Mako's POV

I couldn't believe this. Our Waterbender had once again left our team, except this one had decided to do so without letting anyone know and right before a match. There was no way I could go and look for another now. It looked like this was the end of the road for us for this year. I couldn't help but feel disappointed and angry. With our primary income gone…I didn't know what would happen to Bolin and me. I didn't want to go back to the streets again. I had promised myself we wouldn't.

The door opened and for a second I had the hope that it was him but I didn't even hide my annoyance when Korra, the Avatar, came inside the locker room. I scowled a little before crossing my arms in front of me. She smiled at us then frowned, probably noticing our mood.

"I didn't miss the match, did I?" she asked. "You guys look like you lost already."

"We might as well have," Bolin sulked. I couldn't really blame him.

"Hasook's a no good, no show," I growled. The door opened once more and I straightened at this. Maybe it was…

"You got two minutes to get ready or you're disqualified," the referee said before closing the door once again.

I sighed. This was it for us. "Well there goes our shot for the tournament," I said. "And the winnings."

"I wouldn't say that just yet," Korra replied. I raised a brow, looking at her suspiciously. "You guys have a Waterbender available. Me." I scoffed at this. She had to be kidding. "I'm a top notch Waterbender, if I do say so myself."

"No way," I replied. "I'd rather forfeit than look like a fool out there with a rookie." Though technically, we were the rookies of the Pros. But I wasn't gonna think about that.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she replied, sounding a bit offended before muttering something under her breath. It sounded a lot like 'jerk.' I rolled my eyes. She was such a child.

"Times up, you in or out?" the referee asked again, coming inside.

"We're in!" Korra said.

"We are?" I asked, uncrossing my arms, watching her take Hasook's uniform. She grabbed it and made a move to go change. "I didn't agree to this!" I called after her.

"You can thank me later!" she shot back.

"This girl is crazy," I muttered. What the hell had just happened?

Bolin turned to look at me, silently letting me know to not ruin the opportunity we had here. I sighed and rubbed my temples. This match was going to be the death of me, I just knew it.

Soon enough we were on the platform and I could see Korra readying herself. She had just started her Pro Bending career a few weeks ago and I didn't know how she would do. But as long as we had a third player it didn't matter, I just didn't want her to do anything stupid, and I was going to make this very clear.

"Don't do anything too fancy or aggressive," I instructed before glancing over to her. I could already see her annoyance as her helmet slid down her face. It was a little too big. "In fact don't do anything at all, just try not to get knocked out of the ring."

She huffed at this. "You got it, Captain," Korra replied.

"Begin!"

Spirits, help me.

Tenzin's POV

I had spotted Korra earlier this evening trying to go to a match at the Pro Bending arena. I had once again stopped her and told her she would not be able to watch that so called sport. It was nothing but a violent game that mocked and changed the traditional art of Bending. She had seemed extremely upset at this and I had ordered her to meditate to forget about Pro Bending. It was enough she wasted her time in the Teen League her parents had enrolled her in. I would be having a word with them soon.

As I looked over some paperwork, I heard a commotion not too far from my office. I raised a brow at this and stood to see where the commotion was coming from. I looked outside the window and found the White Lotus Guards watching a Pro Bending match on the TV. I huffed at this and closed the window. It seemed nowadays everyone was into that…thing.

I sat back down and continued with my paperwork. Only a few moments passed before I glanced up, looking at the radio on my desk. I reached out to turn the knob but then set it down. I was curious about what was so interesting about the sport, but I had condemned it myself. After a few minutes of internal arguing I finally tuned the radio onto the sports station.

The team called the Fire Ferrets was currently playing, and it seemed as if they had just acquired a new player. The announcer kept commented on her, saying how she was having a hard time communicating with her teammates.

I shook my head as I turned it off, having heard enough. I went back to the paperwork before remembering that I had sent Korra off to the meditation pavilion. I sighed and decided to take a break and check up on her. However, when I got there, she was nowhere in sight. I frowned at this but figured she might have taken a break. Spirits knew the girl had no patience.

On my way back to my office I went over to the sentries, wanting to see if they knew where the teen was. That was their job after all, to keep an eye on the young Avatar.

"Have you seen Korra?" I asked. "I told her to meditate but she isn't in the pavilion."

The guards ignored me, their attention on the television set. I sighed at this, shaking my head. I looked at the screen and saw the Waterbender from the red team get attacked by all the players of the opposite team. I could see the player get annoyed and suddenly they threw a water attack forward before using an earth disk to protect themselves. The match stopped and I blinked a few times.

Had that player just Bended two elements?

"It's the Avatar folks!" the commentator revealed after a few seconds, sounding surprised and astounded.

I could feel my face heating up at this, my anger boiling in my veins. The sentries quickly stood up, ready to go get her but I blasted wind everywhere, blocking their advance.

"I'll get her myself!" I snapped before grabbing my staff from my office and making my way to the arena.

When I arrived, the second round was still going on and I saw Korra get knocked off the platform. I narrowed my eyes before asking someone where she would emerge. One of the security guards pointed down to a platform and I made my way there, reaching the spot just as she came up with for air. She looked up at me and gave me a sheepish smile before hauling herself up.

I'd just about had it with this girl.

"Oh...hey there Tenzin," she chuckled nervously. "I thought you didn't…like…coming to these matches."

"Korra, how could you disobey me? I told you to meditate!" I was trying my best to sound calm and failing miserably. "Now, let's go!" I added, making my way out of there.

"No!" Korra replied. I raised a brow and turned to look at her. "I'm in the middle of something."

"I've tried my best to get through to you by being gentle and patient," I began. "But clearly the only thing you respond to is force, so I'm ordering you to go back to the temple, right now!"

"Why?" she questioned, her eyes narrowing. "So I can sit around and meditate on how bad I am at Airbending?" I could feel my face turning red again. How was it possible for one person to be this infuriating? "You know I've been thinking about the reason I haven't been able to learn Airbending. I think it's because maybe I don't even need it!"

"What?" I asked, blasting wind again. "That is a ludicrous suggestion! The Avatar needs to learn Airbending, it is not optional!"

"No, what I need is to be able to be free and make my own decisions!" Korra snapped. "All my life I've been told what to do, and what I need to learn. But what I want to do and learn is this; how to fight!"

"Being the Avatar isn't all about fighting," I countered. "When will you learn that?"

Korra shook her head at me, closing her eyes, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself. When she opened them, the fire was still there and her jaw was clenched. "I have a match to finish," she simply answered, going back to the platform.

I huffed at this and turned around, going back up to the bleachers and looking for an exit. When I found the one I made a move to leave but turned around to see Korra, once again getting attacked by all of the players on the opposite team. I shook my head at this, and it wasn't long before she got knocked to the edge of the ring.

Just as I thought she was going to fall off she surprised me by dodging an attack and then another. I raised a brow at this, zeroing in on her form, noticing it was part of the Airbending routine I had been trying to teach her.

I actually smiled at this.

"Well, how about that."

Korra's POV

I dreaded going back to the island after we won the match. Thanks to my sudden grasp of the Airbending forms the Fire Ferrets had another victory under their belt. Mako had even managed a compliment...at least I thought it was a compliment.

While riding the ferry back, I dreaded having to face Tenzin. He was just so infuriating. He acted as if I was even trying to learn, to grasp his teachings. That, coupled with the fact that I was getting my ass handed to me during the match, only helped me reach my snapping point.

But...I knew I was in the wrong. And I'd have to face the monk sooner or later anyway.

So, with a heavy sigh, I started my trek toward the spinning gates once the ferry docked. I knew I'd find him there, probably ready to say he didn't want to teach me anymore, that I wasn't ready. Not that I could really blame him.

Just as I suspected, I found the bald man by the gates, staring at them almost contemplatively.

"Tenzin."

The Airbender turned toward me at the sound of my voice, his grey eyes immediately locking onto my blue. I suddenly felt small.

"Look, I'm sorry about...what I said back at the arena," I said, sighing and rubbing my arm guiltily. "I was just so frustrated about Airbending and I took it out on you. And that wasn't fair. So, I'm sorry."

The man studied me for a moment. Then, surprisingly, a small smile spread across his face.

I raised a brow at this. "Aren't you going to yell at me for skipping meditation to participate in that 'sport'?" I asked. Not that I wasn't glad he wasn't yelling at me but still…I had expected to get an earful.

The Airbender cleared his throat as the smile disappeared and I felt my heart sink. Here it comes.

"Though I am upset that you disobeyed my orders I have to admit that perhaps, Pro Bending, is it? It might not actually be as bad as I thought," he answered.

My jaw dropped but I quickly closed it. "What?" I asked. Had I heard right?

"What I'm trying to say," Tenzin began carefully. "Is that I thought Pro Bending was wasting your time, but now I see that you have applied the skills you've learned here to the game. And I realized that you are, in fact, learning and making progress."

I blinked a few times at this. "I am?" Sure, I'd pulled a few Airbending movements out of thin air (no pun intended) but... Then it hit me. I'd moved like an Airbender! I couldn't help but beam at the sudden realization.

"Of course you are," the Airbending master assured. "And I believe I owe you an apology for losing my patience with you after asking for yours." I smiled at him. "Now off to bed with you," he ordered, gesturing to the house.

"So am I going to be allowed to Pro Bend?" I asked hopefully.

"I said go to bed, Korra," Tenzin answered. I sulked at this, turning around to head to my room. I knew it was too good to be true. "You're going to need a lot of rest now that you have two responsibilities to occupy your time," the monk added.

I quickly turned around, smiling broadly. Tenzin gave me a small nod before making his way back to his office.

Once I made sure he was out of earshot, I jumped up, pumping my fist up in the air. Yes!