Water.
Earth.
Fire.
When I was 16, I learned that I could control all three elements, and that it was my duty to keep the world in harmony and balance.
But before I could do that, I had to learn to control the final mystical fourth element: Air. But those who know of it died a long time ago.
The chief of my tribe told me that someone still lives who knows the art of Airbending, but he lived in Republic City, where crime and hate for the benders grow strong.
So I journeyed to the city, hoping to find the last piece of my destiny.
I am Avatar Korra, and I am ready to take on the world.
Korra is covered in saliva.
"Ugh!" says Korra in disgust.
Appa licks her again.
"Come on Korra, I have to show you something."
Korra tries to stand up, thick saliva weighing her down.
"How about you stop licking me!" she yells.
Appa licks her again, with so much saliva that Korra sticks to his tongue.
Korra pushes herself out of the goo, and falls to the floor again.
"I have to keep licking you, it is the only way I can talk to you." explains Appa.
Korra tries to Waterbend the goo off her clothes, but it doesn't work.
"What! I can't bend!" says Korra.
Appa licks her again.
"You are in the Spirit World." says Appa.
Korra wipes the goo from her face, and sees that she is on top of a cloud, the sky is a light green, and in the middle of a giant forest.
"The Spirit World? Who are you?" asks Korra.
Appa prepares to lick her again….
"…WHOA! Hold on, I think I can figure it out myself." yells Korra just in time.
The cloud beneath them starts to fade out.
Korra sees this. "What the…"
She quickly jumps on top of Appa as the cloud completely dissipates, and she and Appa fall towards the forest.
Korra screams helplessly as Appa waves his tail and starts to float.
She sees they aren't free-falling anymore, and stops screaming. "That's amazing!" she says. "You are flying!"
Appa flies over the giant forest with ease.
Korra recognizes the mountains surrounding the forest.
"I know this place, this is Republic City! Or at least, before? What!" says Korra, confused.
She and Appa continue to fly away from the forest, and over the world, until they reach an Air Temple.
Korra gets excited. "Look! There! Go there! That's an Air Temple!"
They get closer, and see that is teeming with life, full of lemurs, flying bison, and monks.
Appa lands on one of the landing pads for bison, which is already full of other bison. Korra jumps down to the floor, and looks around. The other bison see her, and near closer.
"HEY NO! NO LICKING!" yells Korra.
The bison walk away.
Korra walks towards the monks, until a flying lemur lands on her shoulder.
"Oh? Hello?" says Korra.
Suddenly, she feels a very large tongue lift her up, and throw her face down on the floor.
"That's Momo." says Appa.
The lemur flies to the floor in front of her, and transforms into a human monk!
Korra looks up.
"Hello, Korra. So glad for you to finally get here." says the human Momo.
"Finally! Someone that can speak without covering me in mucous!" says Korra, with extreme excitement.
"Ah yes, that's Appa, all right. He loves people." says human Momo.
Appa snorts.
"I think I know why you are here, Korra. Walk with me." says human Momo.
Korra and Appa follow him to the main balcony of the temple, where dozens of monks perform Airbending.
"Oh! Look at that! Airbending!" says Korra.
She enthusiastically runs towards the monks, but when she gets close to them, they all stop Airbending and sit on the floor.
Korra is confused. "What are they doing?" she asks.
Human Momo walks to her. "They are trying to tell you something."
"What? They aren't doing anything. They are just meditating." observes Korra.
"Exactly." says human Momo. "You cannot learn Airbending in the same way you learned Water, Earth, and Fire."
"Well, duh. The last Airbender died a long time ago." says Korra.
"I don't mean it like that, Korra. We are visual creatures. We see the Water. We see the Earth. We see Fire. We don't see Air." continues human Momo. "To bend an element, you have to know where that element is in relation to you at all times. But you cannot do that with Air."
"But then, how do you learn Airbending?" asks Korra.
"You need to let yourself get into a heightened state of consciousness. You have to look beyond what you can see, and understand what is beyond your conscious view of the world." says human Momo. "If you cannot believe in something you don't see, you will much less be able to use it."
The monks stand up and begin to do Airbending again.
"That is why only the Air Nomads could learn how to bend the Air." continues human Momo. "Our spiritual tradition not only gave us the ability to learn Airbending from the bison, it also gave us the ability to control it and transform it into an art."
"So you need to be a very spiritual person to be able to Airbend?" asks Korra.
"Yes. It is the way of life of a monk, and one of the most primary principles of an Avatar." says human Momo.
All the monks stop Airbending, and face to the top of the temple, where another Airbender stands, and begins to bend all the four elements.
Appa begins to jump with happiness.
"Oh look, Korra. It's one of your past lives. Can you guess which one it is?" says human Momo.
"Thank you, Momo. For everything." says Korra.
"Oh, don't call me Momo. Call me by my real name from when I was a human. Call me Monk Gyatso."
He turns into a lemur again, and flies to the Airbending Avatar's shoulder.
Appa comes up behind Korra, and licks her again.
"Remember, if you don't believe something exists, then it will truly cease to exist." says Appa, and flies away towards the Airbending Avatar.
"Yes, masters." says Korra while bowing down.
The Airbending Avatar creates a huge wave of air that picks up Korra and throws her away towards the horizon!
She flies over mountains, and into the forest!
She closes her eyes, hoping it doesn't hurt.
She opens her eyes, and finds herself in Tenzin's guest room at Republic City again.
"Phew." says Korra calmly, until she realizes she is still covered in Appa's saliva. "Uck!"
She washes herself, when she hears a knock on the door to Tenzin's apartment.
Seeing that Tenzin is still asleep, she decides to check who it is for herself.
She opens the door, and is shocked to find Meelo and his gang of friends on the front door!
"Pssst! Hey, Korra. Can we stay here for the night?"