Turning the Tides
Tenzin and Beifong had done a fair bit of arguing and talking in low, hushed voices in the middle of the street. Finally Tenzin and Beifong had raised their heads. Tenzin climbed onto Oogi and took up the reins. With a cry of "Yip-yip" and Tenzin was off, carrying the rest of team Avatar. Chief Beifong approached me.
"I'm going to walk you and the Polar Bear Dog home," Beifong announced as she led the way. I shared glanced with Naga as Beifong angrily stomped past us. Slowly we turned and heeled behind the alpha woman.
"Did Tenzin ask you to do this?" I asked carefully.
"Yes," Beifong said.
"I appreciate this, but I know you must want to see your men soon. You didn't get to talk to them much, and I'm sure I'll be fine with Naga, so if you-" My consideration ground to a halt as Beifong turned an evil eye on me.
"I'm coming with you to Air Temple Island," Beifong told me.
"Buuuuu-gh?" I asked. In my living memory Chief Beifong hadn't been to the island. I stayed silent and trod along beside Naga as Beifong led us to the dock and ferry to Air Temple Island. Tenzin had already called the boat out, so we didn't have to wait. We climbed aboard and had a tense ride over to the Island. The monk Acolytes would see me and my new tattoos, look like they wanted to congratulate me, and then spot Beifong glaring out over the ocean like it had personally offended her. I grinned in a 'what-can-you-do?' way and escaped the well wishers.
Beifong left the boat and headed straight to the female dormitories. I glanced at Naga and she glanced at me, and we both saw the wisdom in letting Beifong do her own thing. I took Naga to the animal barn. I took her saddle off her and led her from the roofed pavilion to her den-cave. Duga greeted us as we passed. I turned to leave, but Naga followed me out. "Not going to sleep in your den?" I asked her. She whuffed at me lowly and led the way back to the compound. She paced in the garden's dirt from one side of the house to the other. Settling a spot outside Korra's window, she lay down and curled up. Pabu, still loose and enjoying the freedom the island gave him, came along and leapt up on top of his favorite bed, Naga's neck fur.
I smiled and leapt to my room's window on the second floor. Three seconds of jigging my window later, I was in. I set aside Nightflier and was asleep soon after my nightly rituals of writing, thinking, and hygiene.
The morning came quickly. The clouds overhead covered the island and headed over the ocean. The winter's weather was really starting to chill the island. I spent half an hour simply meditating in the early morning darkness. Something felt different about being a 'master' that I couldn't put a finger on. Was I more at peace? Was it because I'd finally become what I'd set out to accomplish? I didn't know, but now the peace at my center came easier. Maybe the simple act of getting the tattoos had led me to be a little more mature?
Nah. Please no. I cracked my grin, ignoring how hard I had to force it. Do not start frowning. You'll never stop, like Tenzin. Must be something in the tattoos after all. To my surprise breakfast was packed with the whole group. Korra was eating and drinking a large quantity of food. "Kaldan! You're a master!" Korra exclaimed at seeing my tattoos. I smiled a little (why did I feel sad?) and scratched my hair. Too late I realized that didn't work right now.
"Ugh, yeah," I said awkwardly as I slid down into a seat. Around the table, Bolin, Mako, Asami, Tenzin, Beifong, and Pema all watched Korra. I slid in next to Asami since Mako had taken the spot beside Korra.
"The food tastes amazing Pema," Korra thanked. I glanced over at Pema. She'd gotten to cook? Normally she and the Air Acolytes had a 'courtesy-war'. Every morning they and Pema (who loved to cook) would try and get to the kitchen to start cooking first. The Air Acolytes were all pretty good cooks, and they mean well. They had a cycling schedule for who cooked among the Acolytes, and most of them felt it was good for them to rush through other chores to beat Pema to cooking since she was pregnant. With Pema being slowed down so much she hadn't beaten the Acolytes much in the race for a while now. Normally though, Pema put her foot down on their necks for special dates. I guess the return of Korra was one such occasion. "I'm finally starting to feel like myself again," Korra said.
WAIT, No, you moron. The time is off. You actually meditated straight through breakfast. This is shortly before noon. The food is just because Korra woke up now. Simple solutions Kalden.
"We're so thankful you're home safe," Pema told Korra as she stood. Pema walked over and stole away some of the empty dishes from the food Korra was putting away.
"Let me help," Asami volunteered.
"Korra, I realize you've been through a lot, but I need to know everything that happened," Tenzin asked gently.
"Well. First off, Tarrlok isn't who he said he is. He's Yakone's son," Korra explained.
"Well, that explains the Bloodbending skills," I muttered darkly as Beifong and Tenzin looked shocked.
"It all makes sense now. Yakone escaped from prison after Avatar Aang took his bending. We never caught him or heard from him again. If he had kids, he would've had powerful Waterbending children he could teach what he knew to," Beifong rationalized.
"Tarrlok's age is just right for that. But how did you escape?" Tenzin asked as he turned back to Korra. "And where's Tarrlok?"
"Amon captured him and took his bending," Korra explained.
"What?" Tenzin asked is shock.
"Nice, our biggest enemy took out the spineless sea slug," I grinned nastily.
"Kaldan!" Tenzin admonished me fiercely. "Tell us what happened Korra," Tenzin asked kindly.
"Well, Amon just showed up out of nowhere. He almost got me too," Korra admitted softly.
"This is very disturbing news," Tenzin said.
"But it fits. All those reasons why Amon wouldn't attack Korra yet turned out true. He was ready to fight Tarrlok to capture you. I'm more concerned with how he knew where you and Tarrlok were. I'll bet Amon knows all sorts of things about the big name benders in the city. He knew where Tarrlok would take you and was able to somehow resist Bloodbending. We didn't even know Tarrlok had that ability until he turned it on us," I mused softly.
"Amon is becoming emboldened. Taking out a councilman, almost capturing the Avatar, I fear Amon is entering his end game," Tenzin announced.
My gut clenched. My thoughts on Amon's final phase were him taking the city over by force. At the end he'd come for my family before taking the rest of the world. It wasn't a pretty picture. Amon had had every move planned out down to the slightest detail. His tanks and electric glove weapons provided the less skilled Equalist a perfectly good way to fight, and now he was increasing his teams of chi blockers. The old original group was now core members of an inner circle and led organized strike teams. He had his army. It was small, but he knew everything about this city and had an ear to the ground and eyes at every window.
Amon had taken out a man who could Blood Bend without a fullmoon. Ever since it became better known due to certain incidents during the Hundred Year war, Blood Bending had become the boogieman Bender power. It was illegal all across the globe and was the only law in the world upheld without exception. To be a Blood Bender and use the power was the sort of thing that got you locked up for your whole life with one use. It probably wouldn't be so famous if it weren't for Hama of the stories Tenzin told me. It turned out Hama had only rediscovered something that went back for hundreds of years in the south. She'd been eventually stopped by Katara and the Avatar, but Hama had escaped with frank ease the very next time there was a full moon.
Amon hadn't cared about Bloodbending the same way Tarrlok didn't care about a full moon power up. Amon was dangerous as a person; as a leader and icon, he was flawless to his followers and a terror to his prey. And he was only growing stronger. He'd been relatively quiet for a while now. He would most likely make a move soon. Next week or less than a month from now he could attack the city directly from below it, targeting key infrastructures and taking down the chain of command. People like Tenzin, Saikon, and the other three council members were now the highest priority targets in the city. With Tarrlok gone Amon would have clean streets to fight in. The Task Force would dissolve and the Police would go back to being Police.
I excused myself and left. I had some intensive training to do.
It was the bombs that caught my attention. I walked to the garden to find the Order of the White Lotus sentries, Beifong, and my siblings there already. "It's too soon," I whispered aloud as I watched the captured Metalbender cop balloon rain bombs on the city. I don't understand. Amon struck too soon. He's bombing the city he's trying to win over. What is going on here?
"Alright kids, time to go inside!" Beifong told my siblings. Korra and the rest of the Krew ran up from the covered walkway.
"We heard explosions, what's going on?" Korra asked.
"Republic City is under attack," Beifong explained.
"We have to go," Korra called. I stood and watched the bombs. "Kaldan?" Korra asked as I didn't move.
"I have to protect my siblings. The Equalists will be out here soon. Amon will collect us and remove our Bending. It will signify he's ready to take on the rest of the world," I explained.
"But… we need you," Korra told me.
"I told Tenzin that he would stay here and defend and I would go on the offense, but he left for the city. I have to hold the fort," I said numbly as I looked over the city.
There was a brief swinging sensation and then Lin was holding me by collar. "Tenzin left me in charge. Are you saying I need the help? I have the White Lotus men, (who suddenly realized they'd been conscripted and adopted proper terrified expressions for men soon to be dealing with Beifong) the Air Acolytes, and thirty five years of being police Chief. Tenzin left me in charge here. So you will go with the Avatar and you will stop Amon or so help me I will slap you little boy!" Beifong roared in my face.
She set me down. I sucked Nightflier back to my hands from where it'd fallen. I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to draw blood, and focused on the now. "Let's go then," I said weakly as I followed the other to the ferry. "I just need something from my room," I said. I leapt up to my window and slipped inside. I grabbed the batteries and Equalist glove. We didn't take Duga, there wasn't even time to saddle him. Between Korra and I we cut the sailing time down to half, flushing the sails to full and moving us along in the water. As we exited the boat I handed two extra batteries and the left hand glove to Asami.
"This might help, but remember you have to take a glove off to do things like open doors without shooting electricity," I told Asami. She took it, and considered it as we ran. Then she dropped it over the side of the dock.
"What the heck?" I asked as my considerate gift sank.
"I should only be using one. And it'll keep you from shocking yourself. I'll keep the batteries though," Asami told me.
"Where did you say you parked the car?" Asami asked as she looked around for Team Avatar's designated land ride.
"It's around here somewhere. There it is!" Korra said as she spotted the sleek black Satomobile. The front fender had a street lamp pole wrapped around it.
"Wow. Nice parking job," Asami said as she turned to Korra grumpily.
"Hey, you guys got arrested and left me alone with the car. I made it very clear I don't know how to drive." Korra complained.
"What about Kaldan?" Asami asked.
"I drive a Bison and fly. I don't know what that stick is for that you jiggle when you drive, I don't know which pedal is gas and which is the brakes, and I suspect that if I attempted to turn I'd try and do it like a glider; on its side. I let Korra drive and then followed her form the air," I excused profusely.
"All things considered you did a great job," Bolin said as he inspected the Satomobile. Leaning forwards he snatched up the clump of paper on the windshield. "But how are we going to pay for all these parking tickets?" he asked. Mako snatched and burned them. Bolin gasped in shock.
"Relax. The city is under attack. The police have more important things to worry about," Mako explained correctly. Asami opened the trunk and retrieved her gauntlet.
"This will come in handy," she said.
"That was a terrible pun and I'm still mad you dropped my lightning source in the ocean. I only have one stun-grade lightning bolt in me right now," I whined.
Korra took her usual spot, as did I with my legs swung over the back seat for grip. Mako moved to take the passenger seat but Asami cut him off.
"Why don't you sit in the back?" Asami ordered. "With Korra," she added bitterly. Oh, there have been words between these two recently.
"I think I will," Mako responded.
"Is the back of the car punishment?" Korra asked me in a low whisper. I nodded. "What'd you do to Asami?" She asked me. It took me a moment to figure out she had just implied the reason I sat in the back every time was because I wanted to stay away from Asami. I slapped my face as she grinned at her joke. The city is burning, screams fill the air, and the Team Avatar is cracking jokes that make it all seem better by comparison. Mako moved into the back and Bolin took the front
"Everything alright?" Korra asked around my legs.
"Everything is terrific," Mako answered.
Asami threw the stick forwards and we suddenly slid forwards. Caught off guard I went flying face first into the seat cushions of Bolin's chair. At least it was heavily padded.
"Car! Oh, we're good," Bolin called.
"Speak for yourself," I said as I grumpily pulled myself from the seat. Asami drove at top speed to Police Station. As we rounded a corner at fifty miles an hour I spotted Tenzin. The front of the Police Station Plaza was swarming with Equalists. Mechatanks cautiously approached the downed form of Tenzin. A few Equalists on foot rounded up Police station workers.
Asami only poured on more speed, driving directly at a Mechatank. "What are we doing?" I asked in concern.
"Get ready to jump," Asami responded. "Bolin, give me a ramp" She commanded the Earthbender. Bolin stood and formed two steep gradient ramps. Just before we hit them Asami bailed. "Jump!" She cried as she and Bolin went over the sides.
I leapt off at the zenith of the vehicle's height, far later after everyone else had jumped. I swung Nightflier straight into the next tank with far more force than I could have mustered alone. With the sort of force my wind strike of hardened air launched from Nightflier had, I knocked the Mechatank off its feet and sent it crashing to the ground. Its arm was equipped with a curious shield. The car slammed into another tank, sending it reeling and knocking over a fellow tank. Three tanks were downed by our opening assault.
The team turned to fight the tanks. Ignoring the metal suits, I focused my attention on the foot-soldier Equalists. Bolin knocked one tank over with a boulder and one of the tanks fired a line. Bolin dodged by jumping off a quick earth catapult. My wind sense was strong now that we'd stopped moving so quickly. Mako shot fire at the tank, but took a claw in the gut. I swept an Equalist off his feet. They'd thrown and wasted their bolas at me. The claw hitting Mako rippled with electricity. Ozone. But Mako grasped the line and pulled the electricity into himself. Draining the machine dry, he raised a hand and lanced the electricity into the Mechatank. Ooooooooooooooozone. The tank shut down as its battery went dead. It slumped forwards and steamed of burnt platinum.
I slammed Nightflier into the gut of an Equalist on the ground and spun, dodging under the strike of another Equalist. Using wind suction I grapple-flipped the Equalist right into the one on the ground, arcing the second body over my own into the downed man. I slammed Nightflier down on the back of her head, knocking her out. I left the two laying on top of each other and turned my attention to the next fight. There were only a few Equalists left on foot. Asami had moved in to help me, though now we had only to clean up. Being a master means you know how to kick ass. All that stuff I learned recently since my last fight with the Equalists and now I know how to string it together correctly.
Korra drew water from somewhere and rushed a tank. It fired a claw at Korra but she hopped over it. Running up an Earth ramp Bolin had left from the car's ramp, Korra leapt over the tank as it swung at her with its arm. She funneled the water down into the twin exhaust pipes on the Mechatank's back and the steam boiler burst, spewing all its water out. As it quickly lost hydraulic power Bolin charged forwards and blasted it with earth.
And it all falls down to old Bending styles now. We choose power over speed, but we know how to pick and choose: power or speed. Bending has evolved here to be able to use the strength of the past and the speed of the now. In out-and-out combat Benders are once again as strong as artillery and non-benders simply fall before us. They need the element of surprise, and now that they and their traps have come to the open world, we know how to fight them already. Before they were an unbeatable little group. Now we have learned how to combat them.
Korra approached a tank and sprayed water on it. It tried to electrify her through the water, but Korra encased it in ice around its arms. It tried to break the ice, but Korra kept adding ice onto its joints. Finally she simply added so much ice around it that it became a glistening glacier in the sun. Mako and Bolin double teamed the last tank, firing Fire and Rock in equal measure. Slowly it began falling back, but Bolin raised the stone around its treaded feet. Mako got an Earthbender jump from Bolin and landed on its back. Directing a lightning strike to the back of the Mechatanks head over-loaded its systems and small explosions went off internally.
Not to say the day was already won or anything. I walked to the truck and untied the men inside. Then I and Asami tossed the Equalists into the back of their own van. The driver had been taken care of by Asami already. I slammed the doors shut on the Equalists and strung as many bolas around the handles as the limited working space would let me. Then I went to Tenzin's fallen form and roused him.
"By now you'd know to dodge better old man," I said softly as Tenzin slowly woke up.
"Ugh. Thank you. What's going on?" Tenzin asked as he got himself up.
"We saved you and the workers. What happened in the station?" I asked as the team drifted over.
"Are you alright?" Korra asked.
"I'm fine. Thank you kids," Tenzin addressed us. "A moment later and I would have been on my way to Amon. We were gassed out of the station. They were using the ventilation systems to leak choke gas into the building."
"Ugh, guys? Look," Mako called. I looked in the direction he was pointing. An Equalist balloon was just off shore Air Temple Island.
"Oh no," Tenzin remarked.
"We're going. Anyone who argues gets thrown over to the island," I demanded.
"Ooogi is this way. Come on!" Tenzin called as he led us into the city.
"I thought you were going to be there to defend the kids!" Tenzin argued with me as we got into the air.
"No, my promise was to do all the attacking if you protected the kids!" I argued. To our side the non-Airbenders very quietly watched us argue.
"And now there's two balloons full of Equalists on the island!" Tenzin shot back angrily.
"And if they take off we'll catch them. Oogi can drop a group off on one and you and I will take the other. Bolin can stay with Oogi." I decreed.
"We can't catch Balloon ships on Oogi, they're faster than him!" Tenzin argued.
"He may be slow, but they'll be slower. They can't outrun me on my glider so I'll take their propulsion systems out," I explained.
"They'd shoot you down," Tenzin told me.
"Then you can come with me," I told him.
"Who will fly Oogi?" Tenzin asked.
There was a pause. "Asami can drive a car," I volunteered her.
"That's a car. This is a ten ton flying herbivorous nightmare," Asami said.
"You have Bolin too, he's good with Animals. Pull left to go left, pull right to go right. Say Yip-yip or slap the reins to go faster and pull on them to slow down. Can't be any easier," I told her quickly.
"How do you go up or down?" Asami asked.
"Pull back on the reins to go up, lean forwards on Oogi's neck to go down," Tenzin said.
"But you said pulling on the reins was down!" Asami cried.
"It also does that. But pull down on them, not just out. Pull down for up, pull back for less speed," I informed them.
"We're approaching the island. I see the kids!" Tenzin asked as we came in for a landing.
"Huh?" I asked as Oogi touched down. Tenzin and I leapt from the saddle. Tenzin scooped up the kids and hugged them. Meelo jumped on his neck. I held my staff and watched for threats.
"Oh thank goodness you're all right," Tenzin said.
"Where's the Equalists?" I said as I held my staff ready. There is not enough Lightning in the world for these child hunting-
"We caught the bad guys," Meelo said.
-I will summon the storm here on the island and feed them to the oce-
"You did what?" I asked.
"You let them fight?" Tenzin asked Beifong. "Do you realize what could have happened?" Tenzin accused.
"I would have been toast if it weren't for your kids. You should be proud," Beifong told us. "You taught them well."
I glanced down at my sisters and at Meelo, hanging off Tenzin's back. Airbending was the greatest counter to the Equalists. "Go on. Be with your wife," Beifong said. Tenzin took hold of my sisters and steered them into the house. I stood for a moment.
"Where are Pema and the Air Acolytes?" I asked Beifong.
"You have a new brother," Beifong told me. Oh that explained it. Oh. Well. That… wasn't the best timing.
I followed them in. I might have been in a bit of a daze. Behind me the others followed at a distance. I met my younger siblings by the door. "Come, meet your new brother," Tenzin said. I let the younger kids go in front of me, walking at a more subdued pace. I'd been through this a few times, and I was a bit more relaxed about the thing.
"A brother? Now we outnumber the girls! Soon we defeat them and claim their deserts for our own!" Meelo told me chipperly. I smiled, but inwardly my only reply was a flat what? The kids jumped onto the bed, floating gently down to sit beside their mom and newest addition.
"Welcome. I'm Ikki, this is Jinora, that's Kaldan, and this is Meelo. We have a super great family and we're so happy that you're a part of it," Ikki whispered slowly for the new arrival.
"Hn," the baby murbled. That is the verb I will use. Murble. Babbies murble. If only I had thought of this sooner.
"What are you going to name him? Can I pick?" Jinora asked.
"We already chose a name," Pema said gently as she leaned on Tenzin.
"Rohan," Tenzin said as he gazed down at Rohan. 'Rohan': To Ascend.
"Don't worry Rohan. When we eventually divide up the temples we'll let you have the Center, Republic City's Air Temple Island. Or if you want the North I'll swap you for it," I told him. My sibling giggled slightly at my totally serious statement.
"Doesn't that mean he's kicking me out if he takes here?" Tenzin asked genially.
"By the time that happens you'll be so ancient you can stay here and be an elder or something," I responded quietly.
"I am so sorry to interrupt but… More airships are coming," Korra said as she approached.
"Everything isn't going to be fine, is it daddy?" Ikki asked. He glanced around us and settled on me.
"If they're coming for you I'll stay behind and do anything to slow them down," I stated. If it's an airship goes after them I might unleash the Hurricane. A full scale product of the Air-over-water technique, my most deadly rediscovery. Powered by a master I might be able to control it over the water. Nothing would dare approach and they could head north to the Northern Air Temple. It's the closest to Republic City. They could flee on Oogi.
"Don't do anything foolish Kaldan," Tenzin told me, seeing my look.
We went back outside to see the two new Air Balloons. "What do you want to do Tenzin?" Korra asked.
"I need to protect my family and get them as far away from this conflict as possible. If Amon got his hands on my children... I hate to even think of it," Tenzin said.
"If you're leaving, then I'm going with you," Beifong said.
"But," Tenzin tried to speak, but Beifong silenced him.
"You and your family are the last Airbenders. There's no way in the world I'm letting Amon take your bending away," Beifong said.
"I will stay here and try to stop the Balloons. After that I'll keep working with Korra," I interjected. If I bought time for Tenzin to leave and he escaped to an Air Temple he'd be beyond Amon's reach. The Temples were still nearly impossible to get too and needed air vehicles. The winds of the North were among the strongest in the world. The Air Blimps in winter would catch too much wind drag and be pulled away. Only a Sky Bison could fly in the North.
"Thank you Lin," Tenzin told her. "Korra. I want you to leave this island and hide for the time being," Tenzin told Korra.
"I'm not giving up," Korra defied.
"I'm not asking you to. I sent word to the United Forces. They will be here soon. And once my family is safe, I will return," Tenzin said.
"No you won't. You'll stay with them or I'll tear your beard right off your face," I told him. "If it's about Korra I can teach her what she needs to know. If it's about the city your family comes before it," I argued.
"No. With the reinforcements we can turn the tide of this war," Tenzin said.
"And you will hear about it after it's happened from the Order or the Air Acolytes," I pressed.
"No. The kids will be safe and hidden. I trust the Order to protect them and guard them. You and I will simply have to return to them after the war," Tenzin told me.
"So what you're saying is that we need to be patient?" Korra groaned out.
"You're learning well," Tenzin explained.
In no time at all the family was ready to go. Oogi and Thriya (the second Sky Bison, and what might of counted as Pema's bison) were ready to go. An Air Acolyte climbed aboard Thriya. Duga would be staying here with me. Korra hugged Tenzin. "Stay safe Korra," he asked of her. "Kaldan? Don't make me tell your siblings that you went away," Tenzin demanded of me quietly
"Wouldn't dream of it," I responded.
"Tenzin. If we're leaving, we better do it now," Beifong ordered. Tenzin leapt onto Oogi.
"Oogi, Yip-Yip!" Tenzin told the Bison.
Beside our group Naga whined softly. Duga looked after the other bison and groaned softly. I clambered aboard and directed Duga upwards. The Blimps that turned after the other Sky Bison were the ones I was after. Korra boarded Naga below and fled. The Order of the White Lotus Sentries stayed behind to buy them time to flee. As soon as Oogi cleared the island two blimps turned to chase him.
I tried to blast the entire blimp aside, but it was too much for my power. Instead I targeted the propellers. I pulled out all my tricks. An air clamp fractured the blimp's tail propellers. Duga dodged and weaved between shots. He slammed head first into a blimp, smashing through the metal. We soared all the way through the center and I cut internal metal supports with air slices. The blimp went down over the ocean.
The remaining blimp fired a net at me, but when I tried to blow it away it resisted. It was a big net, and weighted heavily, and it wrapped around Duga. The blimp that fired it gained altitude and reeled, trying to pull us in. I sent all the air slices I could up at the mechanism, but it was too heavy and protected. I needed the extra power the storm gave me so I threw my control to the wind and reached for my inner power. My senses sharpened and the air around us began to circle and swirl. Not the whole storm. Just the clouds, the start of the storm.
I leapt from Duga's neck through the net. With a double handed swing of my staff I cut through the metal line where I'd failed to cut before. Airbender spiritualism can do amazing things for your afterlife and give you weirdly defined spiritual powers. My spiritualism can kill you for doubting the power of the air. I pulled the net off Duga with a suction blast, balling it up and turning to fire it. I used the heavy weighted net as a projectile to stop the next weighted net from the air ship. Below me the master benders from the Order fought hard, but they were being swarmed.
Ozone. The crack of lightning above me brought new strength to my limbs. This way down. This way up. The wind showed me the whole island and I'd never felt so strong. But it was a slippery slope I knew, and I could not throw off all control just yet. A balloon had left the fight and gone after Tenzin, I realized as the wind showed me the big empty space it'd left behind. It was too late for me to follow and catch it. I failed to notice by letting the storm get to me. Glumly, I told myself Tenzin and Oogi could evade the captured metalbender blimp. (Or had Amon started making his own blimps? Were these still the cop balloons?)
Lightning cracked over head. I brought the clouds lower and lightning rippled along the airships, electricity dancing over them. I flew Duga above one. Another net was fired, but I used the wind to redirect it. It fell away and landed on the island. Below me the last two Order men tried their best to hold back the swarm of Equalists. I leapt from Duga to the metal envelope of the air ship and meditated, slipping into my center with effortless ease. The storm was all around me, closer than it'd ever come before. Lightning flashed in time with the storm outside. I just need to direct this power.
I slowly created a ladder of cold air to the clouds. There was a feeling of the air freezing. I leapt back and put as much condensed air between me and the blimp I'd damaged before. Lightning, true, honest, and totally natural Lightning lent itself to my chi air path, striking through and overloading any electricity dampeners the balloon had. The airship didn't explode into fire, but it began losing altitude immediately as minor mechanics and machines stopped dead.
It was caught by the storm's wind and blown out over the ocean. I'd brought down two blimps, but there were still three over the island, and one after Tenzin. I hadn't done enough, but I couldn't do much more to such huge targets. I was running low on chi and stamina at this point. Using so much power and causing the storm to form had drained me even before the battle had begun in earnest. Below me the last Order of the White Lotus guard stood. Chi blockers swarmed the fire bender but he kept a near constant fire barrage going around himself in all directions, a practical dome of fire, and they were forced to wait him out.
I dropped from the sky like a meteor, blasting air all around us. I'd mentioned to Korra once how I could use inertia built by falling like a battering ram, and now I took advantage of the oldest Airbender trick: Kinetic energy redirection. I slammed right into a small group of Equalists with all the force of a cannon ball, ripping them from the ground and throwing them away. I hauled myself up bruised and stunned from the cloud drop, but still intact. The next wave of Chi blockers would be here soon. In the sky, Duga had already escaped after I'd jumped off him. "You must leave!" The Firebender called as more Chi Blockers approached. They slid out of a blimp on a line, coming to take over for their fallen compared.
"I'm just here to give you my thanks!" I told him as I fired a palm of air into an Equalist's face. It hit him like a rock and he went down nastily, falling from his zip line. I vaguely realized I'd probably just killed him, but I pushed the thought away. "And to say I am so sorry this happened the way it did. I thought I'd be able to do more!" I called.
"You did enough. Work with me here!" The firebender called. I slid in next to him, covering his injured ribcage. And then I found out he was a Lightningbender. "I heard you know how to lightningbend. I'm not sure how that works for you, but you should be able to help me with mine. I need some help directing it, since my left side is useless!" the man said as he began separating the positive and negative energy. "Lightning bending throws away all emotion and sense of identity. You are only a path, and do not matter before the energy. You can only aim it once I've made it. Can you do that?" he asked me as blue lightning carckled around us. The air charged and snapped with energy like a bomb. This guy would probably fry himself before he actually managed to shoot this thing!
"I do that every day!" I told him as I slipped into meditation calmness next to him, mirroring his pose and movements. He thought I couldn't help him with generation, and he was right, but I could help stabilize to prevent him from killing himself.
"Then this is how it works!" He cried, snapping out a two fingered pose as I mirrored him.
He bent open the blue electricity from his fingertips. The sparks called to the both of us. This is what we did. Ozone. Heat. Light. Energy. I saw, felt, understood. I bent alongside him in totally unison. Lightning was above us. It was a force of nature, and we were simply little ants before it. There was no Kaldan here, only the energy. Lightning lanced down from the sky and hit us, and it fired from us, flash imprinted with our chi. The twin strike guided the energy into the belly of a balloon and out the other side, returning the energy to the sky. Instantly the internal gasses caught fire and burned. As the afterimages of the energy faded from my eyes, I realized somewhat belatedly that the energy, having been directed by, and taking on a little of our chi had become a blue solid blue beam wrapped in a thin, electric-arching green mist-like cover. Weird.
The flash of light blinded us, leaving us blinked and blinded as the images faded. The heat and energy seared my skin and left me smoking, and I stumbled and fell to my knees as I simply breathed and circulated my internal air. Yet despite it all I hadn't heard a thing. "We held them off. The Avatar has escaped. Tell them we did our job," the Firebender said bitterly as he slumped by his fellow guards. He'd taken the cost of the chi price harder than I had, and suffered the damages harder than I without air in his body to protect him.
He was probably going to die of chi exhaustion.
An entire Equalist balloon fell from the sky onto the shores of the Island. The whole thing was on fire, and I watched as Equalists rushed into the ship, carrying out the fallen. "Now get out of here!" the coughing Firebender ordered weakly, spitting blood. I numbly knelt and picked up Nightflier. Slowly I turned my gaze from the burning ship. Somehow it didn't feel real, like there was no way I'd done it. I'd watched my body do it, but I hadn't done it. It didn't make sense. I turned and leapt into the air. I was full of chi, full of air, full of energy that swirled inside me like I'd been charged to full energy like I'd slept for an entire day. The touch of true lightning was not like my little piddly little electric bolts. This was the real deal as only those who had redirected the original knew it. It was like carrying a bomb and cannon in your hands. Now that I knew the cost, I had to wonder if I'd ever dared use it again like that. That random nameless Order of the White Lotus Firebender knew the cost. It would be so easy to just let go of all restraint and begin using that sort of power on your enemies. I knew I couldn't say I'd never do it again, so I solemnly decided not use it again until the cost of not using it was greater than using it.
Was that what being a Blood Bender was like? The belief that no matter what happened you were always safe because; what could dare stand up against you? It was a terrible power. If hadn't felt it, known the shock had not dissipated into the airship; I'd have thought it'd killed all its passengers.
I'm wrong. The shock wouldn't have had to dissipate to hit the people inside. It was too much. Even going straight through the blimp without settling through it, it would have been enough to stop the hearts of everyone in the airship.
I killed them.
Duga was gone already, having fled after I'd leapt off his back to hit the first balloon with my summoned fragment of the storm (of true power). Duga would return to Air Temple Island after the Equalists left. So I ignored his disappearance and flew after Korra on Nightflier. I had a general idea of where they would be.
They were waiting for me as I lit down in front of them. They were all in a drain pipe by the ocean. It'd sensed them on the wind and spotted as Korra had jumped up and down waving at me in front of the drainage pipe.
"Kaldan, that was amazing!" Korra cried as she ran out and hugged me.
"Dude, did you get a tan?" Bolin asked as I staged up to them.
"You took out three airships!" Korra cried. "You have to teach me that!"
"No. I'll never teach it to anyone," I whispered.
"What? But I thought-" Korra asked in confusion.
"It's the most dangerous power I've ever used, felt, heard or seen. I won't be using it again like that. You can't use it on a person without killing them. You saw what it did to the airship," I said. I was draining energy, leaking chi and air as I rapidly tired.
"I know that!" Korra protested.
"Aside from all that, I don't know how to teach it. I nearly killed a whole load of people. I won't ever teach something like that," I promised.
"We need to fall back," Mako said tiredly, right behind Korra, hovering almost possessively behind her. We shared a tired glanced. His eyes were fierce little chips of flint.
What do my eyes look like right now?
He said his parents had been killed by a Firebender. But the murderer hadn't used fire.
I could see it replaying in Mako's head, juxtaposing the events.
There was no need for us, the only two who would know, to tell Korra I'd just turned myself into a mass killer. He knew I'd done it for my family. We both knew I'd do it again if I had to relive this day. Now the only question was if I'd have to do it to others. Slowly, Mako let his gaze relax, letting go of his protective instincts. Despite everything, I was still Kaldan, that nutty Airbender cousin of the Avatar. The silent affirmation was the most touching thing I'd ever heard of from the grumpy Firebender. I was still Kaldan, and I wasn't dangerous to Mako's little brother and his (two?) girlfriends.
"No seriously Kaldan! You're all tan now! And you lost your eyebrows!" Bolin told me as I trudged into the tunnel after the group.