Avatar: The New World

Chapter 6: The Last Avatar

Rorrick

They pulled up to a house and Lotus parked her bike in the tight space between the building and a thicket of dense bushes. "This is it?" Rorrick asked, "I thought you said we were going to a colony."

"This is just a safe house. We'll keep moving in the morning, on foot."

"What? We've been driving for days and now we need to walk? How much further are we going? I'm already officially farther from home than I've ever been. Farther than I ever wanted to be, honestly."

"Trust me, it's better than being taken by Security."

"I'm starting to wonder about that, actually."

"Don't joke." Lotus pointed at Rorrick with a stern look plastered over her face. "I don't know what ToCo are doing with benders but it's not good."

"I know, I know, I'm happy you saved my life or whatever."

"I'll check to see if there's any food left. We can rest here but we gotta move out quick."

"Sure thing, boss." Rorrick saluted Lotus as he followed her into the house. He jumped up onto the counter while Lotus checked the grimey kitchen. "So why do you think people are suddenly able to bend again? I mean, you said there weren't any benders for ten thousand years."

Lotus tossed a food portion to Rorrick and he tore open its vacuum seal. It smelled old but he didn't care. They ate together for a moment before she said, "It used to be that the Avatar was the bridge between the spiritual and the material worlds. Then, ten thousand years ago Avatar Korra opened the portals to the spirit world, forcing humans and spirits to live together. The records that I have aren't extensive but they suggest that the merger wasn't very amicable."

"How so?"

"I don't know, it could have been so many things. What I do know is that there was a weapon, a powerful one, that ripped the spiritual and material realms apart. The world was nearly destroyed, humans were nearly wiped out and the benders all lost their abilities."

"So what happened? Why are people bending again?"

"Harmonic Convergence."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Harmonic Convergence," Lotus said it again but more slowly, as if that would make it more easily understood. "It happens once every ten thousand years when the planets align, strengthening the connection between worlds. Avatar Korra used the last Harmonic Convergence to merge our two worlds and now that it's approaching again the spirit world's influence is returning."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means people will start bending, animals will merge with spirits, and the weapon will undoubtedly be used again."

"The weapon? You mean the giant apocalyptic weapon that nearly destroyed the world?"

Lotus looked at Rorrick and he didn't need her to answer.

"How do we stop it?"

"With you."

"How? How am I supposed to stop this crazy spirit weapon from returning and killing us all?"

"The Avatar has faced bigger threats, and with training you'll hopefully regain contact with your previous lives--"

"Wait, Korra? You said Korra! That's the woman, the woman in the blue coat that I saw."

"You've already seen her?" Lotus looked elated. She moved towards the safe house, nearly skipping. "This is good news!"

"Is it? She kinda got me fired."