Earth.

Fire.

Air.

Water...

When I was a girl, Katara told me the story of how she and her friends heroically ended the Hundred Year War. Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko transformed the Fire Nation colonies into the United Republic of Nations, a society where benders and nonbenders from all over the world could live together in peace and harmony. I dreamt of it for years...

But it's not my story.

Back then, I didn't really have friends. I'm no hero, and all that 'hope' I read about never came to save me. When I finally got to Republic City, it was bleak, dying, and didn't want me... But the compassion I found in a few people led to change in the world, and in me, beyond anything I could have imagined.

My name is Korra.

And this is how a new era began.

xXx

Book 1: Air

Freedom is just as essential as air. Without it, there is no life. There is only... darkness.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Republic City

On a windy autumn day near the coast of Republic City, just as a light drizzle started to fall, a woman stepped on a stray copy of the Republic City Times. Curious, she picked it up and scanned the headlines.

"Equalist Bombings Continue!" The usual. Gangs threatening papers, cop killings, an investigation of some mountain town that got dragged into the Spirit World... but a smaller article caught her eye.

"...Born in the Water Tribes, the water Avatar should be twenty years old. As per tradition, they should be revealed to the world at sixteen. But where are they? Why do the White Lotus guard the Avatar's location, and their identity? What secrets lie beneath the icy waters of the Water Tribes? Our sources in the White Lotus refuse to comment, saying only that the safety and training of the Avatar is paramount..."

She crumpled up the paper and tossed it away in disgust. If only the world really knew the White Lotus, she thought bitterly. To the public, they were war heroes, protectors of the Air Nation and the Avatar. But just thinking about her old routine made her scars and burns from 'training accidents.'

Korra shook her head sharply. Right now, she's free, and she's going to stay that way. No one else is warping her thoughts...

No matter how much of a failure she is.

She passed a few prostitutes on a narrow street, and an older woman looked Korra up and down. "Hey sweetie, looking for some Yuans?" she purred. "We have some customers that love blue eyes and a strong body. How about you give them a visit?"

"No thanks." Korra ignored jeers that made her cheeks burn as she rushed by.

The street led her to a busy boardwalk, with Yue Bay stretching out on one side while noisy taverns and bustling shops lined the other. The salty air and the scent of cooking meat made her mouth water, and the sound of seabirds mixed with the sight of laughing children on the docks brought back memories of fishing trips with her dad. "I miss him..."

Does he even miss her?

No. He left her in that miserable compound. "He knows I'm a failure, just like everyone else."

Even in the lively atmosphere, Korra felt alone, but saw desperation in the eyes of others passing by. There are no open jobs in this miserable city, and without an ID, she'd be the last pick. And she'd eat dirt before working for Triads.

Across the boardwalk, an older guy in a fancy red vest and dress pants left a seafood shop, carrying a bag full of fresh fish and bread. Korra stared at his luxurious coat, the way the light glinted off his golden watch... totally unaware of his surroundings.

He's perfect.

She shadowed him like a polar wolf stalking its prey. He ducked into an alleyway, and she followed, heart pounding.

With a sly flick of her wrist, Korra burst a pipe, filling the alley with hot steam as the man shrieked and dropped his groceries. Before they even hit the ground, she snatched the bag up and sprinted out, using her seismic sense to see through fog.

"Stop! Thief!" he shouted, stumbling out. But Korra, already blended into the crowd, casually walked along the boardwalk as if nothing had happened, with a slight smirk on her face.

xXx

Korra hopped off the pier, freezing the ocean beneath her feet, and cracking the ice as she landed. She started jogging along the shoreline, careful not to spill one drop of food. The tide lapped at her boots, and sand grew dark and oily as she transitioned into the Green Meadows Industrial District. She spotted an Equalist slogan someone graffitied overnight.

'Down with benders! Death to the Avatar!'

Korra angrily shot her free hand forward, bending the ocean into the wall and wiping it clean.

The sun set over the sea, casting an ominous orange glow over the factories and smokestacks. Nestled in a big, sloped concrete seawall was her luxury abode, a storm drain facing Yue Bay, just barely tall enough to stand in, with a narrow strip of rocky sand in front of it. But a girl no older than eight, with a dark Water Tribe complexion, blue eyes, and ragged clothes like Korra, stood in front of the grates, snapping Korra out of dark thoughts.

"Phoebe!" Korra knelt down to her level. "How's my favorite little scavenger?"

Phoebe giggled nervously, reaching out to pet Naga. "Good!" she chirped. "I got you something today!" She reached into her bag, struggling as if she was lifting something heavy. Finally, she triumphantly pulled out a small pot, with a single flower blooming from the black soil.

It was a Blue Panda Lily, found only around the rim of volcanoes in colder climates. The flower was a striking shade of intense blue, with big yellow thorns lining the stem and a brilliant red center.

"It made me think of you," Phoebe explained shyly. "Its special. Pointy, but pretty! Just like you."

Korra gasped in surprise, reaching out to take the rare flower. "Where did you find this?"

"I didn't steal it! I... I bought it for you. With all the stuff I had saved."

Korra's eyes watered. Phoebe had almost nothing, and she'd given her what little she had. "Thank you, Phoebe," Korra choked out, wrapping the girl in a fierce hug as tears spilled down her cheeks. "This means more to me than you could even imagine."

"You're welcome, Miss Korra," Phoebe said softly, returning the warm embrace. "I'm glad you like it."

Once Korra wasn't a blubbering mess, she broke apart and carefully placed the pot in her home, like it was precious treasure. She started a fire, preparing to sear some fish and smoke the rest for later. Phoebe busied herself collecting driftwood and helping Korra prepare the meal.

xXx

"What's new? Find anything good?" Korra garbled, chewing seared fish as she leaned against Naga's warm fur, with Phoebe by her side. A little campfire cast an orange glow over their faces, and the sound of Naga's contented chewing filled the air.

"No. There's nothing in the ocean traps, but I found an old radio," Phoebe said, her eyes dimming slightly. "I saw Equalists beat up a firebender on the street. He was crying, and no one helped him."

"Did they say why they were doing it?"

"They said he's a 'crooked bender,' and they were cleaning streets. And..." She hesitated, nervously looking down.

"And what?" Korra prodded, eyes filled with concern.

"There was a mean man at the orphanage today. He said kids were telling on the Red Monsoons, and that he would hurt us if it happened again."

Korra nearly crushed her cup. "What's his name?"

"Zei. He was with a policeman, but the policeman stood there and watched." Tears welled in her eyes. "Miss Korra, what do I do if they come back? Or if the Equalists come for me?"

Korra grabbed Phoebe's tiny shoulders, and looked deep into her eyes. "Listen to me. If anyone comes for you, I want you to run. Run as fast as you can, and wait for me here. Do you understand?"

Phoebe nodded, sniffling.

Korra wrapped Phoebe in a hug, trying not to cry again. "Things will get better, Phoebe. I promise. Hang in there, okay?"

"OK," Phoebe said, burying her face in Korra's shirt. "I love you, Miss Korra."

"I love you too, Phoebe," Korra replied, her voice thick with emotion. She desperately clung to the girl, like Phoebe would float away if she let go, all while Naga curled up around them both.

xXx

Meanwhile, in the dark, damp basement of a nearby factory, someone popped a long crate open, and carefully ran his bare hands along two gadgets resting inside.

"Everything's where it should be," he muttered. "The security, the mechanisms, they held up just fine." Not that he was expecting anything less, but he couldn't leave these things buried in the ground, unchecked.

Not these.

If something went wrong...

The mere thought made him flinch, then slouch against the nearest wall and rub his face. "I can't believe I keep them around." He wished he could just forget that part of his life...

Who's he kidding?

Peace is the last thing he deserves.

Eventually, the guy pulled his knees up to his face and cried, loneliness and guilt gripping his soul.

xXx

Korra's eyes cracked open. Moonlight filtered between dirty grates of her shelter, reflecting off wet concrete. Naga was already up, growling.

"What is it girl?" She groggily sat up.

Naga whined. A moment later, the sound of ice and fire crashing into each other made Korra jump, and angry screams echoed through the night.

"What's happening, Miss Korra?" Phoebe whimpered, hugging Naga's leg.

"Stay in the tunnel, don't make a sound." Creeping forward, Korra eyed four Red Monsoons on the beach, just outside her shelter. A powerboat was pushed onto the sand, and they were jeering over still bodies of Agni Kais, with bloody ice spikes sticking out of their bodies glimmering in the moonlight.

"What a bunch of morons," one of them sneered. "They thought they could take us on under a full moon?"

"And do a deal in our territory?"

One of them turned their head. "Look what we have here. A street rat!"

Korra cursed under her breath and walked out. "I don't want any trouble."

The closest Monsoon smirked wickedly. "You're already in it, sweetheart."

"You've seen too much," another drawled, his bloody knife glinting in the light. "Shame to waste a pretty face."

Korra's eyes narrowed as they sauntered up. "Back off!" Naga stood wide and barred her teeth, growling just as menacingly.

The sight of a giant polar bear dog gave them pause, but she saw too much. They surrounded her, and lunged in.

Korra threw herself to the side, rolling across the sand, an ice spike whizzing by her head. Naga leapt forward and bit down on a Monsoon's arm. He howled in pain and dropped his blade.

Another bent a hose of seawater, but with a smooth wave of two arms, she steered it towards the Monsoon behind her, sending him tumbling into sand. The last two gangsters charged at her, but Korra was faster. She spun around, kicking one in the gut, and let the other just stumble by.

As another gangster got back on his feet and aimed an ice spike at Naga, Korra lost her patience, reached to the ocean, and pulled it back. Water surged around her, washing the Monsoons into the concrete seawall, then carrying them back to the beach as it flowed away.

They all stumbled to their knees, coughing and wheezing as Korra dangled ice spikes above their heads. "If I see a Monsoon on this beach again, I'll find you, and send you all so far offshore you'll wash up in the Fire Nation! Got it!?"

They nodded frantically, and she let the spikes melt onto their heads. "Go!"

As they ran off, Korra bent down to check the pulses of the Agni Kais. All dead. She sighed. "They'll think we did this unless we move the bodies."

Naga whined softly, nuzzling Korra's arm.

"I know, girl." Korra rubbed Naga's fur. "I could have frozen them solid and turned them in, but..."

Naga nudged her hand and whimpered.

"Yeah, I hear you. But we can't afford to deal with cops or tick off gangsters," Korra argued, standing up. "We need time. Before you know it, we'll be back on our feet... Any day now."

Korra turned around, and saw Phoebe peeking her head out from the tunnel. She wasn't even surprised by the sight of dead bodies anymore.

That may be the saddest part of all this, Korra thought.

xXx

A few days later, from a bench in Industrial District, Korra watched the first streams of morning light hit the towering bronze statue of Avatar Aang in Yue Bay. "What do you think of me now, Aang? You saved the world when you were twelve. And here I am, letting your city rot. I can't talk to you, I can barely airbend. I can't even hold myself together."

She sighed, and turned away from the statue. "Maybe the White Lotus was right."

Her eyes landed on graffiti painted into the power plant across the street. 'Down with benders! Death to the Avatar!'

"...Or maybe the Equalists are right." she whimpered, wiping away a tear.

"Hey there, sunshine!" a cheerful voice greeted from behind. Gommu, wearing tattered clothes almost as gray as his hair, shuffled into view, holding a steaming cup of tea and a mango. His grizzled face split into a wide grin as he offered them to Korra. "You look like you could use a pick-me-up."

Korra sighed, taking the tea and fruit, and smiled weakly. "Thanks, Gommu."

"No problem, kiddo," Gommu said, sitting down next to her.

She bit into the rope mango, juices ran down her chin. "How do you always know when I need a little cheering up?"

"That's easy! You wear your heart on your sleeve," Gommu chuckled. "And when you're down, you always stare at that statue, like you're waiting for him to come to life and fix everything."

"If only he would."

"Bah, we can't wait for an Avatar to save us. We've gotta help ourselves..." He shook his head and clapped her shoulder. "Cheer up! I've found a lead on a job."

Korra's eyes widened. "Really? What is it?"

"A rich guy needs an escort to a courthouse in the Dragon Flats borough. No gangsters, no names, no questions. If only we knew a waterbender that wasn't on anyone's radar..." Gommu winked.

Her heart raced. "I'm in."

xXx

The early night was cool and humid, with a thin fog hanging over the streets and obscuring the darkening sky as she walked alongside her mystery client. He was tall, with a well-tailored suit and a cane, and the face of a Water Tribe elder.

"So... why you aren't taking a satomobile?" Korra awkwardly asked.

"Too visible," he replied simply, voice deep and calm.

"Uh, OK. Fair enough?" Korra glanced around the empty street. She couldn't see Gommu though the fog, but she could feel him scouting ahead with her seismic sense. "What exactly am I protecting you from?".

"None of your business," he coldly replied.

"Um, it kind of is? *I'm* the one putting herself out here."

"Oh, you're still talking?" he scoffed.

"Oh, you're still a jerk?" Korra shot back.

He chuckled. "Someone threatened me for daring to show up at the courthouse. I'm expecting trouble. That's all you need to know."

Korra sighed, and shook her head. Eventually, the street gave way to a courtyard, with the courthouse just on the other side. But Korra put an arm in front of the man when she felt the ground rumble, and heard the whine of high-pitched engines. "We got company."

A group of four Equalists on bikes came roaring around the corner, all wearing dark green jumpsuits with their logo stitched on. Green eye covers gleamed under orange streetlights.

"You *benders* aren't going anywhere!" one shouted, skidding to a halt.

"We know what you did! You're not spreading lies anymore!" another yelled.

As they hopped off the bikes, two started spinning bolas, while sparks flew from shock gloves the other two wore. Korra's eyes narrowed.

"Get lost!" Korra snapped, pulling water from the fog and snagging the closest Equalist's foot, sending him tumbling into his friends.

The Equalists recovered, and flung a bola at Korra. She whipped it away with a tentacle of water, and hosed down another Equalist before she could shock her.

But the others were on Korra like lightning. She darted out of the way of a jab aimed at her spine, flipping back to avoid a bola, and landed on her feet. "Chi blockers," Korra spat, blocking a strike with her arm as memories of her training flooded back.

xXx

Sheltered away from a roaring winter storm outside, the water Avatar was thirteen, and going stir-crazy in her home. "Oh! oh! is that her!?" she cheered as a knock came at the door.

Tonraq couldn't help but laugh. Korra was the light of his life, but it gets a little too bright when she's bored. "Master Ty Lee," he greeted, snow blowing in the open door.

"Hey, Tonraq!" she cheerily greeted, stepping in with a youthful spring in her step that utterly defied her age. "How's my favorite Avatar doing today?"

"Ready to train!" Korra shouted, bounding over and wrapping Ty Lee in a hug. "Please, *please* tell me you're here to show me chi blocking!"

Ty Lee patted Korra's head. "Of course! If you're ready, that is..."

xXx

"Ow!" Korra whined as Ty Lee jabbed another pressure point. "That one hurt."

"Good!" Ty Lee grinned, pressing her fingers into Korra's arm harder. "Now try to bend with that arm."

Korra gritted her teeth, but no matter how hard she tried, the slab of earth wouldn't budge. "I can't!"

"Exactly. If you hit juuuust the right spots, you can block the flow of chi through the body. No bending, no fighting back," Ty Lee explained. "Know where to strike, and you can take down even the most powerful bender, and more importantly for you, anticipate where chi blockers are going to strike. And I can show you how to get at least a little movement back..."

xXx

Senna and Tonraq beamed with pride as their daughter traded blows with a legend in an elegant dance. Korra was *determined* to be the best Avatar she could, and if that's what she wanted, they'd support her every step of the way.

"Good precision!" Ty Lee praised, deflecting another strike. "I see my friend has been rubbing off on you."

"Maybe," Korra grinned, twitching just enough for a jab to the clavicle to harmlessly hit her shoulder instead.

Korra saw an opening, and went for Ty Lee's neck, landing a solid strike with two fingers. Ty Lee stumbled back, but barely caught herself.

"I got you!" Korra cheered, bouncing on her toes.

"Not bad," she laughed, shaking out her arms.

xXx

"I've never seen someone pick up chi blocking so fast," Ty Lee commented, watching Korra go through stances as she drank tea with her parents. "I suppose she has more of a base than my other students, to say the least."

"She's always been a fast learner." Like her mother, Tonraq thought.

"And Zuko is synergizing her training," Senna added, sipping her tea. "It's not tradition, but instead of mastering elements in order, he's encouraging her to practice them together, along with other skills."

"That's a great idea!" Ty Lee exclaimed. "He picked that up from Uncle Iroh, I think. I wonder if I could use that with my other students..."

"You're welcome to stay for dinner, Master Ty Lee," Senna offered. "We're having stew."

"I'd love to! It's always a pleasure, and Korra..." she trailed off.

"She reminds you of Aang, doesn't she?" Tonraq asked.

Ty Lee's face softened. "It's uncanny. She's so different, but when I see her bounce around or smile wide, it's like I'm looking right into Aang's eyes."

"It gets to Katara too. Sometimes, I see a tear in her eye when she looks at Korra..."

xXx

Back in the present, Korra smirked. As an Equalist went for a jab, but Korra twitched just enough for it to miss, and returned the favor in kind. The Equalist stumbled to the side in surprise, holding her arm as she tried to regain her balance.

Korra didn't give her a chance. She kicked the Equalist in the gut, sending her flying into a comrade, crashing into the pavement.

The last uninjured Equalist circled his target and the waterbender warily, shock glove raised and crackling with energy. "We're here for the guy. Let us question him, and we'll leave you alone!"

"Not happening. Why don't you-"

A deafening boom echoed through the courtyard. The ground shook as a shockwave blew past them and thumped their chests, and a fireball erupted from the entrance to the courthouse. Then sounds of screaming and sirens filled the air as the fireball rose into the sky.

Equalists looked on, just as stunned, but Korra quickly turned to face them with fury in her eyes. "YOU did this!"

"We didn't know!" one of them shouted, raising his hands. "We were just told to-"

Another Equalist pulled him away. "We need to leave! Now!"

Enraged, Korra sliced one of the bikes in half with a blade of ice, but the other Equalists frantically piled onto two bikes and sped off into the night. Korra could only watch them go, cursing under her breath as she turned to run towards the carnage. The mysterious man already left, and she couldn't care less.

xXx

Korra pulled water from the fog, dousing what flames she could in the charred courthouse lobby. She could feel bodies everywhere with her seismic sense, trapped under rubble.

Most weren't moving... if they were even whole.

Airships rushed to the scene, dropping rescue teams into the building. Amid the rush of cops, firefighters, and medics behind her, Korra heard a familiar voice.

"Korra!" Gommu huffed. "You find anyone?"

"Yeah! Help me pull her out!" Korra yelled, shoving aside a chunk of concrete.

Gommu helped lift the woman free, and lay her on the ground. Korra wrapped her hands in glowing water, and pressed on a nasty burn. The victim sighed in relief, and opened her eyes to look at her saviors.

"Who did this?" Korra asked.

"Equalists," the woman coughed, wheezing and catching her breath.

"Why would they do this..."

"There was no message, no warning. Just a bomb with an Equalist symbol," she spat. "We were in a hearing for a firebending union at the power plants... we never hurt anyone, but they don't care." The woman shook her head, and closed her eyes again. "...How many others are hurt?"

Korra's face dropped. She didn't know how to tell her.

xXx

Korra sat in front of her grate next to Gommu, looking out at the darkened sea as he took a swig from his flask. "Why... why would Equalists do something so horrible?"

"To send a message. And make benders feel afraid," Gommu quietly replied.

"Why do they hate benders so much!?" Korra shouted into the night. "What did I ever do to them?!"

"There's no excuse... But I get where they're coming from," Gommu sighed. "You don't know what its like, to stand in front of someone who can burn your skin off with a punch, and no way to defend yourself."

Korra closed her eyes, vividly remembering pain of firebending attacks. "But that doesn't mean we deserve this. Why should we live in fear because of what we can do?"

"I know. We're all scared, Korra. The Equalists are just the latest bullies to show up."

Korra nodded. She wondered why she was even here, hiding away in such a rotten city... but that thought only lasted a second.

How could she *ever* forget?

xXx

Notes:

This is my first fic. I just had to get it out of my head! Please, leave comments/criticism, I'm still looking for feedback even though the story is done!

Sorry about the formatting. Some italics, breaks and such were lost in the transition from Ao3 to FF, I'd suggest reading it there for better formatting, inline pictures and such.

Something about the story upload is wonky. If you can't see past Chapter 92 (or if you don't get any more notes at the end of the story like this), lemme know, and I'll try reuploading it.

Also, this was edited/trimmed in March 2025. It's far from perfect, but should be a much cleaner read.