Past, Present, and Future

Chapter 8

Chia-jung's POV

We were in a big building I was told was the pro-bending arena.

I was watching Korra and her new friends practice bending. She hadn't told them she was the avatar yet, so she was only using water bending. She accepted to be their teams water bender.

I was bored just sitting around here, so I got up and started to walk around the building.

Somehow I ended up outside. And there was a rally going on.

I was curious so I walked closer to the crowd.

"We aren't second class citizens. We should be treated just like those benders who hold themselves up on their pedestals. They have benders ruling our nations, benders being given the glory to fight each other, and benders pushing us around because they have powers we don't. Well we have the power to change that and make ourselves free of their tyranny," a man yelled from on the stage.

There was a lot of yelling from the crowd but they all seemed to be agreeing.

"Girl!" the guy on stage yelled and pointed to me. "Are you tired of the benders holding you back for your true potential?"

Everyone in the crowd turned to face me and I knew that if said anything wrong there would be a riot or I would be attacked.

"I want to show them what I can really do!" I yell which made the crowd yell in agreement.

"What is your name child?"

Crap, I can't give them my real name. What do I say?

"Mara. My name is Mara."

Do I even know anyone named Mara?

"See Mara here can see the pain cause by them. Do we want our children to continue to feel the pain we feel?"

"NO!" the crowd yelled in unison.

"Then join Amon in his fight to truly bring peace to our world. By getting rid of all these tyrants."

While the guy was rallying up the crowd even more I snuck back into the arena.

"Hey Chia I've been looking for you are you ready to head back home?" Korra said as she ran over to me.

"Yea the sooner the better." I started to follow her out of the building.

"Are you ok?" She stopped and looked at me.

"Yea. I'm just really tired now. Its been a long day. Talking to new people running around the city and searching through thousands of files to try and find any clue to who I am." I let out a fake yawn.

"Ok well, we'll be home soon." She hopped onto Naga and she pulled me up again.

After a few minutes we arrived back at the air temple island. When we got off Naga she started to bend the water from our clothes.

"Thank you." I said before we went to our room.

I was relieved once I took the sandals off. While it was true they were more comfortable than those boots I still didn't like wearing them. I guess that is something I'm going to have to get use to since I have seen a lot of broken glass and sharp rocks lying around in the streets.

I laid down in my bed and immediately I had fallen asleep.

Suddenly I was shaken awake, but when I sat up there was no one except Korra and Naga in the room and they were both sleeping.

"Jung. Why did you leave us?" I got out of bed and began to follow the voice that spoke to me. "Come back to us. We are the only ones you know." The halls seemed even more empty than when we snuck back in. There wasn't a single White Lotus walking about. "They act like they care but they just want whats mine."

I eventually found myself at the edge of island. Earlier the moon reflected perfectly against it but now the water was just dark and the moon couldn't be seen against it.

I looked to the sky, the moon was full and there wasn't a single cloud insight.

The water was still calm but I couldn't figure out why the reflection was gone.

"Join me and we can be unstoppable. You can have anything you could ever want." I slowly stepped into the water.

At first it was cold against my skin but quickly warmed up as if to make me feel welcome.

"Jung. Don't give in to him." I turned around to see a glowing bald man standing behind me. He had arrows that decorated his head and body, he must also be an air bending master. He also had a beard like Tenzin except it was shorter. "Jung. Trust me. I have never lied to you." The man seemed a bit familiar, but the only air benders I knew were Tenzin and his family.

"Don't listen to him. I'm the reason you were able to come back. Not him." The voice in the water sounded a bit persistent and worried, while the man was calm and collected.

"The life he is offering you is not the one you want Jung." The man held his hand out to me. "All you have to do is stay and you can make that life for yourself."

I walked out of the water and went to reach for his hand when I felt myself being engulfed by the water and I watched as the man vanished as the darkness surrounded me.

I tried to scream for help but as soon as my mouth opened water rushed into my lungs. I began to thrash my arms and legs around as I tried to break free but it was no use.

I had given up hope and soon everything began to become even darker, I didn't know that was even possible. I began to feel what I assumed was someone or something fighting against the water, it felt like it was going on for until my body slammed against the ground and I managed to obtain a few gulps of air.

"Jung are you alright?" I looked up to see Katara kneeling before me.

"Yea. I guess." I gasped out as she helped me to my feet.

"Good we need to talk."