Chapter 14: The First Match

Losing always sucked. When Bolin was a child, adults used to always say stuff like 'It doesn't matter who wins or loses, it's just about having fun.' But come on, everyone knows that winning is always better, otherwise they wouldn't bother keeping score. The exhilaration Bolin would feel after clinching a victory in the Pro-bending ring was almost indescribable. For almost the whole week after suffering a loss, he and his teammates would almost constantly feel its sting as it drove them to not lose again. However, despite how bad losing was, there was one thing that was even worse: never getting a chance to compete in the first place.

Bolin glanced over to his older brother leaning against the wall. Mako had a deep scowl on his face. Unlike Bolin, who was more downcast than anything, Mako seemed livid with a barely contained rage. Bolin could understand why. Despite his reassurances to the contrary, he knew that his older brother didn't enjoy Pro-bending as much as he did. He knew Mako only did it because he knew that it made his little brother happy, and of course, for the money it provided. If Bolin were to wager a guess, the money was what Mako was truly worried about tonight.

Mako was the responsible one, even when they were kids. He was the one who made sure that they had a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, the one who always looked out for his little brother. And when the time came, he was the one who put himself on the line when they were left with no other options but to work for the Triple Threat Triads, always volunteering for the more dangerous jobs so that Bolin wouldn't have to. Unfortunately because Mako was always the problem-solver, that meant when he was presented with a situation that he had almost no control over or any clear way to fix it, he didn't quite know how to handle it, so he usually just got more and more frustrated.

The door to their locker room opened, and Bolin turned from his spot on the bench. Unfortunately, it wasn't the person he was hoping it would be. It was Ketu Beifong, and he was holding the door open for Korra and another girl wearing a light blue dress.

After his and Ketu's little 'headbutting' during Korra's Pro-bending training session the night before, Mako had shown Bolin a news article, declaring that the Avatar and her new bodyguard were an item, so Bolin had resolved himself to not pine after Korra anymore. However, that was before the chief of police's son brought a second girl in here who seemed almost afraid to let go of his arm, even as Ketu failed to keep his face from heating up. Maybe the papers got Korra's relationship status all wrong.

Despite himself, Bolin couldn't help it as his eyes were drawn to the two women that the other earthbender was with. Even in just her regular attire, and without even trying to, Korra looked wonderful. However, this new girl was absolutely stunning. The way her hair was flawlessly done, her angelic features, and the grace with which she carried herself, if he didn't know better, Bolin might have thought that she was a princess.

Wait a second, Ketu wasa police officer, and he was already acting as the Avatar's bodyguard. Was this new girl actually some sort of princess? Oh come on! How many pretty girls did this guy need?

"Hey guys," Ketu said with an easy smile. "This is Nima," he said, introducing the gorgeous girl in the blue dress, finally freeing himself from her grasp. "She's been my best friend since we were practically toddlers, so I hope that it's okay that I brought her along to catch the match." Okay, so she wasn't some sort of princess…probably.

"That's if there even will be a match," Bolin responded, downtrodden.

"What do you mean? We didn't already miss the match, did we?" Korra asked. "You guys look like you've already lost," she took notice of their disheartened state.

"We might as well have," Bolin answered, looking at the floor.

"Hasook's a no-good no-show!" Mako angrily declared as he finally looked up at the other people in the room.

The door to the locker room opened; it was the referee peaking in from the hallway. "You have two minutes to come out ready to play or you're disqualified," he informed the Ferrets before quickly slamming the door shut behind him.

"Well, there goes our shot at the tournament," Mako lamented. "And the winnings," he added bitterly.

"Um, couldn't you just ask one of them to help fill in?" the now-identified Nima asked, motioning to the other team in the locker room who had just finished their own match.

"Nah, the rules say you can only compete on one team," Bolin answered as he stood up to face the new girl. "I'm Bolin, by the way, and that's my brother, Mako," he introduced.

"It's nice to meet you both," Nima said with a dazzling smile that made Bolin's cheeks flush.

"Well, how about this one?" Ketu suggested, pushing a surprised-looking Korra forward. "She's a top-notch waterbender. She'd have to be if she was trained personally by my Gran-gran, after all," he smirked.

"But she's the Avatar," Bolin said in confusion. "Isn't that cheating?"

"It isn't cheating if I only use waterbending," Korra answered as she got over the initial shock of her bodyguard's suggestion.

Korra was now sporting a confident smirk that was eerily similar to Ketu's. It made Bolin wonder what sort of things that the two of them would get up to if they weren't properly supervised. Bolin noticed Nima's somewhat bitter frown. Maybe she wasn't just here to watch a match, maybe she was here to keep an eye on the two troublemakers.

"Are you sure about this?" Mako asked Ketu. "I'd rather forfeit than look like a fool out there," he directed that last part at Korra.

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence," Korra said sarcastically while glaring at Mako.

The locker room's door opened up, and once again it was the referee poking his head in. "Times up. You in or out?" he asked.

"They're in," Ketu quickly answered.

"We are?!" Mako asked, bewildered.

"We are," Korra confirmed.

"Yes!" Bolin exclaimed in excitement. He quickly directed Korra to the equipment in the lockers and began to show her how to properly put it on.

"Hey, I didn't agree to this!" Mako declared even as he was still somewhat shocked over the quickly-progressing events.

"You can thank me later," Korra stated confidently as she followed Bolin out to the catwalk leading to the ring.

"This girl is crazy," Mako sighed. The then noticed Ketu's almost manic grin as he watched his plans unfold. "Maybe they both are," he amended.


The sun had just set on Air Temple Island. It was getting later in the fall, so the temperatures were getting lower and lower each night. Tenzin and his family were wearing their heavier, long-sleeved garbs as a way to stay warm before they would eventually be forced to use their gas heaters later in the season. Ikki and Meelo were fidgeting around in their seats as they waited for the food arrive. Jinora meanwhile was reading from a small red-covered book. He and his children were sitting around the dinner table as his wife brought them their meals. Well…at least most of his children were.

"Okay, everyone here?" Pema asked, looking around as she brought in a tray with bowls of soup and a large plate of salad. "Wait, where're Korra and Ketu?" she asked in mild annoyance.

"Honestly, Pema, I'm at my wits end with the two of them. Korra is stubborn enough on her own, but with Ketu's headstrong nature, he's practically egging her on!" Tenzin groaned as he put an elbow on the table and rested his head in his hand. "I-I've already failed as a mentor once, and more importantly, as a father," he admitted quietly so that only Pema could hear, "I refuse to fail again! I just…I don't know how to get through to that girl," he brought his fist down on the table in frustration.

"Oh honey, you are the farthest thing in the world from a failure. Ketu is a fine young man," Pema reassured her husband, rubbing his shoulder with her free hand. "As for Korra, she may be the Avatar, but she's still a girl. The best thing you can do right now is just give her some space," she sagely advised.

Tenzin smiled warmly at his wife's comforting words. He then turned his determined gaze to his children sitting across the table. "You must promise me that your teenage years won't be like this," he intoned.

Ikki and Meelo merely looked on in confusion as they failed to properly understand what the adults were talking about. Jinora, however, merely looked over the top edge of her text and boredly stated, "I will make no such promises," before turning her attention back to her reading.

Tenzin could feel his right eye twitching in irritation. Whether she realized it or not, Jinora had just parroted the same dismissive one-liner that her older brother had used just moments after arriving on the island. Tenzin feared that Ketu's disrespectful nature was already starting to influence his innocent, younger siblings' behaviors.

Pema sighed as she took her seat at the table, and she mentally prepared herself for whatever drama was about to ensue.


As Korra and her new teammates made their way across the catwalk to the elevated platform of the Pro-bending ring, Ketu couldn't help but feel a bit proud of himself. During their short flight across the bay and even as they made their way into the arena, Korra had still been somewhat dejected.

He was beginning to wonder how exactly he could help improve Korra's mood. Luckily, Hasook was as reliable off the field as he was on it, and that gave Ketu the perfect opportunity to lift Korra's spirits. If there was one thing Ketu knew about Pro-bending, it was this: no matter how fun it was to watch a match, the only thing better was getting to compete yourself.

In fact, Ketu couldn't help but feel a small pang of jealousy as Shiro Shinobi began his commentating, "Looks like the Fire Ferrets have ferreted out a last minute replacement waterbender," he announced. "Let's see if she's another diamond in the rough like the brothers from the school of hard knocks."

As the Fire Ferrets settled into their respective combat stances, Korra and Mako seemed to be talking to one another. Unfortunately, from his position in the locker rooms, Ketu couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Although based on their rigid postures, as well as their previous interactions, if Ketu were to wager a guess, then he'd mostly say that they were probably exchanging snarky barbs with one another.

"Players! Are you ready?" the referee called out.

The Platypus Bears certainly lived up their namesake. All three of them were taller and bulkier than even Bolin. Their captain, the team's firebender, gave a quick nod, never taking his eyes off the Fire Ferrets.

Mako turned to look at the referee before turning his gaze back to his opponents, letting him know that the Fire Ferrets were ready to go. The referee blew sharply into his whistle and the bell rung, signaling the start of the match.

Without any hesitation, Korra delivered a strong, horizonal kick. The powerful water stream that followed hit the Platypus Bear right in front of her, knocking him over railings and off the side of ring. "Woo-hoo!" Korra cheered victoriously. "Man overboard!" she gloated while running around in excitement.

Ketu covered his face in embarrassment. It seems that in all the time that the two of them had talked Pro-bending, he'd neglected to explain one of the most basic rules to Korra. In Ketu's defense, he didn't think that it was actually necessary. After all their was railing going all the way around the ring except for the back parts. Well, either way, Korra was about to learn that rule right now.

The referee blew his whistle, halting the match. "Fire Ferret waterbender, penalty," he said. "Move back one zone."

Korra seemed ready to argue with the ref until Mako stepped up and explained the rules to her. She then hunched her shoulders in embarrassment at her faux pas before moving back to Zone 2 as instructed.

"And we're back in action after that hiccup," Shiro commented.

And the action had indeed started to pick up as both teams began trading elemental blows with one another. To Korra's credit, she did manage to get a few shots off, but she was about as mobile as a turtle-duck in the desert. She took an earth disc to the stomach which pushed her back a few feet. Korra answered that strike by charging forward with a spinning kick. Unfortunately, when she landed, her right foot crossed over the line in front of her.

The referee blew his whistle, stopping the match once again for a penalty against Korra. "Foul, over the line," the short, old man explained. "Move back to Zone 3."

From his position in the locker room, Ketu couldn't hear what the players were saying unless they were yelling. Still, he could tell that Korra was grumbling angrily as she punched the air in frustration after receiving her second penalty in the very first round. Ketu was starting to get worried. He'd originally volunteered Korra because he thought that it would be an enjoyable experience for her after her stressful day. But if competing was just going to compound on her already foul mood, maybe she should just withdraw.

The round ended only a couple of seconds later with the Platypus Bears taking the lead. The confidence of the Fire Ferrets seemed to take a hit as Bolin and Mako realized just how much of a rookie that their impromptu teammate really was.

"And the Platypus Bears take round 1," Shiro declared.

As the players from both teams moved back to their respective Zones 1, the bell rang, starting the second round. Both teams exploded out of the gate with furious assaults. Unfortunately, it seemed as though most of the Platypus Bears' attacks were aimed at Korra.

"The Platypus Bears know a green player when they see one," Shiro observed, "and they're focusing the brunt of their bending on this poor girl."

Korra was moving around better this round, having learned her lesson in the first one. However, with the Platypus Bears' collective attention almost solely on her, she was still relying heavily on summoning water to protect herself. Korra had been forced into the back corner of Zone 1 as all three of the Platypus Bears lined up their shots to attack Korra simultaneously.

At that point, she was reacting solely on instinct. Completely forgetting that she was supposed to be on the downlow and masquerading as a regular waterbender, Korra summoned two earth discs to shield herself from the Platypus Bears' 3-on-1 beatings. A surprised gasp ran through the crowd as Korra quickly dropped the shattered remains of her discs.

"Foul!" the referee quickly called. "Err, I think?" he finished on an uncertain note.

Korra merely gave a nervous chuckle and shrugged as speculative murmurings circulated within the gathering of spectators.


Tenzin was beginning to get worried. He had yet to find either Korra or Ketu. He hadn't seen either one of them since before lunch. And although he was relieved that he had not found them spending more time unsupervised in their bedrooms again, he still had no idea where they could have been. He'd even gone to see the Head Librarian on the off chance that Ketu had decided to visit Nima late in the evening. As it turned out, Nima was unaccounted for as well.

In a last ditch effort, Tenzin decided to check in with the White Lotus sentries at their outpost, since they were the ones who were supposed to be monitoring the island. Much to his annoyance, it seemed as though most of them were slacking off as almost half a dozen white-clad guards were sitting around a table, focused intently on the radio sitting in the middle of it.

Because it was turned up so loud, Tenzin could clearly make out the radio announcer's voice, despite his own disinterest in the program. "Did I see that right?" the announcer asked dramatically. "Hold on folks, we're just waiting for the referee's official call, but I think this replacement player could be—"

"Pardon me everyone—" Tenzin said, trying to draw the sentries' interest away from the entertainment device that seemed to have an almost hypnotical influence upon the younger generations.

"There's no way!" the voice on the radio unknowingly interrupted.

"—but have any of you seen Korra or my son?" Tenzin continued, still unable to get the guards' undivided attention as one of them even had the audacity to begin taking a long sip out of her teacup. "Neither one of them are in their rooms," the older man stated, hoping that at least would get their notice.

"You've gotta be kidding me, she's the Avatar, folks!" the radio announcer exclaimed, "playing in a Pro-bending match."

That particular statement certainly got the sentries' notice as the guard who had been ignoring Tenzin to focus on her tea ended up spitting her beverage into the face of one of her colleagues in shock. They all stared at the radio for several seconds, unable to process the information that had just been revealed to them.

Finally, the master of Air Temple Island was the first to break out of his stupor. "I'll get them myself," he said in frustration before turning on his heel with a swirl of his long, dark orange cloak.

Tenzin could feel the confused stares of the White Lotus sentries following him as he declared that he would get 'them' himself. After all, the Pro-bending announcer only said that Korra was competing in the match, surely it would have been worth noting if the Avatar's police-appointed bodyguard was in the arena as well. Ketu was probably just as unaware of Korra's status as they had been, right?

Most would think it ridiculous that a bodyguard would allow the person they were supposed to be protecting to deliberately expose themselves, but they didn't know Ketu Beifong as well as the boy's father did. This was just the sort of arrogantly reckless stunt that Ketu would try to pull while still being able to fly under everyone else's notice.

He was so certain of himself and in his abilities that he thought that normal rules didn't apply to him; he believed that he would always able to play by different ones and no one could ever do anything about it. Whether that meant joining the military, despite just barely being teenager, or if that meant attending and eventually graduating from the Royal Fire Navy Academy near the top of the class, despite not being a firebender or even having any Fire Nation heritage, whatsoever. Ketu Beifong was able to seemingly face those trials head-on, and at the last moment, circumnavigate the rules in a way that left his naysayers scratching their heads as they wondered just how they had been outwitted.

However unlike before, when he only needed to look out for himself and his own well-being; now, Ketu was in charge of protecting, arguably, the most important person in the entire world. His normal antics couldn't continue on like this, and his father was willing and ready to drive that fact into his stubborn, little skull, if need be.


Author's Note:

Hey guys, sorry for the delay. I got several messages from people who were wondering if I was abandoning the story. Don't worry, I'm not, and I don't have any plans to.

Classes, work, and midterms have just basically consumed my entire existence, so any free time that I have, when I'm not studying or doing homework, is dedicated to sleeping. Looks like my class workload should (emphasis on "should") be lightening up in the next month or so. Hopefully, I can get back to writing more. As stated before, I'm gonna be aiming for a release at the beginning of each month form now on. Good news for the future: I'm not taking classes in the summer, and I'm not scheduled for internships until next summer. You can expect more regular updates when that time comes around.

As always, thanks for reading, and please, follow/fave and leave a review. Or if you want, feel free to PM me with any questions or comments, I'll usually respond to most of them. Have a good month and hopefully I'll see you all on Wednesday, 4/1 with a new chapter.

-Ominous Out