Lyra's POV

"That was a sucky joke."

"I know." She grinned at me before looking at the stream, her rows furrowing

"I see that you and your friend are heading to the Fire Nation." I nodded, looking over at the stream

"Well... Am I the Avatar or not?"

"Bend."

"Eh?" Bend? But I can't bend

"Just try it. I know that you remember some of the moves your mother taught you when you were younger." Korra answered me with a small smirk, placing her hands on her hips

"Umm... But how do I-"

"Just try it already!"

"Okay, okay! Sorry almighty Avatar Korra of the South Pole." I dramatically bowed at her sarcastically. She rolled her eyes at me, signaling this wasn't the time for me to be doing jokes. I got in position, having a mental image of my mother in my mind at the stance she used to lift a single boulder from off of the ground and into the air. I took a deep breath before upper cutting my right fist, not expecting to actually see the small boulder away from us to slingshot into the air as if it weighed nothing.

My jaw fell open in shock, gaping like a fish in surprise. Huh? Wait what?!

"H-How-!?"

"That is what I thought. Lyra Arch, you are the next Avatar in the cycle." Korra stated, resting her hand on my shoulder, both of us watching as the boulder came crushing down from the sky to where it originally sat

"No way... But still, how?!"

"We could only think because the previous Avatar, aka me, died in the Spirit World. Which must have somehow switched your Spiritual and Real Body around."

"That makes absolute no sense."

"It happens." She shrugged before walking over to the stream, beckoning me to follow her. We both crouched down beside the stream, Korra peering down into it

"Watch closely." I nodded, pursing my lips. I stared intently down at the water, trying to look for whatever Korra was looking at. With a deep breath, Korra waved her hand over the water, producing an image of me sleeping on Jack's back, Wane still controlling where Jack went at the front of his back near his head, holding the reigns loosely as he stared down at the land below us

"What exactly am I supposed to be looking for?" I asked Korra who didn't answer me, only waved her hand over the water again, producing another image. It was my mother and father, my mother looked heavily pregnant and in pain, clearly not enjoying the joy of experiencing going into labor.

I peered closer down at the image in the water, seeing Dad doing his best to calm Mom down who only veered her teeth at him, yelling whatever words she could muster of pure pain and anger

"Your parents didn't plan for you to be conceived or born, they took all the precautions and yet..."

"I still came through." I whispered softly, green eyes fixated on my parent's forms. Korra nodded before once again waving her hand over top of the water, letting her fingertips skin over the surface, changing the image to me as a baby. Baby Me stared up at my mother in curiosity, not crying or laughing, just staring as if I was an empty shell

"Your mother was worried as to why you barely responded to anything at all, you did not cry, was never hungry or scared or angry, you just stared off into space. Your father suggested taking you to a priest in the North Pole for guidance, once they arrived you began to show little by little emotions. The priest there gave you many blessings for good health and-" Korra paused, pursing her lips as the scene changed to the priest looking discontent

"I apologize Hermes, but your daughter will not survive the year." The Priest told my father who looked on the brink of breaking down into tears, "What can we do?! Please, I need to know what we can do to save her life!" Dad shouted, clutching tightly to me in his arms. The priest sighed, shaking his head softly before staring at Dad in sadness

"Give me 24 hours alone with your daughter and if she doesn't improve, then there is nothing that could be done to help her." Dad stared at him in bewilderment, holding me tight to chest as if to shield me

"Why?!"

"Hermes. This will be risky, but if you do not agree for me to take her for 24 hours, she will die within the year.".

The scene suddenly changed back to being still water, Korra standing up as I stared in complete confusion at my reflection in the water

"Your father had no choice but to agree and so for 24 hours, the priest had you in his care."

"What happened, Korra? Why was I acting so... Empty?" I asked her, worriedly clutching onto the yellow scarf my father gave me before I left to travel out on my own in the world. I looked up at her only to see her avoiding my gaze

"You had no soul. Don't ask me how or why because even to his day, I have no clue how it came to be that way. But, in those 24 hours, The Priest managed to save your life, give you back your soul. But in exchange, somehow put your bending into the Spirit World."

"That is crazy, absolutely crazy! This sounds like all gibberish to me and-!" Korra glowered down at me harshly, stopping me from continuing my denial

"That is the only explanation I have come up with since you met me, Lyra. I don't know anything else." I furrowed my brows, hastily standing up to look at her directly in the eye

"Crazy talk! That Priest you showed me was so shady, my father would never have agreed to let me stay with him for 24 hours!"

"If he was desperate, then yes he would have." Korra argued with me making my gaze harden at her. I jabbed my finger at her chest, stepping closer and closer to her with eyes a blazing, "Then what about my mother, huh?! Did she even know about all this?!"

"She didn't. She was currently kept under wraps about her family's whereabouts until further notice. The Priest wanted it that way so there was no further complications. When you were returned to your parents, they were overjoyed to see you expressing yourself. Your mother didn't want to question how the priest was able to do it, she was just happy to see you okay." I grabbed hold of both sides of my head, anger flaring up from my core at how calm she sounded

"When I get back I'm going to have a long discussion with Dad..." I muttered angrily to myself. Korra softly chuckled, patting my head with her right hand

"Think of it like a... Shield." Before I could question her further, she spoke again

"It is about time you wake up, wouldn't want to keep your best friend waiting any longer." I stood up straight, confused

"What?" With a surge of energy flowing into me, Korra's form disappeared along with the spiritual forest around me. I spiraled around, feeling almost sick before I shit my eyes tightly, hugging myself to keep myself warm from the unexpected burst of chilly air.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the real world. I blinked rapidly, feeling distraught and lost of fatigue. I just wanted to go back to sleep again only to hear-

"LYRA!" I jumped up, knocking foreheads with Wane with a painful groan. I clutched onto my forehead, feeling the goose egg forming right in the middle of it. I glared at Wane, momentarily forgetting what I learned in the Spirit World

"What the heck, Wane?!" I yelled at him which he laughed at in pain

"You wouldn't get up! Now come on and help me unload Jack!" I shook my head, slightly confused as to what he meant before realizing we weren't up in the air anymore, but on the ground in a forestry plain? I fully sat up, seeing Wane jump off of Jack where some of our stuff was already on the ground. I glanced up to see the night sky, I must have slept longer than I thought...

With a yawn, I got up and began helping Wane set up camp for the night, at the back of my mind the dream I had of me being in the Spirit World with Avatar Korra herself still laid apparent at the back of my mind. I didn't bother to mention to Wane as to what I have learned, especially when I could see him tired from flying all day, he deserved a quiet rest.

That night when I laid down on a sleeping roll, Wane snoring loudly beside me. I could get any sleep as I finally let myself think on what I learned earlier that night.

I was born without a soul apparently, a shady Priest gave me back my soul but somehow also locked up my bending in the Spirit World... And I am actually the next Avatar in the cycle, for sure.

To Be continued