Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or The Legend of Korra.
A/N: For the poll, just need 9 more to keep it up but in case it continues and the top 3 are still close together I'll end it when getting to s4 of USM as that's mostly 3-4 part episodes and I like doing those as one Ch and start the new on of the top 21.
And to those that celebrate it, I hope you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
Beta: Chaos-PSD.
Book Two
Spirits
Chapter II
The Southern Lights.
The Southern Water Tribe is under siege! When Avatar Korra was attacked by a dark spirit, Chief Unalaq was the only one able to stop it. So, Korra turned her back on Tenzin and chose Unalaq as her new spiritual mentor. Tenzin and his family left for a vacation at the Southern Air Temple, while Korra remained in the Water Tribe. Will she be able to restore balance between humans and spirits?
South Pole Village.
Korra riding on Naga slid into the stables and saw Unalaq was waiting for her. She gets off Naga and approaches her uncle. "You're early."
"What can I say? I'm pumped up to learn that Unalaq spirit fighting."
Unalaq placed his hand on her shoulder before speaking. "I'm not here to teach you to fight spirits, I'm here to help you begin your spiritual training. We're going to one of the most remote places in the world, the long-neglected spiritual center of your tribe, the South Pole."
Korra looked at the camels that were being saddled. "You're going to train me at the South Pole?"
"We will do more than just train. By neglecting the spirits, the people of the South have brought darkness upon themselves, and now it threatens to destroy our tribe. We must set things right. The Southern Water Tribe depends on you."
"A dangerous trip to the South Pole? Count me in!" Korra yelled, pumping her fist.
Southern Air Temple.
(A/N: The Tenzin scenes are canon, feel free to skip.)
Oogi flies out of a cloud and heads for a temple, with Tenzin and his family riding on him.
"There it is, the Southern Air Temple. Isn't it magnificent?" Tenzin asked as they got closer.
They flew to the entrance where they saw two Air Acolytes, one of whom is sweeping, while the other feeds three ring-tailed lemurs. They turn in surprise as Oogi flies in, and lands before three Acolytes walk toward the bison, two of them carrying a large case.
"Master Tenzin, welcome!" The one in front asked as Tenzin and his family got off.
"Good to see you again, Abbot Shung." Tenzin greeted as he and Pema bow toward the abbot.
"Is there anything you need? Water? Dandelion greens? Ahh, perhaps you'd like to recenter yourself by meditating in the gardens?"
Tenzin shook his head at that. "No thank you, I'm fine."
"And you must be the honorable Pema! Please, accept these gifts." Shung says as he reaches into the case, and pulls out an odd circular contraption with blades on the inside, and hands to Tenzin. "This is an ancient airbender head shaver we've refurbished just for you."
Tenzin looked at the device before looking up. "Oh. Okay?"
Shung then turned to Pema. "And Pema!" He hands Pema a massive bouquet. "These flowers once filled the mountainside! Now, they can brighten up your room."
"That's… Sweet? Y-you didn't have to." Pema said as she struggled to hold onto the flowers.
Shung smiled at that. "Nonsense! Whatever you need is yours. Anything for the mother of the next generation of airbenders."
Jinora was given a book by a female Acolyte before Ikki took it. "No! That gift is mine!"
Jinora glared at that. "You don't even like to read!"
Ikki just sticks her tongue out as Pema, who watched the exchange, smiled slightly in embarrassment. "Yep, those are the world's next generation of... Airbenders."
Meelo appears from behind the three Acolytes and jumps on the abbot's back, with a lemur in his hands. "Mommy, Daddy, look! I finally got a lemur! I'm gonna name him... Poki!" The lemur flies away, and Meelo jumps down from the abbot and forms an air scooter to chase after the creature. "Poki! Come back!"
Kya and Bumi, who are still by Oogi, are unloading supplies from his saddle. Kya tosses some bags down, which hit Bumi before Kya drops down from on top of the sky bison, and Bumi sighs as he looks at a nearby female Acolyte. "S'cuse me, a little help here?"
The Acolyte finally notices the two siblings, turns around, and stops sweeping. "Sorry, I thought you were the servants." She replied, angering them.
"We're Tenzin's brother and sister!"
"Avatar Aang had other children? The world is filled with more airbenders?" The Acolyte asked excitedly, having Kya sigh.
"We're not airbenders."
"Oh…" The Acolyte replied sadly before bowing. "I'm so sorry."
Bumi and Kya looked at her in confusion, before sighing and glancing at each other.
South Village, Dusk.
Naruto in his coat put a bag on Naga's saddle before Korra saw Mako in his coat and scarf put one on a camel yak. "I thought you said Bolin was coming?" She asked Mako who looked back and shrugged.
"He said he'd be here."
Asami walked up to kiss Naruto before holding his hands. "Be careful, I still gotta iron out stuff with Varrick."
"You should say that to our girlfriend."
Korra shot some snow at him at that. "Thanks, Captain Expedition, but I'll be fine."
Korra hears a sound and turns her head around to see Tonraq pulling up on a snowmobile. Unalaq, who has been packing, notices Tonraq and scowls, before approaching his brother. "Tonraq, what do you want?"
Tonraq walked up and crossed his arms. "I heard you're taking Korra to the South Pole. I'm coming."
"Absolutely not. You're a distraction to Korra and a hindrance to what needs to be done."
"He's still her father," Naruto spoke up as Korra looked over. "If the roles were reversed, wouldn't you want to go with either of your kids?"
"That's not the point! It's men like her father who have put the Spirit World out of balance. He's ignored my warnings in the past and hasn't learned since."
"The world could be outta balance due to the Avatar being out for 100 years. Isn't the Avatar the one who brings/keeps balance?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms.
"Wait a minute. What happened in the past?" Korra asked, stepping in front of Naruto.
Tonraq sighed before looking at his daughter. "It doesn't matter. What matters is the Everstorm."
"The Everstorm?" Mako asked as he got on his camel.
"It's a massive blizzard that's battered the South Pole for decades," Tonraq explained before looking back at his brother. "I'm coming unless you think you can stop me."
"Guys! Hey, wait for me!"
Bolin drives up on a snowmobile with an attached sidecar, wearing a snowsuit. Naruto, Asami, Mako, and Korra watch as they trail Bolin's arrival, turning completely to face him as he pulls up next to them. Bolin smiled at them, resting his elbow on the throttle. "Check it out, I'm traveling in style!" He accidentally turns the throttle causing the vehicle to jerk forward but promptly stops. "Okay, uh, sorry, still getting used to that throttle."
"Uh, where'd you get the ride?" Mako asked as he walked upon the camel as Naruto and Korra got on Naga.
"Varrick; he's awesome! He also gave me this fancy snowsuit! It's inflatable, with an internal heater, emergency beacon, and food ration pouches! I mean, if I get lost, I can survive in this thing for like, like a month!" He said before reaching into his snowsuit. "Who wants some freeze-dried cucumberquats?" He asked as he pulled out several slices of food and offered them to the others. "Nobody? Did I interrupt a conversation?" Pabu suddenly pops out of Bolin's suit and eats some of the cucumberquats.
"No, the conversation is over. Dad, come if you want, just don't interfere with my training." Korra said before she rides away from the group, as Eska gets off of her camel yak and approaches Bolin.
"Does this sidecar have the capacity for two passengers?"
Bolin smiled flirtatiously at that. Sure does. But, uh... who's gonna drive?
Later that night, an irritated Bolin is driving the snowmobile while Desna and Eska sit together in the sidecar. Suddenly, Mako rides toward the trio on a camel yak. "Well, what do you know? Looks like-!"
"Go away, Mako," Bolin spoke in an annoyed tone.
Naruto was leaning back on Naga's saddle before hearing Korra speak. "So once we get to the South Pole, then what happens?"
"You will open an ancient spirit portal."
Korra looks confused at that. "I'm sorry, what now?"
"At the South Pole, there is a portal that connects our world to the Spirit World, but it has long been closed."
"And that's why the evil spirits are attacking?"
"There are no evil spirits, there is light and dark in them all. But when they're unbalanced, the darkness takes over." Unalaq explained before looking forward to seeing the large Everstorm in the distance, as thunder is heard. "If you can open the portal in time, balance will be restored."
"What do you mean... In time?" Korra asked
"There's a reason the Glacier Spirits Festival ends on the winter solstice. That's when the Spirit World and the physical world are close together. Only then can the Avatar open the portal." Unalaq spoke as he looked back.
"The winter solstice is tomorrow."
Unalaq nodded at that. "Exactly, and we can't afford to wait another year."
A dark spirit appears in the distance, watching the group. Naga, sensing the creature, turns toward it and starts growling."
Korra rubbed the polar bear dog's side at that. "Easy, Naga."
The fog begins to clear, and the dark spirit, now joined by two others, comes into view. "What are those?" Bolin asked, shrinking into his suit.
"Dark spirits," Korra said as Naruto looked at the spirits.
The fog picks up again, hiding the spirits from view once more. "Let's keep moving. We have to find a safe place to set up camp." Tonraq spoke before driving away as the others followed.
Later the group is all around a fire before Korra turns to her uncle.
"Uncle, why do you think the dark spirits are following us?"
"Can we not talk about dark spirits, please?" Bolin asks as he scoots next to Eska and grabs her arm.
"My brother doesn't like ghost stories," Mako said, sitting from a bowl.
"Don't worry. I will protect you, my feeble turtle duck." Eska said dryly to Bolin who smiled.
"Thank you."
"Sadly, this isn't a ghost story. This is real. The spirits are angry because he's here." Unalaq explained looking towards his brother then at Korra. "Haven't you ever wondered how your father ended up in the South Pole?"
"Why he's never taken you to visit his homeland in the North?"
Tonraq looked over at that. "Unalaq, this is not the time."
"You're right. You should have told her a long time ago."
Korra looked over at her father. "Told me what!?" She asked, having her father sigh.
"I left the North Pole because... I was banished."
"You were banished from the North? Why?"
Tonraq looked at the fire before speaking. "Because I almost destroyed the entire tribe. Twenty years ago, I was a general in the Northern Water Tribe, sworn to protect my people. We were attacked by barbarians. I drove them out of the city and deep into the frozen tundra. We tracked them deep into an ancient forest. Many believed this forest was the home to spirits, and the barbarians retreated there because they thought we wouldn't attack them on such hallowed grounds. They thought wrong."
"We captured the barbarians, but in the process, we destroyed the forest. I didn't realize the consequences of what I had done. By destroying the forest, I unknowingly let loose angry spirits. They threatened to destroy everything, the entire city. Unalaq was able to guide the spirits back to the forest. But by then, the damage had been done. For being the cause of so much devastation, my father banished me from the Northern Water Tribe in shame."
"That's when I came to the South and started a new life." Tonraq finished as Bolin pointed to him.
"Whoa, so you were supposed to be chief, then he became chief. No wonder you guys don't like each other." Mako then elbows his brother. "Ow! What? Isn't that what happened?"
Korra Stood up in anger. "I can't believe you kept this from me."
"I was protecting you from the shame I brought on the family."
"Why did you keep hiding things from me and then telling me it's for my own protection? I'm tired of you protecting me!" Korra yelled before walking away.
"Korra!"
Naruto got up and walked after her. "Korra!" She continued walking before Naruto shot over to her using airbending then placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Korra."
"Come on Naruto, he kept that from me."
"Yeah, kept you feeling ashamed and hating him."
"Hate him?" Korra asked as Naruto sighed.
"Yeah, most kids would hate their parents for forcing something like that onto them."
"Wouldn't you?"
"I punched the spirit of my father when meeting him. But I did understand why he did it." Naruto explained as Korra looked at him.
"To save your village?"
"That and he believed I was the one who would save the world," Naruto spoke before sighing. "Korra, you're not going to like what I have to say, but… I think your uncle had a play in what happened to your father.
"What?" Korra asked in shock. "How could you-" She stopped as he raised his hand.
"In my experience, the younger sibling who becomes the leader over the older this way was because they were behind it. A princess I helped, her uncle killed his brother because there was a myth their land housed unlimited treasure. All I'm saying is 99% of the time, the younger sibling is the cause of the older being banished or killed. Until that story, I just thought maybe your father left to be with your mom as that happens as well."
"But now knowing that somehow barbarians somehow knew the forest was sacred. And as far as I know, they don't care to learn about their enemies. Or that your uncle was the only one that could get rid of the spirits and that had him get the leadership?" Naruto finished as she looked down.
"But…"
"I know it's hard to hear but that's what I think. If you choose to believe me or not is up to you."
Southern Air Temple.
Jinora and Tenzin enter the inner sanctuary of the temple, which is filled with statues of the past Avatar's. "Wow, the statue room."
Tenzin nodded at his daughter. "That's right, Jinora, the most sacred place in the entire Southern Air Temple." He explained and looked up to see various levels. "Here, you will find statues of every Avatar who ever lived." He said looking down, then around the room. "Where are your brother and sister?"
Meelo and Ikki appear behind Tenzin, racing each other on their air scooters. The wake from their bending causes Tenzin's robes to blow up and cover his head."
Meelo laughed as he looked over. "You can't catch me! I'm the greatest air scooter-er of all time!" He then trips over and crashes into a statue.
"Meelo!" Tenzin yells as he runs to tend to his son.
Jinora walks forward to the statue of her grandfather, Avatar Aang, and looks at it in awe as the two airbenders lock gazes. Suddenly, Jinora's eyes dilated before she looked behind her, but saw no one.
Later that night, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo are asleep in a room before Jinora wakes and walks through the hall of statues in a daze. She then breaks free from her daze in shock and surprise, finding herself in front of a wooden statue of an unknown Avatar who's missing his arms and face was broken.
"Whoa. What Avatar is this?"
Earlier, Korra And The Others.
"I think we're here," Mako said, stopping at a cliff as Naruto got off Naga and walked up.
Korra and Unalaq approach the edge of the cliff Mako stopped at. Korra gazes at the Everstorm raging in the distance. Later, they're in the storm, their hoods up to protect their faces against the icy wind. Korra stops and looks back, a roaring in the distance just audible over the wind just as another, louder roar is heard.
"Is that what I think it is?" Bolin asked as Unalaq looked back.
"We must keep moving."
The angry spirits continue to roar, having Bolin clutch his head. "Oh man, I really don't like this."
Mako looked back at his brother. "Bolin, just stay calm, there's no reason to-!" He stops as a dark spirit emerges from beneath his camel yak and grabs the supplies. "Panic!"
Another dark spirit emerges beneath Naga and lands on her face. Another dark spirit grabbed Unalaq's supplies and another which grabs Korra's supplies. Naga stands on her hind legs, causing Korra and Naruto to fall from her seat, and chases after the spirit. Korra turns and sees a flying spirit emerge. Tonraq forms an ice wall to fend off the spirit but it flies above the wall. Cut to a larger spirit which is running directly at Korra.
Naruto moved to airbend out of his feet at Korra's back, sending her flying as he kipped up and shot air at the spirit before freezing snow and shooting shards at it. Another dark spirit then enters Bolin's snowmobile. "Oh, it's in the engine!
Boom!
The engine explodes in gray smoke as the spirit exits, having Bolin lose control of his snowmobile and speeds into the tundra with Desna and Eska. "Aaaahhhhh!"
Korra and Naruto fight the spirits with firebending as Korra somersaults out of the way and employs Unalaq's purifying move on one of the spirits. The spirit stops in a daze, but it manages to fight it and pins Korra down. Before the spirit can continue its attack, it is purified by Unalaq and leaves. "Everyone OK?" Naruto asked walking up to help Korra to her feet.
"Aaaahhhhh!"
They all look to see Bolin's snowmobile, which is hurtling away from the group. Suddenly, the trio leaped off the snowmobile, which crashed into the cliff and exploded. Desna and Eska drop Bolin onto the snow, causing his snowsuit to inflate, revealing Pabu.
"I'm a raft!"
Desna and Eska cover their feet in ice and gracefully slide down the slope back to the team. And a moment later, an inflated Bolin follows the twins, before he is stopped by Mako who lifts his foot. "Uhhh, can someone please deflate me?" Eska deflates Bolin with three ice spikes. "Thank you.
Mako looked at their destroyed supplies and sighed. Oh, great. There goes our equipment. Now, what are we supposed to do?"
"There's only one thing to do. We have to turn back." Tonraq spoke, having his brother turn to him.
"No! The solstice is tonight. And we're so close."
"This mission is too dangerous. We're leaving." Tonraq spoke up.
"No, Dad. I need to do this." Korra said as she walked back to Naga. moves forward. As they moved, an irritated Bolin, sat in the remains of his damaged snowmobile, which was being pulled by a camel yak ridden on by Eska and Desna. Cut to the entire team, before switching to Korra and Mako, who sit atop Naga.
"We've arrived," Unalaq said as they came to the interior of the South Pole, where there are several trees, their trunks covered in frozen ice.
"Trees are frozen in the ice," Korra said as Unalaq walked up to her.
"It's just like the sacred forest Tonraq destroyed in the North."
"So, what do I do?"
"You must find your way to the heart of the forest where the dormant spirit portal lies. From here, you're on your own."
Mako looked over at that. "Wait a second, there's no way she's going alone. Naruto should go at least."
"While Naruto can bend all four elements, the Avatar must go alone due to being the bridge between realms."
"But I don't have any connection with the spirits. In fact, it seems like they hate me." Korra said to her uncle.
"How about a time limit," Naruto spoke as Tonraq was going to. "Thirty minutes, if she's not out by then or fixes it, then I'll go after her." He finished as Korra sighed before walking to the forest.
A few minutes later, Korra trudges deeper into the frozen forest before a snake-like dark spirit nears Korra and screeches, causing her to turn around. In the distance, two dark spirits charge toward Korra, causing her to gasp. She then turns and starts to run from them, but they manage to catch her and begin to wrap themselves around her body and legs.
One of the spirits attempts to attack Korra, but she defends herself with a blast of fire and frees herself from the spirit wrapped around her with airbending. The spirits charge back at Korra, but she stops them with an ice wall. Korra turns from the spirits and finds herself in a large cave, a glowing dome positioned in the center.
"The spirit portal. Amazing." She said as she walked closer to it and stood over the dome, staring into it. "The light in the dark." Korra then gets into her stance, and subsequently punches the frozen portal with airbending, but to no effect. Korra tries to firebend at the portal, but still with no results. "Why isn't it opening?"
Numerous dark spirits appear outside the hub and start attacking the roof, shocking Korra before she continues striking the portal with airbending. "Come on portal, open!"
The spirits break through the roof, charge toward Korra, and grab her around the waist. The spirits continue to tangle themselves around her and start pulling Korra up toward the roof of the cave as she repeatedly firebends at the spirit portal, but again her attacks have no effect. Korra is dragged further upward, as more spirits wrap themselves around her arms, preventing her from continuing her attacks.
She then enters the Avatar State, allowing her to momentarily break free and drop toward the portal, but the spirits still manage to keep a hold of her. Korra struggles to reach the portal, reaching desperately with her hand, and finally manages to touch it with her finger. An orange ring forms from where she touched the portal, and the ground cracks beneath her, creating a blast that tosses Korra aside and dispels the spirits.
Outside, Naruto sighed before he started walking. "Time's up."
Suddenly, a green beam of light rises and causes the southern lights to appear in the sky, while the Everstorm dissipates.
Southern Air Temple.
Jinora jumps in surprise as the statue she found herself in front of begins to glow.
The South Pole.
The team stares at the bright light that has emerged from the portal. "I can't believe it."
"It's beautiful."
"She did it," Tonraq said as Korra walked out of the forest and up to them having Bolin run up to her.
"Hey, Korra's back!" He hugs Korra, but an ice wall separates them and brings Bolin back to face Eska.
"Why are you initiating physical contact with another woman?" Bolin looks at Eska with a weak fearful laugh, before Eska melts the ice wall.
Korra turned to her uncle before speaking. "Everything you said was true."
"Avatar Korra, you have taken the first step in bringing balance back to the South, and soon the whole world."
Naruto then hugs Korra. "You never cease to amaze me."
"Thanks. By the way, I'm really sorry for being a total pain. Things were really stressful and pretty confusing. It's hard being the Avatar."
Naruto smiled at that. "It's harder being the Avatar's boyfriend."
Later, the team walked back to the village without Tonraq who sped forward with his snowmobile to make sure everyone was OK. Korra, Naruto, and Unalaq look out to see several large battleships entering the harbor. as troops started marching in.
"What are all your Northern troops doing here?" Korra asked, turning to her uncle.
"Opening the spirit portal was only the first step in getting the Southern Water Tribe back on its righteous path. There's more difficult work to be done before our two tribes are truly united." Unalaq explained as Korra turned to Naruto who looked at her.
To Be Continued.
A/N: Thanks for reading and let me know of any mistakes.
For the poll, just need 9 more to keep it up but in case it continues and the top 3 are still close together I'll end it when getting to s4 of USM as that's mostly 3-4 part episodes and I like doing those as one Ch and start the new on of the top 21.
And to those that celebrate it, I hope you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
Next to be updated will be Ninja in the Web, by tomorrow, or Thursday.
Nothing else to say.
Talk To You Later,
Lone Wolf Out.🐺
