"Son of a bitch… Whoever… Or… Whatever… di-did… Thi-is… Is going to pay." Shuddering, I bent my head against the harsh wind as I trudged through the snow. I am not sure how or why I am here… In the freaking snow! I am not sure how or why… The last thing I remember is going to sleep in my bed… In Los Angeles, freaking California!
Now I am in the middle of… Who the hell knows, during a blizzard, in what I am going to assume is winter…. Though if someone did this as a prank… They have gone too far! Don't get me wrong, I love pulling pranks on people… But this is too much, even by my standards. You think whoever did this would have left me some winter clothing.
Seriously, I am dressed in clothing meant for a city by the coast! I am wearing a sleeveless gray hoodie (Which is zipped, with the hood over my head), a green shirt, black cargo pants, and gray/red sneakers. Which doesn't help keep the snow cold or wet out! Other than the clothing, the only thing I had is my smartphone… Which, of course… Has no signal. I checked.
Shaking my head, I kept stomping through the snow, which I am getting really, really, really sick of seeing! If… I-I mean when! Yeah, that's right! When I get out of here, I will never go snowboarding in the mountains ever again! In fact, I will never so much as go near anything winter-related!
"Sc-screw… Who-Whoever… Did the-" I never finished my sentence, as I slipped on the white shit and onto my back. "Gah!" I think I broke my tailbone… Or something close to it, all I know… I can't move… I-I can't die here…No-Not yet, come on body find the stre-What was I thinking? Why am I so sleepy…. No! Hypo… Hy-Hey… Why is everything goin-
"Am I dead…?" Is this death? Just… Nothing… Or did what you really believe count? I am? Was? Agnostic… So you think I would have ended up… I don't somewhere.
"Do you want to be?" A mysterious yet motherly voice asked me.
"No." Who wants to freaking die!? I have too much to live for! My family! My friend! Kingdom Hearts 3!
"Good, hold on to that feeling. Fight to stay here."
I don't know why, but this voice… It sounds so familiar. "Grandma? Is-Is that you?"
The mysterious voice chuckles. "Well, I am a grandmother. Unfortunately, I am not yours; however, now open your eyes."
Letting out a grunt, I struggled to open my eyes… Why are they so freaking heavy!? It took me… Who knows how long, but finally I opened my eyes. Lifting my head slightly, I try to take in my surroundings.
Above me is a metal roof, which is covered in a strange blue light… While around me is wooden walls, however, that isn't what caught my attention… I am… Wet? Slowly I lifted my hand… Yep, water… Warm water…. Is this a hot spring? No, I am in some kind of pool of water… Maybe a man-made spring? Wait, why is the water glowing?
"Good, you're awake. Can you tell me you who you are, young man?"
Slowly turning to the voice, my jaw dropped in shock. Kneeling in front of me is an elderly woman who… I would say she is in her eighties… Maybe? I don't know, I am not good with ages.
She has dark gray hair that is kept in a nice bun… But with two weird hoops. She is dressed in an oversized blue fur parka lined with white fur. This is… Freaking Katara! My brain shot into overdrive as I stared at the older woman…. I am in the Avatar universe!? No... No… No… I can't be in a fictional universe! This shouldn't be possible… Right?
The elderly Katara frowns in concern. "Are you alright? You look, ashen young man."
"I… I… I think I've gone insane… " Granted, I always joked about being crazy, and my friends always said I was insane given the things I do… But this… This takes the cake, along with the candles as well. This is even crazier than that time when the Salvation Army tried to take over my home city.
"Why do you say that?" Slowly lifting a gloved hand, Katara raises her hand. A small glob of water floats out of the water and touches my head. The water begins to glow brightly.
Right… I can't tell her that she is a fictional character; that wouldn't end very well. "Be-because…" Stammering, I try to come up with an excuse, but nothing came to mind. I don't want to lie; hell, I hate lying to people…. Granted, I can tell a lie of omission, but I still feel bad about doing it, especially to people like Katara. "I don't know… Uh…"
"Katara." Smiling a grandmotherly smile, the waterbender lowered her arm.
Nodding my head, I tried to sit up but was forced by Katara to lay down in the warm water.
"Not yet; you've been unconscious for a week. Your body needs time to recover its strength. Can you tell me your name?" Softly Katara asks again.
The right shouldn't be rude to Katara; that isn't right. Especially grandma Katara…. Also weak? I don't know what she is talking about; I feel good… Really good. In fact… I've never felt better in all my life, but… I better follow the doctor's orders. Smacking my lips, I told her my name. "Magnus… Magnus Maverick."
"It is nice to meet you, Magnus; now tell me, what were you doing out in that snowstorm?" Katara raised a questioning eyebrow.
"To be honest… No clue. I was asleep in my home, and then suddenly… Poof, I am in the middle of a blizzard." I literally had no better explanation since that is the only explanation. Maybe some spirit or something dragged me off from my home, though if that is the case…
I have some questions. How did it do it? Why did it do it? Also… Can I go home?
"Strange indeed." Swirling her hands back and forth, the elderly waterbender closes her eyes in thought. Then, when she opened them again, she nods. "Where is your home? You don't look like you're from Republic City or any of the Elemental Nations."
Well, of course, you wouldn't; I am a white guy from Los Angeles. Plus, even if she had, not many people have my wild and spikey bronze hair. "A very faraway place… "A whole universe or more away is pretty far. "… I don't know if I can go back or how."
Katara frowns, her blue eyes filled with sympathy. "I am sorry, Magnus."
"It's not your fault." Staring at the elderly woman, I gave her a friendly smile. Though it never reached my eyes, I'm pretty bugged about all of this. Then again, who wouldn't be in this situation? I was pulled away from my home, my family… My world.
Shaking my head, I pushed all of these thoughts to the back of my mind. I needed to focus on the here and now, like... Since I am in the Avatar universe, and Katara is old… I need to figure out where I am in the timeline. "Hey… Katara… Who rescued me?"
"Ah yes, about that-" The master waterbender smiles and was about to answer when a very familiar voice interrupted her.
"Hey Katara, how is Hey! Your awake!" Coming into view is the beautiful and, in my opinion, pretty awesome Avatar Korra. The waterbender looked to be around my age; I would say this is before the start of the series. Though I could be wrong, well, I will find out sooner or later. Smiling excitedly, Korra kneels down in front of the large pool of water.
Chuckling, Katara turns to the Avatar and introduces us both. "Magnus, meet your rescuer, Korra."
"Nice to meet you, Korra, and thank you for saving my life," I said in thanks smiling up at the dark-skinned girl.
Rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment, Korra grins at me. "It's no biggie, but I didn't do it alone. Naga helped me."
"Naga?" I knew what she was talking about, but it's best to play dumb for right now.
"My polar bear dog." The Avatar provides helpfully.
I nodded my thanks to Korra with a friendly smile. "Well, remind me to thank Naga later…. Hey Katara, could I try to sit up?"
"That would not be a good idea, but-" Moving her arms and hands in a subtle motion, I felt my upper body lift up slightly… What is going on? Oh wait, she created a slight incline with the water. Giving me a better view of the room. "-I can do this for you; I understand wanting to sit up."
Okay… That is cool! "Thanks for that." Hey! In the corner of the room is… My clothing!? Looking down, I let out a small sigh of relief… I still have on my boxers… Hey, what the hell? Floating under the water is something… brown… and fuzzy… What… Is… It…
Despite Katara and Korra trying to hold me down, I jumped straight out of the water. Stumbling, I nearly fell over but caught myself. My hands against the wall. Turning around, my eyes went wide in shock.
I think… This is a bigger shock than seeing Katara or Korra… Right in front of my face is a bronze-colored… Monkey tail…. I'm calm. I'm calm. I'm cal- "I have a tail!?"
Suffice to say I fainted after that, then again, who wouldn't? When I woke up again, I was not in the water, but instead a comfy cot…. Still in the same room… Looking around in confusion, I found I was alone… No Katara, or Korra, or anyone.
Grunting, I sat up and slowly maneuvered around, so my feet were touching the ground. Turning my head to the side, I let out a sigh and shuddered. The bronze tail is still there… Great. Just… Great…. Reaching out, I gently poked the tail and pulled my hand back… I felt that… Okay… The thing is really attached…I wonder… I wrapped my hand around the appendage and gripped it.
Hard. Pain instantly flashed through my brain, and it felt like my entire body froze in place. It took some time, but I loosened my grip on the tail and began to pant heavily.
"Great… I'm a Saiyan… Just… Great." Whatever or whoever brought me here and did this to me… Really has a lousy sense of humor. Huffing out a heavy sigh, I slowly stood to my feet. Finding my clothing, I began to put everything back on.
Though I stopped when it came to my pants, I would need to make a hole for my new tail. Searching the room, I found a pair of scissors and cut a hole where my tail should go through…
In fact… I quickly did the same for my boxers, which have been kind of in a weird position. After finishing my task, I ended getting dressed and began to think over my current predicament.
Number one: I am in the Legend of Korra.
Number two: I am somehow a Saiyan.
These two alone have a ton of sub-categories of problems within themselves…. I really need some paper and a pen or something, just so I can write down what I know or come up with a plan or something….
Granted, I can't do anything, but I could let the important people in charge know about it all. At the moment… I can't do anything, sure I may be a Saiyan now, but I don't know how to do it… Well, anything that a Saiyan could do, I can't fire ki blasts or sense energy or even fly!
Wait… Saiyans are supposed to be natural at using ki… I just need to figure out how to use it… Maybe try the Kamehameha? Or do the ki summoning thing that Gohan did for Videl.
Beyond those issues, I have a genuine problem. What if the White Lotus or even Korra's father kicks me out? Where would I go? Would they send me to Republic City? Or would they just throw me back into the tundra?
"I see you're awake."
Turning around, I found myself face to face with an older woman, holding a large bundle in her arms. This has to be Katara's daughter, Kya. Only… She looks a little different; her hair isn't completely gray like it was in the show.
No, her hair is much darker, with only light streaks of gray. Huh… Either this is earlier in the show…Naw Korra looks like she did in book one, so that means she is just younger than the show actually made her look. Man, I must have been so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn't even notice her.
"Uh… Yeah."
The older waterbender smirks and places a hand on her hip. "Not going to scream or pass out again, are you?"
Flushing in embarrassment, I shook my head. "No, I think I am done with that."
"Good, nowhere." She tossed the bundle at me. "Put these on; it will help you stay warm. Now, do you feel like eating something?"
Catching the bundle, I flushed brightly as my stomach growled… Loudly. "I guess my stomach answered for me." Damn, Saiyan biology is going to be a pain to deal with. Sure I liked eating, but this is going to be extremely, extremely weird. Unfolding the bundle, I found an oversized blue parka, thick blue gloves, and dark brown boots. "Thank you-"
"Kya." The waterbender supplied with a helpful smile.
"Kya, I'm Magnus." Smiling in thanks, I sat down on the bed and pulled off my sneakers. Placing the boots on my feet, I moved them around to get a feel for them. Standing to my feet and rolling my shoulders.
Now before I put on the parka, I stared down at my tail. Making up my mind, I closed my eyes. It's weird having a fifth appendage… Especially a tail. Yet this is something I have to get used to, or I could have it removed… I'll think on that later.
I really don't want to ask Kya or anyone right now to cut the tail off… Anyway, focusing my mind, I could feel my furry attachment and with a little bit of concentration. I wrapped the tail around my waist.
Opening my eyes, I placed on the parka and slipped the thick gloves over my hands. "Okay, I am ready." At least with it around my waist, it will be easier to deal with. Kind of like a furry belt.
"That was a little weird." Shaking her head, Kya motioned for me to follow her.
"You have no idea." Muttering, I pulled the parka close. Stepping outside for the first time… In a week? I think Katara said. I took in my surroundings. A few stone buildings, watchtowers, large walls of ice, and some training areas. Kya led me to a rather large white formation that sat on top of a large hill. As we walked, Kya told me about some of the things. Most of what she told me were about where I am, what this place is. Stuff like that.
Though I already figured I was in the South Pole when I saw Katara and Korra. Eventually, the waterbender and I ended up in the large building. Once inside, I took off the parka and gloves since it seemed to have heat. Which I am grateful for. Kya then led me through a long hallway until we found ourselves in a large dining area. Multiple long tables completely filled the room. However, the majority of them are empty, except for a small place which has… Food!
Now I am not sure if it's my new biology or the fact I haven't eaten in a week… But I want all of it! Turning to look at Kya, I shakily pointed at the large pile of food. "C-Can I?"
"I am not stopping you." Then, chuckling playfully, she gestured to the table.
With no further prompting, I rushed to the table and began to… Gorge. At this moment, I am not even sure what I am eating, nor do I care. My body and brain went straight into autopilot. Plate after plate, bowl after bowl, I poured it all down my throat.
I am not sure if I chewed or not. All I do know is that my body needed fuel, and it needed it now!
"I… I think I am going to be sick; not even Bumi eats like that." I heard Kya say, but to be honest… I don't care about table manners, at least at the moment.
Stopping for a moment, I turned to look back at Kya. Only to find she is gone…. Did she get sick? Okay, mental note to self, learn some self-control… If I can. Shaking my head, I went back to eating. I am not sure how long I just sat there eating, but when I finished… There was nothing but a massive mountain of plates, silverware, and bowls. Letting out a content sigh, I leaned back in my chair.
"That… Was filling." Though to be honest… I could eat a bit more. However, I don't think I will have to. That would just be eating to eat, which I don't care to do at the moment. My body has enough in its tank to last me a while. At least I think I do…. You know… I don't even think I tasted anything I ate.
"The chef will be happy to hear you enjoyed it."
Turning to the voice, I smiled slightly in embarrassment. Standing there is Korra, Katara, and Kya. How long were the other two just standing there? Given the shocked look on Korra's face? I would say a while. Grinning sheepishly and rubbing the back of my head, I let out a small sigh. "Hey… Umm… I'm sorry you had to see that."
"How… How did you put away that MUCH food! There was enough here to feed an entire family!" Korra's eyes widen in shock. "We were going to join you for lunch… But looks like you ate it all."
Oh… Uh… Oops? "Sorry… I was hungry."
Chuckling good-naturedly, Katara shakes her head. "You were asleep for a week; I would be surprised if you weren't hungry." Katara called for someone and a… Servant? Came into the room and took away all the dishes.
While another came in carrying a few trays of food, setting the food away and out of reach from me. The three women join me, with Katara and Kya sitting in front of me. Korra took the seat next to me, then all three women began to eat. Though they were much more reserved than me.
After a few minutes of eating, they finished, and now we all had cups of tea in front of us. Katara taking a sip of her tea before finally speaking. "How do you feel, Magnus?"
"Better thanks to you." I am pretty sure I would have died of hypothermia if it wasn't for Katara…. But, wait, since I almost died, doesn't that mean I get a power boost? If so… Then damn.
"Good, now if you don't mind, we have some questions for you." Katara told me, and when I nodded, she smiled. "Good, now-"
"Why do you have a tail?" Korra asked as she pointed at the furry appendage, realizing though she interrupted Katara, the young Avatar looks down. "Sorry, Katara."
Smiling, Katara waves it off. "It is fine Korra, I was rather curious about it myself." Then, turning her attention to me, the older woman's eyes filled with curiosity. "You acted quite surprised seeing the tail; I am going to assume it is not natural. Did you run afoul a spirit?"
"Uh… No, but I'm supposed to have a tail. See umm… Where I come from, there are people called Saiyans. They are born with this tail." Slowly unwinding the bronze tail, I had my fifth limb slowly wrap around my teacup.
Lifting the cup to my lips, I slowly drank the tea…. Okay, this is some good tea; I must have more later. "The reason why I was shocked… Well, I didn't know I was one."
"How could you not know?" Kya crosses her arms and leans back in her chair.
Now how do I answer this? Wait, I got it! "Well… How do you know if someone is or will be a bender?"
"That is a good point, but typically you will know when the child is young. Is it different for Saiyans? Did I pronounce that right?" Katara asks.
Nodding my head, yes, I look around the table. "Typically, but it's…." I don't want to outright lie, but I may need to. "It doesn't always appear in someone. At least not until their life is in serious danger like it did with me in the blizzard. Saiyans are usually resistant to the elements."
Kya nods her head in understanding. "Your body did it as a means of protection, though I am curious about one thing. Why do you have a tail?"
"Saiyans are descendants of giant apes, also called Oozaru. The tail is a sign of their heritage or my heritage." Yeah… I'm not telling them about the fact that Saiyans, with their tails, can turn into those King Kong-sized monkeys by looking at the full moon.
I may need to find a way to control that… It could be helpful, especially in a fight… Wait fight? Why am I thinking about a fight? No! The Saiyan instinct to fight is in me! Or I am just thinking ahead… Yeah, let's just go with that.
"So weird." Korra muttered as she reached out and poked at my tail.
Shivering weirdly, my tail moved out of the way. "Don't touch it, please… It's um… Sensitive to touch."
"Oh, sorry." Then, blushing in embarrassment, Korra pulled her hand away.
"It's fine just… Don't touch." Rewrapping the tail around my waist, I cross my arms. Man, that was weird! "Any more questions?"
"Well… What is a Saiyan?" Korra turns her head in curiosity. "You talk like they aren't human, like… You're not human." The three waterbenders look at me with, well I wouldn't say frightened but… Interested.
Clearing my throat, I shook my head. "In some ways… Your right; I am not a human." Not anymore anyway. "Other than my tail-" And a few other differences, like getting stronger from injuries and the ability to become a Super Saiyan. Just to name a few. "-I'm no different than you."
Katara has a thoughtful look on her face before speaking again. "I believe we have questioned our young guest enough for now." Then, standing to her feet, the elderly waterbender smiles at me. "I will speak to Chief Tonraq about your situation. But, for the time being, you may stay in the healing building."
"I… Thank you, Katara." Bowing my head in thanks inwardly, I let out a sigh. That was one thing I didn't have to worry about, now the next issue… Preparing for this world and all the problems that will be coming soon.
"Hey Katara, would it be okay if I showed Magnus around?" The Avatar asked with a giant smile… Wait, why does she sound so eager? Why does she want to show me around? Does she not have friends? Or hang around anyone her own age? Well… Since she is locked up here most of the time training? I guess not. That's kind of sad… Which means I must and will be her friend!
"Don't ask her; ask him Korra." Kya smirks as she leans back in her chair.
"Oh right, Magnus, do you want to look around?" Korra turned to me with a sheepish look on her face.
Smiling slightly, I nodded. "Sure, I would love to." Standing up, I grabbed the parka and gloves. "Thank you once again, Katara and Kya." Following Korra back outside, I placed the parka and gloves back on.
"So Magnus, where are you from?" The Avatar asked as we walked around. "Did you come from Republic City?"
"No, the place I come from is called Los Angeles, and it's far from here." Really far away from here. "In fact, my home is nowhere in the Elemental Nations."
My mouth dropping wide, my fellow teen stares at me in shock. "W-What!? That's so cool! Wait… You didn't mean to come here, right?" When I nodded, Korra looks down, a sad look on her face. "Which means your away from your family and friends. I am sorry." The Avatar gave me a sympathetic look that is very similar to Aang's own.
Stopping for a moment, I shook my head. "It's okay Korra, I will see them again one day." Hopefully… Maybe I should check out that library in the spirit world? It should have some info on to return. Though how do I get there? I am not the Avatar, and the portals are closed, right?
Too many questions that needed answers. However, if there is a way here, then there has to be a way back home. I just have to search for it. Which means… I will need to become strong….And I can only do that in classic Dragon Ball Z fashion.
Training.
I have a goal; I have to get stronger to find a way to get back home. This means I will need to be involved in the significant events to come…. Though does that mean it all has to stay the same? No, I won't let Korra go through all the things she did in the canon. At least the bad stuff. The good stuff can stay the same.
"Korra, this place has a training area, right?"
The dark-skinned girl nods her head and jerks her thumb to a large area near the white building. "Yeah, over there. Why do you ask?"
"I want to get a workout in." As I said that, a smile appeared on my face… A very Saiyan-like smile.
