CHAPTER 7: EXPLANATIONS

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I only own my OC's)

Kenai woke up in the morning feeling a little dizzy. He looked at his hands covered in bandages from the middle of his forearms to the tip of his fingers, reminding him of what he did last night at the Sato Estate.

With his curiosity getting the better of him, Kenai started to carefully unwrapped the bandages of his left hand. When the airbender reached his wrist, he stopped and observed his injuries. There were a couple of small scars here and there and there was no doubt his palm and fingers were in a similar condition, but it wasn't so bad. The cuts would certainly heal completely over time and his finger's mobility and dexterity did not appear to be affected. As long as he didn't force himself too much in the following days he knew he would be fine. Besides, he could go to the South Pole and ask Katara for a healing-session if he wanted to.

Still, he felt sore and tired. Kenai slowly stood up from his bed and opened his closet. Today he didn't felt like putting on his usual clothes, so instead he decided to wear sweatpants, a plain white t-shirt, a pair of sandals and his red Air Nomad coat. This attire was more comfortable than his everyday pants and jacket and it has been a while since he wore them, so he thought he might as well give his everyday clothes a holiday.

Just as he reached the door to exit his room, Tenzin entered.

"Hey, good morning uncle." Kenai said.

"Good morning Kenai." Tenzin replied seriously. For some reason that Kenai couldn't quite comprehend, his uncle seemed a bit annoyed, like a father about to scold his son for a prank he just committed. "Would you follow me please?"

Even though it was a question, Kenai felt like he just received an order given by the United Forces General. Confused by his uncle's strange behavior, Kenai followed Tenzin as they silently walked through the Air Temple. The young airbender felt strange. There was a sensation of awkwardness he couldn't get rid off, no matter how much he tried. Normally, Tenzin and him would make some small talk in the morning and discuss about whatever they felt like. Witnessing his uncle having such a cold and serious demeanor towards him with no apparent reason was plain weird.

A couple of minutes later, the two airbenders reached Tenzin's office. It was a small room filled with history books and ancient scrolls, decorated by a couple of simple paintings that were hanging on the walls. In the middle of the room there was a big desk made out of oak bark next to a chair. Tenzin took a sit and gestured his nephew to do the same with another chair across the office. Once the both of them were sitting, Kenai started to talk. "Ok uncle, what's going on here? Why are we at your office?"

"Kenai, I am going to be straight-forward with you: I want you to explain what that thing you did last night was."

The young airbender mentally slapped himself. He should've known Tenzin would interrogate him about his technique. It's not like he regret doing it at all. It was a life-threatening situation and he wanted to ensure the safety of those around him, but he didn't think very much about the future explanations. After all, his uncle had no knowledge of his nephew's chi-techniques until last night.

He decided to start slow. "It was a chi-technique."

"A chi-technique?"

"Yes. What I basically did was to concentrate large amounts of air in the palm of my hands, rotating at very high speed and shaping the air gathered into spheres. In order to keep the rotating spheres placed in my hands, I used my chi to cover them. That way, the spheres don't lose their shape and I am able to hold them. The air that's concentrated within the spheres is spinning so fast that it pierces its way through the target upon contact." Kenai explained as best as he could.

After a moment of silence, Tenzin spoke up. "Where and how did you learn this... chi-technique?"

"I learned it by myself here in the island. I started working on it a couple of years ago and it has been improving over time. As for how I learned it, I suppose through hard work and experimenting. I don't know much about the airbending techniques of the past, but from what I have read from the library there's no information about this one. It's a possibility that I might have invented a new airbending technique." Kenai said with a proud smile.

"After you used this technique of yours, your body ended up suffering severe damage." Tenzin stated with a frown. "Care to explain that?"

Kenai's smile dropped. "Oh yeah, about that. You see, chi-techniques are usually very taxing on your body. It takes years of training to have a body strong enough to deal with the repercussions, and even then is not easy. For example, the air spheres that I made were fairly big and held a lot of raw power. Maintaining this technique is very hard, and because of the acceleration produced, the air inside becomes even more unstable. The cuts in my hands are proof of that. But don't worry, with a little more practice I'll be able to get that technique down. The only reason I ended up this busted is because I was forced to make two spheres, and big ones at that. The strain is considerably smaller when I make just one."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen, Kenai."

"Huh, what do you mean it's not going to happen?" Kenai asked visibly confused.

Tenzin stood up from his chair. "I mean that you are not allowed to use or practice those chi-techniques of yours any longer. Not only are those techniques way too dangerous, but also they fail to represent what true airbending is."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you uncle, but that's not going to happen. I have to keep on improving my skills. Besides, it's my bending." Kenai said defending himself. This conversation was starting to get annoying.

However, the son of Aang was not finished. "Kenai, this is not open for discussion. You have been given a unique gift and you're making a mockery out of it. I want you to stop it."

"Excuse me? How am I making a mockery out of airbending?" Kenai asked offended as he also stood up.

"All of your life, you have used your airbending in ways that you shouldn't." Tenzin started to say. "I have done my best to guide you but you don't seem to comprehend what true airbending is. Instead, you have ignored my teachings and misguided your bending as far away as you could. But maybe it was my fault. Maybe I should have been stricter with you from the beginning. However, that does not excuse neither your behavior nor your attempts to belittle the most important aspects of airbending. That chi-technique you did last night is a perfect example of what I am talking about."

Now Kenai was starting to get angry. "And what is true airbending, uncle Tenzin? Is it what it says in those scrolls? Is it what your father taught you? I already told you I may be an airbender, but I'm not an Air Nomad like you or the kids. You always say that air is the element of freedom, yet you don't want me to feel free with my bending at all. You have no right to insult my airbending, no matter how much you despite it."

"Silence! I had enough of listening to your nonsense. What do you think Kayi and Yonfeng would say to you?"

"What my parents might say about me has absolutely nothing to do with it! In fact, I don't even know if they care anymore! When was the last time they actually asked about me? Do you have any idea how long has it been since I actually heard about them? I haven't seen them in ten years! Ten years Tenzin! For all I know they might not even remember me! I... I even have trouble remembering their faces sometimes." Kenai snapped both angry and sad. He always kept telling himself that his parents loved him and that he'll see them again someday, but every day was getting harder to believe that. Ever since he started to learn airbending, his goal and drive was to make his parents proud. He would do that by being the best airbender he could become. But what was the point of making their parents proud if they were never around?

Kenai took a deep breath before starting to talk again. "You're like family to me, Tenzin. You and Pema have always been there for me and I have come to love the both of you. But that doesn't mean I don't miss mom and dad. They are always on my mind. So please do yourself a favor and never again try to use my parents against me. It's painful enough to have to live in the uncertainty, and you involving them in things like this doesn't help. Have a good day uncle." With that said, Kenai turned around and left the office.

Tenzin just stood there, not being able to reply to his nephew. He rubbed his temples and sighed. "If only you were here, my friend."


As Kenai was making his way to the kitchen, he saw Korra coming out of her room. "Mornin' Korra."

Korra smiled. "Mornin' to you too. How did you sleep?"

"Fine." Kenai muttered.

Korra instantly frowned. "Well that didn't sound like fine to me. What happened?"

"I just had a little fight with Tenzin. He said that I'm making a mockery out of airbending and basically told me to stop because I don't comprehend what true airbending is." Kenai responded annoyed.

"What? Why would he say that? Your airbending looks amazing to me."

"Because he's so focused on the teachings Avatar Aang taught him that he fails to realize that I'm not like him. He hates the fact that I don't use my airbending like he does. It's not my fault that I wasn't born an Air Nomad. Then he..." Kenai said before stopping.

"He did what?" Korra asked concerned. Her boyfriend was normally calm and confident, so seeing him hesitating was certainly unusual.

The airbender sighed. "He asked me what my parents would think of me."

Hearing those words, Korra bit her lower lip. Pema once told her to avoid asking too many questions about Kenai's parents because it was a sore subject for him. She herself knew what it felt not being able to see your parents for a long time. And even though she was away from her family for a longer period of time, the White Lotus did allowed Tonraq and Senna to come visit her every once in a while. Sure, it wasn't nearly as often as she would've liked, but it was still something. Kenai, on the other hand, hasn't seen his parents for the last ten years. She could only imagine what that felt.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?" Korra asked as she gently grabbed Kenai's hand with her own.

"Nah, it's ok. It's just that... (sigh) Never mind." Kenai said unsure of himself. Korra wanted to keep pressing on the matter, but ultimately decided to let it go for now. It was obvious that Kenai didn't want to talk about it any further and she didn't want to bother him. She just nodded in understanding and the both of them made their way to the docks, where a ship could be seen heading towards the island.

|Air Temple docks|

"You're finally here!" Jinora exclaimed as a ship stopped at the temple docks. Asami, Bolin and Mako came out of the ship carrying bags and stepped on the island, where Kenai, Korra and Tenzin's children were waiting for them. "Welcome to Air Temple Island!"

"Your new home!" Ikki added.

"Yes, welcome to my domain!"

Who else but Meelo.

"Well aren't you sweet little monk child?"

Who else but Bolin.

The airbending kids were then distracted by Pabu. After Jinora explained them what Fire Ferrets are and where do they reside, Ikki and Meelo tried to catch the poor animal. Mako approached Korra and Kenai. "Thanks for sending the Air Acolytes to help us with the move."

"Yes, they're amazing." Asami agreed. "Such tireless workers."

'Yeah, you can say that again.' Kenai thought as he looked at two unfortunate Air Acolytes carrying Asami's baggage, a total of ten boxes of different sizes. 'No seriously, how do you keep all of that in your closet?'

Mako knew what Kenai was thinking. "Trust me, it could've been worse."

"You're kidding, right?"

The Avatar spoke up. "It's alright; everyone here wants you guys to feel welcomed."

As they started walking to the temple, Asami noticed the little airbending kid, Meelo she thought was his name, staring at him with wide eyes and a goofy smile. Not knowing what was he thinking, Asami smiled back awkwardly. The awkwardness only increased when Meelo opened his mouth. "You're pretty. Can I have some of your hair?"

"Looks like you have some competition." Kenai said teasingly to Mako, who smirked in return.

Ikki turned around to face the rest of the group. "And now for the grand tour! The Sky Bisons sleep in those caves down there!" she said pointing to her left. "And that's the temple Grandpa Aang built!" she said pointing to her back. "And that's the small farm where we plant the vegetables we eat!" she said with a big smile as she finished the 'grand tour'.

"I have a couple of questions." Bolin said looking thoughtful. "Is this an all-vegetarian island? Is that where you train airbending? Do we have to wear Air Acolytes clothes? Do we each get our own Sky Bison? And final question: How many trees are on this island?"

Kenai shook his head. 'This guy can give Ikki a run for her money.'

The little girl thought for a second before answering. "Yes yes no no 10.552."

The answer seemed to stun the guests, but Mako recovered himself from the impression. "So, where are we going to stay?"

"You're a boy. Boys have to stay on the boy side." Meelo responded.

"I'd be happy to show you the men's room." Jinora offered.

The oldest of the airbenders around gave a sly smirk to his younger cousin. "Jinora, didn't aunt Pema told you it's impolite to flirt with our guests?"

Jinora started blushing like there was no tomorrow. "I-I-I'm not flirting! I-I'm just being nice, t-that's all!" she said embarrassed.

"Jinora loves Mako! Jinora loves Mako!" a certain bun-haired girl shouted.

"Sh-Shut up! I'm not i-in love with Mako!" Jinora roared as she quickly grabbed Mako's hand and left the scene before any more teasing could be done. Bolin figured out that since he was a boy so he should follow them as well.

"Meelo, why don't you go with the boys too?" Korra suggested.

Meelo stared at Asami before leaving. "We shall meet again soon, beautiful woman." he declared.

As Meelo reached the boy's group, Korra lead Asami to her room along with Ikki and Kenai. On their way to Asami's new compartment, Ikki looked at Asami. "Asami, did you know Korra whispers Kenai's name when she's sleeping?"

Asami clamped her mouth with her hand and tried hard not to laugh. "Really? I wasn't completely aware of that." she said between giggles.

Korra gasped and also clamped her mouth, but it wasn't to hold any laughter. Far from it! Kenai could've sworn there was a hidden bloodbender nearby because it looked like all the blood on Korra's body was being gathered in her head. "Ikki, that is so not true!" the red-faced girl yelled.

"Yes it is! But why do you do it? Is it because you love him so much you even dream about him?"

Korra refused to answer. Instead, she grabbed Asami and Kenai from their wrist and started to walk as fast as she could with her head down so nobody could see the furious blush on her face. 'Note to self: Start sleeping with adhesive tape on my mouth.'

Finally they reached Asami's new room. The place itself was very simple; it consisted of a small room with a bed, a little table next to the bed with a lamp on it, a closet, a big open window with a great sea view and a desk with a chair next to the closet. Before Ikki could enter, Korra closed the doors right in her face. She heard a muffled 'Hey!' coming from Ikki. "Run along, Ikki!" Korra responded. Turning around to face Asami, the Avatar started talking. "Soooo, here's your room. I know this is a little rustic compared to what you're used to."

"I think it's charming." Asami assured her. "And the best part about it, nothing here reminds me of my father. Thank you both for your hospitality."

Just as Asami finished her sentence, someone started knocking on the door. Korra growled and turned around. "Ikki, I swear if you don't leave us alone I'm gonna-"

The door opened and Tenzin walked inside.

Korra shut her mouth immediately and went pale. "Tenzin, please come right in."

Tenzin entered the room. "Good day ladies. Asami, welcome to the island."

"Thank you for having me." Asami replied as they both bowed.

Now Tenzin looked at Korra and started to talk, completely ignoring the presence of Kenai. "Beifong's replacement, Saikhan, is going to be inducted as the new Chief of Police later. I think we should both be there."

"Sure, that sounds good. Just let me show the place to our guests and I'll be ready." Korra said. Tenzin nodded and left the room, once again refusing to acknowledge the existence of his nephew. Not even a small glare was shared between the two airbenders.

|Republic City|

"It was an honor serving under Chief Beifong for so many years, and I wish her a speedy recovery. It is with great humility that I take her place as the new Chief of Police." Saikhan announced to the crowd gathered outside of the Police Department. Said man was accompanied by Korra, Tarrlok, Tenzin and the rest of the Council by his left and right side. "Republic City is facing a threat like none the world has ever seen, but there is one man that has been effective against Amon's revolution: Councilmen Tarrlok. That is why for all matters involved with the Equalists, I will report directly to him."

Both Tenzin and Korra's eyes widened after hearing Saikhan's statement. This was bad, very bad.

"The Police Department will lend any and all available resources to the councilmen's task force until we quell this insurgency."

Korra crossed her arms and gave Tarrlok a dirty glare. "What is that Weasel Snake Tarrlok up to now?"

The airbender did not respond, but it was safe to say that he was thinking the exact same thing. After Saikhan's announcement and when almost everybody else was gone, Tenzin approached Tarrlok. "Tarrlok, I don't know what you did to get Chief Saikhan on your pocket, but I highly doubt it was legal."

"Oh Tenzin, always the conspiracy theorist. Did you ever consider that Saikhan simply recognizes my talent and wants for what's best in this city?" Tarrlok retorted smugly. That was when Korra approached him. "Avatar Korra, long time no see. Now that your little Pro-bending distractions are over, I look forward to your return to my task force."

"Ha! Forget it. There's no way I'm joining your vanity project." Korra said.

"That is unfortunate to hear, but I'm sure you'll come back to your senses as you have in the past."

Korra glared at him. "Don't hold your breath, pal. You know, Tenzin's been right about you all along. You played me, you played Beifong and now you're playing the new Chief too." She said as she now stood closer to the council member. "Well I got news for you. You need me, but I don't need you. I'm the Avatar."

"You are not, in fact, the Avatar. You are merely a half-baked Avatar in training. Which reminds me, how is your airbending going? Have you made any significant progress?" Tarrlok asked as Korra lowered her head and gritted her teeth in frustration. "I didn't think so. If you are not going to join my task force, then you'd best get out of my way."

With that said Tarrlok turned around and left an angered airbender and a highly-frustrated Avatar behind.

|Air Temple Island at night|

Kenai was starting to get worried. His uncle and Korra had returned to the island after the new Chief of Police announcement but he was yet to see his girlfriend. It was unlikely that she had left the island, or else somebody would've known. He had already asked everyone for Korra's whereabouts, but nobody had seen her since she arrived.

Well... Everyone but Tenzin, that is.

Swallowing his pride, Kenai approached the aged airbender who just happened to be wandering around in the gardens of the temple, where Kenai was currently in.

"Uncle." Kenai said once he was close enough.

Tenzin turned around and gave his nephew a neutral expression. "Kenai."

Kenai sighed. "Listen, I know we're still a little angry at each other for the argument we had in the morning, but I need you to tell me if you know where Korra is. I haven't seen her since you two arrived. I'm worried about her."

Realizing that Korra's mental welfare was very important and sensing his nephew's worry behind his words, Tenzin decided to put their differences aside for the time being and softened his expression. "I don't know where she is, but I know how she's feeling right now. After Chief Saikhan's announcement as the new Chief of Police, me and Korra had some words with Tarrlok. In the end, he said some very hurtful things to Korra and left her very doubtful about herself. I believe you should talk to her, Kenai."

The younger airbender nodded his thanks and left the temple garden in search for Korra. As he was doing this, he pondered about what Tenzin told him about Tarrlok and how he said hurtful things about Korra. Kenai knew Korra wasn't the type of person that would feel sorrowful just because someone said to her some mean words, so whatever it was that Tarrlok said to her, it must have been not just unkind, but downright cruel. Kenai's blood started to boil at that thought. He could care less if Tarrlok was an important figure of the city; he was going to get payback one way or another. How? He had no idea, but where there's a will, there's a way.

After a while, Kenai was walking near one of the extremes of the island. Suddenly, he heard a little sound coming from the other side of the bushes. Normally, he would dismiss whatever that was and suppose it was an animal squeaking or something. But because he was alert, he was able to tell the difference. This was not an animal squeak.

It was a sob.

Fearing for the worst, Kenai quickly went through the bushes. When he got to the other side, he felt both glad and worried at the same time.

He felt glad because he found Korra sitting near the end of the island.

He felt worried because she was crying.

"There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you." Kenai said as he approached his girlfriend. Korra looked at him and quickly wiped her tears with her hand so Kenai wouldn't see her crying. She didn't want to look fragile in front of her boyfriend, for it was not her nature. But Kenai quickly grabbed her hand as he took a sit next to her. "Tenzin told me what happened earlier."

"He did?" Korra asked in a mix of shock and sadness.

Kenai nodded. "Yeah. Well, sort of, really. He told me that Tarrlok said something to you and that you were not feeling very well. You wanna talk about it?"

Korra stayed in silence for a minute before muttering something too low for Kenai to hear.

"What was that?"

"I'm a failure."

The airbender was stunned for hearing such statement. "What? What could possibly make you think that?"

Korra looked at her boyfriend with a sad face as tears were coming out again from her blue eyes. "Isn't it obvious? I must be the first Avatar that can't airbend. All of this time I have been training to get it right, but I'm just not able to." she said lowering her head. "Who needs a useless Avatar anyways?"

"Korra, you are not useless. What did Tarrlok said to you that made you believe that nonsense?"

"He said I was a..."

"A what?" Kenai urged her to continue.

"... A half-baked Avatar because I can't airbend." she said as she started to cry once again.

Kenai instantly pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. Korra buried her head in Kenai's chest and let her tears stain his coat. She didn't notice it, but Kenai was slightly trembling out of rage. He was clenching his fists so hard that some of his wounds on his hands opened again, staining his bandages with blood a little. His first impulse was to grab Sozu and beat Tarrlok into a pulp, but sanity prevailed. Right now, Korra needed comfort and reassurance. He hated seeing her so sad and unsure of herself, and he was determined to always make her feel better.

The pair stayed in that position for some time. When Kenai felt that Korra was somewhat better, he separated her head from his chest and looked at her now red and puffy eyes. It was in that moment that he decided to make her feel better even if it meant having to lose some face. "Korra, do you remember that time you were angry at yourself because you couldn't get past the spinning gates?" he asked. Korra looked at him and nodded, not really sure where this conversation was going. "Do you remember how much time I said it took me to get the exercise done?"

The Avatar sniffled back some tears and did her best to calm herself. "You said three months, right?"

Kenai nodded. "I lied to you that time. It didn't take me three months... It took me a little longer than a year."

A pair of blue eyes widened in shock, and just before Korra could say anything, Kenai spoke up. "When I started to learn airbending, I was a complete joke. It didn't matter how much I trained, I simply couldn't improve. As much as I wanted to deny it, I felt like maybe I should just quit airbending forever and go back to my home. There were times when I could hear some of the Air Acolytes whispering about the new kid that came to live on the island and how much of a failure he was. In more than one occasion, I would quit the airbending lessons with Tenzin, hide in the forest and cry out of frustration. I thought I was useless, a complete waste of time for my uncle." he said. Taking a deep breath, Kenai continued. "However, I refused to give up. I realized that my desire of making my mom and dad proud of me was bigger than my irritation, and so I began working harder than ever. It was difficult and extremely challenging for me, but in the end I overcame my shortcomings as an airbender and proved wrong all those who doubted me."

Korra was in awe. She simply couldn't believe her ears. To her, Kenai was the kind of guy that never doubted himself, the epitome of confidence. She also knew Kenai was prideful to a degree when it came to his airbending, so for him to open himself up like that and admit he was a failure at first must have been really difficult.

"What I'm trying to say to you, Korra, is that I know how frustrating airbending can be, but you shouldn't doubt yourself because I know you can pull it off. If you ask me, the Avatar is not the person who's able to bend all four elements, but the one trusted by the Spirits to maintain the balance in the world. I think the Spirits trusted in you because they knew you would be strong enough to bring peace, with our without airbending."

"How do you know that I'm strong?" Korra asked looking for some wisdom.

"How do I know? Because I've seen what you have to deal with. I see a girl not even past her twenties that has to face both the Triads and the Equalists. A girl that had to spend most of her life away from her family and society just so she could protect the world better. A girl that had to sacrifice a lot of things so others can sleep better at night. But most important of all, I see a girl that not only acknowledges her deepest fears but is also willing to face them. That's why I know you're strong. That's why I know you can and will learn airbending if you give it your all." Kenai said. Next thing, he placed his right hand on Korra's left cheek, leaned closer and gave her a warm smile. "And that's why I'll always be there for you when you need me. You have no idea how happy I am to be with you."

Korra said nothing at first. Instead, she made a small but genuine smile and wrapped her arms around Kenai's neck. Kenai was caught by surprise but quickly returned the embrace. He felt glad that he was able to lighten her up in her time of uncertainty. Even though he had to reveal some memories he was not particulary fond of, the feeling of having Korra in his arms was more than enough for him.

As for Korra, she was still crying. But those tears were no longer of sadness or self-pity, they were tears of happiness. Knowing that Kenai was always going to be there for her and that he had 100% trust in her was a feeling she couldn't get enough of. Kenai always knew what to say to make her feel better, to make her believe in herself when she couldn't. He was one of the first persons to see her as Korra, not just the Avatar. He took the time to listen to her and understand her like nobody else had done before. Sometimes, she wondered what had she done to deserve such a good boyfriend. "Thank you, Kenai. I really mean it." she said as she proceeded to express her gratitude the best way she could, getting closer to him and reaching his lips with hers.

The kiss, unlike the ones they used to share, was delicate. There was no tongue involved, no jaw kisses or seductive talk. However, it was the best one they had shared so far. They were expressing their feeling to one another without any momentary heat of desire or hormonal interference. It felt a lot more mature, but just as enjoyable as the rest. In one word, it was romantic.

Once the kiss came to an end, Kenai gave his girlfriend a cocky smirk. "And Ikki wonders why you whisper my name in your sleep." he said, earning him a cute blush on Korra's face and a punch to his shoulder.

"There you guys are! We've been looking everywhere for you two!" Bolin said coming out of the bushes with Pabu in his hands, followed by Asami and Mako.

"What are you doing here?" Mako asked the couple. "It's getting late and Tenzin was getting worried."

Kenai grinned. "It's ok, we were just talking about life and stuff. Sorry for the trouble."

Asami analyzed Korra thoroughly. By the look of her eyes, she looked like she must have been crying. But there was also that slight blush on her face and a smile that expressed undeniable joy. If she had to guess, Korra must have been sad over something and Kenai came to her rescue with words of comfort. 'And maybe they shared something more than just words.' Asami thought deviously. That faint glow on Korra's lips indicated a recent... interaction with someone, which could explain her smile as well as her blush. Not wanting to ruin their tender moment together any further, she raised her voice. "Well, all that matters is that we found you."

"Yeah. Hey guys, I just wanted to thank you for being here." Korra said. "It's really nice to have you guys around."

Bolin, Asami and Mako looked shocked. "Are you kidding me?" Mako asked. "We should be the ones thanking you. After all what happened between us, you guys still came to our help."

"That's right. You two are absolutely wonderful!" Bolin exclaimed while pointing at Korra and Kenai.

"If it wasn't for you, I would still be living in ignorance, thinking that my father is a wonderful and peaceful man. I owe you, for helping me to open my eyes." Asami declared.

Everyone gathered up as Kenai started talking. "You see, Korra? You've changed people's life for the better. And we can change so many more, as the new Team Avatar."

Mako nodded. "We got your back, Korra. Together, we can save this city."

"Team Avatar, huh?" Bolin asked placing his fingers in his chin. "I like it! I'm in!"

Now it was Asami's turn. "I'm gonna do everything I can to atone the wrongs my father did. You can count me in as well."

Kenai looked at Korra. "What do you say, Korra? You up for the challenge?"

Korra smiled before nodding with a determined face. "I'm up. Let's do this!"

|Air Temple entrance|

"Get ready, Republic City. You're about to be patrolled by Team Avatar." Bolin said as the rest of the new Team Avatar regrouped outside. Kenai was now wearing his usual clothes, the only difference being that his bandages covered his hands as well as his forearms.

Team Avatar's firebender stepped in and looked at his girlfriend. "Asami, you always know how to accessorize your outfits." Mako commented with a smirk while placing his hands on his hips. Asami was wearing her usual jacket and pants, but now she incorporated the Equalist glove on her right hand that Hiroshi gave her.

"I figured one way to fight Equalists is using Equalist weapons." Asami responded before activating the glove.

"Alright, let's ride." Korra said. However, when the five of them attempted to ride Naga at the same time, the Polar Bear Dog threw them out of her back due to overweight. How Kenai didn't expected that, he had on idea whatsoever. "Alright, scratch that. Any other ideas?" Korra asked the group.

"We could try to ride Sozu, but he can only bring two of us. Also, I'm the only one besides Korra that he allows to have on his back and the plan is that we stick together. And if that wasn't enough, he's feeling really grumpy today so I suggest we don't bother him." Kenai said.

"Mmmmhhh, I think I have an idea." Asami said with a smile.

|Future Industries test track|

The Team Avatar went to the Sato Estate, much to their perplexity (except for Asami). When they got there, Asami told the rest that she remembered a new toy that could prove to be useful. Even though nobody understood what she was talking about, they still followed the Sato girl. The place she was talking about was the test track they visited a couple of days ago. Once they arrived, Asami entered a small garage and a minute later, she appeared outside driving a shiny new black/white/red Satomobile sports car.

"You think this will do?" Asami asked with a smirk.

Bolin, Korra, Mako and Kenai smiled and went inside the car. Asami was driving, Mako was the co-pilot, Bolin was sitting behind Asami and Kenai was sitting next to Bolin.

"Wait a minute, where do I sit?" Korra asked.

Only then did they realize that the Satomobile only had four seats available. Most sports cars had only two, but this one was supposed to be part of a new line of design Hiroshi Sato planned to introduce to the market next year. With this in mind, Kenai tried to solve the problem at hand. Asami was a good driver and the only one with a driving license for that matter, so changing seats with her was out of the question. Changing seats with either Bolin or Mako was pointless because the problem would still remain. So, there was only one choice left.

"I guess you don't have much of a choice, Korra." Kenai said smiling.

|Republic City|

"This is so embarrassing." Korra said for the twentieth time. She was practically forced to sit on Kenai's lap in order to fit inside the car. It's not like she didn't like it. She had already sited on Kenai's lap in a couple of their hot make-out sessions in the past and she couldn't deny she enjoyed it quite a lot. But that was because they were alone, not in a moving car surrounded by her best friends! The fact that Kenai was finding the whole thing amusing wasn't helping either.

"Sorry Korra, there wasn't another way." Kenai said grinning from ear to ear.

Korra shot him a deadly glare. "You get that smile out of your face right now if you know what's good for you."

Kenai gulped. "Yes, ma'am." However, when Korra wasn't looking at him, he was smiling happily.

Just then, a voice coming out of the radio announced that the situation they were dealing with was a false alarm and that all units must return to the station. Everyone wondered what was that about until Asami explained. "My dad always installed scanners all over his cars. I guess now I know why." she said disappointed.

That was when another message was displayed from the same police radio frequency. "Calling all units. Situation at sector 45 area 8. Officers down. Chi-blockers in sight, armed and dangerous. Last seen in Mayor Street. Repeat, all units to Mayor Street."

Without waiting for the team's approval, Asami quickly turned right on the street and hit the gas pedal, ignoring the complains of the other drivers near her. It didn't took them long to spot a big truck with four motorcycles in its sides.

"Chi-blockers!"

"That's them!"

"Let's get em'!"

Asami hit the gas pedal and started to chase the Equalists on the road. In the middle of the persecution, a large truck appeared and blocked their way. Korra quickly had an idea. "Bolin, give me a ramp!" she said as she stood up and earthbended a ramp on the street with Bolin just before the two vehicles crashed into one another. The idea worked and the car went right over the truck, landing in the other side of the street.

Mako then aimed at the chi-blocker motorcyclist in front of him and shot a lightning bolt. The attack caught the Equalist off guard and made him jump out of his motorcycle. Not wanting to be outclassed by his brother, Bolin bended a stream of rocks and threw them at another chi-blocker. One of the rocks went inside the vehicle's gas tube, producing a malfunction in the motorcycle. The Equalist couldn't react in time and was sent flying out of his seat.

The last two motorcyclists turned on a switch placed on the throttle of their vehicles and a large cloud of smoke started to spread towards Team Avatar. Kenai reacted by standing up from his seat and sending a powerful wave of air, dissipating the smoke and making the chi-blockers lose control, which ended up in both of them rolling in the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Asami press the gas pedal and placed herself right next to the truck. Mako then shot a lightning bolt at the driver, who screamed in pain before crashing into a light pole and a brick wall, thus ending the persecution.


FLASH

The sound of cameras taking pictures could be heard in the entire street and the reporters were already thinking of the new headline for tomorrow's newspaper. 'Team Avatar stops Equalist assault.' could be one of them. Team Avatar was standing beside a group of tied-up chi-blockers on their knees, allowing themselves to be photographed. Kenai didn't thought that bringing too much attention to themselves was a brilliant idea, but it send two important messages to Republic City: That the Avatar was present and that she did not had any need for Tarrlok's task-force to do her job.

'I just can't wait to see Tarrlok's face when he sees this.' was Kenai and Korra's thought.

Soon enough, Tarrlok and his task-force came to the scene, and the council member did not look amused at all. Kenai smirked and turned to face Korra. "Ready for a little payback?" he whispered.

"You bet." Korra responded with a smirk of her own.

"Avatar Korra, what do you think you're doing here?" Tarrlok asked with a frown once he reached the couple.

"Oh hey Tarrlok. Nice of you to show up, finally. Here, we caught the ex-convicts for you." Korra said pointing at the prisoners.

Tarrlok glared at her. "What you did was to tear up the streets and prevent the city's law-enforcers to do the job they are rightfully tasked with."

Korra placed her fingers in her chin, making a thoughtful expression. "That's funny, I didn't see your little task force or the cops the whole time. If it wasn't for Team Avatar, they would've gotten away."

"Not bad for a... What was it? Oh yeah, a half-baked Avatar. Wouldn't you agree, Tarrlok?" Kenai asked amused. Watching the cunning and confident council member losing his patience was certainly delightful for the airbender, especially when he was part of the reason of his anger.

"This is your last warning: Stay out of my way." Tarrlok adverted before walking away with his taskforce and the reporters, who already had as much pictures as they wanted.

The Avatar just stood there smirking with Kenai, who made sure that everyone but their friends were gone before hugging his girlfriend from behind. Korra gasped at the unexpected touch but quickly realized it was Kenai, thus relaxing in his embrace and leaning her head into the right side of his chest. "You really showed him up, didn't you?" Kenai asked grinning.

"Of course I did." Korra cockily proclaimed.

|Next day at night|

Bolin, Mako, Asami and Korra were currently waiting inside the 'Avatarmobil', as Bolin liked to call it, waiting for any criminal movement to be advised by the radio. As they were making small talk between one another, the police scanner was activated.

"All available units. Please respond to the situation in development at sector 3 area 11, Crimson Dragon Avenue. Equalists have taken over the streets, consider them armed and dangerous. Proceed with caution."

"Looks like we have another Equalist rally to interrupt." Korra said smiling in anticipation. Last night, she showed Tarrlok that she didn't needed him or his task force to get the job done. Team Avatar was more than capable enough to handle anything they might encounter.

Mako smirked. "You can say that again." he said before turning on the radiophone and talking. "Hurricane, this is Thunder. Do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, over." Kenai said as he was flying with Sozu.

The radiophone was a new invention Hiroshi Sato had been working for the Equalists. It was an electronic device that worked like a radio and a telephone, enabling the users to communicate with one another over low to medium distances. Asami found the prototypes inside the sports car and tried them with Kenai while the airbender was riding Sozu. The little experiment was a success and now they had a member of Team Avatar watching their backs from the skies in case things got messy. None was gladder than Korra, who was now entitled to an actual seat in the Satomobile instead of Kenai's lap. Kenai's lap was for make-out sessions and nothing more.

Of course, Kenai insisted in using nicknames. He argued that it wasn't safe to use their actuals names because there was a chance that their conversations might be recorded in an Equalist base, but truthfully he just liked the nickname Hurricane. It suited him due to his airbending nature. Korra was Tsunami, Bolin was Earthquake, Mako was Thunder and Asami was Speed Queen.

"There's a thing going on in Crimson Dragon Avenue. Looks like an Equalist rally or something. We're heading there, over."

"Copy that. Hurricane is on his way, over."

"Oh oh oh, can I do it now?" Bolin asked excited.

Mako shook his head. "Sorry Bo, this is not a toy." he said, making the earthbender pout.

|Crimson Dragon Avenue|

Kenai landed in a secluded street just before entering Crimson Dragon Avenue. As he jumped out of Sozu, he examined what in the Spirits World was going on. Mako said something about an Equalist rally, but all he saw was a crowd shouting at police officers, none of them making a single hostile attempt towards the metalbenders. He also noticed that the power was out, for there was no light in the streets except the ones coming out from the vehicles of Tarrlok's task force.

'So Tarrlok got here first. He better have a good reason for this.' Kenai thought. "Alright Sozu, stick around and call me if you see anything suspicious. Don't do nothing that might attract you any attention unless you absolutely have to. I'll blow a whistle if I need your help."

The almighty bird squealed in understanding before parting away.

Now that Sozu was gone, Kenai approached Korra who was speaking to Tarrlok in a tent. "You have no right to treat these people like criminals!" Kenai heard her say.

"Korra, what's going on here? Why are these people being harassed?" Kenai asked.

"Tarrlok is trying to imprison them because they are non-benders! He thinks they are Equalists!" Korra responded.

The airbender glared at the council member. "I thought your job was protecting the citizens, not threatening them. Have you lost your mind?"

Tarrlok returned the hateful glare. "My job is to protect the citizens from the Equalists. This is an Equalist rally!"

"They are not Equalists, they are just normal people who want their rights back." Asami argued.

"They are the enemy!" Tarrlok said pointing at the crowd behind them before facing the metalbenders. "Round up all of these Equalists!"

Following their leader's command, the metalbenders stood in line and used the barriers holding the crowd to separate them into groups and trap them while others made platforms out of the earth beneath their feet to hold the groups in the air. The rest of the crowd panicked and left the scene in terror. Korra decided to put an end to this nonsense and earthbended the platforms back to the ground. Tarrlok growled and his gaze was now directed to Asami.

Before anyone could react, Tarrlok send a water whip to the Sato girl and immobilized her. "Hey, let me go!"

"You are under arrest!"

Mako was in disbelief. "What? You can't do that!"

Tarrlok smirked at the firebender. "Actually, I can. She's a non-bender out past curfew and her father is a known Equalist conspirator." he explained.

"Being a non-bender is not a crime! And just because Hiroshi is an Equalist doesn't mean she is as well!" Kenai said furious. He really couldn't believe this guy. The council member was now a madman with power, and in his book, there were few things more dangerous than that.

"Let her go, now." Mako warned.

"Arrest him and his brother!" Tarrlok ordered to his task force. The metalbenders instantly shot their cables at the bending brothers and trapped them.

"Tarrlok!" both Korra and Kenai shouted. Korra lifted to giant rocks and Kenai raised his palm aiming at the council member.

"Unless you want to join your friends in prison, I suggest you put those down and go back to the Air Temple."

Mako looked at the Avatar and the airbender. "Korra, Kenai, listen to him. It's not worth it."

Korra and Kenai hesitated for a moment before reluctantly lowering their hands, causing the rocks to hit the ground hard and break themselves. Kenai was struggling with himself, for he wanted nothing more than to just send an air blast to the council member's face and sent him flying all the way to the Earth Kingdom, further if possible. But he couldn't do that right now, not when his friends were involved in this mess. Besides, he was still trying to keep his airbender nature a secret, although he had a feeling the secret was going to be out rather sooner than later. But it wouldn't be today.

The task force pushed the so called 'criminals' into the police trucks. "We'll be alright." Bolin assured his friends as he was getting inside the vehicle.

"Don't worry, we'll call Tenzin! He can get you out." Korra shouted back. The couple couldn't do nothing but watch their friends go to jail, and it hurt them. It hurt them to feel so powerless not because they couldn't do anything, but because of the consequences that they would bring upon themselves if they did something. That pain only made them angrier.

But what really made their blood boil was Tarrlok, who kept pressing his luck by taunting them. "It's so sad to see your little 'Team Avatar' broken up. You had a good run." he mocked.

Korra glared at him. "This isn't over, Tarrlok."

"Oh, I believe it is."

Kenai placed his hand on Korra's shoulder. "Don't mind him, Korra. He's nothing but a pathetic little man trying to cover up his obvious failure as a leader."

"What was that, boy?"

"And he's also deaf, apparently. Come on, let's go see Tenzin." Kenai said as he grabbed Korra's hand and started to walk away. This was going to be a long night indeed.

|Republic City Headquarters|

As Tenzin walked inside the Police Headquarters, he saw Kenai and Korra trying to catch the attention of a police officer, who simply ignored their call and walked inside the interrogation room. "I came as fast as I could." he said once he was close enough to the duo. "Are your friends alright?"

"We have no idea, uncle. These idiots won't tell us anything." Kenai stated more than a little exasperated by how things were going.

The aged airbender saw Chief Saikhan walking by. "I'll take care of this. Chief Saikhan! A word please."

Chief Saikhan slowly made his way to Tenzin. "Councilman Tenzin, I'm very busy at the moment. Can this wait?"

"No, it cannot. Three of Avatar Korra's friends were wrongly arrested tonight. I'd like you to release them immediately." Tenzin demanded.

"They are not going anywhere. They were interfering with police business." Chief Saikhan responded.

Korra was starting to lose whatever patience she had in herself. "Your so called 'police business' was rounding up innocent people and claiming they were Equalists! They should be released too!"

The metalbender shook his head. "All Equalists suspects are being detained indefinitely. They'll be released if and when the task force deems they are no longer a threat."

"But the only evidence you have to back your claim is the fact that they are not benders! Following that logic, every non-bender in Republic City is an Equalist suspect. Even children were involved in this! Just how desperate is Tarrlok?" Kenai exclaimed while clenching his fists. To him, Tarrlok was almost as big a threat as Amon. The fact that they were supposed to be allies and not enemies only made things more frustrating.

Tenzin nodded at his nephew's words. "And besides, those people are entitled to due process under the law. You should know that better than anyone, Chief."

But Saikhan just gave them a shrug. "You'll have to take that up with councilman Tarrlok."

"Oh, I plan to. At the Council meeting first thing in the morning." Tenzin responded. And with that said, he gestured the Avatar and his nephew to leave with him.

However, Korra would not leave without saying what was on her mind first. "You're officially the worst Chief of Police ever!" she said while grabbing Saikhan's chin.

Kenai joined her right away. "You're nothing but Tarrlok's puppet. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want that granny to be Chief of Police again. At least she did have some common sense, unlike you."

"Calm down, you two. I'll get this sorted out, we just need to be patient." Tenzin said as he started to leave with the two of them. Suddenly, he stopped dead on his tracks and faced Saikhan. "But you really are the worst! Ever!"

As soon as they were outside, Kenai looked at his fellow airbender. "Hey uncle."

"Yes Kenai?"

"What you said at the end... was awesome."

"I have my moments."


|Air Temple|

Korra, Kenai and Tenzin made their way back to the Air Temple after a fruitless attempt on getting their friends back. Tenzin assured them he would do everything in his power to give the wrongly accused prisoners their freedom back as soon as he could. He was afraid that Korra would do something rash, and knowing his nephew, he would join her even if just to prevent her from doing something extremely dangerous. After warning his two students, he went to sleep.

Kenai walked Korra to her room. He wanted to have some words with her before leaving her alone. "Hey Korra, I know this is gonna be hard for you, but I want you to promise me that you won't do anything too risky right now, not without telling me first."

"What? You know I can't do that. My job is basically doing risky things, if you haven't noticed." Korra responded.

"I know, but right now we really can't afford to do something stupid, not in the situation Asami, Bolin and Mako are. One more screw-up and Tenzin might not be able to get them out."

"But what about Tarrlok? If I don't do something he'll keep on arresting innocent people!"

The airbender sighed. "I know, and that's why we have to stop him. And believe me; I want to smack that guy up and down just like you. But Tarrlok won't hesitate to make our friend's life even more miserable if that means he'll stop us. Please think about it ok?"

The Avatar tried to argue back, but couldn't find any arguments. In the end, she gave in. "Fine." she muttered.

"That's my girl." Kenai said with a smile before giving Korra a small kiss on her right cheek. "Good night Korra."

"Good night." she said not too thrilled as she entered her room.

2 hours had passed, and Korra still couldn't sleep. Her mind was too busy thinking about Asami, Mako and Bolin. She couldn't help but feel extremely frustrated knowing that they were spending their time in jail partially or maybe even only because Tarrlok held a grudge with her. If Tarrlok would at least be man enough to keep things between the two of them, everything would be so much bearable. But noooooooo, he just had to involve her friends in this. They were completely innocent for crying out loud! The other thing that really bothered her is that, knowing the Council and how much of a manipulator Tarrlok was, It would probably take months to get them out of jail, even with Tenzin speaking on her behalf.

Opening the window of her room, Korra observed Republic City and couldn't help but imagine Tarrlok laughing at her misfortunes from his office. That thought angered her. Korra was not patience and she knew it. She didn't wait for answers to reach her; instead she stood up and went looking for them.

And that was exactly what she was planning on doing.

Gently rubbing her head, Korra woke up her Polar Bear Dog. "Wake up, Naga. Let's go."

As she walked out of her room, Korra slowly opened Kenai's door to check if he was sleeping. Thankfully, he was. The room was dark and Kenai was carelessly snoring his way to a peaceful dream.

"I'm sorry Kenai."

|6 hours later, Kenai's dream|

Everything was a moving blur. Clarity was non-existent. It wasn't sunny, nor was it dark. It wasn't warm, nor was it cold. It didn't felt neither good or bad. Everything was... normal. Fiercely normal.

He tried to rub his eyes, but nothing seemed to change. It was like it was meant to be a messy place.

In the distance, Kenai could see a figure coming to him. He didn't feel threatened. Why should he? He just felt extremely confused. How could he not?

Before anything else could happen, the mysterious figure was already at his side, whispering words that make Kenai's eyes go wide in shock.

"M-Mom?"

And everything went black.

Kenai woke up catching his breath. He felt a mix of emotions running through his head. The voice of that mysterious woman was unmistakable as well as her words.

'Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok.' Even if he couldn't see her, he would recognize her voice anywhere. It was Kayi, his mother. But what was the reason behind the dream? Was it a dream at all? It felt more like a... warning.

'What the hell was that about?' Kenai thought unable to fully process the experience.

The voice of Tenzin threw him out of his train of thought. "Kenai! Wake up! Something terrible happened!"

Quickly he stood up and opened the door. The face of Tenzin was the embodiment of panic and worry. "Uncle? What's going on?"

"Korra has been kidnapped by the Equalist!"

|Council Chamber|

Tenzin and Kenai made their way to the Council Chamber, the place where every Council meeting took place for their reunions, and the place where Korra was supposedly kidnapped by the Equalists.

Now Kenai was not one to panic easily. His uncle taught him that a very important aspect of being an airbender was to learn how to keep one's emotions in check in order to find peace and tranquility. However, peace and tranquility was exactly NOT what Kenai was feeling at the moment. A million questions were wildly taking the place of Kenai's usually cool and relax demeanor. 'Korra was kidnapped? How? When? Why here?' and a ton more questions like that. But the one he kept thinking the more was this one: 'Why didn't I save her?'

'Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok.'

Kenai gasped after remembering those words. It all made sense now! That wasn't just a strange dream; it was a premonition, a warning from her mother regarding Korra. But why his mother? And what did Tarrlok have to do in any of this? Korra was kidnapped by the Equalists.

Right?

Upon entering the crime scene, it was more than clear that a fight had taken place there. The ground was shattered and almost every wooden chair of the room was destroyed. Tenzin approached Tarrlok, who appeared to be bruised and had several cuts on his arm. A waterbender was healing his injuries. "What happened? What was Korra doing in City Hall?"

Tarrlok stood up. "As I already told Chief Saikhan, Korra came to my office late last night. She was upset that I arrested her friends. She asked me to release them and... That's when the Equalists attacked. I tried to protect Korra, but we were severely outnumbered. Then, I was electrocuted. When I woke up, the police had arrived, but Korra was gone. I'm so sorry." he said as he lowered his head.

'Damn it, Korra! I told you not to do anything stupid without at least telling me!' Kenai thought irritated. "Was Amon here when that happened?"

"I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure. I was knocked out before the fight came to an end. There were chi-blockers, that much I'm certain. But I don't know if Amon took part."

That was when Kenai noticed Tarrlok's bruises on his body. There were only a few and they were healing fast thanks to the waterbender healer, but that was not what Kenai was interested in. From what he had seen in his encounters with Amon's henchmen, chi-blockers relied on speed and accuracy in order to block the chi points in the human body, and that was what Kenai couldn't understand. Bruises were caused by hard impacts to the body, like a jab to the face for example. So why Tarrlok had bruises if he was attacked by chi-blockers? He could understand Tarrlok's burn on his arm, product of an Equalist electrocuting him, but that didn't explain the rest. Also, there were a few things that were sketchy now that he thought about it.

"Chief Saikhan." Kenai said now focusing his gaze on the new Chief of Police. "At what time did the police force arrived here?"

"We received a call from an anonymous witness that reported a series of shouts inside the City Hall, along with the sound of a Satomobile leaving the scene at high speed. An investigation squad arrived here ten minutes later and requested backup as well as medical aid to treat councilmen Tarrlok's injuries." Saikhan replied.

Kenai pondered about this new information. 'The anonymous witness said something about a Satomobile leaving the place. That was most likely the Equalists escaping the City Hall. So that means that the police arrived here ten minutes later after the fight was over. Ten minutes is more than enough time to retrieve some evidence, like that Equalist glove on the ground. Why would they leave that thing behind, knowing that it might work as a lead towards them? It doesn't make sense.'

'And in that case, why would they leave Tarrlok here as well, instead of taking him with them? Leaving him here means that he will continue to be a threat to them with his task-force. Taking away Tarrlok's bending would be a perfect message from Amon to Republic City as well as capturing Korra, so why didn't he?'

'Lastly, how did the Equalists knew that Korra was going to be here? She didn't told anybody as far as we know. A plan on kidnapping Korra should be organized and well-executed, not some random attack on City Hall leaving not only evidence but Tarrlok as witness as well. Unless there's a mole working close to the Council, which I highly doubt, this doesn't looks like something the Equalists did. But if it wasn't them, then who?'

"Chief Saikhan, mobilize the entire police force. We have to find the Avatar." Tarrlok declared.

|Air Temple|

While Tenzin was in his office making calls and alerting every influential figure of Republic City he knew, Kenai was in Korra's room wondering what to do to find her. The feeling of helplessness was tormenting to him. He didn't have a single clue he could use, his friends were in jail and the police efforts to find her were fruitless. His frustration could only grow bigger by every minute as he pondered about Korra's whereabouts.

'Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok.'

The words of her mother were rumbling in his head. Having enough of this, Kenai went to Tenzin's office to ask him about his premonition. At least maybe now he could make some sense of what he heard.

Kenai opened the door of the room where Tenzin was. "What is it, Kenai? I already told you that there have been no significant advances on Korra's search."

"Uncle, I need to speak with you about something I believe it's very important."

The aged airbender nodded and gestured Kenai to take a seat. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

The younger airbender sighed. "While I was sleeping, I had a strange dream. A strange dream that I think it was some sort of vision or warning. I don't remember every detail, but in my dream, my mom appeared and talked to Me." he started to say.

Tenzin now was visibly surprised. "Are you absolutely sure it was your mother?"

"Yes. I couldn't see her, but I could recognize her voice. I'm certain it was her."

"And what did she say to you?" Tenzin asked.

"Just four words: Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok. When I woke up, you came to my room and told me Korra was kidnapped. I don't know what to think of it and it's been eating me up inside." Kenai said frustrated.

Tenzin made a thoughtful expression. "Given the circumstances, I think it's safe to say that it was no coincidence. What you experienced was indeed a premonition regarding Korra's abduction. However, what I don't understand is what does Tarrlok has to do with the warning."

"I was thinking about the same thing. And regarding the kidnapping, I'm not sure anymore if the Equalists were the ones behind this." Kenai said, shocking his uncle with his answer.

"What do you mean by that, Kenai? There is enough evidence to say it was Equalist doing."

"Exactly. There is way too much evidence. Amon's henchmen would never do such a messy job by leaving that much evidence behind. Not when they had enough time to cover it." Kenai started to explain. "Also, how did the Equalists knew when and where was Korra going to be? Unless there is a mole working on the City Hall, I don't see how they could've known. According to Tarrlok, when Korra came to his office late at night, the only ones who were remaining in the building were himself and his secretary. The police force already interrogated Tarrlok's secretary and determined that she had no part in this."

"I must say, kid. You're smarter than what I first gave you credit for." a voice said from behind. Up until this moment, neither Tenzin nor Kenai noticed the group of people listening to the conversation. Lin, Asami, Bolin and Mako were standing near the door. Lin was wearing her usual metalbending armor beneath a grey coat that covered it.

"Guys? I thought you were in prison!" Kenai exclaimed.

Tenzin frowned while pointing at Lin. "And I thought you were in the hospital!"

Lin, however, was not alarmed by Tenzin's outburst. "I figured you could use our help in finding Korra."

"Do you have any leads?" Mako asked.

The son of Aang stood up. "Unfortunately, I've been on the phone all morning, but nothing yet."

The firebender persisted. "What about Naga? She can track Korra!"

"I'm afraid her Polar Bear Dog is missing as well."

"Then where do we start?" Bolin asked.

"My guess is that the Equalists are hiding underground, in a mace of tunnels beneath the city." Lin said.

Asami frowned heavily after hearing this. "Underground, just like my father's secret factory. Figures." she bitterly muttered.

Bolin nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. When those chi-blockers had me in their truck, it sounded like we drove into a tunnel."

Mako looked thoughtful for a minute before an idea came into his head. "I know where to start looking. Come on." he said as everyone started to leave. Kenai, however, remained in his seat. "Kenai, what are you waiting for? We have to find Korra!"

"I know but it's just that... I need to go meditate first." Kenai said as calmly as possible.

Everyone in the room looked at him like he just grew a second head. "Meditate? How is that going to help us find her?" Bolin asked the question that was wondering in everyone's mind. Tenzin was just as dumbstruck as the rest, but taking into account what they just discussed he decided to support his nephew's idea.

"I agree with Kenai. This morning, he had a vision regarding Korra's kidnapping. Maybe by meditating more things will be revealed to him."

"Look, I'm aware that I might sound crazy right now, but this is something that I have to do. I'll catch you guys later." Kenai firmly declared before leaving the room, not giving the chance to his friends to protest.

For some reason, that dream he had made a great impact on him in more than one way. There was this little voice in his head that was begging him to meditate about this, and he obliged. Once he reached a secluded area of the temple gardens, he took a seat on the soft grass and made the Lotus position of meditation. He started by taking deep breaths and closing his eyes, letting his body catch his own rhythm as he did so. Soon his mind was in a state of peace and clarity, one that he never felt before in his life. If he had to describe the feeling in one word, the only thing he could come up with was... detached. He wasn't aware of his surroundings anymore. Time was now something irrelevant, almost non-existing.

After what felt like a couple of minutes to him, Kenai started to see an image in his head. Blurry at first, the image continued to slowly reveal itself until it was crystal-clear. In his head, he saw a cabin hidden in the snowy mountain. Next thing he saw was Naga, who was in the middle of the snow sniffing the ground trying to find her master. Finally, the last thing he saw was Tarrlok, driving a Satomobile and making his way to the cabin. After that, everything went dark.

Kenai opened his eyes and started to gasp for air. The experience was so real and unexpected that he forgot to breathe for a moment. It took him a while to realize he had been meditating for hours now, for the once clear sky was now obscure and the moon had taken the place of the sun.

'Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok.'

Now everything was truly clear. The premonition he had was a warning that Korra was in danger from Tarrlok! She went looking for him last night, they fought and Tarrlok was somehow able to win against Korra and abducted her. Now, Korra was being held somewhere in the mountains while Naga was looking for her and Tarrlok was making his way to her.

'So Tarrlok was the traitor all along.' Kenai thought infuriated. 'When I get my hands on him...'

He went to his room and putted on the same puffy jacket he wore when he first met Korra at the South Pole, along with a pair of black gloves. He also prepared a bottle full of water in case she needed it. When Kenai was ready to go, he went to Sozu's bird nest and woke him up. "Sozu, we need to go to the mountains. Korra is missing."

Sozu opened his eyes and woke up from his slumber. 'I swear, brat. That female of yours can't keep herself out of trouble for more than one day.'

"Yeah, you can say that again. Come on, we have to find her as soon as possible. Her Polar Bear Dog shouldn't be too far away." Kenai said as he mounted Sozu. The poor bird squealed his annoyance out and started to flap his wings, gaining altitude little by little before launching himself towards the mountains.

|Mountains|

1 hour had passed since Kenai and Sozu reached the mountains looking for Korra and Naga, and they were yet to see either of them. The wind was blowing hard, making it difficult for the search party to distinguish what they were looking at. Even with Sozu's enhanced sense of observation, something inherent in all Raven Eagles and especially Alfas, the task was indeed a tough one. What made things even more problematic was Naga's white fur that made her even harder to tell apart from the snow.

'Hey brat, are you absolutely sure that your female is here somewhere?' Sozu asked.

"Yes I'm sure. And would it kill you to call her by her name? In case you forgot, which I highly doubt, her name is Korra." Kenai answered.

Sozu let out an eagle-like scoff. 'Like I care. I don't know what you see in her anyways. What is so special about her?'

Kenai didn't hesitate to answer. "Everything. She's beautiful, strong, kind and passionate. Sure, she has some flaws and all, but those flaws are what make her unique. Yet still..."

'Still what?'

"I just can't help but feel guilty if something happens to her. She's strong and she can take care of herself, most of the time at least. But that doesn't change the fact that I feel responsible for her somehow. It's like I have no one else to blame but myself if she is in danger like she is right now. Maybe I'm being a little overprotective of her, but I can't help it."

'What do you want me to tell you? She's the Avatar. Her life will involve dangerous situations. If you can't get over that, then your relationship won't last very long.'

The airbender sighed. "I guess you're right. Heh, out of all the living creatures in this world, I'd never thought I would talk to you about my relationship problems."

'Maybe now you will recognize my wisdom and realize you're still nothing but a clueless brat.' Sozu mocked.

"Tch, whatever. Hey wait, I think I saw something!"

'Where?'

"Over there!" Kenai shouted as he pointed with his finger towards a frozen river not so far from them.

The Alfa Raven Eagle descended from his flight and landed near the river. Kenai jumped out of Sozu and turned his head to the trees nearby. True enough, Naga was a couple of meters away, sniffing a tree in hopes of obtaining Korra's scent to follow it. "Naga!" Kenai yelled to the Polar Bear Dog. Naga was startled at first but quickly recognized the scent of Korra's breeding mate (or so did the animal thought he was). She made her way to Kenai and started licking his face in recognition. Kenai then turned to face Sozu. "I'll go looking for Korra with Naga. You check the skies and squeal if you see anything." he said as he mounted the Polar Bear Dog. Sozu squealed in return and parted away while Kenai started to ride Naga.

30 minutes later, the sound of an Alfa Raven Eagle squeal pierced the sky. Both Kenai and Naga look up and they could see a small amount of snow falling from the top of one of the smallest mountains two kilometers ahead. Kenai grabbed Naga's reins tightly and gestured her to follow the sound of Sozu's squeals by tapping her stomach with the back of his heels. Naga understood and started to run towards the dissipating snow.

After a while, the airbender and the Polar Bear Dog reached the place where Sozu landed. At first, Kenai saw nothing, but then he recognized a body lying unconscious on the ground. When he was close enough, his eyes widened.

"Korra!" Kenai shouted as he run towards her. When he reached her, Kenai kneeled and held Korra close. Her cold and shaking body was covered in snow and a little bit of blood was coming out of her wounds, which consisted in minor cuts in her face and arms as well as a couple of bruises. Her lips were dry, indicating lack of hydration. Kenai immediately took off his snow jacket and covered Korra with it before taking out his water bottle. Korra's eyes trembled a little and slowly opened.

"Kenai?" she weakly asked.

"The one and only." he replied as he placed the bottle full of water on Korra's lips. "Here, have some."

Korra's mouth instinctively reached the bottle and started drinking its content, spilling a little water due to her eagerness of having some. Once she finished, she started to gasp for air out of fatigue. Kenai stood up and lifted Korra with his arms before placing her on top of Naga. "Sozu." he started to say. "I'm going back to Republic City with Korra. Can you please watch if anyone is following us?"

'Sure thing, brat.' Sozu squealed before he started flapping his wings.

Kenai mounted Naga from behind, keeping Korra close to him with his left arm and grabbing Naga's reins with his right hand. "H-How did you...?" Korra started to ask but Kenai placed a finger on her mouth, effectively keeping her quiet.

"Don't worry about anything right now. You're safe with me."

The Avatar stared at him for a few seconds before a serene smile was placed in her face. "I know." she whispered as she curled into his warm and comfortable chest. Feeling safe with the strong arm of her boyfriend holding her close, Korra closed her eyes and started to sleep. Kenai tapped Naga's stomach with his heels once again and the Polar Bear Dog started to jog their way to Republic City.

|Republic City|

Tenzin, Bolin, Mako, Asami and Lin were riding Oogi. Their search For Korra was in vain. They were starting to go back to the Air Temple, but then, a loud howl was heard in the streets, reaching the crew's ears.

"That sounds like Naga!" Mako exclaimed. Tenzin nodded and turned left where the howl seemed to be coming from.

In one of the many random streets of Republic City, Bolin spotted Kenai and Korra on top of Naga. "There they are!"

Once they landed, everybody jumped out of Oogi. "Korra! Kenai! Oh thank goodness you two are alright." Tenzin said as he approached them.

"Where's Tarrlok? How did you get away?" Lin questioned Korra.

"Not now, Lin." Kenai answered as he jumped out of Naga before grabbing Korra and carry her bridal-style onto Oogi's back. Nobody said a word as Kenai held Korra close to him while she curled even further into Kenai's chest. With everyone (including Naga) now on board of Oogi, Team Avatar, along with Tenzin and Lin, made their way back to the Air Temple.


That was chapter 7 for you.

I want to inform you guys that next week I'll be taking a very important test. So don't worry if the next chapter comes a little later than usual.

Constructive criticism (as well as pointing out grammar mistakes) is always welcomed.

I am jido96 from Fanfiction and I wish you a delightful morning, evening or night. Back to you, fuckers.

(Sorry, I always wanted to say that)