MY GOODNESS. This is what I get for not checking my chapters. I had no idea that the document had cut off so early. It seems I uploaded the wrong file. *facepalm* Sorry guys. Here's the RIGHT chapter.
The whispers were easier to ignore when there was an overall buzz of conversation, Korra found. Even so, the impolite staring made her hackles raise, and in minutes, Korra was about ready to snarl at anyone that so much as looked at her wrong. She hated these kinds of social things; mostly because, even if she was the guest of honor, no one really wanted her to be there. Instead, they wanted some well-groomed, soft-spoken wonder woman that Korra didn't recognize. Whoever they wanted, it certainly wasn't anyone Korra recognized.
"Korra!"
She spun at the sound of a familiar voice, her shoulders slumping in relief when she saw Tenzin fighting through the crowds to meet her. His fatherly pat to the shoulder comforted her some, especially when coupled with his slight smile. "You look lovely, Korra."
Korra shrugged, but was flattered at his compliment. She knew that Tenzin wasn't one to mince idle words. "You 'prolly didn't recognize me at first, huh?"
"Nonsense," Tenzin sniffed, but the hint of an embarrassed flush gave the truth of the matter away.
Korra grinned, hardly offended. "Whatever you say, old man. All this fancy stuff is crampin' my style."
"Happy birthday, Korra." Tenzin made a quick scan of the crowd. "I can't imagine it would be long before your friends make their way over and monopolize your attention. Shall we make our rounds?"
"Council members, politicians, the newly re-instated Chief Bei Fong? Yeah, sounds like a real blast." Korra rolled her eyes, but followed along after her airbending master, exchanging pleasantries with the high and the mighty. She only really got a good snipe in once she got to Lin. The woman was really too much fun to argue with, even if it only in jest these days. Still, their competitive edge was the most interesting thing Korra had encountered all night.
"Tenzin," she said, tugging at the man's sleeve as they made their way to yet another person Tenzin had spotted. "I've been wanting to talk to you about something, actually."
"You know I am always open to conversation, Korra," he replied distractedly, looking for something or someone the Avatar couldn't see.
"See, I've been thinking, and..." Korra sighed. "I think it might be best if I left the city for a while. Maybe if I took some time to go with the United Forces, help out General Iroh and Commander Bumi."
"What?" Tenzin turned to face her, abruptly serious. His brows were furrowed. "Where has this come from all of a sudden? If this is about your—your little tiff with that firebender boy—"
"His name is Mako, and it's not about him," she snapped defensively. "This is about me, as the Avatar, and needing to find my own path. There are people that need me outside of Republic City, Tenzin! I could be helping them."
"You're helping here," the man argued, his tone clipped. Tenzin folded his arms over his chest, hands tucked into his sleeves in a way that Korra knew meant she was in for an argument. Gray eyes that were usually calm were narrowed and stormy, now focused solely on her. "The threat of the Equalists is not yet entirely neutralized, Korra. You are needed here. These people rely on you, and you cannot simply go gallivanting around the United Republic simply because you have some hurt feelings and are getting restless."
"This is not about Mako!" Korra insisted furiously, hands arrogantly placed on her hips, chin raised in defiance. "Stop trying to make this about anything but me. This is my decision, and it's my life. I'm an adult, Tenzin, and I need to act like one! By the time he was my age, Aang had already saved the world, and he and Fire Lord Zuko had begun plans for this city. I haven't done anything but chase around some Equalists and sit pretty for you and your Council."
Tenzin's face reddened at an alarming rate. "Avatar Aang lived in a time of war, doing work that no Avatar before him had ever done at such a young and vulnerable age! Under normal circumstances, you would never have been told of your Avatar status until a year ago, and you would still be in training for many years to come. There is no need for you to bring your competitiveness out of the Pro-Bending ring; you cannot simply aim to be 'better' than the Avatars past. For the time being, you are needed in Republic City, and the White Lotus will allow nothing less. Put this foolish nonsense out of your mind at once."
Korra let out a disbelieving snort, heedless of the stares that their conflict was starting to attract. She would be damned if she just let Tenzin dismiss her so easily! She was Avatar Korra, damn it, and she deserved to be listened to!
"This isn't 'foolish nonsense', this is common sense," she retorted. "There are still skirmishes in the Earth Provinces, and I know that there is still unrest among the non-benders that feel as though their hopes were destroyed with the fall of Amon. Those people deserve to be heard, and they need to know that I'm taking them seriously, Tenzin! The last thing I want is for a civil war to break out because someone was too paranoid to let the Avatar talk to some scared and frustrated people."
"What? I— Korra—"
Korra crossed her arms over her chest with a satisfied 'hmph', a self-assured smirk twisting painted lips. "Or would you rather jeopardize the fragile peace we've only just established?"
"And what if the estranged Equalists have already rallied another leader?" Tenzin asked incredulously.
Korra let loose a bitter bark of laughter, her arms spread wide. "That would be a threat to a fully-realized Avatar? Yeah, right! Or do you see another lying bloodbender hiding behind a mask that's willing to have a go?"
All at once, the room went silent, stunned in the wake of Korra's exclamations. Her face colored at the attention, but she held strong, even as the seconds ticked on.
"Never would there be another foolish enough to try," said a voice from the crowd. The masses parted to reveal a man familiar to them all—the Lieutenant. His face even still bore the remnants of the injuries sustained from Amon's assault. Steely eyes stared down those that looked like they might argue before his gaze turned back to the young Avatar. "The Avatar has been more than generous when compromising with us. My loyalty belongs to her. Any who claim to be Equalists that refuse her kindness and fair treatment are not Equalists at all, but fools."
The silence shattered when the applause began, the tension draining away as the volume rose. Korra held the Lieutenant's gaze, offering a solemn nod of thanks. The corner of the man's lips quirked upward, then he held up his glass in her direction with an inclination of his head.
"He's a good man," Tenzin said from behind her. Korra turned and sighed, readying her apology when Tenzin interrupted with a raised hand. "I understand your frustration, Korra, and I will consider your words. Perhaps it is best to offer the figurative olive-acorn branch before the tension rises any more."
"Thank you," Korra replied with a slight smile.
"Avatar Korra!"
The voice that interrupted them this time was distinctly female, and both Korra and Tenzin stared in surprise as a middle-aged, blue-eyed woman dressed in gorgeous furs emerged from the crowd. Her arms were open, and without a second thought, Korra launched herself into them with a joyous laugh.
"Chief Kya!" Korra exclaimed in delight.
Tenzin's sister held Korra close, chuckling to herself as the young woman pulled back enough to look at her. "Oh, how you've grown, little seal-lion cub. You're more beautiful than ever. You look just like the scrolls of Lady Yue."
Kya was the chief of the Northern Water Tribes, and one of Korra's favorite people. Katara's daughter was both strong and compassionate, someone Korra had always looked up to whenever their sister tribes converged. Kya treated her like one of her own, spoiling Korra with scrolls and weapons, rather than the dolls that her parents had always tried to give her.
"It's great to see you, Chief Kya," Korra said with a grin. Holding the woman's hands in her own. "I didn't think you would be here! Why come all the way to Republic City?"
At that, the woman's smile faded, taking a step back from the Avatar. "I'm afraid I'm here on a rather urgent matter." She moved to embrace her brother, and Korra only barely heard the words Kya mumbled into Tenzin's ear. "I need to speak with you and Korra immediately. Is there a place we can go that would be... quiet?"
Tenzin parted from the embrace with his older sister with a smile, but his eyes were worried. "Of course, Kya, it's been far too long since we've been able to catch up. I'm sure Korra's fans can spare her for a few minutes. My office is upstairs."
They moved slowly through the crowd as to not attract attention, spreading out and reconvening behind a great stone pillar. Korra wasn't sure what to make of it until Tenzin lay his hand on the stone and a section of it slid aside, revealing a hidden staircase that they slipped into without notice. It closed behind them without a sound.
The trio climbed the stairs to the top, pushing out a trap door that opened under one of Tenzin's rugs, which he moved aside with a gust of air. Korra was the last to climb through, cursing her high heels and inconvenient dress.
The trap door closed behind them.
Tenzin's office was not nearly the size of the late Councilman Tarrlok's, but rather cozy and comfortable. It lacked the over-the-top waterfall; instead, the office had four walls which displayed a collection of colorful fans, some looking old enough to crumble if touched. The wall behind his desk was covered with scrolls depicting ancient airbending techniques, and in one corner, a staff leaned against a bookcase, scratched and worn.
"You still keep Dad's glider in your office?" Kya asked, distracted. "I thought you would have moved it to the temple."
Tenzin shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable before he simply responded, "Meelo."
"Ah," Kya agreed.
Korra peered closer at the staff, noticing marks that looked suspiciously like the imprints of teeth.
"What is this about, Kya? We don't have long before Korra's absence is noticed," Tenzin probed, sitting at his desk and turning on a small lamp. The light made his angular features look even more severe—Korra wasn't usually one to be intimidated, but she had never seen Tenzin in a mood like this.
Chief Kya sighed, crossing her arms over her chest, shifting her weight uncertainly. She glanced around the room, as if looking for intruders, before she turned her gaze back to her brother. "There has been an incident, and my people are... unsettled," the woman started. Her jaw clenched, eyes flickering between her brother and the young Avatar. "Several weeks ago, our scouts were surveying the area—a routine check, nothing unusual to cause it. But they found... well, they encountered unusual debris. Further investigation led them to an abandoned canoe, or so they thought. In the bottom of the boat, there were two men, both critically hypothermic and close to death."
Tenzin's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. He knew there was more that his sister was trying to say. Korra, however, jumped in. "Who are they?"
Kya laughed once without humor. "Therein lies the problem, Avatar Korra. Our men brought them back to our city, where I, myself, and several of our best healers tended to them. Despite our best efforts, one of them was beyond saving. The other, we managed to stabilize, but not without cost. Whatever had gotten him into that mess left him looking like a mess. He will bear lifelong scars to his face and torso—but the problem is that his injuries showed signs of healing before we found him."
"Natural healing?" Korra asked with a frown.
"No." Kya's expression darkened. "Whoever attempted to heal him, whether himself or another, was a waterbender. Now, an injured man alone is nothing to worry about, but he awoke just over a week ago. He could not tell us his purpose for being at sea, his age, or even his name. He could not identify the man who died, though from their similar structures, we think they may have been related."
Korra's stomach sank. A scarred man, possibly a waterbender, found at sea with another who was most likely related. She liked the sound of it less and less.
Kya continued. "When he opened his eyes, they were blue. Only two groups of people have blue eyes, and both are water tribes. We decided that, perhaps it would be best to ask the elders of our tribe if they might be able to identify him."
"I'm assuming they could not?" Tenzin asked.
"Quite the contrary. One of our elders identified him and was quite certain of his identity, despite his scars." Kya took a deep breath, seeming to steady herself. "The elder that identified him has mind sickness. She was well respected in her time of health, but the loss of her husband and her son..."
Korra paled.
"We cannot put much weight in her word, not only because of this, but because she identified the patient as a dead man."
"Noatak," Korra whispered in horror, drawing the surprised gazes of both Kya and Tenzin. "She identified the man as Noatak, didn't she?"
"That's right," Kya agreed.
Tenzin stood swiftly. "This is a most unsettling matter. If that man is truly Noatak, he's extremely dangerous—"
"We have no way of knowing for sure!" Kya cut in, giving Tenzin a look that stopped the man in his tracks. "He remembers nothing of himself. The healers have attested to the fact that his mind is damaged. It's been years since our tribe last saw Noatak, and this man's face is damaged enough that there is no one else who could identify him. That is why I have come to you, Avatar Korra."
Korra took a step back in shock, her hands raised defensively in front of her. "What, me? What do you expect me to do? If you don't know who he is, I definitely won't."
"You were the one who dealt with him the most, Korra," Kya reminded her impatiently. "You know more than his face. You know his mannerisms, his voice... you know Amon. Not to mention, you saw him with your own eyes."
Korra sputtered helplessly for a few moments. "But I—I don't know him! He attacked me and my friends; he tried to take my bending! The only time I ever saw him without a mask was for a few seconds from several hundred paces! Why would I want to get anywhere near him?"
The disapproving, disappointed look that Kya gave her nearly made Korra back down—nearly. "Korra, this is a man without an identity. You have the chance to help him, and you want to turn your back on him instead? That is no way for an Avatar to behave. My father was willing to see the good in people, including those that had hurt or betrayed him in the past. Where is your empathy for this man's plight? Since we have found him, he has been nothing but polite and cooperative. He hasn't even spoken out against the healers that had to cause him great pain in order to make him better. And imagine if this man is not Noatak—what then? You will have turned away a man that desperately needed your help."
"But I—" Korra protested, taking a deep breath. "Look. I want to help, Chief Kya, but if this man is Noatak or Amon or whoever he is, then he is a huge threat!"
"And you would leave us alone to deal with him?"
Korra and Kya glared at each other, opinions clashing like waves in a storm. Neither would back down easily, so Tenzin stepped in to help. "Korra, was it not you that wanted to leave Republic City? Perhaps this is what fate has decided for you. You can spare several days to assist Chief Kya, at the least. If the man is Noatak, we will deal with him as we see fit. If he is not, perhaps you can assist him in regaining his memories."
"That sounds fair," Kya agreed, nodding decisively. "Korra, do you agree?"
Korra stared between the siblings, caught between a rock and a hard place. She swore silently to somehow exact her fury on them.
Somehow.
"Fine," she snapped, finally losing her patience as she yanked at the beads in her hair. "Fine. You win." She only hoped that they couldn't tell just how sick she suddenly felt, like the storm had made its way into her stomach and was making a fine mess of things.
She thought this whole Amon business was over! Whether this man was Amon's alter-ego or not, she wanted nothing to do with him. The thought, the possibility alone brought bile to her mouth and ice to her heart.
"My ship leaves in the morning," Kya replied, as if that solved everything. "Meet me at the docks, Avatar Korra, and we will be on our way in the morning. With any luck, this matter can be resolved shortly."
"With any luck," Korra replied, swallowing heavily. "Tenzin, I... I think it might be good if I went home now."
"Korra, are you alright?" Tenzin asked, taking a few steps toward her.
"Fine." She didn't feel fine. In fact, she felt quite sick. "I'm just... going to go back to the temple. Tomorrow's an early morning, right?"
"Korra—"
In seconds she had fled, leaving her shoes in the office behind her, as well as two concerned siblings.
Her retreat was marked by a trail of pearls and moonstone beads.