Brave New World

by Sunal

AU Voldemort's attack on the Potters leaves James and Lily dead, and young Harry missing. Meanwhile Senna and Tonraq discover a child in the unlikeliest of places and decide to take him in to be Korra's little brother. Raised by benders, plagued by questions, he will embark on an epic journey for answers and nothing will ever be the same. No pairings yet.

11. Chapter 11: Training, Trials, and Triads

This is an idea that I have been entertaining recently. I know that stories with a similar premise have been written so I will try to keep this as original as I can. No plagiarism intended. I do not own either Legend of Korra or Harry Potter. They belong to Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and J.K. Rowling.

Warning: This chapter contains references and depictions of child abuse and trafficking as well as intense heat trauma

-Line Break-

"Are you ready?" Korra asked, taking her stance. "I won't go easy on you."

"That's just how I like it." Ryuukhan replied, matching her stance.

"Then one!" she yelled, lowering herself.

"Two!" he yelled, eyes narrowing.

"Three!" they yelled together, throwing out a fire-punch.

Ryuukhan, being a little quicker, side-stepped and launched a second, larger fire-ball. Korra, seeing this, stomped the ground, raising the earth into a platform, blocking the fire-ball. As the flames dispersed, she ran onto the platform and jumped up, unleashing a barrage of fire-balls down on her brother.

Instinctively, Ryuukhan crossed his arms, forming a fire-shield to absorb her attacks, the fire-balls falling to the ground around him. Changing tactics, he pulled his right arm back then threw it into an uppercut, gathering the flames and shooting them up toward Korra. Shocked, Korra formed her own fire-shield to block his counterattack, the flames licking around her as she descended to the ground…

...only to suddenly feel her foot slip underneath, upsetting her balance and sending her face-first. Throwing out her arms, she caught herself into a handstand, but felt one hand swiftly jerk outwards, landing her square on her rear. Hearing footsteps, she kicked her legs out in a spiral, creating a whirlwind of flame and forcing her brother to halt dead in his tracks.

Seeing her chance, Korra unleashed a fiery barrage, forcing him to jump to the side. Twisting his legs up as he landed on his back he kicked out a few fire-balls, interrupting Korra's attack before flipping to his feet and stomping the ground. A pocket of earth rippled through the ground, opening up a fissure under Korra's foot, ensnaring it and forcing her down to one knee.

As she fell, Ryuukhan stomped the ground, levitating a few fist-sized rocks before kicking them out. Korra, struggling to right herself, felt the first two hit her squarely on the shoulders, knocking her over. Grinning in delight, Ryuukhan stomped the ground once again, opening up fissures and engulfing Korra's left arm. Clamping his hand tight, the fissures closed, leaving Korra trapped in the earth, unable to bend or free herself.

"Are we done?" he asked, looming over her, his brow slick with sweat.

"Yeah we're done." she replied, loosening the soil with an elbow to the ground.

"That puts the tally in my favor." he boasted, standing tall.

"For now, Ryuuki," Korra chided, dusting herself off. "For now."

"Korra, Ryuukhan, what are you two doing?!" a voice called out. They turned to see Asami and Xin standing under the welcoming gate near the stairs. Asami was wearing a red-trimmed black leather jacket, as well as a short, burgundy red skirt and knee-high black boots, while Xin was wearing a dark-green dress with light blue highlights.

"We're sparring." Ryuukhan answered, waving to them.

"It's great for relieving tension," Korra added, joining her brother. "And after all that's happened, I'd say we needed it."

"Oh, I see." Asami replied, walking over to them, Xin following in her wake. "Well, if you two are finished, I'd like to do some sparring."

"Really?" Korra said, looking briefly at her brother. "Are you sure? I didn't know you were a Bender."

"I'm not," Asami replied. "But I have been trained to fight. And I would enjoy a match."

"Okay, but I won't go easy on you." Korra shrugged while Ryuukhan moved to stand alongside Xin.

"Neither will I," Asami said, smiling. "That's how a real fight works isn't it? So, on the count of three?"

"Uh, yeah. One."

"Two."

"Three!"

Korra threw out a flurry of fire-balls, to which Asami nimbly dodged, bobbing left and right, the flames just missing her. Startled, Korra stomped the ground, spreading fissures toward Asami like a spider-crab's web, but Asami jumped overhead and began cartwheeling toward her. Seeing her chance, Korra kicked out, catching Asami in the stomach and sending her crumbling to the side.

"You all right?!" Korra called out, shocked and surprised.

"Yeah, I...I'm fine." Asami said as she pulled herself back up. "That was stupid of me, going head-on like that."

"You need some help?" Korra asked, her eyes creased in concern.

"No, it's all right." Asami replied, dusting herself off. "I've dealt with worse. Let's keep going."

Nodding in confirmation, Korra began round two with a fire-ball, to which Asami dodged with ease. Seeing her target dodge her attacks Korra stomped again, sending fissures out to engulf Asami, but once more she jumped, landing to the side this time before rushing toward Korra. As Asami closed the distance, Korra threw out a punch but Asami grabbed her wrist, followed by her throat, and then tackled her, sending them crashing into the ground.

Blinking the dirt from her eyes, Korra tried punching Asami with her free fist, forcing her to release her grip on Korra's throat. With the momentum swinging them to the side, Asami swung her legs and gripped Korra around the neck, pinning her head to her shoulder and pulling her arm straight, locking her in a triangle hold.

Gritting her teeth, Korra grabbed Asami's leg with her free arm and tried loosening the grip, to which Asami responded by disentangling her legs and swinging them both to one side, knocking Korra to the ground and pinning her down. Now on top, Asami pulled on Korra's arm, locking it straight and pulling it in the wrong direction.

Undeterred, Korra tried using her free hand to push herself up, only to feel a new wave of pain shoot up through her arm. In a last ditch attempt to turn the tide, she kicked her legs up over her back, sending small flames shooting at Asami. Though the flames failed to burn, or even hit her, their sudden appearance was enough for Asami to loosen her grip on Korra's arm. With her arm freed, Korra then pushed up with both arms, sending Asami crashing into the ground behind her.

Turning quickly, Korra punched the ground, opening up fissures beneath Asami, but the nimble girl rolled away before she could be entrapped. Korra stood and began throwing fire-balls again, forcing Asami to roll away to escape the flames. Sprinting forward, Asami managed to get close enough to Korra to jab her in the shoulder then, piroquetting, followed it up with jabs at strategic places on the back. In frustration, Korra tried elbowing Asami, only to feel a final jab in her second shoulder.

Frustrated, Korra threw a punch, expecting a fire-ball, but only produced a flicker of flame and a puff of smoke. Grinning in triumph, Asami punched Korra in the stomach, forcing her back, before following it up with a kick to the side. As Korra crumbled to the ground, Asami brought her leg up for a final hit, only to see Korra deflect the attack and tackle Asami, sending them both to the ground.

Dust swirling and the breath knocked out of her, Korra felt Asami trying to lock her again with her legs, but Korra managed to lock her hands together outside of Asami's legs, preventing a complete lock and giving her time to angle her knee onto Asami's stomach. Regaining her footing, Korra pushed forward, disentangling Asami's legs, only to feel another kick land in the stomach, knocking the wind from her. Stumbling back, Korra then felt Asami slam her to the ground, and, with her wrist in a vice-like grip and Asami's knee sinking into her stomach, felt herself well and truly pinned to the ground.

"Surrender?" Asami asked, holding firm against Korra's attempts to break free.

"Yeah, I surrender." Korra admitted.

Standing first, Asami offered a helping hand to Korra, which she promptly accepted. Dusting themselves off, the girls stretched out their limbs, groaning and wincing when they felt a sore spot.

"That was pretty intense." Korra said, turning to Asami. "I wasn't expecting those...grabbing moves."

"You mean grappling?" Asami elucidated. "Dad put me through self-defense training ever since I was young. People usually assume I'm daddy's helpless little girl, but I can handle myself."

"No kidding." Korra remarked, rolling her eyes. "Do you think you could teach Ryuukhan and I some techniques?"

"Sure, if you're up to it." Asami replied. Seeing Korra wave, Ryuukhan ran up to her side while Asami took up a stance and prepared for the first lesson.

-Line Break-

"Well that was fun," Asami said as she and the others dusted themselves off.

"Speak for yourself." Korra grumbled, wincing as she stood up. "I've been training since I was four years old, but I was helpless, like wet clay in your hands."

"Well I've been practicing these techniques for years," Asami shrugged. "And I got the same bruises as yourself, if not more, the first few times."

Just then, a faint growling emanated from the group, prompting them to head for the dining hall. Korra and Asami took the lead while Ryuukhan and Xin followed behind. Nearing the dining hall, they could pick out the faint scent of spices, and hear the pops and hisses of food steamed on a wok. Opening the door, they saw a number of Air Acolytes, who warmly welcomed them into the hall and laid out curried rice with vegetables and hot tea.

After a few minutes of eating in silence, Korra, in a bid for some conversation, asked Asami "So anything new with you?"

"Oh, we're working on a new line of Satomobiles," Asami replied. "Dad's been super-busy, ever since the Tong investigation, trying to perfect the prototype and get the factories ready for assembly. To make matters more hectic, one of our main competitors, Old Reliable, turned out to be a sponsor for the Tong, so their company went bankrupt, selling all their assets, and setting off a scramble to take as much as possible for the lowest price."

"Not to mention all the other changes that have happened." Korra added as Asami took a sip of tea. "The investigation caught quite a few people in the city. Border guards. Factory workers. Postmen. Delivery drivers. Even some local judges and community leaders. And even six weeks later we're still having trials."

"And that's stirred up a lot of shock and uncertainty among the public." Asami said. "I can understand the border guards and the factory workers. But those judges? Taking bribes from the Tong? And the CEO of Old Reliable seemed like such a nice man. Who'd have thought he'd be like...that?!"

"Let's not go down THAT rabbit-finch hole." Korra said, grimacing alongside Asami.

After taking a soothing sip of tea, Korra said "On the plus side, Mako and Bolin got their trials done."

"It certainly helped that they came along quietly, and pleaded guilty on most charges." Asami added. "Thus they avoided getting entangled in a lengthy court case, and are now serving out their time. With good behavior, they'll be eligible for the parole program, where they'll start providing community service in exchange for a reduced sentence."

"If they do get into the program, how soon will they be released?" Korra asked before taking a bite of curry.

"Well they were sentenced to a year for their crimes," Asami answered. "It would have been longer if they hadn't been so helpful in the investigation, and that they were pretty low on the Triad hierarchy. I think they could be released four or six months earlier than expected, but the law is...complicated."

"It seems so...confusing." Korra muttered. "Some of it makes sense, like bigger crimes extract harsher punishments than smaller ones, and crimes against property are largely punished by fines and community service while crimes against people are penalized by jail time. But the particulars seem so...do lawyers REALLY need to get into that level of detail?!"

"Yes, they do," Asami stated, shocking Korra. "To ensure a fair punishment, they not only need to determine guilt or innocence, but also the motivation for the crime. Mako and Bolin stole money to survive. The Tong stole to make themselves a little richer. Would you really consider them to be equally bad or unjust?"

"No, I wouldn't." Korra asserted, shaking her head. "Survival is the fundamental drive of all life, from the smallest bug to the largest whale. As such, the right to life is the most essential of all, so to deprive others of the means to survive is just...cruel."

"But how far does one go to survive?" Asami asked. "Do you just go after immediate threats, or do you also target potential ones? Anyone could be a potential threat, so do you kill everyone? And what does it mean to be an 'immediate threat'? These are just SOME of the questions that come up in these trials. So to fully understand the motivation of the person, we need to be VERY thorough."

"And once the trial is concluded," Asami finished. "We need to weigh the punishment to fit the specific crime committed. This is where precedents, or past decisions, come into play. After all, it wouldn't be fair for two people to commit murder and have one be executed and another sentenced to a year in prison, would it? Precedents make sure we keep the punishments consistent."

"I understand all that," Korra said, her eyes furrowing in thought. "But couldn't we achieve the same thing by setting punishments for specific crimes based on principles ahead of time, then just look up the law for the specific criteria to figure out the right penalty? That way we wouldn't have to look up precedent after precedent, cutting down on the time spent on each trial."

"Also," she continued. "How similar do two cases have to be for them to fit as guides? How do you decide? And what if you choose the wrong precedent?"

Asami, eyes furrowed in thought, pursed her lips for a moment and responded "I don't know, Korra. I'm not a lawyer, so I can't really answer those questions. Machines are more my thing."

"Machines?" Korra said in surprise. "You design them?"

"Design them, build them, drive them." Asami said, sitting high with pride. "When I was six years old I designed and built a miniature Satomobile engine. Wasn't very good, as you had to crank it up using one of those old levers, and it only worked twice, but it worked. Ever since then I've been learning from my father, designing, building, even driving some of the prototypes."

"Wow!" Korra replied, her eyebrows flying upward in surprise. Then, leaning in close, she whispered "So what new revolutionary ideas will this model feature?"

"Sorry, can't tell you." Asami shook her head. "Industry secrets and all that. If dad found out I told you anything about it, he'd blow a gasket."

Shrugging her shoulders, Korra returned to her lunch, scooping out the last of the curry and vegetables with her chopsticks before washing it all down with her tea. Turning to Xin she then asked "So, how are you doing?".

Taken off-guard, Xin coughed a little before clearing her throat to reply. "I'm doing quite well, thanks. Asami and her father have been really good to me, adopting me and all."

Korra smiled at the thought. Following the Tong incident, Xin had taken a liking to Asami and asked to stay with her rather than with Tenzin. During the investigation, it was discovered that Xin's brothers, who had been contracted as factory workers, died in industrial accidents, while her parents, who had sent them across the border illegally from the Earth Kingdom, had lost contact with her years ago. Thus, Asami and her father became Xin's caretakers, officially adopting her around a week ago.

The change certainly suited her; Xin's dirty, patched-up clothes were replaced by clean ones that actually fit. Thanks to a more nutritious and reliable diet, her figure had changed from malnourished to a much healthier weight. And over time her eyes had gradually lost much of the fear and trepidation seen at the brewery to be replaced with curiosity and hope. She and Asami were nigh-inseparable, pouring over manuals and models, discussing problems and solutions, or practicing acrobatics and self-defence.

"Korra, Ryuukhan," a voice, Tenzin's voice, called out, drawing their attention. "So this is where you two were. I was planning to start your first Airbending lesson soon, but we may have to postpone it."

"Sorry Tenzin," Korra said. "You were busy with City business, so Ryuukhan and I sparred for a bit, then Asami came along and gave us a few lessons. By the time we were done, you were nowhere to be seen so we had lunch. We can commence the training in half an hour or so."

"Very well," Tenzin replied. "And I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. These trials and the subsequent aftermath are taking up so much of our time. As well as the need to administer the day-to-day affairs of the city and coordinate with the rest of the Council. I didn't expect to be there for so long."

"No worries Tenzin," Ryuukhan said. "We understand. In the meantime, would you like some curried rice?"

"I would be delighted," Tenzin replied before heading for the kitchen.

-Line Break-

"What is that contraption?" Korra asked as she and her group made their way back to the sparring grounds, only to be greeted by Tenzin's family waving to them and a strange series of panels behind them. These panels, taller than a man, were all colored bronze with black trim, facing different directions and bore the Airbending symbol on their faces.

"A time-honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspect of Airbending." Tenzin said. "Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?"

"The goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them." Jinora replied.

"Seems easy enough," Korra said, rolling her eyes.

"Jinora forgot to say you gotta make it through while the gates are spinning!" Ikki interjected energetically.

Turning to Tenzin, she saw him take his Airbending stance, flick his hands, and send a massive gust of wind into the gates, spinning them at high speeds. Then he took out a leaf from his tunic, and released it, letting it float along the wind into the gates.

"The key is to be like the leaf." he said, watching the leaf float gently on the wind before vanishing into the gates. "Flow with the movement of the gates. Jinora will demonstrate."

Taking her cue, Jinora, without hesitation, ran into the gates, twisting on her heel just before colliding with the first gate. She then piroquetted on her toe to avoid another collision before disappearing into the spinning gates.

"Airbending is all about spiral movements," Tenzin explained. "When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice."

Just then the gates, which began to slow down, started spinning quickly in the opposite direction, indicating that Jinora must have made it to the other side and had blasted a new gust of wind, reenergizing them.

"Let's do this!" Korra declared and charged into the spinning gates...only to slam head-on into the first one with a quick "Oof!"

Staggering, Korra fell back and slammed into another gate before ricocheting off and slamming into another, grunting and groaning with each collision. A few minutes later, with many grunts and collisions from within, she emerged from the gates, falling flat on her backside right where she started.

Eyes narrowed in anger, she charged once again into the gates, managing to slide between the first two, but found herself slamming into a third from behind. Soon enough, she found herself bouncing off the spinning gates one after the other.

"Don't force your way through!" Jinora called out.

"Dance! Dance like the wind!" Ikki added.

Soon enough, Korra came staggering out and collapsed, looking slightly concussed. Tenzin sighed in exasperation before turning to Ryuukhan and asked "Would you care to give it a shot?"

"Let me see Korra first," he said, kneeling down to see her. "You okay sis?"

Groaning, Korra replied with a simple "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Reaching out his hand, Ryuukhan helped her up before turning to the spinning gates. After a brief moment, he turned to Tenzin and said "I'm ready to give it a try."

Nodding, Tenzin started the spinning gates once more. Breathing deep, Ryuukhan charged into the gates, twisting his body to avoid the first gate, then piroquetting to dodge the second. Keeping his arms tucked in and taking quick, twisting steps, he managed to avoid the first four or five gates, before colliding with a sixth. Staggering in surprise, he managed to regain his footing before hitting a seventh. Righting himself, he tried to plan his way out, but he took too long and felt a gate slam into him from behind, making him stumble forward. Seeing an imminent collision, he tried to twist out of the way, but he was not fast enough and ricocheted off into another. Soon, he found himself being ejected from the side, landing about a quarter of the way through the gates.

Dusting himself off, Ryuukhan charged once more into the gates, sliding between the first two gates and managing to do quite well before feeling a gate slam into him from behind, costing him his footing and his momentum. Before long, he found himself ricocheting off a series of gates and ejected flat onto his back, looking up into Tenzin and Korra's faces.

"We've got a long way to go." Tenzin sighed. "Shall we try again?"

-Line Break-

"You two all right?" Asami asked, watching Korra and Ryuukhan stretch themselves out after nearly an hour of Airbending practice. "You two took a lot of hits."

"We're fine," Korra replied, wincing as she worked out a particularly sore muscle. "We've been through worse."

"Yeah, much worse." Ryuukhan added, glowering at past memories. "We just need more practice."

"So bro, how did you do so well?" Korra asked, taking his attention. "I topped out at avoiding two, maybe three gates, but you managed to get through five or six. What's your secret?"

"Well, uh…" Ryuukhan started, furrowing his eyes in thought. "I thought of it like water. You need to move with the obstacles rather than bowl through them. Keep yourself small and loose, with your arms tucked in and your body straight. This is so you present as small a target as possible, and can turn quickly and in any direction."

"Oh, uh thanks," Korra said, thinking it over. "So...why didn't you make it through?"

"After a while there were just so many gates to keep track of," he replied. "How are you supposed to look everywhere at the same time? It's like fighting a swarm of stinging squid; you avoid one and another has you in its tentacles. And once it has you, there's no escape. How do you regain momentum after losing it?"

"I don't know," Korra answered, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe Tenzin can help."

"Yeah, maybe," Ryuukhan muttered before a large growl emanated from his stomach.

"Well, let's get some dinner and then we'll head for meditation with Tenzin," Korra said. "Asami, would you and Xin like to join us?"

"Sorry Korra, but we really should be getting back," Asami apologized. "Dad's been getting far more strict about being back home before dark, and I don't want to give him any grief or complaints. Otherwise he'll ground us."

"Ground you?" Korra asked. "He's going to drive you into the ground?"

"No, no." Asami laughed. "He's just going to forbid me from leaving home for a while, meaning I won't be able to come visit you or go anywhere to do anything. So, we'd better get going."

"Okay, good night," Korra said as she and Ryuukhan saw Asami and Xin off as they left for the ferry.

"You think they'll come back tomorrow?" Ryuukhan asked as he and Korra sat down for some sauteed vegetables and rice for dinner.

"I don't know," she replied after some thought. "I hope so. I really enjoyed it. Did you?"

"Oh yes, bruises and all," he answered, chuckling. "I really learned a lot, and I wished I learned it before...all that happened."

"Yeah, me too," Korra agreed, her downcast tone matching her brother's. "But next time you'll be ready."

"Ready for what?" a voice broke in. Looking up they saw Tenzin standing over them, holding a steaming bowl and cup. His face was furrowed in suspicion as he locked eyes on his newest students.

"Ready in case we get attacked again," Ryuukhan explained. "I was thinking that I might have escaped the Tong if only I knew the techniques Asami's been teaching us."

"Perhaps, or perhaps you would have been captured anyway," Tenzin responded, drawing the siblings short. "We can never be sure of the consequences of our actions, or how things might have occurred if we had chosen otherwise. We can theorize as much as we like, but there's no way to truly know. And dwelling on what might have been does little but tie you down."

Seating himself, Tenzin took a sip from his cup, savoring the scent of the warm tea. Sighing in satisfaction, he continued "I will teach you all this in our meditation courses, after dinner."

Nodding, the siblings turned to their bowls and began digging into the food, savoring the flavor of rice with sea-cuquat, caulicorn, and broccolini sauteed in sesame oil with fire flakes.

"So, Tenzin," Korra said after a sip of tea. "Do you have any suggestions for Airbending practice?"

Pausing, Tenzin furrowed in thought and replied "For you Korra, I would recommend patience. It's not a race. The goal is not to get through faster than anyone else, but to get through without colliding into the gates."

Turning to Ryuukhan, he stated "In your case, I think it's over-thinking. After a while, you start to worry about where to go next, and that's when the gates take you by surprise. One way to solve this is to simply react to your surroundings, and not get caught up worrying about things beyond your control."

"Is that like what you were saying before?" Ryuukhan asked. "Dwelling on what might have been?"

"In many ways yes," Tenzin replied. "Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads were among the freest people on the planet, a freedom achieved through letting go of their physical and mental bonds. Air Nomads owned only the bare essentials, namely their robes, staves, and feeding bowls, and trained themselves to not get attached to people or places, frequently moving between temples and shrines to cultivate this freedom."

"Does that mean the Air Nomads didn't have families?" Ryuukhan asked, causing Tenzin and Korra to freeze in shock. "I mean if they worked so hard to detach themselves from others, doesn't that include relatives? So wouldn't Air Nomad children be born without knowing their parents? Did they even marry, or ever know their parents, or siblings?"

Looking down in thought, Tenzin mulled over Ryuukhan's words before stating "Yes, and no." Seeing their confusion, he pressed on. "Air Nomads did get married, and they did have children, with the child and/or children remaining in their mother's care for the first year or so of life, until they were weaned, with the mother receiving support from her neighbors. After being weaned the child was raised by monks or nuns depending on the gender, with boys going to the north and south temples, and girls to the east and west temples. Marriages helped prevent incest, and this temple foster care allowed the children to grow up without developing attachments to their parents and inhibiting their spiritual growth. Children only met their parents later in life, usually in adulthood at specific gatherings, and while they could and would have a loving bond, it never developed into the close parent-child relationship that other nations have."

Ryuukhan and Korra simply stared at Tenzin, their eyes wide and their jaws hung open, shocked and aghast at this information. The idea of children being taken away from their parents just seemed so...cruel, inhuman. Thinking over their bond with each other, all the time they spent together, playing, sparring, exploring, learning, laughing. To think that they might never have known each other, that some old clerics forcibly separated them before any of that could happen.

"That all changed with my father." Tenzin interjected. "He recognized that things had changed, with Air Nomads being an 'endangered species' so to say," earning a wince from Ryuukhan. "Not to mention the aftermath of what was the most destructive and prolonged conflict in history, so he had to adapt, by detaching himself from his past, and forging a new way. While my siblings and I were raised with love by our parents, we, or at least I, learned that everything is transient," he paused at their confusion. "Meaning nothing lasts forever. Food rots. Clothes wear and tear. People change, grow old, and die. Even buildings and mountains will eventually erode away given enough time. Thus we aim to cherish our time with others, immersing ourselves in the here and now, knowing that ultimately all we have is who we are in the moment. The past is set in stone, the future is always in flux, but the present is in our hands."

"Returning to your Airbending training," he said after a sip of his tea. "I would recommend you both focus on the moment. Don't worry about beating your last performance, or what you should have done, or what might happen if you act this way or that. Immerse yourself in that moment, and let the wind guide you in that very moment, like the leaf."

Mulling over his words, Ryuukhan and Korra glanced at each other before nodding with understanding.

"Thanks Tenzin," Korra said. "That actually helped."

"Excellent," Tenzin replied as they headed off for meditation.

-Line Break-

Over the next week, Korra and Ryuukhan trained at Air Temple Island, practicing Airbending and meditating with Tenzin, or at least trying to. While his words helped to a degree, with both siblings making greater progress through the spinning gates, neither could complete the journey without getting bounced around like a ball. Korra managed to dodge five on her latest attempt, but her haste to get through caught up and she found herself side-swiped from her left, while Ryuukhan once caught sight of Jinora waiting on the other side, only to lose his focus and get ejected from the gates.

Meditation was not faring much better. While Tenzin's words had given them some guidance, they found themselves unable to truly focus their minds. Korra found herself fixating on her inability to master Airbending, analyzing obsessively over her attempts to navigate the spinning gates, while Ryuukhan went over the mystery surrounding his abilities, pondering all the books and texts he had read, filled with terms and phrases that he barely understood.

In contrast, their training sessions with Asami were going much better, with Korra gaining a slight lead in her number of victories, and Ryuukhan actually managing to wrestle her into a textbook triangle hold after a perfectly-executed shoulder throw. Just as Asami was demonstrating how to escape such a hold, Ryuukhan poked a pressure point in her hand, sending a jolt of pain through her arm and giving him a split second to wrap his legs onto her side and throw her to the ground, pinning her beneath him.

"Okay, you win," Asami said, tapping the ground with her free hand. Releasing his grip, Ryuukhan helped her up and began dusting himself off. "Very good, Ryuukhan. Excellent transition of energy and form, and I love how you combined acupressure with grappling."

"Thanks," he replied.

"I also think you should consider mixing Bending with grappling," she suggested, prompting him to furrow his brow. "I know Firebending is largely about offense over defense, but you could superheat your hands while locking your opponent down."

"I'll consider that," he said, showing unease at the idea of using Bending in such a way.

"Something for next time," she continued before making her way to Korra and Xin. "But in the meantime we need to head for the mall, to get ready for the upcoming trials against the Tong."

"Oh, right," he said, hurrying to catch up. "What are we supposed to do for the trials?"

"Well we're witnesses," Asami explained as they left for the ferry. "Meaning we need to testify against the accused, in this case that hog-monkey and his rhino buddy. We need to make a vow to speak the truth and answer questions as best as we can. Now our testimony could be vital, so we need to make a good first impression, and one way to do that is to look professional, which is where a new suit comes in handy."

"Okay," Korra began, feeling a little uneasy as they boarded the ferry. "So how do professionals dress?"

"Well, men wear suits," Asami explained. "Usually a two-piece with a high collar jacket, knot buttons, and a belt or sash around the waist. Neckties, scarves, or cravats are usually worn, and trousers with knee-breeches and shoes complete the ensemble. Women also wear jackets, but they usually trade trousers for skirts with tights and leather stockings."

Stepping off the ferry, Asami led them to a toll booth for the street car, buying four tickets just as a southbound trolley arrived. "So we need to do a little shopping run," she said as she stepped into the street car. "Normally I do the Premiere Department Store near Central City Station, but there's also Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall, a shopping plaza built to mimic the layout of the Earth Kingdom capital. I've heard a lot of good reviews, and I've always wanted to check it out."

"Sounds cool," Korra said. Mulling over her next train of thought, she then asked "So what's it like being a witness at a trial? How long do they last? And how are we expected to behave?"

"Well, as a witness you are expected to listen and wait your turn to be called to the stand," Asami replied. "After you make your vow, you sit in a chair while the lawyers ask you questions about the crime that was committed, your actions at the time, and other stuff. The questions are never known beforehand in order to keep your answers honest and not rehearsed or preplanned, but as long as you speak clearly and firmly you should be fine. As for your time on the stand, well that could go on for a while, as lawyers from both sides will likely want to question you, and they might have a lot of questions, or just a few. There's really nothing that predicts how long it'll last."

Just then they heard the loudspeaker call out "Next stop, Badgermole Ward!", signaling that they were approaching their stop. As the streetcar slowed, they stood to disembark, taking care to navigate around the remaining passengers. Stepping off, they saw a large raised platform with a circular wall made of grey stone topped with red. Looking up they could see a second level with green tile and painted blue, red, green, and yellow around the windows, followed by a third wall of solid red topped with gold, and towering above the whole structure was a miniature replica of the Earth Kingdom palace, painted red with a golden roof.

"I thought you said this was the LITTLE Fashion Mall," Korra stated, staring in disbelief.

"Hate to see the BIG one," Ryuukhan interjected, earning a laugh from the girls.

"Anyway we should get going," Asami said, entering through the massive gateway. "I should also tell you about trial etiquette. Namely, speak clearly and confidently. Don't rush or mumble. Don't fidget. And don't show extreme emotion, no matter who the trial is about. A little is to be expected, but too much seems overdramatic and could lose you support."

"Why?" Ryuukhan asked as they made their way to the elevator, standing between Xin and Korra. "Wouldn't it make it clear just how badly you were hurt by the crime and earn you sympathy?"

"Possibly," Asami assented as the elevator came to a stop. "But the opposing lawyer could use that to say that you are just acting melodramatic for personal gain. It can be very hard to figure out what's honest and what's not at times. Even the Seismic Sense isn't entirely foolproof, as Azula proved with Toph."

Disembarking, Asami turned to a map near the elevator briefly before heading to the left, maneuvering through dozens of people, most of them customers browsing the shops, with some service staff attending to their needs. Through the mass of people, they could make out a toy shop advertising tops and ribbons, a bookstore filled to the brim with scrolls and texts, and wafting in the air, they could smell something being fried, eliciting a growl from their stomachs.

"Ah, here we are," Asami said, stopping in front of a clothing vendor. "Okay, first we'll get the jackets, then the skirts, then the trousers. The staff here will take your measurements to see if they have clothes that will fit or if they need to make them from scratch. If they have clothes in the right size, you can try them on in the changing rooms so you can see how they look before purchasing them. Now, let's get to work."

Crossing the threshold, they were greeted by four staff members, led by a young woman with brown hair and spectacles, Asai, and led to an area blocked off by screens near the rear of the store, where they saw a set of stepping stools for measuring customers. Two young men, each with black hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin, escorted Ryuukhan and Xin to one pair of stools while Asai and a teenager with red streaks in her black, spiky hair attended to Korra and Asami, with one person measuring them with a tape and the other recording the results.

"Well, good news," Asai said after consulting an inventory book following their measurements. "We have clothes that should fit you. Jackets are along the store walls, trousers are in the men's section to the left of the entrance, skirts in the women's section to the right. If you need any help, feel free to ask us."

Nodding in thanks, the group made their way to the ascribed areas, Korra and Ryuukhan checking out the men's side while Asami and Xin browsed the women's. After selecting a few jackets and trousers, Korra and Ryuukhan rejoined Asami and Xin at the changing rooms, swapping some articles before heading inside to try them out.

A few minutes later, they emerged dressed in the clothes they had selected; Ryuukhan wearing a burgundy red jacket with gold knot buttons, a black sash and trousers, and his pendant around his neck while Korra wore a blue jacket and short skirt over white stockings, and Xin had a dark green jacket and skirt with white trim. After looking them over, Asami said "I think that looks great on you Ryuukhan, but I'm not sure about Korra or Xin. Let's try something else." before taking the girls back into the changing rooms.

A few minutes later Korra reemerged, having swapped the white stockings for a pair of trousers to match her dark blue jacket, complete with a white sash and cap covering her ponytail. Xin emerged not long after, wearing a dark emerald jacket, a matching dress that reached her ankles and a light green undershirt.

Looking at the girls over once more, Asami nodded and said "Let's get three of each, then we'll head out."

Nodding, Ryuukhan, Xin, and Korra returned to the changing rooms while Asami went to collect matching clothes. Meeting up with her at the checkout, Asami completed the purchase and, feeling peckish, they stopped at a nearby vendor to grab some pig-chicken and hippo-beef kebabs.

"Thanks Asami," Korra said, savoring the meat. While more fatty than she would have liked, the meat was juicy and had a nice, spicy flavor, which complimented the chili grapes, tomato-carrots, and frog-stools very well.

"Sorry about all these purchases." she said sheepishly. "I kinda feel like a freeloader here."

"No worries," Asami replied smiling. "I'm always happy to help a friend. You don't need to feel ashamed or guilty or anything."

"It's not just that," Korra pressed. "You've been great for both of us, and...I feel like we haven't really done anything for you. So if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"I will, and thank you." Asami said, smiling as she savored a roasted frog-stool.

"So are you and Xin going to head back soon?" Ryuukhan asked after a brief silence.

Looking at a nearby clock, Asami sighed "Unfortunately yes. We have a long day tomorrow, and it's best that we get some rest."

"Good idea," Korra remarked as she finished off her kebab. "If we're all ready, let's head out."

Finishing their meal, Asmai led the way to the street car station, but then she heard a yell of surprise, followed by a crash coming from down a back alley. Turning, she saw that past a row of crates a trio of men were running at breakneck speed down the alley, leaving a fourth crumbled on the ground, his prone form illuminated by light from a broken window. Cautiously, Asami moved down the alley, listening to him groan and whimper as he tried to stand. As she approached, she found broken planks of wood, some with nails jutting out of them, and shards of glass scattered around the alley. Kicking the planks to the wall, she crouched down and asked "Are you hurt sir?".

The man yelped in shock and fell over backward, locking his grey eyes with her green before letting out a scream of pain. He had a bloody gash in his forehead, with blood trickling down his lined, leathery face into his moustache. The blood dripped down onto his clothes, a simple worn, dull yellow tunic with brown trousers. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he said "I, I'll be fine." before trying to stand, only to fall in pain to his knees as he tightly clutched his chest.

"Don't move sir," Asami said, leaning in close. She could hear his breath coming short and quick, and a damp redness seeped into his tunic. Suspecting a broken rib, she turned to Korra and said "Wait here with him. I'll go call a Healer" before sprinting out of the alley toward a phone booth.

Korra moved to the man and crouched down to check on him, grimacing as she saw the red dampness spread through his clothes. Cursing herself for not knowing any Healing, she simply said "Don't worry. We'll get help.".

Looking up, he gave a weak smile before saying "Make sure you get those dirty bastards.".

"Get who?" Korra asked.

"The Terra Triad," he answered, coughing and wincing. "They...they popped out from underground, b-busted the crates, ro-robbed my shop, and...fled just before your friend arrived."

"Terra Triad? I'm guessing they're organized criminals that use Earthbending?" Korra asked, to which he simply nodded.

"You can...identify them by their san-sand-tan trousers and brown tunics, and a trademark t-tattoo of a hexagram with...four diamonds," he said, his coughing becoming more frequent. "They've...always been a problem a-around here, but lately they...they've seemed to have gotten w-worse. Robbery. Extortion. Assault. De-destruction of property. It seems like they...they strike every other day."

Suddenly, with a violent cough, blood spluttered out of his mouth onto the ground, causing Korra to recoil in shock and surprise. During this coughing fit, the man collapsed, his face planted into a pool of his own blood, and his arms outstretched, leaving his backside standing high in the air propped up by his knees. Glancing down Korra could see that shards of glass had embedded themselves into his hand, but as she reached down to check on him, a siren rang out from the main street. Turning, she saw Ryuukhan and Xin standing with Asami off to the side as an emergency van's lights flashed and a pair of Healers arrived with a stretcher. Gingerly, they lifted the man onto the stretcher and carried him into the van, leaving a police officer behind to investigate the scene.

"Do you have any idea what happened here?" he asked, briefly scanning the alley.

"He said that it was the Terra Triad," Korra replied, seeing the cop sigh and shrug in response. "They came in from underground, broke these crates, robbed him, and ran off not long ago."

"Did you see where they went?" he asked, to which Korra could only shake her head, earning a groan of frustration. "Well move along. I need to investigate the area, and I can't have a civilian contaminating the crime scene. Standard police procedure and all."

"Zhuwei, officer," Korra said as she rejoined the others and resumed their journey to the station. "You know about these Triads Asami? They sound a lot like the Tong."

"They're similar, yes, but not identical." Asami answered as the train approached. "They're organized crime syndicates that use methods such as extortion, smuggling, and trafficking to make money. And they've been operating in Republic City for a while, but the Tong refused to use Benders while the Triads are almost exclusively Benders. Also, the Tong were notorious for doing things that even the Triads would cringe at, like what happened to Xin and Ryuukhan."

Briefly, Korra's eyes turned hard as steel while Ryuukhan's fists clenched tight and Xin shuddered as unpleasant memories bubbled to the surface.

"Now that the Tong have taken a serious hit," Asami continued as the train began to move. "Other criminal syndicates are trying to fill the void. As such, the Triads are becoming bolder and more aggressive in their activities. The police are doing all they can, but they have a whole city to patrol, and there are only so many on the force. Not to mention all their other duties."

"Sounds like they need help," Korra remarked. "Maybe I could join the force. With me on the police force, the Triads wouldn't stand a chance."

"You'd have to undergo training first," Asami said. "If not in combat then in law and investigation, and that could take years. Not to mention you'd have to be part of a squad. No solo missions or going off on your own."

"But if the situation is that bad then shouldn't I be deployed sooner, not later?" Korra asked.

"How 'bad' is bad enough?" Asami asked. Hearing no reply she continued "Who decides? What qualifies as 'bad'? How do we determine 'badness'? Should the Avatar be the first or last resort? Again, based on what?"

After pondering for a moment, Korra could only say "I don't know how to answer those."

"I don't think anyone does." Asami replied. "But perhaps that's for the best. It makes us think, and question ideas and beliefs. Prevents us from becoming static and rigid. And keeps us open to change and new ideas."

Just then, they heard the loudspeaker pronounce the upcoming stop. Hearing this, Korra, standing to disembark, said "Well, this is our stop. Thanks Asami. Zhuwei."

-Line Break-

"Do you solemnly promise, to the Spirits and the Avatar, to speak only the full, untarnished truth?" the barrister asked, his right hand in the air, and his left upon his heart as the witness stood before him.

"I promise that I shall speak the full, untarnished truth." Ryuukhan, his hands mirroring the barrister's, replied before taking the stand.

"Ryuukhan, son of Tonraq, would you mind telling the court what happened on the day in question?" one of the lawyers, the prosecutor it seemed, requested.

"Yes sir," Ryuukhan replied. "I flew in on Hina, my Wyvern-Hawk, and landed on the island guarding Yue Bay. I was about to head off for the mainland, when I was accosted by a gang of men, the Tong it turned out. I forced Hina to fly off while I tried to fight, but they knocked me unconscious. I woke up strapped to a table in an airship, with my chi blocked, and when the airship landed I was tossed into a meat locker. I managed to escape and board a delivery truck, whereupon I tried to rejoin my sister on Air Temple Island. After a brief run-in with the Tong, I met with Asami where we soon found ourselves attacked by the Tong. After a short struggle I was knocked unconscious, and when I woke up I was in a cage fighting a kid who had been drugged. I managed to knock him unconscious, but a Chi-Blocker, the one who disrupted my network earlier, was unhappy with how the fight went, and viciously attacked my nerves and meridians to the point where I couldn't stand, much less move. I was dropped off in a basement where I was reunited with Asami, and a girl named Xin. Xin released Asami and we tried to escape, but we met with another Tong member, whereupon Asami handed me to Xin where we fled up some stairs into an office while she dealt with him. After trudging up the stairs we hid in an office, but then we heard a scuffle outside, followed by the breaking of wood planks. We were about to hide in a closet when I recognized someone outside, my sister Korra, and I told Xin to bring me out, so we could meet. After that we headed down to the lobby with my sister, Tenzin, and Officer Beifong before heading for the clinic via an ambulance, where a Healer looked me over for any severe or deep damage. Upon my arrival at the clinic I was brought into a room for a more thorough lookover and then put to bed. Korra left to run an errand, during which I dozed off. I woke up a short time later with Korra checking in and after a quick talk we fell asleep."

"Do you recognize the Chi-blocker responsible for attacking you so viciously?" the prosecutor asked.

"Yes, I do." Ryuukhan replied.

"If he is in this courtroom, would you mind pointing him out to us?" he requested.

Standing, Ryuukhan looked around the courtroom, locking eyes on the man seated at the defendant's table. After a brief lookover, Ryuukhan pointed a single finger at the man in question, causing whispers and murmurs to break out among the jurors.

"Thank you young man," the prosecutor said before seating himself.

"Does the defender wish to cross-examine the witness?" Tenzin, one of the judges presiding over the case, asked.

"Yes, your honor," she replied, standing to face Ryuukhan. "Ryuukhan, how do you know this individual was responsible for attacking you?"

"For one I recognize his face," he replied. "I've been at his mercy three times in the past, so I've had plenty of time to familiarize myself with his appearance. He has the same brown, frizzy hair that the chi-blocker did, and the same thin face with retreating cheekbones. Also, I broke that chi-blocker's nose after that cage match, and this man has the same broken nose the chi-blocker had. Last, I heard him talking earlier, and I recognized his voice. He had the same accent and flat, mid-level tone at the end of his words as the chi-blocker, which are not easy to fake. So given all the similarities the simplest explanation is that they are one and the same."

"Do you think there's a chance you might be mistaken?" she asked. "Perhaps this is a case of mistaken identity?"

"Doubtful," he replied. "I've met and talked with a lot of people while living at the South Pole, mostly traders and tourists, and they all have distinct accents and quirks of speech, even when they use the World Tongue. Those are not easy to mask or fake, even for professional actors like the Ember Players, so they're usually a good way of recognizing a person. It's not perfect, but nine times out of ten it usually works. Not to mention the facial similarities that I mentioned earlier. Simply put, there are so many similarities that the odds that it is simply coincidence are really low."

Briefly pausing, the defender asked "Do you know why you were attacked by my client?".

"Simple, he wanted to have me immobilized so he could force me into fighting for money," he replied. "I recognized him when I was transported to the meat locker, but not from the island that I first encountered and fought the Tong. I didn't recognize his voice among the men that first attacked me, so it couldn't have been that I was attacking him or violating his territory."

"Were you chi-blocked on the island?" the defender asked.

"I was, but like I said none of the men had the same voice that he did." he replied.

"Did they all speak? Could you see them on the island or was it too dark?" she pressed on, irritating him.

"There were at least three of them, maybe four, and three of them spoke," he replied. "None of them had the same voice. I also heard them all laughing, and none of them had an echo of those same quirks. Also, while it wasn't bright out, it wasn't pitch black either, and I could make out their faces. None of them had the same hairstyle or thin face that the chi-blocker did."

"You mentioned that you fought the Tong." she said. "Did you attack them, or vice versa?"

"I made the first move, but it was clear that they intended to do harm." he replied, keeping his voice level even as inner fire flashed in his eyes. "They said 'no intruders allowed, no exceptions' and that they would need to 'escort' me out while grinning like tuna-sharks closing in on their prey. It was clear that they meant to harm me, so I took the initiative to try and escape, but Hina was too tired to fly with me on her so I stayed to fight while she made her escape. If I hadn't, both of us would have been captured, and I have no idea what would have happened to her. Sold as a pet. Stuffed and mounted. Used for meat. I couldn't let that happen, so I made the first move. If they had left me alone, there would not have been a fight."

"No more questions." she said after a tense moment of silence.

"Prosecutor, do you wish to question the witness further?" Tenzin asked, turning to the prosecutor's desk.

"No your honor," he replied, standing briefly to give his answer.

"Thank you," Tenzin said before turning to Ryuukhan. "You are dismissed."

"Very well your honor," Ryuukhan stated, leaving the stand and resuming his seat next to the girls while the accused took the stand. At first the accused tried to argue that he was not responsible for attacking Ryuukhan, claiming to be elsewhere at the time. A cursory examination revealed that he lacked any evidence for such a claim, earning a smile from Ryuukhan.

"I had no other choice," he tried, seeing his first argument fail. "I didn't have the vocational skills to get honest work. I grew up on the streets, having to deal with the Triads, so I learned how to defend myself against them. After a while the Tong found me and they were so impressed by my skills they hired me. Where else could I go? The police only hire Benders for the force, so I couldn't get a job there. The military is almost entirely Benders, so not many real prospects there. What else could I do?"

"Actually the Police force has multiple people working for them," the prosecutor replied. "The Metal-Benders are just the public face, but behind the scenes they employ plenty of people as detectives, crime scene investigators, and so forth. Same with the military. You don't need to be a Bender to act as a clerk, a cook, or a mechanic for instance. And there's one area of work you didn't mention: Healers. In cases of mental trauma or seizures, chi-blockers are called in to help immobilize the patient to prevent them from harming themselves or others. And chi-blocking is closely tied to acupressure and acupuncture, and with your skills you could have easily made a lot of money in medicine."

"But...but how could I get employed?" he asked. "I've got a criminal record, so surely no one would hire me. No one does."

"Did you try to get hired?" the prosecutor asked, his eyes hard. "Surely, if you really wanted you could have gotten a sympathetic ear with any of these areas, and if you confessed to your crimes you would have served time in prison, but that would have proven that you wanted to make amends for your crimes, and that you wanted to be a law-abiding citizen. But instead, you stayed with the Tong, adding to your crimes and now you are trying to dodge responsibility for your actions."

"Now, now," the defender stood. "My client had no control over his circumstances. It's not his fault that he grew up on the streets. Children and teenagers that lose their families often lack financial and vocational resources, so they often end up homeless and turning to crime simply to survive. Would any of us really make different choices if we were in his place?"

"He may not have control over his circumstances, but he definitely did have control over his choices," he countered. "If personal responsibility is annulled due to adverse circumstances, who can we hold accountable for immoral or illegal actions? If I was abused as a boy and I committed murder or treason, should my parents be punished in my place? If they were in turn abused, should their tormentors be punished for my crimes? If said tormentors are no longer alive then who is responsible? Can any of us be held accountable at all if we adopt this mode of thinking? None of us has total control over our circumstances, but we do have full control over our choices, and thus we are responsible for the consequences of those choices, good and bad. We may not be able to perfectly predict the outcomes, or have the power to control or contain the fallout, but that does not abrogate our duty to do our best. Thus, while adverse circumstances may lead one to commit immoral actions, it is up to them to accept responsibility and right those actions."

Over the next hour, additional witnesses were called to the stand while the defender and prosecutor argued back and forth over the evidence being presented. Ryuukhan hardly heard or registered any of it, as fury roiled inside him at the pathetic attempt by the accused to play the victim.

'Mako and Bolin also grew up on the streets and turned to crime to survive,' he thought angrily. 'But they submitted quietly and pleaded guilty to their charges. They never tried to blame society or Benders or whatever. They admitted that they did wrong and that they were ready to take responsibility for their crimes.'

Thinking of the brothers he remembered meeting them the day after he had been rescued.

-Line Break-

He, Korra, and Pabu had just arrived at Police Headquarters, whereupon Bolin lit up with joy and relief at the sight of the Fire Ferret. Smiling, Korra held Pabu to the bars while Bolin loudly kissed him through the crisscrossing metal, his antics bringing a small smile to Mako's face.

"Sorry guys," Korra said, looking awkward. "But I used some of your money to buy a train ticket back from your apartment. I didn't have any money of my own, and Pabu was scared of the water. I'll pay you back as soon as possible."

"No worries Korra," Mako replied, walking to the bars. "The cops won't let us keep Pabu, so you can use it to pay for food and medicine."

"Medicine?" Korra asked. "Is he sick?"

"Not right now," Mako reassured her. "But if anything happens either talk with us or head for the vet. So long as you keep him fed, watered, and exercised he should be fine."

"Exercised?" Ryuukhan asked. "You mean like taking him out for walks or something?"

"You can walk with him climbing on your shoulders," Bolin interjected, breaking off the kissing session. "But you can also toss him balls to bat around, let him swim in a pond or small pool, and give him a pole to climb. That should do it. Also, be sure to give him a bath every week or so."

Hearing this Pabu hissed in response, earning a small chuckle from everyone around.

"By the way, thank you," Ryuukhan said. "You really helped us back there with the Tong."

"Hey no problem man," Bolin replied, smiling. "It was the least we could do. Besides, no one deserves to be at the mercy of the Tong."

"Well if there's anything we can do…" Ryuukhan trailed off.

"We'll let you know," Mako reassured.

"So how long are you going to be in for?" Korra asked. "I understand that the trial could take time, but what's a reasonable estimate?"

"Well we could be waiting weeks or months for a trial," Mako replied, earning a shocked expression from Korra and her brother. "And we're probably looking at a year or more in prison afterward."

"A year or more?!" Korra exclaimed. "But you-you helped us! You brought down the Tong! You rescued my brother and Xin!"

"But we still committed crimes Korra," Mako asserted, cutting her off. "We might have done some good things, but is a single day of good deeds enough to balance out a lifetime of hurting people? Even if we did it out of survival, being homeless orphans and all, does that make us any less responsible? We want to atone for our past Korra. We WANT to go on trial. We WANT to face the consequences for our actions."

"But still a year seems so-so…" she stammered over what words to use for her thoughts.

"Long?" Bolin interjected. "It's not that long compared to how many years we were with the Triads, about six or seven years."

"That's when our parents were...killed by a mugger." Mako said, his face downcast. "Ever since then it's just been us."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Korra pressed. "I-I'm sure Tenzin could do something. I could talk to him and-"

"Korra!" Mako snapped, making her jump in fright. "We understand that you mean well, but please listen. We don't want a pardon. Or help. Or a reduced sentence. We want atonement for our crimes. Atonement means more than just saying 'I'm sorry'. Anyone can say 'I'm sorry' and go right back to being a criminal. Atonement means looking at yourself in the mirror, seeing what inside you led you down that path, and resolving to address that so you don't venture down there again. What's the point of saying 'I'm sorry' if you don't learn or reform? Why bother admitting your mistakes, or your crimes, if you're just going to do the same thing again?"

Korra and Ryuukhan paused, their mouths opening and closing like silver-fish at feeding time, mulling over Mako's words. After a while, they nodded in understanding and said "All right. We understand. Zhuwei." before departing from the Police station.

-Line Break-

"Councilman Tenzin will now deliver the verdict," a voice rang out, breaking through Ryuukhan's memories. Looking up he saw Tenzin, dressed in his Air Nomad robes, standing before the court while his fellow Councillors sat awaiting his words. Clearing his throat, Tenzin intoned "Given the witness testimony, and the physical evidence gathered at the crime scenes of the Tong Incident, we find Gun Yichi, previously known as Hog-Monkey 1339 of the Eight Animals Tong, to be guilty of child abduction, assault, battery, and trafficking. He is hereby sentenced to a minimum of ten years in prison, with a maximum sentence of twenty years."

Gun Yichi's eyes widened in shock at the sentence before narrowing into a furious glare, his jaw clenched tight and his manacled hands balled into fists. Standing swiftly, he turned and lunged for Ryuukhan, only for metal cables to wrap around him, pinning his arms to his sides and jerking him toward the guards. Gun Yichi looked up as the guards picked him up by the scruff of his neck and dragged him toward the door. Looking toward Ryuukhan he spat out "You think this is over?! I'll find you! I'll find you! I'll find you!" before the heavy doors closed in his face.

Ryuukhan simply glared back before releasing a breath he did not know he had been holding. Feeling a hand grasp his shoulder, he tensed as he looked to the source...only to see Korra, her eyes creased with worry. Taking a few deep breaths, he said "I'm fine. He just caught me off-guard."

"Well don't worry about him," Korra reassured. "He's in prison, and he's NOT getting out. And if he does, he'll find my fist and a funeral pyre waiting for him on the outside."

"Now, now, Korra," Asami said. "We don't have to worry about him anymore, but we do have business to take care of. Let's grab a quick lunch and get back in time for the next trial."

"That's right," Ryuukhan realized before turning to the girl at Asami's side. "Xin, you're a witness in the next one aren't you?"

"Y-yes." Xin replied, her voice cracking as she began to shake in fear.

"Well let's get going," Korra said, standing up. "Is there a good cafe or quick diner around here, Asami?"

"Follow me," she replied, leading the others out the double doors.

-Line Break-

After a bland but filling lunch of rice balls and vegetables, Korra, Ryuukhan, and Asami were back at the courthouse, listening as Xin began her testimony.

"My brothers were contracted as assembly line workers, and I was sent with them while our parents stayed in the Earth Kingdom, specifically the State of Yi." she began. "They were contracted by a man who claimed to represent a company, but we never got his name, or even saw his face. He...he had it covered like a Sandbender, so we presumed that was what he was. The deal was that we would gain passage to Republic City, and that we would pay off the debt by garnishing my brother's wages. I was too young to work alongside my brothers, so they left me with people that worked as part-time teachers. It was all we could afford, given we had to pay for rent and food."

Pausing momentarily, Xin continued, her voice beginning to crack. "About six months later, there was an explosion at the factory. We don't know what happened but my brothers died. I didn't know until the day after, when a woman, a police officer, came and asked me to identify some…some bodies at the...white repository."

Xin, swallowing hard, fought to steady herself even as painful memories threatened to overwhelm her. "Their bodies were...charred black, and smelt of burned chicken-pork. Their skin was...tight and leathery like...like dried jerky. I could see...bone exposed on their hands and necks. Their clothes were… burned into their flesh. One of them, the...closest t-to the explosion...had his chest...caved in, and his jaw...blown clean off. The other had his head...skewered with a rod like a spear through a fish. To identify them, I looked at their hands, and I...saw two rings, one bearing a Badger-mole and the other a winged boar on their right hands. Those had been given to my brothers when we left home, and they NEVER took them off. To make sure, I...I asked the tender to let me see their teeth, and I could see that they had been...black and filed down to reduce their points. The tender tried cleaning them, but the black remained, which...which meant that they had to be...my brothers…"

Briefly, Xin fell forward as grief overcame her, and a few tears fell from her eyes. Feeling her pain, Ryuukhan desperately wanted to go and comfort her, but Korra and Asami held him back. Clamping down on his anger and pain, Ryuukhan settled for a look of sympathetic grief and waited as Xin regained control of herself.

"After that," she continued, breathing deep and slow. "I was contacted by a man, tall and thin, with pallid skin, who invited himself into the apartment and told me he represented the company. He said that I still had to work off my passage, and that if I didn't I would be deported back to the Earth Kingdom. To figure out how I was to work off this debt he said he had to...to check my abilities. I told him I could cook and clean, as well as tend a garden or take care of animals. He nodded before telling me to...to undress so he...could assess my…'physical prowess'".

Hearing this all eyes in the court widened in shock, knowing what was likely to come next but simultaneously not wanting to believe it to be true.

"I...I undressed down to my…undergarments, but he demanded I remove those as...as well," she continued, her voice cracking while her body began shuddering. "He ordered me to...to turn around, like I was a roast on a spit. When I finished he was looking at me like...like he was measuring a...a brood hippo-cow. After...staring he told me I would be assigned as a servant to one of their clients for the time being with a...'special night service' for...extra income."

The court winced in disgust at the mental image. To think that a child was being forced to do such things was beyond reproach. Xin's shaking and trembling only reinforced the collective distress as she tried her best to continue her testimony.

"The client himself wasn't that bad," she said, her voice evening out. "He never...beat me or asked for anything...unclean or improper, and his workload was rather reasonable. He had a domestic staff that would handle most of the dangerous work, while I did the errands and the little things. He even invited me to stay with them, so I wouldn't have to worry about food and rent. I...I figured it would help pay off the debt faster so I accepted."

"The only problem was when...HE came around," she said, her voice cracking again. "He always came to tell me how much debt I had left, and to once again…'assess my prowess'. Every time he…'assessed' me I could see...something in his eyes. Something d-disgusting. A glint that made my skin crawl. And it only got w-worse as time went on. Two years in he...he told me that my debt was accumulating faster than I was paying it off so I had to start…'special night services'."

By this point, the court looked with abject loathing at the accused who, to their shock, seemed utterly unconcerned. He just sat there, his face flat, expressionless, the look of complete boredom, like this was all a bad play, and Xin was simply a drama queen.

"E-every night…he would come and...ch-chi-block me," she pressed on, tears welling up in her eyes. "After I was...immobilized he would...put a bag over my head to blindfold me and...and toss me over his shoulder, like I was a sack of rice. When the bag came off he would force me to wear these...these clothes that just BARELY covered me. He...he then ordered me to walk out onto this platform...in front of dozens of men yelling and whistling at me. I...I tried to fight back but he...he simply slapped me and...threatened to...rip the rest of my clothes off in-in front of them. So I...I walked. The noise, like frenzied animals. The...bright light that left nowhere to hide. The stinking smoke. The hands that...jabbed out and...and…"

At that moment Xin broke down completely, her tears falling freely and openly, her breathing hitched and shallow while the accused merely sneered at the whole thing. Just when it seemed that the court would erupt into open violence, Tenzin stood up and declared "There will be a quick recess for the time being. We'll inform you when we are ready to resume."

Wasting no time Asami ran over to Xin, offering her full support to the openly sobbing girl while Ryuukhan and Korra glared furiously at the accused as the guards surrounded him, as much to keep him safe as to keep him contained. Never had he or Korra felt such rage toward anyone, not even Gun Yichi. Glancing at the Councillors, they could see that even Tenzin was doing all he could to not rip the man apart.

After about a quarter of an hour, everyone had finally calmed down enough to resume the trial, though additional security was brought in as a precaution. Xin, while considerably calmer, tightly gripped Asami's hand for support and, out of respect for her ordeal, the Councillors had granted her permission to stand with the witness for moral reasons.

"Every night I...I had to walk down that platform," Xin said. "And when I was done...HE would be there waiting for me. Oftentimes he...he hit me. Sometimes on the face for...'ruining the show', and sometimes on my...my rear-end. He always 'took care' not to cause 'permanent damage'. Then it was the...the bag again as we returned to the client. I...I had to sneak back in, still wearing those…those disgraceful clothes. One time I...I got caught by one of the staff. She just looked at me in disgust, and from that moment she NEVER spent any more time with me than absolutely necessary. I...I once burned those clothes, but...but he simply added that to my debt, so I...I kept them locked in my quarters."

"One year later I...I was dismissed by the client," she continued, her eyes once more moistening. "He said that due to my…'nightly activities' he couldn't afford to have me anymore. Said it was 'disgraceful' to be associated with...someone like me. So I found myself being bumped from client to client over the next year. My last one was really, really nasty. I was the only servant, and he was one of the men at...at the platform."

"I was about to be 'shown' once again at the brewery when the Incident happened," she finished, her voice steadying itself. "I was told to wait while the current show was finishing up. I was crying, both in gratitude for the delay, and in dread for what was coming, when I heard someone whisper to me. I froze like a rabbit-finch when I saw Asami lock eyes with me. I collapsed, not knowing what was about to happen but she just seated herself and asked me to untie her. I...I was scared so at first I refused, but then I heard someone being thrown down the stairs. It was Ryuukhan, all limp like a rag-doll. Asami ran over to look him over, and then turned to me and asked me to help untie her so we could escape. At first I refused but, seeing her and Ryuukhan fighting the Tong, and knowing what was coming, I...I complied. She picked Ryuukhan up and we made our way up the stairs, only to come across...HIM. Asami took him on while I took Ryuukhan and ran up the stairs and hid in an office. After an intense battle we were found by a girl in blue with ponytails. Korra. The police soon found us and arrested the Tong members while we went our separate ways: Ryuukhan went with Korra, and I went with Asami. I...I fell asleep alongside Asami, the first proper sleep I had in years."

"You are very brave to recount such a painful story," the prosecutor said solemnly. "Forgive me but I must ask you a few questions. Do you recognize the man who forced you into this life?"

"Yes sir," she replied.

"How would you recognize this man if you saw him?" he pressed.

"He...he has gold caps on his rear teeth, and a tattoo on the back of his left hand." she replied. "Shu-Six four zero zero five, followed by the symbol for Earth."

"Do you recognize that person in this courtroom today?" he asked.

"Yes sir," she answered.

"Could you point him out to us?" he finished.

Standing unsteadily, Xin released Asami's hand, locked eyes on the accused, and pointed a shaking finger at him, to which he merely sneered in response.

"Thank you," the prosecutor said before turning to the Councillors. "No further questions, your honor."

"Does the defender wish to cross-examine the witness?" Tenzin asked.

"No your honor," she replied.

"Very well," Tenzin said before turning to Xin. "Thank you my dear. You are dismissed."

As Xin and Asami returned to their seats next to Korra and Ryuukhan, the court turned to the accused. After taking the Vow of Honesty, he took the stand and, to everyone's surprise, declared "I, Fu Kuan, am guilty of all charges." just as the prosecutor stood to question him.

Not stopping for a minute, Fu Kuan stood up and held his left hand before the prosecutor and asked "Do you see the tattoo on my hand?".

"Yes," he replied.

"What does it say?" Fu Kuan pressed.

"Shu-Six four zero zero five, followed by the Earth symbol," he answered.

"Now look at my teeth, and tell me what you see" Fu Kuan ordered as he opened his mouth mere inches from the prosecutor's face, his breath, hot and moist, fogging up the man's glasses.

"I see gold caps on the back teeth," he replied, taking a moment to clean off his glasses. "Just as Xin described."

"So there you have it," Fu Kuan addressed the court. "I am guilty of all charges."

"Why?" the prosecutor asked, clearly confused. "Why confess at your trial instead of the police interrogation? Why go to all this trouble?"

"Confessing to the police is boring," Fu Kuan replied flippantly, shocking everyone. "That's why I do anything really. It amuses me."

"Does that include joining the Tong and everything that happened to Xin?" the prosecutor pressed, fury leaking into his voice.

"Yeah," Fu Kuan replied. "So what are you waiting for? I confessed, so go ahead and pass the verdict and sentence already. I'm getting bored."

"Prosecutor, defender, do either of you wish to question the accused?" Tenzin asked, his beard bristling in indignation and anger.

"No your honor," they replied in unison as they sat down.

"Very well," Tenzin said before turning to the remaining Councillors. "We will adjourn to the break room to assess the evidence. We will be back in less than half an hour."

Barely ten minutes later, the Councillors returned from the break room, Tenzin standing to deliver the verdict. "Fu Kuan, you have confessed to the charges of child abuse, kidnapping, and trafficking. Given there is no evidence of this confession being coerced or involuntary, nor is there substantial reason to doubt the veracity of your confession, we find you guilty of all charges. We hereby sentence you to a minimum of eighteen years in prison with a maximum sentence of twenty-five. Take him away."

As the guards escorted Fu Kuan from the defender's desk, he threw a sideways sneer toward Xin, a malicious glint in his eye that made her shudder. Instinctively, Asami drew the girl into herself, shooting a furious glare at the sneering convict while Korra and Ryuukhan tensed in response, watching for any sign of trouble. However, Fu Kuan knew he was beaten and so quietly went along with the guards, continuously sneering at Xin all the while. Just as they reached the double doors, however, they heard a scuffle from outside. The guards, now on high-alert, barred the doors shut and took up defensive positions, taking care to wrap Fu Kuan in their cables as a precaution.

Seeing all this Korra, Ryuukhan, and Asami jumped to their feet and started searching for potential attackers. Behind them, they could hear the Councillors shuffling around, with the fluttering of robes betraying Tenzin's approach. Before they could say or do anything he barked out "Stay here. I'll check the situation." as he made his way to the doors.

Nodding to the guards, he opened one of the doors and stepped outside, closing it shut behind him. Outside, things seemed to intensify as they could hear yells and screams, and even the sound of concrete being ripped apart, probably from Earthbending.

'That's no scuffle, it's a battle!' Korra realized. 'Is Tenzin all right? Does he need backup? What's going on?!'

Just then, the doors burst open, knocking down the guards as a man slammed through the entry. Seeing this, Fu Kuan freed himself from the cables and tried to run for it, but a guard managed to recover fast enough to pin him to the ground with his Earthbending. Through the open doors, Korra and the others could see a battle raging between five Metalbending police and a group of ten or twelve people shooting fire-balls and water-whips. In-between them the ground had been ripped open, leaving fissures and a gaping hole where the stink of sewage wafted through the air. Though outnumbered, the police were holding their own, with two having just entrapped three of their attackers within the Earth.

One of these policemen then shot a cable at a nearby man, who pulled water out from the open sewer to form a wall of brown ice, trapping the cable and the officer. The Waterbender then followed up by melting the putrid ice back into water and engulfing the cable, following it back to the officer. Without hesitation the officer snapped off the cable, dropping it and the sewer water, and ran toward the Waterbender. In response the Waterbender shot out a whip but the police officer shot out his second cable, wrapping it around his attacker and pinning his arms to his chest. With his opponent out of commission, the officer turned to his comrades, only to be greeted by a fire-ball to the face.

Unfortunately the fire-ball made contact with the gases leaking from the sewer, causing the gas to ignite. Those closest to the hole found themselves knocked off-balance from the blast while the others momentarily froze. The police, however, quickly recovered and resumed the battle, ensnaring two of their opponents with their cables and taking the initiative. Just as a Waterbender drew up the sewer water to retaliate, a police siren rang out from above, causing him and his comrades to flee the area. The remaining police tried to catch them with their cables only to be knocked down by brown icicles created by the fleeing Waterbender.

While reinforcements began descending from above, presumably an airship, the guards inside escorted Fu Kuan outside to a van that had been knocked over during the battle. As the police righted the van, Tenzin briefly searched for any lingering threats before crossing back to the Councillor's table and wearily pronounced "It was the Triple Threat Triad."

This pronouncement sent murmurs rippling through the courtroom, speculation, uncertainty, and fear gripping the jurors.

"What were they after?"

"Was anyone hurt?"

"What's going on?"

"As of this moment," Tenzin said, breaking through the murmurs. "We do not know the specifics, but it seems they attacked a nearby store and our guards intercepted them. The fact that we were holding a trial may have been purely coincidental, but we have caught a number of them and there will be a thorough investigation."

"Councillor Tenzin," Tarrlok interjected, making Tenzin's eyebrows rise in irritation. "Forgive me, but it seems that we are seeing Triad activity, from robbery to arson to assault, rising throughout the city, and not just the Triple Threat. The Agni Kai, Creeping Crystal, Red Monsoon, and Terra Triads have all been implicated in this creeping crime wave. Do you have any suggestions for how we should proceed?"

"I prefer to gain more information first," Tenzin stated. "As such, we will interrogate the prisoners thoroughly to understand the situation. However, in light of this crime wave, I would support an expansion of our police force to investigate the situation, patrol the city, and conduct arrests."

"A wise course of action," Tarrlok nodded. "How would we expand the police force? Who would we recruit?"

"How about the imprisoned?" a voice rang out, cutting off Tenzin's reply. Turning to the source everyone could see that Korra had stood and was addressing the Councillors.

"I mean we do have a lot of people in prison," she continued. "And I'm sure they have skills the police could use, so training should be easier and faster. And…"

"You mean the likes of that...ANIMAL we just locked up?!" someone interrupted, incredulity ringing in their voice.

"I'm NOT suggesting the Tong!" she reassured. "Nor do I suggest that we just open the jail cells and let them out. What I AM suggesting is that we give convicted criminals the option to work with the police as a way to...gauge their trustworthiness. If they honor their side of the deal, then they're trustworthy, and thus they can rejoin society as law-abiding citizens. If they fail, then they're not trustworthy, and thus they will remain in prison."

For a moment, the room was silent. Then shouts and jeers began raining down on Korra.

"You would trust CRIMINALS to fight fellow CRIMINALS?!"

"Incredible!"

"Insane!"

"Inconceivable!"

Desperate to make herself heard over the growing din, Korra shot off a fire-ball, shocking the jury into silence, only to hear new accusations echo in the courtroom.

"You see that?! She threatened us!"

"Are you with the Triads yourself?!"

"Arrest her!"

Suddenly a massive boom echoed through the courtroom, breaking off the accusations and bringing the court to order. Turning, people saw Tenzin had his right arm extended at an angle, the palm facing the ceiling, while his left clung near his waist facing upward. Having made the noise to gain the people's attention, Tenzin intoned "I understand that this has been a VERY trying day, for all of us, and Korra's suggestion was not the most appropriate nor the most wise, but please be mindful of her youth. After all, who has NOT uttered words that later proved inappropriate for the situation? Korra meant no offense, so please forgive her words."

Korra, aghast at his words, made to confront him, but he held out a hand, cutting off whatever remark she had at the tip of her tongue and continued "In the meantime, I suggest that we call it a day. We've all done our duty, and it would be wise to get some rest. Do not worry, for the police have informed me that additional attacks are unlikely to occur anytime soon. I thank you for your patience and your service to Republic City, and I wish you the best. Zhuwei."

As the jurors left the courtroom, many of them glanced toward Korra. Some of them seemed angry and contemptuous, perhaps for her suggestion to recruit criminals, or for her use of Firebending in the courtroom. Others seemed sympathetic, perhaps to show that they understood her intentions, or maybe that they agreed with her ideas. A small number, however, seemed to hold both sympathy and condescension, perhaps saying that they pitied her for being so young and naive, a foolish girl who knew nothing of the ways of the world.

As the last of them left Korra and the others behind, she hopped over the court benches, grabbed Tenzin by the shoulder and asked "What was that about?!".

"I just helped you out of a sticky situation," he replied. "Your suggestion, while in and of itself not a bad idea, was poorly worded in this situation. We had just tried two dangerous, and reprehensible criminals, right before a Triad attack. Do you really think the people would have had a high opinion of criminals under these circumstances?"

"But you said that we need to expand the police force," Korra retorted. "We've got a LOT of people in prison, some of whom are refugees, migrants, and orphans that were snatched up by the syndicates, like Mako and Bolin. Surely THEY would be good candidates for supporting the police."

"Mako and Bolin are relatively unknown to the people at large," Tenzin explained. "They are decent people forced into crime by the need to survive, but most people think of criminals as people who commit heinous acts for pleasure or greed, like Yichi and Kuan. Instead of 'criminals' you could have used 'refugees' or 'detainees' or 'prisoners', words that elicit a less negative reaction and carry less emotional baggage. You need to be more careful in your choice of words for you to be heard and taken seriously."

"Your heart was in the right place," Tenzin pressed on, ignoring Korra's retort. "But you need to be more mindful of your situation. I will put in a good word for you at this meeting, and I will see you at the temple in time for meditation. Zhuwei."

'Is that how he thinks of me?' she wondered, watching Tenzin join the Councillors, her body trembling as she tried to sort out her emotions. 'Am I still just a kid, a naive country bumpkin that can't hold her tongue? I can't believe he said that! And in front of all those people!'

"Korra, are you ready to go?" Asami asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. Turning she saw that Asami and Xin were waiting at the double doors while Ryuukhan stayed by her side, looking up at her with concern in his eyes.

"Yeah, let's go," she replied, heading toward the exit, her brother following close behind.

"So are you still thinking about joining the police force?" Asami asked as they boarded a street-car.

"Yeah I am," Korra replied, seating herself while Asami remained standing. "I can fight, and I've got Naga, so I'm sure that I can help."

"You'll still need training, as I mentioned earlier" Asami said. "Not to mention there's an age limit. You have to be at least 17 years old to join the force, no matter how skilled you are."

"But given the Triads are acting up, and I'm the Avatar, surely…" Korra began, but then a certain visage coalesced in her mind.

Gray hair, like newly forged iron.

Green eyes in a steel-hard furrow.

Lips set in an annoyed scowl, firm as a vise.

Faint, straight scars running down the right cheek, tight like cables.

Officer Lin Beifong.

"On second thought, Beifong would NEVER go for it" she sighed, wracking her head for ideas. "Even so, I doubt we've seen the last of the Triads. We gotta step up the training. Are you available tomorrow?"

"Not in the morning I'm afraid," Asami answered. "Dad's working on a new machine, and he wants my help in testing it. But I think I can swing by in time for lunch."

"All right, hope to see you then," Korra said, smiling slightly before turning to her brother. "You up for this?"

"Yeah," he replied, smiling back. "We gotta be ready for whatever comes our way. And no matter what, you'll have me at your back."

"That's right," Korra said. "No matter what."

-Line Break-

Author's Notes: Thanks for all your patience, and thank you for your reviews.

Sorry it took me a while to write this one, but I wanted to tie up the Tong Arc and move on to the next one, and this was my longest chapter yet.

Also, I hope I've done Xin's story justice. I wanted to show her plight in a sympathetic and realistic manner in that she's doing better but it still lingers within. Xin won't be "ok" or "normal" as that's not how trauma works, but she can recover and live a mostly normal life, and that's where Asami and the others come in.

On a side-note I was considering the Goblet of Fire as a means to transport Ryuukhan back to the Potterverse, but that's kind of cliche, and given the changes that are coming up, and everything that's already happened, what are the odds that the Triwizard Tournament would still happen?

As for how Korra would react, well what would you do if your sibling was taken from you? Or if you were kidnapped by a bunch of people that you didn't know or understand?

There was also a review suggesting that Ryuukhan be the Avatar of Vaatu while Korra is the Avatar of Raava. Cool idea, and I think it fits far better with the aesthetic of the Avatarverse. The "Beginnings" two-parter was in my opinion the weakest part of Book 2 in Legend of Korra, so expect a different version of that in the future. In fact, expect me to rewrite the whole of Book 2 in this fanfic. I'll be borrowing ideas from Razbuton on Youtube, as he has some really good ideas, though I'll also be using my own ideas and, as always, I appreciate your feedback.