The Bending Arena
A/N: So, this is the chapter where I introduce Mako and Bolin. I had the first two bending matches in one day to save time. Not much else to say
Avatar Korra- Airbender Island
Tenzin, as it turned out was not happy with their 'stealth training' when they returned to the temple.
"Where were you? I was about to send out a search party" he said, his voice just below shouting.
"errr"
"This is too dangerous, there are far too many people who want you dead for you to go just wandering around the city" he lectured
"We were safe" she responded meekly.
"Where were you then?" he asked, somehow fighting a dangerous spirit monster didn't seem like the correct option.
"We were underwater" lied Chokin, but with such an upbeat tone.
"Underwater?" asked Tenzin, and Korra herself seemed confused at the blatant lie.
"Yeah, we were fishing, we were hoping to relax after training. And where better to hunt fish than under the sea" he said, she knew he was bluffing but he held such an energy that implied it was a bonkers thing he would do.
Tenzin visibly sighed "I swear between you and the kids I'm not long for this world" he mumbled, "get to bed Korra, you need to be awake for tomorrow's training"
At that he left the room leaving both Korra and Chokin appalled "How in the world did you get away with that?"
"I don't know I thought I was joking" answered Chokin, then Korra laughed in relief.
"Well I should get some rest" she said yawning.
"I'll meet you in the morning, might get a mattress" said Chokin as he waved her goodbye.
The Next Morning
Things had not improved on the airbending front, at all. Tenzin continued to demand her pass through the spinning plates. Well this time she'll do it properly, no more trying to force her way through, this time she'll make it.
She walked in, dodged the first then the second but the third got her. She was slammed into the centre, and lost her bearing. She tried to think but she was constantly slammed into by the plates… she needed to think, but she couldn't.
SLAM, SLAM, SLAM. "ARRGH" she couldn't think. The plates kept throwing her off balance, "ARRGH GET OFF ME YOU STUPID PIECES OF S-"she screamed blasting flames into the contraption.
"KORRA, that was a ten-thousand-year-old historical treasure. Wha-what is wrong with you?" yelled Tenzin, but this time Korra had enough.
"There's nothing wrong with me, this test is useless, you haven't told me how to do it. All you have done is told me to do is 'be the leaf'" emphasising the quote sarcastically holding up air quotes "but you never told me what that actually means. Nor have you bothered to tell me exactly how I'm supposed to dodge these slabs"
"If you would only listen"
"I HAVE BEEN LISTEINING" she screamed, refusing to "BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK, I THINK THE REASON I CAN'T AIRBEND IS BECAUSE YOU'RE A TERRIBLE TEACHER". At that she stormed off, instantly regretting what she said.
A few hours later
She had found a tree, in a secluded location, and was punching her frustrations out. She was angry, angry at Tenzin, angry at the element, angry at Chokin for some reason, but most of all she was angry with herself. She needed to bend this element, she needed it, to do her duty.
"Frustrating, isn't it" came a voice from behind.
"What is it Chokin?"
"We were going to go to the pro bending arena, weren't we?" She had forgotten about that.
"Oh yeah" she wasn't in the mood, but she did say she would.
"So which team will we be supporting?" asked Chokin, clearly trying to probe her.
"I've always liked the Fire Ferrets, I listen to them on the radio" she guessed half-heartedly.
"Well let's get a move on" ushered Chokin gesturing her off.
They met no guards this time and exited the temple without much issue swimming up to the stadium and over the sides into the building.
"So, how does this work, in the old ostrich-horse races you would buy tickets and gamble on who we thought would win" explained Chokin, they both froze, realising something "We don't actually have any money do we?"
She shook her head as an angry voice came from behind them "Hey you what are you doing here"
"What?" she looked around, Chokin had disappeared "errr looking for the bathroom?" she suggested timidly.
"Oh the old I had to pee excuse" Chokin where were you?
"Oh, there you are" came a friendlier voice, as one of the pro-benders approach her.
"Yeah I'm with him" she bluffed.
"So, we're together" he said, making it awkward.
"Well not together, together"
"Right no. Did I say that, didn't mean to make it awkward"
"Oh, you made it awkward"
The manager or whatever simply threw his arms up "Bolin, just take your fangirl and get out of my hair". Fangirl?
"Right away Mr Tozu" answered Bolin, giving a small salute, "right this way young lady"
"Thanks, fine sir" she said mockingly, then as they walked through the bending arena they entered the changing. The she lowered her voice and said, "seriously thanks"
Bolin led her towards a room.
"What do you think, best seats in the house huh?" he boasted.
She'd never seen anything that felt so big, it almost seemed bigger on the inside. The actual pitch itself was the size of the air temple, while the stands themselves felt never ending. Each person adding further to the scale of the building.
"I don't think the seats are the best, I mean the commentators box gives you a bird's eye view" said Chokin, surprising both Korra and Bolin.
"Where were you?" she asked, and how did he get there?
"You may have been able to bluff your way from getting arrested, but I'm blue remember, so I hid" he explained, good point.
"Bolin we're up" said a gruff voice, as one of the pro-benders came out pulling on the straps to his helmet "and for the last time, would you please stop bringing your fangirls in here"
"ahh come on, I have a good feeling about this one, and she's got a spirit friend" replied Bolin, fiddling with the straps on his helmet and pointing to Chokin.
"Bolin, that's a mascot, not a spirit" said the pro-bender gruffly.
Bolin looked disappointed "but you said Pabu could be our mascot" as he ran onto the extension platform.
Korra looked towards Chokin, his hands were raised, mouth open with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"How?" he begged, beyond confused.
"Let's just pretend that never happened" said Korra.
"Seconded" he answered.
"Gooood evening gentlemen, introducing the Fireeee Ferrets" said the announcer waving a hand towards Bolin and his team.
"Okay I'm already confused how does one play?" asked Chokin.
"So, the game basically has you play dodgeball, with bending, the goal is to avoid being knocked back. If you're all in the water it's a knockout and you instantly lose no matter what, if that doesn't happen it's whichever team who's been pushed back the most at the end of the time limit" she explained, "and once all of your team are pushed back from a zone the other team advance"
"Sounds fun" he murmured half-heartedly, completely undervaluing the point.
"Fun? Fun it's a brilliant sport of strategy and bending philosophy. Take the Fire Ferrets for example, they rarely actually fire anything back but rather dodge their opponents until they run out of stamina, then attack in full force just like the water bending form Pilao, COME ON FERRETS" she screamed the last statement enthusiastically to Bolin and co, punching the air.
"You know quite a lot, are you sure you aren't just some rapid fangirl?" teased Chokin.
Korra was aghast "of course not, anyone who knows anything knows this"
"Okay now can you please let go of my chest" he asked, Korra looked down and noticed she had clutched his chest in her fist.
She pulled away in embarrassment, "Sorry"
"Hey look there's Asami" said Chokin as he made a massive wave towards the stands, Korra looked and she indeed did see Asami up there. But she was more transfixed on the game and hadn't noticed them.
"You want to go see her at the half time?" he asked.
"There isn't act-"
"IT'S A KNOCKOUT" screamed the commentator.
"Wait what?" she said, as she looked to the stage, she saw Bolin and the Gruff pro-bender walked back with another pro-bender with them.
"WOOHOO" shouted Bolin, running up to the Korra and jumping up in the air excitedly "one more match and we're in the championship tournament"
"Where are you going?" asked the Firebender pro-bender to the Water pro-bender.
"Out, I'll be in time for the next one" retorted the Water pro-bender, as he stormed out the room slamming the door behind him.
"Mako lay off Haskook" asked Bolin.
"You were almost thrown off the side thanks to him" shot Mako.
"Mako, wow you were good too" she bluffed, having no idea how it happened.
"Oh, you're still here?"
"Oh, you're still a jerk?"
"Anyway, I've never seen bending like that before" she lied, wishing now more than ever she had watched the match. Thanks a lot, Chokin.
"You could learn from him, he seemed to know what he was doing" pointed out Chokin, was he watching while talking?
"Yeah, but I'm not sure how Earthbending would translate into your waterbending" he said, oh this was too much fun. Chokin smirked knowingly.
"Actually that's not a problem, I'm an Earthbender" she said.
"Oh sorry, no I didn't mean to assume. That outfit, and mascot implied that you were a water tribe gal" he said, worried he had offended her.
"I'M NOT A MASCOT" shouted Chokin, pointing to himself "I'M A FREAK, AND I'M NOT WEARING A COSTUME"
"You, errrmm" asked Bolin.
"He's a spirit" she explained, over his shoulder.
"I prefer the term freak" Chokin said annoyed, Bolin seemed very confused.
"Why is there a spirit here" asked Mako lazily.
"I REALLY prefer the term freak" repeated Chokin.
"Well why is there a freak here?" he asked gruffly.
"I'm her spirit guide" said Chokin, in a mock gruff tone.
"But why do you have a guide" asked Bolin.
"Because I'm the Avatar, nice to meet you" she said, enjoying how Mako just let out a sigh and a face palm.
"No way, the Avatar" Bolin said pointing to Korra.
"I have SO many questions, what's it like? Do you have to mediate a lot? Are you able to speak to Aang? Can you metal bend? Can you teach me?" begged Bolin, she looked to the other two for help.
"We'd love to stay but Tenzin will kill her if she stays out too long. We'll be here tomorrow" answered Chokin, it was unfortunately running late.
"One question though" begged Bolin, earnestly "does this mean we're on Team Avatar?"
"errm, maybe?" she replied, never have thought about it.
"It's a likely possibility" answered Chokin, causing Bolin to leap in the air, and Mako to betray a look of hope.
Outside the bending arena she had a question to ask Chokin "does this happen a lot?"
"Does what happen?"
"Team Avatar, Aang had a team but Roku didn't and neither did Kyoshi" she asked, sort of worried.
"No one, no matter how powerful, can hold the weight of the world on their shoulders by themselves. That was why Roku failed, I should have been there" replied Chokin, somewhat sadly. Basically yes.
"Is that how you normally recruit members then?" she asked changing the subject.
"Remind me to tell you about the time I got a lion turtle on the team" he replied, smiling.
As they swam back to the temple she started to ponder an interesting question. Where was Chokin during the hundred year war or for the Avatars before that? And why did he leave?
A/N: Another chapter done, this was originally meant to be a single chapter with the next chapter, but it went on way too long. In any case anyone have any ideas on how to rewrite Mako, his original personality wasn't doing anyone any favours.