Kat: Hey everyone! SORRY for the long wait! Got out of school for the summer for like 4 days, then summer school, then vacation, then resting from vacation. Ack, it's been crazy. But here I am! Finally! There will be some parts in this chapter you may recognize, but a lot of it's new. Enjoy! :D

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"Hello, I'm Korra," Korra started. "Your new Avatar." She waited for the cheering of the crowd to calm down before she continued. She was standing proudly on the steps in front of City Hall to announce her arrival. Her voice rang clear and true, but I could sense her nervousness from my place beside Tenzin and Chief Bei Fong. "I, with the help of my friends and my sister, am prepared to help this city in any way I can."

The people began shouting again. As the calamity of the audience ebbed, reporters began bombarding her with questions.

"Does this mean you've moved to Republic City?"

"Were you trying to send a message to the Triads yesterday?"

"Will you be fighting crime or the anti-bending revolution or both?"

"Are you going to run to be a member of the City Council?"

"How will you cooperate with Chief Bei Fong and the police?"

I could feel Korra shaking – both by the waves I picked up by earthbending and by our twin connection (or, "twin-nection" as we liked to call it). Their overwhelming number of queries had begun to take their toll on her, even so, she took a deep breath and answered as best she could. "Yes, I am definitely here to stay, but I don't exactly have a plan...yet. See, I'm still in training-" Sighing, she tried to sound like she knew what she was doing. "Look, I believe that Avatar Aang wanted Republic City to be the center of peace and balance in the world, and I believe that, God-willing, we can make that dream a reality."

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"-I look forward to serving you. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you Republic City!" Korra's voice scratched through an old radio. A dark, gloved hand reached out to shut it off. The owner of the hand – an obscure, hooded figure – stood over the machine menacingly. Behind him were the footsteps of two men. One was tall and muscular; his whole body clothed in a thick elastic-like suit. Half of his face was covered by a mask; his eyes hidden behind eerie goggles that glowed in an ominous shade of green. He carried two deadly Kali sticks in his belt. The other was shorter, younger. He was more slender, but still powerfully built and just as dangerous. Also cloaked from head to toe, his mask hid his entire face, rounding easily over his defined jaw. The creepy green glow of his goggles drowned out the deep sapphire blue of his eyes.

"Amon, how do you want to handle this?" the taller man asked.

"So," the hooded figure mused. He was still facing the radio, preparing to speak again, but his voice was not like any that had ever been heard. It was dark and low and...sinister, but it was also soft and flowed smoothly and slowly – almost like honey – not the typical voice from someone so nefarious. It was so calm, and unlike the taller man, it was completely unbothered by the news that the broadcast had brought to light. In fact, he almost sounded...pleased. "So, the Avatar has arrived early. We will have to accelerate our plans."

"What do you want us to do?" asked the younger accomplice.

"You, my dear boy," the hooded figure chuckled, turning to look at him over his shoulder, "...are a vital part of my scheme."

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Following supper, it was decided by Ikki that she and Jinora would spend the rest of the evening giving Korra and I a tour of the entire island. Of course they saved our room for last. "Heeere you go!" Ikki squealed, blowing the door open with a swoosh of air from her hands.

"Thank you," Korra and I said together.

The girl's eyes sparkled with interest. "Cool! Do you two do that a lot?"

Korra and I looked at each other, smiled, and shrugged. "Sometimes."

The nine year old giggled with delight. Jinora rolled her eyes and shoved her sister aside. "Don't mind her. We'll let you two get settled in. If you need anything we'll be in the gardens."

"Okay, thanks again!" we called.

With a secretive grin on her face, Jinora slid the door shut and walked away.

"I love doing that," Korra and I said, still in tandem. "Me too."

Our laughter continued a for a moment after they left. Afterward, we decided to have a look around the room. It wasn't much different from our room back at the compound – at least in organization. There was one bed on either side of the room, a wardrobe to the left of the door, a vanity at the foot of the bed on the opposite side, and a small half-bathroom beside that. The difference between the church and the compound was simply the atmosphere of the room. The island as a whole definitely felt...freer. It was more open and airy. The walls were white plaster, the floors a light wood, the walls and doors were paper thin, and the window between the beds was octagonal with open wooden shutters. During the day the room would be flooded with the plenty of sunshine, but even at night it was warm and cheery. Nothing like that thick, cold, depressing metal cell at home – not that I was complaining.

After deciding she'd looked around enough, Korra collapsed lazily on the bed on the left side of the room – the same one she'd had at home. I took a seat at the stool by the vanity. "Can you believe we actually get to stay?"

"Hardly. Tenzin was so angry earlier, and now he's as cool as ice!"

"I know! I guess that comes from his unceasing prayer sessions."

"Probably," she agreed absentmindedly. For a moment, there was silence. Then a meniacle grin slid across her face.

Uh oh, I thought to myself. This isn't a good sign. She's about to bring up a topic she knows I would rather not talk about. And if it's what I think it is, then it's-

"Sooo...Katalana," she drawled, interrupting my thoughts – which I knew she was invading, and ignoring. "Did you find it even a little strange that what's-his-name looks so much like Matokka?"

I sighed. Yup, that's just where she went with it. "His name is Jaalam, and to answer your question, yes, I noticed a resemblance."

"So...? What are you going to do about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you find it odd that Matokka goes missing, then out of no where, a guy that looks exactly like him shows up in the exact place you told him you were going?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because," I said, leaning back against the dresser, "there are hundreds – possibly thousands – of people in this city, and I probably never even would have been in the part of town in which I met him if I wasn't chasing after you. What would the chances of us meeting really be like if you hadn't gotten yourself into trouble? I mean, really? What if Naga hadn't gotten side-tracked when we first arrived this morning? What if we came straight here? I never would have been even near him. Why travel all this way and live in some random part of town that I might never visit? And another thing-" I continued, growing angry, "Why would he just pack up and leave without a word to anyone? Why would Matokka even want or choose to leave the South Pole? He still had a mother to take care of! And if he wanted to come here to be with me, then all he had to do was say so! We could've gone through with your idea of getting married quickly, making it possible for him to come with us!"

"I'm just saying-"

"No!" I exclaimed, probably louder than necessary. There was a brief pause between us. "It just doesn't make any sense. Looking back on it now, there were plenty of things we could have done differently." Lost in thought, I sat and gazed out the window for a minute. Then, taking a deep breath to relax, I faced my sister again. "I'm sorry, Korra. I didn't mean to get all worked up like that. What I'm trying to say is that Matokka wouldn't have left without telling me, and he sure wouldn't have changed names. Plus, when I ran into Jaalam, I actually called him by Matokka's name, thinking it was him. Embarrassingly enough, he had no idea who I was talking about – much less who I was. And, on the way here to get Tenzin, he was asking me all sorts of questions about my past. If Jaalam was Matokka, he wouldn't have needed to ask any questions whatsoever. He would have known everything about me already."

"So? He could have a bad case of amnesia or something. He could have forgotten practically everything he'd ever known." As she talked she lazily hung her head off the side of the bed to look at me up-side-down. "Or maybe he's just pretending not to know you, like maybe he's pulling one of his infamous pranks on you."

"Korra, this isn't a joke!" I reprimanded her. "I loved and lost Matokka and you're treating this like last year never even happened."

"I know, I know. You're right. I'm sorry. But what else could this be? I'm sure you've thought of it yourself: he's not a twin, so how could this possibly be anyone else but him? There has to be an explination for him not to know you. The things I just listed off I actually had meant as a joke, but what if one of them really was true?"

"You're crazy! Amnesia would explain his memory loss, but that doesn't explain how he ended up in Republic City. And your second theory doesn't even make sense. Why would he pretend not to know me?"
Korra flipped her hands off of her stomach like she'd given up. "I don't know. But, come on, just think about it! There are too many coincidences here to just be a coincidence."

"What coincidences? How so?"

"You've forgotten already?" she asked, flipping over onto her stomach. Holding up her hand, she listed off the signs on her fingers. "One, Matokka and Mystery Man-"

"-Jaalam."

"Matokka and Jaalam look exactly alike. Two, Matokka goes missing just after you told him you were leaving for Republic City and Jaalam shows up in Republic City – the same place that you told Matokka you were going. And three," she smiled deviously, "both Matokka and Jaalam seem rather taken by you."

My stomach seized up when she mentioned her last coincidence. To hide it – however unsuccessful that would have been – I sighed, then turned to look in the mirror to take down my hair for the night. "I still think you're crazy." Her reflection smiled mischievously like before. "We'd better get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"Okay," she replied casually, tucking her legs under the sheets.

The next day would indeed be a long day.

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"And the Buzzard-Wasps won with a decisive knock-out!" Korra read off of the newspaper the next morning. She had been reading the sports section. Tenzin and I sat across the table from her. I was only half-listening as I stared out the small window behind her. "What do you say, Tenzin? Want to catch a few Pro-Bending matches?"

Tenzin nearly choked on his tea. After catching his breath, he set his cup down firmly. "I seriously hope you're joking."

"No, why?"

"That sport is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending."

One dramatic eyeroll later she protested, "Come on, Tenzin! I've dreamed about seeing a Pro-Bending match since I was a kid – and now I'm just a ferry ride away from the arena!" She hooked a thumb over her shoulder at the Pro-Bending Arena – which was indeed in plain view out the window behind her.

"Korra, you are not here to watch that drivel; you are here to continue your Avatar training. So for the time being, I would like you to remain on the island."

"Is that why you're keeping the White Lotus sentries around? To watch my every move?" she pouted. Not unlike conditions at the compound, dozens of Air Acolytes as well as members of the White Lotus were roaming the halls of the church. But there was a significant difference between home and the island. The sentries in the church actually did their job.

Tenzin started to say something, but an attendant opened the door. I recognized her as the woman who answered the door for us the day before. "G-good morning, Master Tenzin," she said, bowing politely. "I am here t-to collect Miss Katalana."

Upon hearing my name, I glanced up at her, confused.

She must have noticed my involuntary action and tried to clarify. Her eyes couldn't meet mine. "Uh, y-you have a visitor."

For a moment I was still confused. What? A visitor? Who in the world...?

Then I remembered. I excused myself from the table and followed the acolyte to the front door. She waved her arm for me to step outside. I hardly had time to get through before she shut it quickly behind me. She left before I even had the chance to thank her.

"Katalana!"

Hearing my name again drew my attention away from the door to focus on the owner of the voice – my not-so-mysterious visitor. "Hi...Jaalam," I said hesitantly, descending the steps to meet him.

His eyes continued to shine that breathtaking ocean blue, and he smiled that all-too-familiar smile. He rocked on his toes casually, unmistakeably giddy. "So...I guess you're staying?"

"I guess so," I confirmed.

He let out an amused snort. "I'm glad. I was afraid you wouldn't be here."

I could feel my cheeks burning. Quit that! Don't embarrass yourself. It's not him. To distract my wandering thoughts, I kept the conversation going. "I almost wouldn't be. Tenzin changed his mind at the last second."

"Guess things are looking up for the both of us, then."

"I suppose."

"So, uh, I hope you don't mind my asking, because I really don't mean to pry. I just want to know more about you. But...since we're speaking of things looking up now...why were things so mixed up yesterday?"

Stiffening, I grasped around for some kind of an answer. "Uh...it's kind of a long story."

"I've got time. You?"

"Well, actually, I have something that's- Korra's about to-" Frustrated, I blew a few loose hairs out of my face. Shoot.

Jaalam just chuckled. "No excuse, huh? That's okay. I can take a hint. Well then, are there any questions you want to ask me?"

Me ask the questions? But I have so many! "I...wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Oh." He paused. "Well..."

Huh, never thought a quail-cat would catch his tongue!

Both of us were quiet for a minute. In what I first interpreted as an action to fill the gap of silence, he ran his fingers through his short hair awkwardly. That action alone betrayed his attempt to hide his sudden shyness. "So...um, Katalana...there actually is one question in particular that I've been wanting to ask you..."

Uh oh. Please don't go where I think you're going...! I had to resist the urge to cringe as he worked up his nerve. "Yes...?"

"Well, uh, I know we just met, well, yesterday," he gave a nervous laugh, "but ever since we met, I've wanted to ask...well...would you like to join me for dinner sometime?"

My stomach jumped up into my throat. I knew it. That was where I thought he was going to go with that! Oh man! What am I going to do? Sure, he's a nice guy and all, but is he just some friendly stranger? Or is he really Matokka? He wouldn't necessarily need to ask me out, on the account that we were engaged, but-

"Katalana?"

I jumped when I realized that he was still waiting for an answer. Man, why do I keep doing that? He gazed at me hopefully. That was the same look he gave me the day before, and it was still working for him. It was so easy to get lost in his eyes – unless I was trying to find a way to turn him down. I realized that until I figured out who Jaalam really was, I couldn't go out with him for fear of endangering my relationship with Matokka. "Jaalam...I-I'm really sorry, but..."

His face fell. "Oh."

"No! I promise it's not you," I explained quickly. Well, that wasn't a total lie.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

His question wasn't rude or nosy, but sincere, like he knew that there was more to my answer than I was letting on. I could only bite my lip and give him a helpless look. I wasn't ready to tell him anything yet; I needed to figure out who he really was before I accepted his invitation.

But I guessed he took it the wrong way. "Oh, okay. I see... Well, I guess I'll just get out of your hair then." He turned to leave, but stopped to give a little two fingered salute. "I guess I'll see you around sometime."

"No, Jaalam, wait," I said, almost pleadingly. He stopped again and looked back at me, still disheartened, but willing to listen. "I didn't mean what I said in that way. It wasn't anything that you did, honest." He stepped closer, his face expressionless. Choosing my words carefully, I continued. "Jaalam, I'm really sorry. I just...don't really feel comfortable being in a relationship yet. I just moved here, and there are still some things that I need to work out on my own first. Do you trust me?"

He smiled half-heartedly. "I trust you."

"So...friends?"

He nodded curtly. "Definitely."

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"You disappoint me, Apprentice."

"I'm trying, sir."

"Try harder!"

"I just need time. She believes that I trust her, but she doesn't trust me. Not yet."

"Make it quick, but do it right. Amon won't be pleased."

"I will. I'm close. I know it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Something seems to be holding her back, but she seems interested."

"Well make sure she gets real interested."

"Of course, sir."

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Soon after Jaalam left, Tenzin sat down his family, Korra, and I and went over the training schedule for pretty much the rest of the year. He didn't exactly explain what all we would be doing, but he sure did tell us when. Apparently it wouldn't be too different from how life was at the compound – strict rules enforced, time frames that were set yet flexible. We did appreciate the generous amount of free time between sessions, though. For our first day on the island, Tenzin did not seem to entertain the idea of training immediately. He thought we should have time to "get used to our surroundings" before diving in.

That turned out to be a good thing because, as adaptable as Korra and I were before, moving half-way across the world was a big step for us. And while we settled in fairly quickly, it took some time for us to adjust to all of the attention we recieved. Acolytes and White Lotus members actually acknowledged our existence, and would carry on conversations with us if we gave them the chance. And then there was Tenzin's family. It was a sometimes annoying – but other times nice – change to visit with the three airbender kids.

For Korra, life was good. She was a little irritated with being stuck on the island and not having the chance to explore, but she was content with just being away from home. I felt similarly until it dawned on me that Jaalam's first visit wasn't his last. He returned nearly every other day. Still uncomfortable with his familiarity, I typically answered his calls if only for a few minutes before finding some polite excuse to leave. He had never given me a reason to dislike him – after that first day he refrained from asking me out again – but while I admired his respect for me, it wasn't enough for me to try to spend much time with him.

About a week and a half after we arrived, Jaalam had visited me a total of six times. It was frustrating at times, knowing I was letting him down – or maybe even leading him on – by avoiding him. But I tried to ignore that voice in my head telling me that I was doing so. It wasn't as if I had meant to do that. Finally I decided that I needed some fresh air, so while Korra was inside chatting with Pema and Meelo, I went outside to take a stroll around the island. It was definitely strange exploring alone but I figured that I had better get used to it.

Eventually I found myself walking Khani down the rocky cliffs that supported the church. The jagged mountainside loomed overhead, and boulders over ten feet tall dotted the scenic coastline. The waves were strong that day and pounded the shore mercilessly, showering everything with its thick, salty spray. Khani hopped happily from one flat rock to another, her sticky pads gripping the boulders with ease. As the pup-sized dog continued her quest, I sat down on a water-smoothed stone to take in my surroundings. I took off my shoes and dipped my feet in a natural pool, feeling the cool ebb of the waves against my ankles and the vibrations of the sandy sea floor against my feet. I felt the swish of darting fish, the hairy tendril-hairs of a creeping starfish-crab, and the slinking slime of a snail-sloth. I breathed in deeply through my nose and let what hair I left down blow in the mild ocean breeze. So this is what my life will be like from now on, I thought alone. It's so beautiful here. I can see the blue of the sky through the non-existant clouds of a coming snowstorm, and the blue of water that hasn't been frozen ten times over, and a city – a huge, gorgeous city with so many new places and faces to see.

Several faces in particular came to mind. I thought back to the previous week, and of everyone that we had met since we arrived.

First, Tenzin. He's been a life-long friend, but to have him as my and Korra's mentor will certainly take some work. And Chief Bei Fong, she's...touchy. She's Toph's daughter, so spite is in her blood, but even Toph had her sarcasm and wit. Is Lin the same way? Her mood definitely changed when Tenzin came in. I bet since her mother and his father were friends that they sure saw a lot of each other growing up...

Khani snapped me out of my musings when she sat and curled up next to me, relaxing in the peak of the autumn sunshine. I scratched the top of her furry little head and rubbed the soft bases of her ears as my eyes were fixed on the horizon.

Hmm, what about those three guys Korra beat up last week? What were they called? The Triple Threat Triads? They got arrested, but somehow I don't think we've seen the last of them. I'm sure they could cause some trouble, but, despite their name, I don't think they're that much of a threat. If two teenage girls could take on all three adult men, then they can't be more than a little gang of bullies.

Two more faces came to mind when I thought of the Triple Threats.

The protestor and that man on the poster behind him. Why was he so against benders? He said that we were oppressing nonbenders. I may have lived in isolation all my life, but I've taken enough history and geography and government classes to know that benders are not oppressing society.

And, hang on a second! Tenzin is on the city council – he's a part of the government! He'd never oppress anyone! I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but I believe it would be wise to keep an eye on that protestor and anyone like him. Surely he wasn't the only one. He was rallying bystanders to join Amon.

Amon...I guess he's the guy on the poster. I'm not sure if I like what they're doing. This may be something that is bigger than us, something bigger than we can handle. Something we will have little control over...

A loud crack echoed off the cliff, disturbing the peacefulness of the salty morning air as well as my thoughts. Curious, I turned my head in the direction of the sound – overhead. Just as I did a whole mess of rock dislodged from their precarious places and tumbled over the edge of the island above me. Thinking quickly I threw my hands up to slow their decent and possibly redirect their course. The weight was intense. The heafty mass of earth pressed down with what seemed like the strength of gravity to the tenth power. I struggled to hold it all up. Within minutes sweat trickled down my face and neck. Painfully I rose to my feet, trying to put leverage – or whatever the term was – in my favor. But unlike Khani, my bare feet did nothing to keep me grounded. The slickness of the stone made walking difficult as I inched my way out of range of the rockslide. Several times I nearly slipped and had to stop to regain my footing and steady my breathing.

Khani watched curiously from a short ways down the shore, tipping her head at the strange spectical before her. Cautiously she padded forward, paused, then continued forward again.

"No, Khani. Stay," I managed to say through gritted teeth.

For a moment she looked at me. Hurt could be seen in her crystal eyes. She obeyed, but just for that one moment. Determined, she crept closer a pace or two, then darted under the boulders now sinking under my weakened arms and quick as a flash she nabbed my shoes in her tack-like teeth and scurried over to me. Just then my strength gave out, and the rocks crashed with a cacophony of clunks, thumps, and thuds. The catastrophe was so enourmous that it sent shockwaves through the earth over to me, and I had to kneel down to keep myself from slipping again. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, covered my ears with both hands, and tried to block out the tremors in my head until it was over. When the rucus was finally over, I peeked an eye open. Staring at me happily and proudly was little Khani, who dropped the shoes in front of me. I could have sworn she was smiling.

After giving Khani a quick pat on the head I slipped on my shoes, then slowly stood up and surveyed the scene. The dust had not yet settled and forced me to cough a time or two to clear it from my lungs. I waved a hand in front of my face to clear it from my nose and mouth as well. Boulders and rubble were heaped in a substantial pile exactly where I had been standing moments before. "What in the world...?" Looking up with a shaky hand up to shield my eyes, I scrutinized the place from where the rocks fell. "Either that was some crazy accident, or this was done on purpose."

"Katalana? You alright?" Korra asked me mentally.

I turned to see her riding a bended ocean wave from the peak of the island down to where I was standing, Tenzin floating down at her heels. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken. Huge tremors like that rattle my brain a bit too much."

Tenzin glanced at me oddly, seeing as no one had said anything and yet I had given a reply as if one of them had. "Never mind that. I'm not taking any chances. I'm taking you straight to the infirmary."

"The infirmary?" Korra and I asked in unison.

"That's not really necessary," I protested. "The rocks didn't hit me, I'm not crushed. Not a scratch on me. Korra and I are both fine."

"She's right. I would know if she was injured in any way."

"This is not up for debate." Though still puzzled as to why Korra would know that, he wasn't kidding. Before either of us could say anything more he scooped me up into his arms and carried me up the winding path up to the church himself. Neither Korra nor I knew what was with his strange behavior then nor would we ever find out. What I did know was that it was awkward being carried like a child when I was nearly a fully grown woman, but after the mental trauma I endured it was nice not having to use my own legs. As fine as I felt initially after the crash, it was starting to sink in that I just narrowly avoided death.

Trying not to think much of my close encounter I sighed deeply and laid my head against Tenzin's chest. There was no use fighting him. We were nearly to the church infirmary anyhow. When we entered we were greeted warmly by the nurse and doctor, who gave me a brief but thorough examination. He determined that I had recieved no bodily harm besides perhaps sore muscles from me shielding myself from the rockslide. However, he did recommend that I should remain in his office for at least a day or two for "observation." It wouldn't have been hard for me to convince the doctor that his recommendation was appreciated but not required, but Tenzin of course wouldn't hear of it. In order to ensure my day of rest he would have locked the door behind him had he been in charge of the office keys.

"Wow. Overkill-much?" Korra drolled after the adults left.

"No doubt," I agreed. "As much as I appreciate their concern, this is a bit much. But I don't really want to argue with him, especially since we haven't even been here very long. He could still change his mind about sending us home."

"No he can't. I already told the city that I'm staying, he'd make me a liar by sending us home now. And he would dare send you home alone. Not if I have anything to say about it!"

"Korra," I drawled.

"I know, I know. I won't go starting anything – yet." She paused her complaining and looked at me earnestly. "So how are you doing, really?"

Shifting in place to prove it, I answered honestly. "I'm fine. I wasn't hurt by debris and my arms could have used the excercise anyway. The crash was pretty loud and brain-rattling at first, but that has passed too. Now I'm just a little tired. But more than that I'm curious about the rockslide."

"Why?"

"I don't think it was a natural occurance."

"What makes you say that?"

"To be honest I'm not really sure. But you know I don't believe in coincidences, right?"

"Right... And...?"

"And what are the chances of a huge mess of rocks falling right where I was standing? Any pile of rocks could have fallen anywhere at any time. Why those rocks? Why there? Why right then, when I was standing under them?"

"You make a good point, but as you said, it could have happened anywhere at any time. I don't think it really means anything that it just so happened to happen when and where it did."

"Really? You, the conspiracy theorist, doesn't think that this means something?"

"Well what do you want me to do? Go investigate the rock ledge?"

"Yes!"

"Ladies?" The doctor poked his head inside the door. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I will have to ask Miss Korra to leave."

Korra opened her mouth to make a retort but I stopped her with a look. With a frustrated eye roll, she lowered her voice to me. "Alright, alright, I won't start anything. And while I don't understand why this rockslide is such a big deal, I will go check it out for you. Now I'd better get going before the doc calls Mr. Overprotective in here again. I'll see you when you get outta here tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. And Korra?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"See you in the morning."

"Sure."

As soon as Korra shut the door behind her I was alone again. The doctor bothered me as little as possible to allow me time to rest. So much for being under "observation," I joked with myself. But while I was left in solitude for a purpose, it didn't do much good. Being alone and bored out of my mind gave me plenty of time to think, which was exactly what I didn't want to be doing. So, trying to both calm my own nerves and obey the doctor's wishes, I allowed myself to nod in and out of sleep for a while. And while we had all intended for it to be restful, this was not so either.

In an instant I was out. It was deathly still, dangerously dark. Then the scene changed. Time seemed to speed up. It was quicker than a lightning strike, then brighter than the sun. Then there were images. People I didn't know, but had heard countless stories of.

First, a man dressed in long robes of different colors I could not determine. His face held a likeness to Tenzin's, but not so similar that they would be mistaken for the other. He was not particularly tall, and he had an almost child-like face. His skin was pale, which nicely contrasted the striking airbender tattoo that came to a point between his eyebrows. I recognized him immediately as Aang, Tenzin's father and the former Avatar. I had seen many pictures of him – paintings and sculptures too – but never had I seen him depicted as I saw him then: in pain. His eyes were squeezed shut, his lips pulled back in agony revealing teeth clenched much too tightly.

The picture was only there for a second before switching to another man. This one frightened me. He was a Water Tribe man that I didn't recognize. He was of average height and had incredibly defined features, so chiseled they looked almost inhuman, and his icy blue eyes were opened unnaturally wide and he was wearing a malicious grin. It was as though he was enjoying the Avatar's pain, as if he would enjoy the pain of millions. He looked as though he would get what he wanted by any means necessary, and as though he had and would use those means.

Then that image faded. Next was a rather short metalbender cop clothed in the same uniform as Republic City's current Chief of Police. Her hair was pulled up and at first her expression was blank. Too blank. Her eyes were a very pale green with a foggy sheen to them, glazed over. The first name that came to mind was Toph. It had to be her. But like Aang, her expression was strained. I could almost hear her moaning as she resisted some unseen force that took hold of her, dragging her arm out before her.

Then it was dark.

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"Katalana! Katalana!" said a man's voice.

Achingly I shifted beneath the sheets of the infirmary bed and groaned.

"Katalana," the voice said a little calmer.

Slowly I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry, but I could just make out the shape of two men and two women. Eventually my eyes cleared and I could see the relieved faces of the doctor, Tenzin, Pema, and Korra. I felt the hands on my arms relax a bit and slowly I propped myself up on one elbow. Immediately I regretted that because my arm muscles felt like they had been through a taffy puller for a week straight. My head throbbed and my thoughts were scrambled, which only made the pounding worse. After a minute or so I tried recalling my dream, but it was fuzzy and kept drifting in and out of focus. Then, remembering I was not alone, I focused on my visitors again.

"You were having a nightmare," Korra said after a minute.

"I know," I murmured, still trying to pull the rest of it out of my still-darkened mind. "Do you remember it?"

"Yes, every detail."

"Good. It wasn't pretty, but I think it's important."

She nodded.

Tenzin glanced between the two of us, perplexed by our conversation. "What do you mean?"

Korra and I exchanged glances. "Guess we haven't done a very good job at hiding it."

"Because we weren't trying to. He was going to find out sooner or later."

"So should we tell him now?"

"As I said, sooner or later. Now is as good of a time as any."

"Suits me fine, but..." We both glanced at the doctor.

Tenzin could take a hint. "Uh, Doctor, I see that no immediate medical attention is required. Might you allow us a few moments alone with the girls?"

"Oh, yes, certainly, certainly." And with that he exited the room.

Again Tenzin turned to face us after setting himself at the foot of my bed. I shifted into a sitting position so that he and Pema could both sit together while Korra moved to a chair closer to my head. "Now what is this about Korra remembering your dreams?"

"You'll think we're crazy," I protested lamely.

"Try me."

Finally I nodded to Korra for her to explain. "Well, you already got a small taste of what we can do when I called you and Pema in here. We don't know how or why we can do it, but Katalana and I assume it's because we are twins. You see, she and I can...sense things about each other. Physical and emotional things: pain, sadness, fear, but also joy and relaxation. But beyond that...we can see and hear what the other sees and hears, even when we are nowhere near each other. We can feel what each other feels, share our thoughts, and even see each others' dreams."

"Incredible," said the astonished airbender. "How long have you two been able to do this?"

Shrugging, she answered, "We don't know. Forever, probably, but we found out about it when we were nine. We mastered it by the time we were twelve."

"Okay, mastered may be taking it too far, but we definitely figured out the mindreading aspect of it by then," I cut in. "There are still some kinks we need to work out."

"Kinks?" asked Pema, who had been sitting quietly throughout most of the conversation.

"Yes. It's usually not a big deal. Mostly our connection is optional, meaning we can open or close our minds at practically any time. Our mental walls' strengths depends on how hard we try to block each other out, which isn't often very hard. But there are times when we have very little control over what we feel, especially pain – espeically physical, but emotional creeps in sometimes, like when we have nightmares."

"Which is why Korra remembers yours, and why she brought us in here," Tenzin finished.

We nodded.

"Well, this certainly is news. Why didn't you tell anyone about this sooner?"

I looked at Korra the same way she looked at me, and we both shrugged. "There isn't really a good reason. We just didn't want to be treated as 'special' or like there was something wrong with us. It's not like we know many twins, but we didn't think that having such a stong link between us was normal."

"You're right, it's not. And I believe it was good of you two to keep it hidden for so long. Does anyone else know about this?"

"Just-" I cut myself off. There was someone else. Key word was. "No one. Not even our parents. Just the people in this room."

"Alright. Good. I think it could be beneficial if you two continue to develop this ability, but continue to hide it from others as well." The master airbender's face darkened. "You never know when someone might want to manipulate one of you to get to the other. This is a dangerous blessing."

"Funny," I thought to Korra. "That's just what Katara said when we left the South Pole."

"Like mother like son," she agreed.

"Alright." And that was that. With our secret revealed and its fate settled, the room was quiet. But only for a moment.

"Korra," I said to get her attention. "Did you ever check out the-"

"Yes but-"

Our glances met again when they fell on Tenzin. This time Pema noticed first and understood perfectly. "Tenzin, dear, would you care for something warm to drink? I am suddenly in the mood for some jasmine tea."

"Certainly," he said absentmindedly, "but what about-"

"Their privacy, hmm?" she murmured with a warning. "They are teenage girls, Tenzin. Let's let them alone while we enjoy our tea, alright?"

"Of course, my dear. Of course." Reluctantly he followed his wife out of the room, leaving Korra and I to discuss her findings.

"So? What did you see?"

"Well I would have seen more had it not been for your nightmare, but I did manage to get a fairly good layout of the scene and, honestly, nothing seemed to be askew."

"Really?" I asked with a hint of disappointment. "Nothing?"

"Why is this such a bad thing? Aren't you glad that no one is out to get us?"

"Yet. No one's out to get us yet. You're the Avatar, remember? You'll make some enemies for us eventually. But sticking to the subject at hand, I'm still not convinced that it was just a flick of the wind."

"What do you want me to say? There were skid marks or trail marks or whatever you want to call them from where the rocks fell, but there weren't any fingerprints, footprints, trash, leverage marks, or witnesses. There was nothing there to indicate any kind of sabotage. Come on, Katalana, you gotta trust me on this."

With a reluctant sigh I sank back into the pillows. "I do trust you. Thanks for checking that out for me and I'm sorry I made you go. I guess I'm just being paranoid. There's just been so much going on lately that I don't know what to think anymore."

"Trust me I know what you mean. But you're not just saying this to get me to relax, are you? You're not going out there to see for yourself?"

"Now who's being paranoid? Come on, I said I trust you. And I do. Believe me I have no intention of going out there again for a while – and especially not alone."

"Oh! That reminds me. You weren't alone out there earlier, were you?"

"Yes- well, no. Would you count Khani? Oh! Khani! Where is she?!"

Korra simply laughed and got up to open the door. Before she could say a word the happy pup barked and dahsed toward the bed and hopped up on her hind legs to try to see me and lick my face. Her unfortunate size hindered her from doing so, so Korra gave her a boost and that furry, giddy little face of hers was immidiately inches from mine as she tickled my nose with her tongue. I laughed and gently nudged her down into my lap so I would no longer be smothered by her drool. "Okay, girl. That's enough, that's enough. Come here, you!" I giggled as I tucked her neatly under the topsheet of the bed. Her crystal blue eyes, though shaded, sparkled like aquamarine gems, and somehow just one look into those carefree little orbs gave me hope that everything was going to turn out just fine.

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Kat: Sooooo...? What'd ya' thiiiiink? Initially this was going to be just a filler chapter and I had actually considered pulling it entirely, but I reworked it BIIIIIG TIIIIIME and now I think it'll fit well with this little mystery that's come up. You guys did catch that, right? About the whole taller man/smaller man thing? I hope you did, but if not then it'll become more obvious later on.

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I do not own ATLA or TLOK or any of it's characters/settings/themes, etc.

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Idk when I'll have the next chapter out. I have a yearbook workshop this weekend, but before & after that I don't think I have a whole lot going on that would interfere with my writing/editing time. But I do feel like I should probably get out of bed sometime soon b/c literally I've been sitting in it for about 3 days now. Granted, I've been sick, but not so sick that I can't get up and do stuff. :P

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Anyway, hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter & that you'll stay tuned for the rest! Don't forget the CQC's! Thanks! :D