Chapter 1

Fire, Air, Water, Earth, the Avatar had existed to bring balance and maintain order, from the very first Avatar Wan, to the most recent one, Korra. Each Avatar had faced trials and tribulations all in the name of maintaining the balance of the world.

Korra had done wonders for the world, bringing spirits and humans together by refusing to close the portals, bringing the Airbenders back to the world, stopping the emergence of the Red Lotus, creating democracy within the Earth Kingdom, and many more. She had brought peace and balance in her time.

But she also has some regrets, and that is cutting the connection of the Avatar to their past life. She had become the last and first Avatar.

Now her time is over, a new Avatar will emerge, the journey of Kai will begin.

In a small village in the Earth Kingdom, a young man can be seen cutting firewood for their home. Along with him is his twin brother who is staring intently into a rock, veins popping out of his neck as he tries to move it with his mind.

"Ryu, would you stop that nonsense and help me out!" The young man screamed in annoyance at his twin. "This wood would not be cutting itself!"

"I would, but I'm busy practicing my Earthbending," Ryu replied with a teasing chuckle. "Besides, you are almost done with the lot, and I promise I'll carry them all back home."

The young man sighed as he stomped his foot on the ground, making a small stone jump in the air. He then flicked the stone straight towards the back of his twin's head.

"Ouch!" Ryu grabbed his nape as he turned around to see his twin smirking at him. "What the hell, Kai? That hurt!"

"Oh did it? Guess you didn't concentrate hard enough. Now help me with this." He turned back to the firewood and raised his axe up in the air. "It's getting late already, and we don't want to ge-" his words were cut off as a small pebble smacked him on the side of the head.

Kai's brows twitched as he slowly turned towards Ryu. Ryu, meanwhile, was looking in the air all aloof, whistling while his hand was in his pocket.

"So that's how you wanna play it, huh?" Kai had a smile on his face, but his eyes weren't looking all too happy at his brother.

"I don't know what you're talking about... Hey, is that a bird?" Ryu, meanwhile, pointed towards a bird nesting in the tree.

As Ryu intentionally avoided eye contact with Kai, the ground beneath his feet shifted, breaking his balance and making him plant headfirst into the ground.

Ryu grunted as he angrily glared towards Kai, then stood quickly as he bent the earth, lifting two large stones in the air and throwing them straight towards his twin.

But Ryu still wasn't that adept at bending, the stones fell before reaching Kai, on which the latter smirked at him mockingly. "You still need a long way to go before you can- arghhh!" Before Kai could finish, Ryu rushed towards him and punched him in the face.

"Why, you little!" Kai rushed forward and retaliated with a punch of his own.

The two siblings began brawling as the sun slowly set on the horizon, the birds returning to their nests, watching as the two brothers beat each other up.

In a cozy home in the village, a middle-aged woman was busy preparing dinner for her family. She set the table while looking at the door. "Those two should be home by now," she muttered to herself as she waited for her two children. She was ready to cook up the meal, only waiting for the firewood to arrive.

Suddenly a knock made her jump in surprise. She wondered who that may be; her husband, much less her two boys, didn't usually knock and would just barge in.

The knock came again; she hurriedly walked to the door while taking the apron off. "Coming!" She opened the door slowly, wanting to get a glimpse of who it is first.

"Good evening." An old man smiled politely towards her, he was dressed in a blue cloak with white details. At the center of the cloak, there was a symbol of the White Lotus. Behind the old man were a group of people with similar garments. The only difference was that the old man was wearing a matching hat with his outfit. "Is this the home of Master Peng?"

"Who's asking?" The woman recognized the garments of the group; her husband had told her about them. The Order of the White Lotus. Not only that, she also recognized who the old man is. But she chose to feign ignorance.

"My name is Mako." He bowed respectfully, the others following after him. He then gestured his hands behind him. "We are here to talk to Master Peng about some... Stuff..."

"Good evening, Master Mako. I'm afraid you're in the wrong house. There's no Peng here." The woman spoke politely as she also bowed respectfully.

Mako nodded and smiled. He then looked at the woman seriously. "Is that so... Well then, I'm sorry to disturb you... Have a fine evening."

"And to you as well." The woman slowly closed the door, smiling towards Mako and the others. As soon as the door was closed, she rushed towards their bedroom and started to pack. "Shit, how did they find us?"

As she was busy packing, she heard the door in their house open. She quickly took a small piece of metal out of the drawer and hid it behind her back. The metal then started to morph, fitting at her lower back as she slowly moved towards the sound.

"Xinyi?" A voice entered her ear. She relaxed then. It was the voice of her husband, Peng. "Xinyi, where are you? Are the boys back? What's for dinner?"

"Peng!" Xinyi ran towards the living room, shocking Peng at her sudden scream. "They found us. We must leave now!"

"What? What are you talking about? Relax." Peng spoke calmly, trying to calm his wife down.

"The White Lotus, they found us!" Xinyi's voice made Peng turn serious; he rushed towards the window, peeking, trying to see if the White Lotus was in the area.

"Where are the boys?" Peng asked while not taking his eyes off the window.

"I sent them to gather up some firewood; they must be coming home by now." Xinyi answered, her voice still panicking. "We should leave; it is not safe here anymore."

"That I can agree with. Pack your bags, as well as the boys. I'll watch here to wait for them." Peng nodded in agreement.

Xinyi ran back towards their room, she stopped for a moment before bending the piece of metal she hid behind her back. "Peng!" She called her husband, she then pushed the metal towards him.

Peng caught the metal and bent it, forming a gauntlet into his right hand; he then nodded and turned back towards the window. After seeing that Peng was now occupied with keeping watch, Xinyi resumed her job at packing their things.

Peng closed his eyes, massaging the bridge of his nose. He knew this time would come, he knew that they would find them eventually. Peng was after all a former member of the White Lotus. And he knows what, or more specifically who they are after.

They are here for his son, Kai.

Avatar Korra had made some changes in her times; she ordered the White Lotus to allow the next Avatar to live a normal life before revealing his or her duty. 16 years, to be exact.

He was there when the Avatar made that order; his wife was pregnant at that time. And he was there when Avatar Korra's life ended. At the moment of her death, his wife Xinyi gave birth to his two sons, Kai and Ryu.

All was fine then. In the next three years, he had fulfilled his duty as a member of the White Lotus; he joined them in searching for the next Avatar.

But it all crashed down when they discovered who the Avatar is. It was his son, Kai.

Peng knew of the challenges, the burden, and the responsibility tied to becoming the Avatar, and at that moment, he decided he didn't want his son to experience all of that.

He wanted his son to have a normal life, but normalcy is something the Avatar does not have the privilege of having.

Peng talked to the elders of the White Lotus; he used the words of Korra, saying that he'll take care of his son. That he'll make him have a normal life until the time came where he must face his destiny. The elders agreed, after all. Peng is a loyal member of the order.

But Peng had other ideas. As soon as he and her wife got out of the order in order to live a normal life. He cut all connections with them, even going as far as faking his death along with his family. Going to the Mother of Faces, an ancient spirit, asking for a new face, paying a heavy price along the way.

And by all accounts, it would have worked. But the White Lotus isn't that stupid. They knew of Peng's plan. And although they understand his point as a father... The world needed its Avatar.

But a question still remains.

"How did they find us?" Peng asked no one in particular, unable to process how the White Lotus found them.

As he was deep in his thoughts, he saw his two boys out the window, coming home with frowns and bruises on their faces. No doubt the two of them had been fighting again, with themselves no less. It made him want to chuckle, seeing them like this, like two normal boys going on about their day made him want to keep the life they have more.

"Xinyi, they're here! Are you-"

"I'm good here," before Peng could finish his question, Xinyi had already arrived at the living quarters with two large bags. "Let's go!" She tossed the other bag towards Peng, who caught it and wore it on his back. The two of them then moved quickly towards the door.

As the two of them opened the door, the twins looked confused; they had never seen their parents this panicked. They are even carrying bags with them.

"What's happening?" Ryu asked. His eyes moved towards the faces of his parents and into the bags they have.

"I was with you the whole time. How the hell should I know?" Kai answered his brother while shrugging. "But by the looks of things, it isn't good." He muttered the last line to himself.

"KAI, RYU!!! WE'RE LEAVI-"

"I don't care what father said! Something is wrong, and we need to help them!" Ryu slapped Kai's hand off his collar and tried to run again. Only this time, Kai jumped up and landed in front of him.

"FOR ONCE WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME!!!" Kai screamed, his face was full of fear and worry, even his voice was shaking. "Father clearly wants us to hide; you and I both know how strong father is; this means he is doing this to protect us!"

"All the more reason for us to help them!" Ryu glared at Kai; his voice was now also filled with fear and worry. "Get out of the way, Kai!"

"...." Kai didn't answer, but the look on his face was all the thing Ryu needed to see to know what he's thinking.

"FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, KAI, MAKE A DECISION FOR YOURSELF!!!" Ryu screamed in anger. "You don't always have to follow them and be the perfect son! You either help me save them or get out of my wa-"

Before Ryu could finish his words, he fell to the ground; Kai had knocked him out by bending a stone to hit him at the back of his head. "Sorry, Ryu..." He whispered as he knelt down to carry his twin onto his shoulder.

Ryu tried to shake the dizziness off, but the hit had shaken his brain. He fell in and out of consciousness. He felt his body being carried, no doubt by his brother. And with all his strength, he turned his face into Kai's ear and whispered. "Coward." Before Morpheus took hold of him.

"I know..." Kai answered, a tear forming in his eyes. He looked back to where his parents are heading and did a silent prayer. "Mother, father... Be safe; we will be waiting for you."

Peng and Xinyi moved in the opposite direction of their boys. He just hoped that they aren't stupid enough to ignore his message.

"You reckon they'll listen?" Xinyi asked while walking slowly.

"Well, Kai will, but Ryu would probably try to convince him to follow us." Peng chuckled. "Ryu did get his bullheadedness from you."

Xinyi also chuckled as she nodded her head. "Hey, I'm not that stubborn, you know!"

"Remind me again, how many years was it before you said yes to me?" Peng glanced at his wife and raised his brow.

"That was different; I was making sure you were the one." Xinyi fumed as she stomped her feet in annoyance.

"And?" Peng had a Cheshire smile on his face as he teased his wife.

"Fine! You win. Yes, you were the one for me." Xinyi blushed as she shyly hid her face away from Peng. Peng then moved his hand to hold Xinyi's.

"I'm worried though. What if the order takes him away? What if they force him to become the Avatar?" Xinyi turned serious as she asked Peng the question that lay heavy in her heart.

"Who did you see when they arrived earlier?" Peng asked.

"Lord Mako.."

A small smile then rose on his lips. "Then I can probably talk to him; maybe he'll understand. He was with Avatar Korra when she was on her adventures; he knows just how hard being the Avatar is. He'll understand why I don't want that life for our son."

"I hope so." Xinyi answered. "I really do."

Peng's hold on her hand became stronger. He then turned to the front as his seismic sense picked up the White Lotus coming closer. "Let's get this over with," he sighed as the two of them came to a halt.

A few seconds later, multiple men arrived at their area, all wearing the garments of the White Lotus. They parted ways as Mako walked to the front, facing Peng and Xinyi. "Master Peng..." Mako bowed respectfully.

Peng sighed and clicked his tongue. He looked at Mako straight in the eyes and returned the bow. "Lord Mako."

Mako then turned towards Xinyi, smiling softly towards her and curtly nodding. "And I assume you must be Lady Xinyi... I must say, you really exceeded our expectations. Who would have thought that you would fake your own family's death, even going as far as searching and making a deal with the Mother of Faces." Mako chuckled, admiring the lengths Peng went through. "But I'm afraid that the time has come. The Avatar must fulfill his role now."

Peng took a quick glance at Xinyi; his wife also looked at him. The two of them nodded, a silent communication happening between them.

"Lord Mako, I'm afraid I cannot allow that. You were with Korra when she was the Avatar. You have seen the hardship that such a title did to her," Peng faced Mako again, shaking his head and closing his eyes. "The criticism, the pressure, the burden, the expectations, the hardships, the loneliness... I don't want my son to experience all of that. I just want him to live a normal life."

Mako stepped forward, his face pleading. "Please, Master Peng. The world needs the Avatar to bring balance. It is his destiny to do so." He then turned towards Xinyi. "Lady Xinyi, you know this to be true, please... He won't be complete if you force his destiny away from him."

"Lord Mako... Our decision is final," Xinya held Peng's hand. She looked at Mako with resolve. "Our Kai would have a normal life, away from the dangers and burdens the Avatar title brings."

"You're going to hide his true nature from him? The reason he was born?" Mako asked, shaking his head. "Please don't be hasty... Master Peng, the White Lotus is prepared to reinstate you as a member. We will even allow you to become his Earthbending teacher."

"I'm sorry, Lord Mako... But my decision on this is final," Peng shook his head and looked down. "And if ever Kai discovers his true calling, then it is up to him to decide what path he wishes to take. But as of now, he is not the Avatar. The world is at peace thanks to Avatar Korra's efforts; it doesn't need the Avatar as of yet. Let my boy live a normal life."

"See, I told you, Lord Mako," a voice came from the crowd of the White Lotus. "The son of the usurper would do this. He wants to keep the Avatar to himself and use him to take over the world."

Peng's eyes turned sharp as he followed the voice and saw Yong Bei Fong, a former colleague of his in the White Lotus. Also, someone he could never get along with.

Yong and Peng had known each other since they were children. The two of them both had the same master in Wing Bei Fong. Yong is also the son of Baatar Jr.

Yong is a proud man; being a Bei Fong, he always thinks of himself as superior, especially in Earthbending and Metalbending. After all, his family developed the skill. So when Peng was named master before him, at the young age of 17, he felt wronged.

Especially since Peng was the son of Kuvira, and for the Bei Fongs, especially for Yong's side of the family, Kuvira is a stain on their name.

"I guess it's true what they say. The apple doesn't fall far from the tre-"

"Enough!" Mako growled with displeasure as he glared at Yong. "Master Peng has proven his loyalty to the White Lotus. He has already paid for the sins of his mother, even though he doesn't need to. You would do well to keep your biases to yourself, Master Yong."

Yong clicked his tongue and glared at Mako. He then turned his attention back towards Peng, anger filling his eyes.

Not only was he compared to him by their master when they were younger, he had also earned the favor of multiple elders in the White Lotus. And to make things worse, his son was also discovered as the Avatar.

The happiest moment of Yong's life was the news of Peng and his family's death, finally, the bloodline of the wretched woman Kuvira had come to an end. But then the order discovered that he was alive, how they did he did not know, it filled him up with anger.

But it also gave him hope, that maybe the elders of the order would finally see Peng for who he truly is. But instead of being angry, the order celebrated. He wanted to scream, to say that Peng deserted their mission, that he faked his own death to hide the Avatar, but he couldn't.

And now the order is even giving him a chance to return back into their fold. For him, this is all... Unacceptable.

"I have heard enough, Lord Mako! The traitor wishes to hide the Avatar for his own personal goals, and yet you still want this to be civil?" Yong's anger had reached a boiling point, venom laced in his words. "Even with the evidence right in front of you, you still choose to engage with diplomacy against this traitor? Look, he even changed his and his wife's face to get away from us!" He growled as he pointed towards Peng.

"Master Yong, that is quite enough," Mako turned around towards Yong only to see a large boulder heading his way. His eyes widened as he hurriedly rolled to dodge out of the way.

"No, Lord Mako... What is enough is you and the other elders of the White Lotus. Your time has come to an end; you have gone soft," Yong stomped his feet on the ground as a large pillar of earth rose behind him. He then clenched his fist as the pillars turned to dust and the dust compressed together forming multiple large spikes, all aiming towards Mako. "As Avatar Korra's reign has come to an end, your leadership to the White Lotus will follow. It's time for us, the new generation, to take over. We will oversee the growth of the Avatar; we will make sure he will not succumb to your and the other elders' weakness and softness. We thank you for your services."

"Stop this at once!" Mako screamed as he ignited a large flame in his hands. He glared at Yong with anger. "You will be arrested for this!"

Yong chuckled. He then looked around with a mocking smile. "Arrested? By who? These men that you brought are loyal to the Bei Fongs, and like me, they want some changes as well."

"T-this is treason? The other elders-"

"Would be long gone after this is over. I believe like you, they will have a permanent, well-deserved retirement," Yong cut him off with a mocking tone, his expression one of amusement and resentment. He then turned serious as he spoke lowly. "This would all have been avoided if you had listened to me. Wanting to take the traitor into our folds again, what were you thinking, old man?"

"Yong, please don't do this," Mako pleaded, bowing his head low. "This path isn't the way; look into yourself, you know that this isn't right! If you do this, there will be no turning back."

"You didn't give me a choice. You did this to yourself... All of you elders did when you chose to forgive this traitor!" He shook his head as the spikes began to spin faster. "Don't worry, the White Lotus and the Avatar will be in good hands."

"And whose hands are those? Yours? Don't make me laugh, Yong!" Peng glared at the Earthbender with intense anger as he stepped forward beside Mako. "THE ONLY THING LARGER THAN YOUR EGO IS THAT AMBITION OF YOURS!!! YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY SON!!!"

"Look around you, Peng. Do you think you have a choice here?" Yong's smile grew even bigger as he gloated. The other members of the White Lotus all geared up as they started to bend their respective elements. "Now tell me, where is the Avatar?"

"The only way you'll get to my son is by walking over my dead body," Peng answered forcefully as the metal gauntlet in his hands started to form three orbs that rotated around his body.

Yong smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that." He turned back to the other members of the White Lotus and nodded, giving them the signal to attack. "If that's what you want, then it can be arranged."

Peng looked at Mako and Xinyi; the three of them nodded as they stood side by side, facing multiple master benders charging towards them. Peng took his stance as the ground beneath his feet rose into his body, forming an armor made of the very ground they stood on.

Xinyi took out the two metal marbles in her pocket as she bent them, forming into small, sharp projectiles. She also bent the dust around her, forming a barrier that surrounded her, the dust rotating fast enough as it threatened to shred whoever was stupid enough to stand in her way.

And Mako, feeling his old bones shake as he took his stance, took a deep breath, sticking to his basics; a firebender's greatest strength is his breath. He grunted as a large fireball emerged from his palm.

As that was about to happen, Kai had already moved towards the woods, unknowing of the threat his parents were facing.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

***

Heya, this is a new project I am working on. I've been writing this one when my phone broke because I was bored and I couldn't write Survivor's.

That being said, I would still be focusing on the my danmachi fic so the consistency on the chapters for this one would be a bit sketchy. I'll update this if ever I'm bored, have plenty of free time, or if I'm having a writers block for my danmachi fic and need a change of pace.

That being said, this fanfic is completely non-canon. This is set in a time where Korra's reign as the avatar is already over so all the events, and characters would all be original. I'll only be taking stuff from the lore of Avatar.

The story starts 16 years after Korra's death, so some cameo from characters in LOK will appear, but by this time they're either dead (so name drop) or old.

I hope y'all enjoy this one as well. Love y'all.

-TheManCandy.