AUTHOR'S NOTES: As the chapter title indicates, there's some airbending that goes down here. Most importantly, it blocks any chance of there being a convenient dues ex machina for Korra during her inevitable faceoff against Amon. If she loses her bending, she's just going to have to figure out how to fight with her fists—not that that's ever really been a problem for her. There's still much for her to learn, however, just as there are still many faces in the Interregnum Cycle for her to discover.
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BOOK ONE: POWER
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE FINAL ELEMENT
Korra approached the older Air Nomad with a swift stride and an eager face. She wondered briefly if she'd have to start wearing more suitable clothing to bed, or if all of her visions and spirit world journeys would have her in nothing but her trademark tank top and sweatpants. She'd have to talk to Asami if she wanted proper fashion tips though, because it seemed most incarnations of the Avatar didn't care much about it either, and wore very similar iterations of a particular theme throughout their lives. Whatever the case, Korra called out as she approached Aang, causing the Air Nomad to turn.
"Korra," he spoke softly. "I was wondering when you would contact me."
"I've been trying… well kind of." Korra scratched the back of her head as her trademark pout kicked in. "But I've been making some great headway into this whole Avatar thing… I might be able to even get the nuances of airbending soon."
Aang cracked a half-smile. "It's funny how things work sometimes," he turned away from Korra to indicate that he was not at all chastising her, "Air was by far my favourite element during my time as the Avatar, and here is my next incarnation still trying to learn the ropes of it."
"I'm not sure if I should take offense at that or apologize," Korra replied.
"Neither," Aang shook his head, turning back to her, "It's more just an observation. Do not despair at your age. Had you followed traditional Avatar protocol,you wouldn't have even realized you were the Avatar for another couple years. Mind you, I cannot judge you on that front either, and I'm sure you know why."
The playful smile Aang gave Korra warmed her heart. "But I am sure you reached out to me for a reason other than Airbending." Aang continued, "You wish to know of the Interregnum Avatars."
"How did you know?" Korra asked.
"It's been on your mind for months," Aang chuckled. "Sadly, I did not learn much of them during my lifetime. As many before me have stated, their names were mostly stricken from history, and with the Fire Nation rampaging across the world, I fear they only exacerbated that problem."
"I'm not blaming you for not doing anything about it or about them," Korra reasoned, "but several weeks ago Roku told me that 'making sense of our past' would help bring balance and peace to both myself and the world. What say you?"
"Of that I honestly have no doubt," Aang put a hand on Korra's shoulder, looking down at the young Avatar and smiling at her. "Only you can reach them now, Korra—whether intentional or otherwise. I lived in a world that changed around me as the Four Nations grew together, and gave birth to the United Republic. Perhaps you will live in an era marked by change as well. Perhaps you will be the one who finally puts the mystery of the Interregnum Cycle to rest."
"So do you think that's my destiny?" Korra tilted her head.
"I could not honestly say," Aang spoke with uncertainty, "But if they are plaguing your dreams so often, there is clearly something about them that is trying to call out to you."
"Why me though?" Korra looked confused and also concerned. "What did I do to draw their attention onto me? This didn't have anything to do with me discovering myself as the Avatar when I was four, did it?"
"I cannot say," Aang shook his head, "I had no contact with any of those individuals during my time as the Avatar. Most of us barely contact more than one or two cycles' worth of our past lives. The fact that you are somehow making contact with men and women from thousands of years ago… could hold many different meanings. For all the spiritual connections I had with some of my past lives, none of them could recall an incarnation that contacted past lives more than a few hundred years. You have an unusually powerful connection to many of your past lives, and that, Avatar Korra, could mean a myriad of things."
"Opinion time," Korra asserted, "What do you think it means? Don't give me this 'I don't know' stuff; I want to ask Avatar Aang what he believes this mess means."
"To be frank," Aang looked Korra in the eyes again, "I predict that it is a sign of your power, Avatar Korra. You have tapped into a great deal of powerful and primal energy, and unlocking more of this power at an alarming rate. You learned three bending disciplines when you were four years old, and are now working towards the Avatar State at the age of 14. I believe that, despite your lack of formidable spirituality, that you carry with you a power greater than any individual man or woman who has ever been the Avatar in history. Whether I am correct or not remains to be seen, but you asked for my opinion, and so I gave it."
"Sorry for lashing out," Korra apologized. Aang's calm voice made it hard to get mad at him. "I guess maybe I'm a little daunted by all of this."
"I see no harm done," Aang took Korra's hands. "I just saw an upset young woman who was overwhelmed by revelations given to her. I'm sure you know well enough my tale of uncomfortable revelations, 165 years ago. Learning I was the Avatar was not so pleasant news to me, and so I fled. You certainly know the rest."
"Well then," Korra looked up at Aang again, brushing some of her stray bangs out of her eyes, "Looks like I've got my work cut out for me too… and people are just gonna have to deal with it."
Aang did not reply, but his apparition smiled briefly as he faded away, leaving Korra alone in her thoughts and meditations once again.
Day 124: No real headway on any more of the Interregnum Cycle, and both Zaheer and Unalaq still work me to the bone. Both of the sisters both make sure I've got plenty of injuries to try my healing on too, so even when I'm not busting ass on the training grounds, I'm still fighting to keep myself fit. Kwan seems to get that it's just good fun, but Nakkoa seems particularly aggressive, almost like she's actually trying to kill me. I'd rather not find out, personally. Still, it'd be nice to actually have someone other than Naga to talk about these things with, but I guess that's the price I have to pay for the awesome gains. I do wish I could write my parents about my progress, but I imagine as soon as I'm done that I'll be able to march on home and show them in person. It'd be nice to get back in contact with Ichiro or Asami as well.
Honestly I never thought I'd be much of a writer. Sitting down with pen and paper seemed just as boring and pointless as meditation, but with how sore and worn out I am after these training sessions, even after getting the grips on healing, half the time I feel like I don't even have much energy for anything else.
Day 151: I finally did it! After days and weeks of trying and failing, I FINALLY managed to dethrone Zaheer and knock him down. Even he looked impressed, which I frankly didn't think was possible with how stern and stoic he always acts. Hopefully Kwan's going into town again soon, because I'm raiding my candy pouch tonight and doubt there will be any survivors. She still owes me a good 350 yuans for that bet I made against her four days ago. She didn't believe me when I said I'd be able to knock down Zaheer within a week.
This page, as well as a few of the other ones around it were flecked in small drops of blood or dirt and scratchy handwriting, especially as Korra had also begun to doodle in the margins. She closed the book and stowed it away in her otherwise fairly featureless room, not wanting prying eyes like Unalaq, Kwan, or worse, Nakkoa, to see its contents. Fortunately for her it seemed Zaheer cared little for or about her inner musings, and so she was less worried about him. Right now though, she had a score to settle and a debt to collect on.
"You know what?" Kwan dug into her pockets after Korra approached her with a shit-eating grin and an outstretched hand, "I'm too impressed to even be mad."
"Actually, keep it," Korra returned the money, "next time they send you into town, buy me as much candy as that'll get me. I'm running a bit low."
Day 172: I finally met the last two members of the compound today. With how long it was, I get this feeling they weren't actually here the whole time. There's Ming-Hua, this waterbender without arms who does all kinds of crazy things with her bending; and her closest friend Ghazan is this lavabender guy that could give Kwan a run for her money. I still have no headway on airbending, but it has to be close. As soon as I can unlock it I'm sure I'll be able to adapt and master it soon enough. Maybe that's why the Interregnum Avatars haven't contacted me in over a month. The last things I learned were the two incarnations after Delun: a wild freewheeler named Tenoko that reminds me of Kuruk except a lot more of a troublemaker. The one after her was Laksha, who was basically her opposite: a totalitarian commander whose adherence to order, stability, and law forced the world back into balance. For whatever else they did, at least I can sleep a little better knowing that I'm not the only Avatar who was the polar opposite of her predecessor.
Incidentally, Zaheer heard Korra muttering these names under her breath at one point, and he recognized the names.
"So," he disrupted her thoughts after putting a hand on her shoulder, "You have interacted with the Interregnum Cycle?"
"Some of them," Korra admitted, looking at her hand, "I've seen several of them and learned their stories, but there are a lot of spaces in between them—incarnations I have yet to learn about." She had engrained the order in her mind, studying the cycle vigorously and trying to find out what their importance or significance was. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 14, 19, 21—she knew who these men and women were in the cycle, but had yet to learn the rest.
"Hmm, a shame." Zaheer murmured, "I can tell you, however, about the 1st of the Interregnum Avatars: The woman who began that vicious cycle."
"Anything you can tell me would be appreciated," Korra asserted.
"Avatar Kozue," Zaheer looked Korra in the eyes, his expression intimidating the teen slightly. "She was revered as a type of omniscient deity in the Sun Warrior Tribe where she was born. She was a woman who tapped into the primal energy of the world and of her spirit. When she was finally exposed properly to the world, she maintained her haughty posture, and continued to be revered. If the records are true, she lived this way until she died. It was not her alone that blackened her name, but her actions and inactions led to one of the worst dictatorships in history. This Avatar is simply referred to as "The Culmination of the Interregnums."
"That explains a lot," Korra stared wide-eyed at Zaheer. "Kozue's successor was Delun, who rode off of Kozue's popularity. Delun's successor Tenoko did the same thing, and it threw the world out of balance. It took Laksha to put everything back together, and I'm not sure yet who came after her."
"Learn then," Zaheer commanded, "Keep up your meditation; learn everything you can from Chief Unalaq. Access the spirit world and find these past lives. Once you learn of the dangers of their totalitarian rule… it will help in teaching you the importance of freedom."
Korra did not suddenly become spiritual overnight, but it was insightful to learn that the first "Interregnum Avatar" had just been a sheltered woman who was revered as an all-powerful deity. Somehow, that had led to more than a dozen incarnations going renegade and being struck from history as a sort of fearful reminder of what the Avatar should not be. Korra did not know which one was "The Culmination", but knew that it was between #14 and #19, and somehow the first four Avatars in the cycle that seemed mostly harmless were a part of it. Was it simply the public's reverent attitude towards the Avatar that got to their heads, or was there more to it?
Naturally, a huge deal of scribbles and diagrams went into Korra's journal that evening as she pondered the revelation of Avatar Kozue. Learning about her did enable Korra to connect with her only a few days later, but she learned nothing new from the meeting short of the realization that Zaheer had been telling the truth. Overall, however, she still struggled with maintaining a lasting spiritual connection, which may have both explained why her past lives would disappear on her all of a sudden—as well as why Unalaq kept a ruthless focus on this with her.
"As much as I understand your desire to remain in control," her uncle instructed her one evening, "one of the paramount factors to consider when focusing on spirituality is to surrender that control. Do not try to force your spirit to connect with these past lives you don't know. Let it free the same way you let your body free. The harmony between body and spirit will open new doors and pave new roads before you. Your body is free, but your spirit is in chains. You must throw those chains off, Avatar Korra, before you will be able to proceed."
Korra wasn't even sure what she did, but just as Zaheer had taught her patience through archery and hand-to-hand precision, Unalaq had taught her patience through meditation, and one evening, it just clicked.
Korra was meditating on the edge of a rock on a small cliffside above the compound, away from the noise of Kwan and Ghazan having some flashy lavabending showdown. She muttered something about airbending that Nakkoa overheard as she watched the young Avatar retreat from the camp. Out of curiosity, the firebender followed her at enough of a distance that Korra was oblivious. It was either that, or perhaps Korra was so focused on letting her spirit free that she simply shut herself out to Nakkoa's presence.
Korra had always suspected that Nakkoa had a few loose bolts, but when she felt a boot against her back, she was knocked out of her meditative focus, falling forward from her cliff. Shortly before her face would have been splattered across several sharp rocks, she took a massive breath, and saved herself with the bending discipline that had eluded her these 14½ years.
"WHOA!" She was too thrilled to even be mad at Nakkoa, but now she had to test it to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Spotting the red-clad firebender staring down at her with amusement from up on the ledge, Korra jumped back and thrust her arms forward. A powerful albeit somewhat haphazard gust of wind sprang from her arms and whisked Nakkoa backwards and against the mountain wall, her clothes and hair all askew.
"Oy!" She snapped, straightening her ruffled hair and clothes, "what was that for?"
"Payback," Korra retorted as Nakkoa opened her mouth to complain. "I know you pushed me."
"And it worked, did it not?" Nakkoa gave a matter-of-fact response, "you're welcome, by the way."
"I'd like to not get shoved off cliffs just because I can airbend, you know," Korra quipped, "I'm not afraid to remind you of that ability if you're just going to provoke me."
"Do not let that power get to your head, little one." Nakkoa warned, "I am happy to continue teaching you tricks of the trade regarding how to create blue fire, but do not abuse your powers against me or it will warrant unpleasant results."
"Well, don't push me off cliffs next time," Korra riposted, "anyways, I'll see you around. I've got a new ability to practice."
It went without saying that this evening ended on perhaps the most positive note Korra had ever experienced since coming to this place.
Day 201: AIRBENDING!
PAST LIVES DISCOVERED:
Aang (Air Nomad, Male): A jovial but wise and humbled Air Nomad famous for stopping the 100-year war after defeating the tyrannical line of Firelords that ended with Ozai. A key proponent and founder of the United Republic of Nations, Aang's heroic deeds have been immortalized across the globe. Former the last living airbender in existence, his legacy is now carried on by his son Tenzin, and his three grandchildren, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo.
Tenoko (Water Tribe, Female): The 3rd Avatar of the Interregnum Cycle. A Water Tribe troublemaker not unlike Avatar Kuruk insomuch that she rode off of the success of her predecessor and roamed the world as a thrill-seeker. She revelled in her abilities as the Avatar, and was infamous for her tolerance of strong drinks to the point where there are few recollections of her being fully sober. Her refusal to challenge the status quo sowed the discord her successor later faced.
Laksha (Earth Kingdom, Female): The 4th Avatar of the Interregnum Cycle. A hardline Earth Kjngdom Nationalist, she was the Avatar during a period of fracturing nations and civil unrest. She managed to almost singlehandedly hold the Earth Kingdom together politically, and also helped prevent Fire Nation expansionism as well as a rather fierce Water Tribe Civil War. Her power and authority gave the Avatar a reputation of "getting things done", and elevated the position further still.
Kozue (Fire Nation, Female): The 1st Avatar of the Interregnum Cycle. A sheltered, tribal woman from the secretive Sun Warriors, she was revered as something of a deity, her intense power earning her the nickname "Empress of the Sun", for she had been one of a rare few who had learned the other three elements by sheer will. Even after exposure to the rest of the world (and later mastery of air, water, & earth), she returned to her roots, and reveled in the reverence given to her.
TOTAL PAST LIVES MET: 13