When Assan finally reached Republic City, mostly by helping out however he could, he thought that his hardships would be over. Yet because of his haste to leave, he entirely forgot about the concept of money.
His stomach grumbled as various smells of food wafted towards him. Dejectedly, he began to wander through the streets. He wasn't small, but he managed to weave his way around people like a dancer. He carefully navigated across streets, his awe at the many vehicles less potent than his fear of an angry driver running him over. Assan wasn't weak, per se, but even he knew that a body had limits.
With a sigh, he found himself in a beautiful garden, a pond nearby. He wandered towards the water, and watched it, sadly.
It wasn't the first time he wished that he could bend, somehow. When he was small, his parents believed that he might be an air bender. After his father died, it was clear that he showed no talents for bending the elements. His mother often brought up this bitter disappointment.
Assan knelt down, letting his fingers touch the water.
Two seconds later, he almost fell in, startled out of his morbid thoughts by the sudden appearance of a young woman riding a polar bear dog.
She blinked, then slid off. For a second, they stared at each other then she frowned a little.
"Do I…know you?" she asked.
"I don't think we've…" but his words were suddenly muffled when the polar bear dog licked his face.
The young woman laughed. "Wow! Naga really likes you! What was that you were saying?"
With a small smile, Assan put his hands on Naga's large head…
…and felt warmth and peace, yet just a bit of uneasiness…
He blinked.
The young woman was frowning again, a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. You okay? You looked really out there for a second…"
Assan shook his head. "Sorry. I…maybe…" His stomach choose to speak at that moment.
The woman laughed again. "You know, we're hungry too. Maybe we can get some fish from here?"
Assan looked uncertain at the water. "I guess it's possible…"
"Awesome! My name's Korra, by the way. I'm new here." She said, bending the water a bit to aid in catching some fish.
"I'm Assan. I just got here as well," he replied, carefully catching a fish with a few tricks he learned.
"Your clothes…Northern Water Tribe? I'm from the Southern Water Tribe!"
"It's an odd coincidence…" His voice trailed away as Korra lit a fire from nothing to cook their fish…
Waterbending…fire bending…
He should have been shocked, and probably in awe. Yet, somehow he felt…as if he already knew…
"You're the Avatar," he said.
Korra grinned. "Yup! Are you a bender?"
He gave a small smile. "No. I wish I was. What a heavy burden you carry…"
"Hey, hey! It's no burden to me!" replied Korra, placing a hand on his shoulder again…
He felt it, how elated and proud she felt, and his smile became larger. Yet Korra's smile disappeared, and she pulled her hand back, almost as if burned.
"What was that?"
Assan's grey eyes grew wide. "You…felt that?"
"I felt as if…a bucket of sadness was dumped on my head!" She leaned towards him, studying him excitedly. "Did you do that?"
"W-what…?"
"Ahem?"
The two jumped and looked at man in patched up clothes, hair in utter disarray.
"Your fishies are burning…"
The two yelped and grabbed for the fish as Korra extinguished the fire.
"You wouldn't mind sharing, would you? Gommu here hasn't had much to eat."
Automatically, Assan's hand held out his own single fish, but Korra smacked his hand, holding out an extra fish instead. The man was…odd…
"Do you…uh…live here?" Korra asked.
"Why, yes, indeed. It's quite comfortable for us vermin."
Both Korra and Assan glanced at each other, startled a little.
"Not everyone is privileged here in town. You children will learn…"
A whistle made them both jump, and the sharp cry of "You can't fish here!" rang in the air.
"Run!" Gommu called, disappearing into a bush.
Assan hesitated for just a moment, but Korra grabbed his arm, and they ran to Naga, who ran as fast as she could.
They paused for a moment, and in the distance, they could hear the words of a man speaking on a podium. What they heard shocked them even more than the sudden appearance of the homeless man.
As they listened, Korra became more distraught, and Assan had to grab her arm to stop her from rushing out.
"Let go! I'll show them that bending's the best thing in the world!"
"No, Korra! Listen! I know how precious a gift bending can be, and I'm not a bender either. But listen…you can't change hatred with anger. Maybe something happened to them to make them feel this way, and just going out there and yelling at them will only get them even more angry."
As he talked, her muscles remained tensed, but she seemed to slowly relax.
"Who are you?" she asked after a moment.
Startled, Assan only stared back.
Korra shook her head, and took one more glance at the protestors before moving on.
"Where are you staying?" Korra asked him.
He shook his head. "I have nowhere to go…"
"That's great! I mean, no it's not, but that means you can go with me!"
Assan began to shake his head, ready to politely decline the kind offer, but she just smacked him upside the head.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm going to the Air Temple nearby. I'm sure Tenzin won't mind one bit!"
"I…all right…how do we get there?"
"That's…errr…."
Korra looked around.
"You don't know?"
Korra responded by shrugging, a grin on her face. After a moment of walking, they decided to ask. The older woman showed them the way, but she appeared nervous as they walked, and moments later, it became apparent why.
Several benders were harassing a store owner.
'This is why so many hate benders,' thought Assan.
Korra was already moving towards the gangsters, calling the group cowards, and standing her ground.
"Gonna send your boyfriend to do your dirty work, lady?" one sneered as he approached.
This time, Assan responded first. He snorted at the comment, and then said, "I doubt she needs protection. I'd be more worried about your own welfare."
Korra gave him a quick smile, but the gangsters were not pleased. Quickly, they attacked.
Earlier, when the protestors spoke, he had urged Korra not to attack. Here, however, things were different. These were men who weren't talking, but threatening another's wellbeing. He fully agreed with Korra's actions to intervene.
Easily, as if they had fought for years together, they wove around each other. He could not bend, but he could fight. He didn't think she really needed help, but help anyway, he did. It took seconds to take down the men.
And then the cops came…
Of course, he was a bit confused as to why they were being arrested, but he was a bit surprised when Korra grabbed him and they ran.
"I really don't think this is a good idea, Korra!" he yelled, as he turned to watch the chase.
"We're entirely innocent!"
"We kinda took the law into our hands, and you did accidentally send that car into a building!"
"Fine, fine! Mostly innocent!"
'Mostly innocent,' however, didn't seem to settle with Chief Beifong, after they had finally been caught.
"And have you got anything to say?" she eventually asked Assan, as he mostly remained mute during the interplay between her and Korra.
He sighed. "I believe that in a way, you are right, and we could have hurt innocent bystanders, but to stand aside and merely wait when others could have been hurt…I don't think that's right either."
Lin studied him. "Your manners are like a monk, but your clothes are of the Waterbending Tribe…"
She was interrupted by the announcement of Tenzin. After this, Assan remained silent, almost a shadow. He watched and studied the mannerisms of these people, who he never thought he would meet. He could feel Korra's anger and dejection, Lin building the wall around her, protecting herself with imaginary walls, the quick lash of Tenzin's anger, unpredictable like a tornado…
He followed them to the docks, and then Tenzin seemed to notice him.
"It is no real fault of yours that you were involved in this mess. Korra has a way to draw others into her affairs."
Assan shook his head. "No, sir. I'm just as much to blame for my actions. I cannot pay you now for the kindness you showed me earlier for bailing me out, but I will pay you back somehow."
Tenzin's eyes widened. "You…" he began, then grew silent, thoughtful.
Assan bowed, then stepped closer to Korra.
"I feel like you're the brother I never had," said Korra. "Why is that?"
"Maybe we were siblings in a different life?" Assan asked. A sudden sorrow filled him.
"Come with me to the Southern Water Tribe!" she blurted out. She looked embarrassed. "I'm not…you know…trying to get you out on a date or anything…"
"I understand," he said, his cheeks stained nevertheless. "Friendship is a bond just as strong as love, Korra."
Korra smiled, then moved towards Naga, not waiting to hear his answer.
Thankfully, he didn't have to respond, because two seconds later, Tenzin announced the change in plans.
He could feel Korra's joy inside of him, as if she were soaring through the skies.
"You are welcome as well," said Tenzin. "I understand that you wish to repay me, but it will be far easier to do so if you have a place to rest, even if temporarily."
"Master Tenzin…thank you…"
He walked down the hallway, following the man known as, "The Lieutenant." He groveled, and did what all servants did.
"Lord Amon," he said, as he opened the door to announce the Lieutenant. "The Lieutenant arrives."
He faded into the background, listening to the two men talk. He removed two small spheres, one dark and one light, and began to weave them around each other.
A smile appeared on his face…
"Oh, if you only knew…"