It was a sunny and calm day on Air Temple Island.
The perfect day for Izuku's morning exercises, who was running around the place.
Even though he was in another world, he couldn't pass up the training, as it was essential to strengthen his body and be able to better handle his Quirk.
He got up before sunrise and was so far doing physical exercises in his room, given to him in the boys' section, before going out and running around the island.
Finally, he stopped when he came to a small temple that he had been told they used for meditation.
He rested his hands on his knees and breathed heavily from exhaustion.
After catching his breath, he looked up at the sky and saw that it was already very late in the morning, so he decided to go to breakfast, although he had to take a bath first.
"And, in the final round, the Buzzard Wasps won with a decisive knockout!" said Korra, who was in the dining room along with Tenzin while she was reading a newspaper. "What do you say we go to the arena tonight, catch a few pro-bending matches?"
"That sport is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending." said Tenzin.
"Come on, Tenzin! I've dreamed about seeing a pro-bending match since I was a kid and now I'm just a ferry ride away from the arena." said Korra.
Before they could continue talking, they heard the dining room door open.
"Good morning." said Izuku walking into the dining room and sitting down next to Korra.
"Where have you been, Izuku?" asked Korra.
"Doing morning exercises. If I want to fully control my Quirk, I must strengthen my body." said Izuku.
"An excellent idea, Izuku. You should follow suit, Korra." said Tenzin, earning a scowl from the Avatar.
"So, what were you two talking about before I arrived?" asked Izuku curiously.
"We were talking about the last pro-bending match." said Korra pointing to the newspaper she was reading.
"Pro-bending?" asked Izuku arching an eyebrow.
"It's a sport where a team consisting of a waterbender, earthbender, and firebender fight another team on a platform. The objective is to use your bending to push the opposing team back. There are three rounds and if one team is knocked completely off the platform it's a complete victory for the other team." said Korra.
"Wow, that sounds like fun! I wish I could watch one." said Izuku interested in that sport.
"Izuku, she isn't here to watch that drivel. She's here to finish her Avatar training. So, for the time being, I want you to remain on the island." said Tenzin.
"Is that why you're keeping the White Lotus sentries around, to watch my every move?" asked Korra pointing to the White Lotus guards guarding the dining hall entrances.
"Yes. In order to learn airbending I believe you require a calm, quiet environment, free from any distractions." said Tenzin.
"Well, they don't give a very quiet environment, in my opinion." said Izuku.
"All right, you're the master." said Korra accepting the situation before turning around to take a look at the pro-bending arena.
Later, Tenzin was leading Korra (who was wearing the airbenders uniform) and Izuku to the training site.
"So, my mother informed me that you've never been able to airbend before." said Tenzin stopping and turning to look at her as the two children stopped in their tracks.
"Yeah, but I don't know why. The other elements came so easily to me, but every single time I've tried airbending…" expressed Korra making a raspberry. "Nothing."
Tenzin put his hand on the Avatar's shoulder to encourage her.
"You just need to be patient. Often the element that's the most difficult for the Avatar to master is the one most opposite to the Avatar's personality. For Aang, it was earthbending." said Tenzin recalling what his father told him when he began to earthbend.
"How does that work, Tenzin?" asked Izuku curiously.
"Let me explain. Each element represents a part of life. Air represents freedom, water represents change, earth represents hardness and fire represents power." Tenzin explained.
"Mmm. I see. Freedom refers to leaves carried by the wind, change to streams of water, hardness to rocks and..." began Izuku mumbling quickly to the surprise and confusion of the other two.
"Uh... Izuku?" asked Korra managing to snap the green-haired boy out of his state, who realized what he had done.
"Oh, sorry. It's a habit I have." said Izuku rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "But anyway, the point is that Korra is the opposite of an airbender, right?"
"That's exactly it." said Korra.
"Let's begin your first lesson." said Tenzin resuming the path.
The three continued walking until they came to some stairs that led them to an area where Tenzin's children were standing and behind them were several revolving gates.
Seeing that, Izuku thought of classic Japanese house gates.
"Korra's gonna airbend! Korra's gonna airbend!" said Ikki as she jumped up and down in excitement.
"What is that contraption?" asked Korra in confusion.
"A time-honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspect of airbending." replied Tenzin.
"And how exactly does it work?" asked Izuku.
"The goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them." explained Jinora.
"Seems easy enough." said Korra.
"I don't think it is." said Izuku sensing there was more to the test.
"Jinora forgot to say that you have to make it through while the gates are spinning." said Ikki.
Tenzin took a couple of steps forward and released a blast of wind that caused the gates to start spinning rapidly.
Then the airbender held a leaf in his hand before releasing it.
"The key is to be like the leaf." began Tenzin as the leaf let itself be carried by the wind towards the revolving gates, managing to pass through them without any problems. "Flow with the movement of the gates. Jinora will demonstrate." said Tenzin looking at his eldest daughter before she headed for the gates.
As Jinora went through the gates with ease as if she were dancing, Tenzin continued his explanation.
"Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice." explained Tenzin.
Izuku was impressed of such an exercise Jinora was performing as if it was nothing.
When Jinora reached the other side, she threw another blast of wind that made the gates spin rapidly again.
"Let's do this!" said Korra with determination.
"Good luck." said Izuku before Korra launched herself towards the gates.
But unlike Jinora, as soon as she entered the area of the gates, Korra ran into one, and then another, and another, and another, and another, and another until she ended up falling sitting down where she started.
Upset and angry at how it ended up, Korra quickly got up and darted back towards the gate area, but ended up in the same situation as before.
"Don't force your way through!" said Jinora trying to help her, but to no avail.
"Dance! Dance like the wind!" said Ikki trying to help, but it didn't work.
"Be the leaf!" said Meelo wiggling like a wave.
In the end, Korra was hit by another gate before falling toppled to the ground as Tenzin shook his head in disappointment.
"Are you okay?" asked Izuku approaching the Avatar.
"Yeah, just a little sore." said Korra sitting down on the floor.
"I think this will take a while." said Tenzin.
"Hey, Master Tenzin, could I give it a try?" asked Izuku, to the surprise of the others. "I wish I could at least give it a try."
Despite the fact that he wasn't an airbender, Tenzin saw no problem with him trying, so he gave him a nod of acceptance.
Throwing another blast of wind, he caused the gates to start spinning rapidly.
Izuku took a deep breath before activating his Quirk and launching himself towards the gates.
Using his increased speed, he was able to quickly dodge the gates by moving back and forth, but then, a gate hit him in the back, causing him to stagger before being hit by another gate and then another and so on for a couple more seconds until a blow from another gate sent him flying out of the gate area and landing face first on the ground.
"It's okay. It might not really be that simple." said Izuku a little sore from the blows.
That same night, on the island, Korra was in a courtyard, trying to airbend again, with Naga and Izuku nearby as spectators at her side.
"Airbend!" said Korra as she tried to throw a gust of wind at a newspaper showing a picture of Lin, but nothing happened, much to her frustration. "What is wrong with me? Airbend!" said Korra trying again, but nothing.
Korra was so frustrated that she ended up setting fire to the newspaper and the rope it was hanging on as she groaned in frustration.
"Aaarrrgghh. I don't get it. How is it that I'm able to bend the other elements and I'm not able to cast a simple breeze of wind? Maybe I'm just not cut out to be an airbender, huh?" said Korra.
"Don't say that, Korra. No one said airbending was as simple as blowing. For example, when I first got my Quirk, at first I would concentrate all my power on one spot on my body, like my fingers or arms, causing it to break in the process. It took a while before I developed my Full Cowl technique which allows me to expand a certain amount throughout my body. The point is that everyone can learn in their own way, they just need to find it." Izuku said.
"You know you sound like Tenzin, right?" asked Korra.
"Hehe. I guess it's the experience. Anyway, you just need to be patient and focus. I know you'll make it. I'm sure." said Izuku.
Korra smiled at her friend's words of support.
Before anyone could comment on anything...
"Ladies and gentlemen! I'm coming to you live from Republic City's Pro-bending Arena, where tonight the best in the world continue their quest for a spot in the upcoming championship tournament." the two boys turned to the side to see that the sound source was coming from a hut.
They crept closer and saw that there were three White Lotus guards listening through a radio.
Korra looked at Izuku with a smile and the green-haired boy understood what she meant and not seeing it problem, gave her a nod.
Korra used earthbending to propel herself to the roof while Izuku activated his Quirk to easily jump to the same spot.
"Grab your snacks and grab your kids because this next match is gonna be a doozy!" said Shiro from the radio while Korra and Izuku were listening intently to what he was saying from the roof.
Just because Tenzin denied them seeing it, didn't mean they couldn't hear it.
Later, the two children were listening to how the match was going and from the excited expressions on their faces, it was turning out to be exciting.
"This Mako's got moxy! He advances, fires two quick shots. Yomo is hammered back to zone three!" was being told by Shiro as the guards, Korra and Izuku were getting more and more excited to hear about the end of the match. "Clock is winding down, can Yomo hold on? He's teetering on the edge of the ring now. The Fire Ferrets line up to strik…"
Suddenly, the radio went dead.
Korra and Izuku were in shock and disappointment at what had just happened.
The White Lotus guards turned their heads to see Tenzin standing behind them and immediately turned to face him with horrified expressions.
"Korra, Izuku, come down here please." said Tenzin knowing where they were from the beginning.
Korra and Izuku peered down from the roof, startling the guards who moved out of the way to allow them to get down on the ground.
"You shut it off at the best part!" said Korra.
"Korra, I don't think that's important right now." said Izuku knowing they were in trouble by the airbender's expression.
"I thought I made myself clear. I don't want you listening to this distracting nonsense." said Tenzin.
"But it's their radio." began Korra pointing at the White Lotus guards. "And technically, you said I couldn't watch a match. You didn't say anything about listening to one."
"On that I agree." said Izuku supporting the Avatar.
"You..." began Tenzin before letting out a groan of frustration at the Avatar's logic. "You know what I meant! Anyway shouldn't y…? Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" said Tenzin before turning to leave.
The next morning, in a small temple on the edge of the island, Tenzin was in the lotus position, with his children and Korra sitting in the same position in front of him.
The exercise consisted, simply, in meditating, keeping silent, with eyes closed, breathing deeply, and saying nothing.
Despite her best efforts, Korra found it difficult to meditate peacefully and eventually opened her eyes.
Glancing around, she saw the young airbenders meditating peacefully.
After that, she closed her eyes to try meditating again.
"I think I'm doing it wrong." said Korra tired of not managing to meditate quietly.
"There's nothing to do. Let your mind and your spirit be free, for air is the element of freedom." said Tenzin before Korra burst out laughing. "Is something… funny?"
"Yeah, you're telling me to embrace freedom, but you won't even let me listen to the radio. And forget about leaving this island!" said Korra.
"Korra, please. Look at Meelo and Spike; they're able to meditate peacefully." said Tenzin pointing to his youngest son who was actually sleeping peacefully.
"Actually, I think he's asleep." said Korra.
"What?" asked Tenzin in surprise as he bent down to check. "Well, at least he has the relaxing part down."
"Whatever. None of this airbending stuff makes any sense to me." said Korra.
"I know you're frustrated, but these teachings will sink in over time. Then one day, they'll just click." said Tenzin before they all went back to meditating.
It was all quiet. At least for a few seconds.
"Yeah, it's not sinking in yet." said Korra before getting up. "I'm gonna go get a glass of lychee juice." said Korra walking out of the temple leaving only Tenzin and his children.
"Korra, the meditation's not over yet!" said Tenzin.
"Daddy, can I have some lychee juice too?" asked Ikki.
"No." said Tenzin very seriously.
Ikki grimaced in disgust as Meelo fell back, still asleep while Jinora opened one eye.
In the kitchen, Pema and Izuku were doing some housework.
Since Korra and Tenzin were going to do another airbending training, Izuku decided to lend Pema a hand, as she could use a lot of help given her condition.
"Thanks for the help, Izuku. I could really use it." said Pema.
"No problem. It's the least I can do since you let me stay here." said Izuku.
"Oh, it's no problem. I just hope you can find your way back to your world." said Pema.
"I hope so too." said Izuku.
Just then, Korra came into the kitchen, but instead of saying hello, she simply poured herself a glass of juice, drank it and then left.
That was enough for Izuku to see that something bad had happened during training.
"You go ahead and go with her. I'll take care of the rest." said Pema knowing what the green-haired boy was really thinking.
"T-Thanks, Pema." said Izuku with a smile before leaving the kitchen to follow the Avatar.
Izuku followed Korra to the central courtyard, where he could see her sitting on the stairs.
"Korra, is everything going well?" asked Izuku.
"Perfectly, I've done great in training. Before long, I'll be a true airbender." said Korra sarcastically.
"That means no, right?" asked Izuku sitting down next to the Avatar.
"Of course it doesn't! I've been trying to follow Tenzin's advice, but it's not working. He says I should have patience, but I can't seem to get it." said Korra.
Izuku could see that if she didn't do something soon, her friend would snap in a similar way as Katsuki would when he was totally pissed off.
"W-Well, maybe the best thing to do would be to relax a little." said Izuku.
"Really? And how do you suggest I do that?" asked Korra.
"I don't know, but I'm sure there will be something that could relax you." said Izuku.
Korra looked around, searching for something to help her with that when suddenly her gaze landed on a certain building on the other side of the ocean.
A smile formed in her mind as a solution popped into her mind.
"I think I found something." said Korra.
"The what?" asked Izuku.
"The pro-bending arena! I'll go there and watch a match with my own eyes!" said Korra pointing to the arena.
"What? Are you sure? What if you get caught?" asked Izuku worried about his friend.
"They won't if I get back before they notice." said Korra.
Izuku didn't like the idea of Korra running away again and challenging Tenzin's authority, but he felt that if she didn't at least do that, something bad would happen in the end.
"All right. In that case, I'll go with you. I'd also like to watch a live pro-bending match." said Izuku scratching his cheek.
Korra gave him a wide smile before putting her arm around his shoulders.
"My friend. Tonight will certainly be something you won't forget." said Korra.
"I'm sure it won't." said Izuku with a smile, though inside he was worried about what would happen if they were caught.
Later that night, a pair of White Lotus guards could be seen watching the surrounding area.
Korra opened the window of her room just as a guard was walking away and after double-checking that there were no other guards around, Korra set out to escape.
As she passed by the boys' rooms, she opened the window of a certain room, which was a signal for Izuku to go out through it.
Once they were both there, they quickly ran to the edge of the island that overlooked the pro-bending arena that was on the other side of the sea.
They grabbed each other's hand, and both jumped into the water.
Before they reached the end, Korra used waterbending to soften the landing and once they were underwater holding their breath, Korra again used waterbending to propel them quickly to their destination.
The pro-bending arena.
After a while, they pulled their heads out of the water to catch their breath before they saw that they were next to the arena.
They looked around the place for a bit before seeing an open window.
At this, Korra used the waterbending to propel them towards the window which brought them inside.
Once safe, they shook a bit to get the water off of them, though Korra used her powers to get all the water off of them.
As they walked down the aisles in search of the seating area, Izuku thought of one thing.
"Hey, why don't we use the front door?" asked Izuku.
"Do you have money to pay for tickets? Because I don't." said Korra pointing to a good spot, which made the green-haired boy nod in agreement.
They continued walking for a bit until something caught the Avatar's attention, so she stopped along with the green-haired boy before entering a huge room filled with sports equipment.
"Whoa, look at this gym!" said Korra in awe.
"It's impressive, but we should get going before we get caught." said Izuku in awe.
"You worry too much, dude." said Korra with confidence that no one would catch them.
"Hey." both children turned around with horrified expressions when they saw an older person approaching them. "What're you doin' in my gym?"
Unbeknownst to them, a person was walking through the entrance of the gym.
"Uh... We..." began Izuku unable to find an explanation for that situation.
"We were just looking for a bathroom and we got lost." said Korra as the other person stopped at the entrance to the gym.
"Ah, the old "I had to pee" excuse! You know, I'm sick and tired of you kids sneakin' in without payin'! I'm taking you to security!" said the man.
"No, wait!" said Korra panicking.
For a moment, Izuku thought about activating his Quirk and escaping with Korra before things got worse, but then, the person at the entrance, who happened to be a young man about Korra's age, approached them.
"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you! It's all right Toza, they're with me." said the boy standing next to Korra and Izuku.
Korra and Izuku smiled as they understood what he was doing.
"Yeah, we're with him." said Korra.
"Yeah, that's right, he happened to invite us and..." said Izuku.
"Ah, I don't care what you are doing! I got work to do." said Toza before leaving.
"Rrright this way, miss and... mister." said the boy.
"And thank you, sir!" said Korra.
"Seriously, thanks." whispered Izuku covering one side of his mouth with his hand, thanking him for making them aware of the situation before the boy escorted them out of the gym.
"You are lucky I found you in time or your date would have been ruined." said the boy causing the Avatar and the green-haired boy to suddenly stop.
"What?!" they both asked blushing slightly.
"We're not boyfriend and girlfriend." said Korra.
"R-Right. We're just friends." said Izuku nervously.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It was just my assumption." said the boy apologetically before continuing to escort them to another part of the arena.
Soon after, the boy led the Avatar and the green-haired boy into another room.
"Whaddya think? Best seats in the house, huh?" asked the boy with a smug grin.
Korra and Izuku were amazed when they saw that they were in a box where they could see the entire battlefield.
"Whoa! Unbelievable!" said Korra.
"It's as big as the U.A. arena." said Izuku remembering the arena where the sports festival was held.
"This place is even more amazing than I imagined!" said Korra as two people entered the box.
"Name's Bolin, by the way." said the boy introducing himself.
"Korra and this is Izuku." said Korra without looking away from the battlefield as she introduced herself and her friend.
"Nice to meet you." Izuku said extending his hand towards the earthbender.
"Likewise." said Bolin reaching out to shake the green-haired boy's hand.
"Psst, Bolin." said one of the boys who entered the box calling out to Bolin.
"Yeah?" asked Bolin as he approached him.
"I told you, you have to stop bringing your crazy fangirls in here before the matches. And she's coming with her boyfriend. Get them out of here." said the boy.
"Come on, Mako! Right, look, I kinda promised them they could stay, but man, I got a good feeling, there's somethin' special about her. I know it! Besides, they're just friends." said Bolin before turning back to Korra and Izuku. "Come here, I want you to meet my brother, Mako."
"You're Mako? I heard you on the radio during last night's match." said Izuku.
"Yes, w-we heard you playing on the radio." said Korra holding out her hand to shake his hand, but Mako walked past her as if it was nothing.
"Come on, Bolin, we're up." said Mako putting on his helmet.
Korra looked a little disappointed that he left her hanging.
"… or I could meet him later." said Korra.
"Yeah, sorry about that. My brother just gets real ... focused before a match." said Bolin before putting on his helmet. "Okay, I gotta go, wish me luck. Not ... that I'll need it." said Bolin before following Mako and the other boy out of the balcony onto the field.
"Good luck." said Izuku.
"Yeah, knock 'em out!." said Korra raising her fist in the air.
The arena lights went out and then a spotlight illuminated the battlefield.
Walking up a small ascending platform in the middle of the field, a man with a microphone appeared, so he must have been the announcer.
"Introooooducing the Fire Ferrets!" said the announcer pointing to one side of the field where a platform led the team of Mako and Bolin onto the field.
"Aaaaaah! I love you, Bolin! Aaaaaah!" shouted a girl from the seats.
"The rookie Ferrets came from out of nowhere and have made it further than anyone expected this season." said Shiro Shinobi, the radio announcer, as the Fire Ferrets stood in the red zone of the field in front of the opposing team.
From the box, Korra and Izuku could be seen excited about the match they would witness.
"But tonight, they face their toughest test yet, folks." said Shiro as the combatants got into position.
Then, the starting bell rang.
In the next instant, the combatants began throwing jets of fire, water, and earthen discs at each other.
"And they're off!" said Shiro as Bolin jumped back before throwing an earthen disc. "The two teams waste no time trying to blast each other out of zone one!" said Shiro.
The firebender, who was the one Bolin threw the earth disk at, destroyed the incoming object with firebending before launching a pair of fireballs.
The other member of the Fire Ferrets dodged one fireball before blocking the second with his waterbending.
"Hasook is the first to feel the heat of the Tigerdillos!" said Shiro as Hasook threw a stream of water at the earthbender, but he dodged it with a side flip before raising a disc of earth which he threw with a kick.
"He tries to return the favor, but they're too fast for him." said Shiro as Mako ducked to the side to dodge the disk, then ducked to the other side to dodge a fire attack before launching fireballs from his fists and then quickly ducked to dodge a water attack and an earth disk.
"While Mako shows off his trademark 'cool under fire' style!" said Shiro as Mako shot a fireball.
Unfortunately, the opponent the attack was aimed at ducked to dodge it before he and the others launched a stream of water and fire that hit Hasook and Bolin, knocking them back as Mako kept shooting fireballs.
"Oooh, the Tigerdillos score with a walloping one-two combo!" said Shiro.
From the box, Korra and Izuku could be seen very nervous about the combat situation.
"Can their teammate hold on to their zone one territory?" asked Shiro as Mako nimbly dodged all the attacks thrown at him.
Unfortunately, during a jump, a ground disc hit him, causing him to put a foot on the boundary line.
"Guess not! Mako's over the line! The Tigerdillos get the green light and advance into Ferret territory!" said Shiro.
"Come on, Ferrets!" shouted Korra.
"You can do it!" shouted Izuku.
The waterbender launched a jet of water that Bolin neutralized with an earth disc, then Mako threw a fireball at the earthbender with a kick, but he dodged it with a leap.
While he was in the air, Bolin threw a ground disc at him, but he kicked it away, sending it crashing into Hasook, who ended up dragged into the last area near the edge of the field.
"Looks like Hasook's in trouble! He's in zone three teetering over the drink!" said Shiro.
The waterbender threw a water disk underneath them, but Bolin dodged it with a leap, but the disk was actually aimed at Hasook who was blocking an earth disk with waterbending.
The water disc caused him to slip.
He tried to brace himself on one hand, but an earth disk hit him in the chest and he ended up falling out of the ring into the water.
"And Hasook takes a dip! He'll be back for round two! Assuming the fabulous bending brothers can hold their ground until the next round. " said Shiro as they dodged a water jet and an earthen disc.
Mako threw a fireball as Bolin used an earth disk to block a water jet, but another water jet hit him in the chest, knocking him back as Mako jumped back to dodge a fireball, ending them both in zone three.
Just then, the final bell rang.
"Round one goes to the Golden Temple Tigerdillos!" said the announcer as the crowd cheered in delight at the bout.
Hasook returned to stand next to Mako and Bolin as the three positioned themselves to fight again.
"Come on, Hasook! Get your act together!" said Mako.
"There seems to be trouble between them." thought Izuku seeing that Mako and Hasook weren't getting along at all.
Soon after, the bell rang for the start of the second round.
The opponents began to quickly launch ground, fire, and water attacks, forcing the Ferrets to retreat back to zone two while they advance one zone.
"The Fire Ferrets are knocked into zone two and the Tigerdillos advance!" said Shiro as Hasook blocked an earth disc with the waterbender before throwing a jet, Mako threw fireballs and Bolin threw an earth disc.
The waterbender threw a water jet before an earth disk hit him in the chest.
Next, Mako threw two fireballs and Hasook launched a flying kick a jet of water diagonally, hitting another opponent while the beep sounded that sounded whenever someone crossed a zone boundary.
Next, Bolin threw an earth disc that hit an opponent and sent him one zone back.
Then, another opponent was hit by a fireball and the third by a jet of water, knocking them back.
Soon after, the final bell rang.
"The Fire Ferrets cinch the round in the closing seconds!" said Shiro as Bolin and Hasook celebrated their victory.
"It's one apiece, still anyone's match as we go into the third and final round!" said Shiro as the two teams returned to their main positions and as soon as the opening bell rang, they were back to fighting.
The waterbender threw a stream of water at Hasook, but he dodged it by rolling to the side and then threw a water jet at him again, but Hasook dodged it again.
"Hasook stumbles." said Shiro as Hasook passed behind Mako, who destroyed a disk of earth with a fireball. Hasook threw a jet of water, but a jet of water from the other waterbender trips him up until he falls on top of Bolin. "And now he tumbles right into his teammate!"
They both looked up to watch in horror as the earthbender walked forward before lifting a disc of earth to kick it at him.
"He and Bolin better untangle quick if they don't want to…" said Shiro as the earthen disc hit the two, sending them out of the ring and into the water. "Oh, too late!"
"Oh, no!" said Korra in horror and nervously.
"Now Mako is on his own." said Izuku.
"It's all up to Mako now!" said Shiro as Mako dodged fire, water, and earth attacks.
"He's bobbing and weaving! He's weaving and bobbing! But he's not hitting back!" said Shiro as Mako eventually reached the edge of the ring. "If Mako's knocked out, the Ferrets' fabulous season is over!"
Korra was so nervous that she was pulling her hair at the risk of tearing it out, and she wasn't the only one.
Izuku was so nervous that he had inadvertently activated his Quirk, squeezing the railing and twisting it in the process.
Despite his predicament, Mako looked calm and steady as he continued to dodge enemy attacks.
"He is dancing on the edge of the ring, surviving the three on one barrage! It seems his plan is to let the Tigerdillos punch themselves out!" said Shiro as Mako threw a fireball.
"And his plan is working!" said Shiro as the fireball hit the waterbender, managing to send him out of the ring and into the water.
"Han is in the pool!" said Shiro referring to the downed opponent.
"They've got nothing left in the tank and Mako is on the offensive!" said Shiro as Mako threw balls and jets of fire non-stop.
The two opponents tried to dodge or block the attacks.
"It's two on one!" said Shiro as the firebender ended up getting hit by a fireball, pushed to crash into the railing and sent into the water. "Scratch that, it's one on one, and it's an earth and fire slllugfest!"
Mako continued to throw fireballs, but the earthbender managed to block them all with earth discs, causing a cloud of dust to form between them.
That's when Mako started spinning in the air with his legs extended and threw a fire disc that hit the opponent and sent him into zone three.
"There's so much smoke and dust from the firefight, I can't even see where the Fire Ferret is!" said Shiro as the earthbender raised a disc of earth, preparing for the next attack.
Suddenly, Mako emerged from above through the smoke, fist wreathed in fire and launched a fireball that hit the earthbender directly, finally sending him out of the ring.
"It's a knockout! What a wing-dinger of a hat trick, folks! Mako pulls off the upset of the season, winning the match for the Fire Ferrets!" said Shiro as Mako removed his helmet.
Korra smiling happy to see them win the match.
"Yes, they won!" exclaimed Izuku with a fist to his face and a wide toothy grin.
"Woohoo! Yes!" shouted Bolin reaching the box in one leap from the stairs. "One more win and we're in the championship tournament!" said Bolin before snapping his fingers. "So, what'd ya think? Bolin's got some moves, huh?" asked Bolin.
"What did I think?" asked Korra smiling as she grabbed Bolin by his suit to pull him closer to her. "What did I think? That was amazing!" said Korra excitedly as she pushed Bolin away from her.
"Forgive her, it's her first pro-bending match, though mine too. But it really was impressive! Especially Mako with that dodge and exhaust technique." said Izuku with stars in his eyes.
"That's my brother for you. Always with a strategy in mind for the situation." said Bolin.
Meanwhile, Mako was having a conversation with Hasook as they approached the box.
"You did more harm than good out there. You almost cost us the match!" said Mako.
"We won, didn't we?" asked Hasook as he removed his helmet.
"Barely." said Mako.
"Get off my case, pal!" said Hasook as he tossed the helmet on the bench before leaving the scene.
"Useless." said Mako.
"You guys were incredible out there! Especially you, Mr. Hat Trick!" said Korra congratulating Mako, who went about his business.
"Oh, you're still here?" asked Mako.
"Oh, you're still a jerk?" asked Korra.
"Ooh!" groaned Bolin at the Avatar's response. "Haha."
Even Izuku chuckled slightly at the way Korra responded to the firebender.
"Anyway." said Korra ignoring Mako to focus on his brother. "I've been immersed in bending my entire life, but I never learned how to move like that! It's like there's a whole new style here!"
"True, I have seen some benders move, but what you have done is something totally unbelievable." said Izuku.
"Think you could show me a few tricks?" asked Korra crossing her arms.
"Ab-so-lutely!" said Bolin.
"Right now? Come on, Bolin." said Mako as he took off his protective gauntlets.
"Just ignore him. Yeah, I could show you the basics. I'm just not sure how my earthbending would translate to your waterbending, but we'll figure it out." said Bolin.
"That's why don't worry, Korra is an earthbender." said Izuku.
"That's true." said Korra with her arms crossed.
Bolin was silent for a few seconds surprised by the revelation.
"I'm sorry, no, no! I didn't mean to assume. 'Cause I, you know, I was just figuring ... with your Water Tribe getup ... that you are ... a Water Tribe ... gal." said Bolin.
"Nope, you're right. I'm a waterbender." said Korra.
"And a firebender, too." said Izuku.
"Mmm." expressed Bolin with a hand on his chin as he thought about what he was being told. "I'm very confused right now."
"You're the Avatar, and I'm an idiot." said Mako finally understanding who Korra was.
"Both are true." said Korra.
Needless to say, Bolin was completely taken aback by the revelation.
"No... way." said Bolin before looking at Mako, covering one side of his face with his hand while pointing at Korra with the other. "The Avatar!" whispered Bolin as if they couldn't hear him, when in reality, they could.
A little later, in the arena gym, Korra and Bolin were standing between two walls of earthen discs in front of a hanging net while Mako was leaning on the stairs with his arms crossed and Izuku was sitting on a bench with his notebook ready to take aim.
"All right! Let's see what'cha got!" said Bolin to Korra before she lifted a pair of discs and threw them against a net. "That was great! Good power! But in a real match, you'd be a sitting turtle duck. Not so upright and flatfooted!" said Bolin as he took position to show example. " Stay light on your toes, right up until the moment when you need to dig in and strike. Then… pop, pop!" said Bolin lifting two earthen discs which he threw at a speed faster than Korra, much to her surprise.
"Wow, that's a good form of attack." said Izuku while taking notes.
"Okay, let me try it again." said Korra before getting into the same position and throwing two earth discs in the same manner as the earthbender.
"Wow! Nice adjustment! You're a natural at this." said Bolin.
"Well, she's the Avatar." said Izuku.
"Not bad." said Mako.
"What's it take to impress this guy?" asked Korra.
"What? I said 'not bad'." said Mako.
"Well, at least it's something." said Izuku accepting the compliment when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and saw near the bench a small animal that looked like a mix between ferret and red panda.
Izuku, full of curiosity, brought his hand close to the animal, who sniffed it a bit before standing on top of it, letting Izuku raise him to his height.
"Hello, where did you come from, little guy?" asked Izuku with a smile and stroking the animal's head with a finger.
It was then that Bolin took notice.
"Oh, it's Pabu, he's a fire ferret. You could say he's the team mascot." said Bolin.
"Aw, he's cute." said Korra.
Pabu jumped out of the green-haired boy's hand and stood on his shoulders before rubbing his head against his.
"Oh, he seems to like you." said Bolin.
"You know what, it's getting late. I think I'm gonna turn in. You kids have fun. Nice to meet you, Avatar Korra and Izuku Midoriya." said Mako before leaving.
"Yeah, been a real pleasure." said Korra sarcastically.
"See ya upstairs, bro." said Mako as he walked away.
"Upstairs? Do you live here?" asked Izuku.
"Yup. In the attic. It's nothin' fancy, but we have some great views! So, back to bending. Why don't you throw that combo one more time?" said Bolin before Korra returned to the position from before and threw earth disks.
Korra smiled with excitement at learning something new.
But that smile was erased when, the next morning, she had to perform the gates test again and, from her condition, it seemed that she failed again in the same way as the previous times.
After exhaling being angry, Korra launched herself back towards the swinging gates, but again, ended up getting hit by the boards.
"Patience, Korra!" said Tenzin trying to help her.
After being hit by another gate, Korra was so angry that she ended up shooting fire at the surrounding gates, much to the surprise of Izuku, Tenzin and his children.
"I think she's run out of patience." said Izuku.
Korra was panting heavily with a frown and looking at the burnt gates around her.
"That was a two-thousand-year-old historical treasure!" said Tenzin in shock before he turned it to anger. "What… What is wrong with you?!" asked Tenzin very angrily.
"There's nothing wrong with me! I've been practicing just like you taught me, but it isn't sinking in, okay? It hasn't click like you said it would." said Korra feeling frustrated and disappointed.
"Korra, this isn't something you can force. If you would only listen to me…" began Tenzin speaking calmly and serenely.
"I have been! But you know what I think? Maybe the problem isn't me! Maybe the reason I haven't learned airbending yet is because you're a terrible teacher!" said Korra pointing at Tenzin before running away from the place.
"I'll try to talk to her." said Izuku before running to catch up with her friend. "Korra, wait!"
"Ughh." groaned Tenzin in frustration at the Avatar's impatience.
"Yeah! You're a terrible teacher, Daddy!" said Meelo pointing at his father with a childishly amused grin before running around and screaming like a wild child as his two sisters hugged their father to comfort him.
Later, in the temple dining room, Pema arrived with a tray of food while the rest of her family was seated, though Jinora was busy reading a book.
"Okay! Everyone here?" asked Pema before realizing something. "Wait. Where are Korra and Izuku?"
"Honestly, Pema, I am at my wit's end with that girl! I… I don't know how to get through to her!" said Tenzin.
"Dear, the best thing you can do right now is to give Korra some space. Besides, Izuku is with her. I'm sure his company will do her some good." said Pema.
"You must promise me that your teenage years won't be like this!" said Tenzin.
There was a small silence in the room until Jinora looked away from the book.
"I will make no such promises." said Jinora before turning her focus back to the book.
Come evening, at the pro-bending arena, Korra and Izuku entered the box where Mako and Bolin who looked depressed for some reason along with three other guys were sitting.
"We didn't miss your match, did we?" asked Korra.
"You look like you lost." said Izuku.
"We might as well have." said Bolin lowering his head depressed.
"Hasook's a no-good no-show!" said Mako.
"Hasook? The waterbender of your team? What happened to him?" asked Izuku.
"He left us. And at the last moment. I knew he was useless from the start." said Mako.
At that moment, a man opened the door and peeked out a little.
"You got two minutes to come out ready to play, or you're disqualified." said the man.
"Well, there goes our shot at the tournament… and the winnings." said Mako.
"And one of those guys can't replace him?" asked Izuku pointing to the three guys standing off to the side chatting with each other.
"Nah. The rules say you can only compete on one team." said Bolin.
"Well, then… how about me? I'm a top-notch waterbender, if I do say so myself." said Korra crossing her arms.
"But Korra, you're the Avatar. Wouldn't that be cheating?" asked Izuku.
"It isn't cheating if I only do waterbending." said Korra with a smile.
"No way. I'd rather forfeit than look like a fool out there." said Mako declining the offer.
"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence." said Korra sarcastically.
Just then, the man from earlier appeared in the doorway again.
"Time's up. You in or out?" asked the man.
"We're in." said Korra quickly without hesitation.
"We are?" asked Mako as Korra headed for the lockers.
"Yes!" said Bolin excitedly.
"Hey, I didn't agree to this!" said Mako.
"You can thank me later." said Korra as she opened the locker to put on her combat uniform.
"This girl is crazy." said Mako.
"Well, I guess there's no turning back now." said Izuku.
"Looks like the Fire Ferrets have ferreted out a last-minute replacement waterbender." said Shiro as Mako approached their position.
"Let's see if she's another diamond in the rough like the brothers from the school of hard knocks!" said Shiro as the players got into position.
Korra glanced over to the box to see Izuku giving her a thumbs up, bidding her good luck.
Korra gave him a smile before focusing on the match.
"Don't do anything too fancy or aggressive. In fact, don't do anything. Just try not to get knocked off the ring." said Mako to Korra.
"You got it, captain." said Korra.
"Players! Are you ready?" asked the referee before blowing the whistle and raising his arm just before the opening bell rang.
As soon as she heard it, Korra launched a horizontal kick, sending a spray of water at the opponent in front of her and throwing him out of the ring sideways, shocking the opposing team as Mako slapped his face in frustration.
"Woohoo!" exclaimed Korra leaping into the air with her fist in the air. "Man overboard! " shouted Korra in excitement over her small victory as she ran in circles.
"Fire Ferret waterbender, penalty! Move back one zone!" said the referee.
"What? Why?" asked Korra in confusion.
"You're only allowed to knock players off the back of the ring! Not over the sides!" said Mako.
"Oh. Whoops." said Korra realizing her little mistake.
"I knew she should have read the rules before joining." said Izuku seeing that this match was going to be more complicated than he thought for the Fire Ferrets.
Back on the field, Korra moved back a zone as the opponent she threw returned to his previous position.
Soon after, the starting bell rang again.
"And we're back in action after that hiccup." said Shiro.
As soon as the fight started, the players began to throw water, earth, and fire attacks at each other.
Korra launched a jet of water before a disc of earth hit her in the chest, forcing her to back up a bit.
"But I'm not so sure this replacement player knows what she's doing." said Shiro as Korra leapt into the air and used her foot to change the direction of an incoming water jet to throw it at the other team, but upon landing, she ended up stepping on the boundary line, prompting the referee to whistle.
"Foul! Over the line! Move back to zone three!" said the referee, much to the Avatar's frustration.
"I'll show you over the line!" said Korra in frustration before scrolling away.
Finally, the finishing bell rang.
"The Platypus Bears take round one!" said Shiro before the bell rang for the start of round two, returning to the situation of throwing elemental attacks at each other.
Korra dodged a disc of earth before using a stream of water to neutralize a water and fire attack, but hitting the water with the fire generated a small explosion that knocked her back a couple of steps.
"The Platypus Bears know a green player when they see one, and they are focusing the brunt of their bending on this poor girl!" said Shiro as Korra, with a leap, sent a water jet to neutralize another water jet.
"Come on, Korra!" shouted Izuku cheering his friend on.
She quickly dodged another earthen disc before using waterbending to block a fire attack, but the resulting explosion forced her further back to one side of the ring.
Korra turned her gaze to the front to see two opponents hurling jets of water and fire at her.
Desperate to get out of that situation, Korra ended up using earthbending to raise two earth discs with which she blocked both attacks, causing a smokescreen around her.
"Wait a minute! Did that waterbender just earthbend?" asked Shiro as the audience and opponents gasped at what had just happened as the referee blew his whistle.
"Foul! I... think." said the referee as Korra began to realize what she had done, giving the two brothers a nervous smile as she shrugged her shoulders.
Mako shook his head, knowing it wasn't a good idea from the start.
"Oh, no. I hope Tenzin isn't watching this." said Izuku knowing that, if the airbender found out about it, they would both be in very, very big trouble.
Meanwhile, on Air Temple Island, several guards were listening in on the radio to what was going on.
" Did I see that right? Hold on, folks, we're just waiting for the referee's official call, but… I-I think this replacement player could be… no, there's no way!" said Shiro as someone approached the guards' listening post.
"Pardon me, everyone, have you seen Korra and Izuku this evening? They're not in their room." said Tenzin approaching the guards.
"You've gotta be kidding me! She's the Avatar, folks! Playing in a pro-bending match! Can you believe that?" asked Shiro.
At the news, one of the guards who was drinking ended up spitting the contents of his mouth out of shock as Tenzin's head was turning red with pure anger.
"I'll get them myself!" said Tenzin very pissed off before turning around to leave, realizing that, if Korra were there, Izuku would be there too.
Back in the pro-bending arena...
"The Avatar will be permitted to continue so long as she solely bends water!" said the referee to the delight of the crowd.
As the opponents groaned in frustration at the mention that they would end up fighting the Avatar, Izuku let out a sigh of relief that neither Korra nor the two brothers were in trouble and could continue.
Soon after, the bell rang again for the start of the second round.
The three opponents began to focus their elemental attacks on Korra, who could only defend herself with waterbending.
"This girl may be the Avatar, but she's no pro-bender and the Platypus Bears are intent on exploiting that weakness!" said Shiro as Korra tried to defend herself and dodge the continuous attacks while squirting at every opportunity she could find, but in the process of dodging the attacks, she ended up backing up until she was at the edge of zone one.
In the end, Korra took a hit from all three elements that sent her far behind.
"This is bringing back memories." commented Izuku recalling that, during the cavalry battle, all the teams targeted his due to him having the most points.
"They're giving her their best, and her best ain't good enough to stop it!" said Shiro just as Korra fell out of the ring and into the water. "Aaaaand she's in the drink."
"Oh, no." said Izuku turning around to go help her, but the second he did, he ran into someone who made him swallow saliva from nerves.
Meanwhile, Korra went swimming until she reached the edge of the water area, where, as she came out of the water, a shadow loomed over her and when she raised her head, she met Tenzin's stern gaze with Izuku beside him with a worried expression.
"Oh, hey, Tenzin. I thought you didn't like coming to these matches." said Korra giggling nervously before she climbed completely out of the water and stood in front of the airbender.
"Once again, you have flagrantly disobeyed my orders. You were to stay on the island!" Tenzin said before focusing his gaze on the green-haired boy. "I am disappointed in you, Izuku. I thought you were much more level-headed than her."
"Hey, don't talk to him like that! This was my idea, he just went along with me like a good friend would." said Korra.
"Korra." said Izuku surprised to see his friend defending him like that.
"It doesn't matter whose fault it is. You shouldn't be here. Let's go." said Tenzin walking away.
"No! I'm kind of in the middle of something." said Korra causing the airbender to pause.
"I have tried my very best to get through to you by being gentle and patient, but clearly the only thing you respond to is force! So I am ordering you to come back to the temple right now!" said Tenzin speaking with authority and a bit of anger.
"Why? So I can sit around and meditate about how bad I am at airbending? You know, I'm beginning to think there's a reason I haven't been able to learn it! Because, maybe, I don't even need it!" said Korra.
"What?" asked Izuku surprised by the Avatar's statement.
"What? That is a ludicrous suggestion! The Avatar needs to learn airbending! It isn't optional!" said Tenzin.
"No! This is what I need to learn! Modern styles of fighting!" said Korra.
"Being the Avatar isn't all about fighting, Korra! When will you learn that?" asked Tenzin.
Seeing that she couldn't convince him, she turned away to rejoin her team.
"I have a match to go finish." said Korra stepping onto the lifting platform.
Just then, the end bell rang.
"The Platypus Bears win round two!" said the announcer as the platform ascended leaving Tenzin and Izuku behind.
"Master Tenzin, with all due respect, she isn't a machine. She is a person like any other person. You can't demand her to be perfect when no one can be. It is true that she needs to learn airbend, but she isn't an airbender by birth like you and your children. I'm sure that when Aang began training earthbending, he found his own style to accomplish it, just as Korra will find her own to accomplish it." said Izuku.
"You speak as if you have experience in this." said Tenzin.
Izuku smiled as he remembered something.
"Let's just say I met an old man who taught me that trying to imitate someone are chains that hold us back." said Izuku remembering when he met Gran Torino and helped him develop the Full Cowl.
Tenzin was left taking in Izuku's words.
He had to admit it was true that he was trying to teach Korra the same way he had done with his children and the way his father did with him, but to no avail and he began to think that was the problem.
That he was trying to get her to imitate the airbenders when she wasn't.
"Maybe if you watch the match, you can check it out." said Izuku leaving to go back to the box.
Later, the players were in fighting position, waiting for the moment when the bell rang, just when Korra noticed something out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see Izuku gesturing to her that he wanted to tell them something.
She didn't know what it was, but if he wanted to say it in the middle of a match, it had to be something important.
"Wait! Give us a few minutes." said Korra to the referee, to the surprise of the others.
"Two minutes." said the referee, accepting the timeout.
"It looks like the Fire Ferrets have requested a time out. Will they intend to set up a plan to win or are they reconsidering surrendering?" asked Shiro.
"May I ask what's going on?" asked Mako with annoyance.
"I think Izuku has something to tell us." said Korra giving Izuku a nod to come down.
Using his Quirk, Izuku jumped down to the platform and joined the team.
"Okay. What's so important that you have to tell us?" asked Mako with his arms crossed.
"I think I have an idea to win this match." said Izuku, to the team's surprise.
"Really? Which one?" asked Bolin interested in the green-haired boy's idea.
"It's clear that as soon as the round starts, the Platypus Bears will attack Korra, since she's an inexperienced one." said Izuku.
"That's been made clear to everyone." said Mako getting a nudge from the Avatar.
"But we can use that to our advantage. If you work together, you might have a chance at victory." said Izuku.
"So what do you suggest we do?" asked Korra.
"Since Bolin is the toughest, he would stand in front of Korra as a defense and Mako, who is fast and strong, stands to the side to provide covering fire. As soon as an opportunity is spotted, Korra, who is fierce in attacks, could launch her attack on the enemy." said Izuku.
The three Fire Ferrets were left pondering the green-haired boy's strategy.
"That... doesn't sound so bad." said Bolin.
"What do you say, Captain?" asked Korra looking at Mako.
Mako was quiet for a few seconds before shrugging.
"We have nothing to lose." said Mako with a shrug.
Once the team meeting was over, Izuku jumped back into the box with Quirk activated as the Fire Ferrets moved into position.
"Looks like the team meeting is over and from the looks of it, the Fire Ferrets have decided to continue." said Shiro.
At that moment, the starting bell rang.
"Round three!" shouted the announcer just as the opposing team began to launch elemental attacks directly at Korra.
However, Bolin moved quickly and raised a pair of earth disks that blocked both attacks before Mako and Korra launched fireballs and water jets that the opposing team dodged.
The Platypus Bears tried to launch their attacks, but Korra and Mako dodged them while Bolin defended Korra before launching a pair of earth disks that hit an opponent, knocking him back into the back area.
"What's going on?" asked Shiro as Mako blocked a jet of water with a fireball before he stepped aside to allow Korra to launch a jet of water that hit an opponent, knocking him back.
"Looks like the Fire Ferrets are using some sort of formation to turn the tables." said Shiro as Bolin shielded Korra from an earth disc kicking him back to the firebender who neutralized him with a fireball, but a fireball from Mako hit him and knocked him back.
"Wait, I just got word that the boy they were talking to during the short break was Deku, the Avatar's partner. It seems the strategy was his idea. Is he a prodigy young strategist like Sokka was in his time?" asked Shiro as the Fire Ferrets kept up the strategy while the Platypus Bears kept attacking.
"Keep it up guys! Don't break formation!" shouted Izuku cheering on his friend's team.
Suddenly, the waterbender threw a jet of water at Bolin who used his arms as a shield, but ended up backing up a bit before throwing an earth disk.
Mako used fire to block a water jet which pushed him towards his brother who raised an earth disk to block another water attack.
Both brothers ended up retreating to the side of the area while blocking incoming attacks.
"The Platypus Bears come out of the gate and quickly go after the Ferret brothers! They're corralled in the corner, wedged in the edge of zone one, unable to come to the Avatar's rescue! " said Shiro as the waterbender blasted them with non-stop jets of water to keep them from moving from their spot.
"Oh no! They've broken formation!" said Izuku in panic.
"And boy, does she need it!" said Shiro as the other opponents threw fireballs and earth discs at Korra who was fending off the attacks with waterbending.
Tenzin was about to leave the arena when he suddenly stopped and turned to see how Korra was doing, who dodged an earth disc before a jet of water hit her.
"Looks like the Avatar's pro-bending debut is going to be cut short!" said Shiro as Korra dodged an earth disk and a fireball, but another earth disk hit her in the chest, though she grabbed the disk and threw it away.
Tenzin patted his head in disappointment as Izuku prayed for his friend to get out of that situation.
"Come on, Korra. You can do it. I believe in you." thought Izuku having faith in his friend.
Just then, Korra ended up so close to the edge of the ring that she had to struggle not to lose her balance and fall backwards.
"She's been pushed back to zone three, and the water is calling her name!" said Shiro as Korra regained her balance in time to dodge a disc of dirt.
Korra formed a face of calm and seriousness as she took a few steps forward.
"It's only a matter of time before…" began Shiro when suddenly, Korra began to spiral around as she dodged all incoming attacks. "Hold the phone! Stop the presses! She's still in the game, folks! And she's moving like an entirely different player! All of a sudden, the Platypus Bears' strikes are only striking air!" said Shiro as Korra continued the spiraling motion to dodge all attacks.
"She's done it." began Izuku in surprise before smiling in delight. "She's moving like a leaf in the wind!"
"How about that?" said Tenzin in amazement at what he saw.
The opponents continued their endless assault, but little by little, they were beginning to tire.
"The Platypus Bears have no juice left." said Shiro as the waterbender who was keeping the brothers cornered threw a stream of water that blew away a short distance from them.
"But Mako and Bolin are still fresh and juicy!" said Shiro as Mako leaped into the air to throw a fireball before proceeding to throw fireballs from his fists as Bolin positioned himself to throw earth discs.
Not only that, but Korra also began to launch jets of water at the other team.
Mako threw several fireballs that hit one opponent, sending him out of the ring.
Another opponent was hit by a pair of earth disks before another pair of water jets and after a couple more fire and earth strikes, the opponent rolled out of the ring.
There was only one last opponent left and Korra decided to be the one to finish him off.
"As a friend of mine says, go beyond… PLUS ULTRA!" shouted Korra before launching a couple of jets of water that hit the opponent, sending him out of the ring and causing him to fall into the water.
After that, the bell rang for the finish.
"Knockout!" said Shiro.
"Yes, yes, yes! They've done it! They've done it!" shouted Izuku out of sheer joy as he jumped up and down from excitement.
"Woohoo!" expressed Tenzin with extreme joy before noticing the people around, so he returned to his serene attitude.
"The Fire Ferrets come from waaay behind and steal the win! What an upset, folks! The rookies, Avatar in tow, have nabbed a place in the championship tournament! I cannot believe it!" said Shiro.
Korra approached Bolin for a high five.
"Hahaha, yeah! Yes!" the two said as they high fived each other.
Izuku jumped out of the box and ran up to them to high five them.
"You did it! I knew you would make it!" said Izuku.
"We couldn't have done it without you, genius strategist." said Bolin, causing the green-haired boy to blush a little as he smiled at him.
Soon after, Mako approached them.
"Korra… what can I say? You really came alive in that last round. The way you dodged their attacks… you are a natural." said Mako with a smile.
"Thanks, but I can't take all the credit. Someone else taught me those moves." said Korra.
"Yes, you certainly had a great teacher." said Izuku looking at where Tenzin was during the match.
While Korra and Izuku were on a ship, Korra approached her friend.
"Is something wrong, Korra?" asked Izuku arching an eyebrow.
"I just wanted to thank you for being there to support me. You're a great friend." said Korra.
Izuku blushed a little at the Avatar's compliment.
"I-it's nothing." said Izuku rubbing the back of his head.
"By the way, that strategy you put together was amazing. You should be the team strategist and in return, I'll do something for you." said Korra.
"Like what?" asked Izuku.
"Mmm." expressed Korra crossing her arms as she thought of something to return the favor to the green-haired boy. When at last, she came up with something, she slammed her fist into her palm. "I've got it! How about I help you train your Quirk? You could get more experience if you get help from a bender. That's a good deal, isn't it?"
Izuku pondered the Avatar's offer.
Normally, he trained by punching the air or doing routine physical exercises, but if he had a waterbender, earthbender and firebender helping him, maybe he could get stronger than he already was.
"No, it's not." said Izuku with a smile.
"So, do we have a deal?" asked Korra extending her hand.
Without hesitation, Izuku extended his to shake the Avatar's hand.
"Deal." said Izuku.
Later in the evening, back on Air Temple Island, Tenzin stood in front of the test of the gates being set up by the air acolytes.
Soon after, Korra and Izuku could be seen approaching from behind.
"I'm really sorry… about everything I said. I was really frustrated with myself, and I took it out on you." said Korra.
"I'm sorry too. You took me into your home when I'm just a stranger in this world and I've disrespected you." said Izuku.
"I think I owe you an apology too. I was trying to teach you about patience, but I lost mine." said Tenzin before looking at the green-haired boy. "And you were right Izuku, I was treating her like an airbender, making her mimic what I did a long time ago."
"No hard feelings?" asked Korra feeling relieved.
"Of course not. By the way, you were really good out there tonight. You moved just like an airbender!" said Tenzin.
"Wait… You stayed and watched?" asked Korra surprised that the airbender stayed to watch her during the match.
"So you took my advice." said Izuku with a smile.
"I did. Pro-bending turned out to be the perfect teaching tool for you." said Tenzin before teacher and student shared a smile.
"I'll see you tomorrow for airbending practice, bright and early!" said Korra as she walked away with the green-haired boy at her side. "And, by the way, I kinda permanently joined the Fire Ferrets and we're playing in the tournament in a couple of weeks!" said Korra.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure she trains in both pro-bending and airbending." said Izuku as he walked away to the Avatar's side.
Tenzin let out a sigh at the change in the Avatar's attitude.
Hesitating on whether he is right to allow that as he wondered what he was going to do with her.
In the attic of the arena, Mako could be seen looking at the Air Temple Island, thinking about a certain girl who managed to make him target closer.
Meanwhile, on Air Temple Island, Korra gazed dreamily at the arena, thinking about how she would now be participating with her new friends in pro-bending matches and a certain firebender.
In his room, Izuku was gazing at the moon, thinking about how much he was enjoying this world despite the fact that he longed for his own.
AN: Let's be honest. You didn't expect that change in the match, did you?
Well, you'd better get ready, because now comes the hard part.