Kat: Sorry for the long wait! Got out of school for the summer (FINALLY) & after 4 days of (not-so-free) freedom I got around to doing some editing! So just like my wait to get out of school, Korra & Katalana have FINALLY made it out of the Southern Water Tribe! This is a chapter where - if you've seen the show - you should read a lot of familiar lines. Altered a bit, of course, to make room for some new characters. Also, first fight scene! (FINALLY!) Anyway, hope y'all enjoy! :D
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A giant lurch woke us up the next morning. An unsuspecting crew shouted in dismay as a large furry creature leaped out of the gate and off the barge. Once we were out of the South Pole, there was nothing anyone could do to stop us. We felt free enough to be discovered and to go wherever we wanted. The Polar-Bear-Dog raced down the docks before Korra yanked on the reigns. Naga skidded to a halt. The view was absolutely incredible. Enormous stone buildings loomed overhead, the paved roads were inundated with shiny new Sato-mobiles. The people were dressed so cleanly, adorned with dazzling hats, scarves, and jewelry of every color – not just white and a few similar shades of blue. There were not only colors of the Water Tribes, but red and black, green and brown, and yellow and gold. Each nation was represented, some wore combinations of colors to reveal their mixed heritages, and some had even ignored tradition and wore whatever colors they pleased.
The four of us looked on in astonishment. Katara was right – this was nothing like home. We made mental panoramas of our surroundings, trying to absorb everything at once. But there was one thing in particular that we reminded ourselves to look for – Air Temple Island. It was across a large bay to our left. It was relatively small, but impressive nonetheless. The island began at the docs, then rounded up a rocky cliffside to a flat top upon which a towering church had been built. Originally it was a church and only that, but over time it grew to be a mortal home as well as a holy one. Avatar Aang and his family lived there alone before they expanded it to house many of the Air Acolytes – nonbenders who had chosen to leave their own faction to reintroduce the Air Nation to the world.
Korra shifted in the saddle excitedly, about to urge Naga toward the sailboat ferry that would take us across the water to the island. Before she could even begin to nudge her onward, Naga suddenly charged in another direction. We jolted in our seats, but shrugged off our surprise shortly thereafter. Korra and I had seen Naga like this before. She had caught the scent of freshly cooked meat. "Alright, alright! Food first, then Air Temple!" Korra reassured her pet as she charged down the street and around a few corners – narrowly avoiding civilians and nearly trashing local businesses. Startled pedestrians barely had time to acknowledge Korra's shouted apologies before we sped past. "Whoops! Sorry! Excuse us! Heads up! Comin' through! We're new in town!"
Somewhere in the middle of the city the destructive beast scooted to a halt with her large nose poking through the curtains of a petite kiosk. "Naga, wait," commanded Korra. Naga whined as Korra slid off her back and approached the vender in a more decent manner. She picked up a warm shish-ka-bob and politely ordered one of everything.
"That'll be twenty yuans."
Korra's face fell, and she shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Well...I don't actually have any money."
"Then what good are you to me?" the woman demanded, snatching the meat stick out of her hand.
Dejected, Korra turned and led us away. Of course Korra didn't think to bring any money, I thought to myself. I mean, I guess we don't have much of it anyway, but it would have been nice to have for a situation like this! She doesn't think! I bet she didn't even pack any clothes for this trip.
"I can hear you, you know," Korra drawled.
"And I can hear you!" I sang in return. "Seriously, though. Eavesdropping?" I couldn't see her face from behind, but I could sense that she was giving me a greatly exaggerated eyeroll.
"But for your information, I did pack a few pairs of clothes – for me. Did you pack anything?"
"Of course not! I figured you were trying to run away, but I planned on keeping you home – not tagging along!"
"Well, you can borrow some of my stuff until we get the chance to go shopping."
"With what money?!" I scoffed.
The next half hour or so was spent meandering the city. Korra ignored me pretty much the entire time. We slowed only when we ventured into the town park. Like everything else in town, it was huge. It had yards and yards of lush, green fields where adults chatted, teens played with throwing disks, and where younger kids either flew kites or blew bubbles. There were also pathways lined with benches where numerous couples sat to talk or kiss. Surrounding those pathways were trees whose leaves had long since changed to the warm colors of fall. There were even a few good sized ponds with lovely stone bridges above them. We'll have to come here sometime after we find Tenzin, I thought contentedly.
Finding a nice grassy spot near one of the ponds, Korra and I sat down to think. Khani had jumped out of Naga's saddlebag and was hopping around in circles, chasing a small butterfly. Meanwhile Naga splashed in the pool as she nabbed fish for our late lunch. Korra stuck the fish on a few sticks and used her finger to roast them. She handed one to me and started chowing down.
The smell must have made a stronger impression than we realized, because as we looked around we noticed there was a man huddled in the bushes. "Hey there," he said, grinning. "Mind if I have one of those tasty-smelling fishies?" he asked, flapping his arms like a hopeful chicken-pig.
"Uh, sure!"
Normally if a man in a bush asked for something from us I would have been more cautious, but right away I decided I liked him. His clothes were shabby and his gray hair stuck out in all directions and he had dirt caked on whatever teeth he had left, but his smile was kind and he seemed friendly enough.
Korra held out an extra fish-ka-bob and in turn, the man popped out of the shrubs, plopped down next to us, and gobbled it down in seconds.
It was hard not to stare at him. There was so much about him we didn't know, but I was sure he'd give us answers if we asked the right questions. Korra must have dragged out some of her curiosity first because she asked, pointing, "Uh, do you...live in that bush?"
The man smiled proudly, and dusted a stray pine needle off of a small branch. "Yes, presently this is what I do call home. Took me a while to procure a bush this beauteous. The park is a popular place for all this city's vagabonds."
This only made Korra and I all the more confused and interested. "So there are...more of you out here? I thought everyone in this city was livin' it up."
"You've got a lot to learn, newcomers! Welcome to Republic City." He drew his arm across the landscape as if to lay it all out in front of us. I was about to ask how he knew that we were new when a shrill whistle pierced the air.
"Hey you! You can't fish here!"
Realizing that we were the ones being yelled at, we looked over our shoulders and saw a police officer running toward us waving his club threateningly.
The man beside us dove back into the brush after a friendly, "You two best skedaddle!"
We didn't need to be told twice. Korra grabbed my hand and pulled me up onto Naga and we sped away again. I looked back to see the officer still shouting and the man in the bush smiling and waving goodbye. I grinned. At least there was one person who was glad to have met us.
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On the outskirts of the park we had to slow our pace to make our way through an area thick with people. Wondering what the commotion was about, we tried to move in close – which was no easy task with a eight hundred pound Polar-Bear-Dog and three passengers. Near the front of the crowd was a man atop a wooden table. He was a scrawny fellow with a big megaphone – and an even bigger mouth by the sound of it.
"Are you tired of living under the tyranny of benders?! Then join the Equalists! For too long, nonbenders have been forced to live as lower class citizens! Join Amon, and together, we can tear down the bending establishment!" he bellowed. He pointed to a larger-than-life poster behind him. On it was a hooded figure whose face was concealed by a hard mask. The mask was pretty plain; it was mostly white, with a few cream-colored forms running over the eyes and around the mouth, and it had a large red circle on the forehead. The nose was completely sealed, but a narrow slit had been cut out for the mouth and dark eeire holes for the eyes.
The picture seemed creepy to me, almost sinister. I would have liked to keep moving, but of course Korra had to open her big mouth. "What are you talking about? Bending is the coolest thing in the world!"
The protestor turned his attention to her and gave us a smug look. "Oh, let me guess: you're a bender!"
"Yeah, I am," she replied indignantly, folding her arms across her chest.
"Then I bet you would just love to knock me off this pedestal, wouldn't you?"
"I'm seriously thinking about it."
Turning back to the crowd he roared, "Do you see? Benders like this girl only use their powers to abuse and oppress us!"
"What?! I'm not oppressing anyone! You're- You're oppressing yourselves!" she shot back. Humiliated, she urged Naga onward.
Behind us the man shouted, "That didn't even make sense!"
But it didn't matter. Korra had played right into his hands.
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So after that interesting little scenario, we pushed on. Seeing as we had nowhere else to go, I suggested that we head back to Air Temple Island.
"Sounds good, but...which way is that?"
I shrugged. She made a good point. After glancing around, I realized that neither of us had any clue where we were. Naga had taken us to a whole different part of the city. The buildings here were much shorter and of a less...extravagant quality, and the people mirrored their structures. We stopped at a nearby shop and asked for directions.
"Excuse me," Korra tapped a woman nearby, "I think we're lost. How do we get to Air Temple Island from here?"
"Well, you should just head up this road here and take left, then keep going until-" The sound of screeching tires drowned out the rest of her words. Speeding around the corner was a machine unlike any other we had come across so far. It barreled down the street toward us with seemingly no attempt to stop. It rushed right passed us. Then as suddenly as it had come, it skidded to a halt just a block over. The hot rod jerked in place as it fought off inertia. The locals all hurried inside their shops or ducked behind dumpsters or hid in the alleys. Three men stepped out of the vehicle and looked around like ravenous Tiger-Snakes on the lookout for their next meal.
The lady next to us was trembling, and she waved a finger at us in warning. "You young ladies should get out of here. It isn't safe." Then she copied the actions of her neighbors.
The men sidled on up to the music store as if they owned the whole block. When they drove up, the shopkeeper had been polishing a beautifully crafted phonograph. By the time they approached him he was shaking uncontrollably.
"Mr. Chung," one of them (most likely the leader) said smoothly, "please tell me you have the money you owe us, or I can't guarantee the safety of your fine establishment." The thug to his left threateningly held out his hand, which immediately burst into flames.
The store owner cowered in fear. "P-please, business has been slow. Here, take one of my phonographs." He offered up the machine he had been working on. It really was gorgeous. The speaker was formed into an intricate flower; the sunlight gleamed off of its rosy copper finish.
"My friend here is not a music lover," the leader complained. Then the firebender friend made a swift kick and the phonograph clattered to the ground, the shining copper finish blackening under the intense heat. "Mr. Chung, you'd better give us our money now or we'll-"
"Or you'll what, hoodlums?"
The criminals whirled around. I looked beside me. Korra was gone. She was standing in front of the gang audaciously. They stared at her a second – examining her – then burst out in laughter. "Well, well, well. Since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain something to you. You're in Triple Threat Triad territory, and we're about to put you in the hospital."
"You're the only ones who are going to need a hospital. And for your sake, I hope there's one nearby."
The leader of the gang gaped at her. His expression said it all. He exchanged looks with his team as if to say, "Who is this girl? Does she really think she stands a chance against us? No one stands up to us like this and leaves without something broken! "Who do you think you are?"
Korra grinned mischievously and cracked her knuckles, preparing for the oncoming fight. Then she nodded to me covertly, and I ducked out of their sight. The leader reached into his coat. Inside was a concealed water pouch, and quick as a flash he removed the cork and hurled a stream of water at her, intending to knock her off her feet. Instead, Korra redirected the flow. It shot back at him and froze over his head. He stumbled, then Korra did a swipe-kick to the waterbender like his firebending friend did to the phonograph. His head made contact with the grill of the hot rod, shattering the ice into a million microscopic pieces. He wasn't dead, but he didn't get up.
The townspeople stared in amazement. The other two thugs glanced at each other. Now that their leader was down, they lost some confidence in themselves. The firebender remembered himself first. He punched the air in front of him and a huge plume of fire surged forward. Korra merely shoved it aside and grappled with him one on one. It was obvious that she was the stronger of the two, for she spun around and hurled him through the front window of an antique shop.
The woman who helped us with directions and one of her employees ogled at this mysterious girl. "Did that waterbender just firebend?"
"Could she be...?"
The third man, an earthbender, seemed less sure of himself. He clapped his hands together, causing the earth beneath them to rumble and crack. He stepped to make another move, but Korra and I were quicker. Korra jumped to avoid the quake, then stomped the ground as if she were going to earthbend. At the same time, I was positioned in an alleyway, out of sight behind a tower of stacked crates, ready to act at the exact time she did. Immediately after we moved, a wedge of the cobblestone road shot up, launching the earthbender twenty feet in the air. He hit a hanging sign, ricocheted off of an awning, and crash landed in a fruit stand.
Satisfied with herself, Korra stood over him with her hands on her hips. "Got an idea about who I am now, chumps?"
The earthbender just groaned, but everyone turned when they heard tires screeching behind them. The other two crooks swiveled and swerved up the road. The earthbender got up and stumbled after them. "You're not getting away!" Korra yelled as she dashed forward and thrust her fists upward. I wanted to catch the gang as much as she did, but I wasn't sure if that was the way to do it. It was way too destructive – but then again, was there anything that Korra was better at? But on the other hand, I couldn't expose Korra's inability to earthbend, so I mimicked her, timing and all, causing the road to shift and churn. Another block rose up, flipping the car. It barrel-rolled a few times before smashing through two more stores.
Suddenly alarms sounded from above and a dark shadow moved in. A giant black airship loomed overhead. Dozens of men in matching uniforms zipped down lines extending from their armored sleeves. "Whoa, metalbenders!" I breathed. I had never met another metalbender in my life. Metal is a stubborn element, one that takes years to master. At least, it did for me. The men before us must have had some real talent.
The benders flipped and landed on the ground impeccably. To the Triple Threats an officer bellowed, "You're under arrest!" He pointed to the gang members and a few of the other cops rounded them up and cuffed them together.
Korra stood proudly and held out her hand to display her catch. "Here you go, officers, I caught the bad guys for you!"
"You're under arrest too!" he said, glaring. Before she could utter a word, coils unwound from the officer's sleeve to wrap around her wrists. She caught them in mid air.
"What? Why? Those are the bad guys over there! They were trashing that man's shop!" She said, pointing to the music shop in desperation. The owner had long since hidden away inside.
"From the looks of things, you did a lot more damage than they did."
So that was when it hit her. She looked around the square. She looked at all of the broken signs, the smashed windows, and the devastated civilians. She turned back to the officer. "Okay, I know this looks bad, but you can't arrest me. I can explain!"
"You can explain all you want – down at headquarters." More coils shot out of the sleeve of his free hand, in the hopes of entangling her again, but she snagged those as well. She paused to look a me, her eyes wide-eyed and horrified, before she took off. She whistled, and on cue Naga sensed the danger and bolted, slowing only to let Korra swing herself on. They raced away, turned a corner, and were gone. The other policemen disappeared after them.
My head was spinning with all that just happened, but I forced myself to push all confusion aside. I had to go after Korra without being seen. I copied Naga and bolted through the back alleyways and up onto the rooftops, trying to steer clear of traffic, yet keeping up with the hunt. Naga rushed through the city, between hordes of people and across the park. They had just made it to a bridge when one metalbender's cords wrapped around Korra's ponytail. He yanked her toward him. I screamed, feeling the pull on my scalp as well. Korra, on the other hand, only gritted her teeth. Then she released the reigns and threw her arms up, pushing the river water upward. The liquid wall froze and the man holding her hair slammed into it. I felt the cable slacken, but the chase was not over yet. They continued on, the police right on their heels. Once outside the park, she steered Naga into the middle of the flow of Sato-mobiles, up and across an elevated freeway. Then Korra sparked an idea. A train thundered below them. Urged on by Korra, Naga sped up until she matched the speed of the locomotive, then the Polar-Bear-Dog vaulted from the road. I gasped as I watched what happened in the seconds following. A dozen more cables ejected from an air ship overhead and ensnared all of them – including Khani, who was whimpering in the saddlebag, wishing she was home.
What now? I thought, just to myself. Then an idea hit me. I stopped running and sat down, letting myself slide toward the edge of the roof, using my feet as resistance on the way down. Once on the edge, I turned myself around and slid off so I could hang from the rain gutter. Then I took a deep breath and let go. It was a surprisingly short drop, but my feet slammed hard against the pavement.
A moment later and I was out of the alleyway and in the streets again. There were plenty of people. None were all too extravagant, yet none were very shabby either. The same went for the short brick buildings. But appearances hardly mattered to me in that moment. The only thing on my mind was finding help for Korra. I brushed myself off and joined the mass of people, asking for directions once again. "Excuse me, does anyone know how to get to Air Temple Island from here?" Most people gave me weird looks or ignored me completely. "Please, does anyone know how to get to Air Temple Island?" I kept walking, searching desperately for any hint of assistance. "Please, someone, I'm trying to help my sister!"
Someone tapped my shoulder. "Excuse me, Miss?"
I didn't notice. I kept on walking. I was about to get hysterical. Why won't these people help me?! What is their problem? I'm trying to help my family! Can't they take one second to-
"Miss?"
What if I can't find anyone? What if I'm stuck wandering this city for ages? What if Korra's stuck in prison while I'm tangled up in this madhouse of a city? Korra can handle herself, but prison is no place for her! Not for the Avatar! What if-
"Miss!"
The man had to whirl me around himself in order to get my attention. He grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me in place, then firmly held onto my wrists to keep me from hurting either of us intentionally or otherwise.
"Miss?" the person asked again, gentler that time. "Are you alright?"
Oh my Lord, I really am hysterical, I thought. I was so concentrated on finding someone to help me that I completely missed someone trying to do just that!
After taking a moment to clear my head and my vision, I focused on the person in front of me. Seeing that I had calmed down at least a little, he moved his hands back up to my shoulders to keep me steady. The man was about my age, perhaps a year or two older. He wore a faded green shirt, tan pants, and an apron that was covered in a fine, ruddy dust. He was taller than me by several inches and very well built – his broad chest, wide shoulders, and muscular arms made it easy for him to stop me. His jaw was hard, square and defined; eyebrows thick and high-set; dark chestnut hair cut short, and it stuck up all awkward-like, as if he never once combed it that day. His smile was sweet, with just a shadow of mischief. And his thin, deep-set eyes glowed in the most brilliant ultramarine blue.
My heart skipped a beat. Two beats. Three. I stared, no, gaped at the man for a long time. I was much too shocked to even pull myself away out of politeness. Same age, well built, defined features, deep blue eyes, and that mischievous smile. My mind went numb, my mouth dry. There's no way it could be... But there's no way it couldn't be... No! It's not! He's dead! My mouth still hung open, but no sound came out. I couldn't scream. I tried to step back, but he held me in place. I am hysterical. I'm completely mad! "M-" My voice came through weak and high-pitched. "Matokka?!"
The boy knitted his eyebrows together in confusion, but kept that all-too-familiar smile. "I'm sorry?"
He even has the same voice... Does that mean...? No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Okay, okay, okay. Stop. Just stop. Seriously, Katalana! Snap out of it! I shook my head to clear it, and blinked several times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Nope, still looks like him. "Uh-er, s-sorry. You just...r-reminded me of someone."
He shrugged, in a knowing, apologetic kind of way. "Yeah, I get that a lot. I guess I just have one of those faces."
"I-I suppose..."
Suddenly he slapped his palm to his forehead. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Jaalam," he introduced himself, bowing dramatically. He held out a hand and took mine, then kissed it as he dipped down. Still bent over, he looked up at me hopefully. "And you are...?"
"Katalana." I answered, blushing uncomfortably.
After righting himself, he continued. "I hear you're looking for Air Temple Island, correct?"
"...Yes."
"Well you're in luck, because you have just met the finest tour guide in Republic City."
"Great," I said, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. "But maybe that can wait for a better opportunity. Can you please just tell me how to get there? This is kind of urgent."
"Sure thing. Give me a moment to talk to my boss and we'll be on our way." Before I could stop him, he turned on his heel and jogged into a small shop nearby. He returned less than a minute later without his apron. "Sorry about that. I had to ask for the time off. I'll make up my shift later."
"Oh, well thank you, but you really didn't have to do that. You could have just given me directions."
"Nonsense. A newcomer like yourself needs a proper escort."
"Well...alright. If you insist. Lead the way."
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And so he did. We wove in and out of the crowds, around a few corners, back through the park, and again we reached the docks. Then we boarded a ferry to cross the bay to the island. The ship rocked gently in the calm waters. I leaned on the side railing and sighed. The view was incredible, but I couldn't enjoy it's splendor while worrying about Korra. After talking with the captain for a second, Jaalam joined me. We stood there in an awkward silence before he said anything. "So, what's your story?"
"My...story?"
"Yeah, you know. Tell me about yourself."
"Well..." I hesitated. I don't know this guy...or do I? He looks exactly like Matokka. Exactly. And Matokka's not a twin, and he probably...died in that blizzard... And if this guy is him, he would already know everything about me, so there would be no need for him to ask questions... There's no way this could be him... Right?
Jaalam rested a hand on his cheek and tapped it with his index finger. "Alright, let's start with this. So your name is Katalana; I know that much. Where are you from?"
I nodded in response to his first statement, then glanced down at my clothing for the second. A plain blue shirt, baggy blue pants, an animal pelt jacket tied around my waist, and furry boots. It was obvious enough, even so, I gave him the simple answer. "The Southern Water Tribe."
"Okay. How many people are in your family?"
"Six, including myself."
"Wow, big family. Names? Relation?"
"Parents, Senna and Tonraq. Sister, Korra. Two pets, Naga and Khani."
"Type of pets?"
"Polar-Bear-Dog and Pygmy Wolf-Fox."
"Impressive. Are those common pets in the South?"
"I never knew what kinds of pets others had because I only ever had one friend."
"One?"
"Besides my sister, just one."
"Really?"
"There aren't that many people living in the South Pole, okay?" I snapped.
He stepped back, surprised at my sudden change of tone. I clapped a hand over my mouth, shocked and embarrassed at how quickly his questions angered me. Slowly I lowered my hand and rested it over my heart. "I-I am so sorry."
"It's...fine. I shouldn't have pushed you."
"No, it's just that..."
He stepped closer and rested his hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to tell me. It's your business, not mine."
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
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"We're here," he said awkwardly. "Let's go." He reached for my hand to lead me off the boat like a gentleman, but I pulled it away.
"Uh, let's just go find Tenzin."
We walked off the ship, around the curves of the mountainous island, and up the church steps. The tall wooden doors loomed over us. Cautiously – yet forcefully – I knocked. We waited. No one came. I knocked again. This time, someone answered. It was a very young woman – only in her early twenties if I had to guess – with pale skin and long black hair. She was dressed in flowing robe of red and gold. An Air Acolyte. "Excuse me," I said sweetly. "We're looking for Master Tenzin. Is he home?"
The woman, as kind as she appeared, clung to the door, her eyes darting back and forth uncertainly. "Uh-um, w-well, you see...he's..." She peered over her shoulder for a second. "H-he's busy at the moment."
"Busy? He's not with the Council, I hope?"
Her eyebrow lifted like she was surprised that we knew he was a part of the council, then went back to her skittish murmerings. "Well, er, no...not exactly."
I exchanged a look with Jaalam before turning my attention back to the girl. "So could we speak with him? This is urgent."
The woman didn't answer, but glanced over her shoulder again.
"Please, could you help us? I am Katalana, Korra's sister."
This time her eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh! Well, uh-" she looked behind her once more, but this time she seemed at least slightly more confident. "I-In that case... I...suppose he wouldn't mind. Follow me." She led us down several long, open-aired corridors. At the end of one hall, she held up a hand for us to stop, then opened the door and motioned for us to enter alone. We did, and the door shut softly behind us. We were in a large room that opened out into a well-kept garden. The walls were bare, but the room laid rest to about ten short tables for the days' meals. There were a few Air Acolytes sitting about, but most of the tables were vacant. By the window sat someone who stood out from the rest. He was tall, even sitting down, with a pointed beard and facial features, and familiar blue arrow tattoos that ran across his head and the tops of his hands. He leaned over a table innundated with papers – papers collected from his job as a councilman no doubt. Normally I would have been ecstatic to see him, but right then he had a stoney expression that rested solely on me.
I ignored his intimidating stare and rushed over to his table, leaning over it so that he could hear me without disturbing the acolytes. Jaalam followed, but stood at an awkward distance, unsure of how he fit into the situation. "Tenzin!"
The master airbender continued to set his gaze on me, not entirely infuriated (yet), but not exactly pleased either. Actually, his face was almost unreadable. I felt his heart through the floor, and it was beating slightly quicker than normal. So I knew he was at least a tad concerned. "Katalana. What are you doing here? I told you and Korra to remain in the South Pole."
"I know, but-"
"You disobeyed a direct order!" His tone was stern, but not angry, and it softened ever so slightly. "That's not something I would expect you to do, which leads me to believe that something is wrong."
"I know, and I'm sorry. But something is wrong. You have to listen to me. Korra and I got into town this morning. We got a little turned around and...well, long story short: Korra got herself arrested."
"What! Arrested? How?"
"I'll explain the details later, but you will help us, won't you?"
"Of course I will." He paused, glancing strangely at Jaalam. As far as I knew, Tenzin had never met Matokka, but again, that was as far as I knew.
"He helped me find you," I explained quickly.
"Ah." He stood up and approached him, then nodded respectfully. "I thank you for helping her find me. I would like to know if there is some way I can repay you."
Jaalam was taken aback by his response. Unsure of what else to do, he nodded back. And although he was speaking to Tenzin, the whole time, his focus was directed past him – at me. "No thanks or repayments are in order, sir. I was simply helping someone who was willing enough to ask for it."
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"This way," a metalbending guard instructed, leading me and Tenzin up four flights of stairs. For reasons unknown to us, Jaalam was told to wait outside. Something about relatives and/or guardians only. The officer led us to the end of a long metal hallway. "Wait here."
On the other side of the wall I could hear Korra's stubborn voice. "-fine, then I want to talk to whoever is in charge."
"You're talking to her. I am Chief Bei Fong," said a second voice flatly. It was a woman's voice. She sounded about Tenzin's age, maybe older.
I felt Korra's pulse quicken as she and I both recognized the name. She said almost giddily, "Wait, Bei Fong? As in, Lin Bei Fong? You're Toph's daughter!"
The chief did not seem to care about Korra's enthusiasm or her own lineage. "What of it?"
"Why are you treating me like a criminal? Avatar Aang and your mother were friends!"
"That's ancient history. And it's got diddly-squat to do with the mess you're in right now."
The lawman before us decided that this was the time to interrupt, because he slid open a small, rectangular hole in the wall and announced, "Chief, Councilman Tenzin is here to see you."
Bei Fong sighed, then grumbled reluctantly, "Send him in."
Then a door appeared out of no where, opening with a metallic clang before Tenzin stepped into the room. I followed and moved into the corner, out of everyone's way. Bei Fong was standing in front of a small table in the center of the room. She was average height, her toned build plated in dark armor with gold trim. Her face was set in an eternal frown, her dark eyebrows knit together in a scowl. Her dull green eyes dared anyone to challenge her authority. She bore two claw-like scars across her right cheek, the remnants of a long ago battle. I'd never met a Bei Fong until that moment, but I could see the resemblance between her and the statue of her mother stationed outside the building that we passed on our way inside.
Korra was sitting in a cold iron chair with her arms out in front of her, her wrists cuffed to the table. The teenager gave Tenzin a sheepish grin and waved as much as she could manage. "He-e-ey, Tenzin."
Tenzin ignored her and spoke directly to Bei Fong. "Lin, you are looking radiant as usual."
"Cut the garb, Tenzin. What is the Avatar doing here? You said you wouldn't be training her yet."
"Yes, our training sessions have been delayed. Now if you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra, I will take full responsibility for today's regrettable events and cover all the damages. Meanwhile, the Avatar will be returning to the South Pole where she will stay put," he explained, emphasising his last two words.
"Fine," she grumbled. Korra's cuffs clicked open with the wave of Bei Fong's hand. "Just get her out of my city." As Korra got up to leave, Bei Fong pointed her fingers at her in a way that said "I'll be watching you." Korra simply mocked her by mimicking her; Bei Fong just threw up her hands in frustration.
"Real mature, Korra."
"Serves her right. Of all the nerve! Arresting the Avatar? That's ridiculous!"
"You did cause a lot of damage," I pointed out.
"Ah, correction: you caused a lot of damage."
"Would you rather have been exposed as a non-earthbender?"
"Whatever."
"I still haven't received my 'thank you' for bailing you out."
She rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. "Oh, right, thanks. Lot of good that does us now. We're getting sent back home!"
"We might have been able to stay, but that chance flew out the window when you got yourself involved in someone else' business!"
"So you wanted that shop owner to be taken advantage of? He was bad enough off as it was without those Triple Threat Chumps giving him trouble. Besides, I'm the Avatar! It's my duty to help people. That's not something I can ignore."
"Oh save your lecture. I'm your sister. I've heard it a billion times before." I waved my hand as if that could somehow brush away the words coming out of her mouth. "But I do understand. Even if I'm not the Avatar, I have the urge to help people too, you know. We'll talk to Tenzin later, alright? Maybe we can convince him to let us stay."
"Go for it. I'm just warning you now though. He won't let up."
"Come on," I thought as we exited the building. The way Korra and I were gesturing to each other made Tenzin and Jaalam stare at us as if we had gone off the deep end. We smiled sheepishly, giving an embarrassed wave. "It's a twin thing."
Tenzin regained his stoney expression, but Jaalam continued to gawk. "Twins!"
"Oh, right. Did I forget to mention that my sister is also my fraternal twin?" My cheeks grew red as I realized that this was a major hole in "my story" as he called it. He continued to stare, first at me, then at Korra, then at me again.
Korra studied him too. "You know, you look very familiar." Then she scrutinized me for the second that I allowed her to.
I shot her an icy glare. "Shut up! It's not him, okay?" Korra glanced at me, confused and insulted. "Sorry. Here," I said, trying to make up for being so cold. "Korra, this is Jaalam. Jaalam, Korra."
"Nice to meet you," Jaalam said politely, finally recovering from his state of shock. He hadn't even noticed my scowl. Or if he had, he never let on.
"Likewise." She peered at me again, pointing at me first, then him and back again. "So how did you two-"
"Meet? Well after your little incident, I went looking for help. He helped me find Tenzin to help you."
"Well thank you," she said, nodding to him respectfully. He copied.
Then Tenzin cut into our introductions in his stern-yet-gentle way. "Jaalam, it was nice to meet you and thank you again for your assistance. Perhaps we shall meet again. Now Korra, Katalana, we should go."
Korra tensed, realizing that Tenzin was only remaining calm because he was in public, but she reluctantly followed. I turned to do the same, but a hand reached out and grabbed mine. I whirled around to see Jaalam gazing at me hopefully. "Wait!" he said said softly, but urgently. "Will I ever see you again?"
"I-" I peeked back at Korra - who was motioning for me to hurry up - then looked back at Jaalam. His eyes, those familiar, deep, ocean blue eyes. They pleaded for me to say yes. And I did want to. I wanted to find out who he really was. How can this not be Matokka? He looks exactly the same. He acts exactly the same. He practically is the same. But...is he?
It took me a moment to realize that I still hadn't answered him – and Korra and Tenzin were still walking away. I couldn't let myself loose them in the crowd. I looked at Jaalam again. "Please," he said. "I want to see you again."
Ugh, I can't bear it. I have to give him something. "I-I don't know. Tenzin may send us home... Um...come by the island tomorrow. He will have decided by then - probably. I'm sorry, I-I have to go." Before I could even finish my statement, I drew my hand away and started backing up. "I'm sorry."
Jaalam stood there, dejected, as a sudden rush of people separated us. I believed he was still standing there as I spun on my toes to catch up with Korra.
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Back at the island, Tenzin turned on us, enraged, but Korra spoke while he was taking a breath to begin his rant. "Tenzin, please don't send us home," she begged.
Tenzin let go of his breath, but not his anger. "You blatantly disobeyed my wishes and the orders of the White Lotus. What- how could you-" he sighed to fill a pause while he collected his thoughts. "Discipline is one of the key elements of Airbending, and that is something you must learn before I can even begin to teach you."
"But-" Korra continued, "Katara agreed with us. She agreed that it was time for us to come here, to learn from you, to discover my place as the Avatar."
His temper flared and his face darkened to a fierce shade of scarlet. "Don't bring my mother into this!"
Korra was unfazed by his sudden intensity and continued to reason with him. "Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training. Being cooped up and hidden away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar."
"We saw a lot of the city today," I added, "and I think Korra would agree that it is totally out of whack. We understand now why you didn't want us to come yet, but it is obvious that Republic City needs us."
The master airbender stroked his beard in thought. He opened his mouth to find another way to refuse to let us stay, but he had none. Even so, his position hadn't changed. We were going home, and there was nothing we could do about it.
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Shortly thereafter we stood on the docks of the Air Temple, saying our final goodbyes before boarding a ship home. Tenzin's face was shadowed in the low light of dusk, masking his expression. The late evening sky was gorgeous tints of pink and peach, with fluffy purple clouds sailing across it. Looking up at it was calming until we noticed that in the distance there were three winged objects, almost like butterflies, soaring toward us. As they drew near, they appeared less like butterflies and more like three familiar faces. Their wings were light, paper-like fans powered by airbending, used to glide gracefully to the ground. "Katalana! Korra!" They sang in unison as they ran up to hug us.
"Are you coming to live with us on the island?" one asked.
"No, Ikki, we have to go home now."
"Aw..."
The three kids reluctantly released their grips and allowed Korra to turn and lead Naga toward the boat. I stepped forward to follow, but Tenzin laid a hand on my shoulder to stop us. "Wait," he said, drawing out a long, reluctant breath. "You girls were right about what you said earlier. The city has fallen out of balance. I thought it was up to me to uphold Aang's legacy, but you are his legacy. I will allow you to stay and train with me here in Republic City."
All of us listening immediately started smiling or cheering or jumping up and down happily. I could feel both my own excitement and Korra's, and it was enough to make me burst. Or rather, all that excitement was almost squeezed out of me after Korra lifted all five of us in a giant Platypus-Bear hug. "Yes! Thank you! You're the best!"
"Now Korra," Tenzin said after she let go, "the press will try to make a meal of your arrest earlier today, so I think it'd be best to have you introduce yourself in a proper manner."
"How do we plan on doing that?"
"I have arranged for you to meet with them on the steps of City Hall shortly."
"Really? Tonight?"
"I thought it was too important to wait until morning."
"And what am I supposed to say? I-I don't have a speech or anything prepared!"
Tenzin laid a hand on Korra's shoulder in support. "You'll know what to say when the time comes."
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Kat: Yay! The end of their first day in Republic City! You guys should know what's coming up next for Korra, but Katalana is obviously & definitely going to have some more trouble. Another character has been introduced & he will play a HUUUUGE role throughout the entire story, so make sure you pay attention to his descriptions & moves. Hope y'all enjoyed! Can't promise another chapter for a while, but I'll do my best. I start summer school a week from today (to get ahead, not because I failed!) so that may cut into my time, but I just love writing so much that I will MAKE the time! Thanks for reading & I'd love to hear your CQC's!
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BTW: I do not own ATLA, TLOK, any of its scenes, characters, themes, etc. I will claim ownership of Jaalam though! ;)