The Legend of Korra: Skarloey Kail
Chapter 6
By morning Skarloey awoke to find himself on the Bison's back surrounded by trees, only a few paces from what looked to be an air nomad temple. He recalled the night before briefly, remembering that Korra had convinced him that they should leave at dawn to catch up with Tenzin and his family. He happily agreed, thankful she had changed her mind about contacting the Fire Lord. He sat up and found Fang on the ground beside the Bison, coiled around himself and awake, waiting for Skarloey to get up.
"Fang, you see where Korra went?" He asks as he climbs down off of the Bison and walked over to his new partner. Fang's whisker extends to his forehead and he is given a vision of Korra turning to wake him up when they landed, but instead, she smiles softly and decides to let him sleep, before dismounting and heading up the stone walkway and into the temple. "No sense in you hiding here Fang, Korra's family wouldn't hurt a fly." Skarloey turns to the temple and heads up the steps, Fang slithering along silently behind him, still trying to remain as unseen as possible.
Once at the top of the steps he peeks his head around a corner of a large stone archway, seeing Korra and her friends gathered around the center of the room. He leans up against the doorway to wait for them to finish, not wanting to interrupt. However, as soon as he had gotten comfortable he let out a gasp and began to fall forward in surprise when Fang nudged him in the back with his nose. He stumbled forward and was only able to keep himself standing by wrapping his arms around Korra's waist and using her to hold him up for a second. He turned his head to scold the large dragon but didn't get the chance, when he realized that everyone in the room was looking at the massive creature, about to panic. Bumi had noticed Fang first and had quickly moved to the front of the group as if to guard them against its attack. Tenzin and Kaya had already readied themselves for an attack as well but Korra threw up her arms and began to yell to them over all the screaming.
"CALM DOWN EVERYONE, FRIENDLY DRAGON!" She finally got out as everyone looked closer at Fang, who was simply lying there on the ground, not wanting anyone to start a fight with him.
"Jeez Fang," Skarloey says as he lets go of Korra and walks over to the dragon and placing his hand on his long nose. "You trying to make a fool of me? I guess you are an animal after all...you must get playful sometimes huh?" He says smiling down to his partner.
Tenzin then speaks up, "Wait...you are the Earth bender from the south pole," he says before taking a closer look at the giant white and red dragon. "And if my eyes are not deceiving me, you are the animal guide of Avatar Roku!"
Korra sighs loudly before running her hands through her hair, "Okay I guess I didn't explain EVERYTHING." Korra then explains to everyone about Skarloey and Fang's plans and they all calm down. Tenzin and Korra then leave the room to speak in private. Skarloey soon learns from the group that she and Tenzin will be trying to enter the spirit world, but unlike everyone else, he elects to give them some space and leave them alone.
"What?" Kaya asks as Skarloey turns to leave the area. "I thought you and Fang would want to get in touch with the spirit world too?"
"Nah, I don't think we are ready for that yet if you guys need me I'll be practicing my fire bending by the ocean so I can't burn anything down. He climbs onto Fang's back and the dragon takes off slowly and flies them through the roof and down to the shoreline.
Korra comes back into the room and Kaya speaks up, "And that guy is your boyfriend now?"
"Woah what?! No!" Korra spat out in surprise.
"He doesn't even seem concerned, you could be gone for days in the spirit world!"
"He knows I can handle myself, besides, I have Tenzin with me so chill out," She laughs out.
"If you say so," Kaya says following them where Tenzin leads them to meditate.
By late in the afternoon, Skarloey has run himself ragged and is riding Fang back to the temple. After landing he had Fang sniff Korra out and finds her and Tenzin in an indoor shrine. He watches the two of them silently for a moment before walking over to Korra and speaking up, "You in the spirit world or what?"
"Ugghhhh...noooo," she sighs out as she opens her eyes and looks up to him, "We can't figure it out."
"Don't worry," he says, "You'll get it, just keep up the good work," he says as he walks to the other side of the room and slumps down against the wall and rests.
After a small while, he hears Korra and Tenzin begin to argue before Tenzin admits he has never been into the spirit world. Jinora then steps up and explains that she knows of a place that would be easier to enter the spirit world, and the group moves to the ancient meditation site. Skarloey and Fang hang back as everyone else checks it out. After Tenzin determines that the area must be cleansed, Skarloey watches as Tenzin begins the ritual to purify the area.
Suddenly, dark spirits erupt from the hollow section in the center of the site, and after dodging several attacks from Tenzin and Korra, Korra uses her water bending to cleanse the spirits, causing them all to dissipate.
Skarloey then hears Korra apologizing to Tenzin for trading him up for Unalaq in the first place. Once Tenzin and Korra have broken their make-up hug, Skarloey rejoins the group, "When did you get that down?"
"I think my encounter with Rava may have done something for my spiritual side."
As Tenzin goes to meditate, everyone else takes a seat to wait. Korra leaning into Skarloey's shoulder, watching Tenzin.
"You sure you don't want to go in with us?"
"Ya...another time, I'm not ready yet. I have to say I feel I am mastering fire bending very quick. Having a dragon to teach you it's element really works wonders."
"Uhm..." They hear Jenora speak up and look to her.
"What is it Jenora?" Korra asks.
"Mr. Skarloey..."
"Yes?"
"Are you spiritual? Well...you must be if Fang bonded with you so quickly."
"I don't really know, how would I be able to tell if I was or not?"
"You would be able to see spirits naturally for starters."
"I don't know that I have... I have seen a lot of strange stuff in my life but I wouldn't think any of it was spiritual."
As the day moves on and into the night, Tenzin remains alone in the meditation area. Finally, once he has given up, Korra and Jinora head to the area and give it a try.
"Korra," she hears as she is about to sit down, Skarloey takes her hand and she turns to face him. "Be careful okay? You won't be able to use your bending in the spirit world..so look out for each other..."
"Don't worry," she smiles out, appreciating the gesture. "We will."
Soon enough the two are in the spirit world, the rest of the group watching their bodies.
After watching them for about an hour, Skarloey stands up and walks a few yards away from the group. By this point, everyone other than Tenzin and Kaya has fallen asleep. "Where are you going?" She asks him.
"Nowhere, just practicing my fire bending, he says as he creates a flame in his palm. "Harmonic Convergence is only weeks away, I need to master this element as soon as possible."
"You really want to commit your life to this...Don't you?"
"Yes I do..." he says turning away from them and closing his eyes. "Fang," he calls out to his partner and the dragon's head pops up and he hovers to his partner. "We are going to try and merge for a few seconds...not long remember, I don't want any dragon body parts, no offense."
Fang nods his head and flies up into the sky, getting a good run up on Skarloey, "Let her rip!" He yells up to the dragon as he charges down at him from the top, their heads touching briefly before Fang's entire body merges with Skarloey with a flash of bright red light. His eyes flash open, completely filled in with red light, and he takes a ready stance and everyone in the room stands speechless as they see the flames in his hand begin to burn blue rather than the standard red. He too seems a bit surprised but doesn't linger on the surprise.
He then sends a few punches to the sky and then stomps the ground, causing a boulder to fly up from the ground and he then sends a punch its way, the blue flames propelling the boulder into a nearby tree, the boulder going straight through the wood and the top of the tree falling to the ground. After this Fang leaves his body and Skarloey falls to his knees breathing heavily.
"Amazing," Tenzin says to himself, "No one other than the avatar has ever been able to do that."
"Well," Skarloey stands and turns to them. "It's been ten thousand years since the Avatar was formed since an individual was unique enough to merge with a spirit and learn more than one element. I don't think it's too strange to think that after ten thousand years someone else met the criteria," he sighs out as he sits beside Fang, patting the closest section of the coil of his tail. "You alright Fang?" he asks as the dragon nods, "good...you left me with fire bending right?" and again the dragon nods to him. "Are you the reason my fire burns blue? Or is it also partly my fault?" One final nod from the dragon gets a smile out of Skarloey and he relaxes against the dragon's body. "We are going to make one heck of a team Fang.
As the night drags on Skarloey falls asleep, however, he feels himself being nudged awake. He opens his eyes to find Fang right in his face, extending a whisker to his forehead. Through his mind run images of Korra in pain, in trouble and failing to bend against an enemy that he can't see. He takes his whisker away, Bumi watching the pair the entire time as it is his turn to watch them.
"Korra!" Skarloey shouts out as he jolts up to his feet, "Common Fang we need to go!" He says as he climbs up onto the dragon's back.
"What? Where are you going?" Bumi yells to them as Fang takes off.
"Southern portal! Korra is in trouble!" he yells back as he is already almost out of earshot.
Back in the spirit world, Korra finds Vaatu, along with Unalaq who has captured Jinora. As Korra opens the portal to complete Unalaq's deal, however, he goes back on his terms and the dark spirits take Jinora away, and the Dragon-bird swoops in to save Korra, waking up in the real world in mere moments. She explains what has happened to Jinora, and as Tenzin is holding his daughter's body in his arms she feels she has missed something. "Hey...where's Skarloey?"
"He and Fang left last night, he sensed you were in danger. He should be headed to the southern portal..." Tenzin speaks softly.
"You let him go alone?!" Korra yells. "He will be taken by Unalaq too!"
"Korra," Bumi speaks up, "He's a tough kid, he will be fine, he is smart enough to not attack his own."
"We need to go get him!"
"What we need to do is get to republic city and tell the president what has happened," Tenzin says as he takes Jinora onto Ugi's back.
Once Skarloey has reached the border of the southern tribe, he finds all is quiet. Seeing troops on patrol and the blockade still in place. He lands out of sight on the outskirts, only to quickly see the group of southern rebels retreating to their makeshift base and he sets off after them.
When he arrives he finds Katara tending to all of the wounded men, when she notices him she speaks up. "I know you...your that Earth bender who was staying with Korra during the festival right?"
"Yes, mam...where is Tanraq?" He asks as he scans the room.
"...He didn't make it back, Unalaq has him prisoner."
"Can I stay for a few days? I need to finish training, I'm sure Korra and the others will be here in a few days."
"Of course you can stay," she says pondering what he said, "But you seemed to have Earth bending mastered? What training could you need to do?"
"I guess you're not really in the loop huh?" he scratches his head. "If you smell fire don't panic okay?" he laughs out as he leaves the building and rejoins Fang in the snow. "Okay, Fang, just one thing left, lightning generation here we come.
End of Chapter 6