"Bolin! C'mon, man!" Korra called up to her friend, "Time to practice! The championship is only a few weeks away!" She groaned, tapping her foot impatiently as she thankfully heard loud thumps coming down the stairs.
"Coming! I'm coming! Geez" Bolin said, straightening his pro-bending uniform as he strode past her, "It takes time to look this good." She rolled her eyes, and followed after him cheerfully.
"I'm so ready to kick some pro-bender butt!" Korra cheered, fist-bumping the air. "Tenzin's been up my ass about all this stupid airbending stuff. I mean, he knows pro-bending's helping so why won't he just let me focus on it? I'm never going to learn with his impatient, stick-up-the-butt teaching" Korra whined snarkily, making Bolin laugh.
Bolin threw an arm carelessly over her shoulders, and told her, "Eh, don't worry about it. You're with us now, so let's enjoy it! Though I can imagine how it would be hard to focus with your butt so sore." He joked, making her shove him hard and stumble back. They both burst out laughing, cracking jokes about her sore butt the rest of the way.
"What took you so long?" Mako grumbled, glaring at the duo as they came noisily in. Bolin calmed down his laughter, and replied, "You should know by now beauty takes time." Mako rolled his eyes, "Yes, that's the reason you're always so late" he replied sarcastically.
"So c'mon, we skirmishing the Northern Nougats again?" Bolin asked, notching on his helmet. Mako shook his head, "No, they're busy today. So are the Ba Sing Pro-Bending Bandits. But Butaka said there's a new team who want to try it out and practice with us." He shrugged, and stretched out his limbs.
"Alright let's go then" Korra said, obviously pumped for some action. Mako rolled his eyes, and said, "Patience, young grasshopper. We gotta wait for the platform to stretch out." Korra rolled her eyes, and ran out as soon as the platform reached the other side.
Bolin and Mako joined her, and looked around in confusion as they realized that the other platform had stretched out, but no one else had come. "Where are these guys?" Mako asked, obviously annoyed.
"Hey, someone's coming" Korra pointed out, obviously baffled. The boys turned to see that indeed, another person was slowly walking on the platform, but were surprised by the person's appearance.
The person appeared to be very small and frail, the uniform bagging so much in looked as if a small child dressed in their parents clothes to play House. Small strands of hair glinted in the sunlight, but nothing else could be noted from the distance and the covering of every inch of this new pro-bender's body with over-sized clothing material. The trio weren't even sure whether the pro-bender was male or female, or even the approximate age.
They just stared at the small person, who stared right back. Finally, the bender broke the silence, "We gonna start, or..?" That snapped them right back to life, and Korra asked, "So, where's your team?" Mako looked like he wanted to say something, but decided against it.
"I don't need any team" The pro-bender said coolly, sounding a bit irritable, "And I don't think it would really be putting you three at a disadvantage if I broke the rules for this little meaningless skrimmage. That man, Butaka, didn't seem to understand that, so I had to pay him off. I won't have to pay you three off too, will I?"
Mako started to say something, but Korra stopped him. "We're good. Just don't act all cheated when we pound you." She sealed her helmet, and got into position. Bolin and Mako followed her lead, but the pro-bender stayed in a loose, gawky position.
The bell signaling to start went off, and Mako was about to attack, when suddenly the stilled pro-bender stopped them. By simply holding up a finger to signal them to 'hold on', they all stopped mid-attack. It was strangely silent for a few minutes while they all stared at the unusual pro-bender, until Mako was just about ready to snap.
"Alright, who-" He started raging, when suddenly the pro-bender sneezed. And when this bender sneezes, he/she shot up 30 feet high into the air, and fell right back down, landing on his/her feet calmly.
"Sorry about that!" The person called out, going underneath the helmet to rub his/her nose. "I think I've got an allergy or something. Alright, ready!" The person seemed completely unaware of the gawking trio, their jaws on the floor as they stood oogling.
The pro-bender simply leaned forward, stomping a foot, and threw both arms out. The trio were snapped out of it just a millisecond before, and before they could process that was a move, a gust of wind blew out of nowhere so hard, they all went flying backwards off the platform and splash extravagantly down in the water.
"Oh, did I win?" the person called down innocently to the dumb-founded trio, leaning over the edge to lift up her helmet and reveal the smiling face of a teenage girl.
"Uh, Tenzin? There's someone here you need to meet" Tenzin heard Korra call out to him from outside on the training grounds. He sighed, irritated, and stomped out.
"What is it Korra?" He snapped, "I thought you were going to be pro-bending with your little friends for the rest of-" He cut himself off in surprise, as he gasped at the sight of a teenage girl standing beside Korra shyly.
The girl had startling blue eyes, and unusual silver hair. The silver hair was pulled back in the tightest bun he'd ever seen, and choppy side-bangs fell on top of her face elegantly, covering her eyes partially. She wore baggy, beige pants that fit her loosely, peach-colored sandals, and the classic Air Nomad top, with the Air Nomad colors and symbol, surprised him.
But none of that awed him as much as the sight of her airbender arrow-tattoos, blue as the sky and peeking out from her sleeves and beneath her tight hair. The tattoos symbolized an Airbender at a level of mastery, and he knew instantly at the sight of them that this was no fake tattoo job.
This astonishing teenage girl was a true Airbending Master.
"How is that possible?" Tenzin whispered in disbelief, as the girl adverted her eyes to her tea.
"I-I don't know. But it's true. It's completely true. I swear it" She said, looking up with wide, innocent eyes. "My name is Aanyaalaa, and I was born in the Eastern Air Temple. I've lived there my entire life with my Pa, Monkey. Atleast, I called him Monkey. And he wasn't my Pa. He was just this old man that watched after the reinstated temple. He cared after me my entire life, and taught me the ways of the Air Nomads."
"But that's not possible" Tenzin said, his voice rising, "Dozens of people have been there over the past 20 years! Visiting, vacations- I've been there myself! We'd know if someone's been living there this entire time!"
Aanyaalaa kept her voice calm despite Tenzin's rising frustration, "We kept hidden, once in a while. When there were disturbances, Monkey took me out to secret, strange places for the teachings."
"Well then, what's happened to this Monkey Man? Hmm?" Tenzin demanded. Aanyaalaa dropped her head, tears filling her eyes. "I-I don't know. Monkey was just with me a month ago. We were finishing up a training session, and I finally completed a really tricky move I've been moving on for years. He just looked at me and said, 'You've completely your training, Aanyaalaa. You have truly become the Master of Airbending. You are now the greatest Airbender the world has ever known, and will ever know.' It was utter ridiculousness, but when I laughed, I shut my eyes for only a moment, and when I opened them to correct him, he was gone." A sob escaped her lips, and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stop herself.
"What have you done since then? You said it's been a month since your guardian's mysterious disappearance" Tenzin asked, a bit more kindly since Aanyaalaa seems to be hurting emotionally.
"I've been traveling. I've been doing odd jobs, gaining some money and adjusting myself before I completed my journey all the way here. Luckily, I came on Chomo, my flying bison" She said, sounding a bit timid, but brightened as she mentioned her pet.
"Why did you come here? To Republic City?" He asked her, curious. She glanced over at Korra who sat beside her, and replied hesitantly, "I came for you. Korra. I think I'm... I think I'm meant to train you." She spoke directly to her, but as both Tenzin and Korra were baffled, Tenzin spoke up first indignantly.
"That's preposterous! Korra already has a teacher!" He seemed offended, and went on, "And besides, you can't be much older than her! What qualifies you to teach the Avatar?" She flinchesd, but her voice is calm as she explained.
"I-I don't really know. It's just- Monkey, he told me that day, before he left, that I have a great mission. I have a grand purpose, and though he said he couldn't reveal it to me then, it all started with the Avatar" Aanyaalaa glanced over at Korra again, as if Korra was the key to all her questions, "I don't really know what he meant, and he ignored me when I further inquired. I know it all sounds ridiculous, and like I'm setting myself up too much by listening to him but... he's never lead me wrong. And that's why I think I'm meant to teach her."
Tenzin already started to turn down the girl, "Well, it all seems a bit unlikely too me. Seems to me like your 'Monkey' was mad. And besides, how can we really know you are talented enough an airbender to teach anyone-" Aanyaalaa's timid face fell visibly, and Korra cut off Tenzin before he could crush the girl further.
"Show us" She blurted out suddenly, making them both turn to her. She shrugged at Tenzin's eyes boring into hers. "Well," she started innocently, "you said you weren't sure. So let her show us." A slow smile slowly spread across Aanyaalaa's face. She looked hopefully at Tenzin, who seemed to be thinking hard.
"Alright" He finally said after mulling it all over, "You can try and prove yourself. Though I don't know how you think you can do that." He sniffed, sticking his nose up in the air.
"Take me. Take me to your training area so I can prove myself then" She said, smiling.
Tenzin stopped before the Airbending Gates, making the two girls behind him stop abruptly, Korra crashing right into him and Aanyaalaa stopping by instinct at a safe distance away.
"Oooooh, what is this?" Aanyaalaa cooed, stepping closer to examine it. "I think I've seen a few of these around the temple, but I've never known what it does. I suppose now's as good as a time as any to try it out, huh?"
"This is an Airbending Gate. It is 2000 years old, and quite singed from when Korra set it on fire. It's alright now" He said, his words don't faze her as she continues to stare at the Gates with child-like wonder. "So this is how it works-" He's cut off as she reacts.
As if she couldn't hold herself back any longer, her hands reached up beside her, and she threw her hands out in front of her. A gust of wind blew through the Airbending Gates, making them go faster than ever before. Before Tenzin or Korra could say a word, she jumped right into the spinning Gates.
She danced through the Airbending Gates, swaying and twirling through with an almost unnatural ease. It seemed impossible how she made her way so quickly and easily through, not even needing to hesitate or switch directions. She just seemed to know where to go- sensing the speed and directions of the wind, she sensed the movements of the gates even before they came at her.
She had a certain elegance to which she danced through the gates, her hands swaying above her head and her eyes shut serenely. Before she jumped in, she took off her shoes, and she moved quickly through on her tip-toes, her heels all the way up, and perfectly curved.
She emerged the other side just a little while after. She opened her eyes and looked over her shoulders at Tenzin and Korra. "Well that was fun, what were you guys saying?" Tenzin opened his mouth to speak, but Korra quickly clamped her hand down over his mouth. "That was great, Aanyaalaa!"
She jumps up off the ground, flying through the air. She catapulted on top of the middle Gate, landing on a perfect hand-stand on top, then catapulting backwards back to land before Tenzin and Korra. She dived over the rest of the Gates, and landed right on her feet.
Standing right in front of Tenzin and Korra, she apologized, "Sorry, that was so rude of me! I just felt compelled to try it out. It was fun. Now, can you finish explaining it to me?"
Tenzin shook his head, "No need. That was it. To build up the instinct to avoid and evade conflict as well as to follow the path of least resistance. I think you've more than got it."
Korra turned to Tenzin, beaming. "I don't know about you, Tenzin," she said, turning to Aanyaalaa with a grin, "but I think our mysterious little bender here has more than proved herself worthy to teach me." Tenzin huffed.
"I'm not so convinced" he said spitefully. Aanyaalaa raised one perfect eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eye. Before anyone could figure out that look, she dropped down to a squat at super-speed.
She threw down her hands to the ground firmly, stopping the Gates in their tracks. She threw out her leg, swung her right leg out and swiped across to her other leg. A spread-out burst off wind blew out, and specifically knocked Tenzin backwards, losing his footing and falling on his back 5 feet back.
Before Tenzin could even try to get up groaning, Aanyaalaa, still skillfully balancing in a meditative squat, threw her arms up, clapping them together above her head. Tenzin flew up, the wind knocking him 50 feet high in the air. She threw her hands forward, hands outstretched above her head, and Tenzin was thrown right on top of the Gates.
He tripped and fell down them unsteadily, all of his own accord as he was set free of her winds. He got up groaning, standing up in the middle of the Gates. Before he could take another step though, she sucked in a huge breath and blew it out, causing a gust of wind to blow the Gates to life at a dangerously fast speed (though not even close to the one she faced.)
The Gates knocked into him, making him sprawl forward and get knocked again. It amused Korra, and reminded her of her first time in the Gates. The total confusion of not knowing what's going on, what you're supposed to do, and how you got there. It gave her an idea of what she looked like, being knocked back and forth until Tenzin finally was thrown out of the Gates.
Aanyaalaa summoned an air scooter, riding it over to Tenzin with a suppressed grin. "So, how'd I do?" She asked him innocently, though Korra could tell there was a crack in her mask, showing her amusement. He lifted his head from his groaning, and croaked, "You're in" and dropped his head again. Laughter and cheers burst out of the bushes nearby- Jinora, Ikki and Meelo coming out of their hiding spots.