Conversations with Raava - Chapter 1
Conversations with Raava - Chapter 1 - by Mike Hebel
The sky was clear and blue above Air Temple Island and a small breeze blew Korra’s hair into her face as she meditated atop an outcropping of rock overlooking Republic City.
Her daily mediations had increased as had her attempts to reconnect with the past incarnations of herself. All to no avail.
Sighing heavily Korra opened her eyes and looked out at the ships moving about the bay. She followed each one in turn until they either left her sight or she lost interest.
Unbending her legs and rising she turned and walked up the path and back to the main compound of the island. Tiptoeing quietly she passed Tenzin meditating within a small garden near the path. The airbender did not stir and Korra quickly moved further up the path.
In a similar garden area Korra found Jinora. As was her habit of late she was laughing and talking to a number of small spirits around her. Several bright butterfly spirits broke off from the cloud and briskly circled Korra’s head before returning to Jinora’s side.
“Korra!” Jinora exclaimed as a smile brightened her face further than some would think possible “Did you finish your meditation already?”
Shuffling her feet a bit and sighing Korra looked closely at a nearby flower.
“No luck huh.” said Jinora.
“Nope.” replied Korra “The connection is completely gone. I don’t even sense that I HAD any past lives let alone any of the avatars.”
“Hmm...” said Jinora frowning.
“I don’t know Jinora.” Korra said flopping down in front of the young girl “It’s like I get out of one situation only to get confronted with the next.”
“Y’know...I’ve read a lot about Aang. A lot.” said Jinora “My father required me to read anything and everything I could about him. And what you just said is what happened to Aang his whole life.”
“Yeah but Aang was in a war!” exclaimed Korra “Then he was frozen in ice for 100 years. Completely out of his time. Things were severely out of balance. Shouldn’t things have stabilized by this time? If I were doing my job right...”
Reaching across the distance between them Jinora knocked on Korra’s forehead. “Hellooooo? All this time and you are still doubting yourself as Avatar.” she said giving a fake pout “The reason the avatar exists is to bring balance to the world. Since Avatar Wan the world has been out of balance. That’s why the Avatar exists at all!”
“I know all this!” said Korra in an irritated tone.
“Korra...” said Jinora softly “...the world will always be out of balance.”
“But...I defeated Vaatu.” Korra said looking up “Ten thousand years of peace and all that. Why don’t things just oh I don’t know WORK!”
“Korra since you left the portals open I sit here and listen to the spirits every day.” Jinora continued letting three of the butterfly spirits land on her hand, arm, and head respectively “They tell me everything that they see in the world. Things I want to know. Things I sometimes don’t want to know.”
“So.” said Korra “What does this have to do with me?”
“What they are telling me is that Vaatu is not gone.” said Jinora simply.
“WHAT??!” shouted Korra trying to stand.
“Calm down! Calm down.” said Jinora reaching out and grabbing Korra’s wrists to prevent her from getting up. “It’s not like you think. Vaatu has been dispersed.”
“Dispersed...” said Korra suddenly reviewing her own memories “Okay. I think I understand. Because Vaatu can’t be destroyed then that means the pieces of him have to go somewhere.”
“Not just somewhere.” said Jinora “Everywhere.”
“Everywhere.” Korra repeated.
“And that” said Jinora releasing Korra from her grip “is why the world is never in balance. Vaatu exists in tiny pieces in each of us out there. Well except for you that is. And even then I’m not so sure about that.”
“When did you get to be so smart?” Korra said laughing lightly while she ruffled Jinora’s hair.
“Well a trip with the Avatar into the Spirit World had something to do with it.” Jinora said also laughing.
Becoming sober again Korra said “But I don’t have anything but myself to draw on now. All those past experiences....gone. I’m flying blind.”
“Boy is she thick sometimes.” exclaimed a nearby spirit shaped like a turtleduck.
“Hush!” Jinora said quietly “She has to figure this out on her own!”
Korra glared at Jinora but then suddenly stopped with a surprised look on her face. “You’re right.” she said addressing the spirit “I am thick!”
Jinora raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“I have Raava!” exclaimed Korra standing “I can ask her!”
“Well maybe not so thick after all.” said the turtleduck spirit diving into a nearby pool.
Grinning from ear to ear Jinora got up from the ground and hugged Korra tightly.
“Tell Pema that I’m going to be late for mealtime today.” said Korra as she headed back to her outcropping of rock.
Hearing a rustling behind her Jinora said “Hello father.” without looking behind her. “The spirits told me your were there but they didn’t tell me how long.”
“Long enough.” said Tenzin stepping from his hiding place behind a nearby bush. “It seems that while I may have nothing more to teach her other still may.”
“She still needs more confidence.” said Jinora turning and smiling at her father “But I think talking with Raava will help with that. Or so a spirit told me.”
Smiling Tenzin put his hand on Jinora’s head “You do know how proud of you I am right?”
“I know.” replied Jinora still smiling “Are you hungry? I haven’t eaten yet and the spirits and I don’t eat the same food.”
“I think I could stand to eat something.” Tenzin said taking his daughter’s hand and walking with her in the direction of the compound.
Down the other end of the path a young girl sat in meditation her body glowing slightly with a soft white light.
Cross-posted from Dreamwidth ( http://nimitzbrood.dreamwidth.org/274911.html ) but feel free to comment here as well.
The sky was clear and blue above Air Temple Island and a small breeze blew Korra’s hair into her face as she meditated atop an outcropping of rock overlooking Republic City.
Her daily mediations had increased as had her attempts to reconnect with the past incarnations of herself. All to no avail.
Sighing heavily Korra opened her eyes and looked out at the ships moving about the bay. She followed each one in turn until they either left her sight or she lost interest.
Unbending her legs and rising she turned and walked up the path and back to the main compound of the island. Tiptoeing quietly she passed Tenzin meditating within a small garden near the path. The airbender did not stir and Korra quickly moved further up the path.
In a similar garden area Korra found Jinora. As was her habit of late she was laughing and talking to a number of small spirits around her. Several bright butterfly spirits broke off from the cloud and briskly circled Korra’s head before returning to Jinora’s side.
“Korra!” Jinora exclaimed as a smile brightened her face further than some would think possible “Did you finish your meditation already?”
Shuffling her feet a bit and sighing Korra looked closely at a nearby flower.
“No luck huh.” said Jinora.
“Nope.” replied Korra “The connection is completely gone. I don’t even sense that I HAD any past lives let alone any of the avatars.”
“Hmm...” said Jinora frowning.
“I don’t know Jinora.” Korra said flopping down in front of the young girl “It’s like I get out of one situation only to get confronted with the next.”
“Y’know...I’ve read a lot about Aang. A lot.” said Jinora “My father required me to read anything and everything I could about him. And what you just said is what happened to Aang his whole life.”
“Yeah but Aang was in a war!” exclaimed Korra “Then he was frozen in ice for 100 years. Completely out of his time. Things were severely out of balance. Shouldn’t things have stabilized by this time? If I were doing my job right...”
Reaching across the distance between them Jinora knocked on Korra’s forehead. “Hellooooo? All this time and you are still doubting yourself as Avatar.” she said giving a fake pout “The reason the avatar exists is to bring balance to the world. Since Avatar Wan the world has been out of balance. That’s why the Avatar exists at all!”
“I know all this!” said Korra in an irritated tone.
“Korra...” said Jinora softly “...the world will always be out of balance.”
“But...I defeated Vaatu.” Korra said looking up “Ten thousand years of peace and all that. Why don’t things just oh I don’t know WORK!”
“Korra since you left the portals open I sit here and listen to the spirits every day.” Jinora continued letting three of the butterfly spirits land on her hand, arm, and head respectively “They tell me everything that they see in the world. Things I want to know. Things I sometimes don’t want to know.”
“So.” said Korra “What does this have to do with me?”
“What they are telling me is that Vaatu is not gone.” said Jinora simply.
“WHAT??!” shouted Korra trying to stand.
“Calm down! Calm down.” said Jinora reaching out and grabbing Korra’s wrists to prevent her from getting up. “It’s not like you think. Vaatu has been dispersed.”
“Dispersed...” said Korra suddenly reviewing her own memories “Okay. I think I understand. Because Vaatu can’t be destroyed then that means the pieces of him have to go somewhere.”
“Not just somewhere.” said Jinora “Everywhere.”
“Everywhere.” Korra repeated.
“And that” said Jinora releasing Korra from her grip “is why the world is never in balance. Vaatu exists in tiny pieces in each of us out there. Well except for you that is. And even then I’m not so sure about that.”
“When did you get to be so smart?” Korra said laughing lightly while she ruffled Jinora’s hair.
“Well a trip with the Avatar into the Spirit World had something to do with it.” Jinora said also laughing.
Becoming sober again Korra said “But I don’t have anything but myself to draw on now. All those past experiences....gone. I’m flying blind.”
“Boy is she thick sometimes.” exclaimed a nearby spirit shaped like a turtleduck.
“Hush!” Jinora said quietly “She has to figure this out on her own!”
Korra glared at Jinora but then suddenly stopped with a surprised look on her face. “You’re right.” she said addressing the spirit “I am thick!”
Jinora raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“I have Raava!” exclaimed Korra standing “I can ask her!”
“Well maybe not so thick after all.” said the turtleduck spirit diving into a nearby pool.
Grinning from ear to ear Jinora got up from the ground and hugged Korra tightly.
“Tell Pema that I’m going to be late for mealtime today.” said Korra as she headed back to her outcropping of rock.
Hearing a rustling behind her Jinora said “Hello father.” without looking behind her. “The spirits told me your were there but they didn’t tell me how long.”
“Long enough.” said Tenzin stepping from his hiding place behind a nearby bush. “It seems that while I may have nothing more to teach her other still may.”
“She still needs more confidence.” said Jinora turning and smiling at her father “But I think talking with Raava will help with that. Or so a spirit told me.”
Smiling Tenzin put his hand on Jinora’s head “You do know how proud of you I am right?”
“I know.” replied Jinora still smiling “Are you hungry? I haven’t eaten yet and the spirits and I don’t eat the same food.”
“I think I could stand to eat something.” Tenzin said taking his daughter’s hand and walking with her in the direction of the compound.
Down the other end of the path a young girl sat in meditation her body glowing slightly with a soft white light.
Cross-posted from Dreamwidth ( http://nimitzbrood.dreamwidth.org/274911.html ) but feel free to comment here as well.