I breathed a contented sigh as I pulled the covers up over my bare torso. Beside me, Kara snuggled up against my back, wrapping an arm over my broad chest. I took her hand in my own, kissing it as we both prepared to enter into a world of dreams.

It had been a few days since Tenzin had allowed Korra to remain in Republic City. For the time being, she was living on Air Temple Island, which kept the potential damage she might cause the city to a minimum. Given her propensity for charging into a situation like a crazed komodo rhino, however, I knew that it would only be a matter of time until she caused another incident. Amon seemed to think that her presence was ultimately a boon to our cause, and I chose to trust his judgment in this matter.

One thing I did know was that the next few months would bring about great change in the world, so for now, I let myself relish the silence and comfort as I drifted off to sleep.

I gazed out the window of the luxury Satomobile as it drove through the streets of Republic City, marveling at the sprawling urban centre. None of this had existed until a few decades ago, after both of my grandfathers had helped to end the Great War. This was the beating heart of the United Republic of Nations, the epicenter of a society in which Benders and non-Benders from all the nations of the world could thrive and live comfortably.

When I had first informed my parents of my desire to move here, their reactions had been… mixed. My father was all too happy for me to leave, of course, as my sister had always been his favourite. Given that I was both a non-Bender and the middle child of the family, he did not think of me as being as important as my elder sibling.

My mother was very supportive, as she always was. She heard me out, listening to all of my reasons for wanting to move to Republic City. Iroh had already done it years ago, and my mother had been just as supportive for him as she was being for me. After a few days, I then set sail for the United Republic, leaving the Fire Nation behind me.

"Have you ever seen anything like this, Chang?" I asked one of my personal retinue. Even though my mother was fine with the idea of my relocation, she had insisted that I keep a retinue of Imperial Firebenders with me at all times. The choices had been obvious, and I had picked four men and women who I had grown up with: Chang, Lee, Lihua, and Mei.

The fact that they were Benders was a little off-putting, but I trusted them, and they knew me well enough to keep the Firebending to a minimum while in my service.

"I haven't, my Prince" Chang replied, glancing out the window. Despite the fact that there were five of us, I had been able to procure a Satomobile that could easily accommodate all of us.

"These buildings are taller than anything back home" I commented, continuing to openly gawk at the massive skyscrapers. The driver took us throughout the city, aimlessly driving at my request so that I might get familiar with my new home. Suddenly, as we were about to turn a corner, I said "Stop!" The Satomobile came to a screeching halt, and my bodyguards were instantly on alert, looking for what had made me so concerned.

My attention, however, was focused on the gang of men intimidating an old man in front of a shop. There were three of them, all dressed in expensive-looking clothing, and just as we came to a stop, one of them punched a rock into the old man's chest with Earthbending, knocking him to the ground as another man kicked some flames onto the shop's awning, instantly setting it ablaze.

I immediately stepped out onto the street, the four Imperial Firebenders duty-bound to follow me. "Hey!" I called, drawing the gang's attention. They stopped what they were doing, turning to look at me.

They all laughed, and the one in the middle said "Just go about your business, rich boy. This doesn't concern you".

"You beating a defenseless old man does concern me" I countered, crossing my arms.

That seemed to make them take me more seriously. "Look, I'm gonna explain this so it's real simple: this old geezer doesn't have our money, so we have to set him straight".

The other two nodded, and I sneered at him. "So he refuses to pay to keep you thugs away, and you tear down his shop?"

The leader placed a hand on his chest, feigning insult. "We provide a service: he pays us money, along with everyone else on this street, and we protect him from any ne'er-do-wells who might want to damage his humble establishment. He doesn't pay, and we can't guarantee his safety".

I tightly gripped my arms, barely keeping my rage contained. After a moment, I sighed and reached inside my robes, pulling out a stack of Yuans. I held it up high, so that they could see it, and said "Here, take this. It should more than cover the old man's debt".

The three criminals looked genuinely surprised, and exchanged hushed words with each other. Eventually, the leader said "Okay rich boy, we'll gladly accept this heartwarming display of charity". I didn't say a word as I threw the stack of Yuans over to the scum. As it flew through the air, I turned to Chang and nodded. He did the same, and immediately hurled his spear towards the three men. The weapon sliced through the air in an arc, and just as the leader was about to grab the money, he was forced to stumble back as the spear pierced it before landing in the ground.

As Chang threw his weapon, Mei tossed her weapon over to me. I deftly caught in in my right hand, charging forward as Chang's spear landed in the ground. The criminals, having taken notice of me, started to counter-attack.

But they were too late.

I planted the spear in my hands into a line that divided two separate blocks of concrete, proceeding to vault myself into the air and over the criminals' Bending attacks. I struck the leader in the face with my feet, knocking him unconscious as I landed. The man to my right aimed a slice at my head, but I ducked in time to avoid the flames he cast. Coming back up, I drove my left hand upwards, jabbing my fingers into his chest and striking at a precise pressure point. He froze instantly, and I followed up by punching him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

The third man, realizing that he was clearly outmatched, turned to flee and thus save himself, but I would have none of that. Quickly catching up to him, running fast for someone of my overwhelming physical bulk, I grabbed onto his shoulder and roughly turned him around. He attempted to punch me in the throat, but I managed to jab his arm in two different places, rendering it useless. I then aimed a chop at his throat; my hand connected, and he grasped his throat as he choked before collapsing onto the ground.

Panting a little from the physical exertion, I took a moment to get my long, black hair back into order before walking over to the old man, who was attempting to stand up as he leaned heavily on his cane. "Are you alright?" I asked him, helping him to stand.

He placed a hand on his chest, coughing a little before replying "Oh, I'll be fine. I fought in the war when I was a much younger man; I've got scars that would put this to shame".

I smiled a little, happy to see that he wasn't seriously injured. Hearing the criminals groaning in pain, I turned to look down at them. They were all shakily getting up, but upon noticing me, I suddenly lunged in their direction. They screamed like frightened children, running away as fast as they could.

"Thank you so much for saving my shop" the old man said appreciatively.

"Your welcome" I replied. "I couldn't stand by and watch them take advantage of you like that".

"Well, then that makes you part of a very rare breed. It's a shame about the awning, but that can be replaced; it's what's inside that's priceless. Come inside, and I'll show you". I nodded, following him into the shop as two of the Imperial Firebenders stood guard at the entrance while the other two stood off to the side. Once inside, I saw that the shop offered masks. Various different styles and colours of masks were on display: full masks, half-masks, or just eye-covering masks were all available.

"This is incredible" I said, glancing at the cornucopia of masks.

"That's very kind of you to say" the old man replied, gingerly sitting in a chair. "After the war ended, my wife and I moved here. We wanted to build a new life, start over. Everything we had is in this little shop, and ever since her passing, I can still feel her with me whenever I walk in through that door". I smiled, choosing to remain standing. Having inherited my grandfather's aptitude for brewing tea, I offered to make a pot. The old man accepted my offer, and we were soon sipping on cups of ginseng tea. "But, things have been tough the last few years, what with the Triads".

Taking a sip from my cup, I asked "Doesn't anyone keep them in line?"

"Oh, the police do what they can, but the Triads always survive, always taking what they want from us non-Benders".

"I'm a non-Bender myself" I told him. "How did the Triads even come to be? I thought that Republic City was supposed to be a place where people could come and live in peace, no matter what nation they came from or whether they were Benders".

"You haven't been here that long, have you?" the old man asked, arching an eyebrow.

I shook my head. "I only arrived a few days ago".

"I thought as much. When the United Republic was founded, people from all over came to live here; it was a symbol of the cooperation that came out of the war, a symbol of equality and a new, better beginning. Unfortunately, less scrupulous individuals also saw the United Republic as an opportunity, only for them, it was an opportunity to stake their claim in a new land where no other criminals had yet chosen to operate. They soon organized, and the Triads cropped up, growing fat and rich on bullying and robbing us non-Benders. My wife and I quickly realized that Republic City wasn't the paradise it was advertised as".

I furrowed my brow, thoroughly distressed at the old man's words. Republic City was a symbol of the new, modern age. It was why I had chosen to come here in the first place. But now, my view of city life was rapidly changing. If slime like the Triads could operate at will, using their Bending to take whatever they wanted, then what did that mean for non-Benders elsewhere?

Having been born a non-Bender, I had naturally gravitated to the plight of others in the same situation for most of my life. I was lucky, as I had been born into the Fire Nation royal family, but most people in the world did not share in that luck. From what I knew, the vast majority of the world's population consisted of non-Benders, and they had been ruled by, on the whole, a Bending elite for untold centuries.

"I know that this isn't the kind of place you want to live in", the old man said, sensing my inner turmoil, "but maybe you'll listen to an old man's advice. Change things. You're in a unique position: you're a non-Bender, and you're royalty. You know what needs to happen, and you can make those changes happen".

I nodded, taking all of his words into consideration. "I came here because Republic City is a symbol, like you said. I will make things better; I will ensure that the non-Benders of this city gain the equality that they deserve". The old man smiled, nodding in approval. I then stood up, leaving my tea cup next to the pot on the counter. As I turned to leave, one of the masks caught my eye. It was simplistic, compared to many of the others, and it looked like it would only cover the bottom half of one's face. It was black, and it had a slit for one's mouth. Turning back to the old man, I asked "May I purchase this mask?"

I opened my eyes, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep as the early morning sun shone through the penthouse's windows. Kara's hand was still in mine, and judging by her breathing, she was still asleep. I turned around, resting my head back against the pillow. There she was: her black hair was splayed all around her, and she looked so peaceful as she slept. To me, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, no matter how disheveled she appeared.

I gently pulled several strands of her hair back, lightly dragging my fingers across her skin before kissing her. She stirred, opening her eyes a few moments later and smiling at me. "Good morning" I said.

"How do you know that it's good?" she asked me.

"Because I'm waking up next to you".

"Good answer" Kara said, causing both of us to chuckle. We then got out of bed and, after showering, got dressed. As I slid my rings onto my fingers, she asked "So, how is our new Avatar progressing?"

"I've met with Tenzin a few times since she moved to Air Temple Island. Apparently, her Airbending training is, shall we say… less than satisfactory".

"She doesn't strike me as the kind of person who's patient enough to study Airbending" Kara said as she came behind me, not quite wrapping her arms around my broad chest.

I placed my hands over hers, turning my head and kissing her. "I seem to recall a certain someone who is rather headstrong when it comes to her beliefs".

"That's different" she corrected. "I'm passionate about wanting to make things better; Korra's passionate about wanting to play hero and start brawls to prove how good she is in a fight".

I nodded, knowing how little she thought of the Water Tribe girl. We then made our way out of the penthouse, escorted by my personal retinue. Once we stepped out of the hotel, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were almost no reporters waiting for me. Normally, my status as a Prince of the Fire Nation living in Republic City garnered me more than my fair share of attention and harassment from the press. It had lessened a little, as I had been living in the city for three years, but they were always there; now, it seemed as if Korra's arrival had drawn their attention away from me.

That, at least, was one benefit to her presence.

After spending the day together, we found ourselves sitting in a private booth in one of the city's finest restaurants, enjoying a fine meal. As we ate, I started smiling as pleasant memories flashed before my eyes. "What is it?" Kara asked, noticing this.

"I was just thinking about when we first met" I explained. As I stared into my love's blue eyes, I was reminded of that encounter.

I gazed out the window of the luxury Satomobile, staring down at the mask I held as we continued to drive along. The encounter with the old man played in my mind over and over; Republic City was not the paradise that was advertised, but rather a haven for Benders to continue to oppress non-Benders trying to start new lives here. My own family was a prime example of this: for 100 years, my great-grandfather Ozai, along with his father and grandfather, had made the world burn in their quests to dominate all walks of life.

Perhaps the fact that I was the first non-Bender born into the royal family in generations was a sign: perhaps the Spirits had made me this way so that I could finally affect the kind of change that would benefit non-Benders.

My inner thoughts were interrupted as we started slowing down. The Imperial Firebenders looked just as confused as I was, and I asked the driver "Why are we stopping?"

"There's a crowd gathering, Prince Zhang-Li" he replied.

Rolling down my window, I peered outside. There was, indeed, a crowd gathering, and a rather large one, at that. We were just on the very edge of City Plaza, and it appeared as if hundreds, or maybe even thousands, had gathered in front of City Hall. People were pouring in from every street, blocking us from going any further. As we were stuck, I opened the door and stepped outside, my bodyguards doing the same.

It was clear enough that a protest was going on, and given what the old man told me about the current state of affairs, I knew it had to be about the inequality of non-Benders. Countless signs were being raised with various different wordings, but they all were talking about the same thing. Among the din of shouts, a chant began in the front ranks, eventually spreading throughout the gathered crowd: "We want equality now! We want equality now! We want equality now!"

In front of City Hall stood a group of five individuals wearing different-coloured clothing. I guessed that they must be the City Council, and they appeared to be doing their best in order to quell the crowd's anger.

It wasn't working.

With the old man's words fresh in my mind, I began to make my way through the outer edge of the crowd towards the podium. My bodyguards kept close to me, forming a protective shield around me as they shoved their way through. Once I came close to City Hall, however, a Metalbending police officer stopped me. "I'm sorry, sir, but you can't come this way".

"You don't understand" I said. "I'm Prince Zhang-Li of the Fire Nation. I think I can help calm these people down".

"My Prince, it isn't safe for you here" Chang whispered in my ear. "I suggest that we…" He was cut off as sirens started sounding from above. I looked up and saw a number of police airships converging on City Plaza. Once they were directly overhead, several dozen Metalbenders rappelled down on their metal cables. This only seemed to incense the crowd further, and I feared that a riot would soon break out.

"Let me through" I told the officer blocking my way. "I can calm these people down".

He stared at me for a moment, looked out at the crowd, then said "Okay. If you can keep things from escalating, then please do".

I nodded, and he moved out of the way. I walked up the steps to the podium, and the council members soon took notice of me. A bald, middle-aged man with a pointed beard in Air Nomad robes spoke first. "Prince Zhang-Li! We didn't expect to see you here".

"Neither did I" I replied, glancing at the massive gathering before me. As both of my grandfathers had helped to end the Great War, I was of course familiar with the families of their friends, and that included Tenzin, Avatar Aang's youngest child. "I came to help calm down the crowd".

"With all due respect, Your Highness", one of the council members dressed in blue said just as Tenzin opened his mouth to speak, "we have this matter under control. There's no need for you to be here".

Looking up at the police airships and forming lines of officers around the crowd, I sardonically noted "Yes, I can certainly see that. Tell me, councilman: do you want a riot to break out here? Because that is what you are going to get if you respond with armed force". He glared up at me, but I easily returned his aggressive gaze. I held out my hand, and after nervously glancing at the crowd, he pursed his lips and handed the microphone to me. Turning to face the gathering, I held the microphone close to my mouth and said "People of Republic City! My name is Zhang-Li, Prince of the Fire Nation and son of Fire Lord Izumi".

My introduction was met with assorted boos and angry shouts. From the corner of my eye, I could see the Water Tribe councilman, Tarlok, smirking, but I did not allow myself to be deterred.

"I know that you are angry!" I said, the microphone carrying my voice across the plaza. "And you have every right to be. I am also angry! I came to this city to start a new life, like most of you. This city was meant to be a haven, where Benders and non-Benders could come and live in peace. But is it?"

The crowd gave a collective shout of "No!" I nodded my head, and that is when I saw her.

She was standing near the front of the crowd, her fist raised in the air as she joined her fellow protestors. Her long, black hair framed an absolutely beautiful face, olive-colored skin, and bright blue eyes. I recognized her, and I found myself more than a little surprised at her presence here.

Returning my attention to the matter at hand, I said "We came here to start over, to make new lives for ourselves. But there are those who looked here and saw an opportunity to bully and oppress non-Benders, just like Benders have been doing for centuries!"

The crowd gave an enthusiastic shout of agreement, and I cast a surreptitious glance at the city council.

"Republic City was meant to be a place of equality. It isn't, but we have the power to change that! We can, together, show Benders that we will not sit idly by and let them do whatever they want to us! I was born a non-Bender, and I have come to believe that the Spirits made me this way so that I can help you finally gain a voice. I swear, on my honour, that I will help to provide equality for non-Benders not just here in the United Republic, but across the world!" Once more, the crowd gave a shout, and I quickly glanced down at her. She was smiling, and I smiled as I said "You have my word on this! Now, please: return to your loved ones. Keep living in spite of those who would grind you into the dirt in order to hold onto their own power, and we will build a better world together!"

With that, I tossed the microphone over to Tarlok, who fumbled with it as I turned and started walking down from the podium as the crowd's thunderous shout carried across the plaza. As I came down to the crowd's level, people immediately started approaching me, shaking my hands and thanking me. I slowly made my way over to the woman, Kara, belatedly noticing that the crowd was slowly but surely starting to disperse.

I eventually reached Kara, and she crossed her arms. "That was really moving, what you said up there" she said, tilting her head to indicate the podium.

"I only spoke from the heart" I told her. "My whole life, I've wanted to make things better for non-Benders, and now I'm finally in a position to do that".

She nodded, and her lips curled into a smile. I smiled as well, and I felt something: not just the energy from my impassioned speech, but something… more. As I stared into the blue eyes of the woman standing in front of me, I instantly felt a connection between us as my heart thundered in my chest.

"You certainly made an impression" Kara said as she placed a dumpling in her mouth. I smirked, remembering that encounter fondly, when a group of people gathered around a radio suddenly started shouting. I looked over at them, struggling to separate what was coming from the radio from their passionate shouting. Kara glanced over at them for a moment before making a disgusted noise, rubbing her temples. "I hate Pro-Bending! Glorifying Bending as a sport is an insult to everyone else who isn't born special".

I reached across the table and placed a hand on top of hers, smiling supportively. I knew how deeply she hated Bending, and Pro-Bending was, in her opinion, one of the epitomes of it. "Don't worry" I told her. "After the Championship Tournament, we won't have to worry about that anymore".

She nodded, her expression softening a little at my words. We then returned to enjoying our dinner when one of the gathered men said "Oh come on, rook! Get it together!"

"She's gonna ruin the Fire Ferrets' chances of getting into the tournament!" another complained. Kara visibly tensed, and I knew her well enough to know that if we didn't leave soon, she was going to walk over there and smash that radio with her foot.

Suddenly, the group went silent, and I couldn't help but look over at them. One of the passionate fans turned up the volume, allowing everyone in the restaurant to hear the announcer's voice. "Hold on, folks, we're just waiting for the referee's official call, but I think this replacement player could be… You've gotta be kidding me! She's the Avatar, folks! Playing in a Pro-Bending match! Can you believe that?"

Kara, who was just finishing up a bowl of soup, suddenly started choking as her eyes nearly bulged out of her head, while my mouth fell open in shock. My love pounded on her chest, coughing for several moments before finally calming down. One of the group gathered around the radio fell out of his chair, while everyone else within earshot was stunned silent. Kara and I exchanged glances, and I knew we were thinking the same thing:

This was an opportunity.

Well, there you have it. We now know how Zhang-Li and Kara first met, and what also galvanized him to advocate for the rights of non-Benders… as well as join the Equalists, but more on that later.

So, there are several reasons why I did all the lovey-dovey "how they met" stuff in this chapter. First: with LoK having less episodes per season than The Last Airbender, I don't have as much room to operate in, so I have to get some stuff out of the way early on. Second: Shan We's and Takara's romance in Fire and Earth was from meeting each other to the "I love you's", and since this story is a continuation of that, I chose to start the romance at the "I love you's" and move on from there. Third: apart from overhearing the announcer telling us that Korra joined the Fire Ferrets, there was nothing for my characters to do, but as I mentioned, there aren't as many episodes as The Last Airbender, so I have to have my characters doing SOMETHING, even when they have no involvement in stuff that happens in the episode in question.

Also, you probably noticed that I have a lot of flashbacks in this chapter. Good on you! Another thing that I'll be doing differently in this story is the use of flashbacks as a way to flesh out character as well as to provide relevant backstory to stuff that occurs in the particular chapters. In Fire and Earth, I only had my original characters telling other characters about how/why they did stuff or came to be a certain way, and this story will put more of an emphasis on "show, don't tell".

So, things will only get more exciting from here on out, and I look forward to unfolding the story for you guys.

Please review; the more there are, the more motivated I'll be to put out the next chapter!

P.S. Zhang-Li looks like Ozai, only bigger and with more muscles, like Bane from The Dark Knight Rises. Also Kara is based on Maya Stojan, who plays the cute techie Torie on Castle and, funny enough, Kara on Agents of Shield. Jordana Brewster looks a lot like her, so either one of the two is what Kara looks like.