Winding Legacies: A 'The Legend of Korra' Rewrite

Episode 3: Civil Wars: Part 1 Part 2

Korra quietly stepped into the Southern Water Tribe palace, looking around for Unalaq. As she rung her coat sleeve, she spotted him up on the throne perched in the center of the room and made her way over to him. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's about our conversation this morning." Unalaq peered down at her, not moving an inch as Korra wavered in her spot.

"Yes?"

She cleared her throat. "I understand why you brought your troops here, but I'm afraid it's sending the wrong message to the citizens of the South." Unalaq stayed silent and tapped his fingers menacingly on the arms of the throne. Korra tried to make out his face in the shadows that shrouded it from his high place on the throne, but she failed to do so, and she hoped that her efforts with him would work out as badly.

"I see your father has been talking to you."

"Not just him, Varrick too." Korra tried to take a little of the heat off of her father, telling herself that it was to make it easier for Unalaq to agree with her when in reality she still wanted to protect her father after everything. "There was a meeting at my parents' house. A lot of Southerners feel like their tribe is being invaded."

"I am their chief. I'm uniting, not invading." Unalaq raised his voice, yet kept it steady as he continued to talk down to Korra's stance below him.

"I know, but I'm just afraid that if something doesn't change, there could be a civil war," Korra reasoned. Unalaq hummed, thinking over what she said.

He clicked his tongue and leaned forward, letting the few lights in the throne room bask over half of his face. "If the Water Tribes were at war, the other nations would take sides. The dark spirits would thrive off this negative energy and the world would be thrown into a battle between spirits and man. That would be catastrophic."

"Well, how do we stop it?" Korra asked.

"We? No, Korra." Unalaq raised himself from his throne, stepping completely into the dim light as he began to make his way down the icy steps to where Korra stood. "This is a war only the Avatar can prevent."

Korra winced and took a few steps back as Unalaq reached the floor beneath the throne's steps. "I'm usually the one starting fights. I don't know how to stop them from happening," Korra confessed. She rang her sleeves even more now, especially as Unalaq began guiding her out of the room.

"As the Avatar, you must remain neutral in this conflict. You will naturally want to help people, but showing favoritism will not help our tribes find unity."

Thinking of all the nuanced tasks that lay before her, Korra began to worry. A lot. "I see what you mean, but maybe Tenzin was right. Maybe I'm not ready to be the Avatar."

"Tenzin lacked faith in you," Unalaq said, pushing Korra outside of the throne room before placing a light hand on her shoulder, "but I have no doubt that you will become the most admired Avatar the world has ever known."

"Thank you, Uncle," Korra smiled. Then, Unalaq promptly shut the door in her face and left Korra to stare blankly at the icy block. As she walked away from the palace, she blew a few loose strands of hair out of her face. Korra threw her head back as she walked aimlessly around, and she was hoping to end up back at home to sleep for the rest of the night, but she didn't. Instead, she ended up on a familiar doorstep, and maybe it was because she was moping about her earlier, but Korra honestly didn't mind.

After knocking softly on the door, it cracked open and a head poked out of the brightly lit space. "Uh, hello-oh, Korra. What are you doing here?" The door opened wider to let Korra step inside, and Korra followed the invitation instantly.

She set herself down on a cushion nearby and took a few glances around the room before turning back to the girl who opened the door for her. "Lemaya, where's your Mom?"