The nerves in the room were tangible as 24 tributes waited to show their bending skills before the game makers that will ultimately decide their score, and their fate. First were the tributes of Ba Sing Se, then The Northern and Southern Water Tribes in turn, those from the Fire Nation, and lastly Republic City. One by one they left and come back in, some looked pleased, others looked more worried than before. Each evaluation make Korra feel more and more nervous, finally after what felt like an eternity her name was called.
The walked into the same room the tributes had been training in all week, with the game makers and other equalists safely in an observatory, watching her like a zoo animal. She took a deep breath hoping that it would cause her nerves to leave her. "Korra, Water, Repubic City." She announced, her voice shaky.
"Well go ahead sweetheart; show us what you've got." Said one of the game makes, the endearment made her feel sick.
She shook out the shaking hands and walked over to a pool of water in the center of the room. She focused like she had in practice with Tahno and lifted a drop of water from the pool, and then flung it across the room, attempting the slice a chunk of rock in half. It splattered only making the rock wet. Korra groaned in frustration and squared her body in determination. She tried again, and again she only achieved in making the water wet.
She stared at her hands as if they betrayed her. From the observatory she heard one equalist say. "Well, at least she can splash someone to death." The rest chuckled, but not the head game maker, he stared at her, challenging her to make another move.
She tried a third time, once again failure. Next she attempted to turn the water into ice and instead created steam. "What is wrong with me." She thought to herself.
"One minute." Said one of the equalists.
Korra took a deep breath and prayed to the spirits to give her luck. She took the water and tried slicing the rock again, nothing. Frustrated she walked over to the rock and punched it. Before she made contact a burst of fire came from her fist and incinerated the rock until it was nothing left. She heard the people in the observatory gasp and mutter to each other. "Did that waterbender just fire bend?" One of them asked.
Korra felt sick, like everything was too loud, colors too sharp. She felt the air swirl around her as she took deep breaths; she felt the ground beneath her like she did that day on the train. She didn't want to faint in front of these people so she ran from the room back to the waiting room, collapsing into the first chair she saw.
"Korra are you ok?" Mako asked. Asami's name had just been called.
Korra stuck her head between her knees to stop the spinning. "I'm fine, I'm ok."
"You don't look it." Mako said placing a hand on her back.
"Mako, I'm fine." She snapped. Mako took her hand away and was silent.
"Geeze what's her problem." Petra said leaning against a wall.
"Petra, don't take this the wrong way." Mako paused. "Wait; do take this the wrong way. Can you go one day without being a total dick?"
"I was just asking a question. I didn't mean to intrude on your little club."
That evening after dinner, Korra once again got dressed up like a doll, ready to be paraded in front of her adoring public. She didn't think she'd ever her used to it. Being poked with make-up and her hair yanked into positions that defied gravity. Tonight, not even the final result, which was beautiful, was worth noticing to her.
"Once again, I am a genius." Said Haru, giving her one last look.
Korra looked at herself in the mirror and frowned. She knew she looked beautiful, this time in a traditional water tribe dress made with blue fabric and lined with fur. It reminded her of the pictures she'd seen of her mother's wedding dress. Her hair was braided and put into a bun, he make-up all silvery blue. "Why do you do this?" She asked.
Haru started. "What do you mean this? I made you look beautiful." He continued putting his supplies away.
"Why are you involved in The Bending Games at all? It's barbaric." She watched him fumble some more in the mirror.
"There are so little opportunities for me to do what I love. This is one of them."
"I remember where I know your name from… You're Haru, you're an Earth bender. You won the games. Why are you a part of this?"
"Ah, I see you've found my secret." He sat down on one of the comfy chairs in the dressing room, his head hanging low. Korra turned to look at him. "I'm sorry to say winning isn't the hard part, it's learning how to live with yourself after. You will do things in there, things you never thought you'd do, things you promised yourself you'd never do. After, it gets worse. Those who hate benders hate you because you can bend. Those who support it see you as a product of their games, something evil. It's better to be a simple stylist than to be an Earth Bender."
"Then why don't you style other people?"
"I get to see you children, talk to you, hope fully be the one person involved in all of this that isn't a monster."
"Why don't you teach others how to bend?"
"What's the use? They all either die or lose their bending. Those get to keep it don't deserve it."
Korra thought over his words for a moment. "Enjoy tonight." Haru said. "No matter what happens, it will be the last night you are yourself." He looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. "It's time." The two walked out to the hall way together.
The interviews went in the same order as the evaluations the tributes from the other cities, then Korra, Asami, Mako, and lastly Petra. Korra didn't think it was possible, but she was even more nervous than she was for her evaluations. After the spectacular flop she was she knew she would be lucky for her a score of 1. She didn't tell anyone about her little outburst of fire because she had no idea how to go about explaining it, but it had been mulling around in her mind ever since the incident earlier that day. A nap made the headache go away but there was still a feeling in her stomach that something about her was breaking.
Soon enough it was her turn and she put on her best fake smile and walked onto the stage. The bright lights and the sound of the crowd was more disorientating that she imaged it would be. The green chairs she sat in were less comfortable then they looked. She introduced herself to the MC Lee.
"First off Korra, let's take a look at that score." Flashed on the screen behind her was her picture and a number… 12, the crowd went silent. Korra looked at the number again, but it was there as plain as day, 12. It was the highest score any tribute could get and it had never happened before in the history of the games. "Well would you look at that." Lee said sounding unfazed. "So how does a waterbender from Republic City, end up with a 12?"
"I-I have no idea." Korra said dazed.
"That must be some impressive water bending skills you have."
"Yeah, it must be." She knew it had to do with that fire trick she pulled but she didn't understand how she did it, or if she could do it again.
"Lucky for us, we don't have to wonder. Here I have the secret tape of Korra Evaluation." All the color drained from her face as the lights went down that the film started. She heard several laughs from the audience at her failed water bending attempts but when it got to the end, there it was a burst of fire came from her fist and completely engulfed the rock into flames.
The film stopped and the audience started murmuring. "She's the avatar!" One man shouted.
"That's impossible!" Shouted another, Soon the crowd was in uproar. Some were shouting that the whole event should be canceled. Others were yelling for the security to kill Korra right now. Korra just looked at the crowd in disbelief. "Of course, that is the only thing that makes sense." Korra thought. "I must be the avatar. How can I go my entire life and not know that." The impact the realization had on her brought tears into her eyes and she ran off stage.
She made it behind the stage doors where the rest of the tributes were standing before she slid down a wall and sat on the floor. "Why didn't you tell us you're The Avatar?" Asami asked.
"Because I didn't know."
"How do you not know?" Petra spat. "This was probably some part of a ploy to make us all think she's this weak little water bender. Now she's crying because her plan was ruined."
"Petra shut the hell up or so help me." Mako yelled. Petra shrunk against the wall. The stage manager called for Asami and she went on stage.
Tenzin burst into the hall from the outside, his robes swirling around him. "Tenzin!" Korra cried running to hug the closet thing she had to a father.
"I'm so sorry." He said holding her. It was almost as if she was still that little girl crying because she missed her parents. "I tried to get you out but Xin Fu must have told everyone."
"Wait." Korra pulled away quickly. "You knew about this and didn't tell me?!"
"Korra I…"
"No! You don't get to say anything. I lived with you all these years, though of you as my father, and you lied to me?!"
"Korra, I'm sorry, that doesn't matter right now."
"To hell it doesn't matter!"
"Korra, you know who you are now. You have to win this. The fate of world depends on you winning. You can do it, I know you can."
"I can't, ok? I can barely water bend and now I'm supposed to be able to bend three other elements?"
"You have to try, I know you can at least do that."
"Yeah I'll try, now that I've got an avatar shaped target on my back."
"I'll help her sir." Said Mako. "I'll make sure she wins."
"Mako you can't-" Korra cried.
"- It would be an honor, Avatar Korra."
Meanwhile in the auditorium the equalists finally got everyone under control before an all-out riot was able to commence. "Well that was certainly exciting." Lee said with a smile.
"Let's meet Asami, Republic City' beautiful earth bender." He took hand and kissed it. She tried her best to smile through her disgust, but Asami was never a good actress especially when it came to bull shit.
"So you are of the great Sato family correct?"
"Well they claim me when they want to." She said with a smile.
"Pardon."
"My father isn't exactly supportive of my gifts."
"Most good families wouldn't be. Bending can be dangerous."
"Yes, well my father my father has never been very supportive of bending."
"No he hasn't, he's one of the great leaders of Republic City."
"Yes, which is exactly why he decided that he couldn't have a bender for a daughter and left me on my real parent's door step. I'm not a Sato."
"I'm sure he only wanted what was best for you."
"Yeah if selecting my name from the reaping bowl is best for me then he should get the father of the year award." She put simply. The audience gasped.
"That's right everyone, my father, Hiroshi Sato is the one who picked my name out of the reaping bowl." An already fired up crowd started to rumble again.
"Well that looks like all the time we have." Said Lee quickly, "Let's take a look at that score." Asami's picture lit up with an 8 next to it. The crowd clapped and Asami took a bow.
"What was that?" Asked Iroh once Asami was back in the hallway.
"Me," She said taking a seat, she shot a nasty look at Korra who had returned to get position on the floor. Next it was Mako's turn.
Mako walked out on stage and was greeted by a squeal of teenage girls for the audience. He gave them a shy smile which received even more screams in return.
"Mako, I've been very interested in talking to you. Tell me what was running through your head when you volunteered in place of your brother."
"Only, that I had to do it. There wasn't any other way. I promised my parents I'd take care of him."
"And did he say anything to you afterwards."
"Only that I should do my best to try to win for him."
"And try you will." Lee said rehearsed concern came on his features. "Now a good looking young fire bender like you must have someone else waiting for you at home. A girl?"
"Ah, no girls." Mako said, causing a chorus of girlish screams.
"Oh there has to be someone."
Mako saw Iroh glaring at him in the wings. He took a deep breath. "There is one girl, I've known her since forever but I don't think she's interested in me."
"Ah well you go, win, how can she say no?"
"The problem is that she came with me." Mako sighed. The audience gasped, in the hall Korra looked up in shock.
"What the-" Asami yelled.
"Well then, I guess that's too bad."
"Yeah it is."
"Well I wish you the best of luck." Lee shook Mako's hand and he left the stage.
Mako had no sooner left the room than Asami slammed him against the wall. "What was that!? I chased after you for most of my life and you tell me know that you like me."
"Hey, Hey, break it up." Iroh said separating the two. "It was my idea."
"What so this is all some stupid act made to make me look like an idiot?"
"He made you look desirable, and after that little temper tantrum you threw you need all the help you can get."
"I'm out of here." She walked towards the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Iroh called after her.
"For a walk." She spat throwing the doors open causing a gush of cold air to fill the hall.
"Hey Asami, looking' good." Said a teenage boy standing outside on the sidewalk. Asami stomped on the ground which caused a chuck of rock to shoot out from under him hurling the boy into the air.
