"When we are at our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change."
- Avatar Aang.
Unable to find their quarry, Korra and Mako reluctantly broke off the chase and circled back around to return to the healers home and Wing. Temuji was already there, inspecting the drained metalbender as the others arrived. Tenzin, Wei and Asami kept out of the way while Mako went to look for clues about their mysterious assailant.
Korra came closer to see how Wing was doing. "What's his condition?" she asked.
"Not good," the healer replied immediately, though he was still checking Wing's pulse. "He's barely clinging to life... what did that... that thing... do to him?"
"I don't know... but it looked like he was... energybending."
"Energybending?" the healer asked.
"It's an ancient technique that can take away someone's bending... but it never worked like this," Korra said.
"And only the Avatar ever was supposed to know that ability," Tenzin added.
"The Avatar and Amon," Mako said darkly, recalling well their encounter with the leader of the Equalists. One where he'd nearly lost his own bending. And Korra hadn't been so lucky.
Korra shook her head at the comparison, however. "That's not the same thing either... though there is some similarity," she remarked, glancing the direction the shadowy figure had fled. "And they were wearing a mask too..."
"Not the same, but similar," Mako added, echoing her words.
"Avatar Korra," Temuji interrupted politely. "You said the Avatar is capable of energybending... is there a way you can restore this boy somehow?"
"Oh yes, please... help my brother," Wei added. He looked practically beside himself with worry.
She nodded solemnly. "I'll do my best."
Settling onto her haunches beside the unconscious metalbender, Korra rested her hands on Wing's head and heart, and concentrated deeply. Her spirit became one with the universe around her, allowing the power of the cosmos to flow through her. Soon, her eyes began to glow as the Avatar State was activated, and energy began to flow between the two of them as the others watched in awe.
But something was wrong. Very wrong. Korra's frown deepened as she sensed a block. No, not a block... an absence. Try though she might, she could not fill the void of Wing's soul, and eventually her hands fell limp as the glow faded from her eyes. When they re-opened, they were Korra's regular sky blue.
"Well?" asked Wei, unsure of what to make of what he'd just seen. But he could tell his brother wasn't any better looking. If anything he looked worse.
Korra dimly shook her head, still processing what had just happened. Her hands were still shaking.
"It's like there's almost nothing left to restore..." she whispered. "He's just a shell. That thing that attacked him... it did more than take away his bending... I think it took his bending. And a great part of his life force as well."
"A bending... thief?" asked Tenzin, seeking clarity.
"It would seems so," Temuji remarked, catching the meaning of Korra's phrase.
The albino healer checked the boy's pulse again, finding it thin and threadbare, but still present. "Well he's still alive... there's a chance he may recover naturally on his own, surely?"
"His life force may replenish over time," Korra agreed. "But not his bending."
"What about my mother?" Tenzin suggested. "She might have better success..."
"She didn't last time someone showed up with unnatural abilities like this," Mako pointed out. At the glares of everyone present he threw up his hands defensively. "Just playing dark advocate!"
"He's right, Katara won't be able to help anymore than I can," Korra said forlornly, turning back to Wei. "You should probably take Wing away from here... this isn't the safest place to be right now."
"I'll take him back to Zaofu," Wei promised. "Mother'll know what to do. We can contact Katara from there if need be."
"And meantime we can go after this bending thief," said Korra solemnly. Mako and Asami nodded, always ready to back up their Avatar friend.
"The only problem is... we've no real idea where to start looking..."
In the end, Tenzin felt his children would be safest returning home, taking Oogi with them. With some new terrible threat on the loose their father in him didn't feel safe with them in the line of fire. They'd be escorting Wing and Wei back to Zaofu, giving an update to Suyin and the rest of the Metal Clan, then returning to Republic City. Kai would be going with them.
Bolin and Opal were heading southwest, towards Kyoshi Island. News regarding their fishing crisis continued to circulate, and they wanted to investigate and see if there was a link between the dying animals and the plagues that had cropped up in the nearby towns. Plus, Bolin privately confided to Mako that he was really looking forward to a chance at getting his girlfriend into a swimsuit.
Meanwhile the rest of them would continue the opposite direction, work with the villages still needing assistance and supplies. There was also the hope of tracking down the attacker who'd put Wing in a coma and stolen his bending. A slim hope, perhaps, but the best they had to go on for the moment. The sky bison were loaded with supplies and the Future Industries Air Ship was ready for departure. Everyone was saying their final farewells when two individuals came to join them. It was Temuji and Fumiko.
"Temuji," Korra called out to the white-haired young man. "Miko," she added, spotting his pigtailed sister. "We were just about to depart, but what can we do for you?"
He turned and address Bolin and Opal. "If it's not am imposition, I understand you're heading to Kyoshi Island. I'd like to request you take Fumiko with you. I'm walking on to the next village and I fear for her safety if she was to accompany me with so many dangers in the region."
"I uh... uh sure," Bolin replied, puzzled by the request but seeing no reason to turn them down. Juicy could handle another passenger.
"Oh man this is gonna be awesome!" Fumiko exclaimed, sommersaulting between Opal and Bolin, grabbing one each by the arms and latching on tightly. "Kyoshi Island, ho!"
"Will you two be alright separated?" Bolin asked. At their age he couldn't have even conceived of the idea of being that far apart from Mako, though obviously he'd grown out of it.
Evidently they were made of tougher stuff though. "Oh we'll be fine," Temuji said. "And I'd rather Miko was in capable hands. Who more capable than one of the Avatars friends? Besides, she tells me she's always wanted to see an elephant koi."
"Eat an elephant koi," Fumiko corrected. "Whole."
Opal and Bolin shared a glance, wondering if she was serious, but the wicked grin on her face told them she was. Shrugging, the two beckoned her to join them. "Welcome to the Juicy Express, non-stop to Kyoshi Island."
"What about you, Temuji?" asked Korra. "Care for a ride? We should be heading in the same direction."
He smiled thinly. "Thank you, I prefer to walk."
"The airship has got more than enough room," she replied. "And it may not be much safer for you out there all by yourself. You sure you'll be okay?"
"Oh it's not that, I just prefer to gather herbs between villages to help with my healing. But don't worry, I know a more than just firebending healing techniques. I can hold my own in a scuffle or two as well."
"Well then, good luck," Korra said with a polite bow.
"I'm sure we'll meet again soon," he said as he returned the gesture.
The three groups took flight for their respective destinations, while Temuji picked up a walking stick and proceeded on foot alone.
A day or two of travel, and the rolling hills and plains of the Earth Kingdom vanished in a vast expanse of crystal blue waves, as Juicy took her three passengers over the wide, open oceans. Bolin and Fumiko gazed out at the glorious expanse of ocean, almost completely unbroken in every direction. And there, just on the horizon, Kyoshi Island.
Unlike the rest of the world, the Isle of Kyoshi had refused to modernize, still doing things very much the old fashioned, traditional way. They had no modern technology, no telegraph poles or wires, no generators or satomobiles. They had exactly one radio the village chief could use to contact the mainland, but that was locked up in his office and rarely saw use.
While this might have invited trouble in any other part in the world, Kyoshi Island was protected by the Kyoshi Warriors. Some of the most skilled and dedicated non-bender combatants in the world. By traditional an almost exclusively female organization, they excelled at hand-to-hand combat and the use of various medieval weapons. Though some modern militaries scoffed, they'd still yet to muster the courage to actually test their fancy modern gunships and armies against the Kyoshi Warriors. Even during Kuvira's rising Earth Empire the island had lasted a surprisingly lengthy period of time before submitting to the rule of an obvious tyrant.
Today that changed.
Back in Republic City, things had pretty much gone on as they always had. While the Spirit Portal opening in the midst of their wartorn city had thrown a few families out of their usual flow, a comet crashing on the other side of the world didn't concern them nearly as much. No, the ripples and repercussions of that disaster had yet to reach them.
So they carried on as they always had. Going to work, earning income, climbing the social ladder, pursuing lives of crime...
Lin Beifong made her usual rounds of the office, making sure her detectives and officers weren't slacking off. Just because the crime rate had dropped in the last few months didn't mean it was time to be complacent. It meant it was time to tie up loose ends and get their paperwork in order. Plus, they still had to get used to their new offices. Their old building had been damaged during Kuvira's Colossus rampage, and was being converted to new use. Meanwhile, they were being set up here, much closer to downtown where they could be useful.
Case in point, the file she was being handed now by one of her subordinates.
One Viper, originally leader of the Triple Threat Triad. Two years ago he was busted then subsequently set free because of improper arrest procedures. Mako hadn't been on the case at the time, or she was damn she that wouldn't have happened. He'd been busy babysitting Prince Wu at the time, on order from higher up.
So instead, the serpent had slithered away, and yet another criminal had gone unpunished. Now, they weren't even sure where he was. The Triple Threats seemed to have escaped during Kuvira's attack, but there was definitely new triad activity in the slums and merchant districts. Small stuff now, but if left unchecked it would escalate. Someone had to be leading it. She was positive it was Viper, but even so she had her officers compiling a list of all potential suspects.
It was uncomfortably long.
Lin sighed, rubbing her temples. It really never ended, did it? Her mother had said as much, but Lin had refused to believe it. She'd been so young and naïve when she'd stepped up to assume the mantle of Chief of Police. She thought bit by bit, the police force would grow stronger, crime would grow weaker, and one day she'd wake up and they'd finally be rid of it forever. Maybe not in her lifetime, but some day...
Instead, it became a war of escalation. They brought in metalbending cops, the thugs started using taser gauntlets. They watched from airships, the criminals hid underground. They started investigations, the criminals started calling for lawyers and trials. Every trick they came up with was quickly countered and in some cases even improved upon. It was never ending.
So what was the point of it at, really?
They landed near the wooden statue of Avatar Kyoshi herself, which had definitely seen better days. Much of the paint had chipped away over the years, though the overall image of a fearless, towering woman of incredible beauty and power continued to stand proud above them.
"Helloooooo Kyoshi Island!" Bolin cheered. Fumiko let out a whoop of joy beside him, fist-pumping the air. Opal just smiled with vague amusement at their enthusiasm.
Villagers who rarely saw a flying bison came to meet Juicy, even as many of the others regarded the passengers with some wariness. Eventually, an entourage was assembled to properly greet them, and a number of villagers had turned out to be part of it, including some of the most easily excitable people Bolin had ever met. And that included his mover fans.
At the very front of the procession was a trio of women in green battle dresses, wearing heavy plated armor trimmed in gold. Each had done their face up with white and red make-up, making them look dually beautiful and deadly. These were the legendary Kyoshi Warriors, feared across the four nations for being some of the most lethal non-benders around.
The one at the foremost was a lady of average height, with dark burgundy hair erupting all around her head like the spikes of a boarcupine. She had a fierce look in her green eyes, like a predator, always watchful. Despite this, her tone was soothing as she bowed before them.
"Welcome to Kyoshi Island, travelers. My name is Jasmine," she greeted them.
"Jasmine? Like-?"
"Like the tea," she cut him off, rolling her eyes in such a way that told him she had heard this particular line a hundred times before at least. "My father greatly enjoyed the stuff. And I got off better than my little sister Ginseng. She had to run away from home and join the circus."
"Oh," Bolin said. In the awkward silence that followed, he decided he could dig himself a little deeper by asking, "So, do you enjoy tea then?"
Her frown deepened. "No."
On a ship as big as the luxurious Future Industries Air Ship (Asami really needed to name it one of these days) there was easily as many rooms as a large manor, to say nothing of the cargo hold and all its contents. It was easy to find space to yourself if you knew where to look.
Right now, Tahno had found space to himself in an unused room down the hall from the bunk he shared with Mako. The two detectives had claimed it as a personal gym of sorts, and alternated using it to go over their bending forms. The metal walls were ideal to stand up to their fighting styles, most fire and water attacks bounced or slid right off.
Tahno had set up some barrels in the four corners of the room to provide a water source for himself, then started up his forms. Sweeping kicks and swift jabs and punches, wearing nothing more than a pair of black sweatpants. By the time he realized he was being watched, he'd managed to work up quite a sweat, and it showed on his gleaming chest.
"Well hey there, Uhvatar. What brings you by?"
"Mako mentioned this place. Just planning to get in a little work out myself," she said non-chalantly, leaning against the frame. "But I can come back later."
"Suit yourself," he replied, going back to his forms.
"Unless you'd like a sparring partner," she said challengingly.
"If you can keep up," he replied, sliding into a stance and making a beckoning gesture with his hand.
They started out with some simple moves, getting a feel for the other. Though they'd faced each other in the ring a long time ago, the bout had been brief (to say nothing of tremendously one-sided) and they'd not matched bending since. At first it was just some gentle tossing back and forth of the water, going through the form to loosen up the muscles and warm up the body. Tahno, however, was not the patient or gentle sort, and once he felt Korra was ready, immediately ramped up their routine, throwing hard kicks and punches, spraying water in her direction and forcing her to be quick and attentive to deflect or counter it all. His form of waterbending was very aggressive and focused, as befitting a former pro-bender champion. Less a gentle stream and more a water hose. Concentrated and powerful bursts. Korra, despite being fresh while he was already worn out, had to make sure to keep up.
Tahno lashed out with a particularly vicious kick, forcing her to backroll out of the way of the following water spray, springing to her feet moments later. They came up on separate ends of the makeshift gym, taking a moment to catch their breath.
"Not bad."
"Thanks," she replied, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her eyes.
"Heard you're on the market again," Tahno said casually, rolling his shoulders and bouncing up and down on his heels, throwing a quick one-two jab in the air. "Still not interested in seeing how a real pro bends?"
Korra repressed a shudder at the playful leer he was giving her, though unlike last time he'd tried that line, she didn't have it followed by an urge to punch him in the face. She settled instead for a punch to his gut instead, a blow he didn't even see coming, leaving him grasping his stomach as he bent almost double from the pain.
"Pass," Korra declared, grabbing a towel from nearby and draping it over her shoulder. "Fun workout, Tahno. We really should do this again sometime," she added sarcastically.
He grimaced at the very idea of it, but stayed charming to the very end. "Looking forward to it," he gasped out, then flopped onto the floor, groaning in agony after Korra left. Later, he'd claim it was a cheap shot, and it hadn't hurt all that much at all. But it would be nothing but lies.
"Oh yeah... she wants me... ooh..."
Though it was still early morning yet, barely past breakfast, when the trio of travelers and their Kyoshi escort were walking past one building, they already saw a number of painted females in green garb working up a hard sweat as they kicked, punched, and practiced their most deadly art.
"And this is the training dojo, where we hone our skills. By tradition, only women are trained in the arts... but we have made exceptions in the past," Jasmine explained.
"Wow, lookin' uhm... lookin' good ladies!" Bolin felt obliged to make a compliment.
A throwing knife imbedded itself in the doorway, right beside his head, forcing the young lavabender to yank himself backwards and out of harm's way.
"It was meant as a compliment!"
Opal stifled a giggle, well aware he was telling the truth. Bolin didn't have the skill or desire to be a great liar. Their guide, however, did not look amused in the slightest. They continued on, as Jasmine showed them the fields where they harvested food, and also down by the docks. While anything grown on the island seemed to be safe to eat, anything caught out at sea was foul and rotted.
"As you can see, we are at a loss to explain this sudden phenomenon," their spiky-haired guide said. "Some believe the spirits are restless and angry since Sozin's Comet struck the land."
"So it's an evil spirit causing all of this?" Bolin asked, puzzled.
"Dark spirit," Jasmine corrected. "And it's just a theory at the moment. We have, after all, not seen one here in all this time."
"Do you mind if we take a look around? We've been all over, we might spot something you've missed. I happen to know a thing or two about dark spirits."
"Nothing escapes our notice on this island," Jasmine replied. "But, I suppose there is no harm. Let us know if you have any needs."
She bowed again politely and turned to depart, not even sparing them a backward glance. Bolin slid up beside Opal to stage-whisper into her ear.
"Coooold," he sing-songed.
The airbender Beifong smirked and lightly elbowed her boyfriend in the gut to get him to behave, then took off down the village streets, following some back alleys to the edge of the civilized part of the island and into the more untamed part. Bolin followed behind, clutching his gut and pretending it was a mortal wound. Fumiko followed as well, hopping up onto a nearby fence and stepping along it like it was a circus tightrope, arms outstretched and feet planted in front of one another to keep her balance.
The trio wandered the outskirts of the town and along the rolling, forested hills of the island proper. Trees great and small surrounded the region, many of which bore fruit that the inhabitants used to supplement their diet of seafood, making them nearly completely independent from trading with the outside world. Overall it was very rustic, quite a change of pace for city kids like Bolin and Opal.
"So... this is Kyoshi Island..." Bolin said, arms stretched above his head. "I gotta say I was kinda expecting something... a little grander actually..."
"Well at least they have great apples here," Fumiko commented.
Bolin glanced back, and had to do a double-take when he saw Fumiko wasn't eating the fruits, but instead had picked up three and was just randomly juggling them, tossing them hand over hand in a dizzying display. If he'd tried something like that he'd drop them on his feet in no time.
"Wow, you're really good at that."
"Just takes practice," she replied. "Big bro says I'm a natural though."
"Well I happen to know a trick or two myself," Bolin replied, cracking his knuckles. "I once worked as a street performer, you know."
Pabu, perched on his shoulder, chirped in Bolin's ear.
"Sorry, we used to work as street performers," he corrected himself. The little fire ferret almost grinned, head held high with pride.
"Show us a trick then," Fumiko challenged them.
Bolin smiled and, without so much as a backward glance, thrust out with his foot in a perfect back kick, striking the base of a nearby tree. As it shuddered from the impact, an apple tumbled loose from one of the branches. Bolin almost casually reached out to catch it, then offered it with a flourish of his hand to Opal. She accepted it and took a small bite, mostly to humor her boyfriend.
"That's one heck of a kick," Fumiko said in awe. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."
"Oh it's not the kick that did it," Bolin explained. "I used a bit of earthbending to shake the tree's trunk at the same moment I kicked it. Creates the illusion that I'm tougher than I look."
"And he looks pretty darn tough, doesn't he?" Opal asked sarcastically.
Bolin flexed his arms and kissed his biceps, and both girls burst out laughing at his antics. The young lavabender took a stage bow to his appreciative audience.
"Thank you, thank you, I make regular appearances every Saturday morning," he announced, sounding like a radio talk show host. "We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast."
Authors Notes:
Please review if enjoyed.
Voice Actress Salli Richardson would make a perfect Jasmine, with a model loosely based on Jin, whom Zuko met in Ba Sing Se. I like to think she's a descendant or at the very least a relative.