Authors Note: This is my attempt at writing an earth avatar. I've had this idea for a really long time and finally started to actually write it. The writing quality likely won't be the best, and fights are probably going to be tough to write. But I hope you enjoy the story and ideas!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar world, that is all owned by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

The Tales of Wikilow

Prologue

"Fire, Air, Water and Earth. Avatar Korra worked throughout her life to bring peace to a changing new world. But that peace was short lived. In the former Earth Kingdom states, the Dai Li remained in the shadows. Unnoticed, their agents entrenched themselves in the roots of government, establishing control over the state's vast territories. Under the Dai Li's strict leadership, an era of corruption and fear unfolded. Avatar Korra valiantly fought against the organization, but in her old age she soon fell, further cementing the Dai Li's control and influence.

The world waited on baited breath for the new avatar to be born. But no news ever came of the next avatar. Many feared that the cycle had ended, that the actions of Avatar Korra had broken and destroyed the cycle. That there would never be an avatar again."

A young boy with choppy black hair ran through a forest. Tears stained vibrant emerald eyes as he ran, ignoring the pain in his small body. There were shouts and cries behind him but he continued to flee, not daring to look back. His breath raced. He didn't notice the roots that entangled his feet before it was too late. The boy was thrown to the ground, the world spinning as he hurriedly pushed himself back up. However, he was grabbed by the back of his plain dirtied shirt, preventing his escape.

There were flashes of metal, sneering faces and grins before the boy's emerald eyes glowed white. A torrent of compressed wind knocked the boy's pursuers back, causing them to scramble away in fear. But they were abruptly cut off from their own escape by mysterious men in green cloaks and pointed hats.

The new arrivals could only watch as the boy rose into the air, the four elements swirling around the child. They remained unseen though, not wanting to become the target of the boy's attacks. Soon, the boy's eyes reverted back to their emerald colour before drooping. The child dropped to the ground unconscious, in a clearing of his own design.

It was silent for a few tense minutes, before one brave figure, wearing the same cloak and pointed hat, the uniform of the Dai Li stepped forward.

He approached the boy cautiously, readying himself for a surprise attack that never came. The boy was out cold, breathing slow but steady.

"The Avatar." The Dai Li agent slyly thought as he and the agents silenced the onlookers. "This will prove to be extremely useful for our cause." He concluded out loud, observing the young, impressionable Avatar before him with a cunning and devious smile.

A young man no older then eighteen trained alone in a cold, metal room. He wore the uniform of the Dai Li, the shadows of the pointed hat falling over dull but focused emerald eyes. His black hair was styled in a short ponytail that layed behind his head. Hours passed, the young man's movements's were strong and precise. He switched his element every now and again, cold and reflective of every action. Fire, air, water and earth, he continued like this until he picked up his pace. Quickening every minute, the boy's eyes flashed white as he concluded his training.

Silently panting, he moved to leave the room. Mysterious whispers echoed in his head, though he ignored them as he was trained to do.

The young man reached the building's exit, a similarly aged young woman leaned against the wall, waiting for him. The woman has long dark brown hair in a ponytail that reached her waist. Her eyes were a dark blue, which contrasted her colours of fire nation red.

"Rin." The young man curtly stated, voice void of any emotion what so ever.

The young woman's eyes gleamed as she responded.

"Wikilow." Rin answered, voice clear as she shifted her weight on the wall.

The two needed no further conversation. Wordlessly moving to their assigned assignment.

Wikilow usually went on more convert and secretive missions. This was to try and hide the fact that the Avatar worked for the Dai Li. Though, little effort was actually put into this, it didn't really matter if people saw him or not. Besides, if rumours started to spread it would only reinforce the Dai Li's control. He and Rin were moving to dispatch a group of bandits in the rural areas that had yet to modernize. The criminals were situated in a cave far off a poor local village.

Rin and him had known each other for a few years. She was a water bender who had grown up in the Fire Nation. A rare occurrence that was gradually becoming more common with time. Of course, most of the locals had treated her as an outsider due to her water bending talents. This behaviour led to her becoming a free lance mercenary and eventually joining up with the Dai Li.

The two agents stealthily crept into the cave and observed from the shadows as the bandits sloppily unloaded their goods. Waiting for the right moment to attack, Wikilow gave the silent signal to Rin to go on the offensive.

Gaining the surprise, the bandits were no match for the duo. It was a brutal and efficient massacre to say the least.

Rin had a unique talent for controlling her water bending's temperature. Now, it was normal for water benders to be able to change water to ice and reverse. But, it was rarer that they could raise the temperature instead. Rin having grown up surrounded by hot and boiling liquids in the Fire Nation, had become very adept at this, which provided an extra advantage in her fight in scolding her opponents.

However, though she was disciplined in bending like all Fire Nation benders. The mercenary had many impulsive behaviours. This was mainly the reason Wikilow was partnered with her, to help keep those behaviours in check.

When the fight was over the duo reconvened in the cave's centre.

"That was certainly energizing." Rin commented casually, sweeping her hair back.

"We should be able to leave the bodies and the stolen objects for the others to handle. That should conclude the assignment." Wikilow dully responded, focused on the task rather then engage in pointless banter.

"So serious, always mission this and that." The water bender sarcastically said with a snarky eye roll, having long grown use to her partner's lack of character.

She was about to add another retort before both heard faint noises from the cave's walls. Wikilow shifted his feet to sense the earth, closing his eyes briefly to concentrate. Opening them, he parted the earthen wall to make an entrance with his bending. Behind the wall was a metal corridor, the walls lined with dark cells while a foul smell flooded out.

He didn't bother to look back, already knowing that Rin was following behind him as they investigated. "This place smells horrible." The water bender complained, pinching her nose as they walked along the cells.

They soon found the cause of the smell. Rotting corpses that lay abandoned in the cells, prisoners of the bandits no doubt. Wikilow, helpfully took it upon himself to point this fact out.

"These corpses would likely be the source of the smell." The Avatar observed, unbothered by the sight.

"I can see that Wikilow." Rin muttered.

"We should leave the remains behind. With the entrance open the Dai Li who check on the scene will-" Wikilow began before falling silent, a soft feminine sound coming from one of the farther down cells.

"That doesn't sound like a dead body." Rin went curiously, but Wikilow was already moving forwards to the sound's source.

In said cell, a teenage girl laid tied up with thick rope but mostly unharmed. Then again, it appeared that most of the cell's inhabitants had been starved to death. So new arrivals would obviously be in a better physical condition.

The girl had long, dark chestnut hair that slightly curled at the ends, it was also tied up in two parts with beaded bands that hung out in front of her. Her clothing resembled that of the traditional air nomads, only coloured blue and grey with white fur trimming. Similar beads from her hair hung out in strands on the lower parts of the ensemble. Light grey eyes looked out at the duo, nervous but attempting to stay clam.

"Who are you?" The girl asked with a clear voice, yet her tone gave away her fear.

Wikilow preferred to observe and gather more information about the situation first, but Rin had other ideas.

"We're with the Dai Li." She casually stated as if mentioning the weather, though Wikilow's uniform was already an indicator of her statement.

That fact seemed to frighten the girl further, making her slightly back against the cell's wall despite her restraints.

"Why are you here? Are- Are you with the people who took me here?" The girl asked with a slight stutter.

"She's in no position to be asking questions. We could easily lie, defeating any point in it." Wikilow thought to himself as Rin continued to speak.

"Relax, we were just taking out the bandits here and stumbled upon this little prison." Rin assured with a wave of her hand.

"O… okay." The girl breathed out, relieved and seemingly believing Rin. "So, would you please help me get out of here then?" She quietly asked, eyes full of hope at the prospect of escaping her current situation.

"I don't see why not. Wikilow, little help?" Rin said with a shrug, then glanced at Wikilow who decided the girl wasn't a threat at the moment and obeyed.

"I'll pretend to be an average earth and metal bender." Wikilow planned in his head as he grabbed the bars and pulled them apart.

The Avatar moved to cut the ropes holding the girl captive, but then Rin used her water bending to slice them open. "That was not a good move on Rin. Now this girl will be able to figure out what type of benders we are." The Avatar went, but was calm as he still didn't see the girl as much of a threat to them. "Her robes resemble that of the civilian members of the Air Acolytes, so she probably isn't a bender. I should keep an eye on her though just in case." He went as they escorted the girl out into the main part of the cave.

"Did you kill them?" The girl asked in a horrified voice, clasping her hands over her mouth.

"Yes. It is the most ideal way to punish and take care of criminals and disrupters to the peace." Wikilow explained calmly.

The girl didn't move however, shocked and staring at the various bloodied corpses that now decorated the former hideout.

"Don't worry about it. Not like we're going to kill you. Just going to ask you a few questions and everything will be dandy, right Wikilow?" Rin asked nonchalantly, making the girl gasp.

"She needs to learn to be quiet." Wikilow thought as the girl turned to them.

"You're not letting me go?" She asked fearfully, taking a step back.

"Well we can't just let you go. We'll meet with some other guys later and they'll handle the proper stuff. But it'll be fine." Rin waved off though it didn't sooth the girl.

She took more steps back, breath quickening.

"No! No! No one ever comes back from the Dai Li!" She yelled defiantly.

Rin rolled her eyes at the response while Wikilow decided enough was enough and shot out the typical Dai Li earth hand grab to detain the girl. However, the girl airbended away from the attacks and made a run for the cave's exit. Wikilow seeing this, blocked the exit with a sturdy earth wall. Rin ran forward to detain the girl but before she could, the girl once again airbended upwards in a spinning tornado around her lower body.

His partner proceeded to shoot icicles at the girl, which were all parried away with wind.

"Okay then." Rin sighed and prepared a larger attack, but Wikilow interrupted before she could finish.

"Keep the fighting under control. We shouldn't cause a large disruption in case anyone is nearby." The Avatar went while his own earth bending restraints were blocked by the girl. "Any earth bending attack I send can be parried by her air bending. And the only earth bending I could do to bring her down would be to large in scale." Wikilow noted, trying to think of the most efficient way to end the fight.

However, he didn't have time to plan. The girl proceeding to try and smash the cave's wall down in order to flee. "Too much noise." Wikilow thought, alert. He then decided that he would just have to switch his bending element in order to end the fight. "We'll just have to kill her later." He determined in his head as he quickly airbended himself towards the girl.

The sudden element switch surprised her, who couldn't react in time to counter his attack. Wikilow grasped the girl's arm, proceeding to throw her into the ground below. She tried to rise and resume resisting, but Rin took the opportunity to scold her hand with boiling water, making the girl hiss and clutch her hand wearily.

Wikilow imprisoned the air bender with earthen bonds from the ground, keeping her still.

"How can you bend multiple elements? Only the Avatar can bend more then one." The girl asked confused as she finally processed the fight.

"I am the Avatar." Wikilow dully responded, making her eyes go wide.

"That's impossible! The Avatar would never work for the Dai Li! They're supposed to be good and bring peace!" She retorted, disbelieving.

"The Dai Li bring peace and order to the world." The Avatar stated, forming a fire blade in his hand to execute the girl.

Said girl closed her eyes and slightly quivered when she realized his intentions. But before his strike could land, Rin deflected it. Wikilow and the girl looked at the water bender confused at first.

"Don't kill her Wikilow, I'm intrigued." Rin explained with a quirked glance at the air bender.

"That is no logical reason to keep her alive. She is a disrupter to the peace and tried to flee from authorities. There is no logical reason to have her live." Wikilow retorted in monotone.

In turn, Rin scoffed at his words.

"Lets keep her around a little longer. She seems like a capable fighter after all." Rin continued casually.

"Even if we did keep her alive. We would have to hand her over to the others once they arrive." Wikilow pointed out, not seeing the logic in being intrigued.

"You're right, hmm. You want to polish up your air bending right WIkilow? It's been ages since you've had a sparring partner that wasn't me or an earth bender." The water bender cooly questioned, shifting her arms behind her back.

"Do you intend to lie to our superiors Rin?" Wikilow went, stiffening his stance.

"It's not lying if it's the truth. I'm genuinely curious about this one Wikilow. An air bender in water nation clothing, not something you see every day." Rin argued pointedly.

"You're a water bender from the Fire Nation though." The Avatar shot back.

"My point exactly, foreign benders." The water bender went, clearly not going to drop the argument.

"Fine. There is no use in continuing this with you." Wikilow relented, though he didn't release the water bender. "What if she tries to escape again." He asked his partner, who sent another glance at the helpless girl.

"I'm sure she won't try that again. Right?" She said, aiming the latter part at their prisoner.

"I… I won't." The girl replied, though she was looking more at Wikilow then Rin.

After being carefully released, the girl took a moment to look at the two other benders. "Um… I'm… Elsi." She introduced awkwardly, receiving only a nod from Wikilow and a hum from Rin.

After some heavy deliberation, the other Dai Li agents allowed the girl to travel with them for the foreseeable future. She had remained quiet during most of the meeting, though it was more out of fear if anything.

The trio began walking in silence to Rin and Wikilow's next assignment in the next village over.

Night soon fell, and the group made camp in a clearing. While eating, Elsi tried to start conversation with the other two benders, but found that they weren't very talkative. After some time she was able to converse with Rin, who wasn't used to having casual conversations out of no where, having worked with Wikilow often.

"I've been meaning to ask. You are from the Water Tribes right?" Rin asked during one awkward silence.

"That would be correct. Born and Raised." Else responded with a soft smile, feeling the beads in her hair.

"What's it like being an air bender down there?" The water bender curiously prompted with a tilt of her head.

"Well, there are actually some air nomad temples in the Water Tribes. The practice started when an air and water bending couple moved to the Tribes but decided to try and adapt both lifestyles. So, most of the air benders are a pretty tight community. And though there are some people who don't like us that much, people are usually really nice." The air bender explained with a fond tone.

"So, how'd you end up with the bandits? This isn't exactly the Water Tribes." Rin noted.

Elsi stiffened, trying to push that particular incident out of her mind. The entire ordeal made her rather uncomfortable, especially the violent bloodshed the two Dai Li agents seemed to work in. But, she relaxed as she answered, putting on an embarrassed face as she spoke.

"I was travelling to Republic City. I wanted to see the world outside of my home you know? Also, I've heard a lot of stories about how amazing and different the city is. Along the way I got kidnapped by some bandits and eventually ended up in that cell, it was actually a couple of days ago." She abashedly admitted.

Elsi then paused, before remembering something and resuming her conversation with the water bender. "Oh yeah! Thank you for sparing my life earlier Rin. I'm very grateful for that." The air bender earnestly said, bowing her head slightly.

"There's no need for that." Rin waved off. "In all honestly I really just wanted to try and learn something about the Water Tribes. Not that impressed so far though." Rin brutally admitted before turning towards Wikilow. "Hey Wikilow, you want to spar quickly. I'm bored." The water bender asked to which Wikilow wordlessly agreed to.

Elsi watched the two benders spar from the side. She was nervous as she observed the two fight, the Avatar and a mercenary. The air bender briefly pondered trying to escape again, though she doubted she would get very far. She was paranoid that the only reason she was kept alive was for information. But, she did reason that there wasn't much she could at that point either. Besides that, a part of Elsi wanted to stay with the duo. She was still confused that the Avatar, Wikilow worked for the Dai Li. The same Dai Li that she had heard very bad things about. It was this curiosity and want to understand that drew her in.

Her focus was mainly on Wikilow for those reasons. Elsi observed his stiff movements as he bended, the cold gaze that held no emotions. Each movement and pose was direct and clearly meant to have killing intent. Though he obviously wouldn't kill Rin. It wasn't like any of the bending she had ever seen before, it almost seemed empty of spirit.

Authors Note: So, I hope the writing was okay. I don't know how far I'll get with this story, but I hope you can at least enjoy the ideas for it. Please tell me your thoughts and review!