反射

Book 1.5: Reflections

Chapter 2: Training in Solitude

TWO WEEKS LATER…

Dear Korra,

I hope you are doing alright, and I really hope to hear back from you soon.

So, everything is going swell in Republic City, I guess. Sort of. Without their leaders, the Equalist Revolution was squashed like a lizard-bug under the foot of badgermole. Most of them have gone into hiding or left the group completely, which is great for us benders. The last thing we need is another civil war, right? Of course, there are still some extremist whack-jobs out there, but no one can be as bad as Amon.

Right?

Anyway, a Provisional Government has been set up to replace the Council, for the time being anyway. They are making an effort to keep things under control between benders and non-benders. It's a bit of a mess, but things are much better than they were a few weeks ago.

I'm sure you've heard from him by now, but Tenzin and his family have gone back to live on Air Temple Island, although they had to get some earthbenders from the Order of the White Lotus to help with repairing the damage done during the Equalist raids. I offered to help out, but they said they have it under control.

The trial finished, and Hiroshi Sato has been sent to jail for allowing his company to provide the Equalists with kali-sticks, chi-blocker gloves and all that other electrified weapon stuff. Oh, and not to mention those big Mecha-Tanks. I just hope the police have managed to round all those things up – they were really scary. I mean, having a big bad robot trying to kill you with extendable claws and zapping cables is scary stuff! I still can't sleep well!

Future Industries has been taken over by Asami, and she says she's doing fine. I'm worried about her though, she seems really stressed out and can hardly meet up anymore. I'm sure running a big company would be pretty crazy, especially having to inherit it at short notice from a horrible father.

She hasn't been to visit him in prison.

But she's doing well. She asked me to include her best wishes in this letter.

Oh, and I almost forgot the best news: they're nearly finished repairing the damage done to the Pro-Bending Arena! It was a diplomatic move by the Provisional Government – supposed to rebuild bridges between benders and non-benders or something. But who cares! Mako and I have jobs again!

Speaking of Mako, he's doing well at the power-plant. Our parents were really proud when he created lightning for the first time, and said that it would open up a lot of good job options for him. At least it's good for earning cash. And Pabu is great too; I managed to teach him an awesome new trick – jumping through rings while they are on FIRE! Gives a whole new meaning to 'fire ferret', huh? It's fun to do, although Mako gets grumpy whenever I ask him to lend me his firebending for the trick.

Anyway, this letter is getting really long so I'll wrap it up here. Everyone misses you, and hopes to see you again soon. We're all here for you if you ever need anything, and I'll be sure to catch the next freighter down to the South Pole to visit. So expect to see my gorgeous face again in a couple of weeks! I can't wait!

This is about the 3rd or 4th letter I've sent, right? Still haven't gotten a response back from you. I understand – you're busy with Avatar stuff. But it would be nice to hear how you're doing.

Take care,

Bolin

(PS. Go the Fire Ferrets!)

Korra smiled as she finished reading. She glanced at the paper and pen sitting on her desk, wanting nothing more than to be able to pick it up and write back to her friend. But what could she tell him? That she had spent the last couple of weeks as a failure?

Her countless attempts to enter the Avatar State had failed.

All attempts to connect to the Spirit World, and her 'spiritual self', had failed.

And to add insult to injury, her airbending – her sole remaining connection to the elements – was weak and lacked substance. She could not hold up to the gale-like winds of the South Pole.

The young woman gazed mournfully at the pen, before sighing and leaving her bedroom.

It was nice to be living at home and seeing her parents more often, at least. She had flatly refused when the Order of the White Lotus requested that she come back to live at the compound. When they persisted, and sent the three elderly representatives to her house to escort her back, her father had taken up his hunting spear and ordered them to leave.

As such, the Order begrudgingly left well enough alone, although they encouraged her to visit the compound often for training.

The young Avatar presently found her mother cleaning in the living room.

"Korra? Where are you off to?"

"Just taking Naga out for a stroll," Korra smiled lightly as she grabbed her dark-blue parka from its hook on the wall. "I'll see you and Dad later!"

As her daughter left the house, the smile on Senna's face faded. She knew very well that the girl was not "taking Naga out for a stroll".

She felt exhausted. For the past two weeks now, she had been watching Korra torture herself physically, spending hours out in the snow practising airbending, only to achieve mediocre results. If that was not enough, the young Avatar also tortured herself mentally, with every failed meditation, every failed attempt at spiritual growth, and every failed attempt to enter the Avatar State.

Worst of all was the look in Korra's eyes every time she saw the stone piles throughout the village, the open flame of the cabin hearth, and the water of the Antarctic Ocean. Anything that reminded her of earth, fire or waterbending. She had lost a part of herself, and Senna knew that she was punishing herself for it.

It was exhausting.

"Hey, Naga," Korra called as the front door to her house closed behind her. "Ready to go for a ride, girl?"

The polar-bear dog waiting faithfully nearby bounded over eagerly. Her tail wagged fervently as her head was rubbed, and she licked her owner's face affectionately.

"She's a loyal one, isn't she?" a familiar voice spoke up.

Korra turned to see an elderly lady, clad in a thick blue parka that went all the way down to her boots.

"Sifu Katara," she said, bowing respectfully with a fist to open-palm. "What are you doing here?"

"Your mother and I made plans to have tea this afternoon. And how is your father?"

"Oh, he's good. He's out hunting right now."

"That's nice." The waterbending master paused for a moment. "I also wanted ask how you are doing," she finally said, brushing some snow off the sleeves of her parka.

"Um, yeah! Great!" the young woman said, a little too quickly. "Everything's just… great."

Katara smiled sadly. "You know, the White Lotus sentries mentioned seeing you out in the tundra for hours on end, practising airbending. And you're going out to do it again right now, aren't you? Do you really think that's healthy?"

"Well, I have to be good for something, don't I?" Korra said, her tone coming out sharper than she intended it to be. She turned and grabbed Naga's saddle, which was leaning up against the wall of the house, and began to fasten it to the beast's back.

"You must stop selling yourself short," the older woman replied, rubbing her hands together as a breath of icy wind snaked through the air. "You and your friends prevented civil war throughout the United Republic of Nations."

"But there are still lots of people out there who hate bending!" the girl exclaimed. "They were ready to commit borderline genocide to see it stamped out – that kind of resentment doesn't just disappear overnight!" She sighed, somewhat regaining her composure. "How am I supposed to keep balance in the world when I can't even save one city? Especially now that airbending is all I have."

"Let me tell you something about Avatar Aang," Katara said softly. "He was a great man, and accomplished many things in his life. But perhaps his greatest achievements have never been noted by history."

Korra looked at her in surprise.

"Sure, ending the Hundred Year War is one of his best-known legacies," the widow continued. "But before he could accomplish that, he had to embark on a journey across the world to master all four elements. And on that journey, Aang and his friends and I came across many Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom villages that were under the oppression of the Fire Nation. Despite the fact that he was on a sacred mission, and doing battle with the Fire Nation would cause unnecessary risk, do you know what he did?"

Her former pupil remained silent.

"Aang took it upon himself to save those villages," Katara said, the love in her eyes becoming more and more pronounced as she reminisced. "And he did it without having mastered all four elements. In fact, during the first few months of our journey, as we travelled from the South all the way up to the North Pole, Aang only had airbending to call upon. And yet, in those months, he did more good for the world than anyone I know."

Korra bit her lip and turned her head away. Despite her old mentor's good intentions, hearing about the heroic exploits of her predecessor was only making her feel worse.

"You can airbend now," Katara said gently. "You can still do so much good for the world, Korra. You are still the Avatar."

Silence fell between the pair for a moment.

"I'm not the Avatar anymore," the teenager finally said, climbing up onto Naga's back. "I'm an airbender now."

The dark profiles of mountains could be seen in one direction, and the fuzzy outline of the dark sea could be seen in the other, while an endless white plain stretched out between them, as far as the eye could see. It was in the middle of this plain that a lonely figure could be seen practising airbending forms.

"Come on!" Korra shouted into the howling wind. "Airbend properly!"

She twirled, her fur-skinned boots tracing circular tracks in the snow, before thrusting her hands out, creating a gust of air. However, the force of the Antarctic wind blowing against her was too strong, and the drifting snow continued to blow into her face. The girl let out a groan of frustration and sat down cross-legged on the ground. She had been out in the snow for over three hours, assaulted by the icy chill in the air, and her face was feeling numb.

"It's alright, Naga," she said reassuringly when the polar-bear dog, lying down in the snow nearby, whined questioningly.

The animal in question gazed at her for a moment, before sniffing the air and looking upward at the grey-blue sky. Korra followed her gaze, and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the familiar shape of a sky bison flying in from the sea in the direction of the White Lotus compound.

Tenzin? What is he doing here? Korra asked herself, frowning.

A little while later, she was riding Naga through the compound gates to see her airbending master standing in front of Katara's hut, conversing with his mother, and she felt a surge of happiness at seeing him again. She approached them cautiously, catching snippets of conversation.

"…Pema and Rohan are doing well," Tenzin was saying. "He is surprisingly quiet for a newborn baby."

"I'm so proud of you, my son," Katara said, her eyes crinkling as she smiled warmly. The prospect of grandchildren never ceased to amaze her, and she swelled with pride.

"Hi Tenzin!" Korra chirped, waving as he turned. "We weren't expecting you back so soon!"

"Hello, Korra," the tall airbender replied. "It is good to see you again."

"You too," she replied, smiling as she rubbed her arms to try and restore some warmth to them. "How are Pema and the kids?"

"They are all well. Jinora, Ikki and Meelo have resumed their training, and are improving very quickly."

It had been over three weeks since Korra had last seen the children of Tenzin and Pema, and the world's latest hopes for reviving the devastated Air Nomads. She really missed them.

"On that subject, I received word from my mother that you have been training intensely in airbending," Tenzin continued.

The young woman looked over at Katara, who nodded in approval. "Uh, yeah, I have," she replied.

"And how is it coming along?"

She sighed irritably. "Not very well. I can't do anything advanced – all I can do is blow gusts of wind, and they aren't even that strong."

"It's still progress," he said reassuringly. "And force is not what matters when it comes to airbending, rather than technique. As I have told you before, being the Avatar isn't all about fighting."

"But I'm not the Avatar."

Katara raised a hand to her mouth at hearing those awful words again.

Her airbending teacher, on the other hand, looked thunderstruck. "What did you say?"

"I'm not the Avatar," Korra repeated. "Not anymore. I'm an airbender now."

There was a silence, through which only the whistle of the wind could be heard. The biting cold it carried seemed to seep into their clothes, and the grey sky almost seemed to be serving as a testament to the mood surrounding them.

"Korra," Tenzin finally said, clearly going to great lengths to keep his voice calm. "Whatever you're calling yourself these days – Avatar or airbender or a purple platypus bear – the fact of the matter is that you must continue your training. You have unlocked the secret of airbending – quite the accomplishment in itself, considering the polar opposites of its ideals and your rash and brazen nature – "

"Are we done with the sparkling words of encouragement yet?" Korra said sarcastically as she brushed some snow off her deep blue parka.

"I wasn't finished yet," the man trilled. "Although you have tapped into the ability, there is still much for you to learn. And I am going to teach you."

"You're going to resume training me in airbending?" she asked, surprised. "But aren't you too busy in Republic City right now?"

"Things are indeed still… 'out of whack', as you would put it," he replied, a light smile tracing across his features. "That is actually one of the reasons why we need you as soon as possible – to help keep balance."

"He is right," Katara interjected. "Republic City needs its Avatar once again."

"Sifu Katara…" Korra started, only to be cut off by a wave of the elderly woman's hand.

"I have already discussed the matter with your parents, and they agree it is for the best."

"…What's for the best?"

"You're coming back to Republic City with me," Tenzin said matter-of-factly. "Tonight."