Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar…. But I want to.

Korra laughed as she bended the elements around her in exhilaration just the feel of the water rippling as she threw it around, the heat of the fire as it scorched the air, the raw power of the earth as it rumbled under her command, and with the powerful gusts that buffeted the trees as she made mini tornadoes and cyclones form around her with a flick of her wrist. Just to feel the power of bending after Amon took it away two months ago was enough to make anyone relish in their abilities.

Republic city had recovered, there was peace and celebration and after Lin re-elected an put back as Republic City's chief of police, laws toward the fair treatment between bender's and non-benders were created, the council even selected two non-bender representatives. There was never a better time of peace and prosperity. And the avatar group enjoyed it well… maybe a little too well if the explosion's (courtesy of Ikki and Korra), fart bombs (courtesy of Meelo), and the slightly charred, crispy, flooded, mud caked, and absolutely stinky air acolytes (courtesy of…. Everyone above plus Bolin and Jinora) had anything to do with it.

This now brings us to the present where everyone is sitting on the steps in the front courtyard watching with awe struck faces and slack jaws as the General and Korra spared at a frenzied rate as fire punches, kicks, fire flips, dives, and even some water whips were exchanged merely due to Korra's frustration with not beating the General when really the only thing being achieved was seeing how long it took to char the ground under their feet to a nice smoky lump of black stone. They had been at it for a while and the only progress that was there was the central courtyard looking like there was a small war instead of a "friendly" sparring match.

Korra landed nimbly on her feet wheezing from the lack of oxygen swaying and stumbling slightly. She wheezed, "How are you so good?"

Iroh laughed good-naturedly, wiping off the light sheen of sweat from his face, "Let's just say I have a lot of practice."

Korra just gave him one of her stares its supposed to make the person uncomfortable but all she did was amuse the general. And then Korra understood, she pointed an accusing finger at the smirking general, "You're holding back!"She yelled in frustration, "That's inhuman!"

Korra flustered, "By Yue how is this possible! When I was going through my firebending exam the firebender's I fought were masters! And they didn't hold back a-and they were masters!" Korra ended her statement bug-eyed and even more flustered and wheezy.

Iroh raised an amused eyebrow, "I assure you I'm perfectly human and yes I am a master but there are levels to that as well, and this is a spar of course I'm holding back I thought you were doing the same."

Korra started to growl at Iroh a deadly aura started to form around her, but Iroh frankly found this whole thing amusing it was good to hang out with people a bit closer to his age. It almost made him want to laugh. Almost.

"Alright Korra you need to calm down he's the General of the United Forces if he's given such a high position at such a young age then it is obvious that he would need to be a master fighter as well as a talented strategist, you can't expect that you can just wipe the floor with Iroh even when you unlocked the avatar state which you still can't use properly, mind you, he's quite frankly a prodigy in his element among other things. I suggest you close the match, it's starting to get dark you two had been at it the whole day." Tenzin concluded his speech stiffly not waiting for Korra's reaction which would probably be quite violent and went inside, of course giving Korra his voice of reason that Korra oh so loved… and then oh so hated… like right about now, but Tenzin was Tenzin and you can't really do anything about that.

Korra grumbled, "Fine but as avatar I will one day beat you at sparing, you have my word!" with that last sentence and a wheezy huff Korra plopped down on the stairs reduced to a sweaty lump of limbs. Left to the care of the airbending kids who she swatted away like flies with her new-found element, but like flies they kept coming back.

Iroh smiled at the scene as he toweled himself off shaking his head at the scene before him as Meelo drew a mustache on Korra's face while she too tired to do anything just watched Iroh replied back, "I look forward to that avatar."

Korra replied with a huff. Mako after giving Korra a towel and a pitcher of water and shooing away the air bending children walked over to the general in his usual hunched posture before addressing him stiffly while Iroh cleaned himself up, his fancy UF coat folded neatly on the bench next to him as well as his boots and socks leaving him in nothing other than his breeches and undershirt, "Hey how long did it take you to become a master firebender?"

Iroh stopped wiping off the sweat on his face and frowned at the peculiar question before he answered confused, "Well I became a master by the age fifteen so fifteen years, why?"

Mako nodded as if the answer was what he expected, "Nothing I was curious, you're fighting style is different and you're skilled so I guessed you were at the level of a prodigy."

"Well there are people here in Republic City who still practice the traditional way of bending but the popular way to bend here is the fighting style of pro-bending so people here don't really pay attention to the old ways. I was taught how to fight the traditional way through the breath and over time I changed it up so that my moves were never predictable, and never calculated." Iroh shrugged saying it for what it was.

Iroh continued, sitting down on the bench the towel hanging from his neck and Mako listened intently leaning on one of the column's, "You see Korra is used to telling how people are going to attack through their motion's or eyes so when she faces an opponent she can't read or a fighting style she doesn't understand, she suffers, especially when she's limited to one element, so she doesn't gain the upper hand and that is how I lasted through this spar even challenging her without having to exert myself. But that is also how she had a difficult time with the chi blockers because they were so unfamiliar to her." Iroh explained plainly without any arrogance about being on par if not more, than the avatar which gave Mako respect for the man.

Mako smiled nodding his head, "Well General, can't say I'm surprised you read her like an open book."

Iroh shrugged standing up from the bench, "Well I am General for a reason."

Iroh glanced at Mako with an impressed look before voicing his thoughts as he took a sip of water, "I'm surprised, not many people can tell the difference between bending styles and even fewer know the level of skill their opponent is at…. You have a good strategic mind. Mako, is it? I apologize I do not know any of you that well."

"It's alright and thank's." Mako started walking away before he voiced his question noticing the missing people, "Hey have you seen Bolin and Asami?"

"Yeah last time I checked they were helping Pema to cook and playing with the baby." The general replied as he took off his sweaty undershirt and headed to his room's to shower.

Mako nodded as he headed to the family wing and was right on time when he heard Bolin yell that dinner is served.

Mako entered the hectic kitchen and immediately saw Asami but if she noticed him she did not say a word but just kept on silently stirring the noodles but Mako still saw as her knuckles turned white from gripping the long wooden spoon and her body grew tense over the stove. Mako started to make his way forward-

"Mako, Honey would you be a dear and set the table I need to deal with the things in the kitchen!" Pema looked at him expectantly silently holding out the dishes; Mako took one last look at Asami before he turned around and accepted the plates and chopsticks from Pema before going off to the dining room to do his duty.

After he left Pema sighed and shook her head, "Asami you can't avoid him or lock your-self up. Sweetie you know better, get out there and start searching for a new man someone twice as good as Mako and twice as hot too therefore you get nice looking babies. I mean look at Rohan isn't he precious!"

Asami laughed but then turned somber she stared dejectedly at the platter of steamed vegetables and sighed, "I know I should move on and I know I shouldn't really care but just the way he did it…. I don't know."

Pema's eyes softened, "Oh honey it's okay to care, I agree the way he did it was very wrong and very painful but if you don't open yourself up you'll never be happy it's when you open yourself to all the roads and choices that you feel you are free, and when you are free you soar and prosper."

Asami smiled and hugged Pema suddenly, the older women stiffened with a surprised look on her face before she hugged Asami back squeezing her, Asami laughed sharply in to Pema's shoulder, "That was my mom's favorite line I like to think that if she was alive you would be best friends with her."

Pema broke the hug and looked at Asami with both her hands on her shoulders, a comforting weight to Asami before Pema smiled softly, "I have no doubt I would have."

Pema smiled clapping her hands together after she was sure Asami was in a good mood, "I now believe that we have dinner to serve to a table full of hungry young men, a very hungry avatar, my very tired and cranky husband, and three boisterous children."

Asami laughed picking up the platter with the steamed vegetables and rice, "I agree."

Pema and Asami left the kitchen to make their grand entrance to a chorus of approval and clapping, Asami quietly put down the heavy platter and sat down next to Jinora on her right and an empty seat on the left she looked around the table and saw as Korra and Bolin readily entered in an eating contest and Tenzin at the head of the table talked to Pema while she fed Rohan. Ikki asked Jinora question's a thousand per minute and Meelo stared at her from across the table. But Asami quietly sighed as she filled her plate trying not to pay attention to Mako's piercing stare.

"Is everything alright Miss Sato?" A smooth husky voice at her left said.

Asami jumped almost dropping the salad bowl on her lap, she quickly put a small amount on her plate before passing it on to Jinora, "Oh no nothing General I was just lost in my thoughts I didn't notice you were here."

Iroh smiled, "No worries, please call me Iroh."

Asami wordlessly passed him the vegetable pie and watched as he loaded his plate before she replied, "Okay Iroh but you must call me Asami, Miss Sato is way to formal."

The general nodded his head, "Fair enough… Miss Sato." The general's golden eyes swam with mirth.

Asami smirked, "Please pass the curry then General."

Iroh laughed and passed the curry, as Asami was filling up her plate she decided she quite liked the sound off the general's laughter. She quite liked it indeed.

Tenzin cleared his throat bringing silence to the chaotic table he looked at Iroh and immediately the mood turned serious, "Has the United Forces decided whether you will stay longer to help rebuild the city?"

Iroh wiped his mouth with a napkin before he responded, "They have agreed to let me stay here for a couple more months with a threat of perhaps another attack of Amon's supporter's still high and after everything that has happened it is too risky for my men and I to leave so soon. Plus with the repairs still not finished I may be here a while."

Tenzin sighed, "I'm relieved to hear that, Republic City really needs the United Nations to keep peace. I'm sorry about your fleet and the damages caused by this terrible war."

Iroh waved his protests away, "It's fine I also have a message from Commander Bumi."

Ikki squealed, "A message from Uncle Bumi! Tell us, tell us!"

Tenzin raised an eyebrow at the General, "General what is it?"

Iroh took a deep breath, "He said that he need's quarters because he's tired of living in the ship so he was wondering if he could live with you for a couple of months?"

Pema smiled, "Tell him of course he can we would be happy to have him!"

Tenzin sighed, "Just having him in Republic City is bad enough, but in my home?"

Bolin took a break from stuffing his face and gulped he smiled such a great smile that it looked like it hurt his face, he beamed, "This is amazing I'm living with the avatar, my bro, an amazing non-bender who kicks butts, a general, and airbenders, and now the commander this is sweeett!"

Bolin took another bite out of the towering stack loaded on his plate, he swallowed down the food and continued, "And who would have thought that just a couple of months ago me and Mako were just orphans getting by!"

General Iroh smiled, "Well I believe the tide has turned to everyone's favor."

Asami looked down at the olive colored napkin folded neatly on her lap and picked off a piece of lint and said under her breath, "The tide has not turned for everyone."

Iroh lifted his cup and the others followed suit, "A toast to the new avatar, her team, and so that there may be peace for many years between nations, bender's, and non- bender's alike."

Everyone drank to the toast but Asami felt like a liar as she took a sip out of her cup, Mako smiled at the general, "Quite the toast."

The general shrugged in response going back to his meal silently.

The evening meal went well and of all the jokes and funny stories it was eventually time for everyone to retreat to their sleeping quarters. And that was how Asami found herself walking next to an avatar so stuffed that she was practically waddling. But before Asami could escape to her room Korra grabbed her arm.

Asami was already regretting what the avatar was going to say, she grimaced, before she slowly turned around and faced the avatar, "What is it Korra?"

Korra looked sheepishly at the ground before acting on impulse she hugged Asami, Korra clung tighter as she started to make her rushed apology, "I am so, so, so sorry about stealing Mako and I really want you're forgiveness so that things would stop being awkward between us and we could just go back to being how we used to before any of this happened!"

Asami broke the hug looking at Korra with sympathetic eyes, "Korra it's alright I forgive you, I'm not mad at you I'm mad that Mako didn't break the relationship properly and just left me in the dust you have nothing to apologize for."

Korra sighed, "That's not true."

"What?"Asami frowned.

Korra looked at the ground not meeting Asami's gaze, "I tried hating you because you got between me and my chance with Mako but you were so nice but I loved Mako and when Bolin told you about the kiss he didn't say who started it…

Asami's voice held a little of a tremor but she continued, "What are you saying Korra?"

Korra shook her head feeling worse and worse but said it anyway Asami needed to know the truth, " Mako found me and said that he liked me but he also liked you and that he was confused but I was so happy that I just kissed him and Bolin saw and ran away crying and I just realized what I had done and-

"Korra, I understand. It hurt's but I understand Mako was never mine and I knew that while I dated him there was something about you two and its obvious me and Mako could never be together but you two are perfect." Korra's eyes got wider with every word Asami spoke.

Korra hugged Asami, "You are truly the best friend anyone could hope for!"

Asami nodded breaking the hug, "Thank you for being honest even though there would have been a chance I reacted violently I just wish Mako would do the same."

Korra nodded, "Well I guess that covers everything sooo… good night I guess?"

Asami nodded smiling, "Good night Korra."

Korra entered her room with a smile and went to bed but what she didn't notice as she went to bed was a black shadow and the set of glowing eyes watching her carefully from the back of the room and as she went and fell asleep the room suddenly became cold with a haunting presence. But the shadow just stood there and watched as Korra fell slowly but surely into a deep sleep before it got to work.