A young girl huddled up to their mother, as rain drowned out any noises from outside the cave.
"Mommy, I'm scared." The child told her mother. The mother smiled.
"Why are you afraid, little one?" The mother asked her child.
"The rain might fill up the cave, and we'll drown!" the child cried.
The mother let go of her child and walked towards the mouth of the cave.
"M-mommy! Where are you going?!"
The mother turned back and smiled at her child. "To show you how not to be afraid." Her mother then exited the cave and out of sight. The child felt like crying again.
But then, the sound of the rain stopped. The child tentatively walked towards to mouth of the cave, and when she got there, she gasped. There was her mother, arms outstretched, and eyes closed, rain droplets suspended in the air around her. The mother opened her eyes again and looked at her child.
"There is nothing to be afraid of my child, the cave will not flood now."
"Mommy, how are you doing this?" The girl asked, slowly spinning to see all the raindrops.
"The same way I can do this," The mother gestured to her left, commanding two stone circles to pop up. The girl smiled and trotted over to the seat and sat down. The mother joined her child, taking a kettle and two metal teacups out of her bag. She moved some of the rain into the kettle and placed the cups on a third stone slab she had summoned. With another wave of her hand, a small tree sprouted, which the mother then promptly set on fire. Putting the kettle on the burning sapling, she turned back to her wide-eyed child.
"Your mommy can do many things, others cannot. Some can do one, only one other can do four, but no-one can do all the things mommy can do. Except you."
"Me?" The girl quizzically pointed to herself. Her mother smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I will teach you, as well as others, but only you can decide how much you will grow." The mother took the kettle and poured some water into the teacups, placing a few leaves she had grown in each. "Remember what I tell you; Let family be your soil, friendship be your fertilizer, then shall grow a tree of one's self, and bear the fruits of love." The mother took a pendant out of the bag. "There are some who would call us monsters, abominations of nature. But they are wrong. Much like the Avatar cycles like the seasons, the Ronin grows like the world." She put the amulet into her daughter's hands, clasping them tightly. "Show the world, show the world how to grow, my little Jade."
The girl opened her hands to see the amulet. It was a circle, part white, part black, a dot of white in the black, a dot of black in the white. Perfect harmony. The girl looked up. Her mother wasn't there. She hadn't been there for years. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she was 17. And she wasn't in a forest near a cave, she was on top the mountains overlooking Republic City. Jade clutched the amulet.
"Show the world… Show them how to grow, and bear love…"
Jade had been walking around Republic City for about an hour now and was quite amazed by the sights. The towing buildings and the mixed culture amazed her; it was almost enough to distract her from the small pockets of complete despair.
She did notice, however, because of how people didn't look twice at Jade's attire. Travelling continuously her left her… lacking, in both the clothing and financial departments. She had enough money to feed herself, and gather basic supplies, but not enough for new clothes. What she had now was a lime green parker, baggy cargo pants and a white singlet. No shoes, and a mess of unkempt green hair. If the people of Republic City considered her look 'normal', then it must have been in worse shape than Jade thought.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the rumbling of her stomach. She glanced around for somewhere to eat, and to spend some of her last seventy yuans. There was a food stand about fifty metres away from her with the hind of a large animal sticking out of it. As Jade approached the stand, she began to hear the voices of the people inside.
"That'll be 20 yuans." The shopkeeper asked as Jade ducked under the flaps.
"I don't have any money…?" The tan girl in water tribe cloths replied.
"I'll pay for her," Jade quickly interrupted, not even thinking about what she was saying as she was still tight on money, "And I'll get the same for myself."
The shopkeeper glared at the other girl. "You're lucky kid," they said as they handed Jade the same as the other girl had. Both girls and the now identified polar bear dog stepped out of the stand and began walking.
"Hey, thanks for that, I really appreciate it." The girl thanked Jade. Jade smiled in return.
"Hey, that's fine. I probably didn't have enough money to get any more food anyway. Now I just need to find work." Jade waved it off. The other girl looked sympathetically towards Jade, who noticed this and then tried to deflect attention. "My name's Jade by the way,"
The other girl seemed to brighten up at this. "I'm Korra, nice to meet you. Hey, do you know how to get to air temple island?"
"No, sorry. Only arrived in the city a few hours ago."
"Oh," Korra was taken aback, "I thought you lived here, sorry."
Jade chuckled. "No, it's okay. I guess you can say I've lived a pretty nomadic lifestyle."
Korra's eyes lit up. "No way! Where have you been?!"
"Pretty much everywhere, from the Fire Capital to Omashu, the Northern Tribe Koi pond to the hanging western air temple," Jade told her.
"You. Have. To. Tell. Me. Everything." Korra gripped Jade's shoulders.
"Sure! C'mon, let's go find somewhere to eat."
After walking around, the pair found themselves in a park, Korra in amaze of Jade's odyssey. Jade was just about to tell Korra about the time she had found some volcanic hot springs when they were interrupted by loud shouting.
"Are you tired of living under the tyranny of benders? Then join the Equalists!" A man atop a stage cried at the onlookers, Korra and Jade (who were both riding Naga, Korra's polar bear dog) stopped to listen as well. "For too long, the bending elite of this city have forced non-benders to live as lower-class citizens. Join Amon, and together we will tear down the bending establishment."
"What are you talking about?" Korra interrupted, "Bending is awesome!"
"And let me guess," the protester put his hands on his hips, "You two are benders, aren't you?"
"Can't speak for her," Korra jutted a thumb at Jade, "but yeah, I am."
"And I bet you'd just love to knock me off this platform with some waterbending, wouldn't you?" the man taunted.
"I'm seriously thinking about it." Korra folded her arms.
The protestor turned back to the crowd "This is what's wrong with this city! Benders like this girl only use their power to oppress us!" The protester angrily glares at Korra as the spectators turn and begin jeering
"What? I'm not oppressing anyone!" Korra pointed to the crowd "You're ... you're oppressing yourselves!"
"That didn't even make sense." The protestor mocked.
"C'mon Korra," Jade said softly, "Let's just go."
Korra looked tentatively at Jade, worry in her eyes as she saw the borderline frightened face of the green-topped girl. "Yeah… Yeah, let's go…" Korra agreed, tugging at the reigns to move Naga forward.
The two rode Naga for a bit longer while Korra tried to find a way to air temple island. They had decided to stretch their legs for a bit until Korra decided to stop and ask for directions.
"Excuse me," Korra asked an elderly woman, "But I think we're lost. How do we get to air temple island from here?"
"Just head down this street." The woman smiled and pointed further down the street. As she did, a roofless red Satomobile rounded the corner, engine revving loudly. "You young ladies should get out of here," the woman told them in fear, "It isn't safe."
Korra and Jade looked to the Satomobile as three men emerged, each wearing a respective colour to a bending element, sans air. They watched as the men approached a shopkeeper selling phonographs. The man in a blue-tinted coat began talking to the man, Korra and Jade had little idea what he was saying but could make out that he was threatening the shopkeeper. This was confirmed when the thin moustache man with the red scarf ignited a ball of fire in his hand. Korra made to move but Jade caught her shoulder.
"Korra, no. I've been around the world enough to know what this is. You can't change it, whatever you do will make it worse."
"But if I don't help, how will I change anything?!" Korra said heatedly. That word struck Jade.
Change
Her whole goal in life is to live by her mother's words and grow. But how could she forget something as crucial to growth as change? And then here comes along this girl, a girl she knows next to nothing about and only met this morning and reminds her of her dream.
Jade released her hand and nodded. Korra smiled back.
"…Give me the money, or else -" the gangster began before Korra interjected.
"Or what, hoodlum?!"
The three gangsters turned to face Korra. They eye her curiously before bursting into laughter.
"Since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain a couple of things." The man pointed at Korra, "You're in Triple Threat Triad territory, and we're about to put you, in the hospital.
"You're the only ones who are gonna need a hospital," Korra punched a fist into her palm, "and, for your sake, I hope there's one nearby." She smirked.
The man's eyes narrowed. "Who do you think you are?"
"Why don't you come and find out?"
The man quickly bent a water bullet from a hidden waterskin pouch at Korra, only for her to catch the water with ease and send it back at the man, freezing his head. He stumbles forwards towards Korra, who performs a roundhouse kick sending him into the hood of the gangster's Satomobile, smashing the ice.
Korra smirked at her handiwork, unaware of the second gangster getting ready to launch her with earthbending. Jade, however, did notice.
"Korra Look out!" Jade cried, just in time for Korra to spin around and quickly raise and earth pillar to send the gangster flying. Jade stood there, shocked at what she had just seen.
"I-it can't be…" Jade gasped.
The first gangster began to stir. "Get her too!" he shouted, about to bend another water bullet at Jade before Korra froze his arm to the Satomobile. The third gangster came at Jade in a firebending stance, Jade had seen it countless times before. A quick burst of fire came at her, only for her to perform a spinning jump and push off with a blast of her own, sending the gangster into Korra who also smashed the man with a fire blast and sent him crashing through a store window.
"Nice moves Jade!" Korra shouted. But jade could only stare back.
She was the Avatar. Out of all the people she could have met, let alone befriended, was THE Avatar. But maybe… she really could be her friend. Somebody who was distanced from the rest of the world because of what she was. Jade would finally have a reason to stick around.
"Didn't know you were a firebender!" Korra smiled.
"Oh, well you see…" Jade began but was cut off when the gangster's Satomobile sped by, grabbing their last member from the ruins of the shop with earthbending as they drove.
"Oh no, you don't!" Korra said as she got in an earthbending stance, but Jade jumped in front of her.
"Don't worry, I got this!" Jade said to Korra, before raising her leg right up to her face and quickly slamming it down, creating an earth geyser in front of the car, causing the gangster to swerve to avoid it and crashing into another shop.
Jade turned to Korra, who wore the mixture of the most confused and disbelieving face possible. Jade smiled sheepishly. Korra began opening and closing her mouth like a fish, trying to make words but failing spectacularly.
Sirens began bleeding through the air and the two stared upwards to see an RCPD (AN. Republic City Police Department) airship approaching as metalbenders disembarked.
"Wuh-oh," Jade grimaced.
"Multiple counts of destruction of both city and private property, disturbing the peace and one of you almost committing resistance of arrest." An officer read out their transgression, "You young ladies are knee-deep in Air Bison shit."
Korra looked downcast whilst Jade was trying her best not to have a panic attack.
"But there were some thugs threatening a helpless shopkeeper," Korra began, "and I had it ..."
"Can it!" the officer interrupted, "You should have called the police and stayed out of the way."
"But I couldn't just sit by and do nothing." Korra pleaded. "It's my duty to help people. See, I'm the Avatar." Jade facepalmed at Korra's naïve response.
"Oh, I am well aware of who you are. And your Avatar title might impress some people, but not me."
"Well can you at least let Jade go, she only acted in self-defence, didn't destroy any property and was the one who stopped me from running off."
"That may be true, but her just standing there has made her an appliance to your crimes." The officer looked to Jade, "You'll probably just be booked with a warning, but for the meantime, you need to stay here." Jade breathed a sigh of relief. She could sit here a while longer as long as Korra didn't-
"All right, fine. Then I want to talk to whoever's in charge." Korra demanded. Jade facepalmed again.
"You're talking to her. I'm Chief Beifong." The officer, now identified chief, informed her.
"Wait, Beifong? Lin Beifong? You're Toph's daughter!" Korra proclaimed excitedly. Jade could tell that she was going to say something stupid.
"What of it?"
"Well then, why are you treating me like a criminal? Avatar Aang and your mother were friends. They saved the world together." Korra said happily. Jade groaned, wishing she wasn't right.
"That's ancient history!" Lin raised her voice as she continued, "And it's got diddly-squat to do with the mess you're in right now. You can't just waltz in here and dole out vigilante justice like you own the place!" Lin waved her arm to emphasize her point.
A part of the wall to the left of Lin slid apart to reveal another officer. "Chief." The man spoke, "Councilmen Tenzin is here."
Lin sighed, annoyed. "Let him in."
Lin stood up and turned around to face a man who had a beard, blue arrow tattoo and air bender garments as the wall closed behind him.
"Sorry Tenzin, I got a little side-tracked on my way to see you." Korra smiled weakly. Tenzin breathed frustratedly but remained calm. He turned to look at Lin.
"Lin, you are looking radiant as usual."
"Cut the garbage Tenzin," Lin snapped, "Why is the Avatar in Republic City? I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the South Pole to train her."
"My relocation has been delayed." Tenzin explained, "The Avatar, on the other hand, will be heading back to the South Pole immediately, where she will stay put.
Jade was shocked. The one friend she had made in eight years was being taken away in less than a day of meeting her.
"If you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra," Tenzin looks to Jade, "and her friend, I will take full responsibility for today's regrettable events and cover all the damages."
Lin scowled but relented, bending the cuffs to release Jade and Korra. "Fine but get her out of my city. And you," She pointed at Jade, "I better not see you in here again."
"Yes, Chief Beifong…" Jade replied, sadly.
"Let's go Korra," Tenzin said as he walked out the newly created door in the room. Jade followed Korra as she got up, paying no attention as to what she was gesturing to Lin as they left.
Korra and Tenzin were talking in the lobby, Jade standing off to the side listening to the fate of one of the few people she has called a friend.
"Tenzin, please, don't send me back home." Korra pleaded with the airbending master.
"You blatantly disobeyed my wishes and the orders of the White Lotus." Tenzin rebutted. Jade perked up at this. So Korra had been training with the White Lotus, made sense. Jade knew of the white lotus as she had tried to approach them years prior but to no avail.
"Katara agreed with me that I should come. She said my destiny is in Republic City."
"Don't bring my mother into this!" Tenzin went red. Whether it was from anger or embarrassment, Jade couldn't tell.
"Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training. Being cooped up and hidden away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar. I saw a lot of the city today, and it's totally out of whack. I understand now why you need to stay. Republic City does need you. But it needs me, too."
"I… Ah…"
"And! I made my first actual friend!" Korra gesture to Jade. Jade smiled and waved at her attention.
"Yes, your friend…" Tenzin observed Jade's shabby garments.
"And get this! She can bend more than one element!" Korra grinned.
"W-what?! How!?" Tenzin exclaimed.
"I… Actually never asked." Korra turned to Jade. "How did you do it?"
Jade sighed; know she would have had to explain this to Korra eventually.
"Look, if you think I'm some kind of avatar, I'm not. It's a genetic thing my family lineage has that allows us to bend all elements to an almost ridiculous degree."
Tenzin gasped. "A Ronin…"
"A what?" Korra asked.
"A Ronin," Tenzin repeated, "I've only read rumours of them in ancient texts, but never truly believed they existed. From what I can gather, they were wiped out in the wars proceeding the discovery of bending."
"It's… why I really wanted to be your friend, Korra." Jade said, shifting Korra's attention to her, "I finally met somebody… like me. Ostracized from the of the world."
"But… but why would you feel like that! Being like this is amazing!" Korra questioned.
"Maybe for an Avatar, but for Ronins, we were historically seen as abominations of nature, the opposing force to the Avatars. It isn't true, of course, but that's what people thought of us, why we hid away and were believed to be little more than ancient myths." Jade smiled at Korra. "I was so happy to meet you. But now, you're leaving, so I guess I will too…" Jade looked away sadly. Korra was on the verge of tears.
"Korra…" Tenzin said softly.
"WHAT IS IT TENZIN?! WHAT?!" Korra yelled, tears now flooding down her face.
Tenzin was shocked but regain his posture. "Korra. You are remaining in Republic City." He spoke firmly.
"W-what…?" Korra's expression softened.
"I could not fathom what hardship your friend has gone through, but if it is you that she finally feels safe with, then I could not, in any sound conscious, separate you."
Korra's face lit up. Tenzin looked to Jade.
"Miss Jade, would you like to come and stay with Korra whilst she completes her airbending training?"
Jade now had her own tears now spreading down her face. "I'd like that."
"Um, excuse me miss." The trio looked around to an officer holding Naga's leash. "Is this your Polar bear-dog?"
"Korra!" the airbender kids called out as Korra walked down the docks with Jade. They landed with their air gliders and hugged her.
"Are you coming to live here on the island with us?!" Ikki asked excitedly.
"Yep!" Korra smiled as the kid's cheered. Jinora looked to Jade.
"Who's your friend."
Korra turned to Jade. "Kids, this is Jade, she'll be living with us too." Korra leaned over to whisper. "She can bend all the elements too!" the kids gasped. And then ran over to Jade.
"Can you really bend all the elements like Korra?!" Ikki asked, hooping up and down. Jade simply answered by igniting a flame in one hand and making a small tornado in the other. The kids marvelled at it until Jinora bowed.
"Please to meet you, my name is Jinora, and these are my siblings, Ikki and Meelo." Jinora introduced. Jade smiled.
"Nice to meet you too, Jinora. I'm Jade."
Korra approached the kids and Jade. "C'mon you guys, let's get going. It's been a long day and I am just about to drop dead."
Jade looked to the temple that stood on a higher part of the island.
She finally had a home.
What do you think? Please tell me any of your ideas going forwards, and criticism is okay as long as it is constructive, and not flaming.
Thanks and remember reviews are the lifeblood of stories, so please review!
Kamiro... AWWWWAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY