Avatar Korra has had her fair share of press conferences. She had been scrutinized and dissected by many journalists, followed and badgered by several, but she had never dealt with journalists holding cameras behind a green carpet before. She had never bothered to attend the many social events that Republic City's elite offered her when she was still in good standing, back when she had more than sixteen percent approval rate. So she was unprepared, to say the least, when more than a dozen cameras flashed in her face, momentarily blinding her the second she stepped out of the Satomobile carrying part of Team Avatar, and her two "chaperones".
"I can't believe it, but I actually kind of missed being Nuntuk!" Bolin sang, offering Korra a hand. The Mover-star had his own background in the public eye, and events like this brought back a gleam in his own eyes.
To Korra's left, Asami Sato gracefully walked ahead, turning all of the cameras' attentions on her and her fantastic looks. "Don't answer any questions, and don't make extravagant facial expressions." The businesswoman advised. "Some of these photographers sell to the United Enquirer."
Slowly, the Avatar trekked forward in the heels that she did not have the time to break in, and prayed for a swift end to this night of recon and regalities. Tenzin and Bumi marched in front of the young adults, and much to their chagrin, met up with Sayeed, the Count and former Earth Kingdom councilman, and younger brother of the Earth Queen. Sayeed's earlier accidental setup of Avatar Aang's sons had not gone well with them, but after explaining his sister's tyrannical control over every citizen, Tenzin and Bumi had decided to accept Sayeed's offer to help them extract as much information about hidden Earth Kingdom air benders as possible.
"Several of the Queen's military officials have been invited tonight," Sayeed said through a perfect smile that was undetectably moving. "Avatar Korra, this is your perfect chance to chat, but make sure your questions are casually implied. This is an engagement party, after all. They're loyal to my sister out of fear, anything too pushy and they'll crawl back to the woman who gave them their power."
As one, the group walked through the doors of the palace gates and into a hall garnished with pillars and notable guests, whom Zayeed continued to introduce as they walked across the floor. The ceiling walls were draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so as to imply the unity of the two nations, and musicians were situated on an upper level, tuning their instruments for the long dance that was to come. Korra was only vaguely paying attention, offering a polite smile every few seconds in Zayeed's direction. She had no interest in befriending Earth Kingdom nobles and socialites, and much less being entertainment for them.
As quickly as they arrived, the group split, and Korra was left on her own to socialize with Ba Sing Se's elite. She spotted Asami trying to drag Bolin away from a buffet table full of gourmet Earth Kingdom treats, and even Korra had to admit she was tempted to indulge in some snacking time. After ending several awkward conversations with citizens who were still too sober to forget anything, Korra turned around as gracefully as she could in those heels, and began to make a beeline on the sidelines of the dance floor towards the food.
"Everyone is watching you," a voice said behind Korra, causing her to turn around wildly to stare straight into a pair of golden eyes.
"General Iroh," Korra exclaimed, shocked and oddly nervous. "What are you doing here? Well, obviously you'd be here, it's your party, after all."
The General gave her an incredulous look that seemed to convey the same nerves she had in his own face. "My party? I'm a guest here, just as much as you are."
For reasons Korra could not explain, she felt relieved. And very confused. Bumi had told her it was General Iroh who was to be engaged to the Earth Kingdom Princess; and it was all Korra could do to remind herself that it did not matter who was getting engaged at the moment- she needed information on the location of Ba Sing Se's air benders. The music was playing softly, a buzz in the background, but was slowly gaining momentum.
"But, Bumi mentioned that the Earth Princess was engaged to a member of the Royal Family-"
"So I jumped the gun." The aforementioned boomed, interrupting the Avatar and the Fire Prince, plate full of gourmet treats in tow. "Big deal. I can barely keep track of how many kids Tenzin has running around, there's no way I ought to know how many grandkiddos my Uncle Zuko has."
"Kuzon, my half-cousin, is engaged to the Earth Princess, not me. His grandmother is my grandfather's half-sister, she was given the title of Duchess after my grandfather became Fire Lord." Iroh offered, explaining some of the family politics to Korra, in order to avoid more confusion. "And I don't answer to General, anymore. At least not of the Armed Forces."
"Why would you quit?" Korra exclaimed, baffled and completely over her self-imposed nervousness of a few seconds ago. "You must have been the youngest General in history. They need you. I understand that President Raiko is a complete buffoon, but that-"
"-Is the exact reason why I handed in my resignation, Avatar Korra. I will not be corralled into staying in a harbor while I am needed elsewhere, just because a man who has no military experience expects me to." Iroh found the Avatar's opinion to be refreshing and honest, but he did not explain himself to anyone. "You needed my help, and I failed. It won't happen again."
Shocked into silence, both Korra and Bumi stared at the Prince of the Fire Nation, both fully understanding his altruism. "It won't happen again because you won't have a ship to command again, Gen- I mean, Prince Iroh." Korra began after a moment's pause. Even though she empathized with his actions, she could not condone them. "You've locked yourself out, and now, if I ever need your help again, I won't get it."
In Bumi's mouth hung a lone noodle, but he quickly slurped it up as he tried to calm down the Avatar, and the Fire Prince, apparently. "I'm sure Prince Iroh here had a retribution plan, Korra." A lone violin's final note hung in the air, signaling the end of the first song of the night.
"As a matter of fact I do. I've been putting the Fire Nation army together again, my mother fears all the changes that have occurred in the Spirit World will have deep consequences-" Iroh continued, slighted by Korra's brash insinuation that he did not consider the repercussions of his actions, or worse, did not care.
"I thought that the Fire Lord has always trusted the Avatar, isn't that what you told me two years ago, when you helped me defeat Amon, and when you tried to help me end the civil war between my tribes? Trust me when I say that leaving the portals open was the right choice" Korra had lost her appetite, and quite frankly, her motive to locate the Air benders for this one night. She couldn't control the press, but she was going to put this man in his place, Royalty or not.
Bumi continued to put more food in his mouth, in lieu of putting his foot in it. Glancing around for someone he could talk to in order to get away from the duo of powerful benders in front of him, he made eye contact with a man dressed in a gray suit, whom he found less likable than President Raiko. Steeling himself, he jumped back into the conversation, providing a cover that the two military men knew well.
"I'm going to get some Cactus Juice, I really need to relax." He said, prodding the Fire Prince to look at the man walking closer to them, as well. "Korra, can I get you any? I know Iroh steers clear of it, and after Kyoshi Island, he definitely should." Another nod to the middle of the dance floor, and he knew Iroh received his message, loud and clear.
Prince Iroh stared straight into the Avatar's blue eyes, and asked her to dance to the waltz that a cello had just begun.
"You're the last person I want to dance with, Prince Iroh," Korra cried, even more annoyed and confused.
"Fine," Bumi said, "then let me tell you about the time he drank Cactus Juice and got completely-"
"I insist," Prince Iroh said, and grabbed her forearm firmly, leading her to the dance floor. The sharp tingles of electricity running over her arm from where his fingers gripped and straight to her stomach were the only thing that kept Korra from pushing his arm off, and she followed only to avoid a scene, though still upset.
Prince Iroh and Avatar Korra stood in the middle of the dance floor, both at an impasse. The Prince was wearing proper Fire Nation regalia, no longer the United Forces uniform he once adorned. A man hardened by years on the field, he stood tall with broad shoulders and a strong physique, an equal in almost every way to the incarnation of his great-great-great grandfather that stood before him. After releasing her arm, he offered his hand, but she did not accept.
"My family will always support you, Avatar Korra. Our change in military tactics is because of Raiko's doing, or really, not-doing, not your own." He said quietly into her ear, after she finally took his hand. "Now I'm going to twirl you in a circle, and I recommend you smile, because like I said earlier, every person in this room is watching you."
Korra let herself fall into step with the Prince, and carefully shifted her feet so as to not fall on the long blue gown that she had somehow forgotten she was wearing. Her demeanor was definitely calmer, now that the Prince of the Fire Nation's hands were on her upper back, and their hands were intertwined.
"So I can count on you, then? In matters of emergencies?" At his slight nod, Korra got back on her mission. "Then can you tell me if you've heard of any cases involving air benders in the Fire Nation?"
Korra's hand on his shoulder felt his body stiffen for a moment, and his hand began to squeeze hers too tightly. "Shiro Shinobi is trying to read your lips." Prince Iroh said silently, glancing down at them, and quickly looked away as he avoided her question. "After Pro-Bending died down in Republic City, he became a radio personality who 'researches social interaction between influential individuals,' but really he's just a gossip columnist who refuses to call himself one."
Prince Iroh's hand grasped the very thin garment that covered Korra's muscular back, causing goose bumps to go up and down her back, before she could phrase her next question. Staring into a sea of molten gold, Korra had to force herself to not concentrate on the way he said lips, and to not look at his own when he talked. Eye contact was better, she told herself, because there was no way she wanted to initiate lip contact with another fire bender after Mako, especially while dancing.
"Economic and technological problems are in Raiko's pile of duties, I only cater to life-saving crises. Not career options." Korra said. She was impressed by how gallant he was acting towards her, especially after she began to chew him out in front of all the guests in attendance of the engagement party. "I remember your cousin now," she talked, hoping to be as tactful as he was in eliciting a response about air benders. "Katara mentioned that he came with your grandfather to the South Pole once, and that he was the first outsider whom Naga took a liking to."
"I'm surprised he's engaged, to be honest." She continued, hesitantly. Korra knew she wasn't the most tactful person verbally, but she had always felt at ease with the Crown Prince, even if they disagreed. "I always thought that he was well, you know, -"
Prince Iroh laughed wholeheartedly before she could finish her comment. The entire dance floor ceased to move, and the music stopped. A chuckle had never been heard out of the Fire Prince's mouth in public, and there he was, dancing with the most controversial young woman in the world, laughing and smiling.
"You're not on your own there," he said, still smiling, completely unaware of the change in atmosphere he caused. "My radar had been up since we were children. But I'm happy for him. He's not a fire bender, and he truly loves her. Truth be told, my mother is not fond of having familial ties to the earth kingdom, but she wants her nephew happy. One more spin."
As Korra twirled another three hundred and sixty degrees to a stop, she felt everything tilt at an odd angle, and gripped Prince Iroh's shoulder even harder to keep from falling. His hand tightened on her back, then slid down to her waist as he dipped her, and he answered her previous question. "There are several. My grandfather has taken it upon himself to meet with most of them, and we have decided to give them the option to either stay in the Fire Nation or to move to any of the air temples that once housed air nomads."
Korra couldn't help but smile, she told herself it was because there was at least one government that wasn't going completely haywire with air benders in their midst, but she could not deny it also due to the proximity of the unbelievably handsome and assertive prince in front of her.
"Do you remember when you saved me during the first wave of the aerial strikes over Republic City?" Prince Iroh asked her. "You didn't let me drown. Even if the music stops, I won't let you fall."
There were certainly moments when Asami missed simply being an heiress. When she didn't have to arrange business meetings and fundraisers, or attend parties that she simply did not want to go to. But this party was bigger than her. It was about the missing air benders, and although she knew the cause was noble, she was getting very tired of hearing the word "noble" get tossed around every few seconds in front of her. Standing in the grand hall of the Earth Kingdom palace, it was all she could do to not walk away from the gathering of earth kingdom gentry. There wasn't a single member of military influence in attendance! What could have been a night of patrolling in the streets and recon of the palace from the outside had been wasted in this social gathering, she thought to herself.
"I don't care who your parents are. I'm not giving each of you brand new Satomobiles. Future Industries is my father's company, I run Sato Enterprises now." She said to the young noblemen surrounding her in a semi-circle that was closing in to two full radians.
Frantically, she searched for a familiar face, a bald head with an arrow, a brunette in a killer blue dress, or a brown-haired Mover-star. She'd even talk to Bumi willingly.
"What's the latest engine type in the new models?"
"Will there be a show before the release?"
Before Asami could half-heartedly answer the questions of the scrawny, entitled young men in front of her, Bolin broke through their formation quickly without effort.
"EAT THIS." He told her excitedly, blissfully unaware of the young men upset that he had stolen the attention of the beautiful engineer. Quickly stuffing acustard tart into her mouth, Bolin motioned for her to follow out of the way of the noblemen, who were beginning to murmur their upset, and disperse. It wasn't until Asami swallowed the tart that she realized both of Bolin's hands were holding smaller treats, and the tray holding the rest of his food was floating.
"Bolin, is it just me, or is your tray holding itself in midair?" She asked in a quiet manner, hoping to not attract stares if her question made her sound insane.
"Isn't it amazing? It's from the spirit world!" Bolin replied, completely at ease with the defiance of gravity in front of him. "It turns out spirits are dead useful everywhere but Republic City, they're the ones holding this tray. And catering this whole thing Look." He lifted the tray between them to reveal a blue manta ray-like spirit, with eyes looking straight up at them, unwavering, unquestioning.
Asami felt sick to her core at the sight of the poor spirit being forced to serve at this reception.
"You can hold your own plate, Bolin, don't force a spirit to do it for you." Appalled, she walked towards the reception where the trays were hovering, and began lifting the trays off the spirits. One by one, they began to float away, through windows and the main doors of the entryway, but Asami was nowhere near finished.
"C'mon," she said, pulling Bolin away from the food that had taken all his attention the whole night. "We need to find where these spirits are coming from, and why they're being forced to serve a bunch of over privileged earth kingdom citizens at a party." Whether there were any air bending conspiracies available to them, she couldn't worry about anymore, but she did know there was something wrong with how these spirits were being treated.
Reaching for Bolin's hand, Asami pulled him towards the doors that kept opening every time a tray passed through.
"If anyone asks, we just wanted to be alone."
"Whoa, Asami. Hold it right there." Bolin said, shocked at what she was implying with her hand and words. "You're my brother's ex-girlfriend. That you're coming on to me is just-"
"Follow the spirits!" shushed Asami. Rounding a corner, the two continued walk quietly through the throng of trays and spiritual entities, trying not to upset the auras that so actively defined a spirit's character. "Spirits cannot be forced to work for humans, it's, it's inhumane!" She cried.
"Asami-" They were nearing the end of the hallway.
"Well obviously it's not humane, they're not human. But they still have rights!"
"Asami-" If they were not careful, Tenzin's warning would fall through and they would be incarcerated for trespassing Royal property.
"Just because you love any kind of food doesn't mean you can't question where it comes from, Bolin."
"They're coming from here." He pointed to a wall on their left side that Asami had completely overlooked in her rant. "But they don't have any trays, not anymore."
Assuming a classic earth bending position, Bolin pushed the wall open, and a paved opening, complete with stairwells and lighting from a ceiling that had no definite end became visible to both the earth bender and the entrepreneur.
Author's Note: I'm writing for myself, I guess. When you go to a restaurant, you leave a tip. If a busker's music grabs your attention, you drop some cash in their case. And the reciprocal goes for fanfiction. In the form of reviews.
Rant-over. On a seperate note, if you do not speak another language, you are missing out. Some of the most talented writers in this fandom write in Spanish, and you have to, you MUST read their stories. Kakatsushi, is, I believe, the most prominent author in this whole fandom. She's fantastic, and you'll fall in love with her rhetoric and storytelling abilities.
In this story, I want to embrace the political issues that Legend of Korra embodies in the third season. There's a lot of room for allegories about prejudice in the series, and her dealings with the press and President Raiko are sooooo juicy, it's a great way to talk about perception and incentives in government. And also a really sweet love story between two characters who will never be together but should be!
In my opinion, the writers did too good of a job in The Last Airbender weaving the destinies of the Avatar and the Fire Lord to not let them be romantically involved. Oh Fourth Season, redeem my hope!
Quisiera poder escribir en espanol tambien como lo hablo. La verdad, la razon que me meti in FanFiction era para mejorar mi espanol, y he aprendido muchisimo de estar aqui. Gracias, Kakatsushi, por compartir tu creatividad e inspirarme a escribir esta escena entre esta pareja hermosa.