My mother once said that our destinies are always changing, and I suppose thats true as each choice we make has an impact on the future and who we will grow to be. But whether she actually said so or not, i'm not really sure. I haven't seen her since I was a few weeks old and my dad's stories aren't exactly the most reliable. But I always thought I knew who I would be, at least until Korra came to live with us.
I suppose for most of my life, or at least from when I was 2 years old, Tenzin has been my make shift parent. He was my teacher, in more ways then just bending; and now at the age of 15 all I wanted to be was like Tenzin. I was close to becoming a master and though I already had the skills I suspected Tenzin wanted to wait for my 16th birthday which was only 4 weeks away.
In a way I was his first daughter, I was born and had started learning air bending before all of my cousins, though if Tenzin was my father than they were my little sisters and brother. Though at times like this I almost with they weren't.
"Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" the constant sound of Ikki and Meelo's voices was enough to give anyone a headache, and the journey from republic city to the Southern Water Tribe had been long and tiring. Thankfully Jinora was past that stage and now shared looks of exasperation with me instead.
So it's no surprise that we were all relieved when Tenzin finally announced that we had arrived, and the young airbenders leapt from Oogi with relief.
"Grangran! It's so good to see you!" I was excited to see my grandmother, Katara, a well known and respected water bender. I always beamed when family friends said that I looked like her, just younger and without the hair loops. I had her face, blue eyes and I even wore my long brown hair in a braid, just like she had when she was young.
"Oh my, Hanae! Look how much you've grown, I've mi-" Yet as usual my time in the spotlight is short lived and Jinora interrupted. "Grangran I've been reading about you're adventures with Grandpa Aang and I wanted to know"
Funnily enough Ikki interrupts Jinora and she doesn't seem to appreciate the irony.
"Gran Gran, you look old. How old are you? And why is it so cold in the South Pole? Can we make a campfire, and all huddle around it, and tell scary stories, and make snowmen? And then can you make the snowmen move with waterbending and chase us? Wouldn't that be fun? Huh? Wouldn't it?"
Gosh that girl can talk, and realising I'm no longer going to be able to talk to gran gran in piece I turn around to take in the terrain of my old home. Though I have to admit it doesn't look any different from my other visits. I now notice another person has joined us, and I can tell by the high tail her brown hair is in and her Parker that its avatar Korra.
I embarrassedly have to admit that when I was younger I disliked her, and with my child mind I had blamed her for never knowing Aang. Thankfully Korra didn't hold it against me now that we had matured. Even considered her to be my friend, my only friend as I didn't attend school in the city. And as she had never left the compound, I was the only friend she had.
Whilst Tenzin was helping Pema down from the bison I walked over to her.
"Hi Korra!" I greeted her, "Congrats on passing your fire bending test."
"Thanks Hanae, I'm so excited to finally start air bending, and it'll be nice having someone my own age around." Realising that no one had explained the situation to her I opened my mouth to tell her that we were not staying in the South pole for long, but she quickly ran off to greet tenzin.
"Korra? Look at you, so big and strong. You've grown into quite the young Avatar." Korra stood up a bit straighter, accepting Tenzin's praise. Her smile doesn't last long as Tenzin states that we are only here from a short visit and she isn't going to begin her training. I have to admit that I was also disappointed that I wouldn't get to train with Korra or develop a proper friendship.
Seeing that Korra was becoming upset Grangran offered us some refreshments and escorted us inside.
Understandably Korra wasn't giving up her chance to learn air bending and began to give Tenzin the third degree.
"I have a responsibility to Republic City. I am one of its leaders, and the situation there is very unstable right now." It was true that a new group had started to cause trouble within the city, and as a member of the council Tenzin couldn't just abandon Republic City.
"But you also have a responsibility to teach me. Believe me, I'd be happy to find another airbending master, but you're the only one. We're stuck with each other."
"I wish there were another way." Tenzin sighed.
"Wait, there is! If you can't stay here, then I'll go back to Republic City with you! Its perfect!" Korra looked so happy as she discovered the solution but Tenzin quickly shut it down. There was no way he was going to let Korra come with us back to the city.
She quickly left the table, probably going to let off some steam. As the rest of the table left I seized my opportunity to talk to Grangran.
"What's wrong dear?" I did love how grangran knew me so well and was always happy to listen to my woes.
"Well, I was just wondering if you've heard from Bumi lately, he hasn't sent me a letter since before my last birthday and I thought he might have spoken to you."
Her eyes softened and she gave me a sad smile, "You know how hard things are for him, and he has been very busy in the United Forces," seeing my reaction she quickly added "But I'm sure you'll hear from him for your birthday, you know he never forgets."
I could see that she was trying to reassure me, Grangran had always been a very kind and caring person, and she was very protective over her family. And I hated to upset her when she tried so hard to make me happy.
"I'm sure you're right, it's hard a hard life in the UF, there might even be a letter waiting when I get home." She embraced me in a tight hug then shooed my off to bed to get some rest. But all I could think about in the room I shared with Ikki and Jinora was that she was wrong.
It was early the next morning that we climbed atop Oogi and waved goodbye. It seemed silly to travel such a long distance for such a short trip, but I did love to see grangran, and her stewed sea prunes.
Yet again I was forced to endure my cousins antics on the way home and I was extremely relived to finally be received by the acolytes on air temple island, and get to my own room, even though the mattress was thin and uncomfortable.
It was only a few hours later that the telephone rang and I could hear tenzin's voice getting louder and tenser.
"What do mean she's here?… What?" Tenzin quieted to listen to the person on the other side "Fine I'll be there soon." The ear piece was forcefully slammed down.
I cautiously entered the room, "Tenzin is everything ok?"
He looked tired and angry all at the same time, and I tried to think of what could have possibly gone wrong in the short time we had been away.
"I have to go into town to the police station, you may come if you promise to behave." Tenzin was my idol and he had become accustomed to having me as his shadow. I had even told him that once I was experienced enough I wanted to take over his position on the council. He encouraged me to follow him and deemed it a reasonable path for me, atlas more reasonable the Ikki's dreams of being a Rabaroo trainer or Meelo's goal of becoming the leader of a powerful army.
We caught the fairy into town, with little conversation between the two of us. I admired Aang's statue from the boat. Republic City was his dream, and now Tenzin was working to uphold his legacy, my legacy.
To say I was surprised to see Korra at the station was an understatement, but I was happy that I would be able to spend more time with her, once she and Tenzin stopped arguing at least.
I stayed quiet the whole trip home as Korra watched the city. She was telling me about her adventure in the city and the encounter with on to the Triads, a dangerous gang. I tried not to show it in my expression but I was jealous, she had only been here a few hours but had already experienced more of the city than I had.
Korra received a warm welcome from the others back home as Ikki asked excitedly "Are you coming to live with us on the island?" but was disappointed with korra's answer, "No, I'm sorry, Ikki. I have to go home now."
I have to admit that I wanted her to stay, to finally have a friend I wasn't related to and to train with someone my own age.
"Wait," Tenzin speaks up drawing the attention of all of us, though he is addressing Korra, "I have done my best to guide Republic City toward the dream my father had for it, but you're right. It has fallen out of balance since he passed. I thought I should put off you're training in order to uphold his legacy, but you are his legacy. You may stay and train airbending here with me. Republic City needs its Avatar once again."
I takes a moment for us to comprehend what Tenzin is saying before the celebration begins. Then all of a sudden Ikki and Jinora a squealing, Korra is thanking him with a grin on her face and I feel myself smile and we gather in a tight group hug.