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The first time Korra saw Republic City, the lights of the Pro-bending Arena gleamed, obscuring most of the city from her vision. Brightly against the dark night sky when she was finally allowed to stay in the city to train with Tenzin, it lit up her vision.
Like a beacon.
The first probending match she ever sees is between the Fire Ferrets and the Tigerdillos. The waterbender, Hasook, is a rather poor and flashy player…sacrificing the progress of his team to show off fancy moves that got them nowhere. The other members of the team - Mako and Bolin - are serious about the game. Bolin was really into it, focusing his energy into strength attacks. He has fun while slinging disks toward the opponent, earthbending them further and further into the back zones with ease.
She's really impressed with Mako, though.
From her high seat in the balcony of the arena, she sees him make smart, strategic moves. He's incredibly serious about the sport and throws all of his passion into each strike. It isn't often that his moves don't connect and force other players into the water below the ring. His firebending is at least as good as hers had been during her final test back in the South Pole…and she's been fighting master firebenders.
Due to Hasook's poor playing and shoddy footwork, the Tigerdillos gain heavily on the Ferrets and send Bolin and Hasook prematurely into the water. Mako is left in the ring alone, dodging attacks until he can make a strike back. The Tigerdillos evenually can't hold their elements long enough to have any lasting impact on the firebender and he strikes back, easily knocking the waterbender into the water below from his position in the Fire Ferrets' second zone. Compared to Mako's position in the third zone of the Fire Ferrets' territory, it's an incredibly strong move.
It's not long until he beats the other team's firebender out of playing position and it's just him and their earthbender, who is suddenly in the third zone of his own territory, the arena obscured by a cloud of dust. Nobody can see anything and Korra cranes her neck to see what is going to happen next.
Suddenly Mako appears from nowhere and delivers a blow that sends the earthbender over the side.
"It's a knockout!" Shiro Shinobi, the announcer, yells.
Korra, who had been holding her breath almost for the last four minutes of the match, jumps up and screams happily with the rest of the Fire Ferret fans.
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As the arena begins to empty and everyone leaves to go back home, Korra sees a huge bulletin board in the front lobby which reads: "Firebender needed! Meet in arena gym tomorrow at 11:00 am. Red Sands Rabbiroos."
Taking the flyer down from the board, Korra folds it and takes it back with her to Air Temple Island, where she sleeps peacefully before deciding how to break the news to Tenzin that she both defied his orders and was thinking of joining a team.
She'll worry about that tomorrow.
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The next day at airbending practice, Korra cannot seem to move through the gates without bumping into any of them. Predictably, becomes anxious and frustrated and destroys them after hitting one for the last time. Firebending against the defenseless gates, they erupt in an explosion.
"That was a two-thousand year old historical treasure," Tenzin says in a measured tone before yelling, "What…WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"
"There's nothing wrong with me!" Korra retaliates. "I've been practicing just like you taught me but it isn't sinking in, OKAY? It hasn't clicked like you said it would."
"Korra, this isn't something you can force. If you would only listen to me…
"I HAVE BEEN! But you know what I think? Maybe the problem isn't me. Maybe the reason I haven't learned Airbending yet is because you're a terrible teacher!" Korra stomps off angrily, leaving Tenzin and three children. She hears Meelo screaming afterward and is hit with a pang of guilt.
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After airbending practice, Korra leaves the island to see about the flyer she picked up the night before at the arena. Entering the front of the arena this time, she leaves Naga out front.
"It's alright, girl, I'll bring you some fish after this." Korra feels as if this may be her only opportunity to gain some freedom in Republic City. She enters the arena, which is fairly deserted, almost fifteen minutes before eleven.
Trying to locate the gym was another debacle she hadn't anticipated.
Wandering around the arena, she finds herself in many places she doesn't recognize from her trip here last night. She'd found the entrance to the arena easily through that window, but that was the extent of her exploration. Suddenly she's in a bathroom, and turns around instantly. Back in the hallway, Korra, looks around for anyone who could help her find her way to the gym.
"Excuse me," she says to a boy in exercise clothing exiting a room, "can you tell me where the arena's gym is?"
"Sure," he says, and she recognizes his build and dark hair from the match last night. She doesn't say anything yet as he walks her around to the gym entrance, where two other girls in similar gear to the boy, albeit a different color, are practicing. One is a waterbender and the other an earthbender, she can see from their exercises.
The boy introduces himself. "Name's Bolin, by the way."
"Korra," she says in return, shaking his hand roughly in hers. He seems a bit overwhelmed by her instant familiarity, but responds in much the same way.
"Nice to meet you, Korra," he says, and noticing that the girls have stopped their exercises to meet her, says, "I'll see you around sometime." He leaves, going down to hall.
Korra smiles and turns to the girls.
"Hello," the taller girls says. Her exercise apparel indicates that she is the team's waterbender. "I'm Umi."
"Nice to meet you," Korra says, taking the girl's hand and shaking it in a way less abrasively than she shook Bolin's.
"I'm Ula," said the earthbender. Her long dark hair was tied up in a ponytail. Korra shook her hand as well. "Korra."
"So, did you see the flyer?" Umi said.
"Yeah," Korra said, pulling it out of the pocket in her loose pants.
"I'm sorry, Korra, but we aren't in need of a waterbender." Umi said. "That's my job."
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, noting her particularly Water Tribe getup. "I'm a firebender, like you said on the flyer."
"Huh?" Ula said. "But you're…so Water Tribe." She pointed at Korra's blue attire and fur wrap, confused.
"True," Korra said, for the first time feeling a little embarrassed by her title.
"Wait, wait," Umi said. "Are you…by any chance…the Avatar?"
"That would be the case," Korra said.
"Well, isn't that special," Ula said, lowering a disk to the ground before she dropped it on her foot.
"I suppose," Korra retorted.
"Let's get started, then," Umi said. "We've got our old teammate's uniform here…it's not quite your size, but it'll do the job."
"Okay." And with that, Korra began training with the Rabbiroos.
"Korra, here's the pro-bending rulebook," Umi says, giving her a small booklet. "Read up, especially the firebending parts. We can't have you doing illegal headshots during a match."
"Okay," she says, feeling embarrassed and incredibly apologetic toward the girl. "I'm so sorry."
"It's fine, just be glad we were wearing helmets for this initial tryout." She smirks.
"Korra, thanks for stepping in for us," Ula says, looking more amiable than Korra's ever seen her look. Then again, it's been two hours of hardcore practice wherein her teammates had been bending at her nonstop, trying to gauge her level of firebending.
"No, thank you," Korra says. "I would never have gotten this chance if it weren't for you guys."
"Don't mention it," Umi says.
"Now, your first match is in three days. We're playing in the exhibition against a bunch of teams, so it would be best if you were ready."
"I'll be ready," Korra assures them.
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