Many Faced Mage: And The Face of Today is? Rouge Fire bender!
This was a good chapter. I really like how the spirit showed up. Zhu got really roughed up. I wonder how the public will react? I'm looking forward to what you're right next take care.
Blaze1992: Yikes a lot of drama at the end, shame the whole spirit beatdown is being kept on the down low.
Re: Well, Korra said it best, no-one will actually believe a "Red Spirit" showed up, or that Amon didn't respect the integrity of the challenge and had two-dozen of his followers attack her; if she says any of that, everyone will think Korra's making the whole thing up and Amon was just a no-show. And as for what's going to follow… Well, the chapter title is "Echoes of the Night".
LoamyCoffee: Oh wow!
Spirits are going to be more involved in this, at least that's how this felt.
Zhu is a mix of anger and concerned for Korra, and based on this chapter, he has something going on with the Spirit that appeared. But I'm assuming at the moment. Would he get purposely injured like that to summon the Spirit or did the Spirit come as part of a deal made? Can't rule the possibility that he found the dragons and learnt the dance.
Already I need more, like a hunger that needs sated.
Re: Happy to see my work was so thought-compelling.
Austin (Guest): Ok I just read your story and I have to say...this is one of the best oc fics in legend of korra ever.
And I do gotta agree with you on certain stuff especially of the Naruto O.c. thing...
Yeah I honestly dont like that of how much it is done to death, and how he is gary sue if you will.
Like sure I know he has not have a nice childhood due to circumstances out of his control and without his consent mind you.
But in canon you have to agree he is not liked to outsiders point of view outside of the fandom or his native village if you will as pre-shippuden naruto...he was an idiot plain and simple on being loud, brash, arrogant, naive, little bad manners etc.
But that is just having no parents or guardian constantly in one's life to teach him manners and discipline whatsoever so fault is on hiruzen, and certain other individuals who covered up his heritage in order to protect him but at a price.
For shippuden he did get better in terms of not being loud, brash, and arrogant somewhat to a degree but there is still a naivete.
Hokage naruto is also good buuut... there is the soft hearted naivety if you will.
Especially in terms of the shin uchiha clones scenario where he told Sasuke not to kill them and held back on them because they are kids, and let them live under Kabuto's care...realistically he should have quickly and painlessly killed the uchiha clones to nip a problem in the bud if you will then burn their corpses till there is nothing left.
Just cause no one will pull any of that madara, obito, or Orochimaru shit.
Hell literally if there is a scenario that he dies and his body is still there I'd burn that body till again nothing left just so no prick doesnt pull an edo tensei on naruto or try to cut his corpse open to do some lab rat shit which may have potential case of a doomsday naruto upon the whole damn world.
I apologize but this is just me speaking of realistic stuff due to being exposed to game of thrones where the protagonists actions will bite them in the ass later on. Aka Ned stark when he tried to reveal Joffrey's heritage lost his head, robb stark breaking his word to walder frey on wedding one of his daughters but slept with Talisa, and threw his maternal uncle under the bus result the red wedding.
Plus not to mention of the crossovers there is always of naruto being op and being an ass to other main characters such as Anakin skywalker, Aang, justice league etc for their actions or bullshit. So in all honesty I want to see canon naruto get called on his bullshit from another franchises charcaters on some stuff.
Because like stannis baratheon said "Hard truths cut both ways."
Done with rant, I apologize for that but what you said is a breath of fresh air for me in terms of the naruto o.c. thing.
But on this story it's great its interesting and I can agree with you that the white lotus did screw up on korra especially social and culture wise. Nice of Zhu being say a somewhat nicer version of bronn the sellsword friend of tyrion bringing in realistic stuff on like how it's not the fighting that kills most people it's the starving as food is more important than gold.
Also oof on hasook glad he got his justice
Nice of Zhu getting his own pet
Also Glory to the pizza empire another world under our glorious crusade! Question will we see more western original foods in the future similar to pizza such as Burgers, fries, ice cream, etc?
Also interesting of the elderly bloodbender and of the mysterious green fire spirit...very interesting.
Another thing...I lovvvveee the references such as the hellsing one soo good. Dbz abridged I need an adult.
Cant wait to read more.
But suggestion will we see more of Zhu's traveling experience comes into play especially if it concerns of species of animals no one has ever heard of thought to be urban legends if you will like similar to either the Unagi, the serpent at serpents pass, or dragons really.
Or regular animals such as the previous earth kings pet bear.
Because I can see at least a few kaiju from either Godzilla, ultraman, gamera, etc fitting in well due to the animal hybrid stuff.
Such as say Antlar from the original ultraman season that is the an ant lion bipedal kaiju who is a good borrower especially in sand but can possibly go through earth. This Antlar can fire a ray of magnetism which is basically a death sentence for metal benders of their armor, machines, etc.
Or of a Skullcrawler burrow like from Kong Skull Island getting unearthed beneath Republic city basically a death sentence as they are the epitome of famine as they have a high metabolism which will make them constantly hungry so much that they will even eat each other so no one will be safe man even with their bending nor animal.
Another suggestion is that of a LOTR reference chapter(s) if you will on encountering a Dark spirit...one of flame and shadow aka the avatar verse equivalent to a Balrog, A demon of the ancient world.
And yeah that's all I have for ideas for now
I hope you may like them in terms of the ideas for expanding the avatar verse bit by bit. If you dont as you have something else planned I understand I was only suggesting.
Good luck on the next chapter and hope it comes soon.
Also happy early halloween.
Re: Oof! This one's a doozie!
First off, glad you like my OC; not a lot of people like them and think I shouldn't "break canon", which is STUPID because that's the whole point of Canon in the first place. I put a lot of effort into my OCs, so I'm glad to see it's being well-received; I "specialized" in OCs because I just got tired of seeing so many Gary Stu-Narutos or Re-Skin Narutos and so-on.
As for the Naruto-centric rant, if it helps, it helps.
I largely forgot what happened to Hasook, so I just wrote in something interesting. Zhu getting his pet was that I liked Shirshu, and because of plot points later on. Admittedly I forgot to write him in last-chapter, but that could be written off as him sleeping, and there wasn't a massive reason to get him involved; given how ornery Nyla was, I imagine waking one up in the middle of the night is a bad move to make anyhow. As for Western-Style food… Hard to say, the "road pizza" throwaway line was going to stay a throwaway line until my Beta Spaceman helped me work in the Spirit angle, though I'm sure China invented frozen food without Western influence; I don't know off-the-top-of-my-head.
The Elderly Bloodbender and Red Spirit are to add an element of intrigue, and are also throwbacks to Avatar: The Last Airbender, since part of Legend of Korra's charm is spotting all the little throwbacks sprinkled around.
The Abridged series' references are always hilarious, and it's fun finding places to work them in. In fact doing so has become standard for some writers in recent years since certain characters are hilarious and we'll quote everything they say.
For the Kaiju angle… might be pushing it a little in terms of megafauna, even hybrids, though there was one in Si Wong Desert that'd easily qualify.
Never read Lord of the Rings (though I might get the Audio Books on OverDrive), so I couldn't really commit to something like that since a lack of familiarity would show in the attempt.
I thank you for your lengthy Review, and hope to see more in the future.
rainfallMyth: Being Korra's manager makes Zhu Li's job look easy. At least in terms of not getting stabbed
Re: Yeah… Korra is a trouble magnet, isn't she?
Of course, comparing Korra to Varrick, I feel like Varrick would be more "high-maintenance" and thus while Zhu-Li has to do "more work", the person paying her has more money to pay her. In context, Zhu's boss would be the White Lotus, though as an NGO, I'm unsure if they could match Zhu-Li's salary for no real reason other than the hypothetical...
Celestial stratos: I think zhu is the old bloodbender and the dragon spirit. When he met varrick he told him he was half and half so i think one of his parents were a firebender and the other was a waterbender. But he could also have split personalitys .
Re: No, Zhu is half Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom. His father was a jeweler; hence the Earth Kingdome-style Water Tribe betrothal necklace.
*AIR*
In the morning that followed…
"Korra…" Jinora said peeking her head into Zhu's room. "Korra, are you okay?" she asked stepping in, a blanket folded over her arm.
"Hmmmmmmmm…" Korra responded monosyllabically, the bags under her eyes darkened even further.
"How is Zhu doing?" she asked, tiptoeing into the room, looking down on him with a sad face.
"Better… I think…" Korra returned, eyes fluttering open and closed, head bobbing as she nodded in and out of consciousness.
"Korra, you aren't doing him any good wearing yourself out, and just how do you think he'll feel if he wakes up seeing you look like… this?" she asked grabbing a mirror from the desk and pointing it in Korra's face.
"AAUUUGH!" the Avatar yelped, reeling away from the monstrosity whom reeled away from her in kind. " . . . Okay. Maybe you have *YAAAAWN* a point…" the Avatar grumbled once she composed herself.
"Don't you worry about Zhu. I'll take next watch," Jinora offered. "You just worry about resting up so he has a pretty face to wake up to."
Korra flushed, but didn't argue, shuffling off before falling flat on her face, a last-second feat of Airbending all it was that stopped the Avatar from breaking her nose on the way down.
"Honestly… What are we going to do with you?" Jinora asked as she folded the blanket she'd meant to throw over Korra's shoulders into a pillow and laid it beneath her head, the Avatar snoring loudly within moments. "You have a good friend in her. I hope you realize that," she said idly in Zhu's direction.
The Air Nomad girl staring at his sleeping face, when she felt her own heat up she quickly turned away, hoping something in the room would hold her attention and give her something different to think about.
The boy's room in question wasn't as sparse as the others she'd seen, largely because he hadn't committed to a life free of want for material possessions. He had a bed, a desk, a bureau, a small table, and a shelf with various nick-knacks from his travels across the world. The trinkets were small things, little souvenirs that didn't take up much space, but for someone who'd lived a nomadic lifestyle in search of… whatever it was he was searching for, it only made sense to pack lightly. Her own grandfather had packed light in his own travels, but certain allowances had been made because he had a Sky Bison for most of the trip. Zhu for his part had trinkets from the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Southern Water Tribe, but nothing from the Air Nomads or the North, though there were a couple of items that were influenced by Air Nomad culture among the clutter.
Trinkets aside, Zhu's desk was littered with books of all kinds borrowed from the library. A large stack was about medicine and anatomy, but the one in the center of the desk, apart from the others, with a colorful Fire Nation bookmark sticking out the side, was one of her father's autobiographies from his quest to end the Hundred Year War. The print on the spine indicated it was the second book, the Book of Earth that detailed his search for an Earthbending master, and chronicled everything between the time he'd left the North Pole, up to the time the Gaang had had to flee Ba Sing Se following its conquer at the hands of the Fire Nation and Aang's own "death" at Azula's.
"Zhu said he was looking for something, but was vague about what it was… Does he think he'll be able to find it in Republic City, orrr…" she trailed off, looking at the loudly-snoring Avatar who lay sprawled out on the floor.
Shaking her head, the Air Nomad girl's eyes wandering away from the boy's desk, her gaze fell on an open case she hadn't seen before. Her interest piqued when she saw the Water Tribe-style choker, but instead of a traditional hand-carved charm, the Betrothal Necklace instead had a beautiful pair of jewels dangling from it, the sunburst pattern of the first stone catching the morning light.
"Oh wow…" she gasped as her hands drifted towards it. Before she'd realized what she was doing, she'd pulled it out of the case and held it up to her chest, the weight of the two gemstones, clearly from the Earth Kingdom, resting against her sternum. "Ah, what on earth am I doing?!" she squeaked, about to return it to its carrying case before, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of herself in the mirror.
Stopping mid-step, the Air Nomad girl took a step toward the mirror, adjusting the pendant over her robes, a small girlish smile pulling at her features. Gran Gran's Betrothal Necklace was more traditional, given to her by her Gran Gran before her, as was traditional from a bygone era where each groom hand-carved the stone to their suitor. Nowadays they could be bought and sold on commission as Water Tribesman deviated from the poles to live elsewhere in the world where more-traditional carving materials were lacking.
Before she could put the choker around her neck however, she caught sight of a familiar brunette poking her head in through the doorway, and her heart sank into her stomach the moment she saw that toothy grin.
"I'm telling mom!"
"Ikki! Come back here!" Jinora yelped as she gingerly, yet hastily, placed the Betrothal Necklace back in its box before running after her sister, the noise rousing Zhu from his rest.
His eyes turning to the Avatar who was sleeping on the floor face-down into a folded blanket, only one thought came to mind.
"If that's how loud you are face-down, I shudder to imagine how-loud you are face-up."
It wouldn't be until later he realized how those words might sound out-of-context.
*AIR*
Later that morning, on the ferry connecting Republic City to Air Temple Island…
"Y-You don't think Amon took her Bending away, do you?" Bolin asked his brother nervously, Asami fidgetting worriedly behind the two of them. It was only because they were the Avatar's Pro Bending teammates (and the daughter of the aforementioned's sponsor), on top of being previously vetted by Tenzin, that they were being allowed onto what was normally hallowed ground so-frequently.
It wasn't that the Air Nomads didn't allow for visitors, but the rarity of it was because of a desire to preserve Air Nomad heritage, and for the legacy of the last Avatar not to be treated as some kind of tourist trap. Even in the modern day with airships abound, little had been done to accommodate anything larger than a Sky Bison visiting the other Air Temples following their reconstructions. Larger vessels could visit, but loading and unloading cargo, Human or otherwise, was done with much difficulty since the new Air Nomad nation used locally-sourced materials in the restoration process, little of which was processed ore in line with Air Nomad tradition.
"No way. If Amon had taken her Bending away, he would've just hijacked the radio signal and shouted about it from the rooftops," Mako stated, arms crossed, but no less worried.
"I hope everything's okay…" Asami said worriedly. "When Amon's voice came on the radio, it really frightened me," she said holding herself. "No matter how many times I turned the dial, his voice was there… I couldn't escape it."
"What are you worried about? You don't have any Bending for Amon to take away."
"Bolin!" Mako hissed.
"No, no, he's right to be curious," Asami said holding up her hands. "It isn't that I'm scared about losing my Bending, but… It's just… Something about him makes my skin crawl," she said rubbing her arms. "And… Even if he took away everyone's Bending… Not that I'm saying I think he will!" she amended. "I don't think that'll magically solve all the world's problems."
"Well, his evil monologue definitely framed it that way," Bolin shuddered. "Still, as long as Team Avatar sticks together, we'll have nothing to fear!" he said pumping his fists in the air.
"Wouldn't that be the 'Fire Ferrets'?" Asami asked confusedly.
"No, no, see, that's what we're called when we're in the arena! When we're out in the city, the four of us, it's 'Team Avatar'!" Bolin explained. "Plus, Zhu helped us avenge our dead teammate! Even took a bolt of Lightning that would've hit Korra!"
"He did that?" Asami gasped, eyes wide.
"Yeah, but Mako tells it better," Bolin sagged.
"W-We'll talk about it later," Mako waved off. "We're about to disembark."
"Right! We need to make sure Korra's okay!" Asami nodded. "She hasn't been at any practices lately, has she?"
"It's only a few days she missed…" Mako conceded. "She was doing it for a good reason, but… I mean, your father already ante'd up the money for the cup, and I doubt we'll get a refund if we asked, but it isn't like we can just get a replacement teammate so late in the season. Sure, Aki's good and all, but she's still new to the game, and it will show if she takes the field."
"Yeah, so let's cheer Korra up, see if she's up for some practice!" Bolin said enthusiastically.
"Let's… just see if she's okay first," Mako said trying to calm him down, Asami giggling cutely in the background.
*AIR*
"I've only been to this island once before, but I still can't believe how breathtaking it is…" Asami said looking around.
"I think I remember that Aang raised this island from the seabed himself," Mako hummed. "Or maybe part of it."
"With the Avatar State, right?" Bolin asked.
"Oh, have you seen Korra use the Avatar State?" Asami asked excitedly.
"No, she isn't quite to that level yet," Mako returned.
"But couldn't Aang use the Avatar State when he was… What, twelve, thirteen?"
"Well, Aang was a monk, so the spiritual side of things came easily to him," Mako answered. "I think Korra came to Republic City to broaden her horizons; up until now she's only lived in the South."
"I see…" Asami hummed. "So what is she like? I mean, really like, when she isn't putting on airs at fancy galas?"
"I… don't think she's that kind of person," Mako hummed.
"Hey! Tenzin! What's up!" Bolin greeted, the two behind him straightening their clothes before the councilman.
"Ah, Bolin, Mako, Ms. Sato, so good to see you three again," Tenzin greeted cordially. "I assume you're here for Korra?"
"Yeah, is she okay? Did Amon show up? What happened on that island?" Bolin asked worriedly.
"Nothing… happened. However…"
"However? However what?"
"Zhu was attacked last night. Korra's been tending to him since she found out."
"What happened to him?" Asami asked worriedly. She'd only spoken with Zhu that one time at Korra's party, but he seemed a polite sort. And a refreshing change of pace was he wasn't trying to get something out of her. Sure, she had money, but it would be pretty hard for anyone to compete with "The Avatar".
"Zhu was trying to help someone in trouble, and he succeeded, but he got roughed up in the process," Tenzin answered. "It's a miracle Korra got to him when she did, otherwise…"
"Can we see them?" Asami asked.
"There shouldn't be anything wrong with that. Let me just-"
"I'M TELLING MOM AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME!"
"IKKI GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"
"HEY! DON'T PULL ON MY ROBES!"
"-put that fire out," Tenzin amended as his daughters chased one another around. "Please wait by the meditation gazebo. I'll take you to them in a minute."
"Well, you've been here before. Lead the way," Asami hummed Mako's way as Tenzin ran after his kids.
"We don't know where it is," Bolin stated. "Usually one of the White Lotus guides us."
"Sooo… should we just stay here, or?"
"I guess we could walk around," Mako shrugged, taking the lead.
*GROWRRRRRR*
"Really?" Mako asked incredulously as Bolin's stomach rumbled.
"What? I'm a growing boy?" the Earthbender justified.
"I hear the Air Nomads will offer food to weary travelers. I'm sure the monks staffing the kitchens will have something to spare," Asami said brightly. "Oh! You think Zhu will make more pizza if I ask him?" she asked hopefully. "I have money."
"Ooh! Me too! I want pizza too!" Bolin added. "I mean, not to the money thing, but…"
"Alright, alright, let's go…" Mako sighed.
Honestly, he didn't think Zhu's "pizza" would catch on, but once Bolin got the munchies for something…
*AIR*
The three wandering Air Temple Island, were eventually diverted to the kitchens, the large stone ovens used for "Pizza" conspicuously inert. Mako supposed they were only used as-necessary, since there were smaller ovens and stoves inside that would suffice for the simpler meals the monks were known for.
"Hello, is anyone home?" Bolin asked poking his head in.
At the moment the kitchen was empty, the morning meal having been completed. However, back in the corner of the room by the icebox was someone digging into the back, just out of sight.
"Would you quit your yelling? I still have a pounding headache," the young man in the ice box said drawing out a sealed jar.
"Zhu, oh my goodness!" Asami gasped, running to a bandaged figure Mako and Bolin only vaguely recognized. "You poor thing, what happened to you?" she asked fretting over the discolored spot around one eye, much to Mako's consternation.
" . . . I fell down some stairs," Zhu answered after a moment, carefully bulling past Asami and out of the kitchen.
"Stairs?" Asami asked confusedly, following behind, all thoughts of delicious pizza forgotten as the morning light caught his bruises.
"There are a lot of stairs," he said pointing sidelong, Asami following the path of his finger before her neck craned up, and up, and up.
"That… That is a lot of stairs…" she conceeded eyeing the white stone steps ascending the height of the island.
"Hold up, I thought you were attacked," Mako stated.
"Hm?"
"Tenzin said you were attacked last night after Korra went off to Aang Memorial Island alone, so which was it? Were you attacked, or did you fall down some stairs?" Mako asked, grilling the boy with narrowed eyes.
"Well obviously it was both," Zhu waved off. "I was still recovering from the blood loss and I fell down some stairs because of it."
" . . . Well that makes perfect sense," Bolin nodded after a moment.
"Oh you can't be serious," Mako groaned indignantly.
"Well, I mean, it is a lot of stairs…" Bolin stated. "Where are we going anyway?"
"To the tea gazebo."
"You have a gazebo just for drinking tea?" Asami blinked.
"There are a lot of gazebos on this island," Zhu answered, bulling ahead forcing the others to keep up. A minute later and they arrived at a gazebo with a low table host to a pitcher of chilled tea, surrounded by glasses of ice with lemon slices.
"Wait, if you already had a pitcher of tea ready, what's in the jar?" Bolin asked sitting himself down.
"After last night, I needed a pick-me-up, and what I have in the jar you can't really drink straight," Zhu said getting himself a glass of tea before spooning a small amount of the stuff from the jar into it, and stirring briskly. "I mean, you can, but you don't really want to."
"What's in the jar?" Asami asked.
"Chi-Enhancing Tea."
"Isn't that stuff illegal?" she quirked a brow.
"Only if you're buying or selling it. Nothing in the law against owning it," he said taking a gingerly sip, sucking in air through his teeth as he shot up straight. "OOF! Even diluted this shit's strong!"
" . . . Can I try some?" she asked curiously.
"The taste isn't anything to write home about," Zhu waved off. "Medicinally, it was used as a stimulant during wartime by the Earth Kingdom, but given the out-of-control soldiers could cause as much damage to their own side if they got the dosage wrong, and its use was largely discontinued before Aang got out of the iceberg," Zhu stated. "I mean, if you really want some…" he said spooning a bit out and holding it up to her, "by all means. Just don't come crying to me if you get the urge to strip out of all your clothes and start swimming laps around the island for three days."
"That… Has that happened before?" Asami blinked with wide eyes and a facial flush.
"Not here. It happened once while I was on Kyoshi Island, though. Had to help some fishermen wrangle the poor sot when his circling started to piss off the Unagi," he answered. "Couldn't tell what gender the thing was, but getting pissed off at some drunken fool swimming naked laps overhead probably lacks any kind of gender exclusivity."
" . . . Perhaps I'll abstain," Asami amended.
"Good girl," Zhu nodded sealing up the jar, gingerly nursing his spiked tea and rubbing the spot between his eyes. "Oof! Damn, good thing I watered this down, otherwise, hooooo boy, the next one people'd be telling that story about would be me!"
A moment later and Akamaru strolled into the gazebo, his star-shaped nose and nostrils flaring at aforementioned spoon, reeling back and burying his nose beneath his paws.
"So where was he when you were attacked?" Mako asked with scrutiny.
Sure, a juvenile Shirshu couldn't bring down the larger fauna, like Sky Bison, but against people, juvenile Shirshu venom was just as good.
"Sleeping like a bum," Zhu answered plainly, idly stroking the beast's head.
"Well he's just the cutest little bum~ Yes he is~ Yes he isss~" Asami cooed, the Shirshu paying her no mind as she stroked his fur.
"Well, you've just got an answer for everything don't you?" Mako huffed.
"For your stupid questions? You betcha," Zhu replied, leaving Mako to bristle.
"Hey, are you sure you're doing okay?" Asami asked, slender fingers gingerly tracing the discoloration around his eye. "You sure you don't want an ice pack?"
"It's fine. I'll ask Korra for a little touch-up later," Zhu waved off with a slight flush, pushing her hand away.
It wasn't that Asami wasn't beautiful; she totally was... which was exactly the problem.
When she doted on him like that, it made him feel bad about the thoughts that came to mind because there was already a beautiful young woman he was starting to fall for, for real, and four years in a bandit camp couldn't undo a Northern upbringing. At least not in full.
Before he could ruminate on this train of thought any further, Naga came storming into the gazebo, practically bowling Akamaru over and tackling him to the ground before slathering him with drool.
"Zhu! There you are! I was so worried!" a bedraggled Korra, her hair a mess, said as she ran up to them.
"Because he fell down some stairs?" Mako asked aloud.
"YOU FELL DOWN SOME STAIRS?!" Korra gasped in shock. "WHEN!? HOW?!"
"Uuhhhgh…" Zhu groaned as his (and Tenzin's) work was undone.
At least if the triumphant look Mako was shooting him was any indication.
*AIR*
Having made their way to the highest tower on Air Temple Island, where their privacy was almost guaranteed, once everyone had recovered from the hellish climb Korra was forced to divulge what had occurred the previous night to her team and Asami both for every detail. Zhu for his part promised horrible bodily harm if they broke the oath of secrecy he made them take, and Bolin believed him. Mako might've tried to put up a strong front, but when Zhu gave him a look that made his blood run cold…
Asami for her part didn't need much convincing, since she knew how important "trade secrets" were. Future Industries and Cabbage Corp were in similar lines of business, and even though Cabbage Corp was known for cutting corners for sake of pricing and affordability to appeal to a wider consumer base, even in the fields where they didn't, Future Industries always maintained a competitive edge because of its secrets.
"So wait, a Dragon Spirit came to you from the Spirit World and chased the Equalists off… with green Firebending?" Mako asked once Korra's retelling shifted to "getting up and everyone else was gone".
"It sounds crazy, but it really happened!" Korra returned.
"I'm not saying it didn't, it's just… I don't think anyone's seen actual Spirits since back in Aang's day," Mako hummed.
"Oh! Like General Old Iron! Near Yu Dao, right?" Asami asked.
"I haven't gotten that far in Aang's books, but yeah, something like that," Zhu hummed.
"Katara told me that story too…" Korra nodded. "I'm honestly surprised a Spirit did come to help me, given how things ended between General Old Iron and my previous incarnation…"
"Maybe it was less about you and more about… them taking offense to Amon saying he speaks for them without their consent?" Zhu offered.
"I guess, but it isn't like we can just tell people that, they'll never believe it," Mako said crossing his arms.
"They won't? But why?" Asami asked.
"It's been so-long since a large group of people have seen a Spirit, people are starting to doubt their existence," Zhu stated. "I don't think there are many of them left willing to reveal themselves to Humans, and in a couple generations, people might write them off as metaphors for natural disasters altogether."
"Have you ever seen a Spirit in your travels?" Korra asked.
"Where did that come from?"
"Well, I mean, you've been held captive by mountain bandits, you've fallen into a pit of poisonous rat-vipers and survived otherwise you wouldn't be here, you've been to Ember Island, and I met you stowing away on a boat leaving the South Pole," Korra said, Asami gasping in the background. "You've lived a very full life, I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask."
"I may have seen… something… back in the Wulong Forest before I got on the boat to the Fire Nation," Zhu admitted.
"What did you see?" Asami asked excitedly.
"A dead guy."
"AAGH!" Bolin yelped, reeling back.
"How'd you know he was a dead guy?" Korra asked. "Did he smell bad?"
"No. I could see right through him."
"You mean he said he wasn't dead but he was a really bad liar?"
"No, I mean I could literally see right through him."
"What did he say to you?" Asami asked.
"We're getting off-topic," Zhu waved off. "What's important is, what will we do with this information?"
"I think the important question is, can we do anything with this information?" Mako questioned.
"That's actually what I came up here to discuss with you," Tenzin said climbing in through the window. "Mako, Bolin, Asami, might I have the room?"
"Oh yeah, sure, sure," Bolin nodded, making for the ladder. "We'll uh… We'll see you at the bottom."
Mako and Asami following after the Earthbender in short order, when Zhu was given no following indication to leave, he decided to stand his ground. At least until told otherwise.
"Korra, you announced your challenge to Amon over the radio for all to hear last night, and since then, the media has been propositioning the White Lotus on the coastline nonstop for an exclusive with you," Tenzin began. "Lin and I may have stonewalled Tarrlok and put a gag order on the whole thing after we recovered you, but we can't stop this from leaking forever. Eventually, one of the Metalbending Police that were there that night will slip up, so you need to get in front of this and tell the people of Republic City… something… before they start coming up with their own stories and treating it as gospel."
"Hey, last time I went in front of the press, I got baited into challenging Amon to a fight for everyone in Republic City to hear," Korra huffed, arms crossed. "The White Lotus' upbringing in the South didn't really do me any favors, 'cause in retrospect, I really stepped in it. It was almost… too easy for them to egg me on like that."
"Agreed," Tenzin nodded. "If only we had someone who could speak on your behalf. Someone trustworthy," he said a little bit louder than necessary.
"Yesss… Trustworthy…" Korra hummed aloud, also voicing her thoughts louder-than-necessary.
"If onlyyy…" the two said in unison, the two slowly inclining their heads toward the only other person in the room.
Zhu to his credit first looked left, then looked right, then turned behind him-
"We're talking about you, stupid!" Korra snapped suddenly.
"I know that. I was just, really hoping, you weren't talking about me," the Water Tribesman sighed.
"You won't do it?" Tenzin questioned, a bit of worry etching itself into his tone.
"Well, I mean…" he paused. "Wouldn't someone in the White Lotus be better?" Zhu groused.
"It's precisely because you aren't a part of the White Lotus, that you are uniquely-suited for this task," Tenzin stated. "Zhu, as impossible as this might be for you to believe, you are exactly the sort of person my father and his friends would've welcomed into their inner circle back in the day."
"And what makes you think that?" Zhu asked with a skeptical brow-raise. "I mean, just because I'm friends with Korra doesn't mean I'd magically be friends with Aang by the same measure."
"Addressing your doubts, the reason I feel the way I do, is because Aang never wanted to be treated as 'The Avatar', he only ever wanted to be treated as 'Aang of the Air Nomads'," Tenzin began. "Aang initially concealed his Avatar status from Katara and Sokka because he didn't want the knowledge to color their perception of him. Because they knew him as 'Aang' before knowing him as 'The Avatar', to them he was a dear friend with a title and a legacy first and foremost. Your acceptance of Korra for who she was is almost exactly identical to the bonds they formed back then, and the fact that you're willing to talk back to her and call her out on her… errors… is only further evidence that you'll be the sort of friend who will follow Korra to the end of her life. Maybe even into the next," he lamented somberly, since Katara and Zuko had lived long-enough to see Aang be reincarnated into Korra.
Toph Beifong had gone completely into seclusion a few decades prior and had never actually met Korra, which may have been for the better since as-impressionable as Korra was as a child, she might've picked up on some of the First Metalbender's bad habits if they'd met for her Earthbending training.
Sure… Toph had supposedly smoothed some of her rougher edges after settling down in Cranefish Town (prior to Sokka rechristening it "Republic City"), but even then, Toph had still been a rough-and-tumble sort of sorts that would've made the Avatar current hellish to be around.
It was quite possible that Toph had mellowed out enough in her old age that the White Lotus Council wouldn't have any problem with the two of them meeting not, but that was neither here nor there…
"Okay… maybe you have a point there," Zhu returned, dragging Tenzin out of his thoughts. " . . . Will I be given the creative freedom to clean this mess up as I see fit? I refuse to be a mouthpiece for a bunch of old men set in their ways, and Korra really stepped in it, so I've got an uphill battle ahead of me."
"Hey!" Korra snapped.
"Myself and the White Lotus will support you as much as we can," Tenzin inclined with a bow of his head. "We need a fresh perspective on this, and you've been seen with Korra enough that you'll be recognized. As a Non-Bender, you're already drawing parallels with Sokka, and that fact might very well endear you to the public."
" . . . If I'm going to do this… First I'm gonna need you to touch up my face," Zhu conceded after a moment in Korra's direction.
*AIR*
After Korra healed the last of the bruising on Zhu's face, which while unnoticeable under the dead of night would've stood out when the sun was up, the Water Tribesman relayed his plan to Tenzin. To his credit, the man kept his mouth shut until the end, stroking his beard while Korra tried to follow the exchange going on with her limited knowledge of politics (read: none).
"That… That could actually work," Tenzin nodded once Zhu had finished, his voice lifting. "And if we can play our cards right-"
"My cards, since it's going to be my ass on the line out there," Zhu cut him off. "It'll be basically impossible for me to leave the Avatar's side once I go through with this, but…" he trailed off, glancing sidelong. "Friendship, like marriage, is all about sacrifice. I already combed the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and South Pole for what I've been seeking, so at the very least it couldn't hurt to settle down a little longer. Having the White Lotus in my corner might actually help in that regard once I start travelling again."
"That's great to hear," Tenzin nodded. "So we're all in agreement, then?"
"As long as Korra knows to keep her big mouth shut, we are," Zhu said before Korra could speak up. "Right…?"
" . . . Yeah. We are," Korra sighed.
"Good, then we're in agreement," Zhu said rising to his feet and stretching his back. "Korra, I want you to be well-rested before we face the media this afternoon. If even one picture of you with bags under your eyes gets out there…"
"Right. You won't be able to sell them on the cover story," she nodded, realizing she never had gotten around to the point where Zhu had been attacked by the Equalists when the others were around. "I'll see you in a few hours."
"Which leaves me the free time necessary to clean up as well," Zhu nodded as Korra descended the ladder. "Tenzin, I trust I can leave the matter we discussed to you?"
"Of course. I know where to find what you need. It shouldn't require too many alterations to suit our purposes," the Airbending Master replied.
"Good, then. We might just pull this off," Zhu nodded as he cracked his neck. "Once you have what I require, you'll know where to find me. If not, Akamaru will be able to lead the way."
And like that, the three players went their separate ways, Tenzin making liberious use of his Airbending, much to Korra's consternation.
*AIR*
A while later, after Tenzin had made the necessary procurement for the battle to come, and having made sure Korra was resting and not just posturing, he made his way to the edge of the compound where the unmistakable silhouette of the Shirshu, Akamaru, lay in wait for him. Though he couldn't see the creature's eyes, given it had none, it had clearly detected his presence by the way its nostrils flared and it rose up to meet him.
'I heard that Shirshu were highly intelligent, but can I really communicate with this thing?' Tenzin wondered. Sure, he talked to his Sky Bison, but its brain was far larger than a Shirshu's. "Do you… Do you know where Zhu is?"
The beast let out a chuff, turning around and walking into the brush along the footpath. Package tucked under his arm, Tenzin made to follow into the woods dominating the rear of the island. The walk wasn't overtly long, and in a couple of minutes Tenzin had been led out into a clearing overlooking the southern sea. The part of the clearing closer to the island was a rocky upcropping, a spring of water bubbling out and forming a small stream that fed into the sea down below.
Sitting at the river's edge on a rock was Zhu, a pair of nail trimmers off to the side as he filed his toenails, the young man completely silent as he made slow, careful strokes in an attempt to make them symmetrical; even if no-one would actually see them. An impeccable job had been done on his fingernails, so at the very least, the next time he shook the hand of an affluent person, the dextral care might warrant a positive impression.
"Tenzin. Were you able to get what I asked for?" Zhu asked without turning around.
"Yes. I have it right here," Tenzin said adjusting the package under his arm.
"Good. Good. Set it down over there," he said gesturing to a slab of rock large-enough to act as a table. "I'll change into it once I've purified my body. In all honesty, though, I'm surprised you had one of those in my size, just… lying around."
"It helps to be prepared," Tenzin replied, turning around as Zhu stripped out of his clothing. "Still, is this truly the kind of message you want to send? I did just get through saying-"
"If I want anyone to take me seriously, I'll have to look the part, and you said the White Lotus would back me up however I saw fit," Zhu countered as he stepped into the water before taking a seat, running it up and down his body with his hands. "I won't wear it all the time, just when doing so will lend me an air of credibility. Korra might be the Avatar, but that hasn't stopped people from brushing her off. If my plan's going to work, I can't afford to let the same happen to me. Not at this critical juncture. I have to get the people on my side or this will be all for naught."
"Still though, this could define the course of your entire life," Tenzin warned.
"I think the course of my 'entire life' was defined the moment I met Korra," he countered.
"Ah… Yes… When the two of you stowed away," Tenzin hummed aloud. "I know why Korra left the South, but why did you?" he asked carefully.
"I ran afoul with some shady types, so I had to leave," Zhu answered as he dunked his head into the water. "Thankfully, I travel light," he said resurfacing a moment later.
"And you had to stow away because…?"
"Because I didn't have enough money for the fare, duh," Zhu said flatly.
"Forget I asked," Tenzin sighed. "Still, that'll need to be addressed someday."
"Tell you what, I'll put that on my To Do List, just as soon as I'm done with this shitstorm," Zhu returned, flatly, once again and with a roll of his eyes, splashing some water in his face and rubbing vigorously.
" . . . Zhu, we do have Firebenders who can heat a bath for you. You don't have to bathe in the spring like that," Tenzin stated after a moment.
"I honestly prefer it this way," Zhu said in return. "I had to get used to cold baths out in the wilderness, and whenever the water was too hot, my skin would dry out and I'd get a rash."
"Oh, I see," Tenzin nodded. "I prefer my bathwater lukewarm myself, but quite a few of us Nomads can power through the cold. Some even meditated under waterfalls to great enlightenment."
"Yeah, well, just because I can tolerate cold water baths doesn't mean I want to spend all day in here," Zhu returned as he rose, taking a smoothed porous stone from his belongings and rubbing off the dead skin. "How's Korra?"
"Sleeping like a newborn. Which is good. If anyone on the mainland saw her like that-"
"Yeah, I can imagine," Zhu shrugged. "It'd be preferable if she showed up, made a show of how she could carry herself in a composed manner, but if she's so-far out of it by the time our appointment comes up… I'm sure I could still spin it to reflect positively for her, even if she isn't there. I'll just have a harder time of it."
"I feel like it might be better for all of us if you exclude her from this exercise, but… It's your plan, I'll heed to your wisdom since you seem fairly confident you'll succeed. Moreso than Korra seemed to be."
"What about Tarrlok? That slimy rat-viper's the reason we're in this mess."
"Don't worry, I've scheduled our timetable around Tarrlok's. Nothing short of Amon himself walking the streets could draw him out of the council chamber," Tenzin answered a bit pridefully. "He caught us off guard last time. Unfortunately for him, turnabout is fair play. If he wants that budget increase for the Task Force, he'll stay right where he is."
"Excellent~" Zhu grinned. "Most excellent~"
The time to return fire was at hand.
*AIR*
That following afternoon, a press conference had been called to address the result of last night's duel. The press conference itself was set to take place on the private dock connecting Air Temple Island to the mainland, a line of Metalbenders preventing the civilian populous from pouring onto the site, though it didn't stop them from trying to voice their own opinions across the line.
The same reporters from before, plus a few more, had gathered before the podium the Avatar was meant to use, Air Temple Island forming an impressive backdrop to what could possibly be a historical event. Had Korra routed Amon from the city? Had she been injured, hence the delay to respond? Had Amon taken away her Bending as he could claim to do?
When a small schooner bearing the White Lotus insignia on its sails departed from Air Temple Island and headed their way, the gathered media representatives waited on baited breath, the journey across Yue Bay seeming annoyingly-slow as more and more details of the boat itself could be seen, from the rigging of the sails to the number of White Lotus tending the craft.
A few minutes later and the schooner had been sufficiently moored to the docks, a gangplank extending and locking into place. Moments after that, the Avatar stepped out of the cabin and onto the gangplank, camera lights flashing and a myriad of questions thrown her way. It took a few moments more for them to notice the figure walking in her shadow.
He was a young man, easily around the Avatar's own age and of the same tribe, his long hair brushed carefully back and pulled into a long ponytail. His attire was the distinct indigo and crisp white of the Order of the White Lotus, down to the familiar lotus-patterned mantle around his shoulders. What stood out was in addition to this, he had a light layering of armor around his shoulders and down his torso. That he wasn't wearing the typical cowl and crest of rank and file already gave rise to speculation, but no news of a member so-young rising through the ranks to Grand Lotus had been disseminated to the populous, so quite obviously his inclusion in the Avatar's honor guard was a relatively-recent development, easily eclipsed by the goings-on of the days prior.
The both of them had a neutral look on their faces as they approached the podium, which was a surprise to those who'd interviewed Korra before. Though a confident young woman, she was the brash sort who could easily be manipulated into saying just about anything on-the-record if the right buttons were pushed.
By the look on the Avatar's face at least, eliciting certain responses out of her for the sake of their own papers would prove more challenging than before.
To their immediate surprise, though Korra had taken the lead off the gangplank, as they began to approach the podium stage the young woman actually fell back, the young White Lotus member seeming to take the lead. By the time he ascended the podium, idly testing each microphone with a tap of his finger, the Avatar had come to a stop just behind him and to the side, staring out over the gathered reporters, her arms crossed behind her back in an unusual show of discipline.
"The interview concerning the proceedings of the night before, will now begin," the White Lotus member stated in an even voice.
"Why are you speaking for the Avatar?" one reporter began among the litany of questions, hunting for any sort of angle.
"After the way her naivete had been taken advantage of in the past, it's been decided that a little more care must be placed on how she conducts herself before the populous."
"Who are you to do so?" another asked.
"I, am Zhu of the Northern Water Tribe, and I, am Avatar Korra's Public Relations Advisor," the now-named Zhu answered in turn.
"What makes you qualified for such a lofty position?" another reporter, a woman asked skeptically.
"Apart from being the only one who wanted this job, I'm the only one willing to call the White Lotus Council out on their previous errors made."
"But you're wearing one of their uniforms right now."
"If I had walked up here in street clothes, still 'speaking for' the Avatar," he said making rabbit ears with his fingers, "would anyone in attendance have taken me seriously?"
At this line of inquiry, the reporters begrudgingly ceded the point.
"Now then… With introductions out of the way, I assume we can finally get to the point of this press conference," he said clearing his throat. "Please ask your questions in an orderly fashion, and I will endeavor to get to each and every one of you. Yes, you, in the back?"
"Did Amon take the Avatar's Bending?" a man in the rear asked, jumping ahead a couple of steps to get to the meat of things.
"Avatar Korra, if you may," Zhu offered. The Avatar in turn nodded her head, took a couple of steps forward, and with a thrust of her arm sent a tongue of flame soaring over the reporters' heads, some in the crowd beyond cheering the Avatar's name while others were distinctly reticent. "Next question. You there, in the front."
"What actually occurred last night if the Avatar still has her Bending?" a woman questioned.
"Avatar Korra waited at the foot of her previous incarnation's statue until midnight last night. Once the bell tolled at twelve, she gave Amon the customary grace period before making her way to ground level," Zhu began. "Upon passing the entrance to the Memorial Island Museum, a bola snared her by the ankles before dragging her into the darkness, where the Avatar found herself beset by at least two-dozen members of the Equalist faction."
At this the reporters began to frantically scribble, idle muttering sounding through the media as Zhu made to speak once again.
"Because Amon had refused to heed the spirit of the intended duel, after fending off the Equalist's initial charge, she was wise-enough to send a signal flare out into the bay, encasing herself in a shell of rock until help could arrive," he went on to say. "By the time Master Tenzin and the Metalbending Police arrived to assist, the Equalists had already left, the ambush they required to achieve their objective sufficiently rebuffed."
"Why didn't the Avatar fight back?" one reporter spoke up, obviously itching for something slanderous.
"The intention Avatar Korra previously acted upon, premature as it was, was to fight Amon alone and end the hostilities between Non-Benders and Benders before a full-blown civil war, not unlike the Cranefish Rebellion, could take place," Zhu began. "Korra has yet to become a fully-realized Avatar, the reason for which she made her move to Republic City from the South. Had she been as such, her odds might've been better, but between the Equalist's ambush, their numbers, and the countless historical artifacts all around, and discretion was the better part of valor. Even had Korra routed the Equalists herself, the damage to the history of the Hundred Year War's end would've been irreparable, since as previous altercations between the Avatar and the more-criminal elements of Republic City's underworld have shown, subtlety and finesse… are not necessarily her strong suit," he proceeded to explain at length, the reporters momentarily stunned into silence.
"If I might be so bold as to ask…" one reporter from the side spoke up. "Why is Avatar Korra so different from her predecessor?" he finished, gesturing idly off to the giant Avatar Aang statue in the distance.
"By the inherent nature of the Avatar Cycle itself, any biases an Avatar's past lives had are segregated, separating the collective past from the individual's present," Zhu began plainly. This came as a genuine surprise to the reporters in attendance since, in the past when questioned about the previous Avatar, his son Tenzin had either been evasive, or spoken largely in metaphor that were open to spanning interpretation. "When Avatar Aang awoke from the iceberg, it was into a world rife with the war spanning a century. When Korra awakened her abilities as the Avatar for the first time, she had already been born into a world where all of Aang's life's work, repairing the damage wrought by the Hundred Year War, had been long-since completed. The difference between a world at war and a world long-since at peace, would naturally color the perceptions and meme of each Avatar radically differently. With each new life, I believe that the mortal half of the Avatar owes their instinctive traits and personality to the mitigation of any major regrets harbored by their most recent life."
These words, spoken with such confidence, had a profound effect on those gathered. So much so that even the civilians held at bay at the dock's edge were stunned into a momentary silence.
"This speculation about what makes each Avatar different from one another isn't wholly exclusive to Aang and Korra; it holds up regardless of how far back one goes down the Avatar Cycle," Zhu continued after giving them a moment to process. "When it comes to Avatar Yangchen, the Air Nomad Avatar preceding Aang, because she gave of herself so-fully to her role as the Avatar, creating a long-lasting peace that persisted even after her own death at the cost of her own Air Nomad principles, it would make sense that her next life, Avatar Kuruk of the Northern Water Tribe, was a free spirit who lived largely for himself, placing his Avatar duties on the backburner. Because of the lasting peace Yangchen created, the actual need for Kuruk's intervention in the world was largely mitigated, allowing him a life of frivolity filled with juvenile tests of his Bending ability against others of the Four Nations, which he was notable to use for courting of the opposite gender."
A few blinked openly at that, since few were willing to call the Avatar things like "juvenile" or "frivolous", even when speaking of Avatar long dead, since it was nearly taboo to speak of the Avatar with anything but reverence and awe.
"Avatar Kuruk's life however, was a short one. Kuruk died at the age of 33 after running afoul with the Spirit Koh the Face-Stealer due in part to his arrogance, and because of his unreliability in life, choosing to let the world powers sort themselves out instead of directly interfering, his deepest regret was undermining the work of Avatar Yangchen before him and plunging the world into its next age of conflict," he continued. "To rectify this failure, Kuruk was reincarnated into Avatar Kyoshi, of the Earth Kingdom. Kyoshi for her part is known as one of the hardest-working Avatar of all time, having maintained stability throughout the Earth Kingdom in particular for two-hundred and thirty years. And no, that isn't just rhetoric or metaphor. Avatar Kuruk before, and Avatar Roku following, are literally separated by two and a third centuries by Avatar Kyoshi between them, who worked unerringly to undo the damage wrought by her past life's negligence."
Korra, though her expression was schooled even as she held her hands in a knuckle-white grip, blinked impressively at that bit of knowledge. Sure, she'd heard about how-long Kyoshi had lived before, but when it was properly framed in comparison to other Avatars, who were rarely talked about in direct succession to one another but instead as only their individual lives, it truly put things into perspective.
"Avatar Kyoshi, similar to Yangchen, regretted the obsession of her life as an accomplished Avatar. You have to understand, two-hundred and thirty years of life is a long time to live; her friends, family, love interest, daughter, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren came and went through the course of her life, causing Kyoshi to grow distant from those she was sworn to protect as she continued to live a long and accomplished life," Zhu continued, framing the life of two and a third centuries not as something to be envied, but instead something to be feared. "Avatar Roku, Aang's predecessor by comparison, established very deep personal bonds with those around him, creating a deep sense of loyalty toward the world over his own nation; even and especially at the expense of Fire Lord Sozin, who was his good friend from before Roku was anointed as Avatar. In opposition to Kyoshi who pursued her Avatar duties her entire life, Roku embraced retirement, even to the extent that when he appeared before Aang, it was as an old man whereas all other Avatar before him manifested at either the prime of their life, or the peak of their power according to his biography," he elaborated. "While it goes without saying what Roku's deepest regrets were, for the sake of our younger audience members, I will spell out that Roku's deepest regret, was in allowing the Hundred Year War to come about with his passing. Because of Roku's own personal feelings toward the station as Avatar, Aang was partial to refusing the role altogether, a fact that wasn't helped by being told he was the Avatar four years earlier than the traditional sixteen; the point in an Avatar's life where they were most-able to handle the burden, without being so-set in their then-current way of life they couldn't carry out their duties to the world as a whole."
Zhu took a moment to catch his breath, before continuing.
"Avatar Aang's life was filled with regret, because after sequestering himself from the world for a hundred years, not out of fear of the Fire Nation, but from what his duties as an Avatar would mean for him as an Air Nomad, the world had become warped into something completely unrecognizable. And not merely because of what a century of war had done to the Four Nations, but because his inaction had indirectly led to the mass-extermination of his people. Because of this and the war he had woken to, a war that was nearing its inevitable conclusion, the burden placed upon him was even greater, the then-current state of the war with the next coming of Sozin's Comet forced him to master the Four Elements at a blistering pace. A burden that would be enormous for even a fully-matured Avatar, and doubly so for a child with only twelve conscious years of memory and life experience to draw upon. In summary, Aang was plagued with regret because of what his absence from the world had wrought."
A stunned silence passed through the crowd, since any form of detraction against the Hero of the Hundred-Year War was most-definitely taboo. Something that prompted most historians to smooth over the mistakes that Aang made throughout his life, while the work of those who didn't were ignored wholesale.
The resumed blood feud between the Zhangs and the Gan Jins once his earlier duplicity at the Great Divide was revealed in the Avatar's autobiography, was one such detail most other historians would've brushed over.
"And now we return to the present, and more-directly answer your inquiry of why Korra is so different from her predecessor, despite being her immediately-adjacent incarnation in the Avatar Cycle," Zhu said drawing their attention back to him once again. "Korra, instead of running from her responsibilities as Avatar, rushed headfirst into it at a full-on sprint, manifesting the aptitude to manipulate fire, earth, and water at the tender age of four. Literally, four years of age, she could manipulate three of the four elements," he clarified, causing gasps and sounds of awe to spread throughout the crowd, while Korra's chest swelled with pride, a small flush adorning her features at how Zhu talked her up to the media that'd ripped into her only days before. "And this isn't only significant because of her youth. All previous Avatar before her were discovered through more-traditional methods, one of which were the kind of toys they chose to play with as children. While previous Avatar only began using the elements beyond their nationalities after being told they were the Avatar and learning under foreign Bending Masters for the first time, Korra manifested the other elements spontaneously, and," he paused with a light chuckle, "and it wouldn't surprise me if after Korra's passing, that children within the Earth Kingdom born after the fact, started studying other Bending arts as soon as they were able in a misguided attempt to 'draw' the Avatar power towards themselves. Though there isn't any majorly conclusive evidence to this, it's widely accepted that children of the next nation in the cycle born on the same day as the previous Avatar's death, will comprise the pool of the next Avatar candidates. If you're born a day ahead or behind, tough luck, your grandkid won't magically become the Avatar. Does this sufficiently answer your question?"
The question following that lecture was jarring, to say the least, given so much information was disseminated, but the man who'd asked the question nodded his head, stepping back with a full notepad filled with shorthand.
*AIR*
"What are the Avatar's plans now?" Tarrlok's radio belted out, the man having returned to his office minutes ago from his council meeting, having successfully increased the Task Force's working budget; even if only by a small measure, though he had plans to appropriate more capital
"Hm, isn't it obvious?" Tarrlok asked aloud, nursing a beverage as he sat back comfortably in his chair, plans of superseding the Metalbending Police already awhirl in his head.
With the Avatar at his side, such an outcome was… inevitable.
"After much deliberation, it has been decided that Avatar Korra will formally retire from Councilman Tarrlok's Task Force."
Tarrlok's nursing transitioned immediately into a sputter, his fine suit stained with milk-laden coffee.
The Councilman quickly made for the door, despite the futility of getting to the White Lotus-controlled docks before the press conference had been concluded, but when the realization of who was speaking finally clicked, he stopped short, instead choosing to focus on how such a move would be justified as a calmer head prevailed, returning to his desk.
"Avatar Korra's tutelage in the Bending Arts was all very traditional and orthodox in nature. Due to manifesting Avatar abilities at such a young age, it only makes sense she'd have received such protection from the White Lotus during her formative years. That being said, the Avatar was not sufficiently prepared for the rigors of the 'real world'," Zhu went on to explain. "Pro-Bending, by its very definition, is unorthodox in how the Bending Arts are applied, but are more representative of the kind of Bending the Avatar will have to face in the modern day. In an environment where all players involved are protected by restraint imparted by rules with medical staff immediately on hand in case of injury, the best place for Korra to adapt to the rigors of the modern world and refine the skills necessary to carry us through this time of crisis, will be the Pro-Bending arena. Hence, the decision has been made that in pursuit of furthering her Avatar abilities, Korra will be returning to the Fire Ferrets, now-sponsored by Future Industries, and will compete in the Pro-Bending Championship Tournament as-scheduled later this month."
Tarrlok for his part swore as the coffee cup in his hand shattered, shards of porcelain stabbing into his palm and the papers on his desk stained.
"Damn you, Zhu, looks like I underestimated you…" Tarrlok growled as he picked shards from his hand and called for someone to clean up.
Not only had Zhu announced Korra's retirement from the Anti-Equalist Task Force, but he'd framed her return to the Pro-Bending League in such a way that it left the listeners in awe of why Pro-Bending was an aid to the current world the Avatar lived in. And Tarrlok didn't think it was purely coincidence that Zhu went on a tirade about the previous Avatar, their regrets, and how their regrets shaped their succeeding lives. As something rarely talked-about and bound to fill the pages with print, because any damage to his own reputation had been softened, as a Councilman he couldn't retaliate politically without being seen as trying to undermine the Avatar's training for his own reasons. On top of all this, he'd framed Amon's duplicity in the least-offensive way possible to the Non-Bending population of Republic City, heading off any immediate backlash from that particular demographic. And last but not least, by dropping the name of the man's company into his announcement, he'd likely drawn one of the city's wealthiest industrialists into his, and by proxy the Avatar's, corner.
He'd have thought that Zhu was just an ordinary boy from the sticks the Avatar had befriended, and that he was nothing more than a hanger-on since he had no Bending to distinguish himself from the masses with, but it was obvious now that there was more to him than met the eye.
If the boy ever went into politics, especially after distinguishing himself as the Avatar's "Public Relations Advisor", Non-Bender or not, he might have to worry about his own seat in a few years…
To be absolutely frank, the amount of pull with the movers and shakers of Republic City he'd drawn together in such a short amount of time, was quite frankly, terrifying.
*AIR*
"Yeah! The Fire Ferrets are back in action!" Bolin whooped before the radio as Zhu concluded the interview.
"Yes, that's very good to hear," Asami nodded her ascent. "For a while there, I was actually worried if she'd even showed up, but I'm quite eager to see you perform."
"Don't worry, we won't let you down," Mako nodded, the schooner pulling into the docks ahead of schedule thanks to ample Waterbending.
The White Lotus disembarking in quick order, as soon as the Avatar cleared the dock and set foot on the island, she let out the breath she'd been holding, folding over and gasping for air.
"I… can't… believe… that actually… worked!" she gasped.
"You did a good job, Korra," Zhu said rubbing her back. "If you'd risen to the bait like last time, this all would've blown up in your face. Mine too."
"Uh, yeah, thanks…" Korra returned bashfully. "Still though… I can't believe you got me out of Tarrlok's Task Force so easily!" she said, amazement clear on her face. "You even got me back into Pro-Bending in the same breath! And everyone was cool with it!"
"What can I say? I know how to work a crowd," Zhu shrugged, playing it off like it was no big deal as the others gathered around them. "Of course, the threads definitely helped."
"I have to agree on that," Asami said aloud. "And I must say, I love a man in uniform~" she said eyeing his distinctive garments up and down with an appreciative eye.
"It's alright… I guess…" Mako said dismissively, even as he and Korra fumed.
Albeit for different reasons.
"Zhu, you are the man!" Bolin said clasping him on the arm. "The Fire Ferrets are back in business, and it's all thanks to you!"
"I won't deny that I had some part in this," Zhu said trying to play it down. "I mean sure, all Korra did was Firebend a little and keep a straight face even as the media prodded at her, but that wasn't any small contribution," he added below his breath, though the Avatar could still hear it.
"Still, who taught you about the Cranefish Rebellion?" Asami asked curiously. "I know of it because of private tutors, but that isn't something public schools generally teach."
"You can thank Jinora for that one. When I moved in, she was all too eager to tell me about Republic City's history. And I'm glad she did, because referencing little-known recent history should give me some amount of credibility in the future," Zhu answered. "That being said, now that the storm has passed, its time to get back to business."
"Oh?" Korra blinked. "What do we have next on the itinerary, Mr. 'Public Relations Advisor'~?" she teased.
"We need to get you back into fighting shape for the Pro-Bending Tournament," Zhu said with a serious tone. "You might have only missed a couple of days, but your body clock's been thrown completely out of whack. If you're going to be any good for your team, we'll have to fix that, and I won't let you botch this. Not on my watch, and most definitely not now that my brand has been attached to yours," he elaborated. "Fortunately for you, while you were running around with older men in the middle of the night, I recruited some local talent to help the Fire Ferrets out, because you can pretty much guarantee the other teams in the tournament will have the same. The three of you will finally be able to practice your team formations against other competent Benders, because I can pretty much guarantee you won't be able to 'Be the Leaf' your way to an easy win against these contenders."
Korra, hearing all he'd accomplished in her absence, and overlooking the subtle jab he'd snuck in all without realizing its double meaning, threw an arm around his shoulder with a broad smile on her face.
"Zhu, you're the best!"
*AIR*
"I CHANGE MY MIND! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK EGGS!" Korra wailed as she bobbed and weaved around water, earth, and fire simultaneously in the Fire Ferrets' gym, courtesy of Aki, Bumi, and Lee who'd been pulled from the duty roster for just this occasion.
"If you've got enough energy to scream at me, you have energy to spare," Zhu said back, completely unfazed. "Mako, let 'er 'ave it!"
"Ummm…"
"Now, boy. Unless you'd rather join her."
" . . . Better you than me. Sorry, Korra!"
"YOU TRAITORRR!" Korra cried as she began to dodge double the fire.
"Oh good, you still have energy to burn. Means I won't have to feel bad about what happens next~"
"Don't you...!"
"Bolin! Get over there!"
"I'd rather not-"
"I'll make you the same offer I made your brother."
"I CHANGE MY MIND! IT ISN'T THE MORNING THAT'S EVIL! YOU ARE!"
"Um, Zhu," Asami said tugging at his sleeve.
"Yes, Ms. Sato?" Zhu asked in a congenial tone.
"Is all this really necessary?" she asked as Korra struggled against five competent Benders, wincing as an Earth Coin caught her on the hip.
"Ms. Sato, listen, Korra needs to learn early on that when she completely disregards sensible advice from her peers, that disregard comes with consequences," Zhu said throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Trust me, I could've ridden her much harder than this."
"Oh my…" Asami gasped, hands going to her reddening face.
Just because Korra didn't catch on to certain things, didn't mean Asami didn't.
Sometimes having maids willing to smuggle risqué novels into her room was a blessing and a curse.
"Still though…" Asami spoke up.
"You know what, you're absolutely right Ms. Sato! We really should throw more water into the mix!" he said loud-enough for Korra to hear. "Pabu! Get me a bucket! Front row's going to be a splash zooone~" he crooned, Asami frantically waving her hands as the Avatar shot her a dirty look, Pabu diligently pushing a bucket towards him with all his slender mammalian might.
"EEEEVIIILL!" the Avatar wailed loud-enough for the Pro-Benders in all the other gyms to hear.
*AIR*
Elsewhere, well after the sun had set, Amon stood poised in his war room over the map of Republic City. The distribution and concentration of Bender-dominated gangs and Metalbending Police throughout the city were illustrated in color-coded pieces, small circular red stamps highlighting the various Equalists strongholds while those raided by Tarrlok's Task Force had been crossed out.
Like most of the Equalist, he too had stood by the radio as the Avatar's press conference commenced, though to his surprise, it was a new player who spoke in the young woman's stead. His words and insight regarding the Avatar Cycle showed that a great amount of research into the topic had been done beforehand for what was meant to be a loaded question, but what he was truly surprised about was that even though the Equalists' duplicity the night prior had been revealed for all to hear, it'd been done in such a faction-neutral fashion, that no justification could be found to validate any immediate retaliation against the speaker.
The story was almost completely false, of course, since no mention of the "Red Spirit" as he dubbed the entity had been made, but given the recent decline in the belief of Spirits, and the cover-up made a great deal of sense in retrospect, since if the Avatar's Public Relations Advisor had regaled them with what had truly occurred, while for some the story would've inspired awe, it could've just as easily been interpreted as Amon being a no-show and a fantastical weave had been fabricated so the Avatar could save face.
Any plans to recruit the Northerner to his cause however, would have to wait until the dust settled.
"Lord Amon, if I might ask a question?"
"Speak freely, Lieutenant."
"What became of the men who accompanied you to fight the Avatar?"
He was of course, prepared to answer this line of inquiry.
"They have been scattered throughout the Earth Kingdom as emissaries to spread my word, and bolster our numbers for when the time comes to make our final move."
"I see… It wouldn't hurt to increase our rank," the Lieutenant nodded. "Another inquiry, if I may."
"Speak."
"Why was I not included in the raid last night?"
"I needed someone trustworthy to watch the flock in my stead. On the off-chance the Avatar succeeded in detaining me, I had to know that someone truly capable would continue the fight in by absence. Was I wrong to make that assessment?"
"No sir! I am both honored and humbled to be trusted with such a worthy mission," the Lieutenant said taking a knee, bowing his head.
"Good. Good," Amon said in his soothing voice. "Now rise. There is much work to be done, and I need all hands on task."
"Of course!" the Lieutenant nodded, bowing before his exit made, leaving Amon alone with his thoughts, and the map.
"Hmmm… It's obvious I won't be able to goad the Avatar the same way twice…" he ruminated aloud. "Very well. Our next confrontation, will simply have to occur on a much grander stage," he said as his eyes fell upon a small gold-colored miniature set onto the map's coastline, not a shred of guilt felt for the dirty deed he had done.
For all intents and purposes, the cover story that this Zhu had fed the populous may as well have been fact, not fiction.
*AIR*
AN:
It always bothered me that Korra was able to return to the Pro-Bending League without any sort of backlash since, as far as the Bending community went, the Anti-Equalist Task Force was a very important commitment. Fortunately, the world I've built and the character I've constructed in Zhu, has given me ample opportunity to do so.
The slight flavor text to Asami's character was also kinda fun to write, but was more of a last-minute addition.
Anyway, this chapter wound up having over 13K words in it, so I hope my faithful readers will leave plenty of Reivews.
GO BEYOND!
EXC-
Oh wait, wrong story~