tushanshu_logs | Shine a light in the dark

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Entry tags:

Shine a light in the dark

Characters: Korra (

alphatar), OPEN
Date: March 17th (Day after her return from Teyran)
Location: Brazen Turtle, Flying around
Situation: Korra finds a ring...
Warnings/Rating: N/A

Sliding the last empty glass on the bar into her small tub, Korra wiped the counter off as she made her way back to the other end of the bar. The smooth surface shone against the light from the hanging lanterns of the Brazen Turtle and she looked around at the nearly empty bar. Just her and the bartender left to clean up now that they were closed.

"Be back to help with the tables after washing these and taking out the trash." She promised over her shoulder as she went into the kitchen. Of course the dish washing was easy, all she had to was fill up the sink with soap and water, load it up and just bend the water to scrub them spotless. And drying them was just as simple as letting them air dry, only she used airbending to do so. The small amount she needed for it had been helping her refine her technique and control.

When she went to take out the garbage to the bins outside the bar, the bags practically overflowing and heavy; all of which she held up easily thanks to her physical strength. A single kick of air lifted the lid with a loud bang and she was just about to heft the bags over when a single glint of green flashed across her blue eyes.

Pausing, Korra blinked and slowly lowered the bags to the ground. It was too fast for her to get a good look at what just landed in the trash. Putting her hands on the edge of the bins, Korra rolled up onto the balls of her feet and then had to go to her tippy toes to see the inside of the bin. Despite the strong smell of old garbage, Korra’s mouth fell open and she stared at a ring.

A green ring.

It bore a symbol she recognized and, tentatively, Korra brought her arm up and tried to reach for it. There was no way it could have been real, of that she was sure. The power ring was the most important thing to a Green Lantern and no one would be foolish enough to just-

She couldn’t reach, her fingers came shy of just a few inches.

Then the ring twitched and Korra stopped moving to watch it. It hovered into the air and smoothly slid onto her finger. She shook her head at first and then the words came, causing Korra to stare at the ring on her hand.

"Suitable host located."

"What do you mea-"

That sentence was interrupted when a green glow drew her attention downwards and the symbol of Oa was alight on her chest, and from it the light spread out to cover most of her body. Then her clothes were replaced by a black and white suit that looked much like Kyle’s since he was the lantern she had the most experience with.

"No way…" Pressing her luck, Korra curled her fingers in and pointed the ring at the sky in hopes that it worked just like she had experienced only once before.

And it did.

Her feet lifted off the ground and she surrounded in a green aura, made purely by her considerable will, flying upwards. Against the night sky, she was a glowing beacon of green light and she looked around at the city below her as it shrunk away. Even her hair tubes had turned green and the smile on her face was more genuine than most she had given in the past few days.

Avatar Korra wielded the most powerful weapon in the known universe, and she knew it.

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"No, not quite," he said, a faint expression of amusement on his face. "A shade or two off for that, I think. I am Saint Walker, and I am a Blue Lantern."

The fact that a Green Lantern wouldn't know of his or his Corps' existence wasn't troubling in the least. Kyle had already explained to him that people came from different times and places here, and after all, his own Corps was in its infancy, more of a duo than any proper organization.

"And you are?"

Korra's eyebrows shot straight up at Blue Lantern and she parted her lips to ask what that was, but she was getting ahead of herself. "Korra. I'm- I don't really know a whole about the Green Lantern Corps. Only a little bit, and I just found this ring earlier."

For some reason it was easy to tell him, his mannerisms were familiar. Like her adoptive airbending family, namely Tenzin. The construct model of Keeliai dissipated and Korra's ring glowed while occasionally sparking off bits of energy.

"It said I was a suitable host..."

"It came to you here?" Saint Walker said, surprise vivid in his voice before what counted as his brows knitted together in worry. "Oh dear."

That meant a very limited number of things, as far as Saint Walker knew. The first and most likely scenario was that one of the Green Lanterns that found him or herself in this place had recently died, a sad affair even if he hadn't known them. He would have to contact Aya or Kyle later and see what they knew, but for now, there was a new Green Lantern on his hands that would doubtlessly appreciate any information he had to give.

"Tell me, Korra, what do you know of the Green Lantern Corps? I may not be a member, but perhaps I can be of some assistance."

It took a moment for to realize why he seemed concerned at first, then she remembered what Kyle had told her when Aang had arrived. So she started with that since it seemed most relevant to her current situation.

"When the ringbearer dies, their ring goes and finds somebody new." That was what Kyle had told her, word per word. Just as when the Avatar dies, the spirit goes to someone new in the cycle.

"I know about patrolling sectors by making constructs and that the Corps has been around for billions of years." There wasn’t too much else she could recall off the top of her head. Much of what she learned from Kyle about it was at a time when she was too interested in the subject. Mainly her and him butting heads.

After that, she simply shrugged with a wan smile.

"Then you know what an honour it is to be wearing it. I have not met many Green Lanterns, but the ones I have met have been some of the finest people I have had the pleasure of meeting, and the pleasure of working beside." To properly mourn and recognize a fallen soldier, whoever he or she may have been, was of the utmost importance, though Saint Walker was equally as sure of the fact that this was not to be a wholly somber occasion. "That said, I must congratulate you on being chosen! It is no small thing to be considered worthy of the ring - and to accept its call."

It was a call that Saint Walker had personally rejected, knowing deep in his bones that he was meant for something different. Perhaps in another life, Korra would have met a fellow Green Lantern at this juncture, but here and now, he followed a path entirely his own.

"One thing that you and most of your fellows do not know is what happens when a Blue Lantern and a Green Lantern meet," he said, holding up one hand to draw attention to his own ring. "When we meet, our collective power is doubled."

She almost asked just how well his meeting of Kyle or either Hal went, but Korra kept her somewhat sarcastic comment to herself. Saint Walker was nice and calming, she didn’t want to disrupt it with her past experiences. So far her meetings with Green Lanterns have all started out rather horribly.

"I’ve heard about some of the better ones." How many of them had died saving others, something that might happen to her even without the ring. But still, she did give a smile at congratulations. Having more than just her own vote of confidence went along way with Korra.

"Blue Lanterns can do that?" It didn’t sound too much like a question, she felt the charge when he neared and it was still there; her ring was sparking furiously as opposed to just occasionally. The symbol on his ring was different, but she recognized how similar it was to the one on hers.

"So you can make constructs too." She made a life-sized, green Pabu and had the fire ferret scurry up onto her shoulder.

Something about meeting Green Lanterns in the line of duty seemed to bring out the best in them. It was difficult to concentrate on the fact that they may not like each other if they had simply met by chance when they stood together against a greater threat, a threat that seemed to be significantly downgraded here for all that people spoke of wars and the dangers to be found.

"Yes, I can, though mine tend to be much less detailed than Green Lanterns. Still, we manage. We are not as geared towards combat as your fellow Corps members tend to be," he said, and as if in demonstration, an odd cross between a lute and a harp appeared in his hands. He plucked at the strings and a single chord lingered in the air before being swept away with the wind.

"You certainly seem to be getting the hang of it," he said, inclining his head towards the construct of Pabu. "What type of creature is that?"

Korra immediately thought of Spock’s Vulcan lute, and the single note made her smile. "It may not be that detailed, but it sounds just right." Music was one of the few things she could associate with home and she moved closer to look at the instrument.

"A fire ferret! That’s our team’s mascot, Pabu. If you want to see the real deal though, you’d have to ask my friend Bolin in the Earth Sector." She held out her arm so the animal construct could crawl down it and stand on its hind legs to look at Saint Walker.

"I see. That certainly explains how detailed you've managed to make him." Saint Walker smiled down at the animal, as if it were real instead of a construct to be dispelled at any moment. "One of the grand things about constructs, however, is the fact that it does not need to be true to life. You could create an entirely new octave," he said, and with that, the instrument in his hand grew to twice the size, each string thinner and more delicate than the last.

Then, eyeing Pabu meaningfully, he said, "Or you could create an entirely new creature. Why don't you give it a try?"

She couldn’t help the good feeling she had watching Saint Walker being benign to her version of Pabu. The animal was a constant since meeting Bolin and she hardly even had to concentrate to have it act like the real one.

Considering Saint for a moment after his suggestion, Korra tried to imagine something completely unique. Then she cracked her knuckles, the ring shooting green sparks. "All right, I think I got something."

The construct Pabu climbed back up to Korra’s shoulder and nestled itself around the back of her neck. Pointing out the ring to the sky, green energy shot forth to take form. A huge furred creature without a snout like a chinese dragon with hint of being a canine bared its teeth and the six legs it had ended in three paws, spread out from one another with the tips of sheathed claws on the end.

A green mane ran down its back, just long enough to fall on one side, and ran down to its furry tail. The eyes roved over to them and it closed its mouth to let out something between a roar and a bark before situating itself in the air to sit down.

"I think I’ll call it a Doggone."

Korra, no.

If nothing else, the creature sitting in front of him was more than enough evidence that Korra wasn't one to shy away at a channel. Saint Walker watched carefully as Korra crafted this creature, seeing what exactly her imagination sparked. He had simply asked her to develop something new, but she had gone immediately for something intimidating in stature, its huge teeth and claws geared specifically for combat, though appearances could be deceiving.

Interesting.

"Doggone, is it?" He lifted a hand, resting it serenely on the snout of the construct. "He's rather fetching, though a bit on the large side."

A blue construct landed on the other construct's nose, a delicate insect with six gently curving wings and eight antennae draping down to frame its large, luminous eyes.

"Nothing wrong with being big." Of course she was speaking with Naga in mind, her giant polar bear dog was half the inspiration for the creature which laid flatly to encourage further petting. "Or small." Korra floated nearer to at the blue construct.

"That looks like a spirit." She bent down to look at the insect before glancing up at Saint Walker. "Well, so do you. But-" That might have sounded like an insult when someone didn’t know the Spirit World and the various forms they had. "That’s not a bad thing."

She probably wasn’t helping.

"Well, I certainly have a spirit. I have never heard of anyone looking like a spirit, however."

Saint Walker made no effort of obscuring the fact that Korra's words piqued his curiosity. He had spent more and more time meditating on the nature of the spirit and the strength of the spirit in the past year - no small feat, considering that he had spent the majority of his life meditating in the temples of his people.

Finding a new perspective was just one of many perks that accompanied meeting those from other worlds. "What do you mean by that?"

Maybe Saint Walker had a strong spiritual connection. Something for Korra to try and see if she could feel later after her answer. "Uh, here. Why don’t I just show you." Korra sent out green energy from her ring to take the form of some spirits that she saw in her future at the palace.

"Those are what some spirits look like. They reside in the Spirit World back home." Until when Korra returns and pushes in a new age, but she didn’t want to make things seem too complicated just yet.

Saint Walker paused to fully take in the appearance of the spirits, then leaned back, something akin to mirth in his voice. "I can see the resemblance!"

It was simplistic to be sure, but he could see similarities in their wide, angular eyes and their small mouths - not to mention their lack of noses, which seemed an oddly common trait across many different creatures.

"Would I be correct in assuming that these spirits in the Spirit World are not spirits of the dead?"

Korra let out an internal sigh of relief at him not being offended at her naive observation and even smiled at his tone. She could get used to the Blue Lantern, normally her personality dug in a little too deeply at others.

"Yep, you would! Not too many humans can have their spirits live in the Spirit World. It's complicated..." and she's not the biggest Spirit guru of her world. Not yet. "Might have to do with a spiritual connection, and probably a lot of meditation."

"I've done no shortage of meditation, and this is the first I've heard of the Spirit World. I would hear what you know of it, if you wouldn't mind," he said with a minute tilt of his head. He knew that the spirit world was vast and rich, and that it must contain multitudes upon multitudes, but even he hadn't the occasion to ever see it for himself.

Korra smirks and folds her arms. "Yeah, I kind of had you pegged for the meditation type." Said fondly, because he was like an airbender and she had a soft spot for them.

"I'm not the greatest spiritualist, but the Spirit World exists parallel to ours. Or rather, my world's. The spirits that live there are different, very nature-y and immortal. If a human is in the spirit world, their emotions affect the Spirit World physically and a lot more so for the Avatar."

Korra blinked after saying that. "Uh, that's me by the way." Something she completely forgot to mention.

"Did you, now? I think I will take that as a compliment," Saint Walker replied with a wry smile.

He listened carefully to what Korra had to say, then remarked, "I came here to lend my advice, but it seems that I am the one asking all the questions! But I must ask another - I fear you have me at something of a disadvantage. What is an Avatar - or rather, the Avatar?"

That the Avatar had some sort of intimate connection to the Spirit World was something that Saint Walker could surmise from her description, but he could also guess that unless Korra was remarkably good at hiding it, she wasn't much for meditation in her own right. Perhaps that sort of training simply wasn't necessary for the Avatar, whatever that title may mean.

That was a question Korra had been answering for close to a year, and she knew it was coming. "On my world the Avatar is the only person who can bend all four elements." She opened one hand to produce a small flame and swept other about her, drawing what little moisture she could from the air until a small blob of water was in her other palm. "Earth, Fire, Air, and Water. It’s the Avatar’s job to keep balance in the world, and they’re also the bridge to the Spirit World. Visiting it can be kind of crazy from what I’ve seen."

Saint Walker's eyes widened slightly as he watched Korra's little display. "Well! That's certainly not what I was expecting," he declared, looking just as fascinated as ever. There was still so much to learn from so much of the Turtle's population that it felt a little staggering sometimes - but only in a good way. He believed in looking on the bright side, and being able to see such things certainly counted in the Turtle's favour.

"And you haven't seen much yet? If I'm not mistaken, you are still terribly young for your kind."

"Not ‘terribly’ young." But it wasn’t much of a complaint Korra muttered. She was rather proud of her eighteen years of age.

"Not of the Spirit World. Well, not yet anyway. I did see it, just at the palace when I asked to see my future." Something Korra looked back on often, because of what it held and it was the last time she saw Emperor Eshai. "But yeah, that’s the Avatar in a nutshell."

"A position of great honour, I'm sure. And now you are a Green Lantern in addition to being the Avatar! It seems that you are gathering titles as others may gather fruit," Saint Walker said brightly.

In truth, he found relief in speaking with Korra. He had only met Green Lanterns of the highest caliber thus far, but he knew all too well that great evil could possess just as much willpower as great good, and Korra seemed as fine a candidate as any. She may cause mischief, perhaps, but he sincerely doubted that she would cause any chaos.

"That's quite a lot of responsibility for a single person to take on."

Saint Walker was too much for Korra. Every time she described the position of being the Avatar ended with either someone thinking she was too young for it or that she was too irresponsible for the task.

But for the first, time she smiled when she confidently said "I think I can handle it."

The constructs faded and the green aura around her returned, stronger and brighter than she had ever seen it; either for her or others. Even though she now knew a Blue Lantern boosted her ring's power, Korra felt more of a boost in her own sense of self.

"Why don't you show me how a Lantern should do a patrol around the turtle?" More of an invitation to just hang around him more than anything else.

"One perk of your new position is that it is very much a team effort. It is added responsibility, yes, but shared responsibility," Saint Walker said, clearly counting himself among their ranks. He may not be a Green Lantern, but he was more than willing to work alongside them, whether it be in the form of an ally, a friend or a guide.

In this case, he was happy to act as a guide. He took off, expecting her to follow along and said, "Come along! I will show you the routes I have been taking."

And if he were to stop by at a couple of the more picturesque areas along the way, well, that could be their little secret.

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Shine a light in the dark

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