Stand on the Horizon
is a The Legend of Korra/Pacific Rim Fusion Fic by theinvisiblekunst. The only characters from the movie that appear in the story are the kaiju (and to a lesser extent, the jaegers), and it's set during the same time frame as Korra canon (though with more technological advances).
In 159AG, a portal opened at the bottom of the Mo Ce Sea, allowing giant monsters that became known as the kaiju to enter the physical world. For eight long years, the world's benders were the first line of defense, but the loss of life became too great. A fifteen year old Asami Sato has the solution, and she presents her idea to the world: Build giant mechs to fight the kaiju. She calls them "jaegers." Now, three years later, her jaegers are the primary kaiju-fighting weapon, and she's determined to pilot her own. Who knew the avatar would also want to be a pilot.
Tropes that appear in Stand on the Horizon:
- Absurdly Ineffective Barricade: Like in the film, the council of nations decide the jaegers aren't up to the job anymore when they start falling to the kaiju and fund anti-kaiju walls to be built. When a massive kaiju breaches the wall protecting the Fire Nation Capital, Kuvira and Baatar, Jr's jaeger, Metal Typhoon, saves the city.
- Action Girl: Asami, Korra, Lin, Suyin, Kuvira, Opal, Jinora, Zhu Li...basically all of the women in the PMCDC.
- Polar Danger is referred as a "she" by Korra and Asami, so Polar would count, too.
- Alternate Universe Fic: While taking place in the same world and time frame as canon, the kaiju invasion is what of course makes the timeline of events different. Because of the Kaiju War, there was never an Equalist uprising, the Spirit Portals were never opened, and the Air Nation didn't return. Lin and Su clearly made amends sometime sooner (most likely due to the war), as they were the first jaeger team. With the jaegers being the primary weapon after years of bending being the first line of defense, bending itself seemed to take a back seat to the action (though, Asami did create "simulated bending" weapons for Polar Danger).
- Awkward Kiss: In an attempt to move on from Korra, Asami decides to accept Kuvira's offer to take her on a date. Kuvira kisses her, but it's...disappointing. Then again, this is her first kiss in a long time with someone she hasn't Drifted with.
- Badass Family: The Beifongs keep up their badassery. Lin was not only the first jaeger pilot but also became marshal of the Pan Mo Ce Defense Corps and is one of two pilots to ever run solo combat and survive. Suyin was Lin's co-pilot and then became chief LOCCENT officer when she retired from piloting. Opal became a LOCCENT officer, taking over for her mother in directing missions. Baatar, Jr. is a jaeger pilot.
- Bittersweet Ending: The kaiju are stopped, but Lin, Mako, Kuvira, and Baatar, Jr. are killed in the final battle. Later, Asami succumbed to cancer.
- Deus ex Nukina: Subverted when Striker Ferret detonates the nuclear bomb it was carrying to destroy the Breach when the release becomes jammed. Lin and Mako use it to kill Scunner and Slattern. Played straight when Asami overloads Polar Danger's reactor to destroy the Breach.
- Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: After Leatherback disables Striker Ferret and Metal Typhoon, Mako and Bolin watch as Kuvira and Baatar, Jr. attempt to distract the kaiju by firing flare guns at it. It's fortunate for them Polar Danger appears right then.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: Lin and Mako "clear a path" for Polar Danger to get to the Breach by detonating the nuclear bomb Striker was carrying, killing and injuring the last two kaiju.
- Flawed Prototype: If not for Asami connecting Suyin to the Pons system, Lin would have died when testing Brawler Omashu. Rather than dwell on the near failure, Asami goes to work rebuilding her prototype and develops the two-pilot system.
- Fragile Speedster: Metal Typhoon is one of the fastest jaegers, but it's due to its armor being extremely light.
- Fusion Fic: The Breach opens in the Mo Ce Sea, starting the Kaiju War when Trespasser attacks Ember Island, thus the kaiju mythology is fused with the Avatar one.
- Good Is Not Nice: Lin (sometimes) and Kuvira (most of the time).
- Has a Type: Asami seems to be attracted to powerful benders with intense personalities, as Mako points out.
- Her Heart Will Go On: Korra is still hurting two years after Asami's death, but she knows Asami wouldn't want her living in the past. Surrounded by her friends and family, she decides to look forward.
- Heroic BSoD: After Asami is pulled from the Conn-Pod during the fight with Knifehead, Korra's in a daze from the moment she brings Polar Danger to shore to when she wakes up in Republic City, not entirely sure if Asami is dead or not.
- Heroic Sacrifice: During the last mission, Kuvira and Baatar, Jr. sacrifice themselves to save Striker Ferret, only for Lin and Mako to do the same for Polar Danger, the only jaeger who can finish the mission.
- Improvised Weapon: Polar Danger has used a cable from Kyoshi Bridge to behead a kaiju, held metal cargo containers while punching a kaiju, and beat another kaiju with a war ship.
- Interplay of Sex and Violence: During their first sparring session, Asami finds herself realizing how attractive Korra is. Later, their first time having sex is soon after killing their first kaiju. Korra jokes they can now use sex as a post-mission stress reliever...which they do.
- It Has Been an Honor: Mako's last words to Lin just before their Heroic Sacrifice.
- Jaeger Master: Asami designs and sees to the construction of every single jaeger in the fleet. She considers the jaegers as her children.
- Lightning Bruiser: Striker Ferret.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: Not only do Korra and Asami mention the times they had sex in the Conn-Pod during their down times, but Korra remembers one time they did it in an airship control room.
- Official Couple Ordeal Syndrome: Well, falling in love with your co-pilot during a war with giant monsters was going to cause a few ordeals here and there. First, Korra and Asami have to keep their affair quiet, then the "Knifehead Incident" has Hiroshi Sato demand the PMCDC to get rid of Korra, as he blames her for Asami nearly dying, and after four years apart and finally reuniting, Asami's last couple of years are far from happy as she deals with survivor's guilt and her illness worsens.
- Mindlink Mates: If pilots Drift enough times with each other, their minds are always connected in some way, which is called a "Ghost Drift." It's implied that the pilots' relationships with each other has an effect on their Ghost Drift. Bolin mentions that he and Mako are synched most of the time but don't hear each other's thoughts or share dreams. Korra and Asami, however, often hear what the other is thinking, share dreams, and could see one another in their minds when they were apart.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Suyin outlives Baatar, Jr. and Kuvira, who she raised, and Hiroshi outlives Asami.
- Parental Abandonment: The kaiju killed Tonraq and Senna.
- Physical Scars, Psychological Scars: Both Korra and Asami, first after the Knifehead Incident and later after Operation Pitfall.
- Plasma Cannon: Polar Danger is equipped with plasma cannons in both hands.
- Power is Sexy: Apparently Asami has a thing for powerful benders.
- Rock Beats Laser: Leatherback's EMP weapon disables Striker Ferret, the most advanced jaeger, and Metal Typhoon, another advanced jaeger, but Polar Danger, an older model that ran primarily on nuclear power, thus had better shielding, was unaffected by the blast.
- Shower of Love: Korra and Asami have one of these.
- Sibling Team: Lin and Suyin, Mako and Bolin, and even Kuvira and Baatar, Jr., whose relationship is more like siblings rather than romantic.
- Smells Sexy: Korra loves Asami's scent, which is described as "fresh powder with a hint of gasoline and leather."
- Survivor Guilt: Asami suffers this at the end. Despite being the person who invented the weapon that ended the war, she hates that she couldn't have saved everyone.
- Team Pet: Pabu for Striker Ferret. He's the face of Striker's insignia.
- Teen Genius: Asami was fifteen when she developed the idea for the jaegers, sixteen when she builds Brawler Omashu, and seventeen when she designs, builds, and launches the rest of the Mark I jaegers.
- Weaponized Exhaust: Like the jaeger it's based on, Polar Danger has a "chest mounted nuclear vortex turbine," which its used as a weapon and a means of saving itself from an orbital descent.
