Empress Of The Old World {Legend Of Korra}

A Second Avatar

The trap door closed behind Sukara after Asami helped her up into the air ship.

"You did good out there," she said to Asami, "you really are a talented fighter."

"A big compliment from a strong bender like yourself," Asami joked, pushing her shoulder.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know," Asami smiled, "and speak for yourself, you really held your own. I could've sworn I saw you air bend for a moment there, must have been one of the others."

"Yeah must've been."

"Don't lie to her," Chief Beifong said sternly, "she can't tell, but I can. You did air bend, how? And you can't lie to me so don't try."

"Stop pressing her," Kai piped up, trying to defend his new friend, "she was just protecting me."

"It's not just that, I saw you earth bend," Bolin said, the disappointment all over his face, "why did you lie to us?"

"You wouldn't understand," Sukara told him as she tried to avoid eye contact with everyone.

"Try us," Korra said, compassionately but you could hear the anger underneath her voice.

"Really?" Sukara snapped, looking up from the floor, "you would've understood, when I would've had to tell you that I used to be a vicious dictator that oppressed my people 20,000 years ago? You would've understood, when I had to tell you that I went so far that my own family had to stop me by ripping my purified spirit from my body but, to balance the spirit energy they had to take my brothers too? You wouldn't have. Because the second I told you those spirits were Raava and Vaatu you would have attacked me."

"What?" Korra said, dumbfounded by the information she had just received, "What are you talking about?"

"She's not lying," Lin confirmed, crossing her arms and glaring at Sukara.

"Maybe I was wrong, maybe you will give me the time of day," Sukara said, looking down at the floor again.

"Just try and explain," Asami said, stepping back from her, "I thought Korra killed Vaatu."

"You can't kill a spirit," Sukara told them, "you can reduce them or send them elsewhere but you can't kill them. Now, do you want me to start from the beginning or do you want me to work back?"

"I don't need your story," Korra told her sternly, "just tell me how you're here."

"I don't know exactly but," Sukara said, looking directly at Korra, "from what I can gather when you attacked Vaatu, when they were with Unalaq, you put them elsewhere. Vaatu and Raava are human spirits, they shouldn't have been put into the world so they gravitate towards people. Vaatu was my spirit, and with my loyalists keeping my body safe throughout the centuries, when you banished them, they came home."

She could see Korra thinking, a frown growing on her brow.

"Korra," Sukara pleaded, "I've been a bad person, yes, I know that but, what Unalaq did with Vaatu was not me. Just like what your past lives did with Raava was not you."

"Stop it!" Kai shouted, "this is why she didn't want to tell you! You're all treating her like a criminal, she's not!"

"Kai! Did you know about this?" Tenzin asked, shocked.

"Not all of it," he confessed, "I knew she could air bend, that's it. She didn't tell me anything else. But all she's done is protect me, and all of you. She's been nothing but kind. I don't care if she has an evil spirit inside of her! It's not her fault!"

"Kai, that doesn't matter," Sukara told him, kneeling down so she could be at his height.

"It should."

"But it doesn't," she told him more firmly, "Korra is your Avatar, though I'll admit I don't really know what that means here, I know it's important. She needs to trust the people around her, and if that's not me, I need to go."

"No, you can't go," Kai begged.

"He's right," Lin said, "we can't just let her go to plot revenge on the Avatar."

"I didn't ask to be alive," Sukara snapped back, standing up again, "I shouldn't be. And I don't want to fight you, but I won't be your prisoner. So if you want to fight on two fronts fine but, I'm giving you the option not to."

"I'm coming with you then," Kai said, his voice breaking.

"No, I'm not letting you waste your future and the future of the air nomads on me, alright. " She told him, turning back to face Kai.

"You could teach me."

"You have a good shot here kid," Sukara said, placing a hand gently on his shoulder, "you should stay, and to be honest, I'm not that good at air bending. But, I'll do you a deal, okay? You stay here, do your training with Tenzin. I'll give you a call when you hit eighteen and we can talk about what you wanna do then. Sound good?"

"You better call," Kai said, tears starting to pool in his eyes, "I'll be waiting. Promise me."

Kai stuck out his pinky for her. It broke her heart a little but she took it.

"I promise," she smiled at him before turning to Korra, "what about you?"

"Okay, but if you do anything," Korra warned, "if you try anything, I'll come for you."

"I'd expect no less."

End of part one.