A/N: This story (aside from the prologue) takes place forty years after the conclusion of The Legend of Korra. While it's primarily about the two generations that came after, some familiar names and faces will pop up here and there! (If you've read my fic 'The Scars that Made Me', you might recognize some characters I introduced there!)

The first book in this series is fully written and roughly 74k words, with new chapters posted once per week. I plan on at least one more fic—if not two—of similar lengths, to resolve the storyline.

Happy reading, I hope you enjoy it!

Prologue

Year 200 AG

City lights sparkling in the night hid all evidence of the starry sky above, giving it a gray cast for the lone figure that stood on a hill overlooking the scene—a man in black, invisible to anyone who might be nearby.

He glanced over at the domed, golden building on the edge of the city, then at the statue of Avatar Aang. He felt nothing. There was only the mission. His brothers and sisters would be surrounding the city now, as well as the island in the middle of the bay.

Slowly the sky began to change as if the new dawn had come early. Dark gray gave way to burnt orange—a warm glow that made the energy surge inside him. Blood running hot. Euphoria.

They had said it would feel like this, but he found that words and expectations were not even remotely close to the real thing. And that feeling only grew stronger with every passing moment while the sky burned brighter and brighter. Soon a ball of fire appeared on the horizon. Pulling. Beckoning.

Beep beep beep beep

He reached over to the small device on his wrist and pushed a button to end the faintly irritating noise that pulled him out of his reverie. It was time.

All was silent for a few seconds, then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused all of his chi into his light chakra. It required intense concentration and a deep understanding of the world around him. A connection unlike any other.

He could feel his brothers and sisters in a ring around the city in the moments before the almost overwhelming energy erupted from his forehead in a blinding stream. It hurt. It hurt so much and felt so good. Relief and pain; they meant the same to him. Even through closed eyes, he could see the flash.

For exactly two seconds, the world was enveloped in total silence. He opened his eyes to see an expanding cloud of dust and debris and then—

BOOOOOOM

The shockwave reached his overlook unexpectedly and the ground vanished beneath his feet. Tumbling head over heels into oblivion, every sense overloaded. His breath was violently forced from his lungs as he reconnected with stone and earth. Bones crunched and shattered. It took a minute for the pain to register while he blinked in the dust, gasping.

A purple-golden light met his blurred gaze, like a bruise on fire. It was horrific—the shape of fear and hatred and desperation. He closed his eyes to block it out, and then he died.

Fourteen Years Later

Well, today was terrible. I can't believe my parents are making me do these sessions and write in this stupid journal. So far it hasn't helped at all. I've decided I'm just going to stop telling them about Yin. In a few weeks, I'll tell them I've grown out of 'that stuff' and don't need to do this anymore.

Mom and Dad were both working all day so I was on Lia duty and she was such a pain in the butt! More than usual because she's been cutting a new tooth. Spirits, I'm so sick of cleaning her up and cleaning up after her, especially now that she's earthbending and making a mess of everything! Ugh, I never want any babies! Ever!

I yelled at Mom and Dad when they got home because I'm just so fed up with it. I mean, it's not like I want to starve to death and I know they have to work but…it's just not fair. I didn't ask to have a sister. And I made the mistake of complaining that I don't ever have time to go into the swamp to practice my firebending. Oops…

Needless to say, Mom's furious and I've been banished to my room. Now I'm sitting here with nothing to do but write in this dumb journal. I just want to get out of this town! Two and a half more years (if I can even stand it for that long). But Dad promised to give me some money to get started on my own if I stay until I'm eighteen. So…I guess I'll wait. I know they don't want to lose their babysitter but, hey, if I'm gone they won't have to buy food for me anymore, right? (I eat a lot!)

I've got a plan, though: I'm going to find the Avatar! I know, I know, it sounds like a dumb plan, but wouldn't it be cool? If Avatar Korra is still alive and just imprisoned, then all I have to do is find her and then she can help us escape from wherever she is. If she died years ago, then I need to look for the new Avatar. Together we can figure out what's going on with this bender plague or whatever it is. And then we can lock up all the blue sages and everything will be good again.

I never told anyone this before but I kinda used to wish I was the Avatar. But Gran said once that the new Avatar would be an earthbender, and I'm a firebender like my grandad-who-shall-not-be-named (seriously—I don't even know his name). I always thought it would be so cool to be powerful and important. But…I guess it would be really stressful to have to give speeches and stuff all the time. And solve everyone's problems and deal with the blue sages.

So now I think it would be better to be the Avatar's sidekick: all the adventure and excitement without the responsibility. Of course, I'll never get to do any of that if I'm stuck in this awful town forever!

Anyway, I guess I don't have anything else to say. Yay, I killed a whole ten minutes writing this… Time to sit here and do nothing until bedtime.

My life stinks!

Saph underlined the final word with such fierceness that it cut through the page, then she shut the leatherbound book with a snap and tossed it down to the foot of her bed. With an annoyed huff, she flopped over onto her stomach and smashed her face into the pillow to let out a frustrated groan.

It wasn't unusual for her to think of a certain person when she was upset. Now was one of those times.

I wish you were here, Gran. You always knew the right things to say. You told me being a teenager would be hard but I had no idea just how hard. Why'd you have to go and die when I needed you the most?

She let herself cry, lying there face down like a corpse. Gran had always said it was okay to cry, that the tears were good for her skin. 'You'll come out of it feeling better—and glowing, to boot,' she'd say, wiping Saph's cheeks with her thumb.

That had been almost four years ago, only six months before she'd passed away. It felt like yesterday. Thinking of her, Saph drifted off into a deep sleep.

"I'm gonna be the best firebender in the world!" A much younger version of Saph jumped between the vines while she shot little spurts of fire from her fists. The flames were quickly extinguished by the heavy, humid air.

"I don't doubt it," the old woman said. "But remember—it has to be a secret."

"I know, Gran." She stopped and turned her face up, pouting. "I don't like it."

"Neither do I. It's just the way it is." Her wrinkled hand lifted into the air and sent a spiral of mud around Saph's small body, eliciting a shrieking giggle. "Don't worry, you'll learn other ways to firebend that won't get you into trouble."

"Boring ways! I wanna fight!"

"Come, sit down. My old bones are hurting from trying to walk through this place." They got settled on a particularly thick vine, side by side. "Who do you want to fight, hm?"

"The blue sages! I hate them! I want them to go away!"

"Well… If you really want to change the world one day, remember this: It's not as fun as it appears to be. Being a hero comes with a heavy price."

BAM BAM BAM

"Saph, get up! Now! You're gonna be late!"

"I'm up, I'm up!"

But she wasn't. At the moment, she was still face down on her pillow. Tired. Sweating. Tears lingered in her eyes from the dream.

I miss you, Gran.

A minute or so later, she reluctantly pushed herself upright and wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. A mighty yawn made her jaw crack and pop painfully.

The door flew open and banged against the wall, revealing her mother and the screaming toddler in her arms. A stranger would've assumed the still-youthful woman was Saph's older sister, and the child her niece rather than her baby sister. All three had the same black hair and blue eyes.

"If you want breakfast, you better be out here in the next thirty seconds!"

"You could try knocking!" Saph shot back.

"I did knock! Multiple times!"

"But you can't just barge in! What if I'd been naked?!"

"The horror!" Mara said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and walked away.

Saph finally got up, grumbling wordless complaints under her breath, and went out to the kitchen. A steaming skillet of scrambled eggs caught her attention immediately and she hurried over to fill her plate, the argument forgotten.

"Not so much," Mara said, her tone gentler now but holding a distinct weariness. She shifted Lia to her other hip and tried to placate her with a wooden toy. "Your father hasn't eaten yet. There's some bread to fill you up a little more."

The only response to her words was an audible growl from Saph's stomach while she dejectedly put a little bit back in the skillet. It was the same every day. She'd grown like a weed in the last year, surpassing her petite mother in height, and there was never quite enough food for her.

Her dad emerged while she ate, planting a quick kiss on the top of her head before serving his own plate. Like Mara, he was far too young to have a teenage daughter, but there they were—a weird little family.

Saph noticed a folded piece of paper sticking out of his pocket right before he sat down at the table.

"Is that a letter?" she asked around a mouthful of food, thinking of the other person she considered family and who was due for a visit. "Is it from Nani?"

"It sure is," Jojin said, green eyes smiling. "She's coming this week and plans to stay for at least a month."

"Yes!" Saph was instantly filled with eager excitement and shoveled the food into her mouth as if that would somehow make Nani come sooner. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother frown. "Mom? What's with the face?"

"Hm? …Oh, it's nothing. I was just…thinking about my day. Trying to plan. Make sure you come straight home after your session because I have to work."

"Hmph. If Lia tears up the floor again, it's not my fault, okay?"

Mara was crouching to set her down and didn't bother to turn around to respond. "I'll fix it when I get home. Just make sure she doesn't hurt herself."

"And feed her and change her and entertain her and everything else…"

"We're a family and we've all got to chip in," Jojin said pointedly, though he softened it with a smile. "You don't have to like it but you still gotta do it."

Once her plate was empty—which was about ten seconds later—Saph was chivvied back into her room to get dressed. A small, dirty mirror sat atop her dresser and she looked into it with a sigh while she brushed her hair and hastily put it up.

It wasn't that she was ugly. Just…normal-looking. Her face still had the roundness of childhood and she was beginning to think it would always be that way.

She wanted to be beautiful. She wanted people to stop and look at her with awe and envy when she passed by. But most of all, she wanted to live in a world where such a thing wouldn't be dangerous. Blending in was a blessing. She knew it well. And she hated it.

A few minutes later, she was practically shoved out the door.

'You can't miss any sessions,' her mother had warned at the beginning of this tribulation, weeks ago. 'It's too expensive.'

Then why are you making me go in the first place?! Saph thought furiously for the umpteenth time as she walked through the muddy streets of Dao-Shu. The sprawling, ramshackle town on the edge of the swamp wasn't exactly bustling, but there were enough people out and about to make her uncomfortable.

A blue sage with her signature tattooed forehead came around a corner and Saph flinched, giving her a wide berth. The inked third eye was eerily similar in color to her own blue eyes. It was deeply unsettling. But the woman paid her no mind and kept walking.

Fortunately, Saph's destination was the next house. She didn't even need to knock; the door opened as soon as she approached the threshold.

"Good morning, Sapphire," Yura said warmly as she stepped back to let her pass before closing the door. She had wild gray hair that was kinked into tight curls. Faint wrinkles on the corners of her eyes and around her mouth became more pronounced when she smiled.

"It's Saph." How many times did she need to say it?

"Of course, my apologies. How are you today, Saph?"

"Okay." She shrugged and awkwardly wrapped her arms around herself as if it would shield her from the upcoming conversation.

"Let's sit down and have a cup of tea. And I know how much you liked those tea biscuits last time, so I made sure to make extra today!"

Honestly, the only reason Saph even put up with these sessions—however reluctantly—was for the snacks. Every little bit was appreciated.

"So," Yura said once they were settled in the living room. It was a cozy space—small, but with a lived-in feel and enough decor to betray that its owner made a decent living. "How is your journaling going?"

Another shrug. She reached for a biscuit to dunk in her tea, which was far too hot to actually drink. "Okay, I guess."

"And have you had any more dreams about Yin since we last talked?"

"Of course. I dream about her almost every night." Saph paused with a pensive frown as an ache spread out through her chest. "Not last night, though. I– I dreamed about Gran, instead."

"Mm. You must miss her."

"I'm okay." She wasn't, but that was beside the point. It still felt so fresh some days, despite having been years.

"Do you want to talk about her?"

Saph considered the question. The last thing she wanted to do was get emotional and start crying, but… The only other option was to talk about Yin, which was the whole point of these sessions, yet not something she was eager to do, given the fact that—apparently—it was 'unhealthy' and 'concerning' for a teenager to have an 'imaginary friend'.

She internally rolled her eyes at all the words used by the adults in her life, spoken in shadowy corners when they didn't know they were being overheard. They would never understand.

When she didn't answer, Yura said, "Why don't we talk about Yin?" So predictable. "How about you tell me about your last dream about her?"

"It was the same as all the others. A large meadow with mountains all around. She was sitting in the grass and I sat across from her."

Saph tried hard to remain neutral. Simple descriptions only. It was so embarrassing, talking about Yin now that everyone was making a big deal about it. Before, she had happily gone on and on about her best friend—her only friend, really. All the silly little games had been met with support and enthusiasm because they kept her entertained.

Not anymore. Now everyone just thought she was weird.

"Have you ever seen her clearly?" Yura asked. "Or is she always hazy and vague when you dream of her?"

"Always the same. Like flames and smoke from a fire." It was something that flowed from her mouth automatically, as often as she'd said it.

Yura looked at her silently for a few moments, a placid smile on her face. Saph really didn't understand what the point of all this was. The woman had so far done nothing to make her feel better about anything in her life. She'd just asked questions, mostly.

"Fire…" she mused as if to herself. "I wonder if that's significant. Subconsciously, I mean. You're a firebender, after all. It's no surprise that there might be a correlation in your mind."

Whatever that means… "I guess."

"Do you think that the rumors these past several years of the sickness affecting benders might be connected in some way? Perhaps a latent worry manifesting? Some way for you to try and have some control over your life?"

At that, Saph scowled, not pleased by the implication that Yin was just a hallucination that she'd conjured. "No. Yin has always been there."

Her stomach growled in the heavy silence that followed and she grabbed another handful of biscuits. She thought she caught a glimpse of something in Yura's expression—a hint of consternation—before it was replaced once again by an amused smile.

"I bet you eat your parents out of house and home with an appetite like that," she joked.

"Yeah," Saph agreed around a mouthful. "Dunno why they're paying for this when they could've spent the money on food…"

The smile slipped once again and Yura fixed her with a penetrating gaze. "May I say something to you in confidence?"

"Okay…?"

There was a brief hesitation before she continued. "Your parents didn't pay for these sessions."

Saph swallowed hard, surprised by the admission. "Who– Who did? Nani?"

"No, it wasn't her. A different woman, tall with black hair. She didn't tell me her name."

That didn't make any sense to Saph whatsoever. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I just wanted you to know that you don't need to choose between food and talking to me. It's all taken care of."

"But why wouldn't my parents have told me?"

"I'm sure they have their reasons. Perhaps they were simply embarrassed."

The rest of the hour passed slowly, Saph trying her best to pretend that she was fine and didn't really need to be doing this.

Yura was apparently unconvinced. "See you next week," she said cheerfully, once it was over.

"Yeah. See ya."

Despite her mother's command, Saph didn't go straight home. She was hungry and knew it would be hours until lunchtime, so she headed to the marketplace to steal a meat pie. It wasn't difficult; she was well-practiced and the blue sages didn't pay much attention to crime. The only problem was that she had to be careful not to do it too often in the same place or the sellers would start to recognize her.

With her hands in her pockets as she casually strolled past the cart, Saph 'tripped' and swiped the nearest pie as she fell.

"Hey, watch it!" the owner yelled, steadying his cart as it rocked from the slight impact.

"Sorry!" She quickly stashed pie and got up to run off, hiding a smile at her stealthiness.

She didn't even make it around the corner.

"Nice try!" a booming voice said as it reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Saph yelped as she was jerked backward. Her heart began to pound furiously, feeling herself get wrapped up in a thick, muscled arm while the man's other hand began rifling through her pockets.

He was so strong and squeezing so tightly against her neck. Black specks began to appear in her vision and panic set in.

Gotta…get…away… Reason was lost to her. She couldn't breathe. The only thing in her mind was escape, at any cost. She brought her hand up to his forearm and let the chi flow. The heat was already built up within her, adrenaline pumping. It was so easy, really. Without thought, she released the energy and he growled in pain. It was enough for him to loosen his grip and let her wriggle away.

Run. Run, Saph. Just run!

But something caught her ankle and she hit the ground hard. There was no temperance left—no caution whatsoever—and she blindly rolled to spew fire from her palms in a desperate attempt to get away.

The shriek of pain from the man was far louder than the last one, drawing unwanted attention. Boots crunched in the gravel and Saph—still trying to get her bearings and grasp what had happened—found herself being hauled to her feet.

A burlap sack was shoved over her head as someone wrenched her arms behind her and tied them with coarse rope.

"Let me go!" she screamed, struggling in vain to free herself. "I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! Please, let me go!" It was no use, though: She was well and truly trussed. Pure fear began to overwhelm her and tears spilled from her eyes. Why did I do it? Why did I firebend?

Through her sobs, she tried to ask where they were taking her, but nothing resembling actual words made it out of her mouth. They were half-carrying, half-dragging her away to an unknown location.

She'd heard the stories. Her captor was a blue sage, she was almost certain—maybe even the one in the street earlier. Using bending to fight almost always resulted in a swift punishment if one of them happened to witness such a display, but it was rumored that the young ones were occasionally apprehended for some mysterious purpose.

Some told tales of being taken to a jail cell, questioned, roughed up, then released. Others said they had friends and family members who mysteriously vanished. Almost none got away unscathed.

I might never see Mom and Dad again… Or Lia… Or Nani…

Thoughts of Yin swirled around her head as she felt herself being loaded up into a cart full of straw. Whoever they were and whatever they wanted, no one could take Yin away from her. She was only a dream away.

Some hours later, Saph was dragged from the cart and the sack was pulled from her head to reveal a dim hallway lined with metal-barred cells. A tall man held her upper arm firmly. It was another blue sage, she saw with a glance at his tattooed forehead, unsurprised.

There were no more tears left in her. The journey had been long and uncomfortable with no sleep, food, or water to replenish her. It was no big thing for her to miss a meal every now and then, but this felt worse, somehow.

A rusty door squeaked open and the man shoved her inside without a word, leaving her wrists bound with rope. There were others in adjoining cells—ghostly figures with haunted looks in their eyes. It couldn't be clearer that none had any fight left in them. They were all young, around her age or perhaps a few years younger or older. They all just…sat there, staring off into space. Only a few even glanced at her.

Finding an empty corner, Saph sat down and cried. She hadn't thought she could cry anymore, and certainly, no moisture came from her eyes, but her chest heaved and her face contorted as it tried to release the pain in her body and mind.

Through those long hours in the cart, she had begun to realize how idiotic it had been to fantasize about leaving Dao-Shu to 'find adventure'. She desperately wanted her parents. Her sister. She already missed the regular if sparse meals, and even her lumpy bed and that stupid dirty mirror.

It was all too much to process. Home was gone. Everything was gone. Even if she could find some way to escape—which was doubtful—what then? How would she ever find her way back? Alone. No money. No sense of where she was or any clue how to survive in the world. Not even bending could help her now, locked up as she was.

I'm…completely helpless…

Would her parents try to find her? Or would they simply mourn her as lost when she didn't come home? Thinking of them huddled together at the kitchen table, worried and wondering, left her breathless and made the sobs get stuck in her throat.

Although it had been impossible to sleep on the ride over, as much as the cart had jostled her, exhaustion was setting in now. Her eyelids drooped and she welcomed sleep, hoping to dream of Yin.

Saph next woke when someone shook her shoulder roughly and hauled her to her feet. She let out a surprised yelp, stiff and sore, while the rope was replaced with heavy iron manacles around her ankles and wrists.

There was no memory in her mind of any dreams—good or bad—and it felt like yet another blow. Has Yin abandoned me now, on top of everything else?

There wasn't much time to contemplate it, though, because she was taken from the cell and pushed down the hallway. Her empty stomach burned; how long had it been since she'd eaten? Or drank any water? At least a full day, she was sure. The thought of getting even a sip was almost too much to bear. She would've given everything she owned, however little it was.

Everything around her was a blur. The walls, the people, the vague sounds and sour smells—none of it meant anything. She could only trudge slowly and painfully along while her jailer occasionally tugged on the chains to make her go faster.

A strange sensation made her eyes burn and she blinked quickly, realizing they'd come to a brightly lit room with a chair in the middle. She was pushed into it and firmly strapped in with rope. And then…the blissful sound of water sloshing somewhere behind her. She almost cried out to beg for some when cold metal was placed against her lips. The water flowed into her mouth and dripped down her chin. It was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

Unfortunately, it was taken away far too soon. Saph blinked again, her vision finally clearing a little. The room was small and dirty—just gray walls and a bare stone floor—with a single metal door. A stocky man with hairy arms and stubbly cheeks stood before her holding a notebook. Another blue sage, of course, his tattoo staring down at her even when his eyes didn't.

"Name?" he said gruffly.

She opened her mouth to speak, hoping it might earn her food or more water, but only a raspy noise came out. After a few painful coughs, she managed to say, "Saph."

"Age?"

Lie, a small voice in the back of her mind said. "...Seventeen."

"You're a firebender?"

"...Yes."

"Show me."

Fear froze her, though she wanted to believe it was some small strength to rebel, and the man's response to her hesitation was swift. He stepped forward and backhanded her across the face hard enough to make the chair rock.

Saph cried out in pain, unable to touch her smarting cheekbone since her arms were tied firmly against her sides. Eyes welling up with tears, she twisted her wrist around and produced a small flame in her palm. She could barely manage it, as weak as she was.

"When did you firebend for the first time?" the man asked her.

"During the comet. I was—" But she stopped, realizing the truth would reveal her previous lie. With some quick mental math, she amended her response with a brief cough to cover the hesitation. "Three."

The interrogation continued for what felt like hours. Most of the questions didn't even make sense. After that, Saph was returned to her cell and given a hunk of stale bread and more water. She hated how grateful she was for both, inhaling them with shameful desperation.

The next several days passed slowly. She wasn't even sure if they were days, rather than weeks, as there were no windows to determine the passage of time. No routine to make sense of what was happening in the outside world. She slept, occasionally ate, and slept again. There were no dreams, no Yin, and Saph began to fear that she would wither away and die in this horrible place.

"Wake up!" a low voice said.

"Hm…?" Saph pushed herself upright, still groggy, when a boot nudging her ribs forced her to.

"Get up and come with me."

It was a woman this time, tall and imposing. Though it was too dim to make out the identifying tattoo, Saph knew it was another blue sage. No one else seemed to walk freely in this place.

She struggled to her feet with a wince and a groan, hoping for another meal, but the stern woman grabbed her upper arm and pulled her into the hall. They walked in silence for a little while until coming to a large metal door with a guard.

"She's being transferred," the woman said to him as she handed over a rolled-up paper.

The guard flattened it, read quickly, then narrowed his eyes and looked back up with deep suspicion. "The Luong facility is being converted. What are you trying to pull, huh?"

They stared impassively at each other for a second or two. Suddenly, the woman pulled a knife from somewhere and rammed it into the man's chest. He let out a small gasp, shock written all over his face, then slumped to the ground.

What is happening…?! Saph was frozen in horror, staring at his eyes as the light faded from them. She'd never seen anyone die violently before. Blood was spreading across his dark clothes like a black stain, blooming into crimson where it dripped onto the stone floor.

"Follow me," a sharp voice said, pulling Saph out of her stupor.

She looked up to find her captor opening the door with the guard's keyring.

"Hurry!"

But Saph couldn't hurry, as she still had shackles on her ankles and wrists. She could only shuffle along slowly. They hadn't gotten very far when someone shouted after them—a wordless noise of alarm.

The woman abruptly grabbed Saph and threw her over her shoulder to run into the darkness that lay beyond the pools of light near the door. More people were shouting and the sound of running footsteps began to catch up with them as Saph bounced along painfully. She couldn't see anything.

Then they stopped and she was tossed unceremoniously into a wagon bed covered in a thin layer of straw. She lifted her head just in time to see several guards swarm out of the facility. The mysterious blue sage woman—who was either saving her or delivering her to an even worse fate—clenched her fists and took a deep breath. There was a blinding flash followed by a BOOM that made Saph put her hands over her ears in terror.

Screaming. Fire. The noise of the explosion echoed in her head as the wagon lurched forward into the night.