger and better. I'll try to keep up in the future from now on. Anyway, let's get on to the story.

I don't own any LoK Characters or anything related to them. I only own my OC(s)

AKIYA POV

2 days later, Air Temple Island, Midnight...

I suddenly got woken up by someone screaming, and it seemed to be Korra's voice. I drowsily tried to hear any other more noises, but there weren't, so I decided to just go and check just in case. I opened my sliding door and walked out as quietly as I could to not wake everyone else, and went over to Korra's room.

"Hey, you alright in there?" I asked her after knocking and opening her door.

Yeah, everything is fine, just had a bad dream, that was all." She said after.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Yeah! It was nothing at all."

Anyone could easily tell that she was trying to hide something she saw, but I decided to not pressure her about it right now. It usually never works, and especially with Korra, who may just be the most stupidly stubborn person I've met in my entire life.

"Alright then, Good Night, then. Just let me know if you need anything later, so you won't wake me up again, Korra." I told her, muttering the last part annoyed.

"Um, yeah, yeah, uh, Good night to you too, Aki, and-Oh Wait!" She said. I turned around.

"Um, I have a few questions for you, you might want to sit down for this."

I went and sat down.

"Alright then, go ahead." I told her. She let out a small smile.

KORRA POV

As Aki was leaving the room, I suddenly remembered that I wanted to ask Aki about his Homeland as soon as I could to put down my curiosity about it as soon as possible.

As Aki sat on the chair, I plopped down onto my bed and began to wonder what to ask Aki about his homeland. Now that I think of it, I didn't really think about what questions I should ask him.

"Can you tell me about your Homeland, Aki?"

His face slighly contorted into one of slight surprise.

"Uh, sure, what do you want to talk about?" He said.

I remembered that the one thing I couldn't ask him about about was anything about fighting or honor, since he doesn't like to talk about those kinds of things for some reason.

"So... how many countries are there in your Homeland?" I asked him.

"There's at least 150 Countries out there. Maybe more. I wasn't much of a Political Geography Fanatic." He calmly said

One Hundred and Fifty Countries?" How big is his Homeland?! I wondered in shock while Aki was looking at me weird because of my surprised expression probably.

"Anyway, so you want to know anything else?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah! Can you um, draw me a Map of your Homeland. It can be a simple map. Pleaseee?" I tried giving him my sweetest smile, but he just stared at me annoyed.

"Can't you ask about this in the Morning? It's Midnight right now." He said annoyed.

"No, please! I really want to know now! I've been waiting to have some free time with you! Wait! Not like that!" I quickly replied when I saw him start smirking.

"I meant to spend time with you to ask you about your Homeland, Aki, so can you please say it to me, like right now. Please."

He looked at the floor for a few seconds before looking at me again.

"I'll say whatever you want about my Homeworld," I started to let another smile.

"-But! You'll have to tell me just what that dream was about, since I can tell that you're very worried about whatever you saw in that Dream." He finished smugly.

I just shot him an angry Glare. Just how did he know that my Nightmare affected me?! Was it really that easy to tell? Dang it, Aki!, you sly snake! I wondered rapidly, before finally coming with an idea.

"Aki, I don't know what got you obsessed with knowing my dream, but my dream has nothing to do with this! It was just a simple dream." I told him seriously. He looked at me a bit disappointed.

"If it was such a simple dream, why don't you tell it then?" He said calmly.

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" I finally shouted at him.

"And besides, you were also acting all weird too after we rescued Bolin, like if you were hiding something, why should I tell you if you haven't told me your secret." I added.

He just let out an annoyed grunt.

"All right then, suit yourself." He then turned around and began to walk out.

"Wait! What about-Grrrr! I hate you, Aki!" I whisper-yelled at him.

"If you hate me, why are you still calling me Aki then, Kor?"

"Because I did- wait, did you just call me Kor?" I was surprised.

"Yeah, I called you that because why not? Besides it sounds just as bad as your fighting skills." He said as he closed the door as he walked out of the room.

"What do you mean?! My Fighting Skills are Great! In fact, why don't you and me go at it in the Morni- oh." By the times I was about to finish, he was gone. And now that he said about my skills, they're great and all, but maybe it wasn't such a good idea to challenge him again. He could beat me again- Wait! He only beat me last time because I was still sorta woozy from the Airbending Gates, plus, I was only using my Waterbending, and I also probably underestimated his Skill, but this time, I'll be the one who wins this match! If Aki did hear about my Challenge though. I then went to sleep determined for Tomorrow's match between me and Aki.

A few hours later, Morning…

AKIYA POV

After I woke up, I realized how stupid I acted with Korra. I refused to tell her what I was so worried about just out of spite of her not wanting to tell me her secret. She actually could have helped me out in trying to solve this mystery- oh, wait, this is Korra I'm talking about, she would probably go headfirst into the issue without thinking and screw everything up. Good thing I didn't tell her after all. I'll only tell Tenzin about this and maybe the Chief too. If that man, that "Equalist" knew that about me, it could be dangerous.

I went to put my clothes on, and I went downstairs to grab the Ferry to take me to the Mainland, since Asami yesterday had invited me out for Breakfast at her House. I tried to refuse the Offer, since I don't know just how Awkward this was going to become, but then said that if I don't want to come by voluntarily, then she would make me do so as my Boss, so I don't really have much of a choice here now.

"Good Morning Tenzin." I said to Tenzin

"Good Morning, Akiya. Where are you going? Are you not going to have Breakfast?" He asked when he saw me heading out the Door.

"Hm? Oh, my Boss invited me for Breakfast at her House. Actually, it was more like an Order."

"Oh. Alright, then. Who is your Employer by the way?" Tenzin asked me.

"Oh, a Girl called Asami Sato, she's around my age." I casually said.

Tenzin's eyes grew a bit wide.

"Do you mean by the Daughter of Hirsohi Sato?" He asked me.

"Yeah, why?"

"Hiroshi Sato was the one that invented the Satomobile, in fact, he- oh wait, right, your people already invented the Satomobile." Tenzin quickly corrected himself after seeing my bored expression.

"It's actually called the Automobile in my Homeland, not Satomobile, and we invented them almost 70 years ago." I corrected Tenzin.

"Well, either way, you're still going to meet someone very important, Akiya, so be on your best manners."

I let out a small chuckle.

"Tenzin, I'm not a young child anymore, nor am I like Korra, who'll probably begin raging the moment someone says the wrong thing to her." I told Tenzin.

"Well you did get mad at Korra when-"

"Ooh, ooh, did you just say you like Korra, Akiya?" Tenzin's kids suddenly appeared around the corner to interrogate me as usual about everything they could extract from me.

"What? When did I say that?" I confusedly asked them.

"When we entered the room, we heard you say 'I like Korra'." Ikki rapidly explained to me.

"You didn't hear my entire statement, I had said that I am not like Korra, personality-wise." I told them.

"Awwww, come on!" The three of them whined and began to leave, but then, Ikki came back to me.

"Wait! I have one more question!" She rapidly exclaimed.

"Ikki, that's enough questions for Akiya right now-" Tenzin started before Ikki interrupted him again.

"Wait Dad! This is the last question, I promise! If you answer this question truthfully, I won't ask you any more questions for today, alright?"

"Go ahead, then." I told her.

"Do you like Korra and do you think she's pretty?"

KORRA POV

After I woke up, I put on my Outdoor clothes to go outside and train with Mako, Bolin, and Akiya. I then heard some people talking downstairs. As I stood at the foot of the Stairs at the top, I heard Tenzin talking to Akiya about something of him to watch his manners. Akiya then chuckled a bit before saying that he wasn't a little kid and he wasn't like me, who according to him, will rage the moment someone says the wrong thing. I shot Akiya a glare and was about to come downstairs to give him a piece of my thoughts when someone walked by behind me.

"Oh, good Morning, Korra, how did you sleep?" Pema asked as she came up behind me.

"Hm, oh, good morning Pema, I'm doing fine, I was just getting mentally ready for the day."

As me and Pema kept talking, I completely ignored what Akiya and Tenzin were talking about until I heard Tenzin's kids barge into their conversation.

"Ooh, ooh, did you just say you like Korra, Akiya?" ikki asked him. My eyes widened as me and Pema quietly turned to look downstairs to see what Akiya was going to say.

"What? When did I say that?" Akiya asked in a confused tone.

"When we entered the room, we heard you say 'I like Korra'." Ikki rapidly explained to him.

"You didn't hear my entire statement, I had said that I am not like Korra, personality-wise." He told them. The kids whined a bit and walked away after Tenzin shooed them away from Akiya. I was about to walk downstairs and ask Akiya about "me being very reckless and prone to rage" when Ikki suddenly rushed back in and promised to not ask him anything else for the rest of the day if he answered this last question. He told her yes, and she asked him if he liked me and if he thought I was pretty. I felt a bit of heat coming to my face as I waited expectantly to see what he would answer.

"Uh, where did that Question come from, Ikki?" He asked, a bit surprised.

"Well, in case you didn't know, Korra actually likes both Mak- HEYYY!"

I quickly came downstairs and began pushing Ikki out of the room, Akiya doesn't need to know about that yet.

"Alright, Ikki, out, out. Thank you." I told her as I turned back to Tenzin and Akiya, who both had confused expressions.

"Oh, um, Good Morning, you two." I told them a bit nervously.

"Good Morning."

"Morning Kor."

I glared a bit at Akiya about his new nickname for me, then remembered what Akiya was talking about me to Tenzin.

"I heard what you said about me. About me being reckless and prone to rage. You got something to say?" I questioned Akiya.

He looked at me blankly before letting out a smile.

"Um, that I am right about that, right, Tenzin?" He said, looking at Tenzin for his answer. I also looked at Tenzin.

"Well, Korra you see...Wait! Don't you dare get me into that situation! I'm not taking sides." Tenzin told us.

"Well, in that case, I should be going." Akiya said.

"You're not having Breakfast?" I asked him.

"No, my Boss invited me to her House for breakfast, well, more like ordering me to come. I'll see you two in the Afternoon then, can't wait to train with you, Kor.." Akiya said as he walked out of the Room. I didn't really have much to say to him except that who was his Boss and to stop calling me that, but Akiya was already long gone.

AKIYA POV

As I was on the Ferry to the mainland, I couldn't help but feel like I had forgotten something to do, something that I could feel like I was thinking about only seconds prior, but my mind just Clouds it. I still felt pretty tired from Korra keeping me up last night, since I barely slept after that. I then began to feel my eyes slowly begin closing, but instead of trying to fight my body's attempt at falling asleep, I felt too tired to protest, despite the fact that the Ferry Ride took less than than five minutes.

Over at the City Hall…

TENZIN POV

As Tarrlok kept trying to find more and more excuses for him to quietly take control of the Government, I couldn't help but wonder just who Akiya was. Where is this Homeland of his, what language do they speak? Even I myself am too curious to know more about him, but I can't simply just go and ask him without risking getting into a touchy subject.

"-and bring him to Justice." Tarrlok finished. "Absolutely not, a move that aggressive would further divide benders and nonbenders." I told him.

"Tarrlok, I'm inclined to agree with your proposal, but who would even head up such a task force?" The Fire Nation Councilwoman asked Tarrlok. Tarrlok then stood up. "

It would be my honor and privilege to accept such a duty."

"This is just another one of your ploys to gain more power, isn't it?" I questioned him suspiciously.

All I'm trying to do is help. Think back, 42 years ago, Republic City was threatened by another dangerous man, Yakone.

How dare he compare himself to my father and the previous Avatar, I internally seethed. Avatar Aang has done so much more than what Tarrlok will ever achieve!

"This is a completely different situation, and how dare you compare yourself to Avatar Aang!" I told him, barely restraining myself from lashing out at him. Tarrlok then glared at me dangerously.

"Amon is not going to stop with the Bending Triads. Eventually, he'll come for all us Benders, our friends, our families. Vote for this Task Force and I will stop Amon, before it's too late. All in favor?" He asked as the other Councilmen rose their hands in Tarrlok's favor.

Tarrlok, just what are you trying to plan this time?, I asked myself as I glared questioningly at him. After he banged his gavel, he was about to sit down when he suddenly had a surprised expression as he sat.

"Oh, and Tenzin, just who is this guest of yours, this Akiya Nakamura?" He asked me while having what I swear was a small smirk in his face.

Spirits, I was hoping he wouldn't ever ask about that, at least for now.

"This child was found by the Avatar when she arrived here the first day. He spoke strangely, had no identification and he wrote in another language." I told him.

"You know what I'm talking about, Tenzin. I want to know EVERYTHING about this kid. According to what Files I have here, he hails from a strange land known as 'Jzhapan', if that's how it is pronounced. According to what you and Chief Beifong were able to get out of him, this land of his is decades, if not, a century ahead of us in everything, from the Military to Agriculture to Architectural Wonders." Tarrlok finished telling me. Although he is allowed to access some of the Police Files as a Councilman, I was hoping that he wouldn't be paying attention to Akiya's arrival, but why is he suddenly so interested in him?

"I have placed a copy of his file on all of your folders." Tarrlok told the other Councilmen as they all opened up the folders they had in front of them. I couldn't help but open mine too to see if they had misworded anything in Akiya's File.

Tarrlok then continued on.

"I would like to have him questioned under my own supervision-"

"Enough, Tarrlok! Why are you even so interested in this all of a sudden?!" I demanded him to answer.

The Water Tribe Councilman simply closed his eyes, smiled while lowering his head slightly, and put his hands up in a 'calm down' gesture.

"Slow your horses, my fellow Councilman. If you haven't heard yet, someone had broken into the Police HQ almost 2 weeks ago, but what intrigued us was that the Assailants didn't bother to steal anything of Value, in fact, the only place that showed traces of a break-in was the File Room. After the Police did a check in the Room, all the Files were untouched, except for one. I think you know which one I'm talking about." Tarrlok finished, looking at me with a calm expression but with his eyes piercing at me. After seeing nor hearing any objection or question, he continued.

This is why I'm very interested as to why the Assailants would go through all this trouble of breaking into one of the most secure buildings in the City to just steal a File, which begs the question, why? What is there of so much importance in that File?" Tarrlok asked me questioningly as he walked slowly around the Table where all the other Councilmen were sitting.

"I don't know yet, Tarrlok." I told him sternly.

"Fine then. I'll give you a chance to go and question him if he has any relations with the Equalists." He told me.

"The Equalists! What are you talking about, Tarrlok? This is madness. Where are you getting these far-fetched ideas?" I interrogated him.

"Well, you see Tenzin, this break-in couldn't have been the work of a single person. I don't think even the Triads themselves could pull off a Break-In like this one, even if they dedicated everything they had in it. The only group based here in Republic City capable of committing such an act with such finesse at doing this is none other than the Equalists. This Akiya kid is apparently a Nonbender, after all." Tarrlok finished

I remained silent in defeat because as much as I hate to admit it, Tarrlok finally has made a point. Why would someone go to great lengths to find Akiya's File? And who was it and what do they want from Akiya? I pondered in my mind as Tarrlok kept speaking.

"If I were you, I'd go and ask this Akiya to answer all of these questions in here." He told me as he handed me an official-looking paper folder. He then sat down that annoying smirk of his.

"This meeting is adjourned, my fellow councilmen, Farewell." He said. I could only glare at him as he yet once again got away with what he wanted.

Back in the Ferry, at the Bay, the Same Moment…

AKIYA POV

The first thing I realized was that I felt myself shrouded in complete darkness. I felt the temperature comfortably warm and felt safe with it, but in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but think that this may all not be real and was just a dream. As I was there, for some reason, I didn't feel like moving at all, and I sat there, not moving at all, but then I felt my head turn to look down unwillingly, I then felt my left arm reach out to the bottom, before I felt something, it was the ground. It felt rough and wasn't smooth, with a lot of pores on its surface. It felt like concrete. I soon began to notice that it had gotten somewhat less darker and more brighter, and now I could see the ground. It was made out of grey concrete, but then I began to feel dizzy as my surroundings began to turn brighter and brighter. I tried to look around, but it was so bright I could only see the ground a meter away from me. I tried to cover my eyes, but I could still see the intense brightness from inside my eyelids. I then suddenly began to hear someone, no wait, what? It… it... it didn't sound at all like a person, it sounded like something else, something...inhuman. Despite hearing it, I simply… I simply couldn't understand what the sounds are, these sounds are foreign and sound impossible for any creature to make, but at the same time, the noises that the thing was making would pause randomly every few seconds, almost as if it were… speaking? I was able to manage to make out some of the gibberish of what the thing was saying. I then felt a sudden wave of intense heat come from my left side, as I heard a guttural scream.

I woke up just as the Ferry was stationing next to the Mainland. I gave the Driver some money as I got out of there in a hurry to try to get to Asami on time. I kept thinking about that dream and kept rewinding it over and over. The dream, it felt very… artificial. From the moment I started to have that dream in my sleep, I somehow already had the feeling in the back of my mind that none of it was real, but rather, just a dream, which would explain my calmness in that dream. But that noise, that noise the Thing did is what confused me the most of the dream. Those noises… it sounded almost as if it were a foreign tongue that I've never heard, since I could hear the Thing pause in between the noises and would sometimes change the tone of the noise, but at the same time, I don't think me or anyone else can ever dream up a complete different language I've never heard of in my entire life.

As I kept walking, I suddenly heard someone running behind me.

"Hey, AKIYA!" I quickly recognized that voice as Bolin's and I turned around to see him running towards me.

"Hm? Oh, hello, Bolin, I hope you're not getting into trouble again, man." I told him.

"Oh, no worries about that! I learned my lesson and I promise to never mess up like that again...maybe." he told me with a chuckle.

As we started to talk about random things, such as the weather and the upcoming sports, he told me Mako had finally gotten a job in a Factory where he could use Firebending, but what caught me off guard was when he said Firebenders could control lightning."So yeah, and then he- um, Akiya, you alright?" Bolin asked me after I stopped and looked surprised when he said Firebenders could control Lightning.

"Wait, they can control… nevermind, I was thinking about something else." I quickly remembered that this must be public knowledge to everyone, so questioning about it will bring some suspicion to me, and I don't need to end up in Prison by the Chief for breaking her rule.

"Oh, ok then. So as I was saying-"

"Wait, can you tell me just how Firebenders can control Lightning?" I interrupted Bolin.

"Uh, I don't really know much about that matter, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with controlling their inner Chi." Bolin told me.

"Alright then, thanks."

As we kept walking into the City, Bolin told me that he was going to go talk to Mako in some restaurant and asked if I wanted to come, but I told him I had to go somewhere related to work. We eventually said goodbye to each other and went our separate ways.

While I was still walking throughout the City, I eventually reached the Industrial District of the City. Even though I could easily hail a Cab to take me to Asami's house, I didn't feel like wasting money on something so trivial like that and besides, I could use some exercise. I soon came across another familiar person who was walking in front of me towards the opposite way I was heading to.

"Oh, hey Mako."

"Oh, hey Akiya, uh, how're you doing?"

I shrugged a bit.

"Good, I guess." I told him

"That's good. Oh, and um, thanks for helping me rescue my brother."

"Yeah, don't worry about, I didn't have anything better to do back then." 'Well, I did risk getting in trouble with that Policewoman' Chief.' I internally berated myself.

"Yeah, I saw your brother a few minutes ago by the way, he said something about meeting up with you in a restaurant." I added.

"Yeah, do you want to come with us?"

"No thanks, I have to go do something that's related to my job." I told Mako.

"Oh, alright then, I better get going. Later." He told me.

"I better get going too. Goodbye." I responded.

MAKO POV

After talking to Akiya, I realized I forgot to ask him something I had been waiting to tell him for the past few days, but when I turned back to speak to him, he was already gone. Strange. He's a very strange person, his backstory doesn't really match up well with everything else he says, and he acts really suspicious, what if he's…. Never mind, I'm probably just overthinking it, I'll just ask him tomorrow or whenever I meet him again. I approached the Road Intersection and noticed there weren't any cars passing by, so I started to speed-walk across the road.

ASAMI POV

As I was driving quickly through the streets since I basically made Akiya promise to come to my house today for Breakfast, despite the fact that he was really against it because he's probably shy, I saw someone crossing the road right in front of me. As I tried to brake the Moped as hard as I could, the person turned to look at me in shock as I crashed into the person. Oh, spirits, did I kill him?!

"Oh, no, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!" I tried to apologize to him.

"How can you not see me. I was ju-just…" He stopped talking for some reason when I took off my helmet.

I then started to check him for any injuries, although he kept brushing it off as if it was nothing. I then noticed that he looked somewhat familiar.

"Wait, I recognize you. You're Mako, right? You play for the Fire Ferrets." I told him.

"Yep, that's me."!

"I am so embarrassed. My name's Asami. Let me make this up to you somehow. Uh, how about I treat you to Dinner? Tomorrow night, 8 o'clock, Kwong's Cuisine." I told him.

"Kwong's? Uh, I don't have any clothes nice enough for a place that classy." He told me nervously.

I gave him a bent eyebrow at his nervousness.

"I'll take care of that. All you need to do is show up. So, it's a Friend's Luncheon then?" I asked him.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so, I'll see you tomorrow night." He said to me. I only smiled at him as I drove away.

A few City Blocks away…

AKIYA POV

While I was walking, I began to think back on everything that has happened. I don't know what to expect now. If I were to tell myself a Month prior that I would be in a mysterious land where my nationality would be determined not only by Birthright but by being able to control and move one of the four classical elements, I would've laughed at my own foolishness of a story. In fact, nothing has been normal ever since, ever since...Mom, Dad, and Helmut… ever since they died. Everything changed after they died. Died…. They died. They… they're fucking dead, they're not coming back. Why am I so calm about this?

I can't help but feel in the back of my mind that they're going to somehow come back together and we can be a Family again.. I felt suddenly so much dread as I began to realize that all this time, I had only physically heard those dreaded five words when I had first told myself those words: "Akiya, your family is dead." But I never truly understood the severity and meaning of those words. As I began to feel my eyes grow wet at the realization that they're gone, I stopped walking on the sidewalk and turned into an Alleyway, and got behind a trash chute. My family was gone. Forever. As I looked at the brick-and-mortar wall in front of me while slowly sliding down my feet to the opposite wall, I felt hot angry tears running down my cheeks. Did I ever want any of this? I don't want this, I just want my family back, I don't want anything else, I didn't want this second chance of life, I don't want to live in this Hell anymore! I wanted to die, but I felt shameful of commiting suicide by a petty way.

I didn't want to be remembered as the Soldier that killed himself out of cowardice, a Soldier doesn't do that. I became a Kamikaze Bomber to die a better way, with a purpose. Although I would be the only one who knew why I made that decision, everyone else, all my other comrades and Civilians, they'll think I died for a heroic purpose. Even the enemy themselves will hear of my name, it doesn't matter if they hear from me in a negative way, they'll still hear of how I fought and died for my country. But I don't want any of that. I just wanted to die. I just wanted to see if I could see my family again, if there is an Afterlife. If not, I just wanted to stop existing, to rest, to stop suffering in this… Hellscape.

I guess I am a coward, and Destiny itself decided to punish me for trying to die an easy way, and decided to send me here. For others, this would be a blessing, but this… it's a curse for me. A punishment. A punishment that I could've avoided if I had been more braver. I don't even have the bravery to finish myself off, I'm too scared to do it. I hate myself. Life can sometimes be cruel and play cruel jokes. I'm sorry Dad, Mom, Brother. I'm not brave nor honorable, just a Coward, unlike any of you. I'm sorry. I just lowered my head into my arms as I let a few sobs come out from my mouth as tears kept sliding down my cheeks. I just want to see my Family again.

So, that was a depressing end to this Chapter, and as much as I hated doing that part, I had to do it to show just how bad Akiya is in his mind right now. Dude saw his whole Family die, and was literally forced into surviving in a War since he was 14. Anyway, to other subjects then. Tarrlok has suspicion of who Akiya might be, while Korra is arguing with Akiya, as usual. Asami now met Mako too and they're going to get dinner, but with a small twist.

This Chapter didn't cover much of the story since it was dedicated for Akiya's Character Development. And as I said in the beginning, sorry for the big delay. I'll see you all in the next Chapter then!

-TheOneAndTheOne