There are some points I need to make before reading this story. It is not entirely canon. I have some major things that I wanted to change in the original series that may involve me writing my own version of Legend of Korra at some point, but I'll tell you some of the basic things in my version of Book 1 that will help make this story make sense.
This story also began with ideas given to me after "Turning the Tides" aired, so some things may be adjusted depending on what I see in the last two episodes. So here are some points to know:
1) "The Spirit of Competition" never really happened. Korra didn't have feelings for Mako upon initially meeting him, and Bolin never went after Korra because he had a crush on her but didn't take it any farther than that. All the romantic angst never happened between the three of them and Asami.
2) Mako and Asami broke up mutually about a year after Korra defeated Amon. Details of the breakup will be addressed in a couple chapters. And I will also discuss more details of Mako's and Korra's relationship in the next chapter, more than I have in this chapter.
3) No matter what happens in episode 11 or 12, Mako had his bending taken away by Amon in the final battle and its is irreversible like Tahno said. This will also be addressed further in the next chapter.
Chapter 1 - The Waiting Game
Republic City - Fall - 180 ASC
"We're hearing a report of a robbery on the south end of town! The suspect is on foot. Male, tall, black hair, and was last seen wearing a water tribe jacket," was transmitted in over the young metalbender's radio. It had been a slow day, and the chance for action got his spirits in high order. Why not have one last hurrah before he goes off duty for the evening?
The metalbender picked up his receiver and made a return call. "This is Sergeant Bolin, reporting sir. I'm the closest officer to the incident and I will be hunting down the suspect. I request backup immediately." By now, he had already begun running towards the south side, hearing his metal armor clunking along as he moved.
"Sergeant Bolin, your request has been granted. Expect reinforcement shortly. Over."
With the call done, the sergeant bent his metal wiring along the police cables that crisscrossed the sky of Republic City. He felt himself being lifted and was soon suspended nearly thirty feet in the air. Using his momentum, pulled forward and felt his feet gliding along the cables. There really was no feeling that could compare to being a metalbender in Republic City with the free access to miles of wiring. From up there, one could literally see everything. And it was just about as close to flying as one could do without being an airbender, perhaps with the exception of firebenders who could propel themselves through the air.
He continued his search, sliding closer to the bay area of the city. Soon, the harbor came into view, and there a sudden sadness hit Bolin, but he swallowed it down as best as he could. He was on duty, he told himself, he had to focus on his job.
At this time in the evening it would be hard to find a suspect on the run, especially on this night. They were on the cusp of the White Lotus Festival, and the excitement that was running through town was palpable. Families paraded the streets to catch early glimpses of the decorations that painted the city. There was already a trail of petals in various shades of pink, purple, yellow, and white floating around in the wind. Right now, a person who seemed like they were running away from something wouldn't be that noticeable.
Focusing less on the areas where the masses seemed to be collected, Bolin moved toward the back alleys, areas filled with warehouses that during the day would be busy with docking Satomobiles. Normally, someone who wanted to blend in would be with the crowds, but someone who wanted to get away would want to get lost in this maze of an area.
Rounding a corner behind the Cabbage Corp facility, he saw a figure look over his shoulder and spotted the police officer. Bolin saw that the person, a man, was in fact wearing a water tribe jacket. On his shoulder was a bag with what he could only expect to be the stolen objects. He saw this as his chance to strike, shooting a cable into the building and launching himself toward the suspect.
The thief backed up, moving his arms in a traditional waterbending fashion. Before Bolin could react, a nearby hydrant exploded and water came shooting at him.
His impact with the ground was muffled by the metal uniform, but his breath was knocked out of him nonetheless. By the time he was back on his feet, the suspect already had a good head start. Avoiding the water that was now pooling all around him, he got back up on the cables to start the chase again.
A metabending airship flew overhead. "This is the police. Give up your chase; we have you surrounded," played over the speakers. The man kept running.
Several of the sergeant's coworkers jumped from the airship and landed in a semicircle around waterbender. Bolin was coming in from behind, giving him no place to go.
One of the officers ready his restraining cable, but as he moved his arm forward, the suspect pulled some water from under his jacket and made it freeze on the police's hands. He used the rest of his water on the other guards, freezing them to their spots. He was about to run again, but Bolin was close enough to fire a restraining cable from behind. The unprepared waterbender and was captured, falling to the ground as the cables constrained his arms to his body.
"Admirable effort," Bolin said, coming up behind the thief and yanked him to his feet. "But you're under arrest." The airship shot down another cable that Bolin attached to the captive's restraints, lifting the waterbender into the air and towards the ship. Bolin then assisted the frozen guards and the metalbenders returned to their ship with triumphant smiles.
As much as I hated late nights, even I had to admit that it wasn't like I had much better to do than to focus on my Avatar duties at the current moment. Although that would all change tomorrow... The butterflies of excitement fluttered in my stomach again.
But I couldn't focus on tomorrow right now. I had something more important to deal with.
"How long do you think it'll take before he talks?" My question was posed to the the newest Chief of Police, Johar, as I arrived to a small room in the police station. It was a dark room with a large two-way mirror. Through the glass I could see an interrogator in his metalbender uniform standing over a prisoner.
"Hello to you, too, Avatar," Johar chided as I came to stand beside him. The Chief was a man in his forties, with the age just starting to show in his face and a few grays in his otherwise brown hair. He was one of the lucky officers to have survived the ordeal with Amon ten years ago and retain his bending abilities. Without the few metalbenders that lasted Amon's wrath with their bending, I highly doubted that there would still be a metalbending police force in Republic City. "They've been at it now for seven hours. It seems like Shu won't be admitting to anything tonight."
I was silent as I examined the prisoner Shu. His looks were infamous by now, a product of his years fighting with the Agni Kais. Half of his body was covered in burns of various degrees, one in particular that snaked out from under his collar and ended along his jawline. The rest of his face didn't escape other abuse either, as he had multiple scars, including one over his left eye. One usually felt bad for staring, but it was even more dangerous to take your eyes off of him, even for a second.
"Is it true, what they say about him?"
Johar made an exasperated sound. "Are you asking me if I believe that he lit a child on fire just to make its parents agree to the Agni Kais' wishes? I really wish I couldn't, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't believe the Agni Kais would."
So it was true, then. The sinking feeling I had just then was enough to make me shiver. I pulled the fur-lined collar of my jacket up around my neck and crossed my arms over my chest.
The worst part was that Shu wasn't even the leader of the Agni Kais.
The triads in Republic City had quieted down for some years after the Amon crisis, one that we now referred to as the Uprising. I was glad to have gotten through my first real test as the Avatar and was rewarded with several peaceful years. But now things seemed to be returning to their normal after a few years of rebuilding, the triads' numbers had started to rise again and I found myself working to dismantle their reigns of terror.
Although sometimes, when dealing with the triads, I felt as though I would much rather endure my airbending training all over again than hear some of the things these people were capable of doing.
"Why don't you tell me about that family again?" the inspector asked Shu, and I was surprised at how patient he sounded. I probably would have pummeled the guy hours ago. "What did the Agni Kais do to them?"
Shu's voice rumbled in sick humor, his mustache curling mischievously. "It's like I've been telling you: those people aren't who you think they were. They contacted us for their services and never paid us back. No one uses the Agni Kais without a price."
"I don't care about the misdeeds of the family. I want you to explain exactly what happened."
"Why don't you make me?"
Even I could feel the daggers in his glare from behind the glass.
"I doubt we'll be doing this much longer," Johar said to me. "I appreciate you coming out tonight, even if we didn't get any real information."
"It wasn't any problem at all. I want to know everything that you guys do; the Agni Kais need to be stopped." He ushered me out of the room and into the police station lobby.
"We'll probably be at it again tomorrow. You're always welcome here, Avatar."
"Um...tomorrow?" I really wanted to keep on top of things in the city, but tomorrow wasn't going to work at all.
Johar raised his eyebrows in realization. "Ah, that's right. How long has he been away this time?"
"Four months," I replied automatically. I didn't even have to think about that answer. Each day of the last four months had been etched into me with loneliness and waiting.
"I understand." He sounded sympathetic. "Stop by whenever you can and I will fill you in on the details."
I smiled. "Thanks, Chief Johar."
He nodded and started moving back towards the hall we came from. "Good night, Avatar Korra. Say hi to your husband for me when he returns."
"I will. Good night, Chief." When he vanished, I sighed. The next few hours of anticipation were literally going to kill me.
My plan for the rest of the evening would have been to walk around town to get the jitters out of my system, but I was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Hellooooo, Korra!"
I twirled just to see a very sweaty Bolin emerging from the offices. He wasn't in uniform and he seemed tired, but that didn't stop him from greeting me with a huge smile.
"Hey, Bolin. How was work?"
Bolin hadn't changed much from the happy-go-lucky teenager I met ten years ago. Sure, he had grown a couple inches and now sported a patch of facial hair on his chin, but his face was still the same; bright green eyes, the slight button of his nose. Being a metalbender had matured him some, but he still had his endearing personality.
"Ah, you know, the usual. Just caught a robber right before I got off and was filing his paperwork. Would you believe that this guy stole 100,000 yuans worth of jewelry from a White Lotus Festival vendor? Including a very valuable pendant that had once belonged to someone in the Order."
"Well, I'm glad you caught him," I said. Those types of chases were nowhere near as interesting as some of the other cases Bolin had handled since enlisting in the metalbending police force, but he really enjoyed making a difference in the city, even if it was something as small as catching a robber. It was hard not to feel for his excitement. "I think I should get going now-"
"Do you really have to?" He sounded disappointed. "I was going to meet Hana at the Dragon Moose Pub and I figured you might want to come with us."
"I'd really like to, but-"
"But what? Come on, Korra, it won't kill you to have some fun once in a while." He looked at me earnestly. "I know it's hard on you when he's away, but you don't need to be a martyr. He wouldn't want you to spend all your time moping over him not being there."
I sighed. I really couldn't argue with that. Besides, a drink or two might help make tomorrow come faster. "Okay, I'll come with you."
"Great! I promise you won't regret it."
I smiled. Even after all these years, I could still count on Bolin to cheer me up.
The Dragon Moose Pub was a fine establishment for those younger adults seeking the pub-like atmosphere without dealing some of the sketchier people that you might see in a cheaper vendor. I had been here plenty of times and found it to be one of my favorites. It was a very down-to-earth place, not too fancy for my taste, and most of the drinks did their job tasting good and leaving you with a good feeling.
Bolin and I strolled into the the building. The place was filled with its usual after-work crowd. Low lighting was situated around all of the wooden decor. The bar was situated in the center of the large room, built like an island with a kitchenette in its core.
Already situated at one of the bar stools was Hana.
"Hey, honey," Bolin said, greeting her with a kiss.
She smiled when she saw me, although she seemed a little puzzled. "Hey, Bo Bear. I didn't know Korra was coming."
Hana and Bolin had only gotten married a few months ago, after Bolin had been certain that he could financially support themselves. Hana was a slim girl, shorter than me, with shoulder length curly brown hair and big, bright green eyes. She was an earthbender like him and used her talents as a sculptor of rocks that normal tools couldn't manipulate. Recently, she had some of her pieces displayed in Republic City's Art League.
"Sorry, we bumped into each other at the police station," I said. I felt bad for interrupting their couple time; I knew how much I liked being alone with my husband whenever he was home.
"Don't worry about it, girl." She waved her hand at me dismissively. "You could probably use the company. And a little bit of fun."
We ordered our drinks, me getting my classic Southern Chiller - a Water Tribe-inspired blend of milk-based drink that generally always cured whatever was ailing my mind on any particular night. I gladly took a sip while the couple talked about Bolin's day at work.
"You know, I haven't seen you in a couple weeks," Hana noted, frowning slightly. "What have you been doing with yourself?"
By now, the alcohol was starting to work its way through head and body. Just what I needed. "The usual, I guess. Meeting with the council. Investigating the issues with the triads. Taking Naga out for some strolls."
"That doesn't sound terribly exciting."
"Yeah, well, being the Avatar isn't always as exciting as some would make it out to be." The bitterness that was dripping from my voice was tangible. I took the final gulp of my Chiller and had an immediate desire for another.
Bolin frowned at me. "Are you okay?"
"Of course I am!" That was just about the biggest lie of my life. A crazy firebender from the Agni Kai triad had done something I didn't even want to think about. The triads had been running crazy. I hadn't seen my husband in four months. And worst of all was the guilt I felt for my selfish desire to have him at my side despite everything that was happening in Republic City.
They stared at me, seeing through my lie.
I groaned, burying my head in my arms. "It's been two years. You think this would get easier for me. But it doesn't. It only gets harder every time he goes away."
"Hey, you're the one who married my brother," Bolin said, although his tone was more joking than anything else. "And with that, you knew he'd be gone a lot with his job in the United Forces."
"Okay, so I knew what I was getting myself into. But I didn't realize that him being gone eight months out of the year would be so hard on me." I motioned to the bartender for another drink.
"I know it's tough on you, but remember how tough it is on him, too. Mako really loves you, Korra. But he also loves his job."
"I know, and that's why I feel horrible for resenting it." My new drink was handed to me and I greedily took a gulp.
"If it makes you feel any better, I think we should have some girl time together the next time Mako has to leave," Hana suggested. "We could invite Asami if she isn't busy."
Next time. Ugh.
The worst part was that sometimes I didn't know how long Mako would be home. He might expect to be here for one length of time, but then he'll get a notice from the General that he would need to be at sea again in three days. When we got married, I thought I could handle his absences with the various things I needed to do around the city, but the less I saw of him, the more I craved him. It was literally the worst form of drug; I indulged myself with his presence while he was home and then had to deal with his disappearance cold turkey. Him being gone was really taking its toll on me.
But I was going to do something this time, something that I hope would really change this cycle that had been going on for the last two years.
I just wasn't sure how Mako would react to my idea.
"Maybe I'll take you up on that," I said. Hana was just like a female version of Bolin, so she had the same fun-giving affect on me. I drank the remaining liquid from my cup and stood up, placing some money on the counter. "I should really get going; I feel bad for getting in the way of your date night. Thanks for inviting me, Bolin."
"We're still meeting in the morning, right? To head over to the harbor together." Hana asked.
My expression softened. "Of course. I know you guys are just as anxious for Mako's return as I am."
"Good."
"Take care of yourself, Korra," Bolin said.
I nodded and turned to leave. It was hard to take care of myself when I felt like all of me wasn't here to begin with.
By the time I reached Air Temple Island, it had started to rain.
I usually visited my first lodging space in Republic City daily, even though the condo I now lived in was downtown. While my new home had great access to Town Hall and the Police Station, I didn't like how removed I felt from the island. The commute wasn't long, but being in my old home was like being in my own little world; I felt so separated from the rest of the city that it was refreshing. And then a condo was no place to house a polar bear dog, so Tenzin allowed me to have Naga stay at the Temple.
I missed not having my best friend by my side, but I did make a point to see her every day. Most of the time I would come by early in the morning and we'd go running through the city, but I was feeling slightly tipsy from the alcohol and just wanted her company.
I trekked to the sky bison stables and found Naga lying down in her stall. Upon my approach, her head rose and her tail wagged happily. I smiled. "Hey, girl." I took a seat by her head and she sniffed my rain-soaked self. I leaned into her warm fur.
"I'm sorry I haven't visited you at all today. I've been pretty busy. You remember that Mako's coming home tomorrow."
She made a sympathetic noise and licked my face. I chuckled. "Yeah, I miss him, too. But you already knew that." She just stared at me, and I sighed. "I know, I know. I'm pretty pathetic when he's gone. It's just...the more I think about how I should be acting, the more I become exactly what I don't want to be. It's just hard sometimes."
Things hadn't been easy since we defeated Amon ten years ago, despite the years of peace. My showdown had been brutal; in our victory, we did have one casualty of sorts: Mako lost his bending. I couldn't override the guilt I felt at his expense, and the loss nearly crushed him. I spent the following year on my spiritual journey with Tenzin to find a way to recover bending, but I never found the solution. Not for Mako. Not for Lin Beifong or any of the other metalbenders. Not for Tahno. I just felt so useless as an Avatar.
Then, after talking with General Iroh, Mako decided to enlist in the United Forces. The change in him after his basic training was so shocking; he did almost a complete one-eighty. Bolin, Asami, and I were so excited to see that he had something new to live for, something he could do without his bending. He ended up joining the active serving ranks as a ship navigator and strategist, leading several fleets of soldiers in battles on land and sea. Now, after nine years of service, he held a Lieutenant Colonel standing.
At first, he had been been stationed in just about every other large city in the world besides Republic City: Ba Sing Se, Omashu, even one stint in the Northern Water Tribe. Then when he was given the okay to move back to Republic City, nearly four years ago, I realized something upon seeing him get back ashore: I loved him.
It was a horrible realization, really, because I had no idea what he felt for me. He had been pretty distant even before he broke up with Asami, and getting him to admit his feelings in before then was nearly impossible. Our love-hate relationship had mellowed out and we really became people we could rely on. We always had fun on those rare times he'd be in the city, and I found myself craving those few days I'd get to spend with him. But for some reason I had always felt this way with him; the less of him I saw, the more time I wanted with him. And then one day, I just knew that I loved him, and I didn't know if I'd be able to handle his response if he didn't reciprocate my feelings. And remembering something that Pema told me a long time ago, so when he moved back to Republic City, I swallowed my fears and told him how I felt.
The rest was history, like she had also said. We got married two years after that, when I was twenty-five, and now, two years later, I felt a lot like I did during those initial years of his enlistment. But my desire for him was worse now that we were married. He knew me like no one else did, been with me through just about everything, and I always knew I could rely on his support when I had a tough decision to make. I missed being able to talk with him.
And sometimes I just missed waking up in bed with him by my side.
I sighed for what felt like the thousandth time that day; I was such a sucker.
Footsteps sounded outside in the midst of the pounding of the rain. I looked up and saw Tenzin in the doorway. Despite aging a bit, with his beard now being gray, he looked like the same guy I moved to Republic City with. A red cloak was drawn around him, a hood covering his airbender tattoos and and a lantern in hand.
"I had a feeling you were here," he said. "It's late."
"I know," I blinked up at him. "I was just going to head home soon."
Tenzin's face was concerned. "Why don't you stay here for the night? You might catch a cold if you go home now."
"Alright," I agreed. Suddenly, the idea of returning to my empty condo didn't seem inviting.
He nodded solemnly and I rose to my feet. I rubbed Naga's head before leaving with Tenzin to the female dormitory. When we approached my old room, Tenzin turned to me. "I hope to see you for breakfast in the morning," he said, although I could tell he wanted to say more.
I nodded. "Of course. Good night, Tenzin."
"Night, Korra." He turned and strode off down the hall. I retreated through the sliding doors into my old room and took off my coat. I went through my nighttime routine tediously, removing my hair ties, arm bands, and stripped down to just my camisole and underwear. I saw myself in the mirror before going to the bed, and I could see just how tired I looked, my eyes red around the edges. I realized just how much I could use some sleep.
Right before going to bed, however, I almost swore I saw a pair of red lips in the corner of the mirror.
Wow, I really didn't expect the first chapter to be this long. It was over 9 typed pages. But there is a lot to cover.
Let me know what you think! This is my first LoK story, and I'm curious to see everyone's reaction.