The Legend of Korra has not premiered yet in the US, so I'm just guessing on stuff. I refuse to watch (well can't really) episodes ahead of time. This won't be updated a lot, or maybe it will, depends on my muses. I'm trying to focus on two other stories and possibly (not likely) a book. So for those who do read and stick with this, I will try to update as much as possible but I make no promises.
Republic City wasn't the same city his grandfather had spent years building with the last Avatar. It had changed since he left five years ago, at twelve years old. Rowtag was pretty sure they didn't mean for it to be like this; especially the pro-bending. It wasn't really that bad but it was the fact outside the arena bending was attacked by those Equalist. He'd seen them around the Nations, destroying benders; blocking their chi so it was impossible for them to bend. The Firebender had almost suffered the same fate multiple times in his travels, but luckily his wolfdog had saved him. He owed that dog his life ten times over.
Rowtag sat staring at the statue of the Avatar; his helmet and the handle bars of his bike keeping his head and arms propped up. From the stories that his father had told him the Airbender wasn't that grim, that he was smiling all the time; it'd been different from their mother's permently frowning face and the few occasions that Fire Lord Zuko did smile.
Everyone told him he was a spitting image of the now dead Fire Lord. Minus the scar. If only they knew.
He looked over at the darkening skyline, deciding it was time to head to his friend's house then probably his mom's. As he slid the confining helmet he comtemplated going to his father's home; he hadn't seen him since the night his grandfather had died. Four years ago. Hopefully the elder Firebender was getting along fine without his eldest son around to help take care of his younger siblings. Rowtag knew none of them were as rebelous as him but his second oldest brother was a pain to have around. If only his parents had gotten along instead of being whatever tangled mess they had been while they were together; it would make everyone's lives a little easier in the Sahale clan. His Aunt Misae offered to help Ahote raise them but he told her to stay in the Fire Nation.
That's Zuko's son and Rowtag's father, hard-headed and hot tempered as both Firebenders. At least he didn't have scars; well none that Rowtag knew.
His left hand ghosted over the red flesh of his burned arm, hidden by strips of white gauze before returning to the handle bar and stearing away from the island and towards the city's outter limits.
The neighborhood he lived in wasn't in Republic City but outside the metropolis. It was nice, quieter than the city. It wasn't bad. Better than growing up in the Palace appeartly, since his dad left at fifteen. Rowtag always assumed it was because being the Fire Prince, the heir to the title was too much. He didn't have to worry about it now; his Uncle Gaagii was Fire Lord now. Doing a good job for taking the role two days after his father died.
He turned off the bike in front of an Earth Kingdom type house, pulling the helmet off. It caused his short, black hair to stick up in odd various angles. It wasn't short, maybe the same lenght as Zuko's had been around Rowtag's age after he cut the ponytail and let it grow out. He smoothed down his messy hair and hung the helmet on one of the handles before swinging his awkwardly long leg over the bike. Rowtag ajusted his pants and shirt before walking up to the pale house and knocking on the bamboo door.
"Fire Prince, is that you?" Abhika laughed, wrapping her arms around her old friend. Rowtag hated his friend's nickname for him once he told them his father was the true heir to the Fire Nation thone. "You've grown. The world has done you wonders old friend. Tell me how was traveling over to the Fire Nation, and the Water Nation?" Her long brunette hair was smoothering him, that and her large breast that she didn't have five years ago. The Firebender was glad he grew to six feet in those years or he might not have his ribs totally destroyed.
Her older brother, Bataar, came to Rowtag's rescue, "Calm yourself Abhika. He just got back; I don't think a broken rib is a good welcome home present." The fifteen year old released him from the death grip. "Sorry to hear about your grandfather, Rowtag. He was a good man."
"How do you know? Not like you ever met him," Rowtag hissed bitterly. Bataar looked down and backed away from his friend, who's hands where producing arcs of lightining. He popped his fingers while muttering a small, "Sorry." He didn't mean to get mad at his friend, but he was sick of people assuming. Zuko was a good man, good grandfather and father but people just told him that all the time now. People that didn't even meet him in person. Sure when someone who was closer to Zuko said that to him, he didn't care. It was the ones who hadn't met him that made Rowtag want to strangle someone.
Bataar shrugged off the incident. "The Avatar's in Republic City," Abhink broke the awkward air. Rowtag looked at her skeptically with dark amber eyes. He knew that the Avatar had died sixteenish years ago and the new one was a Water Bender, but he wasn't aware that the new Avatar had come to Republic. It was a bad time to be the Avatar, with the Equilists, bad time to be a bender in general.
"Who is it and which tribe are they from?" Rowtag asked Bataar, since he wasn't in the mood to listen to Abhink.
"Her name's Korra, from the Southren Water Tribe," the older Earth Bender replied. "She's as headstrong as you and your family. I think Alok's already run into her."
There was a tense air in the room, the two siblings looking nervouslt between each other. "What?" Rowtag asked, staring at them, knowing something was wrong. Neither of them met his eyes. "What happened?" His voice rose, the fear and worry racing through his veins. The Earth Benders didn't look at him. "What happened?" Abhink and Bataar flinched when fire rushed from his hands.
"Don't shoot the messanger," Abhink plead, waiting for him to calm down. Rowtag breathed in through his nose, cooling down before looking at her. "Mahabala, he can't bend anymore. The Equalist made an example of him a few years back. We tried to save him but we got there too late. I'm sorry Rowtag." He didn't say anything as he turned around and stormed out of the house. Right now, he didn't need to be around his friends, or innocent people in general. Five years he was gone, now his little brother was paying the price of him leaving.
Honestly, he didn't remember even starting the bike, much less ending up barreling through town to Shaw knows where. It was in front of a little shop where he saw a female bender being attacked by a group of Equalist. He didn't care what happened to his bike at the moment as he jumped off the vehicle and ran over to the fight. Rowtag took down two with a sweep of his leg, evening the playing field from eight to six. The female, a Waterbender from the looks of it, took on three of them while Rowtag attacked the other three.
His rage was too much, and he didn't comtemplate letting all three live. He kicked the first one hard in the throat, effectively either killing him or knocking him out; the next one most likely had a few broken ribs. Rowtag took his time with the last one, beating him until he was on the ground gasping for breath, the white mask gone. Fire lit up his hands as he stepped on the Equalist's chest. "Tell your leader this is for my little brother and the Fire Nation; I'm coming for him next," Rowtag growled at him, blasting half of the man's face with the red flame. The pain filled scream was like music to him, until the female he saved jerked him back to reality.
"Stop!" She growled at him, throwing him back a few feet. He stared at her blankly as she cooled the burn of her attacker. Rowtag ran back to his bike, escaping the carnage of battle. He needed to be alone; he needed to talk to his grandfather.