Chapter 7

"Tonraq doesn't bring a lot of girls home," Mako commented, raising an eyebrow at me.

We sat at a simple wood table. The sitting cushions were plush underneath me; it was like sitting on a cloud. I held a steaming cup of tea, the steam warming my cold nose.

"I can't say I'm surprised," I mumbled into my tea.

Tonraq gave me a reproving look while his father laughed, head thrown back. His fire eyes were twinkling, twin flames burning into me. I felt Korra's heartache, therefore my own.

"You remind me of my wife," he said, instantly sobering.

I was tempted to retort "No surprise there" but I held it in. The heartache was still so fresh in Mako's eyes. It didn't help that Korra was reaching inside me, infecting me with her sorrows.

"Avatar Korra," was all I said.

Mako nodded. His eyes dimmed to embers as he stared lost at the table, his long fingers tightening around his tea.

"She was taken too early from us. Tonraq was only an infant when it happened."

I leaned forward slightly. I remember reading her plaque at the Museum of Nations. It never mentioned how she died. Illness? Killed by nature like Avatar Roku? Old age?

I doubted that. She died in her late forties.

Mako looked to Tonraq, then to me. I remember telling Tonraq of my project about his mother on the way here. Of course, he couldn't tell me much. He suggested talking to his father first, then his siblings. It was just luck that Mako found us first.

"She was killed outside the borders of Republic City. She was going to investigate claims of dark spirits haunting the woods. I wanted to go with her, but she told me that someone had to look after the kids. My brother and sister-in-law couldn't either, they were tied up with work and kids. So she went alone in the wilderness. And never came out. People say it was a dark spirit that killed her. That is the most valid rumour."

I filed that away for further investigation. For some reason, that didn't sit right with me. Korra killed by a dark spirit? They had slowly disappeared after Harmonic Convergence. They were still around, but not as many in Korra's young days. With the Spirit Portals open, they could come and go as they pleased. I doubted spirits liked our world that much.

"Let's show your friend the grounds, Tonraq. Go and get your brother and sister," Mako said rising. Tonraq's eyes flickered in suspicion. I wasn't exactly comfortable either. Mako wanted to talk to me alone, it was obvious.

Tonraq walked out of the house, the door flying open and slamming closed. Mako led me out as well. I followed him out to the back of the house. I sucked a breath when I took in the view. Gold grass blew softly in the wind, leaves peeking out of the sunny blades. Crystal blue water stretched out in front of us, the waves twinkling silver and gold. The sun blazed along the horizon. Two figures rode the waves, waterbending their way across the water. Tonraq and his sister, I presumed.

Tonraq's sister, Katara was a bit of a legend, just like the original Katara, Avatar Aang's wife. Katara II was the best pro-bender in the world, a talented waterbender just like her mother. She, along with her fire-bending older brother and earth-bending cousin, held their consecutive title as Champions. The Fire Ferrets were the biggest thing that hit Republic City.

It was funny how Mako, Korra and Bolin were the ones that made the team popular in the first place.

The fuzzy memory hit me like a wall, I couldn't help getting swallowed in it.

I leaned against the railing, watching as Bolin, Mako and the waterbender grow farther away from me. They waved at the cheering crowd as they approached the stage. My heart soared with the crowd's applause. I wanted so badly to get on that platform, I wanted to kick those silly suited guys, show them a little Avatar action. I knew the water was lapping a little stronger below, stirring with my emotions.

As I watched the pro-benders dance and jump, throwing earth, fire, and water at each other, my eyes were drawn to the brothers. Mako and Bolin. The Bending Brothers.

To say they were amazing was putting it lightly. I wanted to move like that! This was so much better than the radio!

The waterbender was knocked out, Bolin shortly after, leaving Mako alone on the raised platform. He dodged every attack the other team threw at him easily, his tall lithe shape darting this way and that.

The other team sagged in fatigue. They had thrown everything they had at him and now they were out of steam. I pulled on my hair beads in anticipation. Was he going to make it?

He blasted fire at them, gold and red curls reaching out for them. Two players tumbled off into the brink, their splash barely making any sound compared to the roaring of the crowd. My heart beat hard in my chest. He was amazing.

He faced off against the remaining player, the earthbender. In the dust that came with the collision of earth and fire, the earthbender looked around, searching for Mako.

Mako pierced the thick wall of dust, rocketing out and hitting him with a blast of fire. The earthbender tumbled out into the brink.

He stood there in the middle, taking off his helmet and looking out at the crowd.

I swore I felt his eyes on me as I leaned over the railing, cheering at the top of my lungs.

"Miss Tiana? Are you alright?"

Mako shook me, making me whirl. I saw the differences in him; the lines that formed around his eyes, the silver shooting through his hair, the dimmed fire in his gold eyes.

He was so different than the boy I fell in love with.

It was Korra's thought, but it may as well have been mine. After all, Korra was one of my past lives. As well as my sister's. I wondered if she heard the whispers of the past Avatars.

My death changed him. He has to know that I still live, in you.

I shook my head. No, nobody could know I was the Avatar. Once that happened, Yena would come out as the Avatar as well. Nobody could know that there were two Avatars. That would throw the world into chaos.

I can't Korra. He'll have to figure it out on his own.

My eyes strayed to Tonraq and Katara. They were still zooming across the water, throwing icicles at each other. They must have thought their father was giving me the grand tour.

Mako's hand ignited, gold and red tongues licking harmlessly at his skin. He waved them in front of me, his eyes on me. His irises glowed with the flames, burning me with their intensity. He touched his flaming hand to his temple, his eyes glowing hotter with the light of fire.

He sucked a breath. The fire snapped out of existence.

"You."

He knew. By using his fire. He could see into my spirit.

"You're back."

I looked away. "I'm not the only one."

"What? You're the Avatar. What do you mean you're not the only one?" he whispered.

"I mean that there are two Avatars. Me and my twin, Yena."

It felt so good to tell someone. The weight on my shoulders and chest lightened. Mako was silent as he watched his children laugh, shooting across the water.

"You can't tell them. The world can't know that there are two of us. We don't know who the true Avatar is yet."

"Well, you have to find out. Go to Air Temple Island. Master Rohan will be able to find out. Or at least he can direct you to one of his siblings."

Leaping from one Avatar family to the other. I was going to meet more of my past life children, as if that couldn't get weirder than it already was.

Katara and Tonraq reached the shore, laughing and splashing each other. I actually got a good look at Katara, a better one than the ones the movers provided anyway. She was the spitting image of her mother in her young days. Katara was tall and muscular, her hair put back in Water Tribe beads just like Korra. The differences were that Katara had pale skin tone and black hair like her father. Her bright blue eyes looked me up and down, taking me in. Tonraq took one look at me and sighed. "You have to go, don't you?"

"I'm really sorry, Tonraq. I promise I'll make it up to you," I said.

He nodded. "I know you will."

Smiling in relief, I darted up to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. I laughed when I saw the blush rising in his cheeks. Katara elbowed him and Mako just stood there. I felt his eyes on me as I stepped towards the water, going past Katara and Tonraq. To them, I was waterbender. I couldn't airbend my way out.

I hopped onto the water's surface, shooting across it at lightning speed. When I was sure that I was out of site from the Avatar manor, I let myself drop into the depths of the water. Ice seeped into my clothes, pierced my skin and sank into my bones. When I opened my eyes to a squint, I could barely see. Darkness floated in the water like ink. I couldn't shake the ominous feeling down here in the water. Like something evil touched it.

I held out a hand, focusing my energy. My chest was starting to feel tight from holding my breath. I had to get this done soon or else I would drown. Once in the middle of my summoning, I couldn't leave.

I called to the depths of the ocean, reaching down into my Avatar spirit. It was not the pure Avatar, since Yena carried the other half of it.

In my inner self, the Avatar spirit was a blazing white light. I reached for it, letting it envelop me, letting it call to her.

I felt my animal companion's mind brush against mine. Her mind was groggy and slow from slumber.

The ocean stirred, the darkness muting the little light that had been filtering through. A low keen sounded from the depths that resonated deep in my spirit.

From the darkness, a blur of white appeared. It shot past me in a sudden rush, a current pushing me back. My chest ached, my vision starting to fill with black dots.

The white clarified into an ivory serpentine body. Opal claws. Silver eyes. Wings that glittered like diamonds. My dragon, Selene. I grabbed onto her neck, my hands grasping her glittering blue-white spines.

She rushed upwards, pulling me with her. The pressure on my chest was bone-crushing, my ears popping, filling with the sound of rushing water. I was so close to succumbing to the darkness. I felt the pull of it, whispering to me to let go.

Let go. Let go. Strangely, the whispers sounded like Yena.

The light of the setting sun blazed above us, promising life and air. I closed my eyes, tightening my grip on Selene's spikes. My heart started to slow.

Thump-thump.

Thump-Thump.

Thump.

Thu-

Hey everyone! I know you must hate me for barely updating, :P. Life is pretty busy. So for those of you that follow this fanfic, you'll definitely see more Korra flashbacks, and even some of Tiana's (if you're wondering, don't worry no spoilers). Soon enough, you'll find out how there are two Avatars...

Please comment! Hope you're enjoying Avatar: the Legend of the Twins!