Earth
Fire
Air
Water
Only the Dual Avatars, masters of all four elements, can bring balance to the world.
Book II: Spirits
Chapter VII: A New Spiritual Age
"Isn't it amazing?" Jinora gasps as she looks around the spirit world, Korra is a bit apprehensive as Jinora and Wan look around in awe. "Let's be carefull, okay?" she begins to walk over to the duo "you never know when we'll run into some dark spirits." She accidentally touches a flower that morphs into a pink butterfly and flutters away with sparkles trailing behind it. "Wow," Wan glances at the spirit flying above. Jinora begins to follow it. "It's like it's made of jewels! The spirits are so much more beautiful in their own world than they are at home."
Wan reaches out to the young Airbender running after her. "Jinora wait!" Korra follows but she accidentally steps on a spirit meerkat hole. She trips a bit but regains her balance. The spirit pops out partially and yells at the frightened female avatar. "Hey! Watch where you're going, you giant clod!"
"Sorry," Korra apologizes, moving back from the hole. The spirit scoffles ignoring her apology asking,"This is a residential area, in case you hadn't noticed. Who do you think you are, stomping through here like that?"
"Well,I'm trying to catch up to my friends. Me and him." Korra points at Wan's direction and as if Wan knew, he turns his head shaking it aggressively. "We are the dual Avatars." Another one bursts from the ground and sniffs Korra, crossing its arms, "Not impressed." Korra slumps then straightens herself, "I'm trying to find the spirit portals? We opened one."
"I heard Unalaq did that," a meerkat says. Korra rubs her temples, getting more irritated by the second. "Why would you think that? No, Unalaq did not open it, we did!"
"Well if you two opened it, how come you don't know where it is? Huh?" it questions more aggressively, Korra getting more frustrated sasses, "Well maybe we were in the South Pole in the physical world. Does that explain it?" She folds her arms with a victorious smile, thinking she has won the debate but her victory is short- lived. "Nope!" Another one yells. Wan, in the mists of Korra's argument with the mercat spirits, slowly walks up to her saying "Korra, we have to go, they're not going to help us." However, more and more pop up, insulting Korra with every turn. Korra shuts her eyes tightly and out of anger and instinct she uses her bending to try to move the spirits back but nothing happens. "Great," Wan mumbles to himself, knowing that the spirits are now even more angry. Korra awkwardly stands still in her bending stance. She blinks a few times, Wan facepalms as she looks at her hands. "Spirit world, right?" One meerkat spirit points at her.
"Did you guys see that?! She tried to bend at us, in our own holes! Get her!"
The spirits attack,jumping onto Korra. She manages to dodge some, but they latch onto her and turn into purplish globs. Overwhelming her, Jinora turns and gasps at the sight, rushing over to help. "Korra stop, you're making them more upset!" Wan yells,while trying to pull off the globs to help her. Jinora joins in, helping Wan pull the spirits globs from her. The other meerkat spirits march around them in a circle, causing the ground to open into a bottomless pit. The trio fall in screaming, crash under the water; the three hold their breaths and hold onto each other's arms.
Wan turns his head for a second and panics, his face filled with dread. He screams, getting the attention of Korra and Jinora. The girls scream as an enormous spirit fish approaches them, and fast. The trio starts to swim away but the current pushes them back as the spirit swallows them, and they are teleported to a river that spirals down a rocky slope. Wan catches his breath as he tries to reach for Korra and/or Jinora but fails. He shouts as the river forks and Jinora goes one way, Korra the other and Wan another way.
"Korra! Jinora!" Wan screams as he falls from the waterfall, into nothingness. Wan crashes roughly on the ground. He grunts for a moment and slowly gets on his feet, he begins to glance around and runs in any given direction. "Korra!" He calls with his hands on his mouth of extra volume. "Jinora!" Wan turns to see five dark spirits staring at him, they launch to attack him, glaring, as they show their sharp jaws, each one sharp enough to bite down and rip someone's arm off. Wan makes a run for it, ducking as they attack him. Wan keeps running until he is overwhelmed. It feels too familiar to what he experienced in the spirit wilds ten thousand years ago but worse, he feels like a helpless child without protection. The First Avatar becomes increasingly anxious, in the dark forest dark spirits begin to creep around him and taunt him. "Korra!" Wan cries out now in tears as his voice begins to get childlike.
"Korra, please, where are you?" A young boy sobs, his hair is defying gravity as it sticks up in spikes. His clothes are now battered and torn. He wears an orange robe with black torn shorts. His teeth have a little gap in between. His ears are somewhat larger than his head. The little boy begins to sob against a tree,a dragon bird spirit, now hurt, whimpers. The boy looks up and approaches the hurt thing. "Are you okay?" Little Wan asks as he rubs its head, he looks at its wing which has a hole in it. Little Wan hears approaching footsteps. He gasps as he holds the spirit close. "Stay close little buddy" He whispers to it, as the boy puts on a brave face and stands. "Who's there?!" he yells
"Stinky?"
Wan eyes shot wide as a spirit comes out of the wilderness, Little Wan gasps, "Aye-Aye?"
Aye-Aye grins, "Always getting yourself into trouble are you?" Little Wan rushes up as he hugs the spirit, Wan holds the dragon spirit in his hands. "Come on, let's get you out of this dreadful place." Aye offers his hand to Wan, who takes it, holding the other spirit in his right hand. The spirit leads him out of the dark forest, Wan has the little dragon spirit in his hand. "I'm glad you came to visit Stinky, it was getting boring here. You came just in time." Little Wan chuckles.
"We're having a little tea party, as Iroh would say to celebrate May-Jim's wedding." Wan gasps in awe as he sees the clearing with a house. Korra turns from the table and runs to Wan, who has also turned into a child. "Wan!" She giggles as she hugs him making them fall back, Korra on top, "You're here!" Korra grabs Wan's hand and leads him to the table. Wan tries to catch up as much as he can. Aye Aye teleports to the table, Korra helps Wan sit next to her, as well as getting the two bird spirits together. "This is Jim and May, they're getting married," Korra gestures to the frog spirit pair, introducing them to the first little avatar. Wan eyebrows arches as he says "How can you get married, when you're-"
"Complete opposites? I know!" May says, Jim sighs a bit happily, "I tried to fight it, but she really grew on me." Wan and Korra giggle, Iroh begins to slice a piece of cake as Aye- Aye sits down. "The Spirit World is very mysterious, but so is love. Help yourself to some tea and cakes." He hands Korra and Wan a slice. "They are spirit cakes, so you won't gain any weight-" Iroh chuckles as he pats his bulging belly. "Of course, you won't lose any either!"
Wan takes a fork and eats the piece of the cake, and hums, "This part of the spirit world isn't so scary with a whole bunch of spooky spirits." Wan imitates claws with his hands,and growls with his teeth, Korra giggles, covering her mouth, blushing. Aye-Aye takes the cake away, getting a slice of his own, revealing Wan's old teapot. Wan gasps, his copper eyes sparkle with shock and excitement, he points at the old thing. "My teapot!" Aye-Aye smiles warmly at this,
"Well, I found it, I didn't know what to do with it. I don't know how to make excellent hot water with leaves," Aye- Aye teases Iroh, the older man chuckles, "Yes, you did old friend, and it's tea."
"Tea, hot water with leaves. Makes no difference. Humans are so strange sometimes," Aye-Aye shrugs, smirking. "Anyway Stinky, you left it after you closed the portals, I found it and kept it as a memory, then I gave it to Iroh"
Iroh smiles at the boy, "Oh, this is my favorite thing here." Iroh pours Wan and Korra a cup. "You can keep it," Little Wan smiles as he finishes pouring the tea. "I think it's safer with you, but it makes me really happy to see someone took care of it."
Iroh smiles warmly at Wan, "You know, when you make tea in it, you can still taste a little light in every cup." The little dual Avatars sip it, little Wan smiles warmly at it as he closes his eyes, "Yeah, I can taste it."
Jinora is meanwhile at Wan Shi Tong's Library, Furry-Foot and Jinora descend into the interior of the library. Jinora looks at the library in awe as she jumps off of Furry-Foot's back. She turns around marveling at the enormity of it."Wan would love this, me and him could just stay in here forever, reading." She muses as she continues to walk around and sighs dreamlingly but her daydreaming is interrupted by an owl spirit swooping down, making a gust of wind as it spreads its wings. "The last human who said that is still here." He speaks as he gestures to his right, and Jinora follows. On one of the shelves, the Airbender sees Zei's skeleton. She gasps for a moment, in horror of the remains. "Professor Zei…"
Wan Shi Tong turns back to Jinora, as she quickly faces him, "I see that you have some knowledge of the past, so you should know that humans are no longer allowed in my library. Get out." He commands, the airbender's head tilted a bit confused, this isn't what she expected. "I thought anyone could come in if they brought you some new knowledge?"
"Those are the old rules. Besides, what has a little girl got to teach Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things?" Jinora crosses her arms and points out, "Well, since you've been down in the Spirit World, the humans have invented the radio."
"Yes, I am well aware of the radio." Jinora goes on the tips of her toes and back down in a respective motion, and hums, "But do you know how it works?" she questions, Wan Shi Tong scoffs, unimpressed and annoyed. Why would she ask a question like that? He knows all things, no child would know more than him. "Of course I do! There is a box, and inside the box, there is a tiny man who sings and plays musical instruments." Jinora shakes her head and her hands go behind her back as she begins her explanation. "Actually, when we speak, our voices produce sound waves. Radio takes those sound waves and converts them into electromagnetic energy that is transmitted through the spectrum-"
"Okay, enough," Wan Shi Tong interrupts her, "All right, enough. I did not know this." He turns his head to glare at the Knowledge Seeker, who lowers its head in shame as it walks away, whimpering a bit as well.
"Apparently, I have been fed some misinformation about the existence of tiny men in boxes. Still, I am not interested in that human garbage. Now, go away."
"My grandfather was the Avatar, and I came to the Spirit World with the new Avatar and the First Avatar to find the spirit portals. I would think that you'd wanna help me…" Jinora ponders, not sure that he would help her. She wishes she could use Wan's guts right now but for now she would have to use her own.
Wan Shi Tong's attitude completely changes in a bat of an eye, "You came with the Dual Avatars, hm? Well, why didn't you say so! Fine, you may look around. But don't break anything- I'll know." The spirit flies away, Jinora then looks at Furry-Foot.
"Come on, Furry-Foot, we gotta hurry!" They rush to a nearby shelf to begin their search.
"They say that the game of Pai Sho was invented by the spirits, although some of them don't seem to grasp it very well," Iroh says as a Lotus spirit is playing against a Lotus spirit that continues to think long and hard for his next move. Little Wan watches in a strange mix of boredom and awe, the spirit scratches its head, "Just hold on. I'm thinking."
"As you can see, it is a game that requires great patience. But time does not mean much to us here." Iroh explains. Korra looks at Iroh, "How long have you lived here?"
"Oh, I've been here for many years. I had always enjoyed the company of the spirits. So when my work was done in the material world, I chose to leave my body behind and come to the Spirit World! It can be a wonderful place, and I've made so many friends." Iroh offers a toast to Aye-Aye, who returns the favor. Korra looks downcast and Iroh turns to her concerned, so does Wan.
"Korra, what's wrong?" Iroh asks, Korra looks up sadly.
"We came here with my friend, but we lost her and now we're all alone," Korra says, getting more upset. Wan hugs her, "Hey, we'll find her. Look on the bright side, we have people to help us."
Korra looks at Wan, who smiles widely to see the wide gap in his teeth, the girl then says, upset, "Jinora's gone and we need to find her! She's lost, and we need to go home!"
"We're going to find her, please don't get mad," Little Wan says before the darkness and the Spirit World grows and reverts back to the mountain.
"In the Spirit World, your emotions become your reality- especially for you and Stinky, because you are the bridges between the two worlds. You must try to stay positive or else spirits around you will turn," Aye-Aye says. Wan hugs Korra which makes her smile and the sun actually shines brighter.
"We made the sun shine brighter?" Wan asks.
"Even in the material world, you will find that if you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see." Iroh says.
Wan and Korra nod. "I'm looking for my friend. I want her here now!" Korra wishes hard, however, nothing happens. "Why didn't Jinora come?" Wan asks. "I'm afraid finding her won't be so easy." Aye-Aye says gently.
Wan slumps down, crossing his little arms, "Then what are we supposed to do then?"
"Sometimes the best way to solve your own problems is to help someone else," Iroh replies and Korra looks down to watch the two baby dragon birds playing. "Maybe if you help him find his friends, you will be able to find yours."
Wan gasps and a big wide smile comes on his face, "We can return them home! But ugh, how do we do that?" Iroh chuckles then points at the large mountain with a dark mass on top. "The dragon bird nest is located there, at the top of Hai-Riyo Peak."
Jinora goes through a part of the shelf and yet she can't find anything. The Airbender sighs as she looks at Furry-Foot, "It's not here either, Korra and Wan are probably waiting for me right now." A knowledge seeker picks a book up off the shelf, Jinora turns to it and asks, "I need to find a map that shows where the spirit portals are, could you help me?" The knowledge seeker goes to look and gives Jinora a book. The girl smiles and rubs its fur as a sign of thanks.
"Thanks, this is it! The Tree of Time! That's where Wan imprisoned Vaatu! The elders believe that as long as the portals are closed during the Harmonic Convergence, Vaatu will remain imprisoned and the battle between good and evil will not be fought again. But, if both portals are open, spirit energy is amplified greatly." Jinora turns to the next page reading out loud.
"During the Harmonic Convergence, this energy will be great enough to allow Vaatu to break free from his bonds, and the material world will again risk being consumed by darkness." Jinora gasps as she turns to her spirit friend, "We have to warn Korra and Wan!"
"Leaving so soon?" The young Airbender turns to see Unalaq and Wan Shi Tong standing next to each other.
"When Wan Shi Tong told me he had a visitor, I had to see it with my own eyes." Unalaq smirks, "I can't believe Tenzin sent his daughter here instead of coming himself - what kind of a father is he?" Unalaq taunts the airbender girl.
"Better than you," Jinora sasses, then she turns to the owl spirit, "Wan Shi Tong, how can you be helping him?"
"Unalaq has proven to be a true friend to the spirits, unlike the Avatars."
"But Wan lived with the spirits, he's more of a friend then he'll ever be! Vaatu will destroy everything in his path. Wan imprisoned Vaatu for a reason!"
"Don't believe everything you read." Unalaq walks towards the Airbender, she quickly backs up to see Furry-Foot, who turns dark and grabs her by the shoulders. Unalaq reaches the girl and grins with malice.
"Why don't you come with me, so you can do some firsthand research?"
Iroh and Aye-Aye guide the little dual avatars to the foot of the peak. Wan pets his phoenix bird spirit who chirps, Korra then turns to Iroh, "This is scary, can you come with us?"
"This is something that you must do without me. But, you're not alone," Iroh smiles as he gestures to Wan. "You both need one another, You are stronger together than apart. The people who have been coming to the Spirit World lately have brought darkness and anger. So that is what you see now. But you and Wan have light and peace inside of you. If you let it out, you can both change the world around you."
Korra nods and holds Wan's hand, as Iroh continues, "Many things that seem threatening in the dark become welcoming when we shine a light on them. It was good to meet you both. Come visit us again - in this life or the next." Iroh smiles as he walks back down, "I'll see you around stinky, enjoy your second chance!" Korra and Wan wave as they turn and walk up.
Wan and Korra turn to the peak and hold hands repeating "light and peace" while holding the baby phoenixes. The little dual avatars approach three dogs like dark spirits standing. Wan and Korra then speak, "We're not afraid of you. You're not scary! You just look that way. We have light inside!" The light graces the dark spirits and they turn light and playful. One licks Wan, who laughs. "Can you take us to the top please?" The dog spirits help the dual avatars reach the top to the dragon bird nest. Wan and Korra get down from the dog spirits.
Wan and Korra place the dragon-birds in the nest, reuniting them with two siblings before they all vanish into pink wisps of light flying upward. The wisps morph into a huge, shimmering pink dragon-bird.
Korra and Wan look on in awe as they form a fully formed golden dragon-bird and fly past the dual avatars, who are now back in their normal ages. The phoenix lands on its feet before Korra and Wan, who mount it next. "Let's end this and close the portals," Wan says as the dragon-bird gives a screech, then spreads its wings and flies away. The dogs follow to where the two worlds meet. The dragon spirit lands letting the dual avatars get off near the southern portal. Before they can close it, they hear, "We meet again, Human."
Wan and Korra are teleported to where Vaatu is, still in his prison."Vaatu," Wan groans with anger burning in his eyes. He clenches his fists, as Korra stands behind him. "I see you regained your memory, so you've returned as well, Raava with a brand new vessel, Korra is it? Hum?" Korra's eyes narrow at her name being spoken, Vaatu continues, "The Harmonic Convergence is coming soon, and this time, I'm going to wipe you both out for good."
Wan grins a bit smugly, crossing his arms. "Sure, you said that ten thousand years ago and you're stuck in a tree. Sorry to disappoint but you're not getting out this time. You and Unalaq's little plan, that's over."
Vaatu laughs mocking the first Avatar."Such talk for the human who won by merely sheer luck, you only beat me because of Raava and the elements, without that you're nothing."
"We're done here." Wan rolls his eyes then he turns to Korra, "Come on, we've got a job to finish." The dual avatars walk towards the southern portal, Vaatu laughs again this time with a malice that Wan catches quickly. He stops for a moment. "Why are you laughing?" He says, still having his back turned.
"You might want to reconsider Wan, that is, if you want to save your friend." The first Avatar's eyes widen as he looks back, "I know how remorseful you felt with your human friends in the past, it would be a shame to let another one slip by."
Unalaq appears behind the tree, then he brings out a levitating Jinora in front of him, as he is encircling her with purple water. Jinora's body slowly changes color to a dark purple. "No!" Wan panics, his voice trembling. Korra's heart drops to her feet in an instant. "Jinora!" She cries out, Wan's terror soon turns to anger. He points at Unalaq. "I knew it!" Wan seethes at Unalaq, "You want to free Vaatu!'
"Yes, I do," Unalaq responds simply, smirking.
"Why!?"
"Let her go!" Korra yells preparing herself for a fight, Unalaq rolls his eyes unbothered by her threat. "If you want your friend to make it out of the Spirit World, you'll both open the other portal now."
"Don't do it!" Jinora cries begging, Unalaq turns to the girl, "Shut your mouth" Unalaq bends the water making Jinora's soul more corrupt. Wan and Korra gasp in horror at how far Unalaq would go to get to them, Unalaq turns to the Dual Avatars grinning evilly. "What will it be? Open the portal or lose your friend's soul forever? Time is ticking, Dual Avatars."
Wan clenches his hands tight, veins are popping out. Wan hates this but he has no choice, they'll have to figure out another way later. "We'll do it" The avatars say in unison.
"Good choice."
Wan and Korra walk towards the closed portal, while Unalaq watches closely behind, the dark spirits holding Jinora . The duo's hands hesitantly touch the portal with whirls of energy surrounding Dual Avatars' eyes glow white. The portal bursts open and jets out to the sky, Unalaq smiles menacingly while Jinora looks petrified. The dual avatars turn to Unalaq once the portal finally opens. Wan glares at the chief. "Let Jinora go," Wan commands, Unalaq smirks as he attacks Wan, the stream of water hitting his right arm, his flesh turns briefly white and sparkles with energy. Wan screams as he doubles down. "Wan!" Korra kneels over to help Wan but she is attacked as well.
Unalaq keeps attacking the duo as they try to move away, "You both should have gone through the portals!" The dual avatars dodge the water attacks and reach Jinora. Dark Furry-Foot then flies off with Jinora into the sky. "Korra! Wan!" She screams, Wan starts to chase Furry-Foot but is knocked back by Unalaq's water and the dog spirit grabs Korra with its mouth, flexing its jaws and causing Korra to whimper from pain between its teeth. Wan struggles to get up but is attacked once more, sending him flying back.
"You've been a pebble to my shoe, First Avatar," Unalaq says, as an unknown force pulls Wan up. Purple water begins to surround Wan. Wan's eyes bulge as he feels the corruption creeping up to his torso. "You need to be removed permanently," Unalaq hisses. Korra screams as she sees Wan's soul slowly corrupted, water begins to envelop him as Unalaq bends it faster, smiling victoriously as it creeps up to his neck. Out of nowhere the dragon bird flies down and with its tail smacks Unalaq and the dog spirit, freeing Wan and Korra. Korra gets up with enough strength and carries Wan's body in her arms to the dragon bird as it takes off.
Korra hugs Wan's unconscious spirit as they fly off. Vaatu laughs at his plan coming to life, "I'll see you soon, Wan. Once the Harmonic Convergence comes, I'll be free from this prison that you put me in, and then I will have my revenge!"
Wan and Korra both awaken back in the physical world. Wan pants heavily as sweat drips down his forehead. Tenzin begins to ask questions once they awaken. "Korra, Wan! What was it like? Did you manage to close the portal? Was Jinora able to help you?"
Wan is in terror, he doesn't know how to even process what happened. Tenzin waits for his daughter to wake up, but she doesn't. "I am so sorry Tenzin." Wan begins to cry a few tears as Tenzin holds his daughter's spiritless body. "I am truly sorry."
"What happened? What happened to my little girl!?" Tenzin panics as he holds his daughter tighter, Korra can't speak, her tongue is tied therefore Wan has to explain. "Unalaq used her as blackmail, we opened the northern portal to save her but Unalaq deceived us." Wan breaks down in tears fully.
"This is all my fault."
