Fanfic / Book 5: Legends

The Legend lives on...

"Air is the Element of Freedom.
Water is the Element of Change.
Earth is the Element of Stability.
Fire is the Element of Passion.
Only the Avatar can wield all Four Elements...
And bring Balance to the World..."

Set immediately following The Legend of Korra, Book 5: Legends is a Continuation Fic by Rassilon001.

The Avatar and her many friends have countless new adventures ahead of themselves still, but this time they have encountered an enemy unlike any they have ever seen or heard of before. With the whole world thrown into disarray and chaos the Avatar alone may not be enough to tackle this new threat. Four elements collide in this thrilling tale of action and adventure. Korra will have to rely on her friends and allies more than ever, and they will have to rely on each other.

Theirs will be... the stuff of Legends.

Now with a sequel, starring the New Avatar, Rassilon001 presents The Legend of Ban

SOME UNMARKED SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL

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Book Five: Legends contains examples of:

A-E

• A God I Am Not: When the Anti-Avatar accused Korra (and by extension her predeccesors) of setting herself as a God, Korra (rightfully) denies doing such a thing.

• Action Girl: Fumiko, with her fancy footwork and good ol’ chi-blocking (and sandbending) and also Jasmine, a fully trained Kyoshi Warrior, join the ranks of the other female characters.
• Added Alliterative Appeal: Fire Ferrets Foes Fall!
• All Your Powers Combined: After stealing it from the requisite benders, Temuji is able to bend all four elements the same as an Avatar.
• Anyone Can Die: At least one cast regular does not make it to the Grand Finale.
• Author Appeal: A part of the story is linked to the Interquel comic series, specifically the characters and events from “The Search.” Rassilon 001 is a great fan of the characters introduced therein.
• Author Filibuster: Azula's rant near the end of the story about how Korra isn't a worse or better Avatar than Aang, just different with different roles and in completely different contexts (Aang being a peacekeeper and savior in times of war, and Korra being a force of change in order to stop the world from becoming stagnant in times of peace). The author confirmed this was done as a response to Korra haters who deem her as an inferior replacement to Aang.
• Badass Adorable: Fumiko, almost as young as Jinora, frequently described as cute and childish. Oh, and she’s a very powerful sandbender who raises the dead in her free time and can go two-to-one against Mako and Bolin.
• Badass Family: Mako and Bolin, of course, but also Temuji and Fumiko. It’s one of the things that make them such excellent foils. Also, the Beifong and Royal Fire families continues to shine prominently. Plus, for the first time we actually see Korra’s mother in action alongside her dad, albeit in a limited way. She does not disappoint.
• Bad Powers, Bad People: Mako seems to think this about lightningbending, since it comes very easy for sociopaths or people which care about nothing but themselves, and thus have very little trouble controlling their emotions. Korra vehemently disagrees, at least in regards to Mako himself.
• Battle in the Rain: Korra and Temuji’s fight takes place during a thunderstorm, with lightning and thunder in the background. Also to a lesser extent the entirety of Republic City is going through the same when the battle is happening, to highlight tension.
• Battle Amongst the Flames: Temuji and Korra’s duel quickly sets most of Air Temple Island ablaze, highlighting the elemental battle between the two.
• Beach Chapter: Bolin and Opal visit Kyoshi Island. Subverted, in that they don’t spend a great deal of time on the beach in swimsuits, they do travel underwater into the Inlet to discover what is poisoning the fish in the region.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: Early on, Korra remarks its annoying none of her opponents have ever fought her in a straight, fair duel, but always have to sneak around or manipulate circumstances to overwhelm her. Mako points out she's the Avatar, and thus by definition no one-on-one fight with her is going to be fair. In the final chapters of the story... she finally meets an opponent who is her equal, able to wield all four elements the same as she does.
• Big Damn Kiss: Between Korra and Asami after the final battle is over. Reactions are mixed surprise, but overall no one seems to think its anything less than beautiful to behold. Bolin and Opal share another a few chapters earlier, when she accepts his marriage proposal.
• Bolt of Divine Retribution: One way to interpret the last lightning strike in the final battle, which Korra used and some lightning re-direction bending to decisively end the fight.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Bolin, in an entertaining display, comments that he ‘makes regular appearances every Saturday morning’ to the amusement of his audience.
• Brought Down to Normal: Discussed, then averted. When Tenzin suggests that Korra should depower Fumiko for being too dangerous, Korra refuses, since she knows what it feels to be depowered and doesn't want to do that to anybody, no matter how much they deserve it.
  Korra: Losing your bending is a horrible experience. I've been there. It's like part of yourself has been torn from you.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Princess Koko, the current ruler of Omashu, is known for two things: being really, really eccentric (if not downright ''nuts'') and being a huge supporter of education. Really loves her books, that one.
• Can’t Thwart Phase One: Despite their efforts to find the bending thief and stop him from stealing more techniques, they are ultimately unable to protect Wing, Tahno, and Daw from having their bending drained from them, leading to the awakening of a fully-realized Anti-Avatar.
• The Cameo: The Lieutenant has a brief appearance in the final battle, fighting off some ghouls that tried to break into his house. Apparently, he's a single dad.
• Catapult Nightmare: Korra awakens from a nightmare swinging and very nearly firebending as well.
• Character Development: All over the place
  • After having visited the Spirit Realm for himself, Tenzin seems to have accepted his close ties of family and his place in the material world, and no longer seeks to crossover any longer.
  • Korra is no longer interested in fighting or proving herself as an Avatar and seems more interested in helping the less fortunate than fighting powerful enemies.
  • Asami and Korra also gradually go through a Relationship Upgrade throughout the story.
  • As do Bolin and Opal.
  • Mako seems to have accepted he wasn't the best boyfriend, and even apologies for such, though other characters are quick to say he doesn't bear all of the blame for his relationships going wrong.
• Chekhov's Gun: Korra’s ability to re-direct lightning. She uses it and a handy bolt from the storm overhead to defeat Temuji.
• Child Prodigy: Both Temuji and Fumiko show rare, incredible gifts when it comes to their individual bending. He’s only eighteen, and she’s only fourteen.
• Cloud Cuckoolander: Fumiko is a bit... odd. Word of God is she plays it up a bit to throw off her enemies, but it’s at least half real. Also, Princess Koko.
• Comfort Food: Shortly after The Reveal the Miko is a villain, Bolin, who had grown close to her in a Big Brother sort of way, can be found at Narook's Seaweed and Noodles, sucking down noodles.
• Compliment Backfire: Bolin got a knife thrown at him when he said to a group of training Kyoshi warriors that they were "looking good". He said whimpering that he wasn't mocking them.

• Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: While most of Korra's villains tended to be the Well-Intentioned Extremist, out to make a better world, ultimately the Big Bad of Legends is a lost little boy who just wants his mommy back and is willing to tear the world apart to make it happen, whatever they claim to the contrary about fixing or healing it. In addition, as a fully-realized, anti-Avatar, they are a physical threat on par with Avatar Korra in a way few others have been, able to wield all four elements the same as them. Only Unalaq approached that level of raw power, and he still still limited to water only. This comes up again in the sequel fanfic, see below.
• Cool Mask: Korra and Asami don a pair during the New Arts Showcase. Fittingly, they’re from the Ember Island Players “Love Amongst the Dragons” performance. Asami is the Dragon Emperor while Korra is the Dragon Empress.
• Cute Bruiser: Fumiko, who regularly slugs it out with full grown men twice her size thanks to her acrobatics, chi-blocking, and sandbending.
• Darkest Hour: Temuji is dueling Korra and she’s barely able to keep up, and Fumiko’s undead army is swarming Republic City.
• Determinator: Temuji shows why this can be a bad thing, in his desire to resurrect his mother, he nearly rips the world to pieces.
• Distant Finale: The epilogue takes place many decades in the future, and focuses on the next Avatar after Korra's death. Has some shades of Deadly Distant Finale, as it also explains how Korra died.
• Does This Remind You of Anything??: Yue visits Asami in a lunar vision and provides advice on how to handle her feelings for Korra, essentially telling her to go for it despite what society will say. Word of God is that while unintentional, can be seen as a metaphor for advising LGBTQ people about coming out.
• Don't Fear the Reaper: One of the aesops the story has, suggesting that death, while not something to rush towards or be anxious to deliver and dish out, is not something to fear or fight against either.
• The Dragon: Fumiko is one to Temuji. While Temuji is eventually more powerful as a fully-realized Anti-Avatar, Fumiko still does the majority of The Heavy lifting in their plan, controlling their dead body mooks and running interference while he tackles Korra directly.
• The Dreaded: Azula, even after all this time. Her name spoken aloud causes ominous candle flickering.
• Dreaming of Things to Come: Korra’s nightmare about the coming enemy.
• Drink Theme Naming: Kyoshi warrior Jasmine owes her name due to her father being a tea enthusiast. She considers herself luckier than her little sister Ginseng. Word of God, however, is that she was joking.
• Drunk on the Dark Side: Temuji and Fumiko may have had good intentions at the beginning, but as their power grows from unnatural acts, their values slowly erode until they’re dangerous to themselves and the world at large. At one point their behavior is even likened to "chasing spirits in some seedy Republic City back alley."
• Dying Moment of Awesome: Chief Lin Beifong. While unable to stop the escape of Temuji and Fumiko, puts up one hell of a fight against the two of them before she goes down. If she'd been fighting one-on-one instead of being tag-teamed, it seems she might have even won.
• Dysfunctional Family: If your Great-Aunt is Azula it probably counts, though most of the royal family are unaware of Temuji’s relation until later in the story.
• Elemental Eye Colors: Fumiko is an Earth Kingdom girl, and has dark green eyes. Seemingly otherwise subverted at first, in that she’s no bender, then played straight after The Reveal she can sandbend. Temuji also sports a pair of red eyes as part of his albinoism, playing this straighter than just about any firebender previously seen in either series.
• Elemental Powers:
  • All Your Powers Combined: Korra as the Avatar, and later Temuji as the Anti-Avatar. Also in the epilogue the new Avatar... Ban Beifong.
  • Blow You Away: Opal, Jinora, Tenzin, and many others. One new addition in the form of Aki, a rogue airbender.
    • Void: Opal demonstrates a new air technique by sucking all the air in to a single point as opposed to blowing it out. It’s remarked she might have earned the rank of Master for inventing a new technique.
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Bolin in particular, making use of the more practical nature of the skillset by building makeshift homes for refugees. Later Fumiko is revealed to have similar abilities, specializing in sandbending.
    • Dem Bones: In addition, a rare subset of the power allows an enemy to animate dead bodies via the calcium in their petrified bones.
    • Extra-ore-dinary: Most of the Beifong’s, and Korra of course. Other metalbenders appear here and there.
    • Magma Man: Bolin, of course, who finds a more practical use for such destructive ability.
  • Making a Splash: In addition to Korra, Tahno returns for a while, and the residents of the Water Tribes make appearances in other chapters.
    • Green Thumb: A White Lotus Grand Master by the name of Bao demonstrates his ability, using the same plant-bending technique as Hu from the Legend of Aang era.
  • Playing with Fire: Of course.
    • Heal It With Fire: In addition to those already seen in the original show, we’re introduced to a form of Firebending that can heal (somewhat) by burning out disease and cauterizing wounds. It's a very rare skill, and not easy to accomplish.
    • Shock and Awe: Korra takes her first steps towards learning Lightningbending. Though she doesn’t seem to quite get it down at first, she does pick up how to re-direct it over the course of the story.
  • Chi/Spirit/Energybending: Again shows up, but this time in regards to the bending thief who can not only suppress bending abilities, but actually steal the elemental powers of others for themselves, slowly becoming another Avatar.
• Establishing Character Moment: Each new character gets one:
  • Temuji is shown healing an old man with firebending, burning out the infection.
  • Fumiko is introduced cartwheeling and waves hello with her foot.
  • When Jasmine shows up, she’s all business and hates the comparison of her name to a popular beverage.
  • Princess Koko displays her Cloud Cuckoolander tendencies from the get-go by seeing a diseased cow and believing it’s an outbreak of penta-pox, which even in the story is a fictional disease.
  • Even Bao is introduced remarking how gardening is in many ways similar to helping others grow, showing his philosophical side.
• "Eureka!" Moment: Asami finally realizes how to make her newest invention to work by remembering the third spirit portal and her trip through it.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Wanting her back is the core of Temujis rather messed up morality.
• Evil Counterpart: Temuji is this for Korra, as the Anti-Avatar able to wield all four elements and out to change the world (and not for the better). Their visible change in personality and character almost mimics hers in reverse, from a caring, mature individual to a more selfish, self-centered psychopath. Word of God is that he was explicitly designed to be one visually from the start, and seems her opposite in almost every physical regard as well. a boy to her being a girl, pale-skinned to her dark, red eyes vs blue, even fire to her water (starting elements). Likewise, Temuji is an orphan whose lost his parents and has an unhealthy obsession with his departed mother, while Korra still has both of her parents and is arguably closer to her father.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Mako does this in his head, and has to spell it out for Tahno. When you hide a tree you hide it in a forest, when you hide a gem you do it in a treasure trove. Where then would you hide a masked man? Perhaps the New Arts Showcase you’re currently hanging out at?
• Expy:
  • Princess Koko is a thinly veiled Twilight Sparkle from Friendship Is Magic. Dresses in purple, insists on being called a princess, and has a great love of reading.
  • Also, Miko more or less jumped over from Transformers: Prime, both in appearance and personality, though the latter changes slightly after The Reveal. The Author states in his notes he imagines them voiced by the same voice actresses as well.
  • Temuji also bears some similarities with Kaworu Nagisa from Evangelion, particularly in appearance but also somewhat in mannerisms (at first).

F-L

• Festival Chapter: Their time in Omashu during the ‘New Age Arts Showcase’ plays off as this. Korra and Asami even don some Cool Masks as part of the fun.
• Final Battle: During the Republic Rim and Legendary chapters.
• From Bad to Worse: The story starts off with some relatively mundane concerns helping the people of the Earth Kingdom recover from economic and natural disaster. As the bending thief appears and starts gaining more elemental powers and their plans unfold, it culminates in a siege of Republic City and a duel to the death with Avatar Korra.
• Freudian Excuse: Temuji misses his mommy.
• Foil: Temuji is an obvious one for Korra. He and Fumiko also act as one for Mako and Bolin collectively, as a pair of bending siblings who’ve lost all family except for each other. Their (original) elements even match. Retroactively some elements of Temuji also match Asami’s story arc about missing a deceased parent, though whereas Asami came to terms with this, sadly Temuji did not.
• Foreshadowing: Korra has a nightmare about her old enemies melting into shadows and merging into her new nemesis, who can bend all four elements. This is almost exactly what occurs over the course of the story.
• Girlish Pigtails: Fumiko sports a pair, deliberately meant to mislead that she’s fun and perky. Well, she is, but she’s also a psychopath who animates dead men for fun.
• Godzilla Threshold: Downplayed. With most of her guard back in Zaofu and the rest of her family needed elsewhere, Suyin Beifong decides to bring Kuvira as backup for the final battle.
• Gondor Calls for Aid: Bolin and Mako put out the call for as many allies as they can to help defend Republic City from Fumiko’s dead men. Everyone answers with a resounding yes.
• Gratuitous Princess: Koko adheres to Princesses Rule, and also insists on addressing Korra as a princess based on being the daughter of the chieftain of the Sothern Water tribe, despite Korra explaining that her father isn't in a heredity position like the Northern Water Tribe. And then there’s Princess Azula, of course.
• Gut Punch: Just when it looks like Lin may have caught Temuji, he turns around and blasts a firebending attack right through her body. She doesn’t walk away from that one.
• Heart Is an Awesome Power: Korra continues to use her waterbending healing abilities, and a new version of such is shown with firebending. Temuji sadly reflects that few truly appreciate how much more rewarding it is to heal than hurt. A minor character Bao also makes use of plant-bending to help in his gardening (when he isn’t kicking a little ass with it).
• Healing Magic Is the Hardest: Both the waterbending, and a new firebending version of it, show up, and remain rare gifts not easily used by common benders.
• Hero Killer: The villains successfully kill Lin Beifong about two-thirds through the story, upping the stakes for the final act. Also, while not dead, the bending thief puts Daw, Tahno, and Wing into comas that similarly puts the rest of the cast on edge.
• Hidden Depths: Azula seems to have gained some in the ensuing years, teaching students in secret how to firebend, as well as somewhat raising Temuji after his mother passed away.
• I Am Not Left-Handed: Fumiko pretends to be a nonbender with some modest chi-blocking ability to throw off suspicion, when in reality she’s a very talented earthbender whose expertise is in sandbending.
• I Don't Want to Ruin Our Friendship: Pretty much Asami's reason for not wanting to tell Korra about her feelings, despite knowing that Korra feels the same towards her. Korra reassures her that they will always be friends even if their romantic relationship doesn't work out.
• Insistent Terminology:
  • Princess Koko, who likewise always refers to Korra by the same title. This despite the fact that Korra is the Avatar, which generally supercedes any mortal ranks (though isn’t inaccurate), and Koko is in fact Queen to her people as their current ruler. Most just indulge her harmlessly odd nature.
  • Also, Tenzin would like to maintain that he’s only fifty-five. That’s not old, that’s mature.
• It Always Rains at Funerals: Downplayed, it’s overcast for Lin’s funeral, but rains later that same day, setting a very gloomy atmosphere.
• I Just Want my Ex to be Happy: Mako encourages and advises Asami and Korra to help them come together.
• I Want Grandkids: Played for Laughs. One of Suyin's conditions before allowing Bolin to marry Opal is to give her lots of grandkids.
  Opal: MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
• Jaw Drop: Bolin's reaction upon seeing Korra and Asamis Big Damn Kiss.
• Keystone Army: When the bender animating the dead men is rendered unconscious, their animation fails and they fall like dominos. Naturally, this is incorporated into the defense of Republic City in the final chapters.
• Killed Off for Real: Lin Beifong’s watch has come to an end. Also, in the finale, Temuji.
• Large Ham: Fumiko. Temuji can have a bit of a flair for the dramatic as well, but Fumiko really loves to ham it up, both before and after The Reveal.
• Let Them Die Happy: Korra does this for Temuji, promising he'll be able to see his mother again on the other side. Its implied she was lying to help ease his death (which is really funny given that in the Avatarverse the Spirit Realm exists and in all likelihood Temuji really could see his mother in this realm unless of course there’s an Avatar version of Hell), but it was easily one of the nicest things anyone could have done for him at that point.
• Light Is Not Good: Temuji is an albino with white hair and frequently dresses in pale red clothes. This seems to be more Light is Good at the beginning, but becomes this trope when his true colors are revealed.
• Living Emotional Crutch: Temuji and Fumiko to each other, arguably more the latter than the former.
• Love Makes You Evil: Familywide, with Temuji’s love of his mother and Fumiko’s love of Temuji (and not 100% platonic love either) driving them to do the evil they do. Inverted with Azula, who took in Temuji as family and seems to have mellowed as a result of it.

M-R

• Made of Iron: As in the series. Korra and Temuji in particular take a lot of damage. Justified as being Avatars.

• Mirror Character: Korra and Temuji seem like reflections of one another at many points, wanting to change the world while wielding a great power and must use it responsibility. Also, Bolin and Miko share some similarities as being highly devoted to their older brothers and being generally fun-loving and cheerful, as well as big eaters.
• Missed Each Other by That Much: Flashbacks reveal that Temuji once visited Republic City after a stay in the Fire Nation, and upon his arrival nearly got bowled over by a polarbeardog and her hot-blooded Avatar owner. Neither he nor Korra had any idea who the other was at the time.
• Missing Mom: Temuji’s unnamed mother. His father also never receives a single mention, presumably having been gone or departing shortly after Temuji was born.
• Momma's Boy: Temuji in spades, despite her being long gone from this world.
• Morality Chain: Zuko attempted to do this for Azula, long before the story takes place. He even compares the situation to the one he had with Iroh, and how he could not force Azula to be good, but only be there for her and hope she made the right decision. Averted with Temuji and Fumiko who might seem like this for each other, but in reality are only making things worse for each other by encouraging darker and more evil thoughts and behavior.
• Moral Myopia: Temuji and Fumiko put on an excellent act, but really only seem to care about each other and their own goals. Anyone in their way is expendable. And even then, Temuji edges into complete It's All About Me towards the end.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: After The Reveal, it’s shown this is largely the way Fumiko thinks about anything that bothers Temuji or threatens either of them, being very keen to kill Korra ‘a thousand times’ if she has to.
• No Name Given: Temuji’s mother is only ever referred to as such, or Kiyi’s daughter. Her descriptions are often fleeting used as well, never going into great detail. Word of God is that this trope was specifically invoked to garner reader sympathy, because it could have been anyone’s mother.
• Not the Fall That Kills You…:
  • One of the first lessons airbenders are taught amongst the Air Nomads. Since he's a rogue airbender, it's how Aki is ultimately defeated by the more learned master Tenzin. Thankfully, from a non-fatal height.
  • Comes up again during the Battle of Republic City, where a two-on-one match is occurring atop of a very high skyscraper. As noted in the writing, its just like a Pro-Bending match, if anyone falls off the sides of the roof they lose. The difference is there's no water to catch you, and it's hundreds of stories down. One fighter comes dangerously close to meeting this fate.
• Not Using the "Z" Word: The walking dead men are never referred to as zombies in-character, despite some similarities (and more than a few differences). Occasionally they’re referred to as ghouls in the narrative, which might be slightly closer to accurate.
• Only One Who Can Defeat You: Temuji believes only he has a chance of defeating the Avatar, and she likewise to him once he’s become an Anti-Avatar.
• Our Zombies Are Different: Animated by sandbending and mixed with dark spiritual energy to follow a single controlling influence. Continue fighting despite blows to the head and require total immolation to destroy.
• Overly Narrow Superlative: On Kyoshi Island, Bolin introduces himself as "the best lavabender in the world". Opal quickly points out that he's the only lavabender in the world. Bolin dismiss this as "semantics."
• Pair the Spares: Deliberately averted with Mako, who is given no Love Interest to rescue him from the Scrappy pile is instead given a much more interesting character arc of taking up the position of Chief of Police, as well as working to avenge Lin’s death and Tahno’s near-death.

• Parental Substitute: Azula of all people, was one for Temuji as a child. He himself is also somewhat one for Fumiko, although he's more of an older brother than a father.
• Peaceful in Death:
  • Lin Beifong is said to look like she’s sleeping as she lowered into the ground in a metal casket.
  • Also, Temuji seems relatively content when he thinks he’s going to be reunited with his mother in the afterlife.
• Perpetual Smiler: Fumiko remains almost constantly smiling and light-hearted, even after revealed as a villain. The quickest way to make her drop her smile is push one of her Berserk Buttons though.
• Perpetual Frowner: By contrast, Jasmine seems to remain perpetually in a grumpy mood, never smiling.
• Plague Doctor: Fumiko’s disguise, meant to specifically invoke the terror associated with the trope.

• Power High: Temuji starts to suffer this once they absorb the four elements and becomes an Anti-Avatar, which contributes to his later Sanity Slippage.
• Princesses Rule: Omashu’s ruler is “called” a Princess, but Koko is technically a Queen and prefers the lesser title seemingly as an example of how deluded she is. Plus, under the modern government she answers to a Minister who reports to the Prime Minister in Ba Sing Se, further muddying the issue. Most just indulge her harmlessly odd nature because she is a good ruler in her own way.
• Punny Name: Tso Lan, roughly pronounced “So Long” according to Word of God, given rather appropriately to a terrified gravekeeper who first witnesses the dead rising. And who quickly does the sensible thing, running like hell.
• Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: When they see the army that's attacking Republic City: “Walking! Dead! Men!”
• Race Against the Clock: The final battle is presented in this sense, as the villains ever-closing circle of undead is meant to force the main characters to incapacitate them quickly, or a lot of people are going to die (evacuation is near-impossible). The villains use this to keep Korra separated from her allies.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Fire Lord Izumi continues to demonstrate she is one, offering her help to the Avatar in finding the villains of the story, and listening with an open mind when unsettling news is brought to her attention. She even takes a direct part in the final battle.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Temuji is an albino with naturally red eyes. At first he seems to avert this trope, but later played straight when revealed he’s the villain. Taken up to eleven when he becomes an Anti-Avatar, his eyes glow like hot coals when he’s using his full power, just like Unalaq’s did in the series.
• Red Sky, Take Warning: In the opening chapter, when the enemy first appears, it’s described as a red, misty dawn. As the old saying goes: “Red Sky at Morning, take Warning”
• Relationship Upgrade:
  • Double Subverted in Korra and Asami's case: while in canon they became a couple in the last episode, here they simply remain as very good friends. However, they do harbor growing romantic feelings for each other, and after a heartfelt talk before the final battle, they do become a couple. The Big Damn Kiss in the finale leaves no doubt in anyone’s minds.^note The author has stated that this was due to the first chapter of the fic being published in the brief period between the series finale and the writers clarifying the intent behind the final scene
  • Also before the final battle, Bolin proposes to his girlfriend, and she accepts.
• Retirony: Lin didn’t have an exact number of days to retirement, but the fact that she was even thinking about it, and preparing for it, made her death somewhat less shocking to savvy readers.
• The Reveal: Temuji AND Fumiko are both working against Team Avatar, and used masks and misdirection to keep themselves from being discovered too soon. Hints had been dropped one or the other might not be being completely honest, to avoid spoiling the reveal of both being the villains.
• Rule of Cool: As with the series, trumps Real World Physics, Mechanics, and anything else that might impede a good story. Used sparingly, however.
• Rule of Symbolism: Someone makes a remark on how the bending thief is stealing benders abilities in the reverse order of the Avatar Cycle (that is: earth, water, air, fire). Word of God is that this was an intentionally symbolic way of highlighting that Temuji was becoming an Anti-Avatar, not just a Dark Avatar.
• Ruling Princess: Technically subverted. Princess Koko is actually a queen, but she insist on being adressed as a princess. And her position is largely ceremonial since Omashu is overseen by a Minister.
• Runaway Mag Rail: The villain arranges one to distract Korra, forcing her into a Sadistic Choice between saving the passengers or capturing the bad guys. Not surprisingly, she chooses the former.
• Running Gag: A rare time not Played for Laughs, as Tahno remarks “not again” as his bending is taken away for a second time.

S-Z

• Sadistic Choice: Well aware they can’t fight the Avatar in a direct battle so soon, the villains (in a classic supervillain move) sabotage a mag rail line, forcing Korra to decide on saving the train or stopping them.
• Sanity Slippage: Temuji’s plan in the final chapters seems half-thought out at best, and gets worse the longer they go without fulfilling it.
• Seeks Another's Resurrection: Temuji’s real, true goal is to bring back his mother.
• Screams Like a Little Girl: When there’s a scream, Ikki instantly identifies it as Daw, and remarks it sounds remarkably like a girls scream.
• Self-Deprecation: Mako finally takes credit for being a terrible boyfriend, though Korra hastens to add it wasn’t entirely his fault.
• Self-Disposing Villain: Temuji, ultimately, is done in by the bending powers he stole tearing his body apart during the final battle.
• Shell Game: Temuji and Fumiko play an excellent game of this with their Plague Doctor disguise, using it as a distraction away from whom is really stealing the benders abilities and becoming an Anti-Avatar.
• Ship Tease: Ikki gets one with Skoochy, though given her family is relocating in the finale, it’s unlikely to go anywhere.
• Shout-Out: Many.
  • At one point Ikki cheers that its “Adventure Time!”
  • “It’s a Bird!” “No, it’s a Plane!” “No, it’s just Kai.”
  • “You only go to Kuviraville when you’ve got no where else to go.”
  • Multiple nods to Friendship is Magic not least of which is Princess Koko and her being a somewhat blatant Expy of Twilight Sparkle. Bolin also at one point retrieves an apple from a tree by kicking it, in a vein similar to Applejacks “bucking” technique.
  • The Unagi seems to have gained a reputation similar to the Lock Ness Monster, though unlike Nessie, it is quite real.
  • “There’s always a bigger fish” comes up.
  • Amongst the contents of Princess Koko’s library is a copy of “The Ugly Turtle-Duckling.”
  • Avatar Korra stops a runaway train in a method similar to Superman, with her bare hands.
  • During Temuji’s failed attempt to resurrect his mother, he uses the same ingredients that Edward and Alphonse Elric do in Brotherhood. That, and his lab wouldn’t out of place in a Mary Shelly novel.
  • When Yue blesses Asami before the final battle, she essentially blesses her “in the name of the moon” in a nod to the Sailor Moon franchise.
  • “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!”
• Sigil Spam: The Lotus Pai Sho title re-appears, this time blackened by soot. Word of God is that this was a deliberate misleading the readers to assume a Black Lotus was somehow involved.
• Sociopath: Azula remains in fine form, not having mellowed too much in the past decades. She even takes pride in her ability to lie... even to herself. Korra mentally calls her as much, but wisely refrains from doing so aloud. In contrast, Temuji ticks some checkboxes but ultimately doesn’t quite fit the same mental category. Ditto with Fumiko.
• Super-Power Meltdown: Turns out trying to force four elements into one body without a Spirit of Light (or Darkness) is like plugging a lightbulb directly into a nuclear reactor... it’s way too much power for the body to stand it for very long. Temuji learns this the hard way, and it ends up costing him dearly.
• Tailor-Made Prison: It's mentioned at the beginning of the story that Suyin has built a prison made of platinum for Kuvira. In the finale, Ghazan’s wooden island prison is re-visited as well as the new home of Fumiko.
• Take That!:
  • To shippers:
    Korra "Is my love life always going to be such a huge source of gossip?"
    Mako "People Talk. And you're the Avatar, people talk about you more than most."
  • Princess Koko could be seen as a light-hearted one to Friendship is Magic and Word of God is that it was indeed meant as a humorous jab at the My Little Pony Legend series by MaggieHeartsLove.
  • Also, to the supposed superiority of Aang’s era vs Korra’s:
    "The world needed Aang to be the Avatar when he was. We were at war... in more ways than one... and we needed a peacemaker and a savior. But in this day and age, we don't need that. We’d already been saved. Worse, we'd become stagnant and... complacent. Boring even. What we needed was someone to shake up the status quo and get big change started."
• Take Up My Sword: Lin has been working since the beginning of the story to pass on the position of Chief to Mako. When she later meets her untimely end, the title becomes officially his.
• Technicolor Fire: Fire Lord Izumi's firebending produces green flames, likely a sign of her great skill and power. And of course, Azula still has her trademark blue firebending.
• Technological Pacifist: Asami is downright appalled upon realizing how much weapons and war machines Future Industries produces, and vows to bring her company back to its roots of by focusing it on advancing the fields of energy, communication and transport.
• That Came Out Wrong: When Mako agrees to teach Korra lightningbending, he says that she will be "his first." Realizing how it came out, he quickly adds that he means his first student.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Korra delivers an epic one to the Anti-Avatar when he, like pretty much every other villain she fought so far, tells Korra that the Avatar is no longer needed:
  Korra: The funny thing is...I've heard people telling me that my whole life. Amon, Vaatu, the Red Lotus...every last one of them seems to think I'm either an outdated concept or they can do one better. And most of them had way better reasons for that they're doing that you ever will. You're just a spoiled little brat who can't deal with the fact that not everything does his way. Well, I got news for you Temuji. In fact, I've got news for you all! I'm here to stay. The world still needs the Avatar. And you...? Gotta... DEAL WITH IT!
• These Hands Have Killed: Following his slaying of Police Chief Lin Beifong, Temuji. Confirmed by Word of God as his first and only kill. By contrast, Fumiko largely is indifferent to any deaths she causes or tries to cause. Korra also shows some regret in having to put down Temuji, but does not hesitate to do it and has no lingering guilt about doing so.
• Thicker Than Water: Averted as much as played straight, Temuji and Fumiko are orphans and un-related, yet treat each other as close siblings. Also a chapter title which heavily features the water tribe families.
• Trainstopping: Korra stops a mag rail train heading for broken tracks, warping the metal beneath her hands in the process.
• Tragic Villain: Arguably one of the most tragic Korra's ever faced, once The Reveal occurs, and their backstory is explored.
• Trash the Set: During the finale, Air Temple Island is destroyed in the ensuing battle of the Avatars.
• Twirl of Love: Bolin does this to Opal after she accepts his proposal, overjoyed at his good fortune.
• Unnamed Parent: Temuji's mother, only ever referred to as such, or else Kiyi's daughter.

• Viking Funeral: Variant, as Korra sends off Temuji’s body by tossing him into a volcano on Roku’s island.
• Villainous Breakdown:
  • Normally calm and clinical, like a good medic should be, Temuji starts to break down in the final chapters of the story when he cannot seem to save his mother and is having trouble controlling his new powers. In the end, they're a raging, rampaging monster, crying out for his mommy as he tries to destroy Korra, irrationally blaming her for everything.
  • Fumiko has a similar breakdown when the most important thing to them, her Big Bro Temuji is dead. To say they do not take it well is a massive understatement. It completely shatters their fun loving personality, leaving them a crying mess.
• Villainous Incest: Implied if not outright stated as the reason Fumiko is so loyal to Temuji is out of love for him, and not just the sisterly kind. He never acknowledge this, and she never acts on it, but Word of God the author was fully trying to invoke this trope. Since they’re not biologically related it’s less squick-y than most examples.
• Walk, Don't Swim: The dead men. It enables them to move about the world unseen in great numbers.
• We Help the Helpless: When asked both who she is and why she’s helping, Korra answers both questions at once. She’s the Avatar.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Bolin has a fear of open waters, which makes sense considering his element is earth. He also clarifies he’s less concerned about the water and more about what’s hiding in it. Considering he’s entering Unagi territory, this fear is definitely justified.
• Wrestler in All of Us: Fumiko knows some moves, and isn’t afraid to use them in close-quarters combat to compliment her sandbending.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: Temuji believes he can resurrect the dead like he’s in some sort of Mary Shelly novel. He doesn’t succeed. Word of God is that he was never meant to, and that the World of Avatar (in this particular fanfic at least) doesn’t work like that.
• You're Insane!: The villain, once revealed starts to give away small details of their plan, including how earthbending can be used to affect the petrified bones in a body and make it move like its alive. Korra cuts them off before they can go into greater detail, and declares they’re sick. Learning more about their plans doesn’t change the opinion, if anything it gets worse.

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The Legend of Ban contains examples of:

The Legend of Ban

• Action Girl: Meiling and Willow, moreso the former than the latter to an extent. Jade functions well as a Dark Action Girl as well.
• Aggressive Drug Dealers now part of the Triad's regular operations.
• Anyone Can Die: Old Master Rohan dies early on, in part to demonstrate this, in part to remove the safety net from underneath Ban and Team Avatar.
• Big Bad: The Dark Avatar.
• Blue Blood:
  • Ban is a member of the prestigious Beifong family, meaning he’s a direct descendant of Toph Beifong, arguably the greatest earthbender who ever lived.
  • Willow is likewise a descendant of Avatar Aang (his great-great-granddaughter).
  • Meiling plays with this. Her family is well off thanks to military connections, but are not part of any noble bloodline. On the other hand, her great, great granduncle was Admiral Zhao, so there's some war infamy deep in her past too.
  • Ryuku is a Satisfied Street Rat, but Word of God is there may be more to him than that, and he does share a last name with a previous Avatar, Kuruk.
• Broad Strokes: In regards to the new continuity set forth in the comics The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars and The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire, saying some ideas will be taken but overall the fanfic follows a different history.
• Conspiracy Thriller: A lot of enemies crop up in unexpected places, and from seemingly friendly faces. Ban and his friends quickly learn they can't turn to the police when they need help. The name of the group has as of yet been unmentioned in the story itself, but many in the reviews are calling it the "Black Lotus"
• Continuation Fic: Twofold example. A continuation from Book 5: Legends, and a continuation of the avatar cycle with an avatar in a more "modern" setting.
• Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: And again, in contrast with Temuji and Fumiko, the Big Bad of Ban's era has thus far stayed out of sight, working through a vast organization, whereas the previous Big Bad was just one brother-sister duo. It's also an older man, Razer compared to a teenaged Temuji and Fumiko.
• Curse Cut Short: Frequently, in order to keep things child-friendly.
• Cute Bruiser: Meiling, who is on the shorter side, routinely throws down with men half again her size and twice her weight. And she’s repeatedly described as very pretty.
• Dangerous 16th Birthday: Ban's powers awaken three months, fourteen days following his. The exact day Avatar Korra died (cluing him in to his identity).
• Darker and Edgier: Ban and his friends are on the run, unable to trust the White Lotus (who may be infiltrated) and being hunted by hidden enemies who could be posing as friends. In addition, the world is darker, with a Drug Trade amongst the Triads and a generally more pessimistic, cynical view of the world from the perspective of ordinary, every day characters.
• Drugs Are Bad: A recurring difficulty. Even street rat Ryuku knows better than to deal with them, and only criminals and the truly desperate are shown using them. One of the early bosses in Book One was even a Triad leader who advocated the selling and smuggling of stardust, a dangerous drug.
• Elemental Powers: Would hardly be Avatar without it.
  • All Your Powers Combined: Ban, of course, as the newest Avatar. He's still working on it, but he's starting with earth.
  • Blow You Away: Willow, great-great-granddaughter of Avatar Aang and a New-Age Retro Hippie air nomad to boot.
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Ban's default and starting element. Also the Element of the mysterious "Third" and Jade Li Xa.
  • Making a Splash: For Water, there's Ryuku, a Satisfied Street Rat who uses it much more aggressively than previously depicted in either Aang or Korra's era.
  • Playing with Fire: Meiling rounds them off as the teams firebender, who makes a habit of Calling Her Attacks to give them added "oomph!" For the bad guys side, there's Drago. She later develops a variant of Combustionbending.
• Evil Uncle: Drago is one for Meiling.
• Fantastic Drug: Stardust, which resembles glitter, is a hallucinogen and a bending booster that is a mainstream part of the drug trade prevalent in the big cities.
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
  • The Sun Warriors have taken on some aspect of Native Americans, living on reservations and being something of an endangered culture, one that embraces some modern conveniences but struggles to keep their own culture alive.
  • Air Nomads have become less monk-like through the years and in modern times have become more of a free hippie movement of sorts.
• Free-Range Children: Ban and his colleagues are all on the young side (Ban himself recently turned sixteen) and have virtually no adult overview of their lives, much like Aang's early life.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: The Avatar, naturally, has these. As does the Dark Avatar, in a shade of red, when they finally appear.
• Hold Your Hippogriffs: Some new slang has developed since the days of Korra and Aang:
  • Walrus-Jerky being a stand-in for bacon, in the line of "saving my walrus-jerky" and "your walrus-jerky is cooked."
  • Kettles, which refers to corrupt policemen, because of their dark metal armor.
• In the Blood: Like her great-great-grandfather, Willow is a free spirit. Also like their great-uncle Zhao, both Drago and Meiling can have tempers and unpredictable, even dangerous bouts of firebending. The latter is working to overcome this, while the former generally embraces his dark nature.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: Eel-hounds, introduced during the finale in Aang's era, make a comeback here in the form of Jiao, Avatar Ban's faithful companion pet. We hear the occasional mention of some others, but few appear within the story itself.
• Oh, My Gods!: "Spirits" seems to be a catch all when someone wants to swear or curse but not invoke any deities.
• Put on a Bus: Baatar is not seen again for some time after Book One ends and his teaching Ban earth is finished.
• Shout-Out: At one point, while trying to come up with a false name, Ban nervously states he is "Lee... Lee... Rock" an obvious fun poke at Rock Lee from Naruto.
• Tattooed Crook: Jade Dragon Triad always have a tattoo of a green, snake-like dragon somewhere on their bodies. The Triad made it mandatory to ensure they'd always be loyal.
• The '80s: The rough corresponding time period with the Avatar's world. Pay phones on every corner, Saturday morning cartoons, aggressive drug dealers, and a general apathy towards life and the future in general.
• Time Skip: Takes place a full generation later, during the Avatar world's equivalent of the 80s.
• Uncertain Doom: What happened to the Steel Stalagmite, when Baatar the Third took him out. He is not mentioned afterwards, whether he was killed, imprisoned, or just knocked out is unknown. Also frequently the case with mooks who are defeated in combat, including the Green Dragon Triad members in the collapsing warehouse at the end of Book One.
  • Heavily averted with Jade Li Xa who is rather graphically, definitely dead at the end of their last appearance.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Unalaq wanted extra power by taking on Vaatu's spirit to rule the world. But as a consequence, he ended up creating The Dark Avatar to forever clash with the "light" one now through eternity.
• Walking the Earth: Ban and his friends are doing this. Not in quite the traditional sense of visiting the other nations to learn the Elements, but also to avoid whomever is trying to have him killed in the White Lotus. It's leading them to some interesting locales.
• Zeppelins from Another World: Common as they were during Korra's age, and with no recent disasters that put off our world, they've since become as common a transportation as Trains, replacing Helicopters and Airplanes for casual tourist travel.

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