1st Element: Written

[raavashing]

[Wan decided to test the book with something written. It was better than looking like a fool and talking aloud to himself in a place full of cold-shouldered strangers who were obviously looking for more of a reason to fight him. He didn't know what he'd done to upset the town he woke up in, but it was clearly enough for them to be threatening to his person. And he really didn't want to get into a fight with anyone and risking harming bystanders.

Raava's silence was also a concern, but she had grown less talkative the longer they were joined. They didn't need to talk that often anymore. So he didn't put much thought behind that. Not yet, anyway.]


To the book that speaks back: Hello.

I have recently woken up in this place and I don't know or recognize anything about it. I've traveled all over my world and nothing like this village exists. I would like to learn more about it, but the people aren't very friendly and most refuse to speak to me.

So I ask you, hopefully helpful book, for your aid.

I'm not really concerned about my safety, I can handle myself. But I have a friend... an animal friend. She's a catdeer and she answers to the name 'Mula'. If there are a lot of catdeer in this place, she'll be the one with a bedroll and small travel pack tied over her back. Please don't hurt her, she'll do you no harm. If she runs, that's okay. Just tell me where you saw her and I'll get her.

Thank you.

Comments

Voice

[raavashing]

AAAHH!

[Pain wracked his body, like he was being torn apart from the inside. He had barely the strength to pull himself out of the joined state. Collapsing on the ground, his body spasmed for a moment more as he caught his breath and fought to keep awake.]

Raava... how? It was supposed to be forever...

Voice

[rebonding]

[It's silent, on Korra's end of things, as Wan tries to connect. She almost can't take it.]

Wan, I'm serious. At Harmonic Convergence, Raava was torn out of me and... destroyed completely. The line of the Avatar was broken. I was able to pull her from Vaatu and merge with her again, but I still have no connection to you. Or to any of the past Avatars. I think... I think that did something. To her. To us.

[Korra's next words are a choked sob. She's hardly even taking into account that this is public.]

I'm so sorry.

[Even in victory, she's failed.]

Voice

[raavashing]

[Wan's breathing took some time to even out. He remained where he was, curled up next to the book as he listened to her words.

There had been a whole line of Avatars. Not just him. Not just her. But so many in between. All of them bonded to Raava. All of them... him? His soul bound to hers. Forever.

And ripped away by Vaatu.]

Vaatu.

[He murmured the word with such disgust it would be hard to believe he didn't actually hate the creature. Hating him would be justified, but it would only give him power. Add more darkness to the thick cloud that already surrounded humanity.]

Did you stop him?

Voice

[rebonding]

[Once again, Korra's voice sounds a few seconds later.]

Yes.

[raavashing]

Then it doesn't matter what else happened.

[He breathed the words out, laden with heartache. But they were true. It didn't matter that his connection to Raava was... disrupted if it meant that Vaatu had been stopped.]

So long as the world is safe from him for another ten thousand years, Raava will have time to bring peace and balance to humanity.

[That knowledge did little to help relieve his sense of loss. She was still with him. He couldn't touch her without pain, and he couldn't speak to her, but she was still with him.]

Raava... Raava would understand. The price was worth it.

[rebonding]

[Korra has trouble believing him. Doesn't matter? It all matters. The past year has been riddled with this struggle, with trying to find the true importance of the Avatar, of herself.

Harmonic Convergence had strengthened her resolve in her self only as much as it had fed her insecurities.]

It's safe. Everyone's safe. I... I left open the portals open, in the end. So that the humans and the spirits can form a bond once more.

[raavashing]

[Wan had always understated his own importance. He didn't care what happened to him anymore, not in the face of his duty to Raava and the world. It had been his mistake that set all of it motion. It was only right he do everything to fix it. His life, his happiness, unimportant to that goal in the grand scheme of things.]

What about Vaatu? I closed the portals so no human could enter the spirit world and free him. If he's not there, where did you imprison him?

[rebonding]

He's just... gone. For now.

[It's exactly what Unalaq did to Raava, only in reverse.]

Light prevailed over dark, and Vaatu will grow back throughout the next ten thousand years for when they fight again, I... guess.

[To be honest, Korra doesn't really have any idea.]

[raavashing]

[Wan took a deep breath, completely understanding what it meant. Raava had told him. And if their souls were bonded... or rebonded as Korra had said, then Vaatu would grow within their bound soul as it was reborn over and over until it was time for the next Harmonic Convergence.]

Then it's safe to leave them open. It's... okay.

[The concern washed out of his voice and he was just tired. Exhausted physically. He tried to push himself up and it was too much effort.]

I can't move.

[rebonding]

Can't... What do you mean?

[Korra only has a general idea of what Wan was trying to do over there. Trying to connect with the Avatar State? She remembers what that had been like, before Wan had fused with Raava completely at Convergence. Is that what's going on now?]

[raavashing]

I can't move. I feel completely drained. It's hard to keep my eyes open. Connecting to Raava has never been that hard.

[rebonding]

Yeah, I... I know...

I can't even feel her, anymore. Or, I don't think I ever felt her the way you did, but... I can't go into the Avatar State.

[raavashing]

What's the Avatar State?

[Context was hard when he was struggling to stay awake. But talking, focusing on keeping the conversation going, that was helping keep him awake.]

[rebonding]

[Sigh. Of course.]

It's that rush of power when you connect with Raava. Your eyes glow, and you can do amazing things you normally can't.

[It also used to Korra with her past lives. Used to.]

[raavashing]

That's a good name for it. Someone else probably came up with it. I'm not that good at naming things.

[There was just a bit of humor in his voice. ]

It was the spirits that first called me Avatar. I called myself the bridge.

[rebonding]

They called the Avatar the bridge between humans and spirits for thousands of years. Having the portals open... changed that.

[One Failatar, right here. Korra sighs. She's still certain of her decision to keep the portals open, but... What of everything else?]

[raavashing]

Yeah. I guess it would. Calling myself the bridge after that wouldn't really fit. Avatar is better.

[He attempted to move again. Really slow, something that wouldn't take a lot of effort.]

Can move my hand now. Still hurts and it's hard, but I think I'm getting my energy back. Too bad there aren't any spirit oasises around.

[rebonding]

This world doesn't share any connection with the Spirits. At least not that we've discovered.

[She still sounds uneasy.]

The water works for healing, though.

[raavashing]

Which water has healing properties? The ocean?

[If it did... We'll, it would be a struggle, but he might be able to get some of it to him to help with the fatigue he was straining to fight.]

[rebonding]

I have an easier time healing with fresh water. I think the salt in ocean water makes it more difficult for me to pass my chi through it.

[raavashing]

I don't understand. Does all the water here have healing properties?

[Healing with water was not something he ever learned of or about. Wan is so confused right now.]

[rebonding]

...Wait. I guess that means you guys haven't invented healing yet, have you...? It's not just regular stagnant water I'm talking about. Waterbenders can use bending to heal people. Not just to fight.

[raavashing]

Healing with water... You know, I don't know if the people of the Water Lion Turtle could do that or not. I didn't learn to control water from them. I just got the power of water from the Lion Turtle and moved on. I didn't meet with them. I didn't want Vaatu to hurt them because I was there. Every time I got involved with anyone for long, he would show up and things would go bad and then he would gloat.

[rebonding]

Yeah, I... understand that.

[At least Wan's screwed up just as badly as she has, in the past. It's... comforting, in some way.]

But it's pretty easy. Most waterbenders discover the ability by accident, if someone has never told them about it.

[raavashing]

You think I could learn?

[There was definitely a cheerful tone to that question.]