Chapter 6: Upendi
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Tihimi and Shirrow were looking at the clouds and laughing.
"Oh look, there's one that looks like a baby rabbit," she said pointing.
Shirrow saw something.
"This one looks like two carnivores fighting for a piece of meat," he said laughing.
Tihimi chuckled.
"I've never done something like this in my life," Shirrow admitted.
"Really? My family and I use to do this all the time. My mother says that all the great chiefs of the past are up there…. Watching over us."
"Do you think Unalaq is up there?"
He quickly got up.
"I'm sorry. He wasn't really my father but he's still…. A part of me."
"My parents said there was a darkness he couldn't escape from."
"Maybe there's a darkness in me too."
Tihimi hugged him.
Oren was watching them.
"Grandfather, I am in need of your wisdom," he said looking up to the sky, "Shirrow is one of them, and Unalaq's heir. How can I accept him?"
"Son?" Asked someone.
It was Korra and Mekan.
"I was asking for wisdom from the great chiefs of the past."
"Did they help?" Korra asked.
"Well, they were as silent as stars," Oren said.
"Well maybe your grandfather wants you to figure out certain things for yourself," Mekan said, "I may have looked up to him as a child, but I couldn't depend on his wisdom all my life."
"But its Tihimi," Oren said.
"Son I know you just want what's best for your little sister, but some things are not as they seem."
"But he would never want them to…."
"Oren, you want so much to follow your grandfather's example, but maybe Shirrow doesn't want to follow Unalaqs," Korra said.
"But how do you…"
"I can see them just fine up there," Korra said smiling, "Get to know him."
Shirrow was still uneasy about his past.
"What's wrong?" Tihimi asked.
"Its just…. I've been trained my entire life to….. its nothing," Shirrow said, "I gotta go.
Someone stopped him poking his nose.
"And where are you going?" She asked.
It was Katara.
"Nowhere…."
"That's what they all say," Katara said, "Everyone is going somewhere, even those who claim to go somewhere."
"Who is she?"
"A friend of the family," Tihimi answered.
"Come on," Katara said, "You follow this old gal, she knows what she's talking about."
"Follow her where?" He whispered.
"You follow, and you see," Katara said.
"Damn, she has good hearing."
"Yes, I do!"
"Real good," Tihimi said.
They followed her into a group of trees.
"So where exactly is she taking us?" Shirrow asked.
"A special place within your heart," Katara said, "Upendi."
It was a secret place where groups of two come together and fall in love.
This was Katara's plan to get them united in harmony, under the request of Tonraq.
Upendi
Katara: There's a place where the crazy moon
Makes the monkeys sing and the baboons swoon
And the sultry scent of the lotus bloom
Will carry you away
Where the seals swing from the jungle vines
And the Puffins in a conga line
And the polar bear dogs are intertwined
As the stars come out to play
In Upendi
Where the passion fruit grows sweet
And it's so divine
That you lose your mind
As it sweeps you off your feet
In Upendi
Without a worry or a care
It just takes two
To make it true
Your heart will lead you there
Shirrow and Tihimi were riding a boat down a river.
Shirrow was secretly having a good time.
Tihimi was having a blast.
In Upendi
In Upendi
"So where is it?" Tihimi asked.
"No place you can't take with you," Katara answered.
Katara: You better watch your step 'cause the path is steep
Better hold your breath cause the water's deep
It's a long way down over Lovers' Leap
But falling's half the fun!
Shirrow tried a passion fruit but had trouble swallowing it down.
Tihimi kissed his cheek and he swallowed it.
Katara: In Upendi
Where the passion fruit grows sweet
And it's so divine
That you lose your mind
As it sweeps you off your feet
In Upendi
Without a worry or a care
It just takes two
To make it true
Your heart will take you there
You can beat the bush like there's no tomorrow
From Tanganyika to Kilimanjaro
But you'll find Upendi wherever you are
Oh, underneath the sun
"Doesn't Upendi mean love?"
Tihimi and Shirrow joined the Congo line.
Katara: In Upendi
Where the passion fruit grows sweet
And it's so divine
That you lose your mind
As it sweeps you off your feet
In Upendi
Without a worry or a care
It just takes two
To make it true
We'll take you there
Shirrow and Tihimi: Upendi
Down in Upendi
Way down
In Upendi!
Down in Upendi
Way down
In Upendi!
Down in Upendi
Way down
In Upendi!
Down in Upendi
Way down
In Upendi!
Shirrow and Tihimi were walking back home holding hands.
"Good night," Shirrow said.
"Good night," Tihimi said.
She kissed him.
Oren was watching Shirrow lay down outside.
He decided to take what his mother said into consideration.
"Psst," he said, "Its pretty cold out tonight isn't it? Why don't you come on in with us?"
Shirrow decided to follow.
Nomoka was watching.
"Come on Shirrow nows your chance," she said.
She was waiting for Shirrow to finish the job and then kill Korra, but to no avail.
She went back to the lair to tell Vita.
"Mother!" She said, "We have a problem."
She told Vita the news.
"And you're sure about this?"
"I saw it with my own eyes!" Nomoka.
"No….. Shirrow cannot betray us, cannot betray Unalaq! We must kill Korra ourselves."
Jika pulled out his blade.
"At long last I have the opportunity."
"Oh hush up," Nomoka said.
