A Legend of Korra Snapfic

Lessons

Part 1

By

Joshua Trujillo

It would be better if he yelled, ranted, gone off and gave her a piece of his mind. Well, more than the once in a while she was used to. Tenzin just sat there, doing paperwork, his back turned to Korra. She folded her arms across her chest and fumed.

"And how am I supposed to learn about Airbending," she growled. "If you won't teach it to me?"

"You're a fully realized Avatar, Korra," he said stiffly. "Like it or not, I'm have to teach you the basics before getting on to more advanced things. My father would, in all likelihood, be able to teach you far more than I."

"So you're not going to teach me anything?"

Tenzin sighed and slouched. After a minute, he turned to her. Korra had expected to see a defiant, growly Tenzin, frustrated by her reckless attitude. His grey eyes failed to meet hers. He almost seemed…defeated. Korra, taken aback by this, dropped her arms and folded them behind her.

"There's so much to learn, Korra," he said quietly. "Most benders have lifetimes to learn the ins and outs of their skill. You've come so far in the short time that I've known you and you've learned all four skills, to varying degrees. And then there's me. I've got Republic City to take care of, since the departure of Tarlok. I've got little Rohan. I've got the other children and the Air Temple…"

Tenzin reached up and rubbed his forehead as he blew out a sigh. Asami had been trying to get Korra to stretch her vocabulary lately. Haggard. Tenzin looked haggard.

"Daddy," a quiet voice said from behind Korra. "I could train Korra."

Korra stepped aside and the eldest daughter, Jinora, her nose ever in a book, floated into the room. She wasn't literally floating, but she'd always had that airbender aloofness that made her steps so light.

"Jinora," Tenzin began. "I'm sorry, my dear, but the training of the Avatar is truly what I am supposed to do. You are a wonderful airbender and I am proud of all of you, but-"

"Daddy," she snapped her book closed. "You're too busy with everything else. Mom can take care of Rohan, plus we have the nannies to look after Meelo and Ikki. And I've been looking after myself. Plus, I've been reading Granpa Aang's journals and though it's hard to read his writing sometimes, I may have worked through some ways that might benefit Korra."

She gave Korra a companionable smile.

"After all," she concluded. "She does need the basics and I do have the basics down. Meelo and Ikki do as well, but I know I could teach them."

Tenzin thought for a moment before getting to his feet. He made his way to them and set a hand on his daughter's head.

"You may have something there, Jinora," Tenzin looked up to Korra. "Well, Korra? What would you have to say about Jinora giving you some lessons?"

Korra raised an eyebrow, dubious of the young girl.

"I dunno," she said. "I'm a pretty good airbender already."

"Let me ask you a question, then," Jinora smiled slyly. "Who's the better waterbender. You or Gran Gran?"

Korra began to blurt out herself, but stopped as Tenzin raised his own eyebrow. Katara taught her the basics of waterbending, taught her more than the basics, taught her how to waterbend for healing. She'd taught her so much, but Korra was very sure that she hadn't taught her everything. She chuckled and set a hand on Jinora's shoulder.

"If she can help me be a better airbender," Korra smiled. "I'm all for it!"

And that was that. Jinora shook her head as thoughts began to interrupt her meditations. That was not that. Korra was headstrong. She knew that. Her father was a great teacher, but he sometimes rubbed Korra the wrong way and got frustrated with her. She mustn't do that! She must find a way to keep Korra interested and focused. Jinora opened her eyes and looked to the books on the floor on her left. Aang's journals were written years after his defeat of Firelord Ozai, apparently just after her father was born. Something about the birth made Aang think about the future. Jinora didn't understand it, but she'd read similar things in the romance stories she wasn't supposed to read.

But…it was the books on her right that brought more ideas to her head. The green bound leather tome with the flying boar on the cover. And Uncle Sokka's diary beneath it. He had some very interesting ideas on teaching…

Jinora stepped down the temple stairs to the training ground the next morning and stopped. Korra, who sat meditating opened an eye and turned back to her. She stood and bowed to the girl. Jinora, nonplussed, bowed in return.

"You know, Korra," Jinora began cautiously. "I…I don't think you should wear an airbender outfit."

"I am an airbender though."

"Yes, I know," Jinora shook her head. "But, you're not going to go out into town, to the arena and other places in airbender robes, are you?"

Korra thought for a moment as Jinora turned back to the grounds. She crossed the cobblestones and knelt. When she rose, Korra saw that she'd placed her book on the ground, open to somewhere near the middle. Jinora stepped around the book and faced Korra from the opposite side.

"Now," Jinora began mildly. "You wondered how much I could teach you? I want to show you. Here's my challenge. Without the Avatar state, use your airbending to turn either page of this book."

Korra blinked a couple times. She chuckled and looked around as Ikki and Meelo bounced down the stairs, coming to a halt on the bottom step. The two younger children sat there patiently.

"Well, Avatar Korra?" Jinora said boldly. "Can you beat my challenge? If you turn a page, I have nothing I can teach you. But if you can't, then you'll know I can."

Korra turned a half-smile on the small girl and chuckled.

"Okay," she began. "You don't need this challenge, but at least you'll know what I can do too."

Korra took up a stance and blew a huge gust of wind low to the ground. Jinora spread her hands simply and the pages on the book rustled imperceptibly. Jinora smirked. Ikki and Meelo giggled quietly.

"Feel free to move around, Avatar Korra."

Korra pursed her lips and fired off gust after gust of air, which Jinora…blocked…somehow. Korra worked her way around, but Jinora took care to keep the book between them, always countering the wind Korra produced. Slicing winds, winds that came from the sides, spiral winds. Korra danced back and forth and kept up the pressure, but Jinora, as focused as Korra had ever seen her, kept dancing the opposite. Minutes passed. Tens of minutes. Half an hour raced and still the pages barely moved. An hour, two hours? She lost track of time. Korra stopped and set her hands at her knees as she tried to catch her breath again as sweat poured from her. Jinora, breathing hard and sweating as well, smiled in triumph. Korra shook her head and began to try again. Faster this time and wider in range. Jinora wiped her brow and immediately countered. Again, time flew past and Korra found the frustration building up in her. No matter how close, how far, how fast, how slow, what angle…nothing helped! Against a girl less than half her size! Korra shouted and the children eep'd in terror as her eyes began to glow white.

A massive blast of ripping, tornadic wind blew across the cobblestones, sweeping them clean of everything. Meelo looked around for his eldest sister and saw that she'd landed in the bushes nearby. Korra settled away from the Avatar state and looked at her hands before rushing over to Jinora. She landed on her back in the bushes and just chuckled quietly as Korra appeared. Jinora reached up and plucked the book from her face. She looked at the pages and began to chuckle again.

"See?" she turned the book to Korra. "Still didn't turn the page!"

"You lose!" Meelo cackled from next to Korra.