Asami had a feeling she had just met the Avatar. Sure, it sounded ridiculous but, she had asked Tenzin once how to do it. He had told her it had to do with their spirit.

Korra wasn't his father Aang; yet, he sometimes could see his father in Korra. Wether it be in her eyes, in the little actions, the mannerisms. The way they acted. He told her once they found the Avatar, she could tell. There would be something in them that would remind her of Korra. And it did.

The girl, Avani looked at her the way Korra had when they first met; distrust. A spark of familiarity was between her green eyes yet, Asami could only see blue. She could sworn she saw Korra in the girl. She just needed to confirm she was a bender. Which would be difficult considering the situation the village was at

Asami rubbed her forehead once she felt the familiar pounding, knowing a migraine was coming.

Vydia sat next to her, "Miss Sato" She began softly. "Are you alright?"

Asami briefly met her green eyes before looking away. Vydia had been one of the people who got airbending abilities in the Harmonic Converse, easily adapting to the Air Nomads culture. She had Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe background, yet she was Air Nomad at heart. Her place at the Order of the White Lotus had been approved once she showed everyone she was an Air Nomad at heart.

"I think so" Asami answered in a murmur. Vydia sat patiently, waiting for Asami to continue "I think I found the Avatar"

Vydia's eyes widened slightly, straightening up "You did? Why haven't we met the Avatar then?"

Asami glanced at Vydia in amusement, sometimes she forgot she was still a young woman, at her 24, and easily excited. "I don't have proof. I just think I found her"

"Her" Vydia repeated, thoughtfully "The girl with the Fire Nation boy, isn't she?" Asami nodded slowly. Vydia hummed thoughtfully, "We should test her then"

"I don't think she's gonna come forth and tell us she's an earthbender" They heard Kanan said from behind them. They turned to face the stern yet kind man with green eyes. "For what we came to see in this village, benders are hiding. This girl won't easily tell us what we want to know"

Asami sighed, "And we're so close. I believe that girl is Korra's reincarnation"

"Then if you're so sure we'll have to find a way for her to trust us" Vydia told them

Kimiko and Kesuk walked closer, smirks on their faces "We have a plan"

Asami looked at them curiously

~8~

Avani for some reason wanted to keep an eye out on the newcomers on her village. Knowing the Order of White Lotus was among them made her slightly nervous even if she didn't know why. Almost bending fire one time didn't mean she was the Avatar, right? It was just a deception of the light that the fire moved along her breathing that night. She didn't bend fire at all.

Yet, she couldn't help but feel nervous as she walked through the forest, picking up berries for her mother's recipe. Her seismic sense had told her someone was following her but if she wanted to keep her act of being a non bender, she didn't have to react at all. She took the moment of kneeling to get a handful of berries to wriggle her fingers in the ground, slightly uncomfortable with her shoes to get a feeling on the surrounding area around her, briefly closing her eyes, sensing at least two people at her right and three at the front, almost cornering her. The weight on their feet let her know there was two males, one an earthbender - Ava mused silently- as they were always rooted to the ground, their source of power. The other three were girls, but if she hadn't been focusing, Ava could have said two. One of them was light on her feet, almost not touching the ground, only at brief moments.

Ava opened her eyes, continuing as if nothing happened but the earthbender had confirmed their suspicions.

Kanan looked at Kesuk, nodding "She knows we're here"

Kesuk nodded in understanding, "Are we correct to assume she's a master?"

Kanan stopped walking, looking at the young girl, using seismic sense to notice she was afraid, her heartbeat giving her away "I'm not sure. Mastering the third Jin is different than mastering earthbending. We wouldn't know for sure until we test her for being the Avatar, as Ms Sato suspects she is"

Asami walked closer to the young girl, nervous about approaching her as she was certain she was Korra's reincarnation "Hello" Avani turned to face her, calmly. Asami hid a smile, her suspicions of her being a bender almost true as she wasn't startled "I'm Asami"

"And I'm being followed by you" The girl replied warily, though Asami couldn't help but notice the girl's muscles relaxing somewhat as if at ease with her, catching the brief confusion in her green eyes.

Asami chuckled nervously "I'm sorry for that. I had to make sure we're alone so that you wouldn't be caught"

The girl unconsciously flickered her eyes toward where Asami knew was Kesuk and Kanan and smiled to herself, "How do I know you're telling the truth?" The girl turned back to her, accusingly.

"You tell me, Avani" Asami told her calmly, smiling. "Are we alone?"

Avani seemed to panic slightly and Asami had been around earthbenders for a long time she recognized their defensive stances, knowing she was ready to either attack her or run away. It gave her a sense of comfort to know that even while bending forbidden, Avani still found a way to train earthbending.  It reminded her of Korra, not one for follow the rules.

"It's just us two, right?" Avani asked cautiously, looking around but Asami already knew the girl knew they weren't alone  

"You know it's not true" Asami told her

Avani glared at her and again, Asami felt a deja vu for the first time she met Korra. Their glares held the same intensity it made her want to cry as more than ever she was completely certain that girl was who she was looking for.

Avani suddenly whirled around when Kanan appeared, "You can't lie to someone knowing seismic sense, child"

"That would mean I'm an earthbender" Avani told him "And I'm not. There are no benders in mining village. Not anymore after the last one was arrested this morning"

Kimiko walked closer, smiling "So, if dare say, I were to attack you" She wilded a blade of fire, "What would you do?"

Avani stared at the firebender cautiously "You can be arrested if someone sees you bending"

"But you won't turn her in" Vydia jumped closer to Asami, watching the girl cheerfully. "You know what it feels like, wanting to bend but unable to do so for fear"

Kesuk was silent, watching the suspected Avatar and her defensive movements, curiously wondering why the girl wasn't tensing up at the incoming threat.

Avani looked between the five of them growing nervous. They knew she was a bender, and they were cornering her. The Order of the White Lotus was cornering her and she could think of one thing. They were testing her. The question why her first and why not the others if they clearly knew when others were earthbenders like she could?

The earth pulled at her, wanting to be used by her fear at being discovered and she fought back the instinct of running away. She was an earthbender for crying out. She faced trouble head on. The thought made her straightened up, masking her fear to a calm expression, confusing all but Kanan and Asami.

Kimiko growled, knowing if they were going to keep dancing around the truth of the girl they'd never find their savior, so she acted on impulse. The fire crackled at her thoughts.

Avani sensed the shift on the earth under Kimiko before she could ever move. She had faced against Ryuu countless of times blindfolded to know when a firebender was going to attack. Without thinking and looking, she ducked, rolling to the right, avoiding the fireball hitting the ground she was on seconds before.

Asami gasped, whirling to glare at Kimiko who stood with a smug smile "Tell me, girl. If you're not an earthbender, how did you know before hand I was going to attack you?"

Kesuk chuckled, realizing the motives of the firebender

Kanan, Vydia and Asami turned to Avani

Avani stood slowly, stunned. She had fallen to their games. No bender would have been able to know of her attack. She looked between them, suddenly realizing they were a threat for her, twisting her feet quickly, encasing all of their feet to the ground, -a move her grandfather taught her when she was first learning - before sprinting away.

The Order of the White Lotus took the moment to feel surprise but not shock.

Kimiko crossed her arms, smugly "And that's how you face a stubborn earthbender"

Asami looked after the girl, sighing wistfully "At least we know we can test her"

Kanan calmly flickered his wrist, freeing them from the earth, slightly surprised at the girl's method. She hadn't attacked like he had expected. She simply immobilized them so she could run. "She's not your typical earthbender though"

"She went more to the peaceful way" Vydia said, stunned. "I thought she was going to throw a rock at us"

"You forget she been into hiding" Kesuk told them, starting to walk toward Avani left "She found a way to stop us without getting to much attention. That wasn't peaceful. That was adapting to the situation. To a new situation. What's the first that comes to mind with that?"

They exchanged a look, considering.

Kanan looked after Avani "Come, I can sense where she's going"

~8~

Avani stopped running, breathing heavily as she stopped in a clearing, starting to pace, panicking. "There goes my promise to not bend, dad. I'm sorry. I-I panicked. I-I know why they're doing it. I-I thought I hid it well. T-They couldn't possibly think I-I'm- I'm not, right?" The earth rumbled along her pacing and she had to stop to take a deep breath to stop bending, grimacing "It was just an accident the other night with the candle. I-it never moved! I just imagined it, I've seen Ryuu do it countless of times to know what breathing exercises look like"

"It seems to me frebending will come naturally to you, then" Kimiko said from behind Avani. Startled, Avani bended the earth under Kimiko, throwing her back. The woman simply cartwheeled, slightly unbalanced, chuckling "Or not"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Avani told her

"I think you do" Asami told her softly, walking closer "There's a reason why you were nervous when we first met. You've suspected it for a while now, haven't you?"

Avani didn't answer. "There's no need for an Avatar. How many times have you've been told that?"

"Countless" Vydia answered nonchalantly, shrugging "But, if there was no need, then Avatar Korra herself wouldn't have told Ms Sato to look for you"

Avani had to suppress her shock. Avatar Korra told them that?

"You don't understand, Avani" Kesuk told her, stepping forward, stopping when Avani took a defensive stance "The World is at war. The Avatar is the one who brings peace and keeps the balance between the four nations"

Avani opened her mouth to protest but Asami raised a hand, giving her a look, "Who better than a girl who knows all the sides of the war? You're a bender, yet you've had to hide who you are and live like a non bender to protect yourself. You know what it feels like to be both. As the Avatar, you're meant to keep peace. Tell me, there's a part of you who doesn't want War, am I wrong?" Avani didn't answer, looking away "Who better than you to be the one to stop this war between everyone than you?"

"You don't even know what I feel like" Avani spat, giving Asami a distrustful look. Asami thought she'd feel rejected and sad for the girl to look at her like that but it only served her to feel more connected to Korra, who looked at her like that as some time before they were together she had been on the receiving side of the Avatar's glare. "Or that I'm the Avatar in the first place?"

Vydia took a step forward, clapping "Let's test you then, shall we?" The ret of the Order stepped closer. Kanan unfastening a bag of rocks from his robes, emptying the bag in the floor in front of Avani. "If you're not what we believe, then we'll continue our search somewhere else and leave you alone"

Avani eyed the rocks, eyes flickering to all of them in interest "And if I am?"

"Then you'd have no choice but to come with us" Kimiko told her

Avani gulped, nodding, not meeting their eyes "Okay"

Asami seemed surprised they managed to convince Avani to do the test, nodding "Alright, take your time"

"Pick four" Kesuk told her

Avani nodded in understanding

They stepped back, giving the thirteen year old space to choose four rocks that would tell them if she was in reality the Avatar. Asami was bitting her fingernails in anxiety watching the girl, sitting crisscrossed in front of the rocks, a surprising expression of concentration in her face as she picked up each rock, measuring their weight and closing her eyes before frowning deeply before putting it down and choosing another. It was an action that made Asami pause as she watched carefully.

Avani huffed, intertwining her fingers, placing them under her chin, eyeing the rocks in silence for a few seconds. The Order shifted, eyeing her curiously.

"Avani..." Kanan trailed off

"Can I use earthbending?" Avani suddenly asked, looking up "You brought a lot of rocks"

They stared at her for a few seconds. Vydia was the one to answer, "As you wish"

Avani nodded in thanks, extending a hand on top of the rocks, straightening her fingers, feeling the pull of the rocks. The rocks rumbled on the ground and Avani frowned in concentration, feeling the different weights. Some were heavy than others and some were lighter, dropping her control of them. After a minute, eight rocks were still in her hold.

The Order of White Lotus held their breaths in anticipation as Avani dropped the eight rocks, lowering her hand. They seemed disappointed until Kesuk gestured at them to look again. Avani was hesitating, looking between eight rocks, hands mid air. She slowly picked four, looking up at them

Asami sighed in relief

Avani stood, the four rocks in her hands as she examined them. She easily recognized one, it was gem called jade. The reason why it called to her was because she had a necklace of the same material. The other three, she didn't know what they were called but she felt curious as out of all the 28 rocks in the bag, neither weighted the same as these four. Holding them together, -unable to bend them at the same time- she realized with a grumble, she felt she had made a good decision to pick those four rocks.

"Done?" Kesuk asked, watching the girl -The Avatar- still examining the rocks with a deep frown in her face, moving the rocks between her fingers. One was bigger than the other three and one was weird shaped, however, they knew the girl passed their test. She was the Avatar.

Avani looked up, shrugging "I picked four rocks like you told me to. Can I go now?"

Asami was smiling, relief in her eyes "No, you can't"

Avani looked at her in disbelief "How come? I did your stupid test. These rocks can't actually tell you I'm the Avatar"

"Yes, it can" Kanan answered. Avani slowly turned to face him with a look. "Do you know how many times have we've done this test in the last ten years?"

"No, but I'm afraid you're about to tell me" Avani told him sarcastically

Kanan ignored her sarcasm, looking at her seriously "Neither has ever picked up those rocks" Avani looked at the rocks in her hands, bending one by one absentmindedly "Satisfy our curiosity, young one. Why did you pick them being all different?"

Avani shrugged, "They're pretty" Kimiko gave her a look. Avani huffed "Fine. They weight the same even if they're different. It made me curious, okay? Seriously, these rocks can't possibly tell you I'm the Avatar"

"The Jade" Kesuk spoke, gesturing at the necklace around her neck and the rock in her hands "Was the first you picked, wasn't it?"

"Yes" Avani answered slowly "What does it have to -"

"It represents earth" Kesuk told her. "The element you were born. The one you're comfortable with. Then we have an igneous rock, found exactly on the deep part of a volcanic island in the Fire Nation. An amphibolite rock, found in Patola Mountain and finally an aquamarine rock, found under the waters of the North Pole. Care to tell me now what you find interesting of these rocks you picked, Avani?"

Avani stared at the rocks in realization. Each one she picked belonged to the four nations, specifically in the Avatar cycle the current Avatar must learn. Earth, fire, air and water. It was a coincidence, she was sure. She shook her head, "I just chose them because they weighted the same"

"No" Kimiko disagreed "You chose them because you've done it before. You've been able to bend four elements together. You have the knowledge, you have the ability to do so, you said it yourself. You were able to briefly bend the fire of a candle unconsciously, that's your firebending. You did it before and you will do it again"

Avani seemed fearful and desperate it broke Asami's heart watching the fear in those familiar eyes. Once she had seen that same fear in Korra and every time she thought about it, she had always wanted to protect her and the same instinct remained but knew if she tried to do so with this girl, who didn't know who she was to her past life, she was sure she was going to lose her and she had just found her, finally after thirteen years she had finally finished her promise to Korra, she wasn't about to ruin it

"That doesn't prove anything" Avani told them, however at any point she threw the rocks away, she kept them in her hands "I can't even bend them together"

"Because you've only learned one element, I'm sure if you focus, you can bend the four together" Asami explained. Avani looked at the rocks, debating herself wether to try or not, shaking her head. "Or it can be because you aren't strong enough. Korra destroying her connection to the other Avatars must have passed into you, which is probably why we also took this long to find you. There has been no way of telling where the Avatar was going to be born in a place as big as the Earth Kingdom. You probably have the knowledge of all the past avatar because that's your spirit, but I don't think you'd be able to talk to them but only Korra when you need it"

Avani scoffed bitterly, "Not only she apparently gave me this burden of this avatar thing, she also destroyed the opportunity of talking to more experienced Avatars to help, huh?"

Asami clenched her fists, pursing her lips angrily by the way the young girl was talking. Yes, she had some kind of Korra's wit but to use it against her own past life and in front of her? No-oh. That wasn't pretty.

Vydia, seeming to realize where Asami's thoughts were heading, stepped forward to meet the young Avatar's eyes "Don't whine, child. No matter what you think, you still have time to learn the other elements so you can do your job as the Avatar. The world needs you"

"The world doesn't need a four elements wilder to resolve their problems" Avani snapped. "The only ones who can resolve their own conflicts are themselves, not a pathetic excuse of an Avatar" she gestured at herself

Vydia couldn't help but soften her eyes at the low image the Avatar had of herself, "How would you know if you haven't tried being the Avatar?"

Avani paused for a moment "I'm not who you want me to be"

Neither Kasuk or Kanan could voice their thoughts as the Avatar ran away.

"That went well" Kesuk sighed deeply

"At least we found our Avatar" Kanan pointed out

"But, is she really what we expect her to be?" Kimiko asked what neither of them dared to voice out loud

Asami was looking at the ground sadly, 'I'm sorry, Korra. I had her and now she's gone'

Vydia placed a hand in her shoulder "Give it time" she told her softly "She just found out she has a big burden in her shoulders, it was to be expected her reaction. We can talk to her later once she cools down"

Asami nodded slowly, "You're right. We still haven't failed. We can still play our part in saving the world"

"For what you did for and with Avatar Korra when she was alive, I'd say you already did your part" Kanan told her

Asami shook her head, "Not until this war is over. Korra was right when she said we hadn't resolved benders and anti-benders problems. Until this war is over, my part in saving the world isn't over yet. Korra will finally rest in peace when her reincarnation resolves what she didn't"

Kesuk hummed to himself "Kinda makes you think history's repeating itself" They looked at him curiously "Remember Avatar Aang? He had to stop a war the Avatar before him, Avatar Roku hadn't stopped. And he also denied of his destiny"

Asami and Vydia looked worried

Kimiko looked after where Avani left, briefly glancing at the sky "Let's just hope not all history repeats"