Disclaimer: All rights go to Nickelodeon

I spent a solid 20 minutes trying to figure out the name of the guy who almost jumped off a bridge when he found out he was an Airbender, and I couldn't find it. It took me longer trying to figure out that name than to write half this chapter, so if anyone knows the names of the new airbenders I mention please tell me, and I'll edit it. Who knew so much energy went into the smallest details that most people barely notice?

Also, I've recently realized that I am using this story to creatively analyze the complexities of the Legend of Korra.

Warning: Swearing

I looked up at Tenzin, the smile still persistent on my face, "When I reopened the spirit portals, the world seemed to realize that it was out of balance in a way I, or anyone, could never fix. This world had always maintained the balance between the four nations, the four elements, but because of the hundred-year war, there were only three elements being represented. So, one day, nonbenders all over the world woke up with air bending."

Tenzin looked at me in shock. Everyone looked at me in shock. A few of them looked on the verge of tears.

I nodded at Tenzin, "The air nation comes back."

Tenzin put a hand over his mouth, shocked. His eyes filled with tears. Pemma and Jinora's did as well.

"What?" was all he said.

I nodded, smiling.

"It was a bit… chaotic at first. None of the people ever expected anything like that to happen to them, so when they woke up with air bending… well, you can imagine how surprised they were. Not all of them took it well at first, but most of them were-"

"What do you mean 'not all of them took it well at first'?" Tenzin asked, astounded.

I winced, remembering the man who almost threw himself off a bridge after accidentally hurting the people he cared for. Opal, who did love her newfound bending but struggled with leaving her family behind to join the air nation. The farmer, who'd refused to leave his family behind, unlike Opal. The many, many others like him who had no interest in joining the air nation, all for sensible reasons. It was extremely difficult to leave behind everything you know to help recreate a nation you had never previously identified yourself with, especially if you were content with where your life was at.

"Well, you have to look at it from their perspective," I said, answering Tenzin's question, "These people were all non-benders, and many of them were perfectly happy with where their life was at. Then, suddenly, they not only have airbending, but also absolutely no control over it. Not to mention many of them were suddenly asked to join the new air-nation. A lot of change happened to a lot of people in a very short amount of time, and it sent many of them reeling. It was fairly difficult in the beginning to convince people to join the new air nation, but after we'd gained enough people who wanted to learn and everything had stabilized, more and more people started joining, some of which had directly turned us down when everything first happened."

Tenzin nodded, looking like he understood about half of what I was saying.

"I- I'm going to take a walk," he said, abruptly standing up. He walked toward the doorway before stopping suddenly, forcing out a quiet "excuse me" as an afterthought, before continuing on his way.

It was silent for a few more seconds as everyone processed.

Meelo, who had deemed it to be too quiet, suddenly asked, "Why were you limping earlier?"

I love Tenzin's kids, I really do, but I swear to Raava if they don't stop asking me uncomfortable questions I'm going to throttle them.

"Uh, yeah, I was," was my amazing answer. Why did I swear not to lie to them again?

Mako looked up from where he was staring at his plate, "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I shifted in my seat.

His eyebrows furrowed, "Are you sure? You mentioned you were in a gang fight. If you're injured you should go to a healer."

Now Asami looked like she was going to throttle him.

I sighed. There really wasn't a way around this. Sure, I was fine now, but who knows if I would be tomorrow or the day after that?

"It, uh, it's actually from Zaheer?" I glanced over at Lin, whose previously passive look became serious.

Most of the people in the room looked confused, but those who did know of Zaheer (i.e Pemma and Lin) looked horrified.

"What about Zaheer?" Tenzin asked, walking back into the room looking slightly less shellshocked.

Wow, Tenzin, what a long walk that was.

I put my head in my hands, before glancing up at Lin.

"Would you like to explain who Zaheer is?" I asked her rather forcefully. Seeing her stormy expression, I tacked on a small "please" at the end of that.

Normally she probably wouldn't have complied, but her expression changed after she saw whatever look my face was conveying. In fact, she looked slightly concerned.

Well, as concerned as Lin Beifong could look.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, before facing everyone.

"Zaheer was a man who, along with three others, tried to kidnap the Avatar when she was a kid. He nearly succeeded," She paused, taking in Korra's horrified expression. "Luckily, the White Lotus, along with Tonraq and Fire Lord Zuko, were able to take them down. They are now kept in highly guarded, secret, specialized prisons all around the world, which were designed to combat the element they can bend. Zaheer was the 'leader', and the only non-bender of the group. He was the main reason why the Avatar was trained in the south pole instead of traveling like her previous lives did."

Korra looked confused at this, "I thought Aang asked for me to be trained at the compound. And why would they try and kidnap me?"

I answered this, "No, it was a decision made by our father, Cheif Sokka, and several others." Seeing the (understandable) anger in her face I elaborated, "It took me a while to understand too, but this world that we live in is so drastically different from any of the previous Avatars. There was no such thing as radio, the telephone, satomobiles, or 'approval ratings'. The world is more interconnected than ever before, and with that advancement came a different worldview of the Avatar. Would I have preferred to travel the world and find my own masters? Yes, of course, but the unfortunate reality is that if I had been allowed to do that I probably wouldn't be alive today. Not to mention I knew I was the Avatar long before I was 16, the traditional age the Avatar learns who they are. And as for why they tried to kidnap us, I later found out that Zaheer was apart of an anarchical organization of the Red Lotus."

"Like the White Lotus?" Lin asked, taking notes on a small notepad that appeared out of nowhere.

"It was founded by a former White Lotus member. The Red Lotus believed- believes in the "natural order". They think that government and law are what is wrong with the world, and they have been actively working to disband the governments of this world for years. Zaheer was one of their leaders."

"So there are more of them?" Lin questioned.

I nodded, "Yes."

I listed off the names of the people I remembered that had been arrested the day… the day everything happened. However, we'd been unable to obtain any new information about the Red Lotus after Zaheer's arrest, and none of his fellow members had been any more inclined to talk. I told Lin this.

"But what does this have to do with your injury?" Mako asked after Lin had finished with her questions (she had, however, promised more questions later, as always).

I resigned myself to my fate. That's what I was here for anyway, right Making peace with the past, so I can move on with my life?

I sighed. Might as well just rip the band-aid off, I thought to myself.

"Zaheer escaped," I deadpanned.

No one was really shocked by this.

"And he used air bending to do it," I elaborated.

This shocked people.

"No," Tenzin said in horror.

I nodded. "He then managed to kidnap me and he and other Red Lotus members tried to get rid of the Avatar. Permanently."

"How?" Jinora asked, fearing the worst.

"If the Avatar dies in the Avatar State, the cycle is broken. Zaheer used poison to force my body into the Avatar state in an act of self-defense before he'd kill me."

I really didn't want to talk about this, but if Lin knew- if Korra knew what Zaheer was planning, maybe she wouldn't have to go through the same fate I did.

"He failed," obviously, I thought, "but I had to fight him while I was poisoned. Not to mention, Zaheer managed to figure out a subset of air bending- weightlessness."

At this point, I was slightly afraid that I was going to give Tenzin a heart attack.

"Because of this, when I had to fight him, we were both fighting in the sky and… well, I fell. With the poison in my body I couldn't-"

I cut myself off, avoiding everyone's eyes. The last thing I needed right now was pity. Spirits know I got enough of that.

I took a deep breath before looking up and continuing.

"I broke my spine," I said, looking at Korra.

Any residual anger in her face from her previous realization about the compound was gone, replaced with terror.

I wanted to tell her that she would be fine. That what happened to me wouldn't happen to her. But I couldn't. Because I didn't know if it would.

"I spent about a year in a wheelchair, relearning how to walk. Then I had to relearn how to fight and use my bending. After that, I spent six months traveling before I began my duties as Avatar again, and even then I'm still not at the level I was at before my injury. I don't think I will ever be."

Any residual happiness I had from my realization about the air nation was gone.

No one spoke, not even Meelo. No one knew what to say.

I didn't know what to say. Speaking about some of the most traumatic moments of my life to a room of people wasn't easy.

But I know these people, I reminded myself. These people are my family, even if they don't know me.

And that was true. These people were my family. A family who'd stood by my side when I needed them, who'd fought with me and cried with me and bled with me. Who'd always tried their best to be there for me in whatever way they could, even if I'd constantly pushed them away. They deserved to know the truth. They deserved to know why the simplest things like standing up were so fucking hard, why getting out of bed some mornings was even harder. Spirits, my wife was here, sitting silently in the corner glaring at her boyfriend who had feelings for me and was being an ass about it to her, unintentionally or not.

At the time it hadn't pissed me off at all. Mako's sort of cheating on Asami with me, that is. I wanted to date Mako, and I didn't really care about how that affected everyone else. It wasn't until later on that I realized how miserable the whole situation must have been for Asami.

Now she was my wife. My wife, who had no idea she would end up married to me (if she even did in this reality) (spirits, I hope she did). My wife, who had an asshole for a boyfriend (again, unintentionally or not), who was more emotionally invested in another girl than he was in her (even if that 'other girl' was me).

Asami caught my gaze and looked at me questioningly.

Spirits, why was this situation so complicated.