The history is mine but not the characters.

Skyland is the world that inspires me the most. Korra and the character who inspires me the most. So I just decided to bring the Avatar into the world of the shattered earth.

A dangerous gift

Korra didn't remember the last time she saw the sun shine. Where she lived, the lights had always been emitted from ampoules. Not the only one natural element she was kept away from. She couldn't often enjoy breathing pure air either. Water was also priceless, so rare that taking a shower would have been considered fancy. As for earth, walking on the surface was too dangerous. she could get out only when she was allowed to.

That was her bunker life, she had lived in there since her childhood. That little place was located hundred meters beneath the ground. Hundred of people were living there, safe from the permanent storm. The outside was very dangerous and sometimes deadly. The ground was always covered with thick ice and the wind was fierce. Walking was very difficult and going out was considered only when really necessary. Although it was a tedious task, Korra would never miss a occasion to see the world that surrounded her home. She had that chance every week, when her father took her to the surface to search water and some food.

Like every Sunday, Korra had slept the whole afternoon. That nap was supposed to provide all the energy she would need in the evening. Her communicator woke her up quickly with fierce music. She always chose randomly a song on the device. The surprise always get her out of her dream efficiently. She didn't want to miss her rare opportunity to leave the bunker. This good strategy always made Korra bounce in her bed.

"Stop it" She yelled.

The music stopped immediately. The girl yawned and rubbed her eyes. She slowly got her legs off of the blankets to Face one of the wall of her bedroom. She stared at the only decoration that was on it. That was the picture of two young people from an unknown place. Those rebels had fought against a powerful dictatorship and succeeded in hitting it deeply. The person on the left was a dark hair girl wearing white clothes. Her name was Lena, she was a Seijin, a being capable of drawing different kinds of energies to turn them into powers. Despite her young age, she had fought and beaten many powerful enemies. She shared the same desire for freedom as her brother Mahad, who was on the right of the picture. The boy looked arrogant but he deserved his obvious pride from the fights he won along her sister.

Many in the Skyland knew their story, they had become a symbol of bravery and freedom by setting free countless of rebel allies. She especially envied Lena's powers, nature didn't give such abilities to everyone. Only few had that chance of having powers over elements. Korra was not one of them. That was why the most inspiring person on the picture to her was the boy. She has taken him as an example because he was normal, just like her. Only his courage and determination had made him a respectable lieutenant in the rebellion. Korra wanted to wake up every morning in front of that picture because she needed someone to become like. She liked thinking that the will of being free can make us do great things.

Korra got up and went take a bottle of water among a dozen of others. One liter a day for cleaning, that was what people could afford in such an isolated place. She grabbed a sponge from the sink and soak it with some water. She cleaned herself with it and took her thick clothes on. Ready to go, she left her bedroom to go to the rendezvous point.

This evening, she and her father would go to an different area. The resources had diminished in the last place they used to work in. That was why her father had chosen somewhere else to go, which made her even more willing to leave the bunker. Impatient to discover the place, the tanned girl was ready far earlier than she should have been. She had her thick clothes on and was carrying her backpack. Her head was covered with a hood and she was wearing glasses, a mask and gloves. She was waiting near an elevator for Tonraq to arrive.

Her father joined her a few minutes later. Dressed in warm clothes, he had also brought a spear, picks and a large bag used to contain water. He came in the elevator and pushed a button. As the machine was taking them up, Korra was feeling more and more excited. Every time, the young girl couldn't be more eager to reach the surface. She was staring at the little screen showing their location. Adrenalin was going through her veins as she could see the numbers of the floors getting to zero.

Arrived on the surface, they still had to wait a bit inside the elevator. They needed the sun to completely disappear from the sky. Korra knew perfectly why, her father had told the reason countless times. The natural light was too dangerous in the day, the heat of the sun made ice too fragile. It might crack too easily under someone's feet. The coldness of night was safer to walk outside.

In the elevator, both were looking at Tonraq's watch, waiting for the sunset to end. They could hear the sound of fierce gusts outside. Some pieces of metal were squeaking due to the wind lashing the elevator. Although the doors were not open yet, they could already feel cooler. After a few minutes, the coldness had already come in the elevator. The temperature was equal to that of the outside. Some snow had also infiltrated the place through the little gasp between the two doors.

When it was time, they opened the doors and stepped outside. The ground was snowy and the wind was fierce. Korra and Tonraq could feel it when it lashed the little parts of their face skin that were not covered with clothes. It was not too painful though, they were used to it. Besides, Korra was too focus on enjoying the sight. They were on the top of a mountain and could clearly see the surroundings.

The twilight had finished and the sun could no longer be seen. The ended sunset was still offering shades of different color. The west part of the sky was tinted with orange and red clouds.

Korra was admiring the Skyland miles around. Watching that scenery made her forget the confined place she was from. The place they lived in was an enormous mountain floating in the sky. Despite its size, it looked so small and lonely compared to the emptiness around. There was no real ground in the Skyland, just motionless blocks levitating in the air.

Theirs floating island was isolated from most inhabited places. It was hard for Korra the see the other blocks that were miles away from hers. This time she barely spotted a light just beneath the blurry horizon, its intensity increased and decreased periodically. Korra imagined that it was emitted from a lighthouse.

"Korra, focus" Her father demanded.

The young girl was drawn from her contemplation. She turned around to face her father.

"Let's go down" He added.

Both started descending in thick snow. Helped by light of the full moon that soon became soon the only source of light in the place. Their walk was very slow but Korra didn't mind it. While going down, she was watching down the edge of the block. Further than the block limits, there was nothing but emptiness. A pleasant sight to Korra. She loved the depths of the Skyland.

One hour later, they reached the east bottom of the mountain. They still needed to walk for a few minutes more to the chosen area. The new work place was a frozen lake. When they arrived, her father put his tools on the ground and came onto the lake to inspect the ice. While walking on the frozen water, he memorized all the spots that looked interesting. Those points of interest were cavities filled with still liquid water.

Once he had found what he needed, he came back to the shore to grab a pick. As usual, Korra's heart pace increased rapidly. She knew that it was the most dangerous part of the job. His father was about to dig a hole into ice and he wanted her daughter away from him. The girl had always been scared of watching him from the shore without being able to help.

Korra's breath stopped for a moment, thinking about any wrong hit that her father might make. Lake ice was thin sometimes, hitting it at a wrong place might have caused her father to fall into cold water. That was what she feared each time he rose his hand with a spike in it. Since he always needed more than a dozen of hits, Korra had been crippled for a moment. Her father eventually dug the hole without mistakes. Korra started breathing again when he put the pick into his backpack.

"Much Fish!Great!" her father shouted.

Korra smiled seeing Tonraq happy. She grabbed the spear and went to her father.

"Now, it's your job" He said.

Tonraq knew how to fish but he wanted her daughter to be able to find some food by herself. That was why he always let her pull the fish out. Korra got near the edge of the hole and readied herself to use the spear. She rose slowly her hand then chose the fish she would try to hit. She followed it with her eyes until its moves became slow. When the aquatic animal was almost still, she plunged the half spear into water to hit it. After the blade penetrated the fish, the girl brought the animal out of the water. Still wagging on the top, the fish was taken off by Tonraq. When the gut was ripped apart by a hook, much blood spilled onto the ground. Korra shivered watching this, she liked eating fish but she hated fishing. Taking life was not something she enjoyed but she also knew it was their only way to live.

After Tonraq put the fish in a box, Korra repeated the task several times. She got enough food for a week. Which was a reason to stop killing other animals, they could soon go back home. They just needed to get some water first. Both filled their bags with the precious liquid from the cavity then readied themselves to leave. Korra wore a water bag on her back and her father carried the rest. Happy to have found much food, they started walking to the shore with large smiles.

While trying to move their feet, they realized that the wind direction had changed during their fishing. It was no longer lateral and was pushing them backward too strongly to let them move to the south. Korra's father knew they wouldn't be able to come back to the bunker quickly. They needed to chose another way. As usual, in this kind of situation, they decided to walk in the same direction as the wind. They stepped on the ice very slowly to finally reached the north shore of the lake. Tonraq then looked around to find where they would continue their walk.

There were two options. The first one was to go east to circumvent the lake. That meant walking along the edge of the block, near emptiness. Tonraq considered it was too risky. That was why he decided that they would go west, where the ground was not flat but their way would be less dangerous. Tonraq knew the existence of other paths in that direction. One of them led to the top of the mountain.

The needed path was marked by little spikes sunk in the ground. They indicated the way to the bunker. Since there were gravels on it, Korra and Tonraq were able to walk safely. After sinking their feet in thick snow, their boots easily adhered to the ground.

After 30 minutes of walk, Tonraq guessed that they were already half way to the bunker. A pleasant fact that deserved a little break according to the father:

"Let's stop for a moment" He said.

Korra lied down on the snow to let all her muscles rest. As if she was about to sleep, she closed her eyes. A position that wouldn't prevent her from sleepiness. She knew that she might fall asleep if she rested too long but her father would wake her up if she did. Tonraq just sat down on a big rock that reposed off of the path. He put his backpack onto the ground to pull the water bag out of it. As he was trying to open it, he realized that the lid was too slippy. He couldn't screw it with his hand surrounded by thick fabric. He pulled his right glove off with his left hand then put it on his pocket. He tried again to open the bag with his bare hand. It was a success and he could drink some water. When his thirst was quenched, he closed the bag and put it back in his backpack.

Although, he knew it shouldn't never get his gloves off, being used to these moves had made unaware of risks. He had done them so many times that he could have repeated them with eyes closed. Though this time, he understood he should have chosen another way to drink. As he was pulling his glove out of his pocket, he was caught off guard by a fierce gust. The piece of cloth fell onto the floor and was carried by the wind few meter away to sink into snow. It was higher in the mountain outside of the path.

"Shit!" He shouted.

"What's wrong dad?"

"Nothing" Tonraq said.

He didn't even want to explain his mistake to her daughter. He just wanted to get the glove back quickly so they can continue their walk. He stood up and went to quickly grab it. In the rush, he didn't check the ground. As he was about to grab the glove, he stepped on some ice. His foot slid on it and he fell onto the snow. This time, he didn't curse to not get his daughter's attention. He was too ashamed of making another mistake. His tailbone and ankles hurt from the hit but he didn't mind it. He was too focus on getting the glove back. He pulled the clothe out of the snow and put it back on.

Slowly standing up, he looked quickly around to check how his daughter was doing.

"You're ok, Korra?"

"Yeh, almost taking a nap, you?"

"Terrific" He answered.

His back hurt a lot but he would never admit it. He wanted to show that he could protect her daughter. That was why he didn't summon Korra when he realized that something was standing on their way. Tonraq had seen that problem by looking around him after standing up.

The new difficulty was a frozen water puddle hundred meters ahead. That thin pool of ice was wide and thick. They would not be able to continue without walking on it. By taking a quick look at it, the father knew it was too slippery. He needed to find a solution. The first one that crossed his mind was to dig little holes on the ice. They then would put their feet into them to move forward without risking to fall.

Not willing to scare her daughter, Tonraq let Korra rest alone and decided to go deal with the problem himself. When he was in front of the huge puddle of frozen water, in crouched and grabbed his pick to start hitting the ice. Each of the hole he dug was half meter apart from each other. Each time he finished digging deep enough, he stepped forward to make another hole. The gaps allowed him to work without slipping.

He was moving slowly but surely. While digging a hole with his right hand, his left hand was always grabbing a hole already carved and his feet were sunk in two others. His technique was efficient but the tasks was tedious. Despite the coldness around, he was feeling hotter and hotter. His thick clothes and his exertion made him sweat a lot.

Almost half-way, his right hand had been used so much that it was shaking. His legs were no longer so strong either. He could feel that most of his upper members were crippled.

His weakness was not the cause of his failure though. As he was digging, one of his hits caused the ice to crack over meters above him. All the frozen water suddenly turned into many fragments falling downwards. This little avalanche swiped the man off and was brought down to the closest plain ground. While lying on the snow, he was hit by pieces of ice. The man screamed in pain. The noise suddenly alerted Korra who quickly stood up to check what was happening.

"Dad!" She screamed.

She ran as quickly as she could to her father who was stranded in snow. When she was near him, she realized that his eyes were closed. She swiped some snow off his face and tried to wake him up by shaking his body. Tears started to fall from Korra's eyes. Her body was shaking out of fear after she noticed some ice shards on her father's face. His cheeks were lightly stained with blood.

"Dad! Dad! Answer me!"

Tonraq slowly opened his eyes while cursing:

"I think my right leg is broken"

She felt relieved seeing his father still alive but she was still worry about Tonarq's wounds. She moved to the backpack to search the first-aid-kit. She plunged her hands into it hoping she would find it quickly. But she was stopped by her father :

"No need to use it, it's useless"

"How are you supposed to heal?"

"My face hurts from the ice in it. I'm gonna get rid of it. The rest of the healing will wait until I'm in the infirmary. I don't think we can do anything to fix a broken bone"

He finished his sentence moving her right hand to his face. He started remove the ice shards from his skin. Korra didn't want to watch, she turned her head to the opposite direction. She was gritting her teeth while hearing him complain. When he was done, Korra move to him and stretched her hands towards him.

"Come on" She said. "Stand up and let's keep up. I'll help you."

Tonraq looked quickly at the steep path. He realized that all the ice ahead had fallen, making a path of ice needles before the two.

"Damn!" He said. We're doomed if we keep going up.

"No", Answered Korra. "I can do it, I'll break all the pieces of ices on my way. When I am in the bunker, I'll go get some help. I'll run as fast as I can."

"It's too dangerous. What happened to me may happen to you" Tonraq said.

Korra exhaled deeply thinking about what her father said. They needed the find another way. Tonraq analyzed the situation. They could descend to the east of the mountain, they would arrive near the lake they fished on and hope for the wind direction to turn. They could also try to reach the opposite side of the block, where there was an entrance to the bunker. They wouldn't have to walk up but the way was longer since they would have to circumvent the mountain.

Korra waited impatiently for his father's answer. After a few minutes thinking, The father finally shared his choice:

"We're going down then we will walk west. There are some tunnels we could use as shelters. We will rest there if we are too tired too keep walking"

"All right. Do you think you can still walk?"

"I don't think I need to walk. Can you get me my picks?"

Korra looked around and spotted the tools stranded in snow. She went pull them out and took it to her father. Tonraq grabbed the tools then strapped his backpack on his chest. He moved his feet downward and readied himself to attempt a new way to get down. When he considered himself ready, he let himself slide on slope. Despite the gravels on the path, some snow helped his descent. He slid over a dozen of meters before friction stopped him from moving when arrived at a less steep slope. He then started to stick his picks into the ground and pull them to move forward until the inclinations allowed him to slide again.

He repeated the process several times to check if his technique was efficient enough. He would ruin his clothes but it didn't matter at the moment. To Korra's surprise and relief, his moving would allow him to reach the bottom of the mountain easily. He was already more than fifty meters away from her when he spoke:

"Come on, Korra. Let's get down." He screamed.

The girl joined her father and they continued the descent. Each time Korra was near him, Tonraq used his technique to get down and waited for her to join him. They finally reached the flattest ground after he had slid on the slope countless time. Many pieces of Tonraq's outfit had become ripped. He didn't mind his new look but little gaps let cold air sweep into his clothes, which made him shiver. He could clearly feel the temperature getting colder.

On the bottom, Tonraq couldn't slide anymore. He needed help to stand and the best way would be a crutch. He sent Korra to a former clearing full of dead trees. She looked for something that could have been used as such. She came back with a long branch that she gave to his father. It helped Tonraq stand but he was carrying too much weight. Using the wood stick was not enough. That was why he got rid of his backpack by giving it to her daughter. After relieving himself of the extra weight, he could stand again.

Korra didn't mind the new load, she was tough from much working out. She had big muscles and could bear the effort but Tonraq didn't like the feeling of having to count on her. He despised himself for being so weak at the moment. The shame increased even more when he realized that he was walking more slowly than her daughter.

The path to the opposite entrance of the bunker was long, they needed to walk around the mountain. The flat ground of the block consisted of narrow space. Most of it was along the edge of the block. Which meant that they needed to reach the most northern point first. They crossed a forest for some dozens of minutes then they finally arrived at an edge.

The natural flat path around mountain was not larger than 30 meters. On its left side, it was framed by the steep ground of the mountain. On its right, there was only the emptiness of the sky. Fierce gusts easily blew water and snow away from places so close to the ends of the block. Only the heaviest things stayed on the ground, which kept the path only covered with stones and gravels. They were easier to walk on.

If their situation hadn't been critical, Korra would have enjoyed their way. While walking, she sometimes turned her head to the right to look north. She had never been able to watch down so deeply below the horizon. She could even make out some blocks she had never seen before. The new sight she had made her shiver of amazement more than once. Her father didn't see it that way, each second passing was making him more frustrated. Watching his daughter carry the backpack made him feel useless. The only thing he could do was to scan the sky. Hoping to see a ship that could help them. Sometimes, travelers came across the area of their block. He hopped to find one in the sky.

After walking for more than two hours, both were very tired. Especially Tonraq who feared to faint out from exertion. That was why they decided to stop for the night at the first metallic door they saw. The door was not locked, they just needed to push the handle to enter. The place inside was a tunnel. It was two meters large with no source of light. There were countless cracks on the circular wall of the tunnel. Some pieces of concrete had fallen onto the floor. Each time the wind blew inside, the squeaks of metal pieces showed the fragility of the structure. Both decide to ignore the dangerousness of the place.

Korra put the backpack on the floor and pulled a torch out. She turned it on then closed the door. She quickly inspected the tunnel visually. The path seamed to led deep into the mountain. They couldn't even see its end.

"Is there a chance that this path leads to the bunker?" Korra asked.

"No, this is an old tunnel, built before the great cataclysm. All these kinds of structures are not connected to the bunker. There were considered too fragile to be used. I've been here once. I remember correctly, this one is clogged with stones hundred meters away from here."

Korra looked around to contemplate the place. She had never been in a so ancient place. She imagined how the former world was. Drawn from her thought by her father:

"I suggest we eat." He said.

The girl agreed before putting the bottom of the torch on the floor so that it lightened the ceiling. The light reflecting on the tunel relieved the place of its darkness. She got a little box out of the backpack. Its content was several fish already cooked. Both knelled around the torch to have dinner.

While savoring her meal, Korra couldn't help imagining how Skyland was before. Between two bites, she decided to ask her father about what he knew:

"Dad, you have never told me so much about the former world."

Tonraq pouted inhaling deeply to show that he was embarrassed. His daughter immediately noticed and apologized immediately:

"Sorry, don't say anything. I know you don't like to talk about it."

The father pointed to the deepness of the tunnel and started speaking:

"This is a good sample of the former world. There were billions of people on earth centuries ago. In order to draw as many resources from the ground as possible, humans have destroyed the world. Countless tunnels like this one had cracked our planet. The earth eventually shattered into millions of floating blocks, letting us live on islands wandering in the sky."

"But how was it before that? Was land prettier?"

"I've heard stories from my father. He told me it was uglier, smelled like dirt all day and the buildings were grim."

"Really? So, maybe life is better now?"

Tonraq exhaled deeply before confessing his point of view:

"I don't know. I guess some things are better, some others are worse. The only thing I can say it that I'm happy we can still live peacefully on this block."

"But how about when we'll need to get off of this block. I don't want to stay here for ever."

Tonraq ate some bites of fish then he kept talking:

"The most important is to live, despite the Sphere bothering us all the time. Every block is the same Korra. You need nothing that is outside."

"But dad... I'd like to leave when I'm 21."

"I told you, you don't have to live in another place. You belong here, you're safe as long as you're with us. This place is our home nowhere else is."

"Dad! This is nonsense. We're not even safe right now. I don't understand why we should stay..."

"That's enough" Tonraq cut off. "This is neither the time nor the place. We'll talk about your future later."

Korra pouted hearing her father's answer. She was used to him scolding about her wish to leave. She knew her father was just scarred of her being far from her family. But she would never forget to remind him of her willing to experience another life.

After eating their meal, they decided to rest in the tunnel for a few hours. Tonraq considered that they needed to sleep. He thought that they could afford to stay a few hours inside. They were merely two hours of walk away from the bunker and they could continue to move in the morning before sunrise. Tonraq just rested on the wall but Korra decided to take a nap. She used her thick hood as pillow. She fell asleep lulled by the sound of the wind. So did her father a few minutes later.

Tonraq's watch rang at 1am to wake them up. Both got up and came out of the tunnel to continue their walk. The temperature had slightly increased, they could also feel that their skins were lashed by a softer wind. The weather was definitely making their way a bit easier. Tonraq still used his right leg with difficulties but his concentration has not been affected. Hours of sleep had made he able to scan the sky and the surroundings quickly.

As they were reaching the middle of the path, he noticed two green and red lights in the darkness. Those were the beacons of ship crossing the sky. He didn't waste any second. Tonraq pulled his torch out of his back pack and chose a flashing light with the strongest intensity. He pointed the ray towards the ship until it was no longer on sight.

"Must be brigs" Tonraq thought out loud.

"How could you know?"

"They don't care. So... they must be machines, or maybe a coward Seijin heading to a Sphere stronghold, or... just someone who doesn't care. Let's keep going."

Both continued to walk. Korra curiously wanted to know why her father mentioned Seijins.

"Why could it be a Seijin ?" Korra asked.

"They are powerless without sunlight. They have to stay protected in theirs bases or in their ships. Let's forget it, come on, we need to get to the bunker before the tempature is no longer high enough to keep snow frozen."

They were disappointed by the ship ignoring them but they knew that their walk was close to the end. According to Tonraq's knowledge about the surroundings, they only have one hour left before arriving at the bunker. The temperature beginning to get higher made them able to step more quickly, althouth it also increased the risk of an avanche. They could clearly see the effect of the rising temperature. Snow was starting to melt and flow down the mountain, getting their path wet.

Soon they would need to deal with a new difficulty. While still walking on the edge of the block, they were slowly making out a irregularity that was hundred meters ahead. A part of the ground had crumbled. They would need to climb to avoid the wide gap and get to the other side.

"Great, when we were getting so close." The father shouted.

"You can make it dad. Let's circumvent by climbing the mountain. It's not so steep."

"All right. Let's do that."

They stepped out of the path to continue their way on the mountain. They started the ascend hundred meters away from the gap, where the slope was gentle. Korra leading, they walked along the path to eventually arrived some meters above the huge whole. The rocks and gravels on the place were wet from melting snow. The girl and her father were steping very slowly.

Korra was making it easily but her father struggled. Climbing with a broken leg was beyond excruciating. After every step, he needed to have a few seconds break to get his strength back. He managed to pass the gap and half the descent when he ran out of energy. His shaking legs gave him the impression of not being able to control his own body. His focus kept him standing until his down limbs were not strong enough to support his weight. He then tumbled 10 meters down to the ground.

"Dad !" Korra Shouted.

She rushed toward his father. His eyes were closed and he was no longer moving any limb. Tears falling from her eyes, Korra get her ear close to her father's mouth to check his breathing. She realized that he was still alive and tried to wake him up by screaming and shaking his body. Her attempts were not succesful, Tonraq would stay unconscious. She had no experience in health care and would have to take her father to infirmary. She would carry him to the bunker. Korra dropped the two backpacks on the floor and instead, placed her father on her back and shoulders.

Tonraq's weight was superior to that of the equipment she had been carrying. The pace of her move has been highly slowed down. She even had to stop from time to time to rest and before getting back to walking. What was supposed to take 2 hours had become a 5 hours long going. Her efforts were so intense that they had become a way of keeping her warm. That was not the most import source of heat though. As the sun was about the rise, she could feel the air getting hotter. The higher temperature was starting to melt the ice lying on the north slope of the mountain. That process created water flowing down to the edge. The earth was mixing with it to form dirt on Korra's path. Soon, the edge was filled with more liquid. Small rills of water had merged to become only one thin but large stream.

Korra's boots were sinking deeper and deeper as the water was soaking the earth. One move made her left boot stick to the ground. She put much effort into pushing the right leg to remove herself from the unconvenient position. She succeeded but she didn't manage to step forward correctly, which made her dropped her father onto the ground. Korra was quickly filled with guilt while imagining that she might have been the cause of more injuries on her father's body. She was surprisingly relieved to see him awake. The sudden fall had brought Tonraq back from unconsciousness. He slowly changed his position from lying in the water to kneeling in front of Korra. She crouched to help him stand up but was stopped before she even touched him.

"Run to the bunker" He screamed at her.

"Dad, I can't leave you here" Korra answered.

"Korra, it's a matter of minutes before all the snow is too weak to hold itself. It's going to turn into an avalanche. You've taken too much time to carry me. You have to go"

"No way, I'm not..."

She could not finish her phrase. Her attention was drawn to some snow that collapsed hundred meters ahead of them. Most of it had fallen into the emptiness of the sky but a part had stayed on the path. It formed a tall white wall preventing neither of them to keep moving.

"No ! No ! No !" Tonraq shouted. "Go to hell ! Go to hell, you damn snow. Let my daughter alone."

Tears was starting to fall on the man's face. Korra was watching him powerless, trying think about a way to make it through the snow. She knelled in front of a father to share her thought :

"Maybe we can dig into..." She started to say. She was quickly cut off by his father :

"It's over Korra"

The girl looked at her father's eyes, filled with despair. Tonraq's body was shaking. He managed to say some words :

"I'm sorry Korra. I thought I could keep you away from dangers. I failed."

"No, please don't say that. There are always ways solutions. I'm going to find way out"

Korra stood up and looked around her, trying to see places near them where they could be safe from a fall of snow. There was nothing usable as a shelter. They were surrounded by the earth of the mountain, the flowing water and the sky. Soon both will also be immersed in the heating sunlight. The elements wouldn't help her in any way. She was realizing that she and her father were obviously doomed.

The sky had become clearer and clearer. The colors she had never seen before drew her attention. She let herself go into contemplating what has been hidden from her since her birth. At that moment, the usual grayness of the clouds she always known looked like cotton white. She was astonished to see that in the presence of the light, the sky had the same color as water.

For the first time, the daylight allowed her to see animals moving in the air. They were flying from North to South, passing over the mountain. The girl envied their freedom to move everywhere they wanted. She cursed them inside for having the ability she could use the most.

Above the clear horizon, she could make out a cargo ship. Korra knew her parents came to this block in such a machine. She had been told that some were used to travel over great distance. She wanted to get on board of one of them to experience life in other worlds. Being in the middle of the sky in a ship would be an experience she was eager to try, she was not afraid of the emptiness.

She enjoyed looking down the edge. Where there used to be darkness, there were countless of new observable blocks. She could see far way that, one of the block was easily spotted due to its dark land with a crater in its center. Korra guessed that it was a volcano. Her science teacher had once told her about it.

Her look into the deep was brought to the changing colors above the east horizon. Korra was staring at what she thought to be the imminent sunrise. A dot of orange light was increasing. Soon, the part of a lightening disk was visible. For the first time, the rays of the star were directly touching the girl's retina. More and more new shades of clear colors were slowly being shown to her. Korra watched the scenery until her eyes could no longer bear the light. She closed her eye to focus on the feeling the sun was offering.

Korra's temperature was increasing and her members became less numb. She started to breath deeply to fill her lung with fresh air. Every inhalation let her feel that her body was getting stronger. The weakness in her legs and arms was disappearing. Her back ache was leaving as well. The young girl soon realized other changes in her body. The star made her dive into a semi-conscience state. All stress and despair were forgotten in the bath of sun light. Korra's experience was so captivating that she no longer thought about the surroundings. The only wish that came to her mind was to salute the sun :

"Keeper of the world. Welcome to my life" She murmured.

Korra started experiencing a weight reduction. She was feeling like all the matter she was made of had been replaced by cotton. The temperature of her skin was generating its own heat. The painful wind lashes had become as sweet as caresses of silk gloves. Any thirst for hunger had been gone. Bathed in the appeasing sunlight, she opened her eye to see the sun entirely. The star had completely risen and its light was intense. Korra was not blinded by it. She was staring directly at the source of heat without any discomfort.

Light was a blessing to all mankind and especially to her. In the addition to the relief of pain, Korra had received a gift. She was sensing the surroundings like if they were parts of her mind. Rocks, stones, streams of liquid, air, she could make out their compositions and positions. She had been given the authority over the elements. Korra looked down the water flowing on the ground. She pointed at it to order the liquid to split in two. It obeyed and created a division in the large stream. She had created a strip of land where no liquid was allowed to pass.

Korra unstretched her arm and looked at her father.

"You knew ?" Korra said.

"No one should have known. Not even you." He answered.

Korra moved closer to her laying father and knelled next to him.

"Why ?" She asked.

"If the sphere knows it, they would take you away from us."

"You and mom. You have kept me here to protect me. Don't you think we just could have..."

As she was speaking, Korra sensed a change in the structure of the elements on the slope above them. The snow had reached a temperature where it could not be kept resistant enough. The sound of a crack was heard, resonating in the sky. Snow started to crumble down the mountain with nothing to stop it. The quantity of falling matter was overwhelming for Korra to handle. She had barely discovered how to move some liters of water. She looked in owe at the incoming snow fall threatening them with imminent death. Tonraq grabbed her daughter's hand and hold it firmly.

The flow of white matter was about the wipe them out of the path. As a survival instinct, Korra moved desesparetly her hand in the threat direction. The fear of losing both their lives increased her will to control the element. In a fraction of second, a blue energy emanated from her body. It took the shape of a bubble surrounding the two. The sphere shield protected them from the snow falling down. The ground was shaking and the avalanche thunder was deafening. For seconds Tonraq and Korra experienced a new degree of fear.

Once the avalanche was over, the father and the daughter were still alive. Both were paralyzed by what had just happened. As Korra was realizing that her new ability had just kept them safe, the blue energy around them was fading away. She slowly stood up to face the sun. She bowed before the star in respect for it.

"Thank you" She murmured.

Korra turned around to face her father.

"I'm the one who is going to the help you this time"

She helped her father stand up and they started walking again. All the snow on the mountain had fallen and they no longer needed to fear a new avalanche. The fall had also removed the snow wall ahead of them. They could also move on easily thanks to the water that stopped flowing down. Tonraq was still struggling to step but Korra's support was enough to keep him from falling.

Cleansed of all fears and despair, they were filled with much hope. Their probable happy endind increased their will to use all energy left in their body. They walked for more than one hour before reaching the west side of the block. The place was wide and plain, filled with thick snow. The bunker gate was observable one kilometer north. Tonraq and Korra could make out people gathered at the entrance. One of those persons used a torch to send a message. Tonraq could decode morse and understood it.

"They'll come for us." The father said.

Two men left the gate on snow bikes to go to them. They quickly reached the survivors' place and brought them back to the bunker. Senna had been waiting since their leaving, when she saw her family, she hugged them while crying out of joy. The team had tried to rescue them but had been stopped by huge mounts of snow on the north edge. That had plunged senna into hopelessness. The return of her family made her stick to her daughter and husband. Senna helped Tonraq go to the infirmary. She was accompanied by her daughter to the place where a doctor called Katara would take care of the father's injuries.

Korra was beyond relieved by her family being back together. She would not ruin the moment by talking to her parent about theirs lies. She could wait but she would eventually need a complete explanation. She needed to know how to deal with the knowledge of having rare abilities. It would change her life for ever. Because she knew the truth.

She was a Seijin.

I tend to be a slow writer. This story is supposed to be continued but I might not publish a new chapter soon. This is why I made sure that this one can be read as a single story. I'll offer new adventures to Korra when I have the time. I have ideas in mind. Some include Kuvira being a captain Seijin in the Sphere dictatorship and a Korrasami paring.

Feel free to give me your ideas on the future of Korra's history in the Skyland. I might add them into the following chapters.