Earth…
Fire…
Air…
… Water…
Only the Avatar can master all four elements…
And bring balance to the world.
Avatar—Legend of the Woman Warrior
Reboot By, Ro Oeuvre Belvedere
Korra's first impression of Republic City is one for debate. After losing her only friend, Naga, as a consequence of her destructive yet well-meaning encounter against the members of the Triple Threat Triad, the Avatar is left feeling halfheartedly fulfilled. But as we all know, the enemy line drawn between her and police chief Lin Bei Fong is far from reaching a finish.
Book I:
Air
Chapter 2:
Stay or Go
Last night she got a call from Tenzin and he said one sentence.
"Korra is staying."
One sentence. Two words. One name. All he could say before she forcefully disconnected.
As expected, Lin's displeasure of Korra's indefinite fixture in Republic City is extremely tangible to even the most clueless of fools.
The ferrymen stand clear of the chief as she boarded the first escort of the day. Fellow passengers try to enjoy the ride, but the sharp and piercing feel of Lin's aura makes them squirm so bad that they literally jump ship and swim the rest of the way to Aang's Memorial Island.
Lin's focus on Air Temple Island never deters.
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Tenzin is in his studies, sipping oolong tea his wife delivered to him while looking over some documents requiring his seal of approval. While so immersed, he doesn't twitch when he hears a firm knock.
"Come in." He grants consent, "Hello, Lin." He greets as the door opens, his eyes remaining on the papers.
Lin marches to his desk. "We need to talk."
"That much I've figured." Tenzin takes another swig of his tea. "What about?"
"Don't act like you don't know." The chief chides, "What were you thinking to bend to her wishes and allowing her to stay?"
Tenzin sighs, having predicted this confrontation. "Even if I take her back, Korra would've found another alternative, as always."
"That's no excuse." Lin retorts, "If she had any sense of structure and discipline, she'll follow orders and stay in the Southern Water Tribe. She has no place here."
"Is that right?" A nonchalant voice calls out, shifting Tenzin and Lin's attention to the doorway. Korra has a shoulder against the threshold with arms and legs crossed. One fine eyebrow is arched and her lips curve into a roguish grin. "Where exactly is my place, chief?"
Lady chief glowers at the young girl. "Back at the Southern Water Tribe."
"Nope, wrong answer." The Avatar leans off and saunters toward them. "See, my place is wherever I need to be, and I need to be here, learning airbending." Thick boots stop before metal ones, "And apparently cleaning up the city since your sloth slugs can't do it."
Lin grouses. "I won't tolerate you insulting my men."
Korra returns in kind. "And I'm not going anywhere until all four elements are at my beck and call."
"You don't have a choice."
Just then, shrewdness curls Korra's lips. "Well, then lady chief… how about a little wager?"
A fine brow arches Lin's face. "Come again?"
"Tomorrow at noon, your little metalbending squad has until midnight to have me under arrest. If there's nothing tying me down, I'm staying – and I get Naga back immediately. If I'm bound by the law past the time limit, you can ship me back. Either way, Naga returns to me, got it?"
"I will not—"
"Let's set the ground rules:" Korra turns her back to the chief as she paces about the office. "Number one," She raises her first finger, "I'm allowed to use all my bending and all my skills – one versus a brigade, it's a fair exchange. Number two," The second finger is up, "it's only me against a decent portion your metalbenders, you still need coppers to scope about the city. Fifty at the most, although I can hold my ground against the whole force. Three," The ring finger, "the goal is to keep me contained, as I've demonstrated yesterday, so I'm allowed to break free – and to make it interesting – I'm only allowed to do so three times." She snickers, "Otherwise, I'm guaranteed to win. And lastly," Her pinky is erect, "so there's no confusion, have it so I know which officer is my opponent and which is on duty – have them wear a colorful sash or something, and if a cop who's not part of the game crosses me…" She trails off, momentarily giving off an aura promising something hectic. "It's an instant win on my part."
Tenzin had returned to his paperwork the second the showdown began.
Lin scowls at the arrogant girl. "Just who do you think you are?"
Korra peers cheekily over her shoulders. "I think I'm Korra," She turns the full-body to the chief, arms folded under her breasts. "But I know I'm the Avatar. So, what do you say?"
"I say you're hippo-pigheaded."
The Avatar trainee shrugs. "Don't agree for all I care," then there's this ill-intent glimmering in her eyes, "I'm sure Taisho would be more cooperative."
A hitch in his fingers ruins Tenzin's elegant signature.
"Leave him out of it!" Lin suddenly snaps, marching two strides to get into the girl's face.
Tenzin's head shoots up at Lin's blare, no longer distracted by his work.
"You should've left Naga out too." It's glacial how Korra speaks those words.
The two women have an unspoken standoff with their eyes, and Tenzin rises from his chair, prepared to glide in as a buffer between them.
After many pregnant pauses, the Avatar steps back, keeping eye contact, and raises her hand to Chief Bei Fong. "Deal… or no deal?"
The police chief's steel greens stare into the Avatar's ocean ones. She gives an askance glance at the offered hand, then inclines over her shoulder to Tenzin.
The Airbending Master exhales and closed his eyes, having no wisdom to give.
A few more seconds of contemplation, Lin broadens her shoulders and takes the younger woman's hand in a firm grip. "Very well."
Korra nods her approval with a victorious smirk. "Pleasure doing business with you." She saunters out of the room.
Evening…
"Dinner, everybody!" Pema calls.
The children race merrily into the dining room with Korra leisurely behind them. Tenzin enters from the outside door, and in mere moments they're all seated, giving thanks to the spirits, and digging in.
Korra noisily slurps her noodles.
"Korra, no slurping." Pema lectures.
The Avatar whines. "But it's sooooo good!"
Pema gives her a motherly smile. "Thank you, but that's no excuse to gobble it all like a hippo-pig. Take your time, it's not going anywhere."
Korra sighs with sound but forfeits and resurrects her etiquette lessons.
It is silent for a time. Then, "Korra," Tenzin speaks up, placing down his chopsticks. "You shouldn't have provoked Lin like that."
"Oh, how should I provoke her?" She teasingly asks.
"Korra, I'm serious." His voice turns strict. "Challenging her authority is one thing, bringing up Taisho is another."
Pema has a dainty hand over her gasp. "You mentioned Taisho to her? Oh, Korra…" She shakes her head at the girl.
Korra shifts in her chair and her dips head, feeling uncomfortable. She's actually being scolded, by a mother and a father. It's eerily how she pictures her own parents if she ever got in trouble with them. But she was never home long enough. "Look, maybe I was on the mean-spirited side, but I didn't come all this way to be here just to be sent back." She raises fierce eyes to meet Tenzin's studious ones. "I've spent my life trying to become the Avatar the world needs, and I won't let anybody get in my way."
"Either way, you must learn to watch your tongue," The airbending master reasons, "You can't just bring up something so personal, especially when it doesn't contribute to the matter at hand."
Korra sighs, disinclined. "Yeah, yeah, I see your point." The grip on her chopsticks tighten. "And I'm sorry…" it's forced out her mouth, but otherwise sincere. "I know Taisho affects you too."
Tenzin says nothing, and dinner continues on quietly. Thankfully the tension fades by dessert, so apology accepted.
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Twists and turns, body entangled by the sheets. Her bravado couldn't shield her when asleep, leaving her vulnerable and scared in the dreamscape.
She thought it was nighttime. It could be daytime, but she wouldn't know with all the smog in the air.
"Where?" It took a few moments before she realized, "I'm on a… volcano?"
Thankfully the slope was not really steep, so she could keep her balance. However, she could barely see her hands in front of her, her vision was so cloudy.
Abruptly a coughing fit coerced her lungs to spasm and brutally beat her ribcage. She felt the foreboding rumble before she heard it, and over her shoulder was a massive cloud of noxious gas avalanching toward her. She tried to move, but her joints quaked and collapsed under her efforts.
She started choking, trepidatious that the poisonous atmosphere forced her to succumb.
The pyroclastic flow hurled closer.
Maroon scales met her fading sense of sight.
Finally… death engulfed her last breath.
She takes a gasp of air as she bursts to sit up. Clean, breathable, invisible air. Korra lets out a long breath and drops flat on the mattress, feeling the sheets are damp from excessive perspiration of the heated illusion. Or perhaps… infernal reliving.
"Not again." She groans, shifting to press her face into the pillow as if hiding away from the privacy of her shame. "If Naga was here, I'd sleep outside." She shudders again, "I need to cool down."
Korra practically forced her legs to work as they listlessly swing off the bed, and she welcomes the cold floor shocking her bare soles – a much-needed distraction. Her shoulders hunched over and her hands clenching the edge of the mattress, she takes a few seconds to regain her bearings. Slowly she rises and stumbles carefully to the window. She unlatches it open and desperately gulps the crispy breeze, cleansing away the residuum of the dream that was at the same time, not a dream. It was… something she doesn't want to fathom, rather focusing on the curtains billowing over her arched form.
Finally… she sighs a relieved breath.
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Morning…
Though eager to get the challenge over and done with, Korra acted accordingly throughout the morning. She did her morning rituals: she brushed her teeth, she bathed, she got dressed, and she inhaled breakfast in a way that had the airbending family stare unblinkingly at her. Unperturbed, she dried out the last of her fresh-squeezed orange juice, gives a two-finger salute and slogs out.
The family stays frozen seconds longer, till Meelo breaks the ice. "Is she even human?"
"She is the Avatar." Jinora states.
Diving over a cliff, Korra cleanly breaks through the surface of Yue Bay and swims toward the city. The ferry sails the same direction, and the eyes of the passengers bulged at her dark underwater image speeding past them, graciously resurfacing on the dock via waterspout.
"Ahoy out there!" She bids a genial wave to the boat that's barely halfway from Air Temple Island, then dashes off.
"That's some waterbender." One of the ferrymen utters.
The few days she's been here, Korra quickly learned about traffic signals. Simply walk when others walk or pay attention to the colors of the lights. After crossing the street, a display of a storefront window catches her eye. Impressed by the decoration of the cake, Korra licks her lips but tilts her head at the little sculptures of a man in a black suit and a woman in a white puffy dress. "Must be a weird city custom," She shrugs off, then taps at her bottom lip. "I'm two hours early, so I'm free to roam!" clasping her hands behind her back, she skips off to do just that.
And it was two hours well spent:
She critiqued more storefronts, preferring bakeries and artisan shops, and self-claimed the stores of weaponry and armory as her favorites. Though she has a soft spot for toy stores, she's a swift passerby to all purchase places of clothes and jewelry.
She tasted free samples of tea, pastries, and frozen treats like milkshakes, smoothies, and ice cream – she's becoming partial to lychee flavor.
Currently, she strolls by the fishing docks, where she spies two of the fishermen engaged in an old fashioned test of strength: arm-wrestling. One burly, scarred up guy against a bigger, burlier man with a body-build larger than her dad's. Needless to say, the burlier man wins and he bellows celebratory guffaws.
The loser seems to be a good sport, rolling his strained shoulder while wearing a genuine grin. "Should've seen that coming." He states amiably.
"Better luck in another life, Kota!" One of the fishermen hoots.
"Yeah, yeah." Kota chuckles.
The victor stands from his crate and flexes his muscles bulging through his sweaty work shirt. "Anyone else dares to challenge the brawny Brody?"
His fellow fishermen step back, arms waving in surrender and voices mumbling defeat.
A sudden call out "Cut me a piece of that action!" has all the men turn their heads, and all are surprised to see a young teenage girl, smiling all carefree-like as she walks toward them.
They begin to mumble their dubiety.
"Is she serious?"
"She's asking for a broken arm."
"Her muscles are green twigs to our russet trunks."
Ah, the sweet element of surprise, Korra's grown to revel it. Unperturbed by the fisheries' narrow sense of judgment, she takes a seat opposite of the champ and positions her arm on the elevated plank acting as the ring. "Come on, Brody." she beckons.
Brody chortles. "Little lass, you're making a big mistake. But since brawny Brody is a gentleman," he sits down and gently grabs her hand, "I'll go easy on you."
Korra just smiles, knowingly.
The referee clasps a hand over their locked ones, and after saying "Ready… steady… go!" it's game on!
She toys with him, letting him have the upper hand. But then, when her hand is centimeters from the plank, she steadily adds more strength. The grasp of her hand tightens, muscles in her bicep and forearm pulse, and soon she has Brody's arm halfway down.
Their audience is gaping fishes out of the water.
"No way…"
"Y-You're joking, right Brody?"
"Yeah, stop messing around!"
Hearing his workmen's skepticism forces Brody to strain the cords of his arm's musculature. Try as he might, it is proven a lost cause. Korra goes for the kill, her power slamming his against the plank so hard it splits into splintery halves.
Jaws drop, eyes pop, and arms flop.
Korra stands tall and flexes her arms the way Brody did. "Not as bulky, but they get the job done!"
Korra is getting a better feel of the city than when she first arrived. But when having the most fun, it's when time flies the fastest. It's now fifteen minutes till noon, the young Avatar trainee expedites to Harmony Park.
She jaywalks to the block of Harmony Park. Once she touches down to pass the entrance gate she slows her sprint to a leisure-like stroll. Checking the sun's position, not yet in the center of the sky, she concludes. "Ten more minutes…" Taking a leisure stroll, Korra observers: seeing a family preparing a picnic, a couple cuddling under a tree, a few kids playing tag. She even spots Gommu waving goofily at her, and she amiably waves back.
As she grows near the center of the park, she begins to hear a distantly distorted sound. At first, she pays no mind, but as words become coherent, she could no longer ignore it.
"Fellow nonbenders, band together so we can end the benders' tyranny once and for all!"
"What?" She could not believe her ears.
Then she sees a crowd standing before some scrawny looking man standing on a platform, holding a megaphone amplifying his proclamations.
"For too long, the bending elite of this city – of this world – have forced nonbenders to live as lower class citizens. Join Amon, and together we will tear down the bending establishment. True equality will come to light!"
"Seriously?"
The small audience incline to the foreign looking girl standing behind them, looking unimpressed with the protester's words.
Korra's arms are crossed with her eyebrow raised and eyes half-mast. "Since when was bending the sole tool of oppression?"
Vexed by this girl interrupting his message, the man address to her. "Need I remind you of the 100 Year War?"
"The Fire Nation attempted to conquer the world," Korra boredly answers.
"Yes! The firebenders tried to burn the world, using their accursed abilities to oppress all other nations!"
Korra shakes her head once. "Last time I've checked, it was the Fire Nation as a whole, meaning benders and nonbenders of that nation alike. I'm not going to pretend that firebending didn't play a major role in the dictatorship, but those who didn't bend were just as oppressive."
The lanky man snorts. "Let me guess: you're a bender?"
"Yes, I am. What of it?"
His laugh is mocking her. "Typical, you benders would become defensive when you hear something you don't like. I bet you're just waiting for the chance to water-whip me off this platform."
But Korra's not taking the bait and casually shrugs. "I imagine anyone would be defensive if they hear something they don't like. What are you trying to imply, that me being a bender I naturally have no control over myself?"
"Oh, you benders have all the control, and that's the problem."
"I think you're blowing this way out of proportion, buddy."
"All you benders are nothing but glorified freaks." The protester hisses. "Your kind gets all the recognition, all the praise, all the credit. Not ever was a normal person realized for the gifts they had throughout history!"
He doesn't recognize the momentary glint in her eyes at the challenge. "Sokka, Suki, Mai, Ty Lee, Ursa, Tomaru, Teo, Piandao, Ahiga, Jet, Smellerbee, Longshot… what do they all have in common? Want me to speak a synopsis on each of them? Or I could mention more nonbenders throughout history in chronological order if you'd like."
She enjoys seeing this weak display of a man gape at her like a beached tiger-shark, out of his environment, trapped in another's territory. "Say what you will, but you fail to realize that there are nonbenders just as if not more gifted than a bender. I should know, I had the honor of meeting them. In the end, we're all capable of changing the world for better or worse. It's a matter of choice and effort."
The crowd murmurs in Korra's favor.
"She's got a point."
"And in her nation, a chief could be a nonbender."
Just then, a spiraling object hurdles towards Korra. The crowd panics as she nimbly leaps from range. "A metal bola, huh?"
Korra looks diagonally upright, and could only guess that a metalbender is hiding upon a building's roof. "Speaking of choice, I have to follow through with mine!" That said she sprints off, leaving the protestor crossed and his audience contemplating.
Instinctual swiftness keeps her one step ahead as a few more bolas aim to bind her ankles. She's roughly ten feet from the other end of the park when a metallic cord shoots down and the tip embeds into the dirt. Looking up she acknowledges the airship, its shadow she purposely ignored as she ran. One officer leaps from the aerial vehicle and the cord trace him to land before her.
As he stands up straight, Korra recognizes him from before. "Oh, it's you." She grumbles.
The man scrutinizes her with stern green-grey eyes. "I am Captain Saikhan."
"I do not care." Korra rudely spouts, vaguely noting the emerald green sash tied around his waist. "I'm taking the crazy gander that you're one of my adversaries."
He doesn't entertain her with a direct reply. "Chief Bei Fong warranted for your arrest, Avatar."
"So I've figured."
Saikhan positions his body into a preparatory stance. "Your arrogance shall be your downfall."
Korra was about to reflect Saikhan in a battle-ready pose when she hears a fainting whizzing sound. Ducking sideways, another cord meets her peripheral vision. "Classic sneak attack." She comments as the cable retracts. Staying stoop, she turns half of her attention to the newcomer.
He is a young man, obviously one of the metalbending officers assigned to confront her. The strange thing about him, however, is his features. They're of the Water Tribe, from his tawny complexion to his blue eyes to that single blue bead decorating his fringe.
Raising back up, Korra tilts her head at him. "Well, you're obviously multicultural."
The younger officer doesn't answer, staying focused on his target that is the new Avatar.
"Don't let her sway you, Sergent Tarou." The captain guides.
"Affirmative, Captain," Tarou speaks for the first time since he arrived.
"Are all of you sticks-in-the-mud?" Korra asking, teasingly curious. "I suppose it'd make sense, mud is a form of watered down earth." She's the only one to chuckle at her joke.
The two men are still as statues, ready to strike.
Korra smiles with a snort. "Just the two of you? You think you could beat me by bare minimum?" Then something sparks her senses, wiping the smugness off her face.
It's vague, but the vibration is felt between her feet, and she vaults from the cable sprouting from underground, centimeters from trapping her right leg.
But being in midair leaves one vulnerable. Saikhan seizes the opportunity and shoots his cables towards the airborne Avatar. Little does he realize, Korra has been trained to maneuver in baseless space, and easily flips from the crisscross attack, surging herself even higher via fire.
Tarou exhumes his buried wire while conjuring his free one towards the sky, intending to tether Korra by the torso with her back facing him.
Detecting yet another constraining line coming at her, Korra warps fire at the soles of her boots and blasts off even further. The extra boost dies off when she's above a pond and, smirking mischievously, she dives in from twenty feet, her bending-induced splash creating a massive wave.
Seeing the colossal tower of water arching towards them, Saikhan shouts, "Burrow!" Then he and Tarou submerge themselves underground; however, they didn't expect the pond to follow them. Before they could comprehend what is happening, they suddenly surge out the ground like duo geysers.
Korra stands between the waterspouts, her arms raised above her head and her smirk ever present. Then, as if dealing with weight, she shoves the water back into the hollow of the pond with a determined grunt, returning all its fish and two new inhabiters.
Saikhan and Tarou resurface while sputtering about, the captain having to spit out a vibrant orange koi as its tail kept whipping his face.
Sniggering proudly, Korra's glee over her accomplishment is short-lived, as more cable cords strike the ground, signaling several more officers coming in for a landing. "Time for a change in scenery." Korra asserts as she bolts out the park, a few grounded policemen pursuing her trail.
While squeezing through pedestrians within downtown, Korra keeps her head low and her eyes sharp. She catches sight of metallic armory glimmering between the moving denizens and, for the fun of it, bends loose pebbles and shoots. The clanking noise of the tiny projectiles making bullseye on utilitarian uniforms is music to Korra's ears, especially the outcry that follows.
"Where are they coming from?"
"That new Avatar is making a mockery of us!"
"Show yourself, girl!"
"You'll regret not taking us seriously!"
The Avatar scoffs, not feeling threatened in the least. Though, she would regret having too much fun, because the next thing she knows her right wrist is abruptly restrained. A cable, which only means one thing.
The sharp tug almost makes Korra lose footing, but she's quick to catch herself. Following the cord, she meets charismatic liquid teals, very opposing to all the stern glares she experienced with the force so far.
It's a woman who appears to be in her early to mid-twenties, wearing a confident grin that shows of the glimmers of her pearl white teeth. Under her officer cap is ash-blonde hair between her eyes, and a fairly thick plait swept over her shoulder. This woman is audacious enough to chuckle as she shouts, "CLEAR THE WAY!" Before giving another sharp tug of her cable.
The locals are quick to listen when they realize it to be a command of a law enforcing citizen.
This time, Korra is ready. With little need to think she crafts a fire dagger in her free hand and swiftly cuts the wire, satisfied to see the ash-blonde woman nearly fall back. Wrenching what's left of the restraint off of her wrist, the Avatar-trainee stomps her foot to create an effective quake around the cleared area, sending the most violent vibration towards the other woman.
The policewoman couldn't stay on her feet, falling on her hands and knees. Korra launches forward for another attack while she's down when reinforcement comes in.
"Quin Lee!" A man shouts at his fallen comrade as he charges Korra at close range. Treating his winding weapons like whips, he forces the new Avatar away from the kneeling Quin. "How many times must I tell you to NOT act on impulse? You were supposed to signal us if you successfully trapped the Avatar, not proceed on your own."
Quin giggles sheepishly as she stands up. "My apologies, Ryuu."
The other two officers get into the formation surrounding Korra, having her in center of their triangle.
"Really?" Korra huffs, flexing her fingers. "Are the numbers just going to increase by two?" She idly thinks of her first two opponents, who's probably still fishing in their trousers back at the park.
"Chief Bei Fong requires intel on your limitations," Ryuu explains.
"Oh, really?" Korra tilts her head, thoroughly enjoying herself. "Then I'll be generous to tell you that you don't have enough people to hold me down."
"How many does it take?" Quin blurts out, prompting Ryuu to signal her silence.
"Keep raising the bar and you may find out… or maybe not." She shrugs haughtily.
As if she gestures their cue, the three policemen shoot one of their cables from all three directions, having their second rounds in the ready. They expect her to duck or leap out of range. Then an opening would represent itself and they'll successfully nab her once and for all.
However, they did not expect Korra to just stand there as three filaments rush at her. They certainly did not expect her to snatch all three cords with her bare hands.
With no pause or preamble, Korra circularly sweeps her foot, tracing a ring of fire that forces the law enforcers to back away. Her fists tighten and surge over her head, commanding the flames to burst into a high wall. The heated intensity scorches the cables, melting the metal till they sever and the three metalbenders momentarily lose balance. Soon the blaze shrinks into evaporation, leaving a scalded ring into the concrete and the burnt off ends of the cables lying within.
But no Avatar.
"W-What?" Quin exclaims. "She's gone!"
They rush forward to the sizzling circle to search for any clue of where Korra disappeared to. Nothing in plain sight, but Ryuu's keen eyes capture the vague swirl texture in the concrete. "She must've earthbent herself underground. She could be anywhere."
Two of his comrades scowl at their failure to capture the Avatar. Quin, on the other hand, gives a low whistle. "That girl's a crafty one."
That earns her a set of glowering from her colleagues, making her giggle nervously.
Little did they know, Korra is silently sniggering at them, having arisen from a nearby alley. 'Thirteen years are paying off.' She plunges herself within the alley's shadows and ventures deeper into the city.
"This is quite the workout." Korra stops to catch some air, which doesn't take long for her strong lungs. "But I can deal with it."
Right then, something sweet wafts her sense of smell, and she sniffs to confirm that yes, something good is in the air. "Mmm, I must be close to the marketplace." She licks her lips in hunger, "Nothing wrong with a snack, good thing Pema gave me some yuans."
Over the years of training, Korra has been to a number of marketplaces, yet none of them were quite this colorful. Fire Nation is red and gold, Earth Kingdom is green and yellow, Water Tribe is blue and white. Never has Korra seen those national colors meshed together, and so harmoniously.
"Beacon of Harmony is right." Entranced, Korra walks and peeks through different stands and watch the vendors as they work – half of her mind stays on high alert for the next strike of the law. "Surely the police won't think to wreak havoc here." There's a diverse rainbow of choices, but one that grabs her is the icy fruit poles. What sticks out the most is the business being run by a young boy, and he's doing pretty well for himself. Korra's impressed with his use of icebending to keep his products frozen.
When it's her turn in line, she is tempted to have a lychee flavor, but then there's a scrumptious looking red one that's demanding to be picked. "What flavor is red?" She asks.
"Cherry." The boy answers.
"Like blaze cherry?"
"Nope, just regular cherry."
At this, Korra tilts her head. "Regular?"
The boy nods. "It's my most popular flavor. Want to try?"
"Yeah, I'll try cherry." She says casually, discreetly rolling her eyes left and right.
"Here you go." He hands her the selected icy pole.
"How much do I owe you?"
"Just one yuan."
Korra takes an experimental lick and hums with mirth. "For flavor alone, how 'bout five?" She gives him the price plus four, not giving him a chance to thank her as she dashes away.
The boy stares in awe at his very first tip, then looks toward the direction Korra went with a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"Just as I figure, they wouldn't risk collateral damage to the marketplace." Korra reflects as she suckles merrily away at her newly discovered frozen treat. "Mmm, this is like shaved ice if it wasn't so mushy."
The sounds of honking and revving tell Korra that she's reached a traffic jam. Hearing shouts of road rage makes her raise an eyebrow. "They sound worse than Naga when it's bathtime." The natural reference to her friend stings Korra, the grip on her frozen stick tightening. "We'll be together soon, Naga. Behave yourself a little longer."
Finishing off the rest of her icy cherry pole, Korra suddenly shoots the stick to the roof above her, bending the remaining juices and her saliva to accelerate at an officer's helmet, causing an impressive dent.
"You're as subtle as a rhino!" Just the thought of Naga fuels her raging resolve. "Time's ticking, make good on what's left!" She wants to vent, she wants to fight, so she's provoking one.
Responding to the challenge, the officer nimbly leaps from the post and lands before the Avatar. Taking off the helmet, the officer, revealed to be a youthful woman, inspects the damage distastefully before tossing it away.
"You made a mistake posing a challenge against me." The young policewoman claims.
Korra scoffs. "All talk and no bark." She falls into a battle-ready stance. "Stop blathering and actually show me!"
This time Korra doesn't wait for her opponent to make the first move Amped up and adrenaline rushing, the new Avatar strikes a whip from a hidden waterskin. The policewoman is forced to duck, with another burst of water waiting to meet her face and plunge her backward. Korra rushes forward with trembling fists and successfully delivers a sharp jab in the face.
In a daze, the young officer blindly strikes out her wire. As she hoped, the swing of her cord forces the Avatar back and gives her the chance to regain some focus. The two charge and meet halfway, exchanging assaulting limbs as they dodge from damage. Ducking from another punch, the officer grabs Korra's arm and throws the Avatar over her shoulder.
Korra lands on an edge of the curb and nearly loses balance. Her opponent takes advantage with a roundhouse kick, making her fall back further. In a last-ditch effort, Korra performs a backflip and her foot manages to nick the officer's chin. In another flip, Korra crouches atop a Satomobile's roof, smirking at the other girl nursing her jaw. By the policewoman's glare, the fight is far from over.
"I would've expected backup by now." Korra lays out a good point.
The officer sneers. "I strayed from the others for the chance to beat you myself."
The Avatar shrugs. "Big mistake."
It all escalates as the two girls battle it out within the traffic. Hopping from one Satomobile roof to another, one hood to the next, and causing dents whenever their assault misses. So invested in their kindred competitive spirits, the outrage of the drivers fall to deaf ears.
"Hey! That's coming out of your weekly pay!"
"You're setting a bad example for the children!"
"My Cabbage Car!"
Eventually, they're top of a truck. Water whips and metal cords collide continuously. The officer girl is starting to tire out, but Korra is still going strong.
"You're holding back." The policewoman accuses.
"No duh." Korra rolls her eyes. "Giving my all at one opponent would be unfair, not to mention boring."
Taking offense, the other girl charges with a cry, only to be flipped over and landing hard on her back with the Avatar's foot on her chest. Desperate to keep going, she shoots a cord, but the power behind it is weak, and Korra merely bats is away.
"Out of gas? Already?" Actually disappointed, Korra sighs. "It was just getting good." Seeing no point to continue, Korra steps off the officer. "You didn't pace yourself and overdid it." No point sticking around, Korra leaps off the truck onto an adjacent canopy.
The police girl watches as the Avatar swiftly climbs atop of a building and sprints out of sight. Feeling angrily dejected, she slams her fist on the truck's surface. "The chief's really going to let me have it."
Korra doesn't venture very far from the last confrontation, she merely went to the other side of the building to climb down to the other side of the block. Using the window panes for leverage, she makes a big leap at the last two stories high and makes a mad dash as soon as she touches down.
At that moment, someone turns the corner, his arms full of grocery bags, unaware of the girl running too fast to stop in time.
BAM! They meet in a collision! Fruits tumbled, the bread is now smashed, and he just barely saves the milk carton.
Korra instantly regains her footing. "Wups! Sorry!"
"It's fine." The kneeling young man mutters.
Seeing as it's her fault, Korra crouches beside him. "Here, I'll help." She picks up one of the fruits.
"Thanks." Is his curt reply.
Thankfully, he didn't drop too much, though some of the fruit is bruised and the bread would have to be replaced, everything else is salvageable.
"There we go!" Korra chirps as she puts the last produce back in the bag. "Sorry, again."
"It's fine," He repeats. "Just watch it next time." Further securing the groceries in his grasp, he makes his leave. "Thanks again."
"No prob!" Korra calls out, then quirks her head. "Is it me, or was there something funny about that guy's eyebrows?" Pondering for a few seconds, she shakes her head. "Oh well, that's not important now."
Any other notions of the guy are set aside as she runs off once more – carefully this time. "Gotta keep moving. I'm nearly there, Naga."
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The challenge's difficulty gradually rises. As sunset draws near, the selected metalbending brigade increases their efforts to restrain the Avatar. But the girl has proven to be very crafty and extremely creative:
One officer ended up hanging upside down from a lamppost, tightly bound by his own wires!
Another officer got her cords yanked off, while her companion's equipment malfunctioned by a swift kick in the back.
Three officers had their cables tangled together, as they were too distracted by Korra's acrobatic evasive maneuvers.
It was one humiliation after another, and the smug glee on the Avatar's face just adds salt to the wounds of their collective pride. Before they realize it, the fifty assigned to nab the audacious girl has dropped by eight – what's worse they get the feeling that she could've drastically cut them down by half if she wanted.
Divided formation of small groups had no effect, and as the sun slowly dips towards the horizon, the remaining forty-two decided enough is enough. The Avatar needs to be put under arrest, and it has to be done immediately.
After leaving the last group trapped in a melted dumpster (fire-drilled with air-holes), Korra drifts to the heart of the city, where the heart is Republic City Hall. Taking a good look at its architecture, Korra hums. "Not as grand as a palace, but still classy in its own right."
Of course, she isn't that immersed with the building's design, as such she lazily takes a step back in time for cable to miss by a margin. She looks nonchalant at the limp wire. "I'm beginning to question their competence."
But, tracing the cord to its source, Korra couldn't help but gape at the remainder of her challengers, all gathered atop the roof of City Hall. She finds some familiar faces - Saikhan, Tarou, Quin Lee, Ryuu, and even Aya - while the rest have yet to take her on.
Saikhan, perched at the peak of the city's heart, looks down at the audacious girl. "Avatar Korra! You have overstayed your welcome, and by order of Chief Bei Fong, you are to be exiled immediately!"
Korra blinks at one solitary word. "Exiled…?"
"Fellow officers, do whatever necessary to incarcerate the Avatar! No holds barred!"
"They mean business!" Korra bails as they spring off the monumental building. Thankfully she's in the advantage when it comes to velocity and agility, and her keen senses to avoid the strikes of multiple cords in scant intervals.
However, being city natives is the trump card for the police force. In perfect unity they could lead Korra to where they want her to go, allowing them to predict their next move.
"She's being lured to the building scheduled for demolition." Tarou falls into step beside his captain.
"Good." Saikhan picks up the pace. "Confrontation there wouldn't disturb the peace, and any damage would be inconsequential."
Tarou nods. "Affirmative, Captain."
As the brigade intended, they continue firing metal lassos for the Avatar to avoid. Though they're still in awe at how she evades so fluidly.
Korra soon notices the abandoned derelict building and smirks. "Schedule for demolition, huh? Then surely roughing it up there won't be considered collateral damage."
Without a second thought she crashes through a window – only to face an awaiting officer. Caught by surprise, she almost missed the officer behind her as well and forced herself to the ground before as the cords barely touched her. Tumbling to a crouch, Korra dodges a couple of bolas and metal-twined ropes. She leaps and grabs onto a ceiling beam. As she balances on top of the narrow surface, a couple more officers spring into formation, barricading her from either side. But direct assault is Korra's style, and she charges at the opponent in front of her with a sharp elbow to the chest. The one behind her tries to nab her, believing she's distracted. In response, Korra hurls her captive at the other, canceling the sneak attack and forcing them off the beam.
Spotting an entrance to a spiraling stairwell, Korra leaps for it, anticipating for there to be a few officers waiting for her. As expected, the officers of the first floor are following her, and there are a few waiting among the stairs. Space is tight and constraining, proven as the police continue to try to trap Korra, only for their cords to get caught in the wall or on the stair rails. The new Avatar is having a field day knocking officer and officer off balance, snickering as they tumble down the steps in a clanging mass.
She barely passes the fifth floor when the door burst from its hinges and more authoritative figures charge in. One catches with a series of fisticuffs as Korra swiftly blocks and dodges and manages to hit a few counterpunches. As two more officers join in to overpower Korra, the pressure causing strain on the rails till it snaps and bends off. Korra is quick to catch to worn out metal while her opponents fall off, shooting their wires into the wall in the last minute save.
Swinging her body, Korra continues her ascension with each leap and each grab on the rail. Cords have tried to take her by the ankle, but every attempt has been fruitless. They tried using bolas, but it was hazardous as the Avatar simply catches and throws it right back, successfully trapping a couple of policemen. By the fifth try, she snatches the cable in, jostling it (and the officer on the other end) to her whim. Like a flail, she uses the policeman knock off his companions catapulting towards her. Once she gains leverage on the final flight, Korra flings her unfortunate projectile at the officers sprinting up the stairs, making the momentum of the collision the more devastating.
But naturally, some are able to get right back up. But naturally, Korra's not worried. Bursting out onto the roof, Korra takes steady backward steps as she mentally counts the officers passing the threshold.
Another standoff, Korra huffs. "Let me guess, you figured I'm so brass that I would face all of you on each of the ten floors, thus I would tire out and be outnumbered."
Her opponents don't respond, but it isn't necessary.
"By your long-range weapons, I had the notion it would be challenging to manage them in a tight space."
Their faces show varieties of realization.
"You still underestimate me." She speaks their thoughts. "I may love a good fight, but I love to win even more. How can I win if I do brawn alone?"
The police squad couldn't react in time as the new Avatar sprints and leaps off. Korra easily clutches onto a window pane of a neighboring building, hoists herself the extra five stories to its roof and bolts away.
"That girl…" Saikhan grouses. "Forward!" At his command, they chase after the crafty girl.
As they try to keep up with shrewd young woman, the brigade realizes something:
Throughout this particular showdown, not once did Korra use any forms of bending.
When she was still a little girl, freerunning was an essential discipline to Korra's training. To be able to move fluently from one point to another within a complex environment… the new Avatar remembers how eager she was to master this non-combative martial art.
Right now, as she bounds great distances from one roof to the next, the power in her legs alone is not what many could reckon with… this was Korra's liberation.
The feeling is so replenishing to her spirit, she almost forgot she's in midst of being chased by the authority.
In retrospect, Korra's a bit impressed that they've kept up with her: twenty minutes of climbing, swinging and vaulting cannot be luxurious when wearing some poundage – even if the uniform is thin and flexible.
It's difficult to control the body when airborne, and a few times Korra was almost caught by a hairbreadth. However, what her opponents have just begun to realize, is that movement is her second nature.
Elsewhere in an airship, Lin has a bird's eye view of the impromptu game of cat owl-and sparrow mouse, becoming more and more aggravated seeing her officers failing to apprehend one girl who just happens to be the Avatar.
One of her subordinates breathlessly enters the craft. "Chief! The Avatar's caliber is higher than anticipated, at this rate she'll be victorious!"
"Sergeant." Lin's commanding voice pacifies the young man's anxiety. "We're not admitting defeat when there's still a chance. The girl may be formidable, but she'll soon realize that we are a force not to be reckoned with."
Calming himself, the policeman is struck by a realization. "You're suggesting…?"
Her eyes remain forward. "Signal Captain Shen, this game will be over… in our favor."
Korra sprints across a row of windows, only pausing when seeing something peculiar (such as a burly hairy man applying mascara) or when a cute little toddler is waving at her. Nearing the ledge, she charges her feet for spring to the nearby fire escape. The bars beneath her feet start shuddering before snapping out of place and shooting for her legs! Barely dodging in time, Korra dashes up the stairs, but with caution as the steps deforms to enclose her footwork.
From the roof of an opposite building, Aya arranges her arms in any motion to ensure the Avatar's capture.
"Officer Aya! What are you doing?"
Cringing, Aya looks over at her superior. "We're doing whatever necessary to apprehend her!" She insists.
"Causing further collateral damage isn't necessary! Your paycheck has been deducted enough from your last stunt. Now, I suggest you put those stairs back in shape before someone loses a leg."
"But—"
"I demand it."
Effectively subdued, Aya timidly does as told.
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The Metalbending Police Force are colored amazed, just seeing how the new Avatar could change from an offensive strike to a defensive form. How she could easily gain ground on something as narrow as the span of a triangular rooftop, after performing a complicating airborne somersault, is not something to trivialize.
And she's having fun too! She's treating them like playmates! What's worse for them is that time is now on the essence. Sunset is erstwhile, the city is now alit, and the crescent moon embellishes endless navy.
It doesn't help that the girl's stamina is almost inhuman, whereas a good number on their side is beginning to tire out.
Korra's face is now that of an elated grin as she bends water from the stone mouths of spitting wolf-bats and sprints up the slope. Reaching the arc, she looks over her shoulders at her pursuers, playfully sticks her tongue out at them, and then leaps off, manipulating the water beneath her feet to slickly slide down. She couldn't help it this time, Korra wholeheartedly laughs. It isn't the usual taunting laugh either, rather it's the peals of a girl simply having the time of her life. Swaying her body to effortlessly avoid the cords, she's not worried in the slightest at the sight of policemen waiting for her. Some stand in a row at the edge while more are stacked atop each other on a shorter neighboring building as if to offer extra leverage.
Grinning viciously, the new Avatar accelerates her charge, and when she's just a few inches from the officers barricading, she bends water to whip them off. Then, leaping off the ledge she kicks an impressive wave at the police ladder, tumbling them over. She feels one officer clutching around her waist after losing balance, and a wire gripping her wrist.
Strike two.
But for a second it didn't matter, because for a second Korra feels like a giddy little kid having fun.
Yet the feeling disappears the sooner she touches down, and the not-so-childish game continues. The immature grin is wiped off her face as she snags the cable off her wrist and the elbows the officer still holding on to her. Diving over the building, she springs off the canopy and onto the sidewalk. Back on solid widespread on foundation, Korra looks to the night sky: the slender moon is halfway to its highest perch. Midnight is nigh, and as Korra dashes into the shadows of an alley, she reflects on something she noticed.
'One of the conditions was that I face off against fifty of the metalbending police, yet I've only counted forty-nine. Either Lady Chief is short on staff, or Number Fifty will be my toughest opponent yet.'
Lin hasn't moved from the windows of her airship, even though she's no longer following the Avatar. There's no need to anymore.
Then, someone appears behind her, shrouded in the nightly shadows, the figure towering over the chief.
Lin remains still. "You know what must be done…"
This person says nothing, barely nodding confirmation.
"Good. Time is on the essence, go now."
Just as quietly the person leaves.
Lin's eyes never strayed from the city below. 'The end is near, girl. Major Shen will find you… and crush you.'
Korra flinches as if feeling something sharp and cold stiffening her spine. She's back within the heart of the city, standing before City Hall.
'They retreated…' She thinks. Normally that would be a sign that she's victorious, and yet… she knows something is about to happen, and she knows it has something to do with the fiftieth opponent.
Korra remains silent, and her eyes are closed, relying on her other senses. The fruit of her lessons under the one Toph Bei Fong is that one could see so much more without eyes. Korra's one to take such profound lessons to heart, and right now is the best time to utilize what she's been taught by the current chief's own mother.
Especially when something's hurtling towards the blindside of her back. Swiftly she ducks forward and the projectile sweeps overhead. In a crouch, she raises her head and is baffled that it isn't a cable or bola, but a strangely shaped metal plate. Korra doesn't have the chance to contemplate as something else – something larger – is storming and she just barely somersaults out of the way. She's close enough to be affected by the shockwave of the impact.
Korra didn't know what to expect when the dust cleared, but a kneeling woman in the center of the small crevasse had been the lowest. Assessing this woman's position, the way her hand is clawed, her fingertips forcefully implanted…
Korra subconsciously strokes her neck. 'She meant to knock me out.'
The powerhouse of an officer stands, and Korra swears this woman is a copy of Lin – only taller, younger… scarier. The new Avatar, overlooking her overconfidence and tendency to act before thinking, is quite perceptive. And she can perceive that it's going to take a lot to beat this one.
Korra's wise not to make the first move this time, instead to focus on conserving her energy. Her back against the wall, she's in full defensive mode, which is why she managed to evade the first strike. The dexterity of this woman's manual hands alone is no small feat whatsoever. More of those strange metal diskettes of various sizes and shapes kept hurtling at her, it wouldn't be much of a problem if not for the sharp precision of each strike, coercing her to maneuver in ways that would be impossible for an average person. To make matters worse, Korra has to sidestep the physical assault of her opponent simultaneously. Korra is literally bent over backward just trying to interpret this woman's next move.
This juggernaut that's supposed to be a woman is very careful not to cause permanent damage to the area that makes the heart of the city, and purposeful has the one-sided battle away from City Hall. Only the ground is getting marred, collateral damage that's easily fixable. This woman known as Major Shen is exact in her techniques, and a part of her is savoring the sight of the Avatar forced to dance by her terms.
But the Major could self admit that the new Avatar is a slippery one, never mind the fact that she's just now noticed that the girl's eyes are completely shut. The girl's relying on all her senses to tell her what her eyes would fail to catch, no doubt something that's been learned from the legendary mother of Shen's own chief.
Major Shen is very quick, but Korra would be quicker if not for one drawback – she's getting tired. In spite of her supernatural stamina, Korra's still a mortal being with limitations and right now, she's reaching her limits by a hairbreadth. One plate targets between her shoulder blades while another goes for her torso, and she scarcely ducks just in time for the metallic objects to collide. But then another disk unearths right below her and she just manages to leap away. Her landing is a bit jarring, causing Korra to briefly trip up.
Big mistake.
The Avatar is right where the Major wants her. Seizing the sought out opportunity, Shen performs her signature as all the metal plates surrounding the girl swiftly charges and melds together, wrapping around the Avatar's body to the ground in a metal casing. Only Korra's face is visible now and she acts on pure instincts and struggles, with her shoulders shifting and her head jerking. She soon stops herself, however, as she realizes that she's just wearing herself out. Her body relaxes and she takes a deep, long breath, now limp in the Major's steel grasp.
Within the bird's eye view of the airship, plenty of the retreated officers watch the spectacle down below.
Quin Lee gives a low whistle as she peeks over Ryuu's shoulder. "That was quite the show."
Ryuu sweeps away Quin's perching hands. "The Avatar's giving up just like that?" He questions dubiously.
Tarou gives his two cents. "There are roughly two minutes before this challenge is over, and Major Shen is very precise."
Aya scoffs. "Serves her right."
Lin says nothing, keeping a sharp eye on the opposing duo. Yes, it does appear her best officer has bested the new Avatar. Yet, Lin follows the lesson her mother instilled in her: "Appearance and deception go hand-in-hand."
Hand-in-hand indeed. Korra's eyes remain closed, seemingly admitting defeat. But the way her brows are hunched and her lips thinned, it tells Shen to stay on guard. Whatever the girl has planned may be for naught, because her entire body is encased, her limbs immobile. Even the most ignorant would know that a bender needs movement in order to bend. No movement, no bending. Yet what the Major had learned from her subordinates, the new Avatar has an array of skills, so what the girl could do may just not be bending at all.
Right then, Shen feels a strange pulse against her metal surrounding the girl, then another, and another. The fourth pulse is the strongest felt, so strong it burst open Korra's imprisonment. Shen's face remains stern but her eyes are wide, for nobody, not even a metalbender could break free from such a constraining hold.
No matter, that was the third strike and if the Avatar is trapped once more, it's an instant game over. That assured, Major Shen charges in, metal plates flying.
But Korra's not taking any chances, for when those disks draw near… she uses a wave of one hand to stop them. No pause, the Avatar turns the tables and metal panels charge the Major instead. Utterly shellshocked, Shen rarely encounters a situation when her control is simply taken, but here's the Avatar once again taking the advantage.
So quick the disk clutches the Major's wrists and ankles, forcing her to the ground with a resounding thud. The wind forced out of her, Shen gasps for breath, with the Avatar appearing in her slightly dazed vision. Korra stands over her, her hands raised with other metal plates ready to strike for even the tiniest move.
So, it would appear that the new Avatar had a trump card.
The Major refuses to back down, the second she regains her bearings she'll easily break free and—
DING… DING… DING…
That sound. That ear-ringing sound. The toll of bells that signifies midnight. The waning crescent is at its peak in the sky.
It's over, time is up. Major Shen looks horrified at her failure as the Avatar gives a vicious victorious grin.
"I win."
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Shen has learned long ago that it's best to accept defeat than to dwell on it. However, it doesn't ease the ache in her pride and her skull that she's failed in her task to apprehend a mere girl. No… not a 'mere' girl, but a girl who is the new Avatar.
The tolls of the bell fade in echo, and the Avatar standing above her is still staring at her with that insufferably smug smirk.
Then, that smirk changes into a smile. Korra drops her arms, and the metal plates too. The girl moves her hands in easing movements, and it takes a few seconds for Shen to realize her wrists and ankles are free of its binds.
"Whew!" Korra sighs loudly and stretches her limbs.
Shen just blinks almost owlishly at the girl, still laying flat on her back. One second this girl radiates superiority, and now she has this relaxed aura, with a look on her face Shen has seen countless times from children.
"You're okay?" Korra's voice snaps Shen from her thoughts. "I didn't give you a concussion or anything…?"
The girl actually appears concerned, so Shen's considerate enough to answer in a rasp, "No."
Korra looks relieved. "Oh, good. There was that time I accidentally knocked out my sparring partner and—"
The sudden flash of the airships' spotlights temporarily blinds Korra. Shen, however, saw it coming and closed her eyes in advance. All the officers descend and surround the duo. Officer Quin rushes forward to give her superior a hand, but Major Shen brushes off the gesture and stands by her own power.
Chief Lin Bei Fong descends in center of the circle, a couple of feet before Shen.
In presence of her superior, the Major deeply bows. "Chief Bei Fong, I have failed." There is deep regret in this confession, even Korra can't help but cringe a bit.
Lin stares down at her defeated Major, then shakes your head. "Raise your head, Shen." She waits till Shen is upright. "You have made a valiant effort, but we weren't prepared with this particular adversary. Either way, I am grateful for your service."
Shen doesn't smile, but there is a particular light in her eyes. "Thank you, Chief."
Lin shifts her attention to the girl who single-handedly bested her men. Korra, despite feeling worse for wear, keeps her strong posture and meets the chief's eyes head on.
"It would seem you've claimed victory." The Chief speaks stoically.
Korra doesn't respond, only looking at the Chief with an unreadable expression.
Lin shuts her eyes for a second as she takes a deep breath. "In honor of our proposition, your beast of a pet shall be returned to you. Matter of fact, we gave the signal to release the polar bear dog, and it should be here any second now."
On cue, distant barking can be heard. Korra looks over her shoulder, and the officers of that direction are forced to make way for one Naga galloping towards her.
"Naga…" Forsaking her fatigue, Korra turns and sprints as if magically rejuvenated. "Naga!"
What seems to take too long for them is really a few more seconds as the friends happily collide. Korra embraces Naga's muzzle as the bear hound lifts the Avatar and spins her around and around, bringing out peals of pure joy.
They give no mind to their audience, who each are begrudging to admit that the reunion between the strange friends is quite… touching.
"They've only been apart for two days." Aya huffs.
"Doesn't matter," Quin Lee chirps. "When a bond is strong enough, even a little absence makes the heart grow fonder."
A few more minutes, Korra and Naga finally settle themselves. In second nature, Korra mounts upon the saddle, and it's as if the two had never been apart in the first place.
"Well done, Korra."
Korra inclines to see Tenzin at the top of City Hall's stairs. The airbending master has a respectful smile on his face. "Expect your first lesson tomorrow morning, bright and early. I suggest now you return to Air Temple Island for much-needed rest."
The new Avatar regards her new mentor with a nod. "Right. Let's go, Naga!"
Faithfully following her friend's command, the polar bear dog dashes effortlessly through the throng of policemen, giving their newfound rivals a warning growl. The Avatar guides them to Yue Bay, and Naga leaps into the water. As the bear hound swims towards the small isle, Korra lies down on her friend's back and closes her eyes. Fleetingly free from scrutinizing eyes, she feels it's alright to be weak… just for a little while.
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