A/N: This chapter really was just a fun filler chapter that came to me at school. I think I'm going to do maybe a series of small filler chapters taking place in Republic City before getting to the main jist of the story, just because I am a sucker for fluff and there really won't be much time for it in the Angsty chapters that will follow. If they get too boring and/or off topic, please let me know and I will resume my straight course through the plot. As always, please review, it makes me feel loved.

Disclaimer: I think we've gone through this enough but I OWN NOTHING! Except Kaji who is my character... and other OC's I have to invent as well.

Previously on Events Unexpected…

The training ground was now deserted and dark. The small grassy glade atop the cliff side, a little farther past it, held the perfect view of the glistening lights of the city beyond the abysmal water stretching out below. Korra took a seat a small ways away from the edge, just as a preliminary caution. Kaji came to be behind her, spreading her legs around Korra's and wrapping her arms around her waist. Korra leaned back into the girl, seeking the familiar smells of cinnamon and jasmine. Republic City shined before them, brighter than any star. A mirror image was reflected off of the dark waters, unbroken as there was no breeze to rouse waves. Above them faint stars pinpricked the pitch-black sky, the sun having gone behind the horizon long ago.

"Beautiful," Kaji whispered gazing down at Korra's face. The shorter girl had rested her head against the other's collarbone giving Kaji the perfect view of the actinic eyes that sparkled even in the absence of light.

"It is," Korra unwittingly believed that Kaji was referring to the scenery. The princess chuckled at the obliviousness Korra seemed to have when it came to her looks.

"I wasn't referring to the city."

Korra's eyes jumped to meet Kaji's. A deep blush came over her cheeks as she finally understood the compliment. Their lips met softly against each other in a peck. Kaji then placed another kiss against Korra's forehead before nestling into the brown locks that held the crisp scent of winter.

"Welcome to Republic City," Korra felt the need to say. Kaji simply smiled against her.

"Morning everyone!" an ecstatic Bolin called before sliding the door of the small kitchen open and revealing his face-splitting grin. The occupants of the room all gave their respective acknowledgements of his presence: the children squealed with glee, Pema waved and gave a tired smile, Tenzin and Kaji both gave formal nods of their heads, Master Katara returned the boy's smile, and Korra rolled her eyes at the energy permeating through him at the ungodly hour.

Korra had so been hoping that the first day back to Air Temple Island would have been one of peace and tranquility, basking in the warmth of the familiar sun and the gentle prodding of the unmistakable breezes rolling through their section of the world. Instead, she had been unceremoniously summoned at the crack of dawn because 'they had to show their new guest-who had risen with the sun as firebenders are wont to do- that the residents of the temple were also productive people.' So, for the first two dewy, foggy hours before breakfast, Korra was stuck meditating with Tenzin and Kaji. Granted, it had been nice at first. Tenzin preferred to meditate with his eyes closed, focusing all senses into bringing his chi to balance. That gave Korra the opportunity to observe her firebender's morning ritual. Her eyes couldn't help but run over Kaji's face, brow knit together in concentration at first before falling into peace. Two soft pearl eyelids hid the molten gold irises that dilated gradually with each heartbeat. Three small candles that had been placed to either side of her throbbed with each breath she took-ebbing with the inhale and growing in the exhale. They gave off small shadows that danced along the red kimono that the princess had dawned on. It was simple and flowing, irritatingly covering most of her curves, with long intricate maroon sleeves trimmed in a deep bronze. Compared to the royal outfits Kaji usually had on, it was quite simple, but it was still formal in comparison to Korra's typical sky-blue tank top and baggy pants. At first, the Avatar had wondered why her lover was wearing such concealing clothes, but then she noticed a small shiver wrack the girl's frame. It took all of her self control not to jump over the small distance separating them and cuddle close to Kaji. Instead, she transfixed her wandering gaze back into the small specks of fire on the candles. Korra soon found her own breath steadying to match the small lights. They lost their solid blue hue to be replaced with a mixture of copper and sapphire, interwoven together in tiny spirals from the wick up.

A harrumph from Korra's left startled her out of her fixation on the fire. Tenzin was looking at her with a quirked eyebrow that held the unsaid question of 'what the hell are you doing?' Korra hid her blush behind her bangs as she tucked her head into her chest. Tenzin shook his head at the strange actions of his unruly pupil, but became satisfied with her when Korra's eyes closed and she began her meditation in earnest. He did, however, notice before closing his own eyes once more, that the burning candles that swayed in the light gusts of air running through the small marble circle were joint streams of orange and blue. He mulled over their strange conflagration only for a moment before returning his focus to the internal rivers of silver energy running through him.

Korra could not for the life of her concentrate. She kept up the pretense of extreme focus in finding her center, but internally all she was able to do was think of the days that had past and those that would ensue. Days with Kaji and Bolin and Master Katara. She really didn't want to think of all of the meetings they would be going to considering Master Katara was here. Kaji would no doubt be participating in them as well. And there she was again, thinking incessantly about the firebender sitting across from her. If only my brain would listen to me, Korra sighed wistfully. There was really no use in trying to gather her chi when all of her thoughts seemed intent on running rampant. The rest of the hour and forty-five minutes they spent out there had been a boring tandem of thinking about Kaji, chiding herself about thinking about Kaji, peeking at Kaji, and closing her eyes whilst screaming at her one-tracked mind.

Back at the breakfast table where Korra was currently situated, Bolin had made himself at home in the empty space next to Korra's right side. Master Katara had dutifully taken the seat to Korra's left, followed by Meelo, Jinora, Ikki, Pema-and Rowan, Tenzin, and finally Kaji before looping back to Bolin. Korra couldn't help but roll her eyes at the obvious attempt at getting closer to the new arrival. Bolin wasn't even going to give the poor girl one day before breaking out the 'charm.' In truth though, it was nice to have him back.

"So, I was wondering, since you're new here and all," Bolin started, directing his opening speech to the firebender currently taking a measured sip from her jasmine tea. "Would you like to have a day out on the town? I mean, I'm the best tour guide you can find and, just for you, I'll do it free of charge."

He waved his bushy black eyebrows to emphasize how great that was. Kaji had to catch herself before she choked on her tea as a laugh erupted from her. "Well, when you put it that way-" she teasingly retorted. "I am afraid that my schedule is not up to me. You will have to bring up your request to Master Katara."

Bolin immediately turned to face the old woman, who had just tuned into the conversation at the mention of her name. "Master Katara, can I please, please, please! steal Kaji for a day. She needs to see Republic City in all of its grandeur after all. I could never call myself a righteous citizen if I were to neglect such a prestigious duty."

The whole table burst out into giggles and chuckles at the earthbender's begging. Korra had to admit, she had never heard such an absurd and convincing argument. 'Prestigious duty' indeed.

"I don't know," Master Katara stalled. Silently, she was apprehensive about leaving the naïve young man with the sly royal. Kaji could and would probably manipulate him into something detrimental to them all, if she was anything like her grandmother and, as the saying went: the apple did not fall far from the tree.

"I can go with them to make sure Bolin doesn't get into trouble," Korra volunteered excitedly. A day out with her best friend and secret lover sounded like a great idea. And it was an excuse to not do any of the mounds of paperwork awaiting them at the City Council.

"I do not believe that would be prudent Avatar," Tenzin interjected in his smooth tone. Korra knew that he was joking in his own subtle manner. "You still have civic duties of your own to perform despite the resent peace."

"Come on Tenzin, I promise I'll do my share of baby-kissing and parading-around tomorrow. Just one day?" Korra implored. She let out the best polar bear-puppy pout she could muster and instantly witnessed Tenzin's gaze soften.

"What do you think dear," he said turning to Pema. The kind-hearted woman smiled at the pair of green and then blue eyes both turned to her. "Should we let them out of their cages for just one day?"

Pema's smile turned mischievous as she replied, "Will the city survive them?"

Another round of laughs from the majority of the room's occupants ensued. Only Kaji and Katara sat quiet. Kaji kept her walls up, but inside the tremor of anticipation ran rampant. Katara was weighing the potential danger in having Korra as well as Bolin out of her protection in the presence of Azula's descendant with the fact that the two of them would be better than just Bolin alone. In the end, she would have rather exercised her authority over the Fire Nation princess, but those hopeful faces were too much for her.

"Oh let the children have their fun Tenzin," she spoke up. "They only get to be young once and who are we to deny them?"

"Yes mother," Tenzin smiled. Korra and Bolin jumped up and gave themselves a loud high-five in victory. Not wanting to waste the fun-filled day ahead, they each grabbed one of Kaji's arms and dragged the bewildered girl out of the room and into the hallway.

They had all agreed to take Naga as transportation. The fuzzy animal was more than happy to take on the three teens. In no time, they were bounding through the narrow grey streets into the residential district of Republic City. Korra, as per usual, was holding the reins in front. Kaji was in the middle, being the least experienced of them all in the art of riding Naga. Bolin followed, happily wrapping his arms around the firebender's powerful middle.

The residential district came to an abrupt halt. Before them now stretched the shopping district. The stores there were a lot more clumped than those in the Fire Nation capital. They stacked over each other like badly placed prism pancakes, streamers hanging from the windows and metal poles like multicolored syrup enticing tourists. Bolin's tongue was rushing through all of the random facts about the area that he could think of, shouting out the words as quickly as Naga's padded feet hit the concrete path. People dove out of their way as the streets became increasingly narrower.

A few more minutes of running had them out of the smoky alleyways and into the large park that Korra had found on her own first day in the large metropolis. The river ran as clean and clear as ever, through the heart of the small grove of emerald grass and trees. Korra reigned in her polar bear-dog just beyond a small bridge that ran over the rushing water. It had been by the small bushes at the bank that she had taken three fish from the stream and flash-fried them with her firebending. Not far from there had been the podium of the Equalists.

"I thought that we'd follow some of the steps I took when I was new here," Korra said, jumping down from her perch on her pet's back. Kaji gingerly stepped down after her, head swaying a bit from the rush of running through the urban streets. She had ridden a komodo-rhino once, but that was quite lumbering and slow in comparison to the streamlined arctic animal.

"Great idea!" Bolin commented. He was the last to descend from Naga's saddle. It had been a while for him as well. Not since before they had taken down Amon, if he recalled correctly.

"I remember that I almost got arrested for illegally fishing here," Korra chuckled. It had been an eventful exposition.

"Wow, what a country bumpkin you were," Kaji teased. Korra's ears turned red at the tips. She opened her mouth to retort, but finding no argument, closed it again. Bolin and Kaji sniggered at her obvious embarrassment.

"You know what, maybe we shouldn't keep to my plan if this is how you two are going to treat me," the darker girl huffed and turned her back to the others.

"Aw, come on Korra, don't be upset. We didn't mean any harm," Bolin amicably attempted to calm his friend.

"No, you are not forgiven," Kaji sighed when she saw the stubborn way Korra's lips set into a frown after she finished her retort. It was becoming ever increasingly difficult to not push the girl to the ground and cover her with languid kisses.

"Bolin, you mentioned that you and Korra participated in some sort of sport. Perhaps we could pay a visit to your arena or training station?" Kaji moved to stand between the earthbender and the Avatar.

"Oh yeah!" Bolin's eyes brightened. "Let's go."

While the boy's back was turned, Kaji gave Korra a quick peck on the cheek, implying her apology. Korra blushed and nodded. She could never stay mad at the firebender for any extended period of time it seemed.

The glass-domed building rose up over the calm seawater that surrounded it like a giant mansion. The white walls reflected the sunlight magnificently, turning a yellow to mirror the celestial body. The façade was a large rectangular prism with an open circle within it, hanging over three arches that hid the main entrance. Rising from the center of the roof was a wide spire, set like a small chocolate candy made of the finest marble. To either side stretched two lengthy corridors which ended in twin towers that held smaller versions of the central spire. Looking past, one could see the large dome, made of illuminated jade glass held together by iron rods tapering into the middle. Two other towers poked out, marking the very back of the immense structure. The brilliant architecture and subtle symmetry that was held in the columns, arches, and spires, was enough to take Kaji's breath away. In all of her years travelling the world, she had never beheld such beauty. Golden eyes left the imposing brilliance of the marble walls to gaze at the taut muscles bunching under her grasp with each pounding step taken by the beast beneath them. Well, perhaps it wasn't the MOST beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"Alright, the Pro-Bending Arena," Bolin boomed in a mock tourist-guide voice whilst waving a hand in a wide arc in emphasis.

"It is truly an amazing innovation in architecture," Kaji agreed, her eyebrows still high on her forehead in awe.

"Just wait 'til you see the inside of it," Korra whispered into her ear as she passed by. Kaji shivered from the sudden humid warmth of Korra's breath on her sensitive skin.

It became apparent that Korra had not been exaggerating when she had mentioned the inward rooms. The lobby, if that was a fit description for the cavernous room that held the reception and ticket booths, was of matching color scheme to the outside ivory. Large columns ran from the flawless floor to the ceiling that may have reached the heavens and beyond. The booths themselves, along with every last lining, carpet, upholstery, and other such additions made to accommodate crowds, were a glamorous white gold or crème. Kaji was so intent on wildly trying to take in everything all at once that the details became somewhat blurred in the process. The chandeliers hanging on chains of silver glowed faintly above them despite the early hour and the light filtering in through the ten-foot windows spanning the walls. The light yellow curtains placidly stayed in their positions in the absence of any currents of air. The sound of soft ticks and clops came at a brisk tempo toward them, increasing in volume of sound as they drew nearer.

"Excuse me," a thin man in ornate robes of light yellows and greens came from a door to the side of the large entrances leading into the actual arena. Kaji bristled at the grimace he had on his pale lips and the way he looked down at them past the overly pointed and elongated nose protruding from his pasty face. She observed him and almost smirked at what she saw. He was no doubt a staff-member, betrayed by the cheap glasses he wore and the rather stiff gait he kept. His hands were wrinkled and calloused, no doubt from the multitude of menial jobs he had done in his youth and he put on way too much powder on his cheeks to keep the sun-darkened skin an acceptable porcelain. It was cheap powder too, no doubt interlaced with lead as was wont in the lower circles. The poor man did not even know that the mask he carried to increase his perceived status was slowly poisoning him. His attire was certainly purchased to feign wealth, but the stitching suggested that it was, in fact, a cheaper imitation of low quality that needed reparations quite often. No doubt he believed them to be low-born citizen children who were easily fooled into intimidation by his airs.

"You are not allowed in here. The arena is closed for the day. Come back when there is a tournament and you have enough money to buy a ticket or enough wits to pilfer one from someone," he spit out in a biting tone.

"Excuse me?" Korra growled. Her eyes were blazing with the barely contained anger. No one talked to her that way, especially not in front of Kaji. Not that the snob of a man knew who either of them was. If he had any inclination, he probably would have prostrated himself and kissed their shoes.

"You heard me. It is policy and you little street urchins are muddying the floors."

It was obvious that they had no mud on them whatsoever considering their clothing was relatively knew and there hadn't been a drop of rain for more than a month or two. Korra was about to teach the man his meteorology by punching him in the face, but Kaji's firm hand on her shoulder pulled her out of reach. She almost inverted her hand to pelt the firebender for interrupting, but thought better of it when their eyes met. It was no use getting so flustered over one rude comment from an insignificant curator.

"We'll be taking our leave then, thank you for your service," Kaji responded, voice low and silky soft. She reached into the folds of her dark kimono and procured a small gold coin. A growling dragon curled itself around one side whilst the mural of Avatar Roku was stamped on the other side. She flicked the coin toward the man. He was startled by the sudden small piece of metal flying in his direction and fumbled somewhat in catching it. Kaji was met with a satisfying ksht of one of the sleeves ripping in his flailing. The originally dim eyes turned a bright chrome as he observed the currency. His milky orbs turned to meet two piercing irises, identical in hue to the coin, narrowed in amusement. His mouth fell into a visible guffaw as the three left through the crystal doors they had come in from.

"That bastard!" Korra screamed at the top of her lungs when they were far enough down the walkway to not be overheard. Not that she would have cared if the snot had heard her. She would have ground him into mush if he started something. She just didn't want to get them in trouble with the law on Kaji's first official day in the city. "He had the nerve to talk down to us! And with such a stupid look on his face! And why the hell did you give him money and thank him for his services?! What services? The service of being an asshole and kicking us out for no reason?"

"Calm down Korra," Kaji placated the ranting girl. Were she to get any more riled up, Kaji was afraid Korra would start steaming from her ears and nostrils. "Didn't you see his face when I gave him that coin?"

Korra stopped in her tirade to think a moment. She had seen the idiot's jaw drop right before exiting the building, but she had been too upset to even begin to wonder why. "Well… yes…"

"That coin is worth a small fortune in paper currency here, perhaps seventy-nine yuan at least. Of course he'll have to convert it considering it is still Fire Nation yen at the moment," Kaji quickly tallied the approximate value of the small gold piece. One thousand yins was nothing out of her pocket really, but to that poor fool, it was probably food for half a year.

"That's…but what does that have anything to do with his reaction?" Bolin inquired. Korra didn't want to look stupid in front of her lover, but she had to admit to herself that Kaji's triumphant smile was lost on her as well.

"Honestly you two. A peasant understands the subliminal message in my actions and it is lost on you," Kaji shook her head in sarcastic incredulity. "Giving him that sum of money disproved his earlier conclusion that we were just a bunch of poor residential shenanigans. No daughter of a poor man would have any form of metallic money much less one of such a large value.

"Oh," both Bolin and Korra exclaimed as it clicked. Bolin chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, abashed at the strange girl's intricate actions. He complimented, "That was pretty smart of you."

"I try," she flashed him a toothy mischievous smile. "I couldn't let him insult the Avatar and the greatest earthbender in the world now could I?"

Bolin blushed at his self-proclaimed title while Korra burst into a fit of giggles, clutching her sides when it became too much. Kaji turned to the fluffy white creature that had been tailing after them for a while. Korra had been too angry to get onto Naga and drive coherently so she had stomped past Naga in an attempt to blow off some steam. The dark bottomless pools of liquid carbon that gazed back at her were friendly yet wary. Naga could sense a connection between the newcomer and her master and friend, but there was something else within the depths of the firebender who was curiously appraising her. A small whine escaped the polar bear-dog's throat. Korra's soothing hand, running through her fur, set the giant canine at ease.

"Well, it has been quite the eventful morning," Bolin sighed. He didn't want to admit that the pangs of early hunger were beginning to set in on him. Thankfully his stomach's rumbling was superseded by a certain water tribesman. Korra glared at the blue fabric that enveloped the extremely vocal gastric organ.

"I guess we should get a quick lunch before continuing on our tour?" Kaji offered. Her words were mocking until her own stomach matched Korra's and Bolin's in asserting itself.

"Right, I know the perfect place!" Bolin excitedly pointed toward the outlying buildings of the inner city.

The three hopped back onto Naga and Korra spurred her forward, taking Bolin's vague directions into mind as she navigated toward the noodle house he was referring to.

The building itself was located not too far from the arena, once one passed the long walkway separating the massive building from the rest of Republic City. It was probably for that reason that most of the athletes conjugated there. That and the food was downright delicious. Korra had her trepidations about the place. She remembered Bolin taking her there on their disastrous first- and only- date. Him taking Kaji there was, she hated to admit, slightly grating on her nerves. Stop acting like a child Korra, she chastised herself, it could be that he wanted noodles, or that this is his favorite restaurant. Still, the leaden feeling in the pit of her stomach didn't go away.

Luckily, it was still a bit early for the place to be packed with people so they had a wide selection of seating. Bolin immediately struck out to his right, his eye on a certain table which was in a perfect position, not too close to the door and not too far back in case lunch-time rolled by and they were swamped. The two girls followed him, not really caring about where they would be situated.

"Awesome!" Bolin exclaimed, taking an empty booth by one of the few windows available in the place. "I never get this seat! Must be the spirits are on my side today."

He scooted over to give an empty space on the bench next to him. Korra bristled but took the seat across from him, hating herself for feeling so hostile toward her good friend. Her head swiveled to take in the monotonous street outside, burning holes into a passing car with her eyes, and mentally keeping it from actually combusting. An innocent looking Kaji slipped in to take the seat next to Korra, for all intents and purposes looking oblivious to Bolin's advances and Korra's growing frustration. Underneath the cover of the low table, however, she took Korra's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The green monster lurking at the edge of Korra's mind was appeased by the gesture and her shoulders relaxed.

"Umm, okay, let's see what specials they've got today," Bolin never missed a beat. Korra had to hand it to the boy. No matter what happened, he always seemed to be able to keep a positive outlook on everything.

They ordered three noodle bowls. Kaji also inquired as to whether any spicy condiments were available. The girl brought a deep red oil with pepper seeds drowned in it. A small spoon stuck out of a hole in the cap placed over the small glass container. When their orders were finally brought to them, Kaji dripped only three small spoonfuls into her soup. Bolin laughed and questioned the authenticity of Kaji's Fire Nation heritage. Kaji returned his sarcasm with a dare to take in one spoonful. Korra, having had prior knowledge of the other extremely hot dishes served in the Fire Nation, egged him on. Bolin was her friend, but she wasn't going to miss an opportunity to see the poor guy make a fool of himself. One taste was enough for Bolin's entire face to turn into a tomato. His eyes teared up so much that Korra joked that he had become a waterbender. They called for a waitress to bring them a jug of water as quickly as possible. The poor girl looked shell-shocked when she came back with a large glass beaker in hand. Bolin drank it all in, leaving nothing at the bottom but a few droplets. The serving girl frantically asked whether he would be in need of a doctor. Kaji waved her off, reassuring the poor girl that Bolin was not dying of a heart attack or anything likewise as serious. A few minutes passed and Bolin's cheeks returned to their natural complexion, though they were still tinted a slight pink. They had a good laugh after that, Bolin's chuckles consisting of light coughing fits and a wide smile.

Cold laughter from behind them caused Kaji and Korra to turn their heads to assess the outside onlookers of their small prank. Three guys huddled in a corner booth wore pompous smirks and their eyes gleamed with a malicious light. One of them, a tall slender boy with slimy blonde hair and glassy greenish-grey eyes stood up and made his way over to them. Kaji instantly recognized him as the leader of the bunch. Bolin stiffened as he fell under the other man's scrutiny.

"Well, well, well," his voice was snide and cool, like liquid water. "If it isn't Bolin and the loser Fire Ferrets. I think you should change your name to the Fire Bugs 'cause you get squashed so easily in all your matches."

"Leave us alone Slater," Bolin murmured. His eyes were downcast, not wanting to give the boy an excuse to start a fight.

"What, too scared to even take a criticism? Well, you weren't much of a man anyway," 'Slater' waved his hand dismissively. His luminous eyes moved to rake over Korra and Kaji. Korra self-consciously dipped her head and avoided his gaze. Kaji simply followed him from behind her eyelashes.

"Hey Slater, did'ya see his face just now. What a loser. Can't even take a little bit of fire in his system," a fat boy with dark brown hair plastered to his doughy forehead and black eyes lumbered to stand next to his group member.

"Easy Zhui. He's not the firebender of the family. That would be his brother. Too bad big brother isn't here to help you out anymore and cover all of your failings huh Bolin?" Slater brought his face right next to Bolin's, forcing the boy to meet his eyes.

Kaji felt Korra start to shake at the mention of Bolin's older brother. It was obvious that both she and Bolin were bothered by his memory. It was neither her place nor her interest to stick her nose into that business however. Still, she would not allow these scumbags to intimidate either of her companions.

"… haven't won a single game since he left. Even the damn Avatar over there couldn't get any hits. You guys really fell through the cracks," Slater was saying. "Lucky for me and the Raging Komodo-Rhinos, I got the best firebender and waterbender in all of Republic City, hell, in the world. Ain't that right Zhui, Rokiro?"

The third member, a boy with long black hair who had kept quiet in his seat for the entirety of Slater's jibes, turned his head to give a small nod in affirmation. Kaji caught a flash of midnight blue before his eyelids closed and the back of his head was facing her again.

"How certain are you of that?" Kaji suddenly spoke up. Korra and Bolin both shot her looks as if to say 'leave it alone' but she ignored them.

Slater had only given the quiet girl closest to him a cursory glance before and he had not expected her to be the one to speak to him. "What did you say?" he put on his most menacing glare and bared his teeth. The threat was low, sharp as a blade laced with venom.

"I asked how certain you were about having the best benders in your team," the girl repeated evenly. Her eyes, originally half-lidded, opened to meet his stare, matching it in intensity and vehemence. Perhaps even surpassing him. Slater recoiled as the molten orbs bore into him. His temper flared at the weakness that was instilled in his bones with each second that passed.

He sucked in a breath to steady himself and answered in as manly a voice as he could muster, "I have no doubt in my mind."

"Good," Kaji answered in a peppy tone, almost sing-song with happiness. "I don't challenge weaklings."

"Y-you want to challenge us?" the fat one, Zhui, asked before bursting into a fit of booming laughter. It wasn't really laughter as much as the wheezing of an overstuffed pig and Kaji couldn't help but grimace in disgust.

"Yes," she replied evenly.

"You best be careful who you mess with little girl," Slater hissed. Having the strange girl's gaze off of him made him bold again, and anger fueled his ego. "I might just accept your request."

"Alright then. A test of fighting prowess and stealth," Kaji declared. "Meet us at the Pro-Bending Arena after dark. You have to get in without getting caught and then we'll have our match. If one of us doesn't show or gets caught before the fight, it is an automatic loss."

"You aren't really in any position to be naming times and locations to us," Slater remarked. In reality, he was a little concerned about being able to actually get past the guards with Zhui. The man was more limber than one would expect looking at him, but he was also conspicuous.

"If you don't think you can do it, I guess that is a welcome disappointment," Kaji shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Fuck you!" Zhui shouted. Some spittle flew from his swollen lower lip and landed on the table. Kaji slid her hand into the folds of her dress and made a spectacle of wiping it from her unblemished skin.

"Fine, after dark. We'll be waiting," Slater snarled.

"It's a date," Kaji smiled and winked. The two men left and regrouped at their table. A few hushed words were exchanged before the trio stood and left the shop.

Once they were gone, Bolin gave a heavy sigh before slumping into the plush backrest of his seat. Korra glared daggers at Kaji, silently imagining smacking the girl upside the head and inquiring as to why she had just committed them to such a stupid enterprise.

"What?" ever the innocent one, Kaji asked as though she didn't know before digging into her soup. It had turned a little cold in the duration of her little chat with the Roaring Lion-Turtles or whatever their name was.

"Why did you have to get us involved?" Korra elaborated on her stare.

"What, we can totally kick their asses," Kaji said between a mouthful of soggy pasta.

"We are going to break into a highly patrolled building in order to duke it out, very loudly mind you, with the strongest team in Pro-Bending."

"Yup. Though, in my defense, I was not aware that they were the strongest team until now."

Korra groaned at Kaji's calm attitude. "He just made a point of telling you."

"No, he said that he had the strongest firebender and earthbender on his team. I had to disagree."

"We're fucked," a miserable Bolin muttered from where he had hidden his face in his hands.

"No, we are going to prove that the Fire Ferrets are better than anyone. They may be good, but we have the Avatar, the strongest earthbender in the world- the actual one mind you- and now me. It'll be a breeze," Kaji reasoned. Two pairs of eyes looked at her like she had gone mad. Perhaps she had, it still didn't matter. "So, who wants to explain to me the rules of this pro-bending?"

Both Bolin and Korra let out exasperated huffs.

Korra had no idea how she ended up like this. Well, she had an idea. It was all the fault of that stupid, big-mouthed, gorgeous, egotistical firebender that she had fallen for. The rest of the day had been spent in teaching Kaji the basics of pro-bending and then practicing. Korra hadn't realized how sloppy she had gotten until she just barely avoided a flying disk shot at her stomach by Bolin. Kaji seemed to be enjoying herself, making everything sent her way explode into tiny pieces or erupt in a cloud of steam. Bolin had not gotten over how 'cool' Kaji's fire was until hours later- something that had nearly cost him an arm when said fire was actually flung at him.

At that present moment, however, Korra had to concentrate in not slipping off the edge of the slippery glass that led into the arena. Their entrance plan was somewhat formulated around Amon's escape route from three months ago. It involved a lot less exploding and fighting and chi-blocking with the rather noticeable absence of airships and electricity, but the basics were similar. The steel rope Korra had bended to adhere to the iron rafters was taut with the added weight of the three people scaling the ledge. Kaji was directly behind her, keeping a steady pace and looking out for any guards that might be strolling around the stands with a fancy for looking up at the sky. Bolin followed, performing the same checks. The giant lantern that hung from the center of the ceiling had been extinguished for once, so there was no blinding illumination to keep them hidden. That meant that they were thoroughly exposed to anyone curious enough to notice them.

Again Korra inwardly questioned her affection for the girl behind her. The rope snagged a bit causing them all to take a frightening lurch back before they were caught again. Bolin gave a small nervous chuckle before he started to hyperventilate. Korra struck another rope from the iron chords she had stored in her pockets. They had nearly reached the zenith.

"Wait, stop here," Kaji called from behind her. Korra gave her a confused look but complied. "It'll be easier to keep the glass we're going to cut to get in from actually falling into the stands and making noise."

Korra nodded and looped a rope around to Bolin so that he could pull himself to stand by them. Kaji kneeled down, touching the large glass pane they were standing on. She beckoned that Bolin was needed, so he put on his bravest face and went down next to her. Korra made sure to keep the ropes secure and resisted the urge to shiver in the strong winds that blew at that altitude. The sound of fire against glass drew her back to where Kaji was cutting a circle, just large enough for them to fit through, into the large window. Bolin's fingers were splayed over the glass, acting as suction cups to the miniscule sand particles in the glass. Korra hadn't been aware that that was actually possible, but when it came to Kaji, it was best to expect surprises. The circle complete, Bolin pulled and detached the piece of glass from its place, unveiling a small entrance. Korra secured the piece of glass with two bands of iron twining around it and connecting to the iron supports framing the sides. She then let a small strand of iron coil loop down into the darkness below them. Kaji was the first to drop down. Her hawk eyes would pick up the faintest movements, but there were none then. When a tug on the rope came, Bolin began his descent. Korra kept the coil as secure as she possibly could. The grip on the cold metal made small incisions in her hands and the little blood drops fell at a slant with the wind. The tug came and it was her turn. She checked one more time to make sure everything was fastened correctly before sliding down.

All seemed to be going well until about halfway down. The seats were still an alarming distance away from her when Korra felt it. It was the slightest shift in the rope, but it was still a shift. Her eyes flicked up to the faint outline of the rope's end. The edge had been rubbing against the glass with enough friction to actually unbind some of the bands of iron. Korra cursed the cheap product a second before the thing snapped and she was hurtling down into the arena at breakneck speed. Without a glider or a solid connection to the water surrounding the actual court, Korra had no way to avoid the oncoming ground. Even an air-scooter would not have been effective because of the manner in which the seats were situated beneath her. She had no escape.

Kaji saw the rope snap but it took her mind a second to process that Korra was actually falling. Something snapped within her as she witnessed her lover's increasing velocity and decreasing height. Kaji had no awareness of the indigo blazes that jettisoned her into the air and toward Korra's body. Her brain gave no command to her arms as they stretched to catch the smaller girl into a protective embrace. She didn't even have any knowledge of rolling into a dive as the red and blue of the pro-bending field approached form beneath them. The flames that spewed from her throat as though from the maw of a giant flying serpent were not her own, at least that she could remember. All that she knew was Korra's limp, shaking form in her arms and her feet buckling under her as they came to a safe skid across the raised platform.

When she actually found her voice, Kaji gripped the sides of Korra's face and uttered a breathless, "Safe?" She couldn't say anything else. Her throat constricted with unshed tears of fear and joy.

Korra could only nod and bury her head into Kaji shoulder. Her sobs were quiet and dry. Her tears had all been evaporated in the torrent of air rushing past her in their tumble of near-death. Not caring about anything else, Korra reached around Kaji's protective arms and grasped at the collar around the girl's neck. Kaji lowered her head in compliance. Without any further hesitation, Korra brought her lips to her firebending prodigy's. The reassuring feeling of having Kaji's taste in her mouth, of knowing that she was alive and still have the ability to run her tongue over the delicate flesh of Kaji's lower lip was enough for Korra to regain some of her senses. She broke away in order to take in a series of gulping breathes. Nothing felt better than air in one's lungs after falling form an undefined height of some hundred feet.

So lost were they in their small bubble of time and space, that neither girl noticed the new arrivals in the room. Bolin quietly cleared his throat and indicated the approaching contenders. Kaji helped Korra to regain her feet just as Slater's snide smirk came into view a few stands up from the entryway. Their descent was slow, deliberately trying to instill apprehension and fear into their opponents. The metal platform gratingly moved its way across the divide between the court and the on looking isles. Korra let go of Kaji's hand as she found her footing, wanting to face the bastard Komodo-Rhinos with her head held high.

"Ah, we didn't think you would show," Slater jeered.

"I guess that means you owe me five bucks," Zhui prodded the blonde man. Slater shoved him off, annoyed at the fat man's poking digits. "Ready to get your asses kicked?"

"Let us see how long you will last before breaking down into tears," Kaji retorted. "In the interest of time, I propose a sudden-death match."

"Done," Slater smiled.

The two teams assembled in the middle segments of the field. The red under Korra's feet was strangely comforting. It hadn't held the warmth that she felt now since before Mako left. Her thoughts were quickly pushed to the back of her mind as an earth disk whizzed past her, trying to make contact with the nimble firebender beside her. Kaji easily evaded Slater's assault without any use of her fire. She didn't want to waste it on scum like that. They could be beaten with minimal effort; she simply needed to hang back for a few moments to figure out their patterns and strategy.

Bolin sent in three disks, directed at the silent waterbender. They were cut through easily by his liquid blades. The offensive strike that ensued almost knocked him back into the section behind them. He was able to regain his balance only because Kaji stepped in and vaporized the next onslaught.

Zhui focused his attacks on the Avatar standing to the right-most side. His fire was strong, coming in swift currents that quickly began to overwhelm the watery shields Korra was putting up. His face almost broke into a smile, victory coming into inevitable view, when a blast of blue fire hit him square in the chest and landed him in the middle field of his territory. His teeth ground together as he glared at the tensed form of Kaji. Her hand was still extended in the punch she had sent his way. It quickly changed into a sweeping downward windmill block as a torrent of water came toward her. Zhui's pupils dilated at the alien hue of fire that followed the girl's fingertips. The water was harmless against such flames. They burned with such intense heat as to put the sun to shame.

Slater roared in fury at having his firebender pushed back. Zhui had been cocky, but the smug look on the stupid girl's face was too much. He sent four disks spinning her way and created sharp spikes to create a deadly array. Kaji sank into a low snake-stance as they sailed harmlessly over her. As ineffective as the attack had been, it was enough of a distraction for Rokiro to form a water whip and hit her in the chest.

Kaji hissed as the unexpected pain of the hit broke through her body. She could feel the blood running down her clothes where the water had cut the skin. Her stance had been strong enough that she had not been knocked out of the ring, but she had fallen back to the previous level. Korra was giving her a worried look, but Kaji indicated that she should focus on the match. There was no way she was losing now.

Bolin took the lowered defenses of the opposing side in their small victory to smack a rather hefty stone disc into Zhui's face. The hit itself would not have taken him, but the amount of mass that was sent tottering backwards was enough to ground him and roll him into the outermost section of the blue arena. Korra compounded the man's momentum by sending a wave of water into him. Most of it was diverted by the watrerbender, Rokiro, but the small amount that got to him, was enough to push him over the edge. The splash that resounded was enough to wake the dead. No one was worried about those particular consequences though.

Slater was furious. To have his team take the first loss was unacceptable. He synchronized his attacks with Rokiro's and they were able to push the Avatar back a section with a powerful sweep of water followed by a barrage of stone. All of the disks erupted into flecks in the wake of Kaji's blue Fire, but the impact was enough to send Korra flying. The adrenaline pumping through her ears was drowning out all coherent thought. Korra tried to center herself and keep from losing her focus. Kaji met her eyes and they nodded in unison.

Korra gathered a funnel of water, sweeping in a clockwise direction. Rokiro and Slater were busy with Bolin, trying to get him back into the second field as well. They took no notice as a stream of blue fire, spinning counterclockwise to Korra's water, filled the center of the vortex. Together, the two girls released the energy in a grand show of elemental power. Rokiro was the first to see the attack, but it was Slater who took the brunt of it. He was knocked out, sailing through the air and into the watery depths beyond the edge of the arena. Rokiro was pushed into the outer section. His grim forehead set in determination. He was just about to let out a flurry of ice daggers when two steel ropes wrapped themselves around his body and sent him falling to his teammates. Korra and Kaji barely had a moment to give each other puzzled looks before they too were floored by two chords. Bolin had a similar fate.

A bright light flashed down on them and the sound of a zeppelin hovering above them was distinguishable. Two very familiar metal boots came into Korra's field of vision just before a very gruff, very annoyed voice greeted her. "Hello Avatar Korra. It seems we are destined to meet this way."

"Hi there Lin," Korra said in her best impression of a cheerful voice. Despite the woman's curt and authoritative words, she knew that Lin Beifong was actually happy to see her. They had become quite good friends over breaking large machines and beating up people disrupting the peace. Still, the woman's love for the law was a deterring quality what with the current circumstances.

"I assume you have a brilliant explanation for this," the woman quipped.

"Yeah," Korra muttered, silently flicking her eyes to where she thought Kaji had fallen. "A really good one."

"Well, you can tell me all about it in my office. Take them," Lin ordered. Korra was picked up, not roughly since most of Lin's officers were also fond of the young Avatar. They were all escorted out of the building and into a police automobile. The soaked forms of the Raging Komodo-Rhinos were shoved into an adjacent vehicle.

Just as the doors closed, locking them into temporary darkness, Bolin turned to Korra with the biggest grin she had ever seen plastered to his face. "You kissed a girl," he remarked like a happy child.

Korra rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to unchain herself and punch him.

P.S. I hope you liked it. :)

For those of you wondering, 1 yuan (Chinese) is equal to 12.67 yen(Japanese), as said by google. If it is wrong, I apologize, and blame search engines. I believe ATLA was based off of wars between the Japanese Empire and China, so I also base the continents as such, if anyone was wondering. And, as to the sadly small amount of money it turned out to be, it was based off of currency three hundred+ years ago when pennies were actually worth something. As for any other wuestions, leave them in reviews and I will gladly answer them to the best of my knowledge.

Review PLEASE! :)