Chapter 3

I walked along the cobblestone path, falling leaves crunching under my feet. Republic City Park was always the most beautiful part of the entire city, especially during the fall. The trees would burn red, yellow and orange before becoming skeletons of themselves. The leaves blew around aimlessly, dancing and twirling until they landed in the golden grass.

I sat down in the grass, staring down into the streaming creek that snaked through the Park. In the rippling surface, I saw my reflection; hair the colour of fresh snow, onyx coloured eyes. I held my palm just above the surface, water leaping from the surface and into my hand. I stood, sliding into the slow movements of waterbending. It was almost soothing, as my mind was in chaos after what happened yesterday.

Yena was still lying on her bed, her ebony hair pooled around her, when she told me that she had developed airbending recently. She had told me so casually, but with a dark undertone to it, which made me worry.

We may be twins but we both knew that there was always one Avatar. We both wanted to be the Avatar and that set in a feeling of competition; who was better at what, who mastered more forms, who was stronger. The biggest thing looming over us was the Avatar State. Neither of us could do it yet.

But if one of us could, then that should answer the question of who the Avatar was.

I couldn't help the surge of black anger and jealousy in my heart. Why did Yena get everything? She had the looks, the friends, the talent, our parents' admiration. I would always be second rate to her.

Would she take away the last thing that I had a chance of having?

The water that had been calmly moving around me suddenly darted away. Another waterbender. Grabbing more water, I whirled to find a tall dark haired boy with bright blue eyes. My water floated around him like a bird and he wasn't even in a stance.

My anger had put me in a terrible mood. I felt bad for the poor boy who would suffer from it.

My water slimmed down into a whip, which I snapped at the boy's face.

"Get your own water," I said.

"There's plenty in the stream. You already have some," the boy said, shrugging.

Something about him was really familiar, like a suppressed memory in the darkness of forgetfulness.

"Well then, you shouldn't take the water I was bending from me. Like you said, there's plenty to go around," I said, ice freezing my words.

"I can't help it if you weren't quick enough to keep it in your grasp," he said, smiling irritatingly.

I couldn't help it. My temper got the best of me. I sent my water flying at him, turned into frozen daggers, hurtling straight at his face. He flicked them away with a casual wave of his hand and returned with a kick, a torrent of water heading straight towards me.

I ducked, letting my shoulders go back. The water streamed just in front of my nose and cut a tree clean in half.

I jolted up, giving him an outraged look. He just smiled in response and sent a swipe of water at me. I froze it, the swipe turning into a curved staff of snowy ice. Twirling out of the way of another blast of water, I leaped and swung with my ice staff. It hit him right in the stomach, making him suck air. He toppled over but managed to send one more jet of water my way. I didn't reach fast enough; it hit me with the force of a Satomobile.

I groaned as I rolled in the sparkling grass, my clothes growing cold. A hand stuck out in front of me and I grabbed it, letting it pull me up.

"Hmm. Nice waterbending. That was fun," the boy said.

"Thanks," I said, brushing off shards of ice.

"Do you usually attack people in the Park?" he asked, still grasping my hand.

I jerked my fingers away from his. "No. You just caught me in a really bad mood. It doesn't help that you are excessively irritating."

"Usually girls tell me that I'm excessively handsome, not irritating. That's a start," he commented.

I seriously wanted to punch him in his stupid good-looking face. My metal whips quivered underneath my jacket, hoping to be used. Digging my nails into my palms, the metal whips stilled and tightened their loosening grip on my forearms.

"Well, thanks for the fun, but I think I'll leave," I said, turning and waving a hand.

"No wait!" the boy cried, grabbing me by the shoulder.

"What?" I asked, throwing off his hand.

"At least tell me your name."

I stared into the ocean blue eyes, contemplating.

"My name is Tiana. What's yours?" I said, after a moment of silence.

"Tonraq," he answered. "It was interesting meeting you, Tiana."

He turned and walked away. I stayed, frozen, watching his tall form growing smaller and smaller.

I knew now why he was so familiar.

Tonraq was Avatar Korra's son.

Maybe he could help me on my "project" on her. I still needed to find out the truth about Avatar Korra.

But what was it that was so important?