1:Welcome To Republic City!

Oogi landed on Air Temple Island. Immediately, my three step-siblings tumbled off him. The rest of us, my step-mom, my dad, and I laughed. I helped Pema down while Dad looked on, hands twitching. He had important council-man stuff to do.

A few air acolytes came to take Pema somewhere. The kids looked up at me expectantly.

"I gotta change, kiddos." I said, patting Meelo's head. "All this air acolyte stuff makes me want to sneeze."

They giggled as I headed to my bed room. As soon as I shut the doors, I fell into my bed. Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing Gran-gran, but spending so much time in flight was taxing. I changed into my normal out fit, a plain short sleeved shirt, dark pants, tall boots, and a leather jacket. Under the jacket, I put on a reel of metal chord.

Why?

I'm a metal bender.

Yep. I can see your shocked faces now.

I'm only gonna tell you this story once, so pay attention.

My dad, Tenzin, and Lin Bei Fong dated. Near the end of their relationship, Mom got pregnant. Of course the relationship in question was already messed up. Pema swept Dad of his feet. After Mom had me, she gave me to dad and Pema to raise. It was always hard, Dad was dissapointed at first that I wasn't an air bender, but I do have other perks. I'm an earth bending and metal bending prodigy. My Mom is training me to enter the metal bending police in a few months. Not only that, I'm only fifteen.

"Aya!" Jinora called. I opened the door. She was standing there, grinning at me.

"What?"

"Zola says it's time to practice bending, which means you too."

Zola was the head air acolyte. She was a kind-hearted woman to everyone but me. She took it as a great offense that I lived on the island, and a greater offense that I wasn't an air-bender, or even a non-bender. She might've not even minded if I at least had the [i]mind[/i] of an airbender.

"Kay. I'm coming." Jinora nodded and ran off. I grabbed the final part of my out fit, a pair of fingerless gloves. I checked myself in the mirror before heading out toward the bending ground. Zola, Pema, and a handful of other air acolytes were sitting on benches lining the training ring. I made myself a seat and watched as Meelo performed some of his best bending. When he finished, we all clapped. Ikki took the stage next. She was a good bender, nowhere near her sister, but very good. Jinora was next. She was by far the best, though that may have had to do with age. Next up was yours truly.

I hung my jacket on my "chair" before stepping into the arena. I bowed towrd Zola. She pursed her lips. I grinned and let my chords fly. The wrapped around the area like a pair of flying snakes. I began a kindo of dance with them, they twisted around every which way. I switched to earth and began to send rocks flying around the air. The Air Acolytes oohed and ahhed, except for Zola. When i finished, I bowed. Everyone clapped.

The kids ran toward me and we took hands. We bowed and even tried the wave. That was a fail. But, well...

The air acolytes whistled at us, as Jinora dragged us away to the sky bison pens.

The kids began to groom Jinora's sky bison, Ai. Well, technacly, she was Jinora's. Mostly, we shared her. By we, I mean them. I have an intense fear of flying.

I hadn't realized how much time had passed until dad came home. Meelo was sleeping on Ai's neck, but immediately airbended over to dad to sit on his neck.

That's when I noticed a water tribe girl was sitting on his saddle. Korra.

"What's [i]she[/i] doing here?" My dad gave me an odd look.

"Aya! Korra is our guest. A temporary guest-"he shot a look at her "but a guest all the same. I expect you'll all get along [i]famousley[/i]." He sent me a glare that meant, 'or you'll be toast.'

I nodded. I went back to the ring to get my jacket before heading back to bed.

In a few hours, Ikki and Jinora came to drag me off to say goodbye to Korra. I followed, and said a polite good bye. Then, just to my luck, darling Dad decided that it was best Korra stay here and that I show her around the city.

That night, I fell into my bed, knowing it was going to be a long year, or however long it would take Korra to learn airbending.