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ALTERNATE *AVATAR (2005 FRANCHISE)* UNIVERSE 523KWY325
170 AG - 171 AG (SHIRO SHINOBI’S POV):
Well here’s some news for you, folks! After Amon (Leader of the Equalists) revealed his drastic bloodbending technique to take away people’s bending abilities, Avatar Korra was left with only airbending! Contemplating suicide, she stood at the edge of an icy cliff and burst into tears, unaware that she finally unlocked her spiritual self after struggling for so long!
It was then Avatar Aang and her remaining predecessors used energybending to restore her powers! Overwhelmed with joy and relief, she kissed Mako on the lips, forming a romantic relationship! Then Korra ultimately restored Chief Beifong’s earthbending and everything was back to normal in Republic City! Or so it seemed…
Apparently, Avatars Wan and Yangchen were accidentally summoned from two divergent timelines, having time travelled either centuries or millennia into the future main timeline where they met their latest successor! Initially there were misunderstandings between the trio, but they’ve somewhat accepted each other’s differences over the next few months!
Wan and Yangchen had a difficult time adjusting to the current technologies of our time, but Korra and her friends helped them adapt to the modernizing world by exposing them to it constantly! The previous two Avatars also learned about Avatar Aang, who was Korra’s immediate predecessor! And together, they were welcomed into the family with open arms!
Six months after Amon’s death and the Equalists were defeated, Avatar Korra became complacent in her duties while angrily discovering secrets her father (Tonraq) and airbending master (Tenzin) kept from her! This led her to teaming up with her paternal uncle (Unalaq) and twin cousins (Eska and Desna) to open one of the Spirit Portals despite Wan’s protests!
Meanwhile, her romance with Mako was deteriorating at an exponential rate, causing them to break up after yet another heated argument! On top of that, President Raiko refused to send his troops to stop Unalaq after Korra rekindled with her parents and found out the truth about her uncle’s blatant lies!
But that wasn’t all, folks! Elsewhere, Future Industries was in shambles after Asami Sato’s father (Hiroshi) was arrested, and so Varrick offered to help her repair the business once and for all with help from his assistant (Zhu Li)! Also, Bolin became a mover star in order to pay the bills while Mako worked as one of Chief Beifong’s employees!
The other two Avatars were unfortunately sidelined for the majority of this chaos, but they still managed to be productive nonetheless! Both Avatars offered to stay at Air Temple Island in order to keep their true identities a secret, pretending they were descendants of Wan and Yangchen!
But sadly, this didn’t last for long! They were exposed by Unalaq himself right before Harmonic Convergence occurred! And worse—Korra temporarily lost her memories while travelling to the Fire Nation! Once she returned however, Korra had no choice but to enter the Spirit World with Tenzin, Jinora, and Yangchen’s help!
Yet Unalaq tricked her once again by trapping Jinora’s soul in the Spirit World! And so it was up to Tenzin, Kya, Bumi, and Yangchen to save her while the others fought Vaatu after he was released! Since Wan defeated him the first time, he advised Korra to take precautions beforehand! Eska and Desna reluctantly switched sides after Bolin’s heartfelt apology, but even that wasn’t enough to stop Unalaq!
After violently separating Raava from Korra, Vaatu merged with Unalaq and consumed his body, thus severing Korra’s connection with her past lives! Meanwhile, Wan got critically injured in battle and was hospitalized in the Southern Water Tribe where Katara and Yangchen struggled to heal his wounds plus Jinora’s physical form simultaneously!
Korra then decided to keep the Spirit Portals open, believing her first incarnation made a mistake closing them in the first place! And ever since then, the portals have remained open as green vines grew all over Republic City, chasing citizens away from their homes! Will the Avatar be able to fix this mess before it gets out of hand? Only one way to find out!
171 AG (NOBODY’S POV):
At Air Temple Island, Bumi II was busy chasing the blue dragonfly bunny up a tall skinny tree nearby.
“Come back, Bum-Ju!” the captain hollered, crawling onto a thin tree branch as he pulled out a badly-knit pink sweater. “If you don’t want to wear the sweater I made you, that’s fine.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m sorry I got mad!”
Now he was on the edge of the branch, nearly losing his balance. “Bum-Ju, I’m running out of tree! Can we go down now?”
Unfortunately for him, the branch toppled over his weight and instantly broke. Bumi held on tightly and shouted fearfully, “Bum-Ju, a little help?!”
He then lost his grip before Bum-Ju failed to grab his jacket, only managing to pull the jacket off of Bumi. While plunging to his supposed death, the former soldier waved his hands, bracing for impact. But all of a sudden, Bumi’s hands manipulated the air and created a thruster, preventing him from touching the ground.
He let out a relieved laugh. “Look! I’m airbending!” However, his bending immediately stopped as Bumi hit the ground with a loud thud, wincing painfully. “Ow! That still hurt.”
In the meantime, Korra led Tenzin, Jinora, and a physically recovered Wan into the woods amidst Republic City. Although her predecessor and the 11-year-old were content with the spirits, Korra reminded them that others weren’t—though Tenzin offered his full support.
The 18-year-old opened her staff and prepared to fly off with a defeated sigh. “I gotta go face the press and tell them I still don’t have a way to get rid of the vines. This should be fun.”
“I’ll go with you,” Wan offered, pulling out his own glider.
“Thanks,” she smirked before he followed her to City Hall.
And to their surprise, it was also overgrown with spirit vines. The press slowly congregated around the entrance while President Raiko stood in front of a podium, revealing that his current ratings were as low as the Avatar Korra’s while additional questions revolved around the ‘Unalaq Crisis’ and the apparent ‘failure’ of handling it.
Wan was standing a few feet away from Korra as she replied with desperation, “Listen, I’ve been trying everything I can think of to get rid of these vines, but — ”
Three reporters interrupted her explanation, demanding why she couldn’t fix this mess, if the vines were here to stay, and if this was part of her ‘New World Order’.
The Water Avatar took a deep breath and said, “Look, Harmonic Convergence was just a couple weeks ago. I just need a little more time to get everything back to normal.”
That’s when Raiko approached the stage and took over. “The current Avatar has put us all in a very difficult position, but my administration — ”
But Korra wasn’t having it as she angrily marched up to him and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I put you in a ‘difficult position’ by fighting the giant force of pure evil that was going to destroy the whole world?” She grabbed his chin and bobbed it vertically. “Maybe your administration could have handled that.”
“I wasn’t going to let Republic City interfere with dire spiritual matters! It was your responsibility to handle it!” the president argued defensively, swatting her hand away from his face. “And besides, why weren’t your predecessors there to help you? Wasn’t it their job too as fellow Avatars?”
“Wan was critically wounded and Yangchen was busy protecting the Air Temples! You honestly expected them to be everywhere at once?! Especially when one of them was literally out of commission while the other had her hands tied?!” the 18-year-old retaliated furiously.
Wan eyed Chief Beifong concernedly as she separated them abruptly, facing the press. “That’s all, no more questions. This applies to Avatars Wan and Yangchen as well. From now on, you will treat the Avatars with respect.”
President Raiko stormed back to his office while the crowd finally dissapated. Then Asami approached both Avatars.
“This is a disaster,” Korra said with a downhearted expression.
“Don’t worry, Korra. We’ll figure something out,” Asami reassured her.
Wan nodded in agreement. “Yeah, forget everything President Raiko said. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He should have interfered when we needed him.”
“Easy for you guys to say.” She pointed at Wan and then Asami. “You’re not from this time period, and you’re not the Avatar.” Korra then lamented, “And on top of that, you two don’t have my poll numbers. I mean, 8% approval? Who are they asking?”
“You can’t take that to heart. People are just frustrated,” the Head of Future Industries reminded her.
“Although they should take it easy on her,” the first Avatar pointed out, adjusting his long wavy brown hair and yellow-orange Air Nomad outfit.
“I don’t blame them though. I should be able to fix this. I’m the Avatar,” Korra emphasized.
“And so am I,” Wan told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re not alone in this, Korra. We’re here to help you.”
The 18-year-old sighed hopelessly, facing her predecessor. “I know…but you’re still recovering and Yangchen is busy protecting the Air Temples…I just, I don’t wanna bother her too much and make you feel like a burden — ”
“You’re not making me feel like a burden,” Wan cut her off firmly. “But that doesn’t mean you’re a burden either. Like I said before, you don’t have to do this alone. We’re in this together.”
“You couldn’t have come up with a cheesier line?” Korra drawled sarcastically.
“Hey, this time period is still an adjustment,” the older Avatar shrugged.
Cut to Air Temple Island where Ikki and Meelo were busy playing with Pabu. Suddenly, their uncle sprinted towards them and screeched to a halt, panting heavily.
“You're not gonna believe what just happened!” he exclaimed. “Where's your father?”
Ikki inhaled exaggeratedly before yelling, “DAD!”
On cue, Tenzin barged the door open with a worried expression. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
And so Bumi summarized what happened earlier in a haste, though his little brother didn’t believe him one bit, Tenzin leading the others into the dining room for dinner.
“I swear, I’m not making this up,” the captain insisted while attempting to airbend again but failed.
Now the airbending master was irritated. “Stop waving your arms around at the table! It’s not funny anymore!”
“It’s not a joke!” Bumi protested.
Korra and Asami joined them around the table, the former sitting between Bolin and Wan while the latter stood behind them, adjacent to Yangchen.
“What’s up with him?” the 18-year asked the earthbender.
“Bumi says he airbended earlier but he can’t now. Oh, and I guess he’s not very good at knitting either,” Bolin told her, slurping his soup.
“You sure you didn’t bump into a lion turtle nearby?” Wan questioned the former soldier in a joking manner, munching on his own food. “Maybe he gave you airbending in your sleep.”
“What? I thought they were extinct! Didn’t Dad meet the last one?” Bumi exclaimed, flailing his hands.
“Pretty sure it was a joke,” Kya II deadpanned.
Bumi crossed his arms and scowled. “Whatever.”
With an upbeat expression, Bolin said, “Man, I love being a part of this family. You got the grumpy dad, wacky uncle, easygoing aunt, put-upon mom, crazy kids, three awesome Avatars! This is great!”
His observations were accurate—Tenzin was fuming, Bumi continued his failed attempts at airbending while Kya shot him an exasperated look, Pema was fatigued while cradling a crying Rohan in her arms, and the kids plus Avatars exchanged a few mixed reactions.
That’s when Asami decided to chime in and ask, “Where’s Mako?”
Bolin’s demeanor changed, lowering his voice disappointedly. “Oh, you mean the brooding teenager? He’s staying at the police station.”
Korra’s eyes widened. “Still?”
“I told him Tenzin invited us to stay here since our apartment is a vine habitat now…” He casually messed up his hair to imitate Mako. “…but he said he had to focus on work.” And then he returned to his original hairstyle.
In the meantime, Bumi channelled his focus onto the napkin, surprisingly moving it. “Oh! Did you see that? I think the napkin moved.”
“You blew on it,” his sister corrected him annoyedly.
“Wait! Maybe I can only do it when my life in is danger,” he pondered, taking a defensive stance. “Bolin, bend a giant boulder at me.”
“Yeah—I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the earthbender replied tentatively.
“Then I’ll ask our fellow Avatars,” Bumi suggested, but they shook their heads.
Korra pressed her lips together tightly. “I think I’ll pass.”
“I would not recommend it,” Yangchen pointed out worriedly.
“Sorry Bumi, but they’re right. It’s not a good idea,” Wan bobbed his head guiltily.
“If you’re going to be bending giant boulders, you can do it outside,” Pema ordered sternly.
Fed up, Tenzin slammed his fists on the table. “No one is bending giant boulders!”
“I think we should all take deep breaths and calm ourselves,” Yangchen advised, her eyebrows creasing.
All of a sudden, Meelo grabbed a small empty plate and yeeted it towards him, shouting, “Look alive, Uncle Bumi!”
As he threw the plate, Bumi fearfully extended his hands, spinning the plate in a ball of air. Everyone gawked at him anime-style.
“I told you!” the captain exclaimed loudly.
“Unbelievable…you’re actually an airbender,” Tenzin blurted out in awe.
“Wait until I tell Mom! She’s gonna love this!” Bumi expressed happily before the plate shattered on the table.
The next day at the Northern Air Temple, the captain continued to struggle with airbending.
“Urgh! I can’t figure this thing out!” he said frustratedly.
Turning to her predecessors and Tenzin, Korra asked, “D’you think being in the Spirit World during Harmonic Convergence could’ve given him bending?”
“It’s possible,” Tenzin pondered.
“Are you sure?” Yangchen questioned. “I have read many theories about the connection between the Spirit World and Harmonic Convergence, but never considered the sudden shift in mystic energy.”
“You know what? I think you and Korra are right. It is possible,” Wan answered. “In my time, Harmonic Convergence allowed me to bend all four elements without the Avatar State. During my training, Raava explained to me about mystic energy shifts and their potential correlation with Harmonic Convergence.”
“And you didn’t bother telling me this earlier?!” Bumi accused him.
“Bumi!” Tenzin scolded his brother.
“What?” he frowned innocently.
“You know, I have been noticing a change in your aura lately,” Kya mentioned while making circular movements with her arms.
Bumi facepalmed. “Unbelievable…”
Mako and Lin suddenly arrived at the Northern Air Temple will shocking news of a shopkeeper’s brother airbending out of nowhere, though he ran away due to accidentally blowing a door on Mako’s face.
Korra and Asami offered to help, but he awkwardly refused due to their recent breakup. Both girls shrugged as the latter taught the Avatar how to drive, genuinely bonding over their past romantic relationships with the detective.
Back at Air Temple Island, Tenzin sat cross-legged in front of his father’s statue atop Aang Memorial Island. His three older children joined him, reassuring the man that they would help in any way they could. The four of them embraced each other lovingly as a result.
Elsewhere, the Avatar trio attempted to spiritbend the vines away with Raiko and the press watching their every move. Unfortunately, they failed to do so as the vines grew larger and destroyed another building, forcing residents to evacuate the area.
An irked Korra returned to Air Temple Island and meditated on a pavillion, her predecessors approaching her carefully.
“You must be at the end of your rope if you’ve resorted to meditation,” the Air Avatar mused, leaning against the pillar on Korra’s left.
“Yeah, I thought you hated meditating,” the Fire Avatar added, leaning his own weight on the other side.
The girl sighed hopelessly. “I thought if I really tried, I might be able to contact my past Avatars—someone who knows something to help me, but I can’t. They’re gone and I’m all alone.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, you have access to two of them right here,” Wan assured her with his signature grin.
Korra rolled her eyes. “You guys don’t count. You’re not from this timeline.”
The first Avatar placed a hand on his chest with a mock-gasp. “Ouch.”
“Not like that,” she chuckled, gently elbowing his ribs.
Yangchen cleared her throat softly, the other two diverting their attention to her. “You did not ruin anything, Korra. You did what you thought was best for the world. And regardless, things have changed.”
Korra couldn’t help but smile at her. Yangchen’s voice was incredibly sweet and thoughtful—and somewhat motherly (which often contrasted her badass nature in dire situations). It reminded the teen of her own mother (Senna) and how she would cheer her up in a similar fashion.
“Change can be good or bad, depending on your point of view,” the woman supplied.
The 18-year-old’s smile faltered once more. “But I already know the people’s point of view—it’s bad.”
“Look Korra, you’re not the president. You’re not obligated to fix every citizen’s problem in Republic City. That’s Raiko’s job,” Wan stated explicitly, grasping her shoulder.
“He’s right. Your responsibility—our responsibility is to bring balance to the world,” Yangchen concluded.
“And yeah, it sucks that no matter what, some people won’t like what you’re doing. But that’s what life is,” the man elaborated. “Being the Avatar doesn’t mean we’re predisposed to admiration.”
Korra dropped to the ground and released a despondent exhale. “Right.”
“On the other hand, some people will be extremely delighted—like me,” a familiar baritone voice alerted them from behind.
The girl’s jaw dropped. “Tenzin?”
“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation,” the middle-aged man confessed, joining the group. “May I?”
“Of course,” the Air Nomad nodded politely.
Tenzin clasped his pupil’s other shoulder and said, “What you did during Harmonic Convergence may have brought back the Air Nation—and that can only be good for restoring balance. That is the act of a great Avatar.”
Korra argued that she should’ve been wiser, but Tenzin reminded her that true wisdom was derived from accepting change in general, and that there was no going back now. In return, she thanked him and her predecessors for the advice they gave her.
Perfect timing, because Bolin unknowingly interrupted their ‘Avatar wisdom session’. The five of them headed towards Kyoshi Bridge to save Daw and convince him to join the airbenders. Initially he was reluctant, but after Korra’s pep talk, he finally agreed to move to Air Temple Island and begin his new life there.
Yet President Raiko wasn’t pleased with the situation, ordering the Avatars to leave Republic City due to Korra’s blatant refusal to close the Spirit Portals. Tenzin draped his arm around her shoulder and led the trio away from the scene, excited to look for new airbenders.
But little did they know…a non-bending prisoner named Zaheer gained the ability to manipulate air before attacking three White Lotus members in order to escape his prison cell, determined to rescue his three pals in various locations…
An airship was preparing to land on Air Temple Island with the Air Acolytes’ assistance using ropes. The front door slid open as Asami Sato gracefully strolled down the boardwalk and greeted her friends—Tenzin, Kya, Bumi, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Pema, Rohan, Bolin, Korra, Wan, and Yangchen.
“Did somebody order a fully equipped Future Industries airship?” the genius announced proudly.
Korra smiled brightly. “It’s perfect! Thanks Asami.”
Yangchen stepped forward and examined the vehicle, awestruck. “This is incredible…”
Asami tilted her head sideways. “I figured if we’re heading to Ba Sing Se to search for airbenders, we should do it in style.”
“Yay! Airship!” Meelo cheered on top of Wan’s shoulders, the latter gripping his legs in order to steady the kid.
“Meelo! You shouldn’t be up there! You know Wan is still recovering,” Pema scolded him.
“It’s okay, Pema. I’ll allow it,” the 27-year-old man chuckled.
The woman sighed and handed her youngest son to Kya.
“Who’s excited to spend some time with your Auntie Kya?” her sister-in-law cooed, causing Rohan to throw up all over her robe, though Kya instantly utilized her waterbending to get rid of the vomit.
“Aww…he likes you,” Pema complimented her before kissing Tenzin on the cheek. “I’ll miss you sweetie.”
“I'll miss you too. Once we find the airbenders, I'll send word. You can join us at the Northern Air Temple then,” he told her.
That’s when their two middle children rode towards them on air scooters, Meelo having jumped off Wan’s shoulders by then, both visibly envious and disappointed.
“Hey! How come Jinora gets to go with you but we don’t? That's so not fair!” Ikki complained.
“Yeah! What this girl said! Not fair!” her little brother agreed, pointing at Ikki—right before Kya reminded them that the island required two extremely skilled airbending teachers.
Ikki gasped, spinning around ecstatically. “Really? Me—a teacher? Yay!”
“Those assholes will bow to me!” Meelo declared, balling his fists.
“Meelo…” Tenzin eyed him warningly.
The boy blinked twice. “Oops.”
25 minutes later, the airship took off as Pema, Ikki, Meelo, and Kya waved goodbye. The others waved back through a translucent green window. Inside the vehicle, they sat in a circle around a table with a detailed map of towns leading to Ba Sing Se, according to Mako.
“We’re going to bring the Air Nation back from the brink of extinction after nearly 200 years,” Korra exhaled.
“And it’s all because of you, Korra,” Tenzin pointed out gratefully.
Soon, they landed in a rural town where they were introduced to head farmer Kuon and his family, eating dinner in their kitchen. Sadly, this led to a heated argument between Kuon and Aang’s youngest child, resulting in their banishment from the house.
Back in the airship late at night, the older two Avatars wore their night gowns—Wan’s was plaid blue-violet whereas Yangchen’s was mango-colored with Air Nomad symbols on it. On the other hand, Korra wore hear regular Water Tribe getup minus the fur blue coat.
“In my head, that could’ve gone a lot smoother,” she sighed, eyes downcast.
“Perhaps we should have convinced his family to join him as well,” Yangchen suggested.
“Yeah…that wouldn’t have helped,” Wan grimaced. “He was already adamant on not leaving the farm.”
“That…is a good point,” she resigned.
“Or we could have thrown him in a potato sack and forced him into the ship,” Bolin casually proposed.
“That’s how they got me to join the United Forces,” Bumi revealed while reading a book.
The first Avatar stared at him. “I’m guessing you didn’t wanna join?”
“No, I did. But even I admit there was some—initial hesitation,” the middle-aged man confessed.
“Well either way, we cannot coerce people—or throw them in potato sacks. They must come freely,” Tenzin countered before an idea popped into his head. “But not to worry—there are plenty of other airbenders out there who will be happy to come with us once they find out what the Air Nation is all about.”
Although he’s proven wrong once he spent the next couple of days trying and consistently failing to recruit new airbenders, unaware of his nonviolent yet considerably unpleasant tactics.
“I thought I had the last one. I mean, who wouldn’t want a bison as their best friend?” Tenzin crossed his arms grumpily, leaning back on the sofa.
“Well the Earth Kingdom doesn’t seem very animal friendly,” Yangchen replied with a solemn expression.
“It’s okay, Tenzin. You still have six airbenders,” Wan attempted to cheer him up, but sadly it didn’t work.
Tenzin groaned. “You three don’t count. You’re all Avatars! And two of you didn’t even grow up in the Air Temples!”
The shaggy-haired man lifted an eyebrow. “So what? We can still airbend flawlessly. And may I remind you, there weren’t any Air Temples back in my day.”
“Yes, I remember very well what you told me,” the man with tattoos answered, rolling his eyes at him.
“No, he’s right Tenzin. We’ve tried it your way, and people just don’t seem to be responding,” Korra interjected with a devious grin. “It’s time for a little tough love.”
But obviously, her plan didn’t work either. She attempted to apply her strategy to a 22-year-old man named Ryu who had a persistent Minnesota-accented mother, urging him to get move out as soon as possible. Too bad he blew wind in her hand as she was dragged out kicking and screaming (mostly the former).
On the way to Ba Sing Se, Bolin happily devised a plan to dazzle the audience into joining the airbenders with Bumi completely onboard. Once they arrived, the earthbender wore a fake Varrick-style mustache and communicated through a bright red megaphone.
First, Bolin introduced Tenzin who stripped off his shirt, displaying his incredibly attractive abs, and generated a gigantic air wheel, driving it in front of the bewildered crowd, who applauded his efforts. Tenzin abruptly stopped and bowed, listening to the audience cheering for him.
The earthbender further introduced his brother Mako, followed by his friends Korra, Bumi, Jinora, Yangchen, and Wan. However, the majority of the crowd dispersed, having immediately lost interest…except for one boy named Kai who gained airbending after Harmonic Convergence.
He summarized how he was made an orphan due to firebenders murdering his parents when he was little. But it turned out, Kai was actually a thief who stole from his former foster parents and ran away as a result, afraid he would be arrested otherwise. The cops ultimately decided to let him go and ‘turn a new leaf’ by training at the Air Temples.
Before entering the airship, Mako warned him that he’d keep an eye on the kid, still not trusting him one bit. Kai convinced him that ever since he gained airbending, his life completely turned around, so there was no need to worry about it. He then bumped into Jinora, who was blushing furiously.
“Hi, I’m Jinora,” she greeted him bashfully, turning her head sideways. “I-If you need any help with airbending, I can show you what I know.”
Kai smiled at her, adjusting his green shirt. “Thanks. That’s really nice of you.”
“Jinora! We’re leaving now,” Tenzin startled her before the two of them boarded the flying vehicle.
A couple more days passed before the team arrived in Ba Sing Se, entering their new temporary home. That’s when Jinora suddenly realized that Kai was missing from the group.
“I don’t think I’ve seen him since we landed,” the Head of Future Industries confessed.
“Then we should go look for him,” the eleven-year-old declared.
“Why? He obviously doesn’t care about us,” Mako argued skeptically.
“But he’s my new little brother!” Bolin protested worriedly. “He’s probably lost and scared…”
“Look, he’s just a kid. And don’t forget he’s our responsibility too. We promised to look after him,” the Fire Avatar agreed wholeheartedly.
“Besides, he’s the only airbender we’ve recruited so far. We can’t lose him,” Tenzin persisted.
Mako sighed reluctantly. “Fine. Bolin and I will find him.”
“I’ll go with you,” Wan volunteered, leaving no room for argument.
They chased Kai across a random street downtown near a train station. Entering the train, Kai airbended his way out and waved mischievously at the trio, the vehicle speeding towards the next stop.
“Your little brother, huh?” the firebender glared at his younger sibling.
Bolin grinned sheepishly. “Yeah…just a lovable little scamp, isn’t he?”
“Reminds me of my little brother,” Mako murmured agitatedly.
“Hopefully the next station is nearby,” Wan said, crossing his fingers behind his back.
Once they reached Poh Kong Station, the other passengers incidentally pushed the trio out of the train, the ticket master tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.
“Passport and tickets,” he ordered, noticing they didn’t have any money. “Beat it, you three—before things get ugly.”
Wan narrowed his eyes at him with a commanding glare. “Let us through.”
“Didn’t you hear me, kid? I said beat it!” the ticket master barked.
Mako lightly grabbed his shoulder. “Forget it, Wan. Let’s go.”
They walked outside Poh Kong Station and onto a lower ring street, Bolin sensing a silent tension between the two firebenders.
“Nice going,” Mako said sarcastically.
“I had to do something. What if Kai was at the next train station? That man should have let us through!” Wan countered.
“So? In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t have any money because Kai stole it from us,” Mako stated nonchalantly. “Besides, this is a complete waste of time. Why bother looking for him anyway? Clearly he can handle himself.”
“We promised we’d look after Kai, remember? He’s one of us now,” Wan tested him. “We can help him turn over a new leaf.”
“A new leaf?? Are you serious?” Mako scoffed humorlessly. “Forget it! The kid’s a lost cause. We’re better off without him.”
“Mako! Don’t say that!” Bolin exclaimed disapprovingly. “He’s our new little brother—our family.”
“Kai is not our family!” the firebender nearly screamed. “He’s just a lonely orphan!”
“We’re orphans too, remember?” his baby brother reminded him, visibly hurt. “Or did you forget about that?”
Mako groaned loudly, clutching his head with both hands. “That’s not what I — ”
“Look Mako, I’m an orphan too. I know what it’s like. My parents died when I was little, so I was forced to steal food in order to survive ‘cause there was no other way,” Wan confessed somberly. “But guess what? So did Kai—so the least we can do is show him compassion, considering our similar experiences.”
“What are you saying? That we should trust a liar?” the 19-year-old retaliated.
“Well you’re not exactly a truth-teller yourself, Mako,” the first Avatar challenged him.
The teen lowered his gaze. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You, Korra, and Asami? Does that ‘ring a bell’ as you kids would say?” Wan snorted, causing Bolin to giggle under his breath.
“That’s none of your business!” Mako exclaimed, totally flustered.
“Technically, Korra and I are the same person. So yeah, it is kind of my business,” the Fire Avatar replied with a smug grin plastered on his face. “And I might not be from this time period, but romantic attachments have been around since the dawn of time. Trust me, we’ve all been there.”
“Uh guys…? Maybe we should look for Kai over there?” Bolin pointed at a fruit stand a few feet away.
Next thing they know, the trio split up in order to find Kai until the two brothers bumped into their cousin (Tu), uncle (Chow), and grandmother (Yin) at their family home, exchanging heartfelt stories.
Elsewhere, a Dai Li agent kidnapped the boy and imprisoned him with several other post-Harmonic Convergence airbenders. Now frightened for his life, Kai had truly turned over a new leaf after realizing the consequences of his actions…but would he be rescued in time?
SAME YEAR (SHIRO SHINOBI’S POV):
Apparently, there’s no safe place for the Avatar just yet! Why? Because first of all, President Raiko banished the Avatars from Republic City! Second of all, the Earth Queen declared them as public enemies of the Earth Kingdom after helping the airbenders escape Ba Sing Se!
And last but not least, former Fire Lord Zuko learned that Zaheer and his criminal buddies were tracking her! With Tenzin and Jinora handling new recruits (including Kai) at the Northern Air Temple, Korra’s protection was on Chief Beifong’s hands! How will this matter be resolved? Only one way to find out, folks! Stay tuned!
SAME YEAR (NOBODY’S POV):
With the Water Tribe Avatar’s persistence, Lin hesitantly agreed to let Korra and her friends fly towards Chief Beifong’s hometown in Zaofu—the Metal Clan’s residence, although Lin blatantly refused to go with him. They encountered Aiwei, a Metal Clan escort, who led them inside the city.
“Wow…so this must be where the airbender lives, right?” Wan asked, breathtaken at the scenery.
“Yes—but first, her mother wants to meet you all first.” Aiwei extended his hand to gesture them forward. “Right this way.”
Inside the studio, eight dancers were currently rehearsing on a lotus flower made of metal, shooting metal cables in different directions. Soon, they concluded their dance routine with a graceful pose.
“This is a very creative way of training,” the Air Nomad Avatar blurted out in surprise.
“I’m afraid you are mistaken, Avatar Yangchen. They are rehearsing for a dance premiere next month,” Aiwei corrected her politely.
“I still can’t believe metalbending is a sub-form of earthbending. It’s incredible,” the Fire Nation Avatar exhaled in awe.
Aiwei’s lips curled upward. “You’d be surprised.”
A silver-haired woman wearing an emerald green sleeveless dress was alerted of their presence, clapping her hands twice.
“That’s it for today, everyone,” she instructed.
The escort bowed respectfully at his boss. “Allow me to introduce the matriarch of the Metal Clan—Suyin.”
“Please call me Su,” she requested, pressing her fist into her palm in order to greet her guests. “I never imagined I would meet the Avatar, let alone three. This is very exciting.”
“You’ve done your research,” Mako said, thoroughly impressed.
“I make it my business to know who’s visiting my city,” Suyin informed the group, revealing everyone’s various skillsets.
Aiwei then whispered in her ear regarding the lies they told, and so the matriarch lowered her gaze suspiciously, demanding to know why. Korra resignatedly confessed that Chief Beifong didn’t want her presence to be known.
Suyin’s eyebrows lifted. “Lin’s here? Well I would love to say hello.”
“Wait, you two know each other?” Korra asked, mildly shocked.
“You’re joking, right?” There was a brief silence indicating otherwise as the matriarch sighed sadly. “Lin never told you about me.”
Korra was confused. “No, why would she?”
Wan’s jaw dropped in realization. “You’re her sister, aren’t you?”
Suyin blinked twice. “Yes, I am. How did you know?”
The shaggy-haired man smiled sheepishly. “You two look very similar.”
“My mother used to say that a lot,” she responded while grinning.
On the airship…
“I found out why you’re so against coming here,” Korra startled the chief. “Why didn’t you ever tell us you had a sister?”
“Half-sister,” Lin verified bitterly.
“Same mom, different dads. So what?” Suyin touched her own chest with a hurt expression. “We’re blood, Lin. And after thirty years, the least you can do is say hello.”
The chief averted her gaze and spit out, “I have nothing to say to you.”
“You two haven’t spoken in thirty years?” Korra questioned. “How come?”
Yangchen grimaced. “Korra, it’s not our place to — ”
“She’s right. It isn’t your place,” Lin growled before facing her little sister. “And by the way, it was you who tore our family apart.”
“And you’ve done a bang up job keeping it that way,” Suyin replied knowingly. “Look, we can stay here and argue about the past all day, or we can switch gears and discuss why the Avatars are here in the first place.”
She turned to the Avatar trio and smiled. “My daughter can’t wait to meet you.”
The matriach introduced her other children as well—identical twins Wei and Wing, angsty artist Huan, nonbending scientist Baatar Junior, and then new airbender Opal (who developed a huge crush on Bolin). Later at dinner, they also met Su’s husband—Baatar Senior, who was the chief architect of Zaofu.
“Five kids—what a nightmare,” Lin drawled under her breath.
“No, my children are a blessing,” Suyin countered.
“Yeah, Mom used to say that too, but she never meant it,” her big sister mumbled.
All of a sudden, Varrick barged through the door and casually sat in his designated seat, starling everyone (except for Suyin).
“What are you doing here?” Asami confronted him.
“Didn’t you plot to abduct the president?” Yangchen questioned him warily. “Shouldn’t you be in prison?”
“Again—allegedly plotted to abduct the president. Remember, I was never convicted,” the genius pointed out enthusiastically. “But yeah, let’s just say I was released thanks to the universe’s blessing, my old friend Suyin here recruited me, and boom! Now we’re in business together!”
The Air Avatar and Asami exchanged shocked glances.
“Varrick’s now the head of my new technology division,” the matriarch explained.
“And you trust him?” the Air Nation Avatar interrogated.
“Yeah, what she said,” Asami muttered annoyedly.
Varrick further emphasized in a dramatic manner, “Sorry Miss Avatar, but you gotta deal with it. I’ve seen the future, and the future is—magnets! I’m working on a high speed rail that would revolutionize transportation and shipping as we know it. But that’s not all! I’m — ”
“Alright, enough!” Lin snapped, abruptly standing up. “Wan is correct. I’m trying to keep the Avatars safe and you’re harboring a criminal?”
“Sure Varrick’s made a few mistakes in his past, but that doesn’t mean he should pay for it for the rest of his life. My chef was a pirate, but now he’s a culinary master. People change,” Suyin tried convincing her, but to no avail.
“You haven’t!” Lin spat while exiting the dining hall, slamming the door shut with her metal cable.
Later on in Suyin’s study, she revealed the rift between herself and Lin blossomed due to their contrasting personalities and behaviors as children, both fighting for their mother’s attention since they grew up without their fathers. Lin was a strict rule-following cop whereas Suyin was a rebellious and easygoing teenager.
Korra’s curiosity overwhelmed her as she assumed the woman built a perfect life in Zaofu. But the matriach was well aware if its imperfections considering her older sister wasn’t a part of it in any way whatsoever.
Soon, the youngest Avatar had a idea and led Opal to her aunt’s room, though neither of them expected Lin to lash out at her niece, causing poor Opal to run away, her lips quivering as she burst into uncontrollable tears. The Air Nomad spotted her from nearby and attempted to console the distraught teenager.
Meanwhile, Korra reprimanded Chief Beifong for unnecessarily yelling at Opal, even though the latter retaliated by ordering her to stay out of her personal business. What she didn’t anticipate however, was the 18-year-old’s next response.
“Su’s right. You’re never going to change. You’re always gonna be a bitter lonely woman,” Korra sneered before closing the door behind her, failing to notice Lin’s tears streaming down her cheeks while cupping her scarred cheek.
The next day, Wei and Wing invited the Avatars to participate in their metalbending game, but they refused because they hadn’t mastered it yet, and so Suyin offered to help them achieve that goal.
“I do wish to learn about more earth-based substances,” Yangchen revealed intriguingly. “If only I was aware of this in my time…it would have been very useful.”
“Yeah—and let’s just say it was a busy few months, between fighting Amon, Unalaq, and Vaatu…” Korra sighed deeply.
“Well, it’s probably for the best. I’m sure Lin would be a horrible teacher,” Su chuckled, which caused Wan and Yangchen to frown at her.
“I’m sure she’d be a great teacher,” the Fire Avatar blurted out.
“You’re very sweet, so clearly the legends must be true. But surely you’ve dealt with Lin’s personality before, therefore you know what I’m talking about.” Suyin cleared her throat before changing the subject. “As the Avatars, you should have mastery over all the elements. I’d be happy to show you the basics.”
“You two can go first. I don’t mind watching,” Yangchen offered.
Korra smiled back and said ‘thanks’ at the same time Wan said ‘you’re the best’.
But little did the youngest Avatar know—her happiness and optimisim was about to be eradicated by the ruthless Zaheer and his pals after P’Li accidentally combusted herself thanks to Suyin’s quick thinking and metallic armor. Korra was force-fed mercury poison, thus triggering her Avatar State so that Zaheer could end the Avatar Cycle for good.
Luckily, he was immediately arrested afterwards and the matriarch of Zaofu metalbended the poison out of Korra’s body. Two weeks later was Jinora’s Air Nomad ceremony, and so everyone prepared the decorations inside the temple. The eleven-year-old wore a traditional yellow robe which covered her head.
Wan and Asami offered to push Korra’s wheelchair and stand beside her, keeping a close eye on the unusually quiet teenager. In the meantime, Yangchen stood next to Tenzin who recited his speech in front of the audience, his airbending pupils right behind him in their training outfits.
The Air Nomad Avatar soon uncovered Jinora’s hoodie, revealing her bald head and signature upside-down sky blue arrows all over her body. The other students moved the chimes with their airbending powers, generating a melodious tune in the background as the crowd applauded the preteen’s efforts.
However, Korra couldn’t bring herself to smile for her spiritual granddaughter this time. Instead, her lips curled downward and trembled slightly as teardrops slipped down her cheeks at an exponential rate, soft sobs escaping her lips.
I’m so sorry! I—I can’t do this…