Kohun nodded politely to Pema as he took a seat at the table. "Thank you again for the food." He said, not hesitating to immediately begin slurping at his soup.
Pema smiled and sat down herself, happy that the children weren't awake to harass the guest. "Of course. Any friend of Korra's is a friend of ours."
Kohun couldn't help but smirk a bit as he thought of how Tenzin probably wouldn't say the same thing when he got back to the island. Pema looked over the stranger, noting his half-military\half-civilian attire and choosing to ignore the insignias that signified his allegiance to a dead country. She looked over at his trenchcoat, which he had laid on the ground next to him, and took notice of the large tear in one of the sleeves. "How did that happen, exactly?"
Kohun's eyes left his soup for a moment as he followed his hostess's eyes. A forced chuckle emanated from him as he gave a momentary glance to Korra, who just shrugged with a look of guilt on her face. He turned back to Pema. "I'm afraid that when Naga found us walking back to the docks she sort of…jumped on me."
Korra gave an awkward laugh. "Sorry again." She said to her uncle.
He just smiled. "Naga grew since I last saw her." Kohun finally went back to his soup. "I never actually thought that you'd keep her." He said in between slurps. "I thought it was just a phase."
Korra gave him a curious glance. "Because sneaking into a polar bear-dog's den at nine years old and stealing one of its puppies is just a 'phase'." She waved her fingers, making air quotes as she uttered the last word.
A look of immense concern washed over Pema's usually calm face. "Why on Earth would you do something that dangerous Korra?"
Before Korra could come up with a valid answer, Kohun propped his elbows up on the table and cupped his hands like he was holding a tiny bird. "Because the puppies were just sooo cute!" He spoke his words in the mocking tone of an adult finding amusement in a child's innocence.
Kohun joined Pema in laughing at the humor of the situation as Korra just sat there, her expression a mix of confusion and mild guilt. "But they really were!"
A large bellow, the kind too distinctive to be anything other than the cry of a homeward-bound sky bison, suddenly drowned out the dinnertime conversation. They all quickly stood and went out into the central courtyard just in time to see Oogi softly setting down from a long flight.
A tall young man with black hair and golden eyes, clad in nothing particularly distinctive other than a crimson scarf around his neck, slid down from the bison first, followed by Bolin. Mako's face brightened into a big smile as he ran towards the Avatar, and she likewise to him. "Korra!" He shouted in a tone of great relief, embracing her in a warm hug. "We've been looking all over for you!"
"I'm sorry." She said to him, cupping his cheek and looking into his eyes. "Avatar stuff got me."
Mako, despite the expression of happiness on his face, was obviously looking for an explanation from his girlfriend. Before he could manage to ask, he and Korra were both suddenly embraced in the strong arms of his brother. "I'm so happy you're safe!" Bolin said, nearly picking the two of them up off of the ground.
After a few moments of snuggling his two favorite people like they were teddy bears, he set them back down. Mako, after working the crick out of his neck, looked back at Korra with the same glance as before. "How did you manage to get abducted by Equalists our first day back?" He asked her, his voice tinted with a mixture of both concern and exasperation. "I sent you out to get groceries!"
Bolin did his best not to snicker too loudly as he saw Korra's embarrassed look. "Honestly," she began. "I wasn't trying to do anything. The market just happened to be where some Equalist couriers were plotting and I took one down to the police station and…" Mako rolled his eyes as she told the story, knowing that it was a bit too convenient for trouble to just happen to find her.
While Korra was explaining her story to her vexed-but-relieved boyfriend, a far less happy reunion was taking place on the other side of the courtyard.
Tenzin gave an exhausted smile to his beloved wife, lines of weariness etched into his face. But why oh why must there be a visitor at this hour. He was spent, dealing with Council business all day only to come home and find Bolin sputtering on about Korra being lost in a police raid when she wasn't even supposed to be off of the island at all that day.
Tenzin's eyes lazily drifted over to the man standing next to Pema. Something seemed strangely familiar about him. From the United Republic uniform that was the wrong color and the general's cap that bore the seal of the Southern Fire Colonies down to the scar on his cheek and the determined flame in his amber eyes, Tenzin understood the presence to be one that he had not felt in years. Tenzin felt his resolve dissipate as he finally put the pieces together.
Kohun made his best effort to be composed, a little bit shocked that his old friend's son still had yet to yell at him for being in his home. "Tenzin!" He finally said, a great smile stretching across his face as he held out his arms for an embrace that he knew probably wouldn't come.
"I'm too tired for this!" Tenzin thought to himself as he stood over Kohun, only taller than the ex-terrorist by a few inches.
"You grew a beard." Tenzin observed in a monotone, his immense exhaustion from the day drowning out any hint of genuine enthusiasm that he actually had.
Kohun dropped one arm to his side, the other reaching up to scratch at his unkempt facial hair. "I thought it might get me a few points." He chuckled forcefully, waiting for Tenzin's wrath.
"The police are looking for you." Tenzin's voice remained without emotion. "And you come here."
Kohun shook his head. "I had no idea that the White Lotus even let Korra leave the South Pole." His statement was quickly followed by a small scoff from Tenzin. Kohun honestly barely received any news in prison from the few contacts that he had. When he did get any information it was regarding Amon's latest actions, but even then he was told very little regarding specifics. "I was only in Republic City to burn the paper trail that could tie anyone to me."
Tenzin just glared at him with a look that showed that he was far too tired to wait for the rest of the story.
"And I finally came to the realization that prison sucks and I miss my family." Kohun added finally, casting a glance over to his niece and her friends.
Tenzin sighed and pushed past Kohun. "There's an empty room in the men's dormitory." He mumbled, heading towards his quarters followed swiftly by his wife. "I'll deal with this in the morning."
After finishing her story, Korra took in a deep breath before looking back to Mako. "Any questions?"
"How'd you get that?"Mako said, brushing some hair back from Korra's forehead to look at the bruise just above her brow. She winced ever so slightly as his fingers brushed it.
"Sorry again." Said an unfamiliar voice from behind them.
Mako, Korra, and Bolin turned to look at Kohun, who had approached them following Tenzin's abrasive pleasantries.
Korra's face brightened into an all-out grin as she pulled Mako and Bolin over to Kohun. "Guys." Her eyes held a jubilant excitement that made it look as if she was about to burst with glee. "This is my uncle and my first ever firebending teacher."
"General Kohun." The tall man introduced himself with a respectful bow, straightening his trenchcoat as he rose back up, only further stressing the long tear in one of his sleeves.
Mako and Bolin both returned the gesture and introduced themselves.
Bolin, being a quirky and straightforward fellow if he was anything, decided to ask the first question. "I'm sorry, but if you're Korra's uncle…" he paused for a moment in hesitation. "Then why are you white?"
A long, awkward silence cut through the air to the point that it was deafening. Korra and Kohun exchanged glances for a moment, bursting into raucous laughter almost to the point that it drew tears. Mako jabbed his brother with his elbow and stared him down.
"Spirits, Bo! You can't just ask people why they're white!"
Kohun finally got control of himself, saving Bolin from his older brother's anger. "It's fine, Mako. It's fine. I married Korra's aunt." He explained. "There's no actual blood between us."
Korra nudged her uncle with her shoulder. "He's still the best firebending teacher of all time."
"Oh stop." Kohun said with an exaggerated grin. "You're embarrassing me."
They all shared a small laugh. Mako gave Kohun an intrigued glance. "So you taught Korra how to firebend?"
"As best I could."
Mako couldn't help but shoot a curious stare at Kohun. "What do you mean?"
The general shrugged, looking up to the sky. "Well." He began, pointing at the Avatar with his thumb. "Her last incarnation took my bending away years ago. All I ever taught Korra was stances and techniques and fighting combinations."
Mako would have liked to continue the conversation, but a loud and exaggerated yawn from his brother encouraged him to think differently. He suddenly felt the last few hours of searching and worrying catch up with him as his brother began to walk towards the male dormitory. "Oh, man. I think I'm going to turn in for the night." He bowed to Kohun once more. "It was a pleasure to meet you, General."
He stepped over to Korra and they exchanged a quiet "goodnight" as well as a brief but tender kiss before he turned to follow his brother.
Korra watched him as he walked away, caught up in her own little world for a moment. That was, until she heard a soft humming from behind her. Korra looked over her shoulder at her uncle, who stood there with a huge grin on his face. "Young looove." He hummed. "Four seasons for love!"
His little serenade was quickly cut short as he jumped back to avoid a small fireball that Korra had launched at his feet. He still couldn't help but laugh a little. "Aww. Did I hit a nerve on that one?" He chided her playfully.
Korra rolled her eyes at him. "I'm a fully realized Avatar now." She warned. "I'd be careful if I were you."
The two spent the next hour or so catching up with each other. In that time, Kohun heard everything that he had missed ever since he had last seen Korra more than seven years ago. From her passing her firebending test to leaving for Republic City to meeting Mako to the final fight with Amon, Kohun felt as if he had been there the entire time. He only stopped the story to confirm what was happening so far or to tease her for her budding relationship with Mako.
When she had finally finished with her story, Kohun could only lean back against a post of the small gazebo that they stood in and smile. "I'm sorry I missed such an adventure with you. But I think it was high time that you finally got your own adventure." He smiled, remembering the ten-year-old girl that he had last seen as having such a desperate want to be in one of the great stories that he had told her of. Now she stood in front of him, having completed what was sure to be only the first in a great number of quests that she would encounter. She was so different from that girl that he knew. She had grown into a young woman who was responsible and dutiful, but at the same time, if he looked hard enough, he could see the little girl that he showed how to firebend.
Korra grinned up at one of her most prominent childhood idols. "It's great knowing that I can get in touch with my spiritual side. And going into the Avatar state…" She paused for a moment.
Kohun looked at her with concern, the happy and joyous Korra that he had always known suddenly disappearing behind a shroud of uncertainty and self-doubt. He supposed that not all of growing up had been good to Korra. She was young, especially for an Avatar. "What's wrong?" He asked, his tone taking on that of patriarchal caring that he had not used in years.
Korra shrugged, chewing on her lip. "When Aang gave me my bending back I wasn't as good as I was before." She explained further by making a small ball of fire in her hand, an easy and simple feat for any experienced firebender, but Kohun saw what was wrong. She was concentrating, harder even than she was on that one snowy night when she was four. In spite of her efforts, the flame twisted and moved unhealthily, twitching and sputtering like a torch in the wind. "I can only really control the elements in the Avatar state." She sighed, letting the small flame die out. "I have to re-learn almost everything I've ever known."
Korra looked down in defeat, hugging herself in a manner of helplessness that Kohun had rarely ever seen her experience.
Kohun smiled stepping forward and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't get down on yourself." He tilted her chin up and looked into the same brave blue eyes that he saw in her as a child. "It seems to me that you've got quite the road ahead of you. And it also seems that you'll need a new firebending teacher."
Her face lit up, both in thankfulness and in revelation. "I can give you your bending back!" She said excitedly. "You can teach me firsthand!"
Kohun gave her a beaming smile. "I can't even express how amazing that would be. Let's do it first thing tomorrow."
"Why not right now?" She suggested.
The tall man, a non-bender for almost twenty years now, felt almost hesitant of having his power again. "I've spent years without my skills, Korra." He chuckled. "I even dedicated my life to empowering non-benders for a while there. I think I'll enjoy just one more night without bending." He didn't want to close a chapter of his life so abruptly. He had to meditate on it. He had to contemplate the close of this section of his existence.
With a look of understanding, Korra gave her uncle a warm embrace happy that one of her oldest mentors was back in her life. As they parted ways and she walked towards her room Korra began to agree with Kohun's sentiment of having one last night to ponder all that was about to change. She was about to start the long and arduous task of re-learning all four of the elements. A new chapter in her own story was beginning as well.