Air Temple Island; Republic City

3rd person POV…

It was early morning, the light of day just beginning to shine over the horizon with an orange glow. As such, the majority of the island, especially the forest, was still covered in shadows by the trees.

There were two people still awake though, Caran being one of them. He runs through the forest of trees, jumping over obstacles, flipping over logs, and following the tough trail. He pants heavily in exhaustion, before ducking to the ground with a startled yelp as a golden lightsaber suddenly swings past his head. He scrambles back to his feet, but the one swinging the lightsaber was nowhere to be seen.

"Keep it moving Caran," he hears Jarik say from somewhere.

Breathing heavily, Caran sighs I'm exhausted frustration, but continues to move through the trees, headed for the training courtyard. Along the way, he hears the faint sound of movement from behind chasing after him, as well as the light humming of a lightsaber.

Despite his exhaustion, Caran smirks to himself.

Just as he's exiting the tree line and coming out onto the courtyard, the humming lightsaber zips forwards. Caran instantly turns around and unleashed a powerful Force push, intending to hit Jarik head on.

Much to his alarm however, Jarik is nowhere to be seen, and he widens his eyes. Moments later, a lightsaber slashes through his body from behind, and he cries out in pain as he's given a light shock.

"Ow!" he yelps, rubbing his torso to try and alleviate the stinging feeling.

"Ow?" Jarik questions, standing behind him with a raised eyebrow.

"Couldn't you have just held it right next to me and said, 'you're dead,' or something like that?" he complains.

"Oh, well if you say so. I'm sure he Messenger will take that shock into consideration when he stabs you," Jarik replies sarcastically, deactivating his lightsaber.

Caran groans, hanging his head. "Alright, I get your point. He's not gonna hold back."

"Exactly," he confirms with a nod. "Still, this is your best attempt yet. You made it all the way to the courtyard."

"I still 'died' though," Caran points out, dissatisfied.

"That's why we practice these things. It doesn't come overnight," Jarik reminds him.

"I guess so," he sighs tiredly. "But why do we have to do this stuff at dawn? Can't we wait a couple hours?"

"Because you also need to learn vigilance and awareness. Enemies are much more likely to strike when you're most vulnerable. And everyone is typically at their most vulnerable when sleeping," he explains. "Besides, I don't want you to learn the hard way."

"The hard way?" Caran asks in confusion.

"When it's too late," Jarik replies. "I learned to stay vigilant because I grew up in war."

"Ok, I get what you mean," he says with a nod.

"Good," he says, a small smile on his face. "Now go get yourself some food, and then get ready for the day. I've got more things I want you to work on this afternoon."

"Wonderful," Caran mutters in response.

Caran POV…

I tiredly pick up my food for breakfast and then look around the dining hall, spotting Jinora sitting at a table nearby, eating her breakfast while reading at the same time. I slump my way over in her direction and then sit down across from her, causing her to look up.

"You look exhausted," she comments.

"Yeah, Jedi training at dawn tends to do that," I reply sarcastically, taking a bite out of my bagel.

"Dawn?" she asks with a raised eyebrow. "Even my dad doesn't make us get up that early when he has us practice."

"Well, that's Jarik then," I shrug in response. "I thought training to be a Jedi would be really cool and exciting, but instead it's just been a whole bunch of physical exercises that make me want to pass out. I haven't even started learning to use the Force yet!"

"Weren't you learning about that for your second lesson?" she points out.

"Yeah, but I wasn't actually using it. I was just sensing different things," I tell her, taking another few bites out of my breakfast and sip my juice.

"I'm sure you'll start soon," she says reassuringly. "You know, when my grandfather was first learning firebending, Master Jeong Jeong wouldn't let him do anything until he learned the proper stances and breathing technique."

"Really?" I ask curiously.

"Yup!" Jinora replies with a smile. "So I'm sure Jarik will teach you more about the Force when he thinks you're ready."

"Alright. Thanks," I say with a grateful look.

Korra and Luon then walk over to us, apparently having already gotten some food for themselves. They sit down at our table, greeting us.

"Morning guys!" Korra says.

"Hi Korra," Jinora replies.

"Hey," I reply.

"You look exhausted," Luon remarks.

"For the past week you've been waking up like, super early. What gives squirt?" Korra asks.

"Jarik's training methods," I shrug in response.

"Seriously?" she asks in surprise. "He's having you wake up for training at dawn?"

"Yup."

"Wow, that's tough," Luon comments.

"I guess I can work with it," I reply, looking at Korra with a smirk. "This also means you have no excuse to complain about your lessons with Tenzin."

"What?" she asks with a frown, glancing around a mumbling. "I don't… complain…"

We all give her a look.

"...that much," she finishes lamely.

"Yeah right," I scoff sarcastically.

"Alright fine, I guess you have a point," she groans. She then flicks me on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" I complain, rubbing my head with a frown.

"That's my appreciation," she replies with a grin.

"Wish my parents would let me do that to my younger siblings," Jinora says wistfully.

I look at her for a long moment, narrowing my eyes. "I can't tell whether that's a compliment or an insult."

She looks back at me with that deadpan stare she's perfected, and I mutter to myself, quietly going back to my breakfast. We eat in awkward, but comfortable silence for a little bit before Luon speaks up again.

"So What has Jarik been having you do exactly?" he asks me.

"Mostly just physical exercises. This morning he was chasing me through the woods, and I had to reach the courtyard before he caught me," I explain, frowning. "As soon as I got there though he still decided to slice me with his saber."

"He what?!" they all exclaim in horrified shock.

I wince from the sudden high pitched voices, and notice a few of the acolytes looking over at us, some of them frowning in annoyance at the loudness.

"Why would he do that?!" Korra demands angrily, beginning to check me roughly for any signs of injury. "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"Geez, Korra! Relax!" I exclaim, pushing her away. "He didn't hurt me! His lightsaber was set for practice mode. It only stung, that's all!"

They all breathe out huge sighs of relief, and I roll my eyes in exasperation. Did they really think Jarik would actually stab me for real?

"That makes a lot more sense," Luon says.

"Guess we overreacted," Korra admits sheepishly.

"Yeah you did," I reply with some snark, although I'm touched that all of them were so worried. "So what've you guys been up to?"

"Reading," Jinora instantly replies.

I don't doubt her, considering that's exactly what she's doing right now.

"Airbending training with Tenzin. Nothing new," Korra sighs. "I have to go restore more people's bending later today."

"Pro-bending arena is still down, so I need to find a job until it's fixed," Luon adds.

"You don't need to though. Everyone is perfectly happy with you staying here on the island. Tenzin's job makes him super rich!" Korra reminds him.

"I know, and I'm grateful, but I can't exactly rely on Tenzin forever," he reasons.

"If you say so," she replies with a frown.

"What about the others?" I ask curiously.

"I don't really know, aside from Asami. She's working on picking up the reigns of Future Industries," Luon explains.

"Wow, really? Good for her," Korra remarks.

"It's not really easy though," he admits. "Because of… well, her father doing what he did, not many people trust the company anymore, and lots of clients and investors have pulled out."

"Well that stinks," I say sadly.

"I'd offer her help, but I'd honestly do more harm than good," Korra says with a shrug.

"Hey guys, did you know that Jarik's been coming to the library a lot recently?" Jinora comments.

"Not really. What for?" I ask her.

"He's just been reading a whole bunch of things lately. Most of it was about bending and our history," she explains.

"I guess that's not too weird," Luon remarks. "It makes sense."

Jarik POV…

As I've read more about Reylea and its history, so many different things have seemed to click and make a lot more sense to me. There's still a lot I don't know, but I do have a better idea about the powers of bending, and what influences it. I'm certain that those powers are a warped version of the Force, split up into different categories.

Firebending: the passion and raw power of the Force.

Airbending: the spirituality and soothing freedoms of the Force.

Waterbending: the ever changing nature of the Force; its ability to evolve and adapt.

Earthbending: the strength and great durability that the Force holds over the universe.

It's crazy to know how much a place can change when the Force flows so strongly through it. Over the course of this planet's history, the Force shaped itself into different abilities that stem off from its original nature. It's also not hard to believe that ancient Jedi could have possibly influenced the culture of the Air Nomads.

There's no proof of that, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was.

Flipping through another page in the book I was reading, I blink my eyes in surprise and then look more intensely at the illustration shown. There appeared to be some sort of large creature standing in front of a person, I'm not sure who. What had me surprised wasn't the fact that this creature was huge, or that it seemed to be capable of interacting intelligently with people, if this drawing was anything to go by.

No, it was because of how familiar it looked.

Hearing footsteps, I look up to see Tenzin browsing through the library, probably to get a book or some scroll, or whatever, I don't care.

"Tenzin, a moment please?"

He looks over with a furrowed brow but comes over as requested.

"What can I help you with?" he asks politely, and I show him the picture of the large creature.

"What is this?" I ask him.

"That is a lion turtle," he answers. "An ancient race of large, wise, and powerful creatures that have lived longer than even some spirits. The most recent encounter anyone has had with one was with my father, Avatar Aang."

I look back at the picture of the lion turtle with a thoughtful gaze, comparing it to the creature that I've met before in my lifetime.

The Bendu.

There are plenty of differences of course, and he lion turtle looks to be much larger than the Bendu, at least seven times the size. But still, they are both ancient and bearded looking creatures, with shells and prefer walking on four limbs. Something tells me they're related in some form...

"Why do you ask?" Tenzin asks.

"Just, curiosity is all," I reply with a smile.

I could tell him about the Bendu later.

Caran POV…

This is the most physically exhausting week of my entire life.

Honestly, I never expected to say that after all the chaos that happened in the Anti-Bending Revolution, but this honestly is really difficult. Because now Jarik is having me perform a handstand, while also lifting several rocks with the Force.

"Focus Caran. Don't think about anything else, just let the Force flow through you," he tells me.

"Yeah… kinda hard not… to focus," I manage to say in exasperation.

Jarik then smacks my foot, and I yell in surprise, just barely managing to keep my balance, though I do drop the rocks that I was lifting up.

"If you're able to make a snarky comment then you aren't focusing enough," he says.

I groan in exertion, shakily lowering down a little bit from the pressure being put on my arms, but manage to keep myself in the air. Gritting my teeth with sweat running down, or I guess up, my face, I close my eyes and try to concentrate harder.

Focusing on the Force, I imagine the rocks steadily lifting into the air, and then bring them up. Three of the rocks slowly wobble into the air, and I do my best to lift them higher until they're about waists level.

"That's better," he says approvingly. "Now try one arm."

"W-what?" I ask incredulously, and the rock lower a little bit.

"Try one arm," he repeats.

Groaning to myself, I look down at my hands uneasily, shaking a little bit. Slowly, I try lifting up my left arm, only to immediately lose balance, and hastily place it down again. Knowing he wouldn't approve though, I try to lift my arm up again, shakily standing on just one arm now. I manage it for about three seconds before my arm gives out, and I collapse onto my back with a groan, the rocks breaking against the ground.

"Ugh…" I groan in exhaustion. "I'm not strong enough to do that."

"Yeah that is true," Korra's voice says from the side. "He hasn't worked out his body strength nearly as much as I have.

She had decided to come along for this lesson and watch, along with Tenzin, who was standing off to the side and stroking his beard as usual.

"Thanks for the support," I grumble, despite knowing she's right.

"I know you aren't strong enough to do that," Jarik says, much to my bewilderment. "I was however, hoping you would use the Force to do so."

"What do you mean?" I ask in confusion, looking up at him.

"The Force can do nearly anything for you, not just act as something to blow things around," he tells me. "You can use the Force to strengthen your muscles and stamina, to give you energy even if you're completely exhausted."

"How do I do that then?" I ask him.

"Like you were focusing on the rocks to lift them, you have to focus on yourself as well," he explains. "Let its energy flow through your body, fill you, and expel that energy through your muscles and physical attributes."

"I've never tried that before," I admit, pushing myself up into a sitting position.

"It isn't very hard at all once you do. It's just a simple manipulation of the Force on yourself," he tells me. "Why do you think airbenders can move so quickly? Or why earthbenders are so tough, able to continue on despite taking a beating?"

"Huh?" I ask.

Korra and Tenzin blink in surprise and confusion.

"But the other bending styles don't use the Force," Tenzin says. "Our airbending is what gives us the capability."

"Not directly," Jarik says in disagreement.

We all give each other confused glances, and I shrug my shoulders helplessly.

"Remember what I said the other day, about how bending is related to the Force?" he says.

"Yeah," I recall with a nod.

"And you're right Tenzin, airbending isn't the same. But bending draws its power from the Force, just in different ways," Jarik states, sitting down across from me. "Reading up on your planet's history has helped me understand a lot about bending, and its connection to the Force."

"So how does that work?" Korra asks.

"Very simple, actually," he shrugs. "You already know that Reylea is very powerful in the Force, yet no one else is capable of using it like Caran. And like I told you earlier, the Force evolved over time. What's special about that, is that each bending style represents one of the four aspects of the Force."

"Woah. Really?" I ask in amazement.

"Yeah, really. Each bending style draws strength from a different aspect of the Force, fueled by the planet's energy," he explains with a nod. "Take firebending for example: firebenders draw on their passion and inner energy to fuel their skill. The Force for me and Caran isn't much different in that regard, as emotion can fuel our abilities."

"I never thought of it that way," I admit thoughtfully. "But you did tell me not to use emotion in battle."

"Emotional fuels your power, and also weakens your rationality," Jarik states, and I nod in understanding.

"If bending evolved from different 'aspects' of the Force, or whatever, then why does it still seem so different?" Korra asks.

"Yeah, how does that work?" I ask with a nod of agreement. "With the Force can sense things, move stuff around, and enhance myself like you said, but bending can't do that, just like I can't do bending."

"On the contrary, you actually can," Jarik replies, and I blink in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Tenzin asks with a furrowed brow.

"It's not the most common thing, that's true, but if a Jedi or Sith becomes powerful enough, they can use a much larger variety of Force abilities," he informs us, looking at me. "Like how benders use their chi to manipulate energy needed for bending, you can manipulate energy through your connection to the Force. The only difference is, with the Force you don't use your chi."

"I don't?" I ask, surprised. "Why not?"

"A bender's chi is what allows them to manipulate energy. But with the Force your entire body and spirit is connected to it, leaving it unblockable, and allowing you to increase your power," he explains.

"Maybe that's why chi-blocking never worked on you!" Korra realizes. "And why Amon couldn't take it away!"

"Because he could only block my chi," I say with a nod. I've had a feeling that was why Amon couldn't take it, but it's nice to have a confirmation. "So you're saying I can still use the Force, in order to use bending as well?"

"That sounds a lot like how the Avatar can bend all elements," Tenzin states. "But no one else has ever been able to do so."

"It's not exactly the same as bending," Jarik corrects.

"Ok, I'm confused," I say with a frown. "You're saying I can also bend the elements, and at the same time I can't bend the elements? That doesn't make sense."

"There's a fine line between the two Caran, that's where you and I fall in," he explains, bringing a hand to his chin. "I've only studied this for a week, so I still don't understand the entire connection. But I do know that with the Force you can produce similar abilities to a bender. You can already manipulate objects like air, water, and earth benders. They're just limited to their one element."

"So what can I do then?" I ask him, and he smiles at me.

"You can do this."

Lifting up his right arm, Jarik waves his fingers briefly, and I sense an increase of power coming from him. Golden sparks then dance along his fingertips, and we all widen our eyes as he directs his arm out to the side, and shoots a stream of golden-colored lightning harmlessly across the ocean. He stops after a few seconds, and we gape at him in bewilderment.

"Skilled firebenders can use lightning. That ability was developed from the Force," he tells us.

"No way!" I exclaim in awe.

"Wish I could use lightning," Korra mutters.

"Out of the more powerful Force abilities that bending stems from, that is the most common amongst Force users," Jarik explains.

"So I could make lightning too?" I ask eagerly.

"I'm not teaching you that ability. At least, not right now," he states, much to my disappointment. "While Jedi can learn to conjure lightning to a lesser extent, true Force lightning can only be wielded through the dark side, using anger and aggression. Not to mention it is very dangerous, even for the user. Making even the smallest mistake can end up harming the user."

"Oh," I say quietly.

"The Force's power seems to come at a price of being very dangerous," Tenzin says with a concerned frown.

"It is dangerous to practice with an ability you don't understand," Jarik says in agreement. "That's why for now, I won't teach beyond what you are already capable of Caran."

"Alright. I guess that makes sense," I admit with a shrug.

Jarik then stands up to his feet and looks down at me. "Good. Now let's continue with your practice, only this time try and use the Force to enhance your strength and stamina."

I can't help myself when I let out an exhausted groan, but I still get to my feet to continue these exercises.

Police Department; Republic City

3rd person POV…

Lin Beifong approaches Saikhan at his desk, where he was reviewing some reports and evidence his team had gathered. After the war with the Equalists, Korra returned his bending to him, and he was reinstated into his former position of the police force under Lin's command. He felt some measure of guilt for his role under Tarrlok, and so he was devoted to doing things right now. At Lin's approach, he stands up and gives her a formal salute.

"Chief Beifong," he greets, and she nods in reply.

"What have we got so far?" she asks.

"We're making some progress in hunting down different criminal organizations. Some groups of Equalists are still operating, but their numbers have been rapidly dwindling since Amon's exposure," he reports.

"That's good," she says with a satisfied nod. "How about the bending triads?"

"They've managed to strengthen themselves thanks to the chaos from the Equalist movement, and have become more bold," Saikhan says. "Most of their activity sill lies with the Triple Threats, the Agni Kai's and the Terra Triad."

Lin makes a small face at the mention of the Terra Triad, but otherwise doesn't comment, and continues listening to Saikhan's report.

"Aside from them, there've been rumors and evidence supporting the rise of a new criminal organization. Came up short after Amon's defeat, and their supposed leader has made some bold, but well calculated moves," he states.

"Such as?" Lin asks.

"Armed robbery, double homicide... often against the other gangs. Take this guy for example. Seems to be involved with most of them, and he has a taste for theatrics..." he trails off.

Saikhan then reaches for his desk and grabs a small card, handing it out to Lin. She takes the card and observes it with a thoughtful frown.

"Leaves a calling card," he says.

Lin turns the card over to see the character depicted on it, showing it was a Joker card.

"We'll just have to look into this then," she decides.

A knock on the door has Lin looking up, and an officer opens the door, looking through. RIght beside him is Mako, his hands in his pockets.

"Chief Beifong, Mako has arrived for his interview," he reports.

"Just a moment," she says, turning back to Saikhan. "Keep investigating this. I don't want to deal with another rising gang."

"Of course Chief," he says with a nod.

She hands him back the Joker card and then walks over to the door, greeting Mako who is waiting outside. The officer salutes her and then walks off to continue his duties.

"Hello Chief," Mako greets with a small smile.

"So you want to be an officer?" she asks, cutting right to it.

Mako blinks in surprise but shrugs it off, having figured out her personality by now.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I want to be a cop, help you guys to round up all of these gangs," he says with a nod.

Lin eyes him critically for a moment with crossed arms, raising a brow and humming.

"Alright. Follow me," she orders.

"Ok, sure. Yes chief," he replies.

Lin holds back a sigh of annoyance at his apparent nervousness, and walks to her office. Mako follows right after her and remains mostly silent as they travel through the station. Not much later they reach Lin's office and she unlocks the door, gesturing inside. He walks into the office, and she follows through behind him. Moving to sit at her desk, she gestures to the chair in front of it, and he sits down as well.

"Now let's start off simple," Lin says. "Why do you want to be a police officer?"

"Well, I've been through some tough times when I was a kid, saw a lot of bad things happen to people," he explains slowly. "Me and Bolin were on our own for a long time, often in very tough circumstances."

"Sounds more like you should be in a public service job instead of the police," Lin deadpans. "We catch criminals Mako. We can't help others living situations."

"I know, I know! I'm getting to it!" he replies quickly. "What I'm trying to say is that I saw a lot of bad stuff, dealt with a lot of bad people. Criminals extort all of these poor people and thrive off of it. I want to catch those guys so that they can't keep breaking the law and hurting others."

"Fair enough," she decides. "Then can you explain your history with the Triple Threat Triads?"

Mako freezes nervously at the hard, disapproving look she gives him, and then sighs.

"Yes, I did work for the Triple Threats," he admits regretfully. "But not because I wanted to. It was the only way I could keep providing for my little brother, and as soon as I found another way, I got us as far away from them as possible."

"You still assisted an illegal gang with their work," she reminds him.

"I only ran numbers for them!" he reasons. "I didn't do anything criminal, I just handled their money the way they wanted me to, that's all! I'm not proud of it, but it was the only thing I could do to provide for Bolin, otherwise we would have been completely homeless with no food."

"Normally kind of work, while not illegal, would still result in some form of jail time because of how it benefits criminals," Lin says, and Mako tenses. "But considering your circumstances, and what you've done for the city, I'm willing to let it slide."

"Thank you," Mako breathes out in relief.

"I know you Mako, and I know what kind of person you are. If it wasn't for that, you would be jailed," she states firmly.

"I understand," he replies.

"Now, what makes you think you're qualified to become a cop?" she questions.

"I'm a skilled fighter. I don't give up on challenges easily, and I want to uphold the law," he answers instantly. "I also have knowledge on how the triads operate, since I used to work for them. That benefits in knowing triad hideouts, members, and style of organization."

Lin nods her head, approving the idea of having someone who knows the type of people they have to deal with.

"Are you willing to follow the orders of your superiors, and remain professional and respectful?" she asks him. "As a police officer, you represent this department, and the city. Failing to do so will result in disciplinary action."

"I understand Chief," Mako says with a nod. "I'm willing to follow orders, and I won't disrespect the police force."

Lin stares at Mako for a long while with narrowed eyes, giving him a critical look. Eventually, she nods her head.

"Very well. You've got yourself a job here Mako," she states.

"Thank you Chief," he replies with a smile.

They both stand up from their desks and shake each other's hands.

Sato Estate; Republic City

Asami sighs heavily as she looks over all of the paperwork laid out across the desk. Ever since she got back, she had to take control of Future Industries now that her father was known to be an Equalist and a criminal. As such, the burden of running such a huge company fell to her before she could prepare for it.

Thanks to her father's affiliation with the Equalists, the reputation of the company has also gone down immensely. Other companies or investors have since sold or disposed of their stocks with the company, and sales have diminished quite a lot. Asami isn't an Equalist either, but public opinion of her is suspicious and mistrusting, which only adds to the huge load of trouble she has to deal with.

Luckily there are some people in the company who are taking leadership and doing their best to keep things running and take on some of the workload, but even with that it's still not enough to improve it. If things keep going as they are without improvement, then the company will have to file for bankruptcy within the year.

Asami sighs again, looking at yet another sheet paper that lists another shareholder pulling away from investing in Future Industries. The door then opens, and she looks up as the butler enters.

"Miss Sato, you have visitors," he says.

Walking through the door is Korra and Luon, and despite the stress Asami smiles happily, getting up from her desk to greet them.

"Luon, Korra! It's so good to see you!" she says happily.

The three share a group hug and then separate.

"You too Asami," Korra replies with a smile.

"Spirits, that doesn't look like much fun," Luon says with a grimace.

Asami glances back at where he's looking, seeing the desk full of papers and sighs.

"Yeah. Running the company is a nightmare," she tells them. "After what my father did, Future Industries reputation has pretty much plummeted."

"But he's in jail now. Your company wasn't responsible, and everyone still employed here has been found innocent," Korra says with a frown.

"But Future Industries was founded by my father, and I'm also his daughter," she explains. "People are now suspicious of me, and the media is questioning whether or not I'm carrying along in his footsteps."

"That's stupid. You're the one who put him in jail," Korra states, crossing her arms.

"That's just the way things work, as dumb as it is," Luon says irritably. "Journalists typically just go after anyone as long as it gets them a good story or helps their narrative."

"I would try to help you but, I would probably makes things worse," Korra shrugs helplessly.

"Well, it's the thought that counts," Asami says with a small smile of gratitude. "But enough about me. How are the others? Is Caran's training going ok?"

"Yeah, he's doing fine," Korra replies. "Jarik's been pushing him through a lot, and he won't stop moaning about how difficult it is. Can't say I blame him though."

"Is he getter better?" she asks.

"I'm pretty sure he is."

"How about Mako and Bolin? What're they up to?" Luon asks.

"Mako is signing up to be a police officer," Asami says.

"Really?" he asks in surprise.

"Ha! He's gonna have a tough time working with Beifong," Korra says in amusement.

"Yeah, I don't envy him," Luon adds.

"Yeah," Asami giggles. "And Bolin is…"

Before she could start, a commotion from outside gets there attention, and the door is opened by the butler, who has to do it quickly with some alarm in order to avoid the storm that is Bolin, who rushes excitedly into the room.

"Hey guys!" he exclaims.

"Hey Bolin," they all reply.

"Wow, things are changing a lot right now! First Mako gets a job working as a cop - how cool is that right? And then I'm now taking over as the team captain for the Fire Ferrets!" he says quickly.

"Wait, you're captain of the Fire Ferrets now?" Korra asks.

"Yeah!" he says eagerly. "I would've liked to get the team back together since we were robbed of a championship last time, but since Mako is gonna be a cop, and you're doing your own thing," he continues, gesturing at Korra. "I'm gonna be leading the team now!"

"Well, nice job Bolin," she replies.

"I think you'll be a great team captain," Luon adds encouragingly.

"Who's gonna be on your team?" Asami asks.

"Uh… I don't know yet," he admits. "But I'll find a few benders! I'm sure there are plenty of talented guys or girls out there."

"Good luck with that," Luon says.

"Thanks," Bolin replies with a smile. "So what're you guys doing? You gonna bust some criminals or something Korra? Protect the world and all that?"

"Actually I have to restore the last few people's bending," Korra says with a grimace.

"Oh yeah, that's true," he recalls with a nod. "Man, you still have to do that? How many more people are there?"

"Less than fifty, thank the spirits," she sighs.

"That's good, that's good," he nods quickly.

Caran POV…

I stroked Naga's fur as I stood in front of City Hall, and the polar bear dog purred appreciatively. Korra was finishing up with restoring the last group of people's bending, and I decided to come in support of her. Jarik was there as well, standing just a few feet behind me beside Tenzin.

Lin and her officers were also here of course to keep the crowd orderly and under control, and Luon was standing beside me, also in support of Korra.

The next person in line approaches Korra, and I quickly realize with a start that it's Tahno, the punk waterbender from the Probending matches. Luon narrows his eyes bitterly, and I can also sense Korra uncertainty and dislike of him, knowing that there's a part of her that wants him to remain powerless, just like a part of me wants that as well, as cruel as it is.

Thankfully for us all though, Korra still carries out the process when he kneels in front of her. She places her hands on his forehead and shoulder, and her eyes and hands glow brightly as she restores his bending. Once it's done, he stands back up with a genuine smile, and I can sense the overwhelming level of gratitude.

"Thank you, Avatar Korra," he says gratefully.

"You're welcome," she replies quietly. "Just… don't be such a jerk will you?"

Tahno chuckles in response, but it's a hollow one, filled with shame and regret.

"After losing my bending it made me think… and I'm gonna try and be better," he says sincerely.

He smiles gratefully at her once again and then walks off, allowing the next person in line to step forwards. I glance over at Luon, who breathes out quietly, still mistrustful of Tahno, but now less hateful and more willing to forget the bad he's done.

The restoration of the people's bending continues on, but it doesn't take much longer before the last person is standing in front of Korra, something that she is noticeably relieved by. She steps forwards once they kneel in front of her and places her hands on the man's forehead and shoulders, restoring his bending with a bright glow. Once it's over, she steps back and he raises a hand, his face filled with delight when a flame pops out.

"Thank you. Thank you so much Avatar Korra!" he says gratefully.

"It's no problem sir," she replies with a small smile.

"Awesome!" a girl's voice exclaims.

A young girl, probably about nine years old or so rushes up to the man, along with a woman. Most likely his daughter and wife. The young girl hugs her father and then turns towards Korra with an excited look in her eye. It's then that I notice the girl is dressed up almost exactly like Korra, and I release she's roleplaying as her!

"Thank you Miss Korra!" she beams.

"Oh!" Korra says in surprise, having noticed the same thing. "You're welcome, kid!"

"Do you like my outfit?" she asks, showing it off.

"Oh, yeah. You look a lot like me," Korra tells her.

"I know! You're so cool! I want to be just like you when I grow up!" the girl beams brightly.

Korra looks over helplessly at me with wide eyes, and I hold a hand to my mouth to prevent myself from laughing. Luon isn't faring much better than me, and I notice there's even a smile on Tenzin's face. Jarik is grinning with mischievous amusement, leaning against the column. His easygoing and humorous personality feels kind of weird sometimes since he's my Jedi teacher, and yet he manages to be the complete opposite of Tenzin's seriousness, while also managing to push me harder than Tenzin did.

"Now now Karrisi, don't overwhelm her," the girl's mother scolds lightly.

"Ok mom," Karrisi replies, skipping back over to them. "Bye Miss Korra!"

"Bye Karrisi," she replies with a wave.

Korra watches the family go for a moment before heading back over to us with a sigh.

"Great. I've already got a 'fanbase' now," she groans.

"Bolin would be jealous," Luon remarks.

"That was kind of cute though, right?" I say with a teasing look.

"Well, yeah," she admits. "But still, it's weird."

"Eh, it's not so bad. You get used to the popularity," Jarik shrugs.

"What, are you some kind of celebrity where you're from?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow.

"As a matter of fact I am," he replies, much to our surprise. "Me and a few others. Everyone in the galaxy has heard of me at this point."

"Because you were a war hero?" Tenzin asks.

"For the most part, yeah," he replies, before grimacing. "You should feel relieved that you aren't a guy thought Korra."

"Why's that?" she asks with a confused frown.

"No matter how you may feel about boys being attracted to you, nothing is worse than the fangirls," he says, and to my surprise he actually seems unsettled. "They're like a horde of monsters when they catch sight of me."

The sight of Jarik running away from a bunch of girls nearly makes me break out into laughter, and Korra struggles not to laugh at the thought as well. Luon rolls his eyes, while Tenzin sighs in exasperation, walking away and muttering to himself. Korra then looks at Jarik with a critical eye, smirking in amusement.

"Yeah, I can see why. You are easy on the eyes," she teases.

"Yeah, I deal with that enough from my wife, thanks," he retorts, walking away.

We stand there in shocked silence for a moment.

"Wait, you're married?!" I exclaim in bewilderment.