Chapter II
Four Ghosts and An Offer
"Is he dead?"
"If he was dead we'd be waking up in a baby somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, not that I'd mind."
"Kyoshi!"
"Lay off her Roku, I think I have an idea."
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The boys opened and Avatar Aang had stuck his fingers into his mouth with the other two on his eyelids. He'd spread his lips and made his eyes roll back behind his head with his tongue stuck out "BOOGABOOGABOOGABOOGABOOGABOOGA!"
Lykan shot squealing like an ox pig up from the floor to see the three older Avatars standing around him with Aang kneeling in front of him, "Knew that would work." Aang said letting his face return to normal.
The living avatar let out a loud scream getting up and running away from them "Stay away, stay back!" He snapped.
"Oh look he's freaking out, great job Aang." Kyoshi said hands on her hips.
Aang scoffed at her "Rock brain."
"Air head." She hissed, he grinded his teeth "Let me handle this." Aang said, walking up to Lykan who picked up one of the chairs from the table hurling at him. The chair passed through Aangs head smashing into the wall behind him "Maybe try that uh never again?" Aang said.
Lykan looked around and held up one of the plates throwing it at Aang, again it sailed through him "Lykan calm down." He told him.
"Calm down, four ghosts are in my house." He barked.
Aang rolled his eyes "For the second time, we are not ghosts… ok technically speaking we are- but we're your past lives." Aang said while Lykan kept hurling furniture and tableware into the ghosts.
"Get-out-of-my-HOUSE!" He said between throwing everything he could find.
Kuruk sighed "Really killing it Aang."
"WOULD YOU GIVE IT A REST YOU BRAT!" Kyoshi suddenly screamed Lykan held up a spoon, her sudden earthquake of a shout made him drop the spin like his courage.
Gulping "The power of the spirits compels you- the power of the spirit compels you." He snapped flinging the spoon between Kyoshi's eyes.
"My dear Kyoshi, humble Kuruk allow me." Roku said, stepping forward "Young man, do you know why we are here?" He asked.
Lykan looked at the Avatar of Fire's spirit standing before him "To… haunt me?"
Roku and Aang exchanged looks "Well he's half right, Aang?" Roku asked.
"Look I'm just going to say it before you throw more of your kitchen at us- WHOA!" Aang and the other Avatars got wide eyed when Lykan picked up the whole dinning room table. Aang held up his hands "Whoa, whoa, whoa time out kid." Aang said hands in a cross before Lykan lowered the table.
Aang sighed "What do you want?" Lykan asked.
"Thats what we've been trying to tell you." Aang said holding up an open hand to offer him the truth.
Lykan put the table down and glared at his past selves "We saw you at the ceremony, we all did."
"We as in you four?" Lykan asked "Not quite, but the point is you need to stop hiding the fact you're the Avatar and let the White Lotus start training you as I instructed." Aang told him.
Lykan squeezed his hands into fists and took a step toward Aang "You all have been gone for a while, and since then the worlds changed a bit, in fact we've come up with a new word that helps in every scenario, even this and paired with another, want to hear it?" Lykan asked.
Aang looked at the other Avatars blankly, they all shrugged "Um… ok?"
Lykan looked into Aangs gray eyes "Fuck off."
Meanwhile, far across the tundras of the South Pole inside the house of Korra's family, she was sitting at the dinner table with her mother and father in silence. Both Tonraq and Kana had noticed her unusual silence with some concern "Korra is something wrong?" Tonraq asked.
"We thought you'd be more excited to be tested by the White Lotus to become the Avatar?" Kana asked her usually more talkative daughter.
Korra tapped her fingers on the table a few times "It's just… something happened after the ceremony, I don't want to talk about it."
Her mother and father looked at one another and said, "We understand Korra maybe you just need some rest, you have a big day tomorrow with the White Lotus." Kana said. Korra nodded "Yeah probably right, goodnight." Korra said excusing herself from the table and heading to her room. When she was out of the room the two parents started to clear the rest of the table and clean up.
In a few minutes though a knock came at the door "A visitor, this late at night?" Kana asked when Tonraq went to the door opening it.
To their surprise it was Tenzin and Bumi "Ambassador Tenzin, Commander Bumi you honor us." Tonraq said, smiling warmly at them.
"Apologizes for the intrusion sir, but we had a few questions if you wouldn't mind?" Tenzin asked "If it's about our daughter attending your tests, she's gone to bed unfortunately and she's had all day." Kana said walking up to stand beside her husband.
Bumi and Tenzin looked at one another "Actually sir, madam we're hoping to discuss another child." Tenzin explained.
A bit later, Tenzin and Bumi were sitting across the table from Kana and Tonraq "Lykan, what's your business with the boy?" Tonraq asked after they popped the question.
"We witnessed an… incident outside the city gates, your daughter was there." Tenzin said to put it delicately.
"What incident?" Kana asked "Nothing to concern yourself madam, well I'm not sure really. Your daughter was speaking to the boy what was his name again?" Tenzin asked.
"Lykan." Tonraq said "Yes, when three water tribesmen… accosted him?"
Tonraq and Kana starred at them "They roughed the kid up for no reason, called him a mongo?" Bumi blurted out to clear the distraction.
"A mongrel Bumi." Tenzin corrected "What did I say?" Bumi asked his baby brother. Both Kana and Tonraq looked at one another, not surprised but no less happy about it "I take it this has happened before?" Tenzin asked.
Tonraq sighed before Kana reached for his hand "Lykan and Korra have been friends for years, he used to be a regular at our dinner table but that was a long time ago." Kana explained to their guests.
"And the three men who harassed him?" Tenzin asked.
It was Tonraq who answered "They're not the only ones, some less enlightened members of our tribe have started to adopt a more prejudiced viewpoint on what it means to be the Water Tribe."
"How do you mean?" Bumi asked, sharing the grim faces of the other's "Lykan's mother, Sedna, came to the South Pole alone the same year Kana was carrying Korra, she was pregnant too." Tonraq explained to them.
"Was she a bender?" Tenzin asked them, they shook their heads "No, but Sedna was a very ingenuitive woman, a kinder hearted woman you'd never meet, maybe besides your esteemed mother." Kana said, complicating the guests' mother.
An uneasiness fell between the four of them "And… the boy's father?" Tenzin asked.
"Sedna never spoke of him she showed me a betrothal necklace once but never wore it in public." Kana answered him "Hard to speak about someone who was never there." Tonraq said disgusted arms crossed.
"Hmm I never knew the Water Tribe had such prejudices against unmarried women." Tenzin said "It's not that, far from it, most orphaned children are eagerly adopted into loving homes and villages but Lykan is well… you must have noticed his unique appearance." Tonraq said but both Tenzin looked at him baffled.
"Unique appearance he seems like a normal enough boy to me?" Bumi said "I usually don't agree with my brother but yes, nothing unusual?" Tenzin added.
Tonraq and Kana smiled "Glad we agree on that, but unlike those men at the gate they don't think someone from the water tribe should like the way Lykan is."
"I'm sorry to push it, but the water tribe has always had a great sense of community, did Lykan do anything wrong to bring this?" Tenzin asked.
Tonraq thought for a second to put it into the right words "When I first arrived here in the South, some elders were having a hard time accepting all the traders and travelers coming to the south, they felt threatened by the changing world your father brought on."
"They are wary of change, afraid of it thinking the Tribe will loose something." Tonraq continued.
"Some like those men at the gate take it too far with Lykan all because he isn't what they call a pure water tribe member." Kana elaborated.
Tenzin face fell "My goodness that is just-" "The absolute dumbest thing I've ever heard, Tenzin and I are technically part of the water tribe and we grew up in Republic City, spirits I can't even water bend and barely ever wear blue." Bumi said holding up his hands at the stupidity.
"Exactly it's nonsense but it's harder to change peoples minds when their afraid of what they don't understand." Tonraq explained "...You mentioned the boy's mother in past tense?" Tenzin suddenly asked changing the subject.
Both the faces of Korra's parents went from grim to sad "I didn't mean to offend you sir, madam." Tenzin said apologizing "No, it's a fair question just one that doesn't have a happy answer."
"Five years ago, a terrible blizzard swept the South Pole freezing the harbor and cutting us off from the outside world." Tonraq told them "Five years ago, I remember that storm." Bumi said all eyes on him.
"Our fleet was on its way to engage pirates who had been raiding up and down the southern earth kingdom, never felt water so cold spray on your face." He added as Tonraq continued "The houses on the frontier got it worse, and Sedna's house was beyond all other house." Kana took her husband's hand "Tonraq and a brave few went out into the storm to deliver supplies and aid to anyone who needed it, but by the time they reached Sedna's house…." She got really quiet then "It was to late." Tonraq said squeezing Kana's delicate hand in his big bear paw.
"But the boy survived?" Tenzin asked.
They both nodded at the air bender "Barely, we found frozen to his mothers body she'd wrapped them in dozens of furs but even they were frozen as ice." Tonraq added "I road my polar bear dog to death getting him back to the healers who did everything they could, but even they were sure he wouldn't last the night."
"But he did." Tenzin already answered "In part." Tonraq said sadly.
He locked eyes with both men "He watched mother freeze to death because no one else in the village would come to help them."
Bumi and Tenzin looked at them confused "But you said-" "I said a brave few, but despite me leading my men I can't lead their hearts they had their own families to think about they said, 'Why should we help that whore and his bastard' they were the only bastards that day." Tonraq said, his other hand turning into a fist banging it on the table.
Tonraq looked down at his hand "Doesn't matter how warm the fires around him were, a piece of those frozen days still lives inside him, turned him cold and uncaring before his mother died you wouldn't have met a happier child." He said smiling at the thought "He and Korra would go penguin sledding from dusk till dawn."
"He's lived a hard life, and its so short." Tenzin said sadly when Bumi pictured a lighting bender going off in his mind "Did you say… Penguin sledding?"
Across the tundras, back at Lykans home he was sweeping up what remained of all the furniture in his house into a pile, the four Avatar spirits were sitting behind him on the floor. Kuruk sitting on a broken crate, Kyoshi was sitting crossed, Roku knelt down while Aang was sitting leaned up against the wall "So now that we're out of furniture will you go see the White Lotus?" Aang asked.
Lykan rolled his eyes "Which part of my answer didn't you understand, the Fuck or the Off cause I can repeat it?"
"He's a stubborn one isn't he." Roku said "Sure he's not an earth bender Kyoshi?" Kuruk asked her.
"Sure you aren't a polar bear dog with that ridiculous headdress?" She asked him "You're literally wearing a solid gold tiara?" Aang pointed out "Yes cause everyone should tattoo their forehead with arrows that say 'look at me, look at me' tell me how many times did those arrows almost get you killed, air head?"
Lykan looked back at them and when the spirits saw him watching he turned away "Can you guys go now, because nothing you say will convince me." He pointed out picking up the shattered table parts and throwing them in the fireplace.
"And we've got nothing but time to break you." Aang said getting up walking over to him "See we're dead, so we can wait." He said smiling looking at Lykan smirking. Lykan glared at him "How about I go into that psycho mode of yours, find an ice berg and disappear for a hundred years, think you can out last that huh?" He asked the Last Air Bender.
The other three Avatars all winced "Gonna need a water bender for that burn." Roku whispered.
Aang's face turned sour, Aang pressed his head up against Lykan and he did the same "Listen here you little shi-" Suddenly they heard a knock on the door.
Lykan froze like ice, looking at the four Avatars he whispered while pointing at them "Shut up, shut up, shut up-" he pointed at Aang last "Fuck you and shut up." Lykan dropped the broom and walked to the door cracking it open to see none other than Bumi. Inside Lykans mind he was screaming in unbound terror while behind him Aang's face lit up like a fire nation fireworks show.
Kyoshi hummed to herself "This just got interesting?"
"Indeed." Roku added, Lykan shot a look back over at them that would scare a lion turtle but four battle hardened Avatars weren't so easily intimidated.
"May I come in?" Bumi asked drawing Lykans attention back to the man at his door. Lykan looked back at his ruined place, one he had destroyed trying to get the four avatars out of his home to no avail. "Suuuuuure." He said opening the door.
Bumi walked in looking around "Nice… place you got here, very sheik." He said looking at the piles of rubble around the room.
"What do you want?" Lykan asked while Bumi took off his hood and sat down on the floor "Do I have to want something?" Bumi asked, sitting down and reaching into his coat.
"Most people let alone Republic Commanders come to my door?" Lykan said sitting down across from him eyeing him "Relax kid, it's tea you got a pot?"
In a few minutes Bumi had made them a fresh bowl of tea, before he poured two cups from them "Fire Lord Zuko taught me how to make this tea, believe it or not he's one of the best tea makers in the world."
"Actually it was his uncle." Aang whispered next to Roku "Thought it was his uncle?" Lykan blurted out when he took the tea.
Bumi sipped it "His uncle taught him, the two were very close."
"Yeah I know the legend." Lykan said, sniffing the tea "It's not poisoned haha." Bumi chuckled sipping his again, Lykan sipped it too and he immediately relaxed feeling himself warmed from head to toe.
"This is… really good." Lykan said sipping it again, Bumi smiled looking around the ruined house. Besides the broken furniture the place was practically condemnable. "So, you live here alone?" Bumi asked. Lykan nodded "It's not all bad, I get the occasional ice spider for company and… some unwanted guests every once in a while?" He said glaring at the four avatars out of the corner of his eye.
Bumi frowned "Like those men in the village?"
"What?" Lykan asked.
Bumi put his tea cup down "My brother Tenzin, he saw you and that girl today Korra's here name right?"
Lykan nodded "Yeah, that's nothing new."
"So I've heard." Bumi told him pouring them both fresh cups of tea "But that's only half the reason I'm here." Bumi told him, "Why did you throw the contest?"
Aang through his arms up in the air "That's my boy!"
Lykan didn't answer him at first "I… I uh." He started to sweat hearing the other Avatars behind him "Tell him you're the Avatar, it's the right thing to do." Kuruk said.
"Can't keep the lie up forever." Kyoshi reminded him.
"There must be an Avatar to keep balance." Roku pointed out.
Then Aang spoke last "You can't run from who you are."
"Because I wanted to." Lykan told him "Hmm?" Bumi asked while sipping his tea "Look, I don't need to embarrass myself I've got enough problems as it is, if I was even remotely near the possible Avatar well… those jerks in the village would never let up, I'm better off here away from everyone." Lykan said looking into the tea.
Bumi looked down at his own smiling "You're lying." Bumi called. Aang let out another cheer, Lykan slowly got ready to bend Bumi into the floor but Bumi spoke "You don't belong here, cut off from the world, so why don't you come with me when I leave?" Bumi offered.
The four Avatars, five counting Lykan all looked at Bumi with shock "What?" Lykan asked.
"You heard me." Bumi said before he jumped up striking a pose, one knee propped up on a broken piece of the table, his left arm at his side the other pointing to the sky "Join me on my ship, see the world, we'll fight pirates, save damsels in distress and ride giant monsters through the air…. what do you say?"
Kuruk slapped his forehead, Kyoshi rolled her eyes, Roku shook his head and Aang's jaw had made itself acquainted to the ground with his eyes trying to escape his head. Lykan was at a lost for words so Bumi shrugged "Or you could stay here since those snobs are so friendly with you." Bumi said walking to the door
"Why, why ask me to come with you?" Lykan asked him.
Bumi turned around smiling "Does there have to be a why for anything we do, why not?" He asked looking back at him "My ship leaves at noon tomorrow, we're setting sail for Republic City before we set it for a year long good voyage around the world." Bumi said, pulling up his hood "Think about it." Bumi said walking out the door shutting it behind him.