InsaneJournal

Who: Korra and Azula
When: Right after this.
Where: Azula’s place.
What: Firebending and Waterbending.
Rating: No Warnings!
Status: Complete



Korra still didn’t know what to think about her dreams, let alone her new abilities. She didn’t have many friends around that were experiencing the same things as her, and was starting to feel a bit weird about it all. Without people to talk to, it was just getting weird.

Sure, Toph was supportive of her. But Toph hadn’t been dreaming. And neither of them knew just how similar their stories were. So she was left without anyone to talk to about it.

When Azula had responded to Korra’s network post on her newfound ability to waterbend, she didn’t know what to think. The firebender seemed nice enough so far. And she was probably going through the same thing as Korra. How could she just turn down meeting the girl? Especially if she could learn more about the dreams.

So, the brunette hopped on a bus and crossed town to arrive at Azula’s soon after their online conversation. Coming up to the place, she buzzed and then stepped back, waiting for Azula to answer. Taking in the very posh lobby, Korra raised her brows and let out a breath. Nice place.

Azula had sent Ty Lee away on an errand. She decided that for this, she wanted to meet this so-called Avatar alone. It was bad enough Aang was around, but another?

Maybe if she tried to make friends with them, things could be different. She just needed to survive these dreams of the mental institution. The jury was still out on if she'd come out of them intact. Whoever Azula was going to be, she knew who she didn't want to be.

Hobbling to the buzzer, Azula looked out it, then pressed a button to allow her up. She was still weak from her father shooting her, but she wasn't going to show it if she could help it.

When the door buzzed open, Korra took another breath and entered. She was upstairs within a few minutes, knocking on the door. She rolled back on her heels and held her hands behind her back, looking down the hallway while she waited. Usually so confident, the so-called Avatar felt the butterflies come into full force. She wondered idly why she felt that way.

The door opened, and the Japanese girl looked Korra up and down. She had an expression on her face that made her seem like she belonged in a palace instead of a place like this. Azula gestured. "Come in."

Korra smiled a little as the door opened, trying to ignore the nerves. She blamed them on coming into this new situation combined with trying to figure out what the dreams meant, and who she really was.

“Thanks,” she said, pausing before entering Azula’s place. It was incredibly posh, she noted. Azula must have come from a rich family. “We’ve, uh, never really been formally introduced. I’m Korra.”

"Azula." The firebender was favoring her right side as she held out her hand. In other circumstances, in another world, she might have been disgusted by the idea of physical contact. Not all that long ago in this world, too. It was a process. Slow, but a process.

Korra grasped Azula’s hand with a smile, though it looked a bit uncertain. She gave it a shake and nodded. “You said that you could control fire?” she asked, letting her hand fall back to her side. She placed both hands on her hips, a comfortable position for her.

Holding her hand out, palm up, Azula summoned fire. It burned the cold blue fire she was so well known for. The hottest that fire could burn. “Control it? I am fire, and everything that comes with it. I can summon lightning, too.”

Korra just watched the fire. It was so similar to her dreams -- she had been able to control fire from a very young age, though she hadn’t been able to do anything with it in this world. She watched it for a long moment, vaguely listening to Azula as she explained her abilities.

“Lightning?” she perked up, tearing her eyes away from the dancing flames in Azula’s palm. “I dreamed that I could control fire. But... Well, I haven’t been able to here. Water, earth and fire. Air was harder,” she admitted, crossing her arms over her middle self-consciously. “I can only bend water here.”

"You really are an Avatar." Azula waved the fire away and folded her arms. "Not the one I knew. His natural element was Air." He was an annoying little prick too, but that was neither here nor there. Azula exhaled hot air and forced herself to remain calm and collected.

"So I don't know you from my dreams, but..I don't really think that matters. That's probably a good thing. I'm not a good person in them."

“Oh,” Korra said, frowning slightly. Azula didn’t seem like a bad person. She’d offered help on multiple occasions, now. Especially with this whole bending thing. To be honest, she didn’t know what to say to that -- so she just continued on with her questions.

Walking further into the apartment, Korra stopped in the living room area, arms still crossed over her stomach as she turned back to the (admittedly quite gorgeous) girl in front of her. She had so many questions about this dream world, about the Avatar, and about herself. Maybe Azula could help.

“Was his name Aang?” she asked suddenly. That name had seemed important in her dreams. He was something of a legend, a name to live up to. Especially as the Avatar.

The firebender made a face, her mask cracking for a moment. "Yes. Aang. We weren't on the same side. He had ways of getting in the way that grew really, really annoying over time. But...that is there. This is here."

Her expression softened, before the calm mask slipped into place again. "I faced a choice between becoming the monster I dream about and becoming something better. I'm not a monster, but I'm still working on being better."

“I think I know what you mean,” she admitted with a half-smirk. Korra had been aggressive in her dreams, much like here. She wouldn’t have called herself a monster, but constantly being compared to this Aang was.... difficult. Especially early life, as far as she could tell, she was not looked up to nearly as much.

But every Avatar must carve out their own path.

Sensing that Azula’s past life was a touchy subject, Korra continued on with the reason she’d come over. “I guess, uhm,” she began, fidgeting a bit. “Can I grab a cup of water?”

“Sure.” Azula led Korra into the kitchen. She got down a glass and filled it with water. The glass probably cost more than Korra’s entire outfit. She held it out. “Show me.”

It probably was. Korra’s family was not rich by any means. She had probably never even held something so expensive before. Growing up in a small town in the mountains, there was no need for shiny, expensive things. You had what you needed, and not much else.

Taking the glass, the dreamed Avatar let out a steadying breath. She set her feet apart in the stance that she remembered, and placed a hand over the water. As she raised her hand, the water followed it, swirling and controlled under her fingers.

Hesitantly, the waterbender raised her eyes to meet Azula’s.

It was a beginner thing. But Azula had been a beginner once, too. Her fire had been weak. She thinned her lips out - she and water benders hadn’t gotten along very well.

Korra watched Azula’s expression change, and half-smiled as she let the water drop back into the cup. “That’s, uh, all I’ve really been able to do,” she admitted, still holding the glass. She’d only just discovered her abilities, so hadn’t experimented much. She’d start playing around more with her bending when she had more time. And had let everything set in.

“More will come in time. And the other elements, too.” Azula took the glass, and blew into it, before handing the now warm water back. It was a subtle demonstration that bending was more than just displays of power. A lesson Azula had learned the hard way. “Control, and power, and finesse.”

Korra took the glass and her eyes widened. She’d seen firebending, sure, just five minutes ago Azula had summoned fire in her palm. But even more extensions of it? Those only existed in her dreams.

It made a little spark of excitement emerge in her stomach. “Can anyone else control more than one?” she asked, looking up from the glass finally. “In my dreams, only the Avatar can. And there can only be one.” She wondered if it would extend to this world.

“Only the Avatar can. I’ve only done fire. And there’s only ever one. Fire, air, water, earth, they’re chosen in that order. If you know Aang’s name, then you must have come after him.” It made sense, but what did that mean for the world, here? “I don’t understand how it all works. Reincarnation?”

“Maybe,” she agreed to all of Azula’s musings in a quiet voice. Korra looked back at the glass in her hands, pondering over it for a moment. She was considering what it all meant in this world. Perhaps she would dream more, but the brunette was impatient; she wanted to know everything. What was the Avatar’s significance? Why was there only one? What role would she play here and in her dream world? What did it mean to her life?

Setting the cup down on the counter, Korra looked up and half-smiled again. “Do you know of any other benders here? Earth or air?” she wanted to learn more. Fire would be an interesting element to learn -- Korra supposed it would be one of her favourites.

Most of those questions Azula couldn’t answer, even if asked. They hadn’t been things she’d focused on in the dreams. Her Uncle could answer them better, or Zuko, but neither had dreamed anywhere near as much as she had. "Yes. My brother and my Uncle. My father. All fire-benders. The latter two haven’t dreamed yet. It would be a bad thing if my father dreamed. Toph is an Earth-bender. Aang was the last Air-bender. Those are the only ones I know of for sure, though you could consider my..girlfriend a chi-bender.”

Wait, wait wait. Toph was an Earthbender? Korra supposed that’s why they’d become such fast friends. She’d have to bug the girl about it sometime. “Chi-bender,” she said after a pause, taking that all in. “I haven’t heard that one before.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. “I’ll have to ask Toph. We’re friends here. Maybe she’s dreamed, too.”

“She can block the flow of chi to your limbs. Prevent you from bending, and making your limbs useless. It wears off eventually.” She poked a place on Korra’s arm. “Pressure points. I’ve talk to Toph a little bit. I’d like to be her friend too. Before she dreams.” Azula found it hard to admit that, but she felt like she had to. “Because that will color how she reacts to me.”

Korra nodded, still standing with her arms crossed. She took the poke with a bit of a grin. Azula was growing on her. “Toph is... Very unique. But she’s a good friend. I’m sure she understands the difference between the dreams and reality,” she assured her. Toph hadn’t started dreaming, true, so she couldn’t gauge the girl’s reaction. But she had a good head on her shoulders. “Do you remember Toph from your dreams?”

Really, she wanted to ask if Azula dreamed about her. But that was another question for another time.

"Yes. We're all younger in them." And Toph was an arrogant annoying prat but Azula couldn't really talk. "She's a skilled bender. Especially for being so young." Azula snorted. "The fate of the world rested on the power struggles of teenagers."

Korra smirked at that. It sounded similar to her experience. “That sounds very familiar, from what I’ve seen of my dreams,” she said, letting out a small laugh. “I think there’s a theme.”

“That adults don’t know what they’re doing?” Azula suggested, grinning.

“Pretty much,” Korra agreed, letting herself laugh wholeheartedly at that. “Why would anyone ever want to grow up is beyond me. According to our dreams, teenagers rule the world.”