Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra, or any of the related characters. The Avatar universe is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and owned by Nickelodeon. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only.

Book 1: Dark

Chapter 1: The Girl with the Annoying Spirit

"You really are getting better at this," Gyila told his brother as he was sweating from struggling to airbend. Gyila was genuine and wanted to motivate his little brother. He knew how hard it was for him as an earthbender.

Kairo rolled his eyes, "Don't patronize me."

"I am not; it has been only two weeks since you arrived here. Go easy on yourself. This is your opposite element," responded Gyila.

"I swear, if you tell me that I need to be more patient again, I am going to kill you," Kairo said as threateningly as possible, even though he sure didn't mean it. He naturally got irritated when his brother responded to his death threats with laughs.

"Yeah, you really are Korra's reincarnation," Gyila responded while chuckling slightly.

As amusing as Gyila found this situation, Kairo was seriously troubled by it. Firebending came so quickly to him, and even so, he almost spent four years in the Fire Nation Capital. He couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the number of years he would spend in this place. Of course, he loved the Southern Air Temple. He just wished he could travel in time where he wouldn't struggle this much with airbending.

Kairo was also fascinated by how different air felt. He has always been a typical Earth citizen and bender. He was quite stubborn, impulsive, self-assured, and ambitious. The lightness, almost weightless bending style was drastically unfamiliar to him. He was used to bending earth pieces weighing tons, not a weightless concept.

He couldn't help but think how two brothers came out to be this different. He knew they weren't blood-related, but they grew up together nonetheless. "I guess this is what happens when people get separated at round 10," he thought to himself. Gyila turned out to be an airbender, and well, Kairo turned out to be the Avatar. As annoying as he sometimes found his brother, especially when he talked about all that patience mumbo jumbo, it was really good to live with him again. He really did miss him, but he wasn't going to tell this to him or anything.

"You should meditate more and try to connect with Korra. She was also struggling with airbending. She can help." his brother suggested. That would've been the perfect solution, of course, if Kairo had been as spiritual as his brother.

"What makes you think my spiritual connection is that strong while I can't even airbend properly?" asked the young Avatar. He wasn't this pessimistic, normally. He has always been the energetic and cocky type of Avatar, not a very gloomy baby.

"It does not hurt to try, isn't it?" Kairo knew, as always, that his brother was right. He just wasn't going to admit it to him.

Right while they were having this little argument, Gyila's phone interrupted them. It was Jinora. "Okay, I am going to need to take this call. Practice till I come back," said Gyila while Kairo grunted very loudly.

"Yes?" he opened the phone. "Hello Gyila, how is the training going?" Jinora asked. Gyila admired and respected Jinora enormously. After arriving at the Southern Air Temple at age 10, his spirituality caught people's attention, and Jinora became his airbending master. Even though he felt a powerful connection to the air culture, leaving his family in Omashu was quite hard for him, and Jinora made his first year very tolerable.

"It is..." he looked at Kairo, who was visibly struggling, "going. Everything alright?" he asked. He heard Jinora exhaling; she sounded as if she was stressed.

"Varran is expressing his desire to unite the water tribes. And he isn't the only one. We thought that this could be Avatar's first mission since Varran isn't opposing a big threat for now," explained Jinora.

Gyila thought for a moment. "What do you mean by 'he isn't the only one?'"

"He says that with portals making them closer, there is no reason for them to be separate, and while their cultures are becoming very much integrated. Almost all of the Northern Water Tribe agrees with him. There are even some people in the Southern Water Tribe that think the same way,"

"I am sorry if I sound disrespectful, Jinora, but this seems like an internal water tribe conflict. Are you sure we, an air nomad and an earthbender Avatar who is still in training, are the best people to solve this issue? Water tribes can choose for their own fate whatever they wish," protested Gyila. He really thought this wasn't the right way to solve this conflict.

"I know you mean no harm, Gyila. But we thought it best to intervene before we have another Unalaq incident," added Jinora.

"When do you want us to go to the Northern Water Tribe?" asked Gyila. He saw Jinora's point; he wanted to at least make more visible progress with Kairo's airbending before leaving.

"In a week or two," started Jinora, it certainly wasn't enough to make visible progress. "But first, I need you and Kairo to do some research about the water tribes' history. Try to figure out why the Northern and Southern Water Tribes got separated in the first place, for example. You can go to Wan Shi Tong's library." Jinora suggested.

"Ugh, you know, for a 'wise' spirit, he is very annoying." Gyila loved spending time in Wan Shi Tong's library, especially reading ancient air nomad folklore, but he just couldn't stand that guy.

"I know..." Jinora agreed, and they laughed. "I will keep you updated, Jinora," said Gyila.

"Thank you, Gyila, you two got this. I believe in you." Jinora's words encouraged him, as always.

"Thank you too, Jinora," he said and hung up.

Gyila returned to his brother and explained the situation. "Wan Shi Tong's library... Isn't that place in the spirit world?" Kairo asked. Gyila nodded.

"Then we should leave as soon as possible, right? We can use the southern portal." Kairo loved his brother's enthusiasm, but he had another plan in mind.

"I think we leave in a week, and I can meditate in the spirit world while you can search some papers online. Until we leave, of course. We can go to the library on our way to the Northern Water Tribe if I can find anything useful."

Kairo thought for a moment. He wanted to leave as soon as possible. He was so excited. The world was in a peaceful state after Avatar Korra, and there has never been a job or need for the Avatar until now. Sometimes, he felt like Avatar Kuruk, considering how peaceful his time was after Avatar Kyoshi. Of course, during his time in the Fire Nation Capital, he helped resolve some local conflicts, and he sometimes even worked with the police. But he still couldn't help but feel incompetent when he unconsciously compared himself with Korra and Aang. Korra, well, Korra was the first Avatar in her cycle. She did so much: opened the portals, defeated countless threats, and transformed Republic City into the one and only metropolis that had strong connections to the spirits and the spirit world. And Aang, well, Aang was like five when he defeated the Fire Lord; it was quite an accomplishment. He also was the one who created Republic City.

The young Avatar knew that both Aang and Korra had their friends beside them to help them with everything and that they did not accomplish their achievements all by themselves. But nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel like the world didn't need him at all. Which was a good thing. He knew that. There was no need for him because there were no major threats to the balance of the world that would danger the lives of the innocent.

Nevertheless, he agreed to Gyila's plan. After all, even if he protested, he knew what Gyila would tell him: to be more patient.

"Splendid," Gyila said while clapping his hands together. "Oh, this is so exciting! I cannot believe we are going to your first mission already!" he said, slightly jumping and smiling, acting like a child high on sugar. "You are growing so fast..." Gyila added while pretending to be sad.

Kairo laughed. "Get over yourself; you are only three years older than me."

For a long time, Kairo didn't know his birthday, which, for some reason, bothered him. Until he realized that he was the Avatar at 13, his birthday was set to the day when his adoptive parents found him as a baby on the streets of Omashu. One of the first things that came to his mind after discovering that he was the Avatar was that he knew his birthday now. Quite a weird thought to have, as "one of the first thoughts" after learning about his Avatar identity. What was even weirder was that now he shared his birthday with his brother. Gyila was exactly three years older than him.

"So, all mighty Avatar, what do you think we practice till lunch? After that, we can do our research," suggested Gyila with a fake accent and attitude.

"It isn't like I have a choice, do I, Sifu Brother?" Kairo responded while joining his brother's acting.

"No, you do not," said Gyila and attacked him with strong air blasts from both of his hands. His stance was amazing; his little brother wasn't falling, stumbling, or even losing his balance. He was protecting his stance, like an amazing earthbender he was. But airbending wasn't about persistence or endurance; it was about flexibility and finding and following the path of least resistance.

Several hours later, Gyila started to meditate outdoors. It was pretty hot, but once in a while, there was this cooling breeze that made Gyila feel so good. He focused on the sensation of the breeze touching and cooling his skin. From a far distance, he heard all the people's voices filling the Southern Air Temple. He listened to the wind chimes whenever the breeze blew. It felt like his skin made those sounds from the chime. With a big inhale, he entered the spirit world. He was never really troubled by the spiritual stuff. Even when he was in Omashu, he immensely enjoyed playing with spirits. But he knew that most of his abilities resulted from Jinora training him. Sometimes, Gyila thinks that if spirituality was a person, it would be Jinora.

As annoying as he found Wan Shi Tong, he was going to use his library and decided to properly greet him and maybe even ask him if he knew anything about why the water tribes separated. He got inside and spotted Wan Shi Tong. He was chatting with a water tribe girl. She seemed to be in her early twenties, just like him. She was pretty, too. As he approached them, Gyila saw that they were chatting in a very casual way. It seemed as if they were... friends? They were even joking and laughing and everything. When he got close to them, just when Gyila prepared himself to greet him respectfully, Wan Shi Tong interrupted him.

"Oh, you again?" he said, clearly uninterested and even bothered.

"It is always a pleasure to see you too, Wan Shi Tong. Believe me when I say that I really need to be here right now, and it certainly wasn't my decision," explained Gyila, being perhaps more respectful than Wan Shi Tong deserved.

"What are you looking for?" asked the girl kindly. She had a warm smile with dimples on both her cheeks. He got lost in this beautiful smile and realized that he hadn't been talking for a socially awkward amount of time. If she was friends with Wan Shi Tong, which seemed as if they were, she definitely spent a lot of time here, and maybe she could help him somehow.

"Very ancient water tribes' history," he answered simply.

She squinted her eyes and looked at Wan Shi Tong, who was already looking at her. "What are you looking for exactly?" she asked again. Gyila wanted to roll his eyes, but he resisted the temptation. He wasn't comfortable sharing information about their mission with every stranger he stumbled upon; thus, this was his frustration and desire to roll his eyes.

"Why did the tribes get separated in the first place," Gyila confessed. He jumped at the unexpected and surprisingly very loud "Aha!" sound from Wan Shi Tong.

"You have met just the right person. Mona, now he can suffer with you." Mona chuckled slightly and troubledly exhaled. "Yeah, sorry, mate. Nothing is here, trust me."

"What do you mean there isn't anything here?" he exclaimed. Oh, they were doomed. "There goes the research plan, I suppose," he thought. What did Wan Shi Tong mean by saying that "I can suffer with her" anyway?

"Do you know any spirits that can maybe help me?" asked Gyila to Wan Shi Tong.

"Do I look like your personal assistant? Go figure it out yourself," answered the spirit, which became more and more unbearable every time he opened his mouth. Gyila wondered what in the world a sweet soul like the girl Wan Shi Tong was with would enjoy spending time with such an unbearable spirit. Gyila decided not to continue this meaningless argument. It seemed like the "wise" spirit wasn't willing to help him anyway.

"It was a pleasure to chat with you, Mona, as always. Now, I have businesses to attend to," he said and left. "Mona… It's a nice name," he thought. He rolled his eyes on himself; he couldn't believe how fast he was developing a crush on this random stranger girl.

"How can you deal with this guy, really?" asked Gyila to her, genuine curiosity in his voice and face. He could imagine how patient she must've been if she was able to befriend one of the most annoying spirits that he encountered, and he even encountered Koh at some point.

Mona laughed, "I know he can be... hard. But you know he has been very helpful to me," answered Mona in her soft voice. The idea of Wan Shi Tong helping someone, anyone, beat him.

Gyila raised an eyebrow. "You aware that he helped Unalaq, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. People change, you know? Well, so do spirits." Her smiling after almost everything she said really distracted Gyila in the best way possible. But she was right; to be fair, he hadn't been doing anything evil since then, but it didn't change the fact that he was still an egoistic know-it-all. Yet, Mona's acknowledgment of the spirit's past misdeeds raised questions about redemption and the capacity for change, even among ancient spirits. He was impressed by how wise she was. Even though they'd just met, Gyila felt the wisdom inside of her.

There was a short silence, which he used to glance at her more properly. She had beautiful, long, dark, and wavy hair, and the left side was braided. She was slim and tall, wearing casual clothes: jeans and a white knitted sweater. The dimples on her cheeks were like a cherry on top of her beautiful smile.

Gyila extended his right arm towards her in order to officially meet her. "I am Gyila, by the way," he said.

"Mona, but I suppose you figured it out," she added while also extending her arm. With that, their hands met to seal their acquaintances. Gyila was more than confused when, with Mona's first touch to his skin, he felt a subtle shift inside of him, like a soft hum of a melody playing in the background of his consciousness. He tried his best to make the handshaking as socially acceptably short or long as possible. He wondered if she felt something like he did.

In order to clear his mind from the feelings he was not familiar with, "What are you working on?" asked Gyila.

"Right now, I am studying the Southern Water Tribe culture and how old traditions changed over time. I also look into how major events in the past changed the traditions as well. Like the portals re-opening and two cultures integrating over time."

"Wow, do you have any papers I can read?" he asked. He could really benefit from knowing more about the last topic she mentioned.

"Oh yes, of course. I have all my papers online. You can search up Mona Sanreq," she answered.

"You just helped me more than you can imagine, thanks," Gyila replied.

"My pleasure," replied Mona while smiling.

"So, I should get going now. I hope we see each other again," said Gyila.

"I hope so, too. Good luck," responded Mona. And just like that, he vanished. She rarely saw people getting to the spirit world while meditating. She tried it multiple times but couldn't manage it. She couldn't help but feel impressed. She always wanted to become more spiritual.

It was good to chat with Wan Shi Tong and Gyila, especially with Gyila. It was always a pleasure for her to meet with kind strangers. He was not just kind; he was also funny. Mona could not describe it, but the way he delivered his thoughts, his mimics, his voice, and his body language was charismatic and made sure to steal a laugh from her. She felt quite like an idiot, actually. She had just begun to realize that the moment Gyila approached her and Wan Shi Tong, she was smiling like a silly twelve-year-old girl.

She brushed her thoughts away and figured she should head back home, too. At first, it was very challenging to travel in the spirit world but having to travel to Wan Shi Tong's library almost every week for the last year helped. For the past year, after graduating from Ba Sing Se University's Anthropology department, she has been living in the Southern Water Tribe. Growing up in the Republic City, she wasn't raised by the water tribe culture, even though both of her parents came to the city from the Southern Tribe. While she was studying, she wanted to connect to her culture and hometown.

A week passed after she met Gyila. She spent most of her time meditating, training in waterbending, and studying. Growing up, she was never really exceptional in bending, but that was also because she never had a proper master. In middle and high school, she attended after-school courses once a week, but they were never advanced. She also didn't practice any bending during her time in Ba Sing Se, either. It wasn't until she came to the Southern Water Tribe that she had a proper master, Master Sadin. She was, once again, returning from training, walking to her house. She heard a familiar voice talking to someone. She started to scan her surroundings and saw two guys walking while talking with each other. It wasn't hard to spot them since one of them dressed like an air nomad and the other as an Earth citizen. It wasn't long after she realized that one of those guys was Gyila.

Note to the Readers: Even though most of this fanfiction is based on canon, there will be slight changes here and there. In this fanfiction, the Avatar is able to connect to his past lives, but considering that Kairo is the second Avatar in his cycle, he is only able to connect with Korra.