I want to thank Wildstar93, Theblackbird123, and SaoirseParisa for reviewing the previous chapter. We are starting to see more characters come together now, and what some of their personal challenges may be in this fic. Some are obvious, such as Korra overcoming her autism, but there are others that are more subtle. Hopefully I can draw you in and give you a taste of what will happen in the future with this chapter. With our individuals finally coming together, you don't want to miss this chapter.

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.

Five individuals stood before a large warehouse, allowing the grey box-like building to cast a long shadow over them. Even though it was a fairly cloudy day, with a slight spring breeze blowing in from the waterfront to their right, the warehouse still loomed over them like a lifeless apparition. "It doesn't look like there's much activity here," Mako commented, "What potential do we possibly see with relocating the business over here?"

Toza pulled a set of documents out of the manila envelope in his hands. "Well, these are the official transfer documents, meaning ownership of this warehouse went from my former pro-bending teammates to us," he explained, flipping through the pages nonchalantly, "I just can't believe our luck that their retirement will leave us with this thing. At least it gives us a chance to start fresh, pending on the licensing with the government."

Yung, who stood closest to the pier, leaned his head over and observed the ocean before him. The waves pulled in and out, licking the wooden posts of the pier in an almost mechanical way. The constant splashing drowned out the limited sounds from the area, reminding the older air bender how desolate this place was. "This is one of the lesser known piers in town, and not too many people use this for shipping," he commented, the faint smells of sea salts brushing past his nostrils, "Maybe it's not all bad, since we can possibly make something out of it."

"That's the spirit," Bolin shouted enthusiastically. He leaned between Yung and Kai, throwing one arm around each of the shoulder, before continuing, "Come on, it's a great view here. There's a famous beach just to the south. Just down the road is a famous shopping and restaurant district. What more can you ask for?"

Mako wrinkled his nose. "The beach to the south is Rocky Bay Beach, and it's really windy down there. Unless you want to go surfing, I think I'll pass," he stated. Turning back to the warehouse, he rubbed his hands together. "Let's take a look."

The quintet of benders stepped into the large building, moving past the open metal doors which looked like they could barely stand on their own. The area inside was spacious, with rows of shelves and storage areas. There was nothing on the slots, thanks to the retirement of the previous owners. But if they were to restart the business, the group could only hope the shelves were fuller. "It doesn't seem too bad," Kai murmured, pressing a hand against the steel poles that made up the structural frame of the shelf.

Toza led the way down the closest aisle, taking the group deeper into the warehouse. The light from outside seeped through the small windows on the sides, allowing the group to dance in and out of the shadows. Sometimes they would get a direct blast of light, despite the cloudiness outside, but sometimes the shelves shielded them a bit. It was an odd feeling, to say the least, having to march around the area in complete silence. "It's almost spooky, if you ask me," Bolin commented, rubbing his bare forearms, "It might be fun to play hide-and-seek here, but I don't think I want to stay here for the night unless it's on a dare or something."

"How old are you, twelve?" Mako retorted, casting his brother an incredulous look. Throughout their lives, Mako had always been the more mature one, putting work and family before all else. It gave Bolin a chance to grow at his own pace, which made the earth bender a big kid at heart. It was no wonder that Bolin and Kai got along so well, ever since Yung took the latter in as his foster child. "Anyway, let's take a look at the back," the fire bender suggested.

The group marched to the back of the building, where they could see a couple of small offices. There were some desks, a couple of bookcases, and even a few cabinets. But what surprised them the most was the presence of two women, who huddled over the desk with a bunch of papers strewn out all over. "Did your former teammates say they have staff?" Yung asked, pointing at the two strangers, "If not, then who are those two?"

But it did not take long before the group recognized one of the women. The one dressed in a dark red blazer with blood red lips and jet black hair was none other than the heiress to the Republic's largest corporation. "You're Asami Sato, aren't you?" Bolin greeted the engineer, who glanced up in surprise, "Are the folks at Future Industries paying us a visit?"

Asami stood up straight and greeted the group with a warm smile. "Looks like I'm a pretty recognizable face," she responded, causing chuckles amongst the group, "Yes, I'm Asami Sato, and I am here on behalf of my father's company. We have some franchising proposals that we want to discuss with the owners of this warehouse, although they told me ownership will be changing hands. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"You're in luck, because I'm the new owner of the warehouse," Toza stated, stepping forward to shake the heiress's hand. He then introduced Yung as his partner and friend, Mako and Bolin as his foster children, and Kai as Yung's foster child. "If Future Industries is working at this pier, then it's a pleasure and an honour to work with you, Ms. Sato. And how do I address the lady in blue who accompanied you?"

Asami turned her body, revealing the water bender standing slightly behind her. "This is Korra Arnook, and I personally recruited her into helping me manage this pier," Asami declared, waving her friend forward. Korra tilted her head slightly upward, barely waving her hand at the group. "I'll be relying on her a lot, so you guys make sure you treat her well, okay?"

"I actually think I recognize you, Korra Arnook," Toza observed, leaning in closer to catch a glimpse of her face. That got Korra to lift her head again, just enough to make eye contact with the former pro-bender, "If I remember correctly, you work for Shiro Shinobi, the pro-bending announcer, right? I used to be a pro-bender myself, and Shiro and I go way back. I heard he hired an assistant a few years ago, a young water bender named Korra. Am I correct to assume that you're the Korra he mentioned?"

Korra blinked a couple of times, suddenly not scared at making eye contact with someone. "Wait, you're the legendary Toza? As in the former captain of the Boar-Q-Pines?" Korra exclaimed. A wide grin now spread across her face, while her eyes were bright enough to ignite this entire warehouse. "Oh my goodness, that's amazing! I've heard so many stories about you, and I can't believe I'm meeting you in person! And to think I'll have a chance to work with you directly, this can't be any better! This is the best day of my life!"

That got positive reactions out of Kai and Bolin, who immediately chatted up the water bender. It gave Asami some time to finalize the agreement with Toza and Yung, who were more than happy themselves, given their clientele with Future Industries. "Our goal is to do more shipping through this pier, although you won't see any goods for a week or two," Asami described, "In the meantime, Future Industries is open to other groups using this warehouse, provided a minimal rent payment is paid. We have full franchise rights of this pier, so we can collect that royalty, but the rent for this warehouse can be decided by you."

While Toza and Yung pitched proposals with Asami, Bolin and Kai were more than excited to hear Korra's close encounters with pro-benders. "You know, Mako and I have always wanted to be pro-benders, but because we weren't rich, we couldn't afford the equipment and match entry fees," Bolin explained, "That's why we either listen to matches on the radio or watch them on TV. I know Shiro Shinobi announces the matches on radio, and I know I hear your voice sometimes. What's it like being so close to the matches?"

Korra emitted a nervous chuckle, happy she found a big pro-bending fan in Bolin. His friendly nature certainly did not hurt in her impression of him, but Korra was a bit overwhelmed by his enthusiasm. While Bolin did not treat her autistic traits of avoiding eye contact and being withdrawn in crowds as anything unusual, Korra was slightly intimidated by his boisterous voice and personality. "If you want, you can drop by the pro-bending arena sometime soon. I'm sure Shiro won't mind me showing you around," she suggested, her voice weak but welcoming.

"That's great, and I might be able to see a match firsthand!" Bolin shouted. Korra tried to hide it, but she could not help but flinch at Bolin's loud voice. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, Korra tried focusing again on Bolin, who whipped out his cellphone and clicked a bunch of buttons. "Kai, Mako, what's your schedule like this weekend?"

The tall fire bender, who looked like he had a permanent scowl stitched onto his face, pulled out his own phone as well. After a few scrolls, he shook his head. "I'm on call, so I can't make it," he replied, "There's some VIP from the United Earth States coming, so I'm supposed to help local police provide security for the guy."

"I guess that leaves the two of us, but I don't see any pro-bending on this weekend," Kai pointed out, gesturing at the schedule on his phone, "Since the arena doubles as a cinema, maybe we can see a mover in there." Turning to Korra, the young air bender asked, "Do you actually help screen the movers? If so, then can we join you when you screen it? I've never seen a mover at the pro-bending arena before, so this is all new for me."

"Did Korra say where we should meet her?" Kai asked as he and Bolin stood outside the gigantic entrance into the pro-bending arena. They had seen this building enough times from a distance away, and knew enough about pro-bending matches through radio or television, but this was the first time they were anywhere near this building. Now, glancing up the stairs and at the series of doors before them, the two former urchins could not help but admire it in awe.

Shaking his head a few times, Bolin pulled out his phone and clicked on Korra's text again. "She said just to go in, wait in the front lobby, and then she'll take us to where she works," Bolin explained, tilting his phone to Kai, "Other than that, it's up to her."

Kai nodded. Shoving his hands into the pockets on his baggy jeans, Kai slowly marched up the steps with Bolin. His eyes scanned the ads posted on the outside walls of the arena, and he saw an interesting mix of mover stars and pro-benders. He recognized a few names, particularly ones he saw on television or heard on radio, but mostly he was just amazed to be here. Hearing Bolin pull the doors open, Kai turned and followed the earth bender inside. Korra did say she would fetch them from the lobby, so all they had to do was wait.

Kai and Bolin scanned the lobby and saw similar posters as outside. Before them was the ticket kiosk, with a series of booths where attendants would sell the tickets. Tonight there was no pro-bending match, so the tickets were for movers instead. But surprisingly, there were relatively few attendees on a weekend night, with most kiosks empty and clerks just loitered in the back. "You think Korra cleared the whole arena just for us?" Kai joked.

"Hey, there you are!" a voice exclaimed from the far corner. Bolin and Kai both glanced up to see Korra trot up to them. She still had her unique hairstyle, but this time she wore a blue denim jacket and similar looking jeans. "Come on, I'll show you where I work and what I do."

Bolin and Kai followed the water bender into a back hallway, going through areas that most people would not be able to access. Taking them through dark hallways and narrow stairs, Korra led them to the top of the building, an area restricted to announcers and projectionists. Pointing at a non-descriptive door, Korra waved her hand before it and announced with a great flourish, "Prepare to see where I work and who I work for." With that, she swung the door open.

Bolin and Kai slowly stepped in and could see a middle-aged man sorting through a large shelf. He had on a white dress shirt and beige suit jacket with no tie, while his black hair was cropped closely to his scalp. "Shiro, I brought a couple of friends over," Korra called out.

The man looked up as Korra waved Bolin and Kai over. "Bolin and Kai, this is Shiro Shinobi. He's the main announcer of the pro-bending matches and also the head projectionist for movers." Turning to Bolin and Kai, Korra introduced them to her supervisor. "Shiro, these are Kai and Bolin. I'm going to be working with them in my new job."

"Gentlemen, it's a pleasure. Korra told me that you two are huge pro-bending fans, and since she's getting a new job now, I guess you two will take good care of her, right?" Shiro stated, sticking out his hand. Kai took it and gave it a firm shake, smiling the entire way.

But when Shiro got to Bolin, the reaction was way more than he expected. Instead of mimicking the air bender, Bolin clutched Shiro's hand and waved his whole arm up and down. "I can't believe this, this can't be happening!" Bolin exclaimed, bouncing slightly on his feet.

Shiro barely withdrew his arm while Kai could only chuckle. Korra gave a perplexed look to Bolin, as she would not have envisioned that reaction. Privately, she was just happy that Bolin did not greet her that way when they first met. "I did tell you I work for Shiro, so it's not like I caught you by surprise. What's with that introduction?" she queried.

"Hey, it's always different when you see the man in person," Bolin pointed out. Korra tried hard not to flinch or rush to cover her ears, given Bolin's loud and boisterous voice. She watched as Bolin took a gander around the room, pacing to the front and leaning his head out the projection window. "So you get to see all the matches and great movers from this location?"

Korra nodded. "That's right, and I can still remember who the teams are, who each team's captain is, their playing styles, you name it," she replied, leaning at the same railing Bolin was, "And when there's no pro-bending, I will go into the vault and bring in the movers that we are supposed to show. Shiro will then prepare them up here and we will run by schedule."

"Yes, and Korra has been fantastic for me. There are people who thought I was crazy for hiring Korra. You can't supervise an out-of-control autistic, they say," Shiro stated, pulling out another mover roll from the shelf, "But autistic people like Korra just require some help adapting to their environment. Once she got into routine, Korra's work performance is top notch. I'm just glad Korra can still work for me part-time after working things out with the Satos."

Before they could say more, the door to the projection room was roughly pushed open. The group craned their heads to see national security personnel surround the place. Bolin and Kai howled in protest when the security team pushed them to the side, all the while Korra and Shiro stared at each other in confusion. Soon, the dust would clear when a tall man in a blue suit and three ponytails in his hair came up to them. "Are you Shiro Shinobi, the head projectionist and announcer of the building?" Tarrlok Yakone demanded.

"Uh, yes, of course," Shiro stuttered, slowly edging forward. Meanwhile, Korra's whole body shivered, wilting under the condescending gaze of the Minister of Defence and Public Safety. "What can my assistant Korra and I help you with, Minister Yakone? If it's about the show that the VIP is viewing tonight, I assure you that it's already been prepared."

Tarrlok strolled casually around the room, refusing to acknowledge Shiro and Korra. Once he reached the projector, he pivoted around and stared darts at Kai and Bolin. "You are aware that tonight's VIP is the nephew of the United Earth States ambassador, right? So why are two unauthorized people in the projection room?" he spat, pointing a finger at Kai and Bolin.

Korra could feel her fingers curl into fists. While she was intimidated by Tarrlok and his security team, she did not like the arrogance in his tone. "They're my friends, okay?" she called out, marching forward to confront Tarrlok but trying to avoid eye contact with the smug man, "I invited them to show them how a projection room works, and they can stay here and watch. They won't harm the VIP, so why are you treating them like they're terrorists?"

Shiro immediately approached Korra and tried to pull her away. Tarrlok was about to issue a retort when a voice from the door stopped him. "There's no need to do that, because my good friend Officer Mako here told me about those two." Everyone's eyes turned to the door, where Mako stood with a shorter, dark-skinned man with bright green eyes. Being the local police representative to the security team, Mako had to accompany the VIP the entire night. "Mako said Bolin is his brother, Kai is his friend, and they're visiting Korra, their new friend. I don't mind if they stay, especially when they get to introduce me to a dame like Korra here."

The young man boldly sauntered forward and took Korra's hand in his own. The water bender tried to wiggle her way out, a look of anxiety and disgust on her face. "My name is Wu Hou-Ting, and my aunt is the ambassador of the United Earth States," the young man declared, "If you want, let's all go downstairs and see the mover together, okay?"

Shiro, Korra, Bolin, Kai, and Mako all stared at each other incredulously, not sure if they were more surprised at Wu's gall or the way Tarrlok got cut down to size. Even the Minister of Defence and Public Safety was in shock, given how Wu had taken to Korra. Finally clearing his throat, Shiro shooed everyone downstairs while he operated the projector. He did not like how Wu took to Korra, whose autism made her uncomfortable around strangers who behaved that way. But if it meant lowering the temperature here, Shiro was willing to bite the bullet.

Surprisingly, the showing of the mover went without any hitches. Not only did Korra get into her element with giving her interpretation of the show's content to her friends and Wu, but Wu also enjoyed his time here. By the time the mover was finished, Wu was leaving for dinner. "It's too bad you can't join me, Korra," he stated, stepping into the main lobby of the arena, "Next time, we should totally have lunch or coffee. And don't worry about going somewhere fancy like Kwong's Cuisine. I went to university here in Republic City and I go to regular coffee shops and cafes all the time. There's no need to be super-human for me."

Korra waved Wu goodbye, still a bit uncomfortable with his mannerisms. "Let's hope I won't have to go on an actual date with that guy, or I might just throw up," she muttered. She then turned to wave at Mako, who had to accompany Wu once more, and Bolin and Kai, who were on their way home. But she made sure to flash a smug grin at Tarrlok, who scowled the entire way out. After seeing Wu treat Korra's group like friends rather than threats, Korra made sure she retaliated. Watching Tarrlok stomp away with a fume just made Korra's whole day.

The explosions of fire crackers and the pounding of drums echoed through the pier on this sunny day. Right along the waterline, two sets of lion dancers bobbed and weaved their way to the warehouse, where a VIP stood at the front with several items placed on a small table before her. The large warehouse had its doors wide open, the shelves completely clean and ready to take on whatever freight would arrive. It signified a new day for everyone working here, one that would spark a new beginning for them all.

Toza, who led the lion dance, used a fan to signal the two lions to approach the front of the warehouse. The lion decorated in red and green, controlled by Mako at the front and Bolin at the back, approached from Toza's left. The other lion, decorated in orange and green, was controlled by Yung at the front and Kai at the back. That lion followed closely before breaking rank and edging to Toza's right. They both weaved closer to Asami, who was the VIP behind the small table. "This is it, guys," Asami could hear Toza call to the lions amidst the loud drumming, "Once we pull the strings, the warehouse will officially be open."

The lions' mouth flaps slightly opened, and Asami could see Mako and Yung key their eyes in on the strings to her either side. Before Asami on the table were various food offerings, mainly fruits and vegetables. But Asami knew that the most important one was for the lions to yank on the strings to either side of the table. The cloth covering the warehouse's new plaque would come tumbling down, revealing the new cooperation between Toza's logistics firm and Future Industries. Hearing her own heart pound to the sounds of the drums, Asami could only clench and unclench her hands in nervousness and excitement.

Toza backed away from the table, allowing the two lions to come forth. Asami could see Mako and Yung strain with energy, all the while Bolin and Kai kept it up. Before the opening ceremony, Toza told Asami that his former pro-bending teammates knew of people in lion dance and martial arts clubs that were willing to participate in the celebration. Toza and Yung were involved in martial arts and lion dances when they were younger, and they did pass some skills to Mako, Bolin, and Kai. While Toza did have to get his pro-bending teammates to re-coach the younger lion dancers, Asami thought they all did great. When the lions split rank and moved to the table's two sides, Asami could barely contain her grin.

Then, with a flourish, the lions took the wires in their mouths and pulled hard. The cloth dropped like a stone, revealing the brand new plaque. "Boar-Q-Pines Logistics, in partnership with Future Industries," Toza and Asami declared together, waving at the sign above them. The drummers all stopped their drumming, while Mako, Bolin, Yung, and Kai climbed out from under their lion costumes. "Folk, we are in business!"

The crowd applauded and roared in approval. Toza approached his former teammates, who both shook his hand before congratulating Asami once more. The engineer glanced around to see a wide range of people, including teens and young adults who were most likely friends of Bolin and Kai, some police officers that Asami guessed were Mako's colleagues, and even some former Air Acolytes and air bending students under Tenzin. "They really brought the whole crowd," Asami murmured to herself, impressed at the supporters here.

While the group cleaned up the area, Asami quickly slipped inside the warehouse. She approached a corner area, where two other young ladies were standing. Asami could see Korra hunched over and rubbing her ears, all the while Opal tried to calm Korra down. "I hope that didn't shock you too much," Asami stated, approaching her water bender friend.

Korra sucked in her breath before slowly tilting her head up at Asami. "You know I don't like loud noises. That's why I only watch pro-bending matches from the announcer's booth with Shiro," she replied, her hands now moving forward and rubbing her temples, "I did like the lion dance, and I think Toza did a good job leading it, but that was just too close for comfort. You know I only stand at the back during Lunar New Year celebrations anyway."

Asami stuttered before closing her mouth. She did recall that autistic people had a tendency of avoiding loud noises, with those on the higher end of the spectrum being fearful of it altogether. While Korra was only on the lower end, Asami was cognizant of Korra's discomfort with that. "I should have prepped you better," Asami stated, rubbing her upper arms in distress, "I'm sorry if I pushed you too much."

Korra took a few more breaths to calm down before turning to Asami with a slight smile. "I'll be fine. I'm as much a part of this as you are, since you convinced your dad to let me help you run the warehouse," Korra responded, standing up straighter once more, "I'm really glad you said those positive things about me. You can't believe how good that makes me feel, knowing I can make a difference, you know?"

"Well, convincing my dad is the easy part. When it comes to my parents, it's easier to seek forgiveness than it is to seek permission," Asami stated, causing a wave of chuckles to come from all three ladies, "But Varrick and Zhu Li also helped, and you really have to thank your foster parents for being so supportive of this plan."

"And don't forget to thank Shiro Shinobi, who allowed you to work for him part-time at the pro-bending arena while you work here full time," Opal added, "You're going to be one busy woman in the future. That's why Asami assigned me to help you out a few days each week."

Just then, Bolin trotted into the warehouse. "Asami, Korra, we were wondering if…" Bolin began, before pausing and focusing on a certain individual clad in green, "Hello, I don't think we've met. My name is Bolin, what's yours?" he approached Opal, extending his hand.

Opal smiled shyly, extending her own hand to Bolin. "I'm Opal Bei Fong. I've been assigned by Asami to come here three days a week to help Korra with the warehouse," she explained, her face slightly flushing red, "I was at the back with Korra while you guys were setting up in the front, so that's why we didn't get a chance to meet. Anyway, are you working here with Toza? If you are, then we'll get a chance to work together."

"Yeah, I'll be working here with Toza, but Mako is a police officer, so you won't see him as often," Bolin responded, rubbing the back of his head with a chuckle, "But speaking of police, are you related to Chief Lin Bei Fong, Mako's boss?"

"Yes, that's my aunt. My mom Suyin is Aunt Lin's sister," Opal described, "She's the one who first recommended me to come to Republic City. Back then I was learning air bending from Master Tenzin, and now I'm back again to work here for Future Industries."

But before Bolin and Opal could continue their conversation, a loud cry outside caught everyone's attentions. Korra and Asami immediately rushed out, followed closely by Bolin and Opal. One of the people with the martial arts group led by Toza's former teammates was on the ground, grimacing in pain and favouring his right ankle. "He lost his balance when carrying some lion dance equipment back to the van, and he hurt his ankle as a result," Toza reported when Korra and Asami raced forward to inquire.

Korra knelt down to take a look at the injured man. His greying hair indicated that he was most likely middle-aged, which Korra noted would affect recovery time from the injury. Korra then lowered her glance to the man's ankle, which was now swollen and bruised. Licking her lips, Korra turned around and called for water. "Give me a container full of it ASAP!"

Immediately, Mako and Kai raced to the back to get the water. Bolin and Opal could only look on when the two young men returned with a washing tub filled almost to the top with it. Korra signalled to them to place the tub on the ground next to the injured man, while Toza helped Korra roll up the man's pant leg. Flexing her fingers a few times, Korra dipped her hands into the tub. She felt the water wrap around her like gloves, almost an inch of it smothering her hands when she lifted them out. Turning to the man, she gently placed her hands on the wound.

The man's grunts of pain soon became gentle hums of pleasure. The creased brow soon relaxed, and even Toza could feel the man's body loosen up. Mako, Bolin, Kai, and Opal all looked on in amazement, while Asami beamed in pride. They all knew of water-based healing techniques, but other than Asami, none of them had seen such skills taken to this extreme. Korra literally shrunk the man's ankle back to regular size and eliminated the discolouration within minutes. "I've never seen such great healing skill from a water bender before," Toza observed.

"Thanks. I just can't see someone in need of help and not help out, so I don't mind healing up his ankle," Korra replied, giving a shy smile but trying to avoid eye contact with Toza. She still did not feel comfortable with all the attention she now got, but at least they all knew she did the right thing. "As for where I learned water-based healing skills, let's just say my teacher was Dr. Katara Kuruk-Anil. I'm sure learning from the best water bender in a generation and one of the city's most famous doctors will help, right?"

"Has everything been put in place? It's got to be as close to perfect as possible, because she'll arrive any minute now," Tenzin called, carrying a final box of decoration into the large living room of the vice presidential mansion. For days, Tenzin and Pema had planned for this event, sometimes going through the night just to get it prepared. Even though it was just a simple family celebration, the master air bender wanted it to go the best way possible. That was why he spared no effort into getting even the most minute detail right.

"Calm down, Tenzin," Pema replied, helping the cook carry some food to the dining room table, "At this rate, you'll die of anxiety before our VIP arrives. If need be, just let Bumi or Kya or the kids do some decorating."

Tenzin glanced around and wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry. Ikki and Meelo were, as usual, arguing with one another about how to decorate properly. Tenzin's older brother Bumi, a fellow air bender and retired military official, ended up getting into a debate with the two little ones. Rohan, Tenzin's youngest, wandered back and forth from the dining room to the kitchen, offering to help out. But at his young age and small size, the amount of help he could offer was limited. The only one who seemed to have everything under control was Kya, and that was only because their mother was present. "It's not like we don't do family reunions often, so I don't see why this should be such a big commotion," Kya commented.

Tenzin glanced at Kya with an exasperated look, which only softened when Katara gave him a completely relaxed glance. "Mother, I'm sure you must have felt how I'm feeling right now when you have the entire family and all our friends together," Tenzin stated.

The retired physician shook her head. "Actually, I took the water bending approach, and just went with the flow when things got hectic. It was your uncle Sokka who got more uptight about schedules and such," Katara pointed out, "You're always the more serious out of the three kids, Tenzin. Aang and I sometimes wondered if you ever know the meaning of relaxation. You realize that when your father was younger, he was quite the free spirit?"

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that. I'm also aware that Bumi had inherited that part of Dad more than I did, even though I'm more interested in Air Nomad culture than Bumi will ever be," Tenzin responded dejectedly, throwing a glance over his shoulder. Behind him, Bumi, Ikki, and Meelo seemed to be decorating themselves more than the room, making Tenzin wonder if Bumi was just a big kid at heart. How did someone like that end up leading the military?

Before any further thoughts could be shared, a member of the vice presidential security team approached them. "Mr. Vice President, I would like to inform you that the VIP has just arrived onto the mansion's grounds. She is entering through the front gates as we speak," the man in a dark suit described in a no-nonsense manner, "I figure she will be in this room in around five to ten minutes, so you may want to put the finishing touches on your preparation."

Tenzin nodded. Clapping his hands, he tried to get everyone's attention. "Everyone, take your places. She'll be here any moment now and there's no time to waste. Bumi, Ikki, Meelo, please stay focused and finish your decorations," he instructed, snap-pointing at the threesome in the middle of their horseplay. Tenzin then trotted into the kitchen, where the final dishes were finished by the cook and Pema. "Folks, let's get this to the table and get into position."

Tenzin turned back to Kya, who escorted Katara to the back of the dining room. Even in her nineties, Katara was still sharp as a tack, both in terms of bending skills and her knowledge in physiology. Even though Kya was now a senior physician in Republic City's most prestigious medical facilities, she sometimes turned to Katara for advice. Tenzin truly admired how well Katara kept the family together despite being widowed twenty-five years ago. If he could be half the parent Katara was to him, Tenzin would consider himself a very successful man.

Tenzin signalled to the security guard, who dimmed the lights before slipping out into the hallway. Tenzin took a few deep breaths to calm himself, all the while trying to get a hold of his surroundings. Despite his no-nonsense nature, Tenzin has had decades of meditation practice, giving him perspective even in a darkened room. He could hear even the slightest sounds, including the sharp hisses between Ikki and Meelo, Bumi's efforts to lower their volumes, and Pema giving Rohan final instructions before they started dinner.

But all that had to wait when the doors were slowly pushed open. Tenzin could see the taller silhouette that was the security guard, but also a distinctive shorter silhouette that was the special guest. Seeing her return brought great joy to Tenzin's heart, and when the guard flipped on the lights, Tenzin jumped out and shouted enthusiastically, "Surprise!"

The special guest was none other than Jinora Anil, Tenzin's oldest daughter and the world's youngest air bending master. Her hands, which were tattooed with blue arrows on the back, slowly moved to her mouth, which was dropped in shock. "Wow, all this is for me?" she eked out, "Thank you so much for everything!"

Soon, everyone stepped out from their positions to give Jinora a hug. "Welcome home, Jinora," Bumi greeted his niece, enveloping her in a tight embrace, "We missed you for the last few weeks. How did the tours for the universities go?"

Before long, Jinora was led to the dining room, all the while the security guard took her luggage to her room. "It was really great. I saw so many universities with all these cool traits. It's always different when you see them in person, because even though I love reading about them, I can't always picture them in reality," Jinora explained as Tenzin gave her the head of the table, "I think there are so many good options to choose, and next year will be exciting for me."

"Have you looked into how each university fits into what you want to major in?" Pema asked, laying her now-spread napkin on her lap, "Even the most prestigious schools have some topics they specialize in more than others, so you'll have to choose carefully."

"Well, not necessarily," Kya interjected, "I know when I went to med school, I applied to each and every med school around. I literally went to the first school that accepted me. And with how things turned out, I can't say I made a wrong choice."

"That's the extreme water bending way of doing things. You just left it all up to chance and adapted along the way. I would like Jinora to be a bit more structured with the way she approaches this," Tenzin commented, pouring himself and Pema some water, "To get the best out of her education, Jinora should strategize carefully and weigh all her options. There is nothing worse than jumping in and adapting later on, even though it is an important trait."

"You know what I think? I think you should go to the school that has the cutest and coolest guys," Ikki chimed in, "You never know what having a boy not named Meelo will be like, especially when you don't have to deal with farts and delusional thoughts about being a military dictator. Maybe it'll make you more normal instead!"

"Hey, I resent that remark!" Meelo exclaimed, launching into another round of his rivalry with Ikki. From her end of the table, Jinora was not sure if she should be frustrated or happy at the scene before her. While her family had its quirks and her younger siblings were somewhat hard to handle, Jinora knew she could not be here without them. They supported her this whole time, and she was grateful for all the things they instilled in her. But at the same time, Jinora felt this was the best time to make her mark in the world. She wanted to carve her own path, and given her status as a university freshman next year, now was the best time to do so.

Soon, the dinner courses filed through the table, and a variety of topics came up. Whether it was about university courses, current commitments, or general questions about friends and family, Jinora was fully absorbed in the conversation. She learned that Asami Sato, one of her longest and dearest friends, was back in town and helping her parents run Future Industries. Another one of her friends, Opal Bei Fong, whom she met when Opal was an air bending student of Tenzin's, also worked at Future Industries as Asami's assistant. But soon, the topic went to a certain water bender. "What has Korra been up to during the weeks I was gone?" Jinora asked.

It was Jinora's grandmother who answered. "Korra told me she got a new job as well," Katara explained, "She's still working with Shiro Shinobi, but she's also working with Asami Sato at Future Industries. Asami wanted to pursue some new opportunities at the piers, and she asked Korra to help her manage a warehouse."

Jinora blinked in surprise. She knew that Korra was, like her, trying to set her mark in the world. For the longest time, Korra either could not or did not know how to do that. But to see her supervising and managing an entire warehouse where foreign and traded goods went through? This was beyond anything Jinora had imagined. Rubbing where the blue arrow ended on her forehead, Jinora made a mental note to contact Korra soon just to see this new venture.

Jinora glanced up at the large warehouse before her, somewhat surprised that this would be Korra's new workplace. Taking a gander at her surroundings, she could see a few ships in the distance, most likely docking here in the near future. While there were staff members going to and fro, this cargo pier seemed dead and void of activity. Jinora was aware that this was one of the lesser-used piers in Republic City, so she wondered how Korra could help make it bigger.

Taking a deep breath, Jinora pushed the front door open and entered the warehouse. She could hear the sounds of cargo scrapping against the floor or the shelves, with staff members busy putting boxes where they belonged. Various people also chattered about, which Jinora guessed was regarding shipments and deliveries. From her phone call with Korra the day before, Jinora recalled that Korra was assisting Asami with managing warehouse operations. She helped delivery companies manage their goods here before shipping them out. Seeing how things were already moving, Jinora figured that Korra would have quite the role here.

Jinora turned the corner and into another hallway, which led straight to a small office at the end of the warehouse. She could see several females inside, making a wide grin spread across her face. Breaking into a trot, Jinora strolled through the hall and into the small office, gently rapping her knuckles on the door. "Korra, it's me," Jinora called.

A certain water bender looked up from the table and smiled back at the air bender. "Jinora, it's so good to see you," Korra stated, reaching out and enveloping the younger girl in a hug. Despite her uneasiness around strangers, Korra had no qualms about friendliness and closeness with her friends, often pulling those she was comfortable with into tight embraces. "I heard you saw quite a few universities, so which one do you have in mind?"

Jinora chuckled. "I think it's still early to think about that. Besides, I wanted to see what you're up to," she responded. She took a gander around the office, and while it was messier than her own bedroom, Jinora felt it was organized messiness. "I'm guessing you arranged the office to make it most comfortable for your style?" she asked.

Korra took a gander before looking at Asami, who smiled in return. "This is Korra's office now, so I'm completely good with whatever she does," Asami explained. Given that autistic people must have things organized a certain way, Asami and Jinora knew better than to knock Korra off her routine. "As long as the work gets done, who am I to judge her?"

"And I'm coordinating communication between Korra and Asami, making sure that nothing goes wrong with the goods Future Industries is importing," Opal added, checking off a few more boxes on the sheet from her clipboard, "Korra is getting all the help she can get."

"Thanks, you guys," Korra stated, brushing a strand of hair away from her forehead, "I never thought I would get this chance, you know? I wasn't the best student, and I barely got by in college. I only got a job as Shiro's assistant, and it seems like my life is just stuck. Now, to get this opportunity, I feel like I can do something that I can truly call my own, you know?"

"Hey, it's no different than what I'm doing at Future Industries," Asami countered, taking a seat at the table in the middle of the office, "I know it's my parents' company and all that, but I want to make my own mark here. I don't want me to become my parents and run the company their way. I want the company to become me and run it my way. I'm just happy that my parents let me have that freedom to pitch new ideas to everyone, know what I mean?"

Jinora nodded and pursed her lips. It was really appropriate that the four friends were in the exact same spot in their lives. All of them were entering a stage where they were given more responsibilities, but none of whom were experienced in their fields yet. While Jinora was an air bending master, having her tattoos bestowed upon her at the age of eleven, she always felt she had a lot more to learn. If her love of books didn't convince her of that, then her recent travels to tour various campuses sure did. There was so much more that she could explore, and given the similar statuses she had with her three friends, she would not want better people to explore with.

Just then, another set of knocks cut into everyone's attention. Jinora turned around to see a stocky young man with bright green eyes standing at the door. "Hey guys, we just got another ship docking. Do we want to take the inventory for this one?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't mind helping you out with that," Opal stated, a dreamy look now crossing her eyes. One look at her expression and Jinora knew Opal had a crush on the newcomer. "This is Bolin, by the way. He works for the logistics company in charge of most of this warehouse's deliveries," Opal introduced the young man to Jinora, "Bolin, this is my friend Jinora Anil."

Jinora extended her hand, to which Bolin took and shook enthusiastically. From her position, Korra was surprised that Bolin did not try to shake Jinora's whole arm off. "Your last name is Anil," Bolin observed, "Are you the daughter of Vice President Tenzin Anil?"

Jinora nodded. While her parents tried to keep their family life relatively private, given the intense amount of scrutiny on the Second Family, she knew of news outlets that reported on her family on a regular basis. It didn't help that she had the title of being the youngest ever air bending master, meaning Jinora always felt the spotlight on her. "So I see you and Opal are getting along pretty well," she stated jokingly.

Bolin and Opal glanced at each other, before breaking eye contact while failing miserably to hide the red tints on their cheeks. "Working with Opal is great," Bolin described, his eyes still dreamy and focused on anywhere but Jinora, "She's pretty and smart, and sometimes she comes in here smelling like flowers. What can possibly beat that?"

Jinora's eyes widened at Bolin's description, while Korra and Asami tried hard not to fall off their chairs laughing. It was obvious that Bolin and Opal would be seeing each other a lot more often outside of work. Given that Opal was the person who lived in Republic City the least, it was somewhat surprising that she was able to find a date this quickly. "What about you, Jinora?" Asami asked, "Have you got an eye for any boys?"

Before Jinora could answer, some of the people on the boat hollered into the warehouse. Everyone stopped what they were doing and raced out to the pier, where several large crates were lined up to be lifted off the boats. "Can we get a hand?" the sailor asked.

Jinora glanced around and saw that the equipment was minimal. While there was the famous Future Industries custom forklift, there was no crane or other large-scale machinery there. She figured this was a pier that was rarely used, hence mechanical goods were unlikely to be present. Still, Jinora believed that it might be better with some machinery, given it would be safer and less stressful on the staff. Knowing Asami, Jinora was sure she would come up with it.

The barge lowered its ramp, allowing the forklift to slowly maneuver its way on. There was still the challenge of placing the container onto the forklift, which would then navigate back onto the pier. From the corner of her eye, Jinora could see a couple more people exiting the warehouse and approaching the boat. One of them was a boy around her age, with bright green eyes and very tanned skin. Was he a relative of Bolin's, perhaps?

Turning back to the boat, everyone could see the forklift make its way up the ramp and approached the goods. The forklift operator barked out some instructions, and all Jinora could make out was that he wanted to take both containers at a time. Jinora could see Asami and Opal step forward, questioning if it might be too risky, only to be waved off. With the wheels of the forklift shifting as it picked up the heavy crates, Jinora had a bad feeling.

Then, it was like everything moved in slow motion. The forklift backed up onto the ramp, the driver fully in control, before it sped up suddenly. The weight on the front pushed it back, overcoming the braking and causing the forklift to drift. Jinora's eyes widened when the forklift rolled down the ramp and made a beeline at her. "At this rate he's going to crash into Jinora," Bolin exclaimed, "We have to do something fast!"

Snapping out of it just in time, Jinora whipped her arms around and created a huge air blast. She wasn't sure if she had enough time or power to stop the forklift, but if not then it at least gave her an option to blast herself away. Inside, she was concerned that the forklift would hit the side of the warehouse, which would cause some major damage. "I can't let that happen," Jinora murmured to herself, gritting her teeth in frustration.

Just then, an even larger gust of wind blasted in from the side, knocking the forklift sideways and forcing it to screech to a halt. Jinora stopped her air bending and glanced to her left, where the blast came from. It was the same green-eyed boy she saw from earlier, who also relaxed his stance and took back his air. While Jinora tried to catch her breath, the boy turned to her and showed a small grin. "Wow, that was just…really good," Jinora eked out.

"Thanks, although I'm not as incredible as you, since you already have your tattoos," the green-eyed boy responded. Trotting over, he held out his hand to Jinora. For a second, Jinora was unaware of anything except two green orbs staring at her face. "My name is Kai, what's yours?"

Just a few notes for the readers who may be confused about some of my ideas:

1.) Rocky Bay is a real beach in Hong Kong. It is on the southeast tip of the island, and is known for its strong waves. Many people will try their luck at windsurfing there, but when I was there I wasn't brave enough to do that.

2.) Lion dances are common for celebratory events in China, including the grand opening of businesses. Lion dances are performed by 2 people (1 head and 1 tail), and they are led by an individual wearing a heavy mask with a happy face. I figure to have Toza lead it, due to his history of pro-bending and martial arts but kept the mask off.

3.) To go along with Korra's autism, I included some common aspects of autism here. Autistic people do not like loud noises, hence Korra is uneasy around Bolin and the firecrackers. Autistic people like having things structured and routine, hence Jinora's observation of the "organized mess" in Korra's office. Autistic people are also very talented at the things that they are most connected to, hence Korra's healing skills being extra powerful and strong. I want to thank Wildstar93 and SaoirseParisa for inspiring me with these traits and editing certain scenes to make sure they are realistic of autistic people.

4.) Wu's flirting with Korra is from Book 4, after Korra returned to Republic City from her poisoning. Wu's comment about "super human" is identical to the comment he made to Asami in the debut episode of Book 4. Korra's retaliation to Tarrlok, and Tarrlok's subsequent frown, is from when Team Avatar kept beating Tarrlok's taskforce in Book 1. Bolin's description of Opal to Jinora is identical to his description of her in Book 3 when he was on the radio with Tenzin. And finally, the initial meeting of Kai and Jinora, as well as their dialogue are similar in Book 3 episodes "Earth Queen" and "Original Airbenders."

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you again in another month for the next update of this story!