Chapter 3: Bath Time

"Well folks, we are back from our commercial break, and just to remind you we are once again here tonight in the company of the parents and mentors of Avatar Korra, a very special event."

...

Across town from the studio on the top floor of the Pro Bending Arena, Bolin, Mako, and Korra had been listening to the special program, but Korra got up and started to leave.

"Dontcha wanna listen to your parents, Korra? They sound AWESOME!"

Korra stretched mid stride and said, "Nah... not when they're talking about grown up stuff like making babies."

"And what are you? Twelve?" Mako asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Zip it, grandpa... I'll be out there finishing my workout. Call me when it gets interesting, alright?" she snickered.

...

Shiro stated, "We have our next question for you. The World has been very accustomed to having men as Avatars – Aang of course, Roku before him, and then before them, the last female Avatar - Kyoshi. That was over 200 years ago. You've got to admit that Korra's just...different... something we're not used to in an Avatar."

Shiro continued, "We all know that the Avatar Spirit lives in the people it chooses. And frankly Tonraq and Senna, all of us think the spirit has chosen a very pretty young woman, and having seen both of you, Avatar Korra is a beautiful mix of both of you, if I may say so.

"People have remarked how Avatar Korra is such a natural at water bending! Looks like you taught her well even before Master Katara came into the picture."

Senna blushed, and said, "Thank you, that is very kind."

"So our question for you, is... How did you discover that she was a water bender?"

"Well that is an interesting story!" Senna chuckled. "When she was tiny, she hated taking baths. And then she really needed them, because she was always getting in a mess, and...well...she was...umm...kind of slow on potty training."

...

Bolin and Mako cut loose in a knee-slapping round of laughter, and called down to the gym, "Hey Korra, it's getting interesting!"

"Oh really? What arethey talking about?"

"Baby baths. And potty training," they laughed again.

She dropped the weights as her face went ten times redder than Mako's scarf.

...fifteen years ago...

It was bath day for two year old Korra. It was normally a challenge for both mom and daughter. Only today, things would get worse. Senna drew the water from the well into her basin with her well-honed water bending skills, and gently warmed it.

"Korra, bath time."

"No mommy."

"Come on Korra, this time you will enjoy it."

"No, no bath."

"Let's get those dirty clothes off."

That was no problem. Korra threw them all off in every direction and was running around the house naked as a cat-jaybird.

"Korra, stand still."

She finally caught up with her energetic two year old, and grabbed her, squirming.

Her lower lip stuck out, pouting and unhappy. Senna returned her reluctant bather to the small tub, and let her splash and play a bit. She started to smile, and then splashed a bit more. The water started to get on the floor, and on her mother.

"That's enough, dear."

Then Korra raised her arms up over her head, and most of the water rose up and splashed her mom right in the face.

"Korra?" Senna bent as much water as she could off her face and directed it back into the basinet.

She smiled so cutely and announced, "I'm a water bender, mommy!"

"I guess so, dear," Senna praised.

Senna should not have encouraged her.

Korra spread her hands and arms and the water sprayed all over the house in an indoor rain shower.

Senna was a little annoyed, now, and soaked. She bent herself dry again, gently placed her daughter in the basin, and started over.

"No Korra, mind me!"

"No mommy, I wanna play."

"Let's finish your bath and then we can go out and play."

"OK," Korra's eyes sparkled and she smiled. If it wasn't so frustrating, it would have been priceless.

Senna refilled the little tub again, and got started. Again.

Korra couldn't resist her new found skills. This time Korra turned the water into snow and it scattered everywhere, "Mommy, Snooowwww!"

But this time Senna was prepared. She turned it back into water in the bath.

Korra turned it back to snow. Senna returned it to water. Snow. Water. Snow. Water. It was a battle of wills. Korra grinned and giggled. Senna suppressed a smile. Why was she so cute doing this?

Then Korra got even more clever. She turned the water into steam, and created a fog bank right over the basinet, obscuring Senna's view. Korra climbed out and starting running around, squealing with delight. Senna was angry now, "Korra! Get back here!"

"No, mommy! More bending!"

Senna watched her bare bottom run to the well, and draw up another glob of water, and made a move that Senna feared. Korra turned the big glob into ice and icicles that coated the basinet, dresser, most of the bathroom, and her mother with a thick white icy glaze.

She saw her mother coated in ice crystals and shrieked delightedly, "Snow-mommy!"

Senna was not amused, as she evaporated the ice out of her hair and face, "Young lady, you march yourself right back over here. Right now!"

"No! Done with bath. Wanna play!"

Senna had enough. She created a water whip, wrapped it around her daughter, and lifted her back to the empty bowl, and used the water whip to replace the lost water.

It looked like success this time, but she tried to get out again. At complete wits end, Senna froze the water in the basin to attempt to keep her put. Korra winced from the shock of the cold on her bare body, but it still didn't stop her funtimes. She strained, stood up, with the entire block of ice surrounding her, and said. "Look Mommy! My ice sled."

Senna was frazzled but couldn't help but laugh. Korra laughed right with her, and despite all the challenges of discovering her water bending power, Senna hugged and smiled at her obviously talented daughter, and shook her head, "I think that is enoughbath time for one day, dear."

Just then Tonraq walked into their house. He could see that Senna was a complete mess from head to toe - partly wet, partly frozen, and entirely frustrated, but yet had a look of satisfaction.

Tonraq had no idea whether to laugh or be angry, so he asked, "What in the spirits' names happened here, Senna?"

His naked baby daughter trotted happily up to her daddy, with her hands outstretched, and the frozen tub-shaped ice around her waist. She outstretched her hands and arms for a big hug, and asked happily, "Hi Daddy! We go sledding now, 'K?"

...back to present day...

The boys could not stop guffawing, doubling over.

Bolin could barely breathe, "Korra, I have never heard anything so funny! Hey, any time you wanna take off your clothes around here like you used to, I'm all for it!"

Mako split a gut at Bolin's statement. Not because of its bluntness, but because of how much he secretly enjoyed that idea. She would look amazing. Only in Mako's imagination, Bolin wouldn't be there at all...

He forced himself to laugh hysterically with Bolin. And he must've been convincing, too, because they both paid for it.

Korra stomped the ground and sent them smacking into each other. Both boys clutched their now red foreheads in pain.

"You perverts! That's quite enough out of both of you!"

...

Shiro could barely contain himself, "What a funny story Senna. Wow! Korra was a water bender at age two?"

"Yes! We could barely believe that ourselves."

"I can imagine! We've got more questions for you, but not before we go through some of the responses we've received from our listeners about this lovely story we just heard about little Korra!"

Literally hundreds of messenger hawks were lined up on the broadcast studio window. You could hear all the hawks' chirping and screeching. Shiro started removing the messages, and read a few for the radio audiences:

"Was the Avatar really that adorable as a child? She sounds so normal!"

"That is such a cute story! We want to hear more about little Korra!"

Shiro said, "Well audience. We really appreciate all the 'tweets' you've all sent us. That story kind of begs another question. We all know that when you met the White Lotus when she was four, she didn't need the toy test to prove she was the Avatar. She just bent every element but air right there in front of them."

Tonraq spoke seriously, "You've brought up another interesting topic, Shiro... we almost died when we found out she was the Avatar. Literally."

"Now that would make an interesting broadcast! Have at it, folks!"