Before anything else, I own nothing but the original characters, and content therein related to them. Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend Of Korra is owned by Nickelodeon, and any mentioned creator's work belongs to them, and them alone.
Avatar: Borrowing The Future.
Korra stood at the edge of the ice shelf. Tears gently falling, where they froze to her skin. She'd defeated Amon, saved the United Republic, but at what cost? She'd lost three quarters of her bending. Three quarters of herself. What was the point of it all? "What would Aang do?" She asked herself.
Korra closed her eyes for only a moment, and in silence she heard a question asked. "What would you do if you were me?"
Turning Korra saw the face of a man she knew, though had never seen. For he was her, and she was him. "Avatar Aang." Korra said breathlessly.
"If our positions were switched, would our fates be different?" Aang said, as he held up a hand and placed it on Korra's forehead. "If you want to learn the secret to restoring balance within yourself, you must struggle as I struggled."
Suddenly Korra felt… Tired.
"Water. Earth. Fire. Air…
My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar master of all four elements could stop the ruthless Fire Nation. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the War. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads, and that the cycle is broken. But I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world."
Chapter 1 The Girl In The Iceberg.
Two siblings, a brother and sister, set out from Wolf Cove in the Southern Water Tribe, on a fishing trip… Unaware of the part they would play in saving the world.
After the mass of floating ice burst up from the seabed, the sister and brother both could see the shape of a woman frozen within, her hands hugging either shoulder, her knees pulled close to her chest. "It's… a girl…" The brother said, before the young woman trapped behind the frozen water opened her eyes, casting a blue glow through the ice.
"She's alive!" The sister said, pulling her brother's club off his back. "We have to help her!" She said, taking off towards the iceberg, jumping from flow to flow, her brother pulling his bone spear from the ice before following her.
"Katara, wait! It could be dangerous!" The brother yelled, his paranoia winning out in the moment over his desire to save the woman trapped in the ice.
"I don't care, Sokka. She's got to be freezing in there." Katara said, as she reached the iceberg the girl was trapped within. Raising her brother's club, Katara beat on the ice twice, before Sokka put his hand on her shoulder.
"Katara, you're not going to crack that open just by beating on it." Sokka said, taking his club back from his sister. "Besides, saving distressed damsels is a man's job."
"Well then, Mr. Manly man, get her out then." Katara said, putting her hands on her hips.
Wordlessly, Sokka pulled his whale tooth knife from his belt, and stuck it into the ice. Lining up a strike, the young boy pulled his club back, before slamming the weighted stone end into the handle of his knife, sending a crack through the ice, causing a short hiss of air to escape. Again Sokka struck his knife, and with a blast of air, the ice began to crack and crumble, before the two were flung back, as the dome in front of them rumbled, and exploded outward from the pressure.
And with the explosion of air, light shot up into the sky, radiating it's blue hue for miles around.
To the north west, an Ironclad Fire Nation ship steamed on through the south sea, it's commander having seen a great beam of light in the sky. "Finally."
As Katara and Sokka picked themselves up, they saw the young woman stepping up onto the remaining section of the ice dome, eyes glowing, her tied bangs and ponytail fluttering in the wind.
"Stop!" Sokka yelled, as he pointed his spear at the young woman, only for her to close her eyes, let out a yawn, and stretch her arms over her head, the image of an all powerful spirit vanishing as the light behind her faded away.
The young woman, eyes still closed, rubbed her neck, before she lazily jumped down onto the level end of the ice with the siblings. "What time is it?" She asked, before she rubbed her eyes.
Both Sokka and Katara were miffed. Standing in front of them was a tall young woman who looked like she belonged to the Water Tribes, with her brown skin, and dyed blue animal hide parka. But there was just one problem… Both Katara and Sokka knew everyone in their village by name, and neither sibling had ever seen her in their lives… She would be hard to miss, standing a solid head taller than Sokka, and probably a few years older at that.
Despite the alarms going off in Sokka's head, he couldn't help but find the older girl rather pretty. He looked up at the sky, remembering that it was fall, and he could judge the time of day by the sun for a while longer. "It's about noon…" He said, finding that answering the odd question was as good an introduction as any.
"Uuuugh. I overslept again, didn't I Ten-..." The girl cut herself off as she opened her pale blue eyes and looked down a little. Standing in front of Korra were two people who felt vaguely familiar, but she couldn't put names to their faces. "Uuuuuh?" Looking around she saw that she was stranded on an iceberg in the middle of the sea. "I was…" Spinning once, she grew confused as to where the White Lotus Compound was. "The…" She pointed out to the horizon, remembering how it was sunset just a few moments ago. "Aang was…" Korra's eyes bulged as she finally remembered what had to have been the worst few weeks of her life.
"Are you alright?" Katara asked the young woman.
"I think." Korra said, rubbing her head. "I'm sorry, this probably seems really weird… But, we wouldn't happen to be oh… 10 miles from Wolf Cove would we?"
"Almost exactly 10 miles actually." Sokka said, rather impressed by the older girl's sense of distance and direction.
"Shit." Korra said. "I guess after Aang did… Whatever it was, I fell off the cliff or something."
"You fell off a cliff?" Katara asked. Korra just shrugged, before a groan came from behind them.
"Oogi?" Korra asked, having only heard one kind of creature make such a noise before. Curious, Korra turned around, climbed up the slope, and found a flying bison sitting nestled in the bowl left over in the iceberg. "You're not Oogi." Korra said, realizing that the stripe pattern on the bison's tail was far too broad. Still, Korra slid down into the bowl, and approached the animal. "What're you doing out here big guy?" Sokka and Katara climbed up the slope and their jaws dropped once they saw the bison that Korra had started petting. "You got a saddle, but I don't know anyone who owns a sky bison other than Tenzin." Korra muttered to herself.
"What is that thing?" Sokka asked.
Korra raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the siblings. "It's a flying bison… I know they're still endangered, but it's not like they're unheard of."
"Right, and this is my flying sister." Sokka said. Korra rolled her eyes at the boy as she looked down on him. "So who exactly are you, and what was with that giant light?" Sokka asked, cautiously curious.
"What light?" Korra asked, sounding confused.
"The… The beam of blue light that shot out of the ice, when I busted you out?" Sokka asked again.
"I dun'know, I might have still been a little groggy." Korra said.
"I'm sorry, I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves." Katara said. "This is my brother, Sokka, and my name's Katara."
Korra's eyebrows shot up. This had to be some sick twisted dream. "I'm… Korra." She said with an unconvincing grin.
"Are you from the northern water tribe? That probably sounds like a stupid question, but the southern tribe is pretty small, and I've never seen you before." Katara said.
"Ummm. No, I'm from the South… Just…" Korra trailed off, the chance of her having a trippy dream dwindling, and the likelihood she'd been sent on some kind of spiritual journey ever increasing... Avatar's were supposed to have those right? Pinching the back of her hand and feeling pain, Korra ruled out dreams entirely. "Ok, off topic, but super relevant… What year is it?" Korra asked, as she held a finger up. Katara and Sokka looked between each other. "How many years has it been since the Fire Nation started the war?" Korra reiterated.
Sokka, still confused by the request, responded. "Almost 100 years. 99 exact, actually."
Korra put her hand down, remembering what Aang had said to her before she passed out. "If our positions were switched, would our fates be different?" Korra scratched her head, thankful that the White Lotus had included history lessons as part of her training… Though she probably should have paid better attention, now that she thought about it. "Huh." Korra said. "Time travel… Guess this is some sort of Avatar Quest then… Maybe I'm supposed to get my bending back this way." She thought. "Yup, that sounds about right." Korra nodded.
"Uh… I hate to ask, but… Your… Flying bison wouldn't happen to actually be able to fly us home would it?" Katara asked. "Sokka smashed our boat." She said, looking over her shoulder at her brother.
Korra turned to look at the bison behind her, and smiled, remembering the name of the beast, her old friend. "Whaddya say Appa… Up for a ride?" Korra asked. Appa groaned. "I'll take that as a yes." Korra got a small run up, before grabbing Appa's right horn, and climbing up onto his neck. "All aboard." Korra said, as she held her hand down for either of the siblings to take.
"Are you sure this thing's safe to ride on?" Sokka asked skeptically as he approached. Katara took Korra's hand and pulled herself up onto the saddle.
"Oh not at all, but that's kinda what makes it fun." Korra said, as she held her hand down for Sokka to take, smiling at him. "Come on, what's the worst that could happen?"
"We fall into the sea and freeze to death." Sokka said, arms crossed.
"Pfft. You'd drown before then." Korra said, still smiling.
Sokka could appreciate the dark sense of humor Korra had. "Fair point." Sokka said, as he took Korra's hand and was yanked up onto the sky bison.
"Ok, this thing has no seatbelts just like a first gen Satomobile, so hang on to something." Korra said, before whipping Appa's reigns. "Yip yip."
"What's a Sato-AAAAH!" Sokka screamed as he grabbed onto the bison's saddle, the giant white creature jumping clear over the bowl of ice, and into the sea with a belly flop, which jolted his passengers around.
Korra smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that… Come on, Appa." Korra said to the bison.
"Well, at least he can swim." Sokka said, as he laid back on the saddle.
"So if I remember, Wolf Cove iiiiiiis… This way." Korra said, pulling on Appa's reins to steer him east.
They'd arrived late in the night, and had to quickly turn in as the wind began to howl outside of the tents of the village. Once inside, Korra stripped down, and snuggled up in her loaned sleeping bag, mentally going over just what exactly she had to do now. "Re-learn all the elements. Probably save the world like Aang did. Get home in one piece." Korra sighed. "Too easy."
In the morning, Korra woke up to sunlight being cast into the tent. "Korra, come on, get up, the village wants to meet you."
Korra sat up in her bag, and yawned. "One minute, I gotta get dressed." Korra said, as she pulled herself out of the bag. Katara was surprised to find that the older girl was far more muscular than she'd expected her to be. The definition of her arms alone was impressive, never mind her back. "Could you close the tent? It's freezing outside." Korra said, as she slipped her underpants on.
"Oh, sorry." Katara said, as she let the flap go.
Once dressed, Korra stepped out into the village and made her way over to Katara, waving to the gathered elders, women, and children. "Korra, this is the entire village, the village, Korra." Katara said, making introductions.
Korra looked around, and hummed to herself. "Wow, the war really did screw this place up." She said to herself, only ever remembering Wolf Cove as an icy urban sprawl, which she'd assumed it was before the war.
An elderly woman stepped forward from the group of villagers. "So… My granddaughter tells me you're from the South, but I've never seen you before."
"Oh, well… I guess you wouldn't since I was born… On the west ice shelf." Korra said, telling the truth about her place of birth and formative years.
"I thought the village there was destroyed in the first Fire Nation Raids." The elder, and Katara's apparent grandparent said.
Korra coughed into her fist. "Well, it wasn't a permanent thing… I've sort of traveled around a little." Korra lied.
"That's amazing. Have you ever been to our sister tribe?" Katara asked.
"The one near the North Pole, or the one in the Earth Kingdom Swamp?" Korra asked.
"There's more than two tribes?" Sokka asked, skeptically.
Korra nodded. "Yup… But I haven't been to either of them…" Suddenly an idea sprang into Korra's mind. "Hey, uh… Quick question, do you guys happen to have any master water benders in the village?" She asked.
"Actually…" Katara spoke up. "I was going to ask if you knew any. I'm the only water bender in the whole tribe."
"Oh…" Korra said, rubbing her arm. "Well, I guess that makes two of us then."
"You're a water bender?!" Katara asked with glee.
Korra tilted her hand back and forth. "Kinda… Not right now… I uh… I've hit a major roadblock, I guess you could call it… I haven't been able to water bend for a few weeks."
"Oh…" Katara said, sounding disappointed.
"Yeah, well while the talk about magic is nice and all, it's almost time for the warriors to begin their training." Sokka said, as all of the young boys in the group sighed or otherwise groaned, before their mothers and elders disbursed, all with chores to do.
"You're training them to fight?" Korra asked, before Katara rolled her eyes at her brother's antics, and went to cut blubber off of a seal carcass.
"Of course." Sokka said, as he pulled his club out. "As the only man around, it's my duty to protect the village and prepare those under me to fight the Fire Nation." Sokka said, before he turned to the group of boys. "Now… Men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a fire bender. In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?" Sokka asked the boys, earning a giggle from Korra before he could continue.
"What's so funny?" Sokka asked, as he turned to face Korra.
"Sorry, I just… Didn't think you'd be this much of a dork." Korra said, remembering all the stories that Katara had once told her of the former chief. She thought the embarrassing parts were just hyperbolic given all of the other heroics. "I mean… You're really going to teach a bunch of 8 year olds how to crack skulls?"
"W-Wha?! Of course I can… And what would you know about being a warrior?" Sokka asked.
"Pretty much, everything." Korra said, with a grin as she leaned down at the waist so she was eye level with Sokka, as one of his "warriors" got up and left for the outhouse.
"Pfft. Women can't fight." Sokka said.
"Really?" Korra asked, as she stood up tall.
"Don't think that just because you're taller than me that I couldn't take you." Sokka said, pointing at Korra. "You're lucky that I'm enough of a gentleman to be above hitting women."
"Whatever…" Korra said, as she walked to the village's exit, and climbed up onto Appa, leaving the younger tribesman to his devices. Pulling everything she could from Appa's saddle, Korra did a quick inventory of all the supplies she had, and groaned, at how lightly packed the bison was. "Roughing it, it is then." She muttered before packing everything away. "Seriously, how did Aang survive like this?" Korra asked herself.
"Who's Aang?" Korra turned to find Katara standing at Appa's feet.
"Oh… Just the bison's old owner." Korra said, as she turned and sat on the edge of the saddle.
"You mentioned him before." Katara said.
"Yeah… I didn't know him too well, but… Eh…" Korra shrugged. "Family and all."
Katara suddenly looked saddened. "He's gone isn't he?"
Korra sighed. "Yeah… He died before I was born…" Korra slid off of Appa. "I wish I was able to talk to him sometimes…"
"Who was he to you?" Katara asked.
Korra rubbed her head. "Oh, uh, married into the family, distant uncle sort of thing… He was like, supper cool though according to all the stories I've heard… The kind of man you'd want as a mentor."
"Oh…" Katara wasn't exactly sure how to react to such an odd answer.
"Hey, so…" Korra started. "You're trying to find a water bending master… I'm trying to find a waterbending master. I got a flying bison… Want to leg it up to The North Pole or the Swamp and find one?"
"I… I don't know. That seems like such a huge trip, and I've never left home before." Katara said.
Korra waved her off. "Trust me. Flying is way faster than sailing."
"I guess… But I'd need some time before I just leave." Katara said.
"Time… Yeah, I get that…" Korra said with a nod, before meeting Katara's eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Katara asked.
Korra paused herself, and sighed. "Sorta… I… I guess I have something of a confession to make." Katara looked at Korra with a raised eyebrow. "I'm-" Before Korra could speak her mind, a shrill whistle came from the other side of the village. "What the heck is that?"
"Oh no." Katara said as she turned and ran back past the village walls. Korra followed her at a brisk jog. "The whistle means there's smoke on the horizon. A Fire Navy ship is on it's way… Sokka!" Katara shouted, as she raced up to the edge of the village wall finding her brother standing there with his whistle.
"Look, just past the glacier's edge!" Sokka shouted, pointing at a trail of black smoke in the sky. "I knew that light was some kind of signal." Sokka said, as he turned and looked at Korra. "You're not Water Tribe, you're some kind of spy!" He said, pulling out his club.
"Easy, Sokka. I am Water Tribe, but it's a little more complicated than that." Korra said.
"Complicated how?" Katara asked, before Korra sighed, and used her air bending to blow a gust of wind into Sokka's face. The boy's eyes went wide.
"You're an air bender?!" Katara asked in awe.
"Actually, I'm The Avatar." Korra said with a shrug. "But yeah, airbending is sort of the only element I've got right now."
"I have so many questions!" Katara said.
"Questions later, preparation for war, now." Sokka said, waving the two's conversation away.
"You're brother's right. There's a ship out there probably looking for me, and we're a little light on fighters." Korra said, as the three of them came down from the wall.
"Yes, which is exactly why you two girls should find some place to hide." Sokka said, pushing against them both, only to come to a dead stop as he was unable to move Korra.
"Hold on a minute, I'm the one who's actually got a chance at fighting here." Korra said, pushing Sokka off of her by his forehead. "You know, bending and all."
Sokka grunted, before turning around, and storming off. "Fine. You want to get yourself killed, by all means. I'm going to prepare for battle."
Korra turned to look at the smoke over the water, and steeled herself. "Talk to me Aang."
Author's note.
This concept has floated around in the fandom before, but I wanted to take a stab at it in a way that makes the most sense from a thematic standpoint.
I chose end of Book 1 Korra specifically because it's at this point she's at her weakest with bending, and spirituality. Compiled with what experience she does have now because of the Equalist movement, and we now have a good cocktail of Korra's personality traits. Anything past Book 1 Korra would be messy to write at the least.
It's bullshit that ATLA and LOK are not considered the same "story" on FF, when LOK is a direct sequel. Imagine if it was Dragon Ball that got its multiple series split up.
This is only a "crossover" technically, because of the arbitrary separation, despite this, I feel that as the setting is ATLA, it's not worth labelling it as a crossover... Also, the crossovers get way less attention. That said, I am going to try writing this in a way that doesn't require you to have watched LOK, but I feel like most fans of ATLA would have anyways.