Maintaining the Balance

158 AG - Year of the Horse [Nanuk Village, South Pole]
Five years after the death of the previous Avatar, rumors spread of a young girl in the Southern Water Tribe demonstrating the ability to use each of the four elements. Though they had been led astray more than a hundred times since the death of the previous Avatar, Aang, the Order of the White Lotus had no choice but to confirm whether or not the rumors were true.&nbsp; Upon reaching Nanuk, an isolated village located just a few hundred kilometers away from the southernmost point of the South Pole, the Elders of the White Lotus were astonished to find a chubby young girl with dark-brown hair, brown skin, and icy blues eyes showing a basic mastery over the elements of Water, Earth, and Fire. While all Avatars were able to manipulate the elements of Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind, it ordinarily took years, if not decades, to do so. It was unheard of for an Avatar to exhibit the ability to manipulate three of the four elements when they were a mere five years old.&nbsp; Witnessing the young Avatar's, Korra's power, the three elderly members of the White Lotus all had the same thought. Korra may very well have the greatest potential among all Avatars throughout history. As excited as they were to learn of Korra's talent, the trio of Elders quickly lost their enthusiasm upon realizing just how much of a troublemaker their new Avatar was. While most children were a handful, Korra was in a league of her own. She was so enamored with her ability to bend multiple elements that she had developed a habit of blowing holes through the icy walls of her igloo-style house rather than walking through the door like a normal person. Though Korra's parents, Tonraq and Senna, supported their daughter with all their hearts, the bags under their eyes revealed the truth of the matter. Their attempts to curb Korra's destructive tendencies had failed. To make matters exponentially worse, the children and even several adults within the village had been inflating Korra's ego by showering her with praises and letting her get away with all manner of mischief. In Korra's mind, the position of Avatar was a license that allowed her to do whatever she pleased. Before the arrival of Elders, Tonrag and Senna had absolutely no idea how they were going to rein Korra in and raise her as an Avatar. Fortunately, shortly after the arrival of the Elders, the friends and family of the former Avatar quickly converged on the South Pole. This included the former Avatar's wife, Waterbending Master Katara, her brother, Chief Sokka, their eldest son, Airbending Master Tenzin, and one of Aang's old enemies turned allies, Fire Lord Zuko. Though Korra was initially suspicious of the strange group, especially the old man with a burn mark on his face, it wasn't long before she opened up to each of them. Katara, in particular, filled her with a bubbly and strange feeling that she could only equate to happiness... ... .. . "Chief Tonraq. Senna. Though I understand your reluctance, Korra is not safe here in the South Pole. The enemies of the Avatar are too numerous to count. If we do not move you and your family someplace safe, a place where Korra can train and study in peace, an irreversible tragedy will befall this village." Despite standing a mere 164cm tall and possessing a head of snow-white hair, the aura exuding from Katara's body was enough to intimidate even a &nbsp;Polar Bear Dog into running away. Standing opposite the elderly Katara was a rather heroic-looking figure with a tall, muscular frame, long locks of brown hair, thick eyebrows, icy blue eyes, and a neatly trimmed goatee. At his side was a young woman with features not all that dissimilar to Korra's.&nbsp; "We can't just leave the village and abandon our people. As a member of the Southern Water Tribe, you should understand just how dangerous it is for a village to lack a capable leader. I love my daughter, but I cannot just abandon my duties. If the Order of the White Lotus wishes to protect her, they can safeguard the entire village." "Tonraq..." Grabbing her husband's sleeve, Senna attempted to be a voice of reason, saying, "Master Katara is only thinking about what's best for Korra and the world at large. If you're serious about staying to protect the village, let me go with Korra. I will watch over her, and we can both come back to visit in the Summer..." Unamused by his wife's suggestion, Tonraq was about to refuse when a bald man with a bright blue arrow tattooed on his head stepped forward, suggesting, "You and your daughter are more than welcome to come and stay on Air Temple Island. As the home of the former Avatar, my father, it is one of the safest places in the Four Nations. Korra will eventually need to stay there when she is endeavoring to master Air Bending. As the only element she has not shown a basic proficiency in, I believe it would be for the best to have her stay there and learn the ways of the Air Nomads." Shifting his gaze to the bald man, Tonraq's expression remained stern as he answered, "Master Tenzin...before she is the Avatar, Korra is mine and Senna's one and only daughter. The South Pole is her home. If you want what's best for her, you will let her live and grow here, among her people." Though he could empathize with what Tonraq was trying to say, Tenzin's expression became equally stern as he warned, "The people who target your daughter will not concern themselves with such sentiments. I won't deny it. If Korra had been an ordinary girl, staying in the South Pole would be the best possible choice. The simple fact of the matter, Chief Tonraq, is that she is far from ordinary; she is the most extraordinary person in the entire world..." Balling his hands into fists, Tonraq was seriously considering punching the tall and limber Tenzin square in his jaw. Unfortunately, ever since his exile from the Northern Water Tribe, he had always done his best to try and see matters from both sides. He could understand where Tenzin and Katara were coming from, so, after a moment of silence, he begrudgingly replied, "Very well...I will allow Korra to go and train with the White Lotus. However, I must be made aware of where she is staying at all times. The moment something happens, I want to be informed as soon as possible..." Though Tenzin would have preferred if Korra came to stay on Air Temple Island, he didn't attempt to press the matter. Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief before looking towards his mother, Katara. Nodding her head in approval, a grandmotherly smile developed across Katara's face as she said, "You're making the right decision, Tonraq. Don't worry. Until Korra has completed her water and firebending training, she will not leave the South Pole. With a Polar Bear Dog or a snowmobile, you will never be more than a day's travel away from her." Exhaling a sigh of his own, Tonraq resisted the urge to question the need to move Korra at all if she wasn't going to leave the South Pole. In truth, he already knew the answer. It was because the village, its people, and the environment would be detrimental to Korra's growth. She was a very impressionable young girl, and, even though she was only five years old, her desire to show off had nearly resulted in the deaths of three children when she accidentally bent a hole through the ice... "I understand..." ... .. . Since Korra's enemies would have learned about her existence around the same time as the Order of the White Lotus, Katara convinced Tonraq and Senna to move her that evening. They would use the cover of darkness to transport Korra to one of the larger villages, specifically one with a large port and an Airship Dock. From there, several dummy convoys would set out by air, land, and sea while Korra would be moved via an underground passage to one of the White Lotus's many safe houses. So that he would know exactly where his wife and daughter would be staying, Tonraq insisted that he be among the group escorting them to safety. Katara and the Elders of the White Lotus had no problems with this, as, before becoming a Chief-in-Name of the Southern Water Tribe, Tonraq was both a General and a Master Waterbender of the Northern Water Tribe. Having him on their side only increased the chances of their mission completing without a hitch. "Mommy...daddy...where are we going...?" Like many children who were incredibly rambunctious throughout the day, Korra generally slept like a log. The persistent sound of snowmobiles and frigid temperatures, however, made it difficult for even someone as robust as Korra to remain sleeping. Smiling in response to her daughter's words, Senna removed one of her gloves to caress Korra's head before asking, "Remember what I told you earlier? We're moving to a super-secret base so you can train to become strong enough to beat up all the bad guys..." "Mmm..." Nuzzling against her mother's hand, Korra was about to fall back asleep when a panicked shout sounded over the harsh winds, declaring, "Enemy attack! Protect the Avatar...!" "Wha-" Before Korra could ask why she would need protection, a boulder-sized stone smashed into the armored Satomobile she was being transported in. A powerful impact rocked the cabin's interior. Fortunately, Korra was largely unaffected as her mother held her close to her chest... ... .. . Seeing a boulder smash into the vehicle his wife and daughter were being transported in, Tonraq's vision blurred along the edges as he charged at a dark-skinned man with brown hair that extended past his shoulders, thick, angular eyebrows, and a horseshoe mustache. His outfit resembled the characteristic green robes of an Earth Kingdom native, but that was the least of Tonraq's concerns. He wanted blood. "You bastard! You'll pay for that...!" Dodging a large block of dirt-laden ice, Tonraq twisted his body in a fluid motion, his feet creating a smooth, circular arc as a large section of the surrounding snow and ice became liquid. In the same motion, the water formed into an exceptionally long and snaking whip that threatened to separate the man's head from his body. Clicking his tongue, the Earth Bender lurched forward in an attempt to duck under the fierce whip of water as he cursed, "I hate fighting in this frozen hell hole. Not enough earth..." Rolling to his feet, the man adopted a rigid stance with his hands near his waist. The whip of water doubled back to form a spear of ice, but, before it could find purchase, the ground beneath his fractured before erupting into a massive plume of steam. Waving his hand, Tonraq converted the heated water particles into two nebulous balls of frigid water before paling slightly when a wave of fiery hot, liquid earth attempted to bury him. Erecting a wall of ice, Tonraq shouted, "This one's a Magma Bender...!" at the top of his voice. The other Masters were busy dealing with their own opponents, but sharing information was never a bad idea. Demonstrating this was the case, a bolt of bluish-white lightning pierced through the cloud of steam as Fire Lord Zuko rushed over, saying, "Leave this one to me. Go protect your wife and child." Though he wasn't particularly fond of people from the Fire Nation, Tonraq nodded his head with an appreciative expression as he said, "Thanks for the assist. I owe you one." Returning a nod of his own, Fire Lord Zuko shouted, "Now go...!" before sliding forward and thrusting out his left index and middle fingers as if they were the tip of a spear. A powerful bolt of bluish-white electricity emerged from the ends of his digits, completely shattering the boulder flying towards him. Seeing how easily Zuko was dealing with his attacks, a scowl developed across the face of the long-haired Earth Bender as he groaned, "Just my luck. I accept a job to kidnap a brat and end up facing off against one of the most potent Fire Benders in the world..." Ignoring the man's remark, Zuko managed to chain together a series of sweeping kicks that belied his advanced age. Several crescents of flame hot enough to melt iron barreled towards the man. Most of these crashed ineffectively against a hastily constructed earth wall, but, as the reigning Fire Lord, Zuko wasn't going to be deterred by such a shoddy defense...

Believing that Zuko was more than capable of handling himself, Tonraq didn't look back as he raced toward the vehicle transporting his wife and daughter. The dent in the left-side passenger door caused his heart to skip a beat, but, upon calling out, "Senna! Korra!" Tonraq was relieved to hear a woman hurriedly reply, "Tonraq! We're okay...!"
Swooping his right hand forward in a scooping motion, Tonraq converted a large volume of snow and ice into frigid water before directing it to seep into the cracks around the doorframe. It immediately turned back into ice, and, thanks to the natural expansion of water when it changed phases, he was able to create a bit of space between the reinforced metal door and the vehicle's frame. Then, with a mighty pull, he ripped it away to find his wife cradling the five-year-old Korra in her arms.
"Thank the Spirits..."
Reaching into the vehicle's interior, Tonraq gestured for Korra to come to him when Senna suddenly shouted, "Behind you...!" with eyes as round as saucers.
Not willing to place his wife and daughter in danger, Tonraq didn't try to dodge to the side. Instead, he stomped his feet before waving both of his arms in a rising motion that caused a massive dome of ice to form around the entire vehicle. This ended up being the correct decision as a trio of ice spikes the size of small trees smashed into the icy barrier like cannonballs striking a metal plate.
"Damn you...!"
Realizing the opponent was a Water Bender, Tonraq kicked the ice wall to send it skidding across the ground like a snowplow as he shouted, "She is one of your own! Why are you people doing this!?"
Ignoring Tonraq's outburst, the opposing Water Bender surprised him by using tendril-like arms to launch themselves over the plow of ice. When Tonraq saw the enemy Bender's true form, realization immediately flashed across his face as he clenched his teeth and growled, "Ming Hua...!"
Landing a few meters away from Tonraq, Ming Hua, a tanned woman with inky black hair, skeletal features, and a complete lack of arms, rose to her feet with a vicious smile on her face as she cheekily replied, "Long time no see, General."
While most Benders would be powerless without their primary limbs, Ming Hua had never allowed her disability to get in the way. She had been born without arms; upon discovering her ability to bend, she worked tirelessly to perfect a technique that would allow her to compensate for her missing limbs with tendrils of water. By the time she was ten, her incredible talent had garnered her the attention of several Master Benders in the Northern Water Tribe. Among these was Tonraq's father, Malaq, former Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, and the third member of the 'nobility' that Ming Hua had slain.
Empowered by his rage, Tonraq thrust his hands forward before pulling one back towards his waist and spinning using his left foot as a central axis. Then, as a mighty roar bellowed from his abdomen, he twisted his body in a manner resembling an uppercut. Instead of connecting with a person's jaw and sending them hurtling backward, however, the motion created several spear-like spikes of ice that erupted from the ground in a 50m radius surrounding Ming Hua.
Awed by the display of power, Ming Hua remarked, "It's no wonder the Avatar was born within your family..." as she propelled herself high into the sky in an effort the evade the deadly lances. This ended up being a mistake, as, despite the effort required for his previous technique, Tonraq was still able to send several chunks of ice hurtling toward her with lethal velocity.
"Shit...!"
Twisting her body around in the air, Ming Hua used her whip-like arms to cut through and smash the majority of the ice fragments. Her efforts were mostly successful, but the momentum of the ice shards caused several to pierce her body like shrapnel. She was able to stop the bleeding, but, as if there was nothing in the world that could contain his wrath, Tonraq didn't afford her even a single moment to catch her breath. The moment she hit the ground, he lunged toward her with the ferocity of a Tiger Seal hunting an Otter Penguin...
...
..
.
Standing atop an icy ridge located a few hundred meters away from the ongoing battle was a tall, lean, and stone-faced man with features not all that dissimilar to Tonraq's. The difference was, while Tonraq was clearly a warrior, the man gave off the impression of a cold, icy, intellectual.
"Pathetic. Those imbeciles refer to themselves as the Order of the Red Lotus and can't even best a barbarian from the South?"
Seeing how easily Tonraq had secured an advantage, a disgusted scowl developed across the man's face as he prepared to turn away and leave. To his surprise, a young boy with tanned skin, dark-brown hair, and bright, bluish-green eyes was standing between him and his snowmobile.
"..."
Looking around and spotting no tell-tale signs of the boy's approach, the skinny man became cautious as he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you a Spirit?"
Showing a hint of surprise, the young boy brought up his left hand in a so-so kind of gesture as he replied, "It's a little more complicated than that. I would go into further detail, but I've never been particularly fond of trying to reason with villains."
Interpreting the youth's words as a threat, the skinny man allowed his feet to slide apart as he thrust forward with his left hand. A spike of ice shot forth from the ground with the intent to impale the youth through the chest. By then, however, the eerie-eyed child had already stepped to the side, a relaxed smile on his face as he commented, "You're pretty ruthless for a man whose twins are around the same age as me. You didn't-"
Sliding his foot back, the skinny twisted and swayed his hips like someone trying to maintain their footing atop a ship. At the same time, he waved his arms around in a circular, clockwise motion that caused the ice and snow beneath the youth to spiral upwards in the form of a water column.
Though the expression on the youth's face revealed mild alarm, it was the lanky Water Bender who was surprised when sparks of lightning suddenly danced across the young boy's body. In the very next moment, a taste of burning ozone spread through his mouth as the five, maybe six-year-old boy appeared right in front of him in an instant.
"Try to be a better person in your next life..."
Before the skinny man could respond, the tanned youth placed his palm over the former's chest, right above his heart.
To the youth's astonishment, the skinny man was able to sway backward in a surprisingly fluid motion. Unfortunately, while this action created a bit of distance between the youth's palm and his heart, it didn't allow him to evade the thick band of bluish-white electricity arcing between them. The last thing that passed through the man's mind, sans the lightning, was the notion that the child before him was a monster...
Watching as the man fell limply against the snow and ice, smoke rising from his corpse, a conflicted look briefly appeared on the youth's face before he promptly shook his head and muttered, "They'll be better off without such a man as their father..."
Though the youth's nature compelled him to feel guilty about the loss of life, he was significantly more concerned about the two orphans he had just produced. After that, it was the rather severe burns that now covered nearly half of his body.
"Infusing lightning into the body of a child probably wasn't the best way to kick off my journey in a new world. While my enemies could certainly use the handicap, I should probably avoid crippling myself..."
Gathering white light in the palm of his left hand, the youth showed no signs of pain or discomfort as he pulled up the sleeve covering his right arm to reveal a steaming black burn running from the center of his palm to just below his elbow.
Despite feeling the kind of pain that would leave most people begging for death, the youth maintained a carefree smile as he casually treated what most would have deemed an irremediable injury.
Compared to the experiences his original had accumulated, the pain of a charred bone was relatively tame...
...
..
.
Oblivious to the incident that had occurred atop the icy ridge, the leader of the Red Lotus, a middle-aged man with peppered hair, cauliflower ears, and sharp features, was beginning to regret his decision to try and kidnap the Avatar with just four people. He had always been supremely confident in his fighting prowess, but, as a non-bender, there was only so much he could do against several skilled warriors, many of which were Masters of their respective bending arts.
"Give it up, Zaheer. You can't win. Surrender peacefully, and I can assure you no harm will befall you or your co-conspirators."
Though he was tempted to deal with Zaheer by blowing him into an icy ravine, the pacifist principles of the Air Nomads compelled Tenzin to try and reason with the man. Tonraq and Zuko had very nearly dealt with the other two members of the Red Lotus, so he saw no reason for the man to continue the fight. Not when it was two, soon to be several against one.
Supporting Tenzin's attempts to deescalate the situation, Sokka, wielding two pristine white longswords, adopted a less hostile posture as he said, "Listen to Master Tenzin. You're only putting you and your men in danger by dragging things out."
Squinting in response to the two men's attempts to get him to surrender, Zaheer maintained a resolute expression as he declared, "This was never about victory or success. The Red Lotus exists to correct the flaws within a system that would soon see even the Avatar brought low by politics and biased social reform. So long as society serves the few at the expense of the many, the spirit of the Red Lotus will never die."
Punctuating his statement, Zaheer pulled out several smoke bombs with the intent to obscure his retreat. At the same time, a series of shockwaves could be heard as a beam of steamy white light impacted the area next to where Sokka had been standing. Tenzin attempted to blast him away with a burst of cushioned air, but he was too slow to prevent an explosion from enveloping the aged swordsman's body.
"Uncle Sokka...!"
While Tenzin was distracted by the severely injured Sokka, Zaheer bolted towards the vehicle containing Korra and her mother. At the same time, an inordinately tall woman with the tattoo of an eye emblazoned across her forehead provided cover fire. The latter was a special type of Fire Bender known as a Combustion Bender. Practitioners of this particular bending form could direct highly compressed streams of combustible ki toward an opponent at supersonic speeds. Upon contact, the ki would then explode, causing massive damage to everything within a five-meter radius. By the time most people heard the sound of the sonic booms, it was already too late to dodge.
With each of the Masters presently distracted, Zaheer was able to quickly dispatch the few members of the White Lotus Sentries that had gathered to form a protective encirclement around the Avatar. Many of them were very near the level of Master Benders, but, as someone who had made a name for himself by defeating benders in illegal fighting circuits, only the greatest of Masters could hope to survive a confrontation with Zaheer.
At least, that's how things should have been.
The moment Zaheer managed to knock out the last member of the White Lotus, a young boy, seemingly falling from the sky, dropped down in front of him. The kid appeared to be no older than six, but the moment Zaheer met the youth's glowing eyes, a sense of foreboding, unlike anything he had ever experienced, washed over him...

Chapter 1: MTB: Chapter 1