Korra.

In first water then earth then fire bending, I trained and grew strong. Entrenched in the hazy bliss that is collecting experience as a child, I barely noticed the years passing by. Around me nothing really changed except the occasional new members of the order, exiled to the polar south.

The sense of holding your breath, of waiting, was always present there. I found myself always pushing, trying to move forward, progress, in my training just to push back the ever-oppressive stillness. It seemed there wasn't enough time, but too much all at once.

I grew up in the company of men and women. The people I trained with weren't friends, exactly, there was a big gap in ages and we were all there to work, so what formed was a professional camaraderie. There were good times, but there was a lack of genuine enjoyment. When I look back, it seems like everyone there was waiting. For an attack, for the next bending discipline, for home—it felt like a halfway house, just a stopover. Instead of relaxed and peaceful, people seemed hurried and rushed, because no one planed to stay. It wasn't a home; it was a battle preparation compound.

And the White Lotus blamed me for never fully connecting with my spiritual self in that stifling, isolated place.

The day after my firebending final, I felt a change in the air. Something shifted. Something was different, an indistinct hesitancy in the way the air moved. That sounds silly, but I have no way to describe what triggered change that day. I just knew that I couldn't stay where I was. I couldn't wait around and hear about the turning of the world from other people. I wanted to help turn the world. And it was my job for goodness sake; I was perfectly justified in wanting to participate in the upkeep of the world.

"I'm sorry, but it's just not possible." The aging Airbender sitting across from me seems very different than the powerhouse I remember from all those years ago.

"Why not?" I ask irate. "It's a great idea."

"Korra the situation in Republic City isn't very stable right now. It is not a conducive environment for Airbending training." Tenzin's weary face was strained by something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Frustration? Fear?

"Well it sounds like a perfect environment for Avatar training" I say, laying my forearm on the table, eyes on Tenzin. I start again when I see he's going to object, "Besides, don't you teach your kids airbending? They live there, in the City, with you. Why shouldn't I?" I see Tenzin waver, and internally cheer but then the stupid git from the White Lotus steps in and says,

"You are not a fully realized Avatar yet and it would not be appropriate for you to move to Republic City." Prim and proper. As if he's reading from a book. It makes me want to punch him in the face. Tenzin must read my mood because he says softly, "Korra, I admire your zeal to continue training… but now is not the right time." He's so finale, eyes deliberate, unyielding and sad. I know it's over. They don't want me there.

"Fine. Whatever." I briskly get up and leave, unwilling to let my face reveal my unbridled frustration… and hurt.

That afternoon, I went to see Katara.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" One look and Katara already knows. This is the smartest lady I have ever met. Standing in her doorway with a pack over my shoulder, I don't know why I've come but it's more than just goodbye. I need reassurance. Looking me up and down with a critical eye, Katara sums up my blank look and tense shoulders, perfectly. "Come in."

In Katara's warm, homey hut we sit near the fire, steaming cups between our hands. It's much smaller than the healing hut but still inviting, with brown furs and peculiar objects from her travels decorating the walls. I explained what happened with Tenzin, how stifled I felt. "They talk about me as if I'm a child that needs protecting rather than the stinkin' Avatar who needs to protect the whole world!" I didn't mean to shout at her but if she's offended she doesn't show it. I glance away from her peaceful face into the fire, a little ashamed of my outburst and wishing I had the kind of restraint she has.

"Korra, look at me," Katara is gentle when she says this but her eyes are unyielding. "Everyone does things for a reason. But, that doesn't mean it will make sense right away." She pauses for a moment, looking over at one of the oddities on her wall. "You are entering the next stage in your journey, as both the Avatar, and a person. Life is turbulent, and, learning to accept changes, confusion, and even pain are all a part of living."

She looks back at me and the gravity of what she's saying is conveyed through her expressive eyes. "As the Avatar, you will have to face more unique challenges than most… but that is not a bad thing. It will make you stronger. Learn to trust yourself and the oddities that will begin to surround you. Not everything will make sense the first time." She smiles at me and puts an old, gnarled hand to my cheek tenderly, "But you can handle it, my dear. Of that, I have no doubt." I almost tear up at the pure, genuine compassion being expressed through those eyes. Instead, I hug her fiercely, without words to express how much I appreciate her faith in me.

She pulls back and laughs blithely, "Let the journey begin!"

I jump aboard a cargo liner heading for the Earthkingdom, Naga's quite whinnying lessening as she gets used to the motion. Expecting to head straight there, I'm surprised when the freighter breaks down unexpectedly, right at the hunting village were I was born. Of course, I smile to myself as Naga and I disembark. Everything happens for a reason.

I'm able to wander into my childhood home to the almost forgotten smell of my mothers cooking. Their startled faces great me as I push aside the skin coverings of the doorway that seems much smaller. My mother and Elerren both rush over, a dishtowel still in the formers hands as she embraces me with tears in her eyes. In their astonishment, they speak over each other.

"We didn't expect you!" "When did they let you out?" "Oh I'm so glad to see you, Honey." That last one was form my mom as she hugs me again. I'm taller than her: that's new. Elerren has an arm around my shoulder looking at me with the protective, loving smile characteristic of brothers. When my mom steps back, I start explaining.

Our fathers are hunting, so I don't get to see the whole family, but the three of us have a lively dinner and I plan to set off the next morning. Elerren isn't family through blood, but he might as well be. Out of all our household, I've gotten to spend the most time with him over the years because his waterbending training overlapped with mine, bringing us together. Now I'm leaving him and everything else behind. But I can't bring myself to feel sorry.

The three of us stand outside the large multifamily dwelling, looking down at the bay. I'm grinning.

Elerren notices and gives me a light punch in the arm.

"Come back someday, ehh? You're the Avatar and everything, but we'll miss you." He puts an arm around my mom, calmly lending her strength. I pull him into a hug that turns into a childish jab at his more ticklish areas. Grinning, my mom pulls us apart to give me her hug, which conveys all the love and warmth she won't speak. Pulling back, she looks at me with weary acceptance. She's used to goodbyes.

"I'll be back," I say reaching for them both, an arm encircling the two strong members of my watertribe family.

The Earthkingdom is amazing! So many sounds and smells and the heat! Everything is frozen at the pole; so I never could have imagined how much things would smell here. The earth, the plants… people, it all assaults me at once with color, sound and smell as Naga dashes into the dock in her excitement to be uncontained. I don't' blame her: I'm excited beyond belief. I wander, distracted by everything moving, as I make my way from the dock to the small port town. Dirt is amazing. Wood houses, all the green, its… wow. I steer Naga into the trees that skirt the town so I can run my hands over massive columns of living trees. Its sweltering in my skins, so I shed a few layers, leaving only a sleeveless shirt and my unfortunately heavy pants on, as Naga and I appreciate the sensations of rolling around on a forest floor. Breathless and laughing, I gaze through a canopy of trees, forest litter clinging to my bare skin.

Most people are engaged in conversation or moving something or selling something, oblivious, until they catch site of a massive polarbear-dog, being led through town buy a lean, dark-skinned woman.

A gaggle of children race around the corner with a scruffy canvas ball, and one of the outliers' stumbles into me, I set her on her feet grinning. She smiles back, face suddenly transforming into pure shock as her eyes catch site of Naga over my shoulder. "It's ok, she's friendly." I say, gently leading the girl's scrawny arms to the soft fur at Naga's neck.

Excitement and fear war in her eyes, as she allows her hands to be threaded in the fur of my companion, who promptly sweeps her head around to knock the little thing over again, introducing herself with much sniffing and slobbery dog kisses. Propping her up by the elbows after the initial assault, I'm pretty sure she's laughing but I lift her high and to the side saying "woah Naga" to check her face.

The broadest smile I've ever seen is plastered there, along with dirty hands scrubbing at the sheets of saliva, making her whole face a messy beautiful picture of childhood.

My laughter is high and happy as I set her back on her feet, the others soon joining her in lavishing attention on a more than willing Naga. A few tentative onlookers inch closer to me, above the cacophony of questions and barks coming from the kids, one reticent man with dark hair asks me, "Are you from the South, Miss?" His timid eyes dart back and forth between the Polarbear dog and me. Even in the Watertribe, people reacted like this at first with Naga, it never get's old watching their faces transform into wonder the first time they touch her.

"Yep that's right, and this is Naga," Her massive head perks up adorably, eyes expectantly on me, and I reach out to scratch behind her ear earning a happy pant in response.

Soon enough, there is a sizable crowed, and the first man and I are comfortably exchanging conversation. I find out that this town is called Moho and that the port and fishing is where they get most of their business. I also learn the name of a good cloth seller (merchant, he calls them) after I mention how hot it is here. People take turns petting Naga, and I imagine the look in their eyes is similar to how my own must have looked, as I beheld trees for the first time earlier.

Everyone is dispersing now, and much to the disappointment of the children, and Naga, I decide its time to do some shopping.

One straggler, the girl who bumped into me earlier, tags along for a while, chattering and petting Naga. While I wonder that she doesn't have anything better to do, I don't mind the company.

Walking through town, I set my sights on a stall with cloth hanging from every available surface, and then my stomach grumbles loudly enough for the little girl at my side to notice. She giggles, pointing a dirty finger at my stomach and says,

"My brother's stomach does that all the time, are you hungry?"

"Actually I am, I hadn't thought about it until now but I'm starving." I say one hand pressed to my belly. Smiling proudly up at me, she says "My ma has the best soup ever, come on!" And taking me by the hand, she leads me to a nice little food stand just a few blocks away. Unfortunately for her, the girl is put to work the moment her mom catches site of her, the good-natured woman firmly handing the girl a broom then turns to me and offers a bowl of stew for returning her indolent daughter.

Waving goodbye to my enthusiastically waving young friend, I make my way back down the street, thinking. Everything I ever heard about the outside world seems to be tinged with half-truths.

Yes the houses are small and segregated but the families seem as jubilant, busy and friendly as my own. Though I was surprised by the apparent freedom all the kids seemed to have. At home that never would have been allowed. As kids we were always kept busy, benders and nonbenders, training to be warriors, hunters and healers, there was no time to wander around town. The only free time we had was at night, usually spent around the fire listening to stories and songs. Unexpectedly, I find myself missing home.

"Excuse me, do you have some cloths I could buy?" Behind the stand, a rather short older man squints at me and responds gruffly,

"You needin clothes all finished you'll have to look elsewhere. Hear we only sell the cloth."

"That's not a problem," I say, "I can sew." I pull at the small amount of money my mom gave to me and exchange a few silver coins for a fair bit of thick, green cloth.

Wondering off to find a shady spot to work, I settle on the edge of the market and through a combination of actual sewing, lazy people watching, and waterbending, in a few hours I have myself a serviceable outfit.

I've fashioned an over-shirt that wraps around my torso and a pair of mid-calf pants, the shirt is flexible, sleeveless and falls down to my knees, with slits up to the hip so I can move unimpeded. The only thing left is shoes, my arctic boots are far too bulky here, but when I look around I realized that everyone is closing up for the night and the sun is almost set.

I'm stiff and a little hungry, but if I'm hungry Naga must be starving, so I grab her lead and head for the trees. A little further into the forest, I decided to make a small earth hut for my things, and while I'm at it, a bowl that I can fill with water for Naga. I'd been keeping her well hydrated on the ship, but she probably lost a lot of fluids running around with all that thick fur.

Reaching out with my senses, I take a deep breath concentrating on the flow of chi around me. There it is! I can feel the water pulsing through the trees, the grass and… even far below my feet in the ground. Katara was right, there is water everywhere. Shifting into my flowing waterbending stance I draw water from deep underground and into the bowl for both of us. She laps at it avidly for several minutes, while I stroke her side and gaze at the trees.

After a few peaceful moments I say,

"Well girl, what'da say we go hunting?" Her ears perk at the familiar word, and I mount up.

Supplementing some ice for my usual spear isn't ideal, but Naga's paws are too big for her to catch anything on her own in this environment, so we work together until we have enough small mammals to satiate her.

Handing over the last of my money, I receive an unfamiliar yet tantalizing earthkingdom meal. I tuck in, seated comfortably at the end of a bar in of one of the few establishments that was still open this late at night. The room is raucous, chaotic and inviting, several men arm wrestling in the center of the room adds to the noisy and friendly atmosphere. I've been jostled a few times but that's to be expected. What I didn't expect was free drinks. They're an odd light yellow, and sweet. Nothing like the dark, acrid staple of watertribe liquor that I was used to. I sniffed the first tentatively, then shrugged and downed it. It was nice, sweet and warm at the same time, not to mention free. I couldn't have bought that for myself; I need to get my hands on some coin.

With Naga and I being of a more restless nature, I had decided to make the rest of the trip to Republic City on foot, well, paw, and that meant a lot more provisions. But it was worth it to get a glimpse of the larger world. With that thought, I finished off the second drink that had appeared in front of me and set my sites on the gold and silver being thrown around at the arm wrestling table.

Uknown

The dark-skinned newcomer could handle her liquor it seemed, the men who had sent her drinks were more than a little surprised when she downed the first one but even more shocked when she casually downed a second then sauntered over to the center table. She gazed boldly at them, a hand resting on her hip and asked with a widening grin and a taunting voice, "Who thinks they can beat me at arm wrestling".

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! The first seven or so chapters of this story will be published rather quickly (just a few days between) but after that there will likely be a two week wait in between every chapter. Also, I appreciate the reviews, thanks so much