Don't judge me until you know me. Don't underestimate me until you challenge me. And don't talk about me until you talk to me!

~Unknown


Over the years Tahno and his teammates had spent a lot of time at Narook's Seaweed Noodlery. They celebrated all their victories and even the few times that they had lost during their early time as a team. The place had always felt like home, it was alive, fun, and seemed to have a personality. But tonight it was different. For the first time the place was cold and empty. Not due to a lack of people, but from a single person that had walked through the door.

Councilmen Tenzin, the only airbending master in the world and the second son of Avatar Aang, had walked through the small entrance and disrupted the very life of the bar. He declared with a calm but smoldering voice that he was looking for the avatar. Just his presence before made the bar go silent and the news that the Avatar might be among them made the bar as quiet as a ghost town.

The day before Tahno remembered overhearing that the avatar had come to live in Republic City. However, he never found the time to actually listen to the radio or read the newspaper the last few days. His own personal life had taken up his free time and when he hadn't been dealing with that he had been with Ming and Shaozu training. He knew the avatar was from the Southern Water Tribe. But he didn't have the slightest clue what the avatar looked like.

Tahno watched as the councilmen walked to the back of the restaurant and he stopped in front of their table. He looked over at the girls. Jin and Sia seemed just as confused and shocked as he was by this. But Korra, the woman he had saved from security that night and in turn saved them from disqualification in their match, looked scared out of her mind like a small animal about to be caught in the jaws of a fearsome predator.

'There is just no way,' he thought to himself. But there was no denying the way Tenzin had locked onto Korra and walked over to her the moment after entering.

"Korra," his voice commanded, "It's time that we leave." Sia and Jin, their most loyal fans, parted and allowed Korra to wordlessly follow Tenzin out of the bar and off into the night. Korra the girl that had been cocky, confident, and quick tempered earlier that night was now as tame and harmless as a trained pet. As quickly as the life drained from the bar it retuned with a furry. Everyone was whispering, shouting, and talking amongst themselves.

The avatar had been there.

"Can you believe it?" Ming asked him, "That girl was the avatar." Ming was just as shocked as he was. Tahno didn't reply right away. In fact what Ming had said didn't even register in his mind for the longest time.

Tahno looked down at the delicious and appetizing food that had been placed before them. The aroma was divine but at that moment it could have smelled like soup culled from dumpsters. He wasn't that hungry anymore, even after their match. In a dull manner he pushed the bowl of hot noodles away from him and slouched back in the booth. He sighed and momentarily closed his eyes.

"What's eating you?" Ming's concerned voice brought him out of his brief moment.

Why did the news that she was the avatar scare him so much?


Outside the restaurant stood her best friend, Naga. The polar bear dog looked at her with remorse as if she knew that by finding Korra she would be betraying her master. Korra hadn't found the spirit to look Tenzin in the eye yet but instead she found comfort in embracing Naga. The dog whined and nuzzled her back as if apologizing. The touching moment between the two of them was cut short.

"Korra, let's go" Tenzin's voice cut through to her but she didn't want to face him. No, that was wrong. She didn't want to see the look of disappointment and anger on his face. She wanted her relationship with Tenzin to be different from her previous teachers. She wanted it to be like the kind of bond she had with Katara. But, from the way her airbending training was going and now this fiasco. That was never going to happen.

The three of them started walking down the dark streets of Republic City. A soft and cool breeze flowed through the streets from Yue Bay. She couldn't hear the water so they must be far away from the Bay. Republic City was said to be a beautiful city during the day but it was, in Korra's mind even more so at night. The lights shined off the metal buildings. This place was too beautiful to harbor criminals like the ones she had seen yesterday.

"Korra," he grabbed her shoulder and made her turn towards him, "Do you have any idea how worried I was? Republic City is a dangerous place I thought."

She suddenly found her spark again and she cut Tenzin off, "What? It's not like I can't handle myself Tenzin. I'm the Avatar," she shouted at him.

"You're a child, Korra," he proclaimed loudly and she jumped back slightly from Tenzin, "You need to be protected and kept safe."

Her anger flared up and she shouted, "Protect me from who exactly?" She looked at Tenzin expecting an answer but in response he just let out a loud sigh and shook his head.

"There are things you just don't understand yet Korra," he said quietly.

And to herself she added, 'I would if you didn't keep me so sheltered.'

The winding streets of the city vanished and Yue Bay opened up before them. At the harbor the boat the Air Nomads used was tied up, waiting for the two of them. Tenzin and Korra didn't speak for the entire boat ride or during the trip back to the dormitories. Korra didn't find the energy to change her clothes she just wanted to lie in bed. Her mind was in a whirlwind from the past few hours that she hardly noticed the moonlit night being chased away by the calming dawn. That was until she heard a soft knock on the doors to her room did she snap out of her daze.

The morning was here and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.

She groaned, sat up, clutched her head despair, and said like she was going to die, "Mornings are evil," with a few seconds to pause between each word.

"Korra, wake up," it was Pema's sweet voice, "breakfast will be in a few minutes." She grunted which by now she was sure Pema understood and an, "okay, I'll be there." Slowly, she pulled herself out of bed and started to get dressed for her airbending training.

She pulled the warm orange and red clothes from a drawer in her room and huffed. She honestly didn't like wearing them. They were so light, bright, and well not her. She was much more used to thick fabrics, cold colors, and the familiar feeling of the pelts and furs on her clothes. Not to mention, in her normal outfit her shoulders and arms were mostly bare. She didn't like them to be covered.

She laid them out on her messy bed and for a moment she just glared at them. These clothes were so foreign to her. Just like everything else in Republic City. She felt something constrict in her chest and it was slowly spreading across her body. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to listen to Tenzin and his rules.

Why did she come to Republic City?

Was it to master Airbending?

Or was it something else?

She suddenly felt light headed and her knees gave out underneath her. She flopped onto the bed and curled up in the covers. Her airbender clothes were forgotten as they slid of the bed and onto the floor. She didn't even realize that she had fallen back asleep until a loud bang woke her.

Korra shot up faster than a water whip at the sound. In the doorway stood a very, very pissed looking Tenzin with a lovely shade of purple staining his face. If she though she was in trouble from last night this just added to her problems. However he walked over to her bedside and looked down at her not making a move. Tenzin looked down at her like she was a spoilt child; a child that needed to be taught how to behave and obey.

"Korra," Tenzin's voice had an edge to it that she had never heard before. Defiantly something that shouldn't have come from an Airbender maybe a Firebender or Earthbender but not Tenzin.

"Tenzin, well" Korra was stumbling with her words attempting to come up with a good answer for him, "umm, you see." Korra stopped and let out a sigh.

"I have been patient with you so far Korra," Tenzin lectured, "but even my patience can wear thin. These past few days I have given you the chance to redeem yourself to be but each time you have thrown it back in my face," Tenzin's voice snapped with a boiling rage.

"I can see now that you are a person that needs guidance and rules. I tried not to control everything and I think I have been reasonable," it was then that Korra cut in.

"You have tried not to control everything!" she shouted at him, "Ever since I got her you have criticized everything I have done! I can't even read the paper or listen to the radio with out your approval! What's next? I can't take a bite of rice without asking you first!" By the end of her rant she was out of breath and trembling.

The purple color from Tenzin's face was gone but he still had an edge to his voice, "No Korra. I will discuss these new rules with you so that you will understand them," he turned away from her and walked out of the room.

He paused at the door, "I want you dress and ready for training in less than an hour." He took one glance behind him at Korra. Then he shut the door and left her alone. Korra was still shaking from her outburst.

But she knew better than to cross Tenzin again and within the hour she found herself outside walking next to a silent Tenzin. They were heading to the beach. For what reason she didn't honestly know. Korra wordlessly continued to follow Tenzin but she did steal a glance at the bay. Something caught her eye.

A boat was docking at the harbor.

It wasn't everyday that someone visited Air Temple Island unannounced.

She heard Tenzin sigh next to her, "Looks like we have a visitor. Our discussion will have to wait until this is taken care of. For now lets see who it is." Korra wasn't sure if she should thank this person or be more worried that Tenzin will have more time to think about her punishment.


AN: I am so sorry for taking so long to update. I won't bore you guys with all the little details about it. Just that I am very sorry for making you guys wait so long for the next chapter.

I know not much happened her but I will promise more Tahno and Korra interactions in the future. Plus the plot will start to get heavy and serious soon. She has yet to hear about Amon, met Bolin and Mako, and all that jazz. We have yet to learn what happened to the previous fire bender. His story will be told.

Oh yeah on another note:

"..."

Those are my pet peeves. Also on that topic:

Bang! Crack! Boom!

Are on the list too. They are not wrong but when I look at my writing they are an eye sore to me so, personally, I don't use them. And that is my choice.

I promise I won't take that long with the next chapter but next week is Tahorra Week and I am writing up my stories for that. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews guys. I love reading them.