Just Like the Good Old Days
Redbayly: What the heck is Sokka doing?
Aang: Waiting by the Spirit World entrance for his grandson to show up.
Toph: Maybe he missed him come in? After all, Sokka wasn't paying attention to the portal when Ciqala went through that window.
Iroh: It is always sad, parting with ones you love. But we will always find them again. Death is not the end, but the beginning of a new and greater adventure. Those who think that death is final and that nothing further waits for us beyond that great veil of mystery do not realize that no one can simply cease existing. Though our hearts no longer beat and our bones turn to dust, our spirits are stronger and are what make us humans so different from other creatures of the Earth.
Redbayly: Wise words indeed, General Iroh. Of course, no matter what you say, there will always be people who refuse to accept that there is life beyond death.
Iroh: Naturally. It is part of human nature to doubt, to question. People who refuse to accept that there are things which science cannot account for make prisons for themselves, blinding them to truth, even when it is staring them in the face.
Toph: Excuse me? "Blind"? "Staring"?
Iroh: My apologies, Toph. Those were not the most tasteful metaphors I could have used.
Toph: It's okay. I'm used to it.
Redbayly: Ehem. Would someone like to do the disclaimer since Sokka's busy?
Lu Ten: I'll do it!
Redbayly: Hey, Lu Ten. Want to go out for lunch later?
Lu Ten: As long as there's tea and I can bring my dad. *The two Firebenders exchange smiles*
Redbayly: Sure, why not? Well, take it away!
Lu Ten: Redbayly does not own the Legend of Korra. Which is a shame as she really is quite a competent and creative young lady. Oh, word of warning, this is going to be a fairly long chapter because Redbayly didn't want to make you wait any more than she had to.
Blood Oath
Korra's POV:
I wanted to scream. I wanted to shoot fireballs from my hands. After everything I'd done to defend my uncle's actions, he arrested my parents. I stood outside the house, Noak beside me (looking equally enraged), and watched as my parents were loaded into the back of a prison truck. That's when I noticed two familiar figures already inside.
"Hey, Senna, Tonraq," said my Uncle Paytah. Unalaq had arrested him and my Aunt Yue, as well.
"You can't do this," I snapped at Unalaq. "You're making a mistake."
"I'm sorry it had to come to this," Unalaq replied, not sounding sorry at all. "But your parents held meetings with rebels, right here in their home."
"Rebels?" Noak said angrily. "That meeting was made up of Southern citizens who were furious at your invasion of their land! And it only took place here because you barred our access to the meeting hall."
"I can't believe you're doing this to your own family," I added.
"Rest assured, I've appointed Judge Hotah to oversee the trial," Unalaq said. "He's the most fair and honorable man I know."
"Considering what we've seen of you, that's not saying much," said Noak.
"My parents had nothing to do with the attack," I added. "My Aunt Yue and Uncle Paytah weren't even there. They're innocent."
"I'm sure you're right," Unalaq said. "So we should have nothing to worry about."
He stalked off and I glared at him. Noak took my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. My family had nothing to hide. Unalaq wa the one responsible for all this trouble. There shouldn't even be a trial. And with a Northern judge? One who's probably in Unalaq's sphere of influence. I doubted that it would be more than a farce.
"Don't worry," Noak said. "Everything will be okay. Let's go speak to Guyapi and Ituha. I think we need some help."
One thing was certain, though. If my family got hurt because of this, I would make the guilty party pay.
Tarrlok's POV:
When Noatak and I had left Korra to speak with her parents, I remembered I had promised to meet up with the others and left my brother to wait for her. On my way into town, I had noticed a truck headed up towards the house along with several Northern guards. Odd, I had thought.
"Where's Varrick?" said Asami. "We should've closed our deal an hour ago."
We'd been waiting in Varrick's townhouse for quite some time. Asami had needed to finish up her business deal and so the rest of us had tagged along. Adsila and Hachi had asked to come along, too, having wanted to meet the eccentric billionaire themselves. The room we were in was quite nice; Varrick had decorated it with a number of curios from all over the place. There was even a real, stuffed platypus-bear. As I looked at it, I thought I saw it twitch ever so slightly. Finding such a thing curious, I sent out a Bloodbending sense and detected the presence of two individuals hiding inside of it.
"Would you relax?" said Bolin, lounging on the couch. "This place is great. And the best part about it, Eska doesn't know I'm here."
As if he had said some kind of jinx, the doors swung open and there were Eska and Desna. Bolin shot out of his seat in shock.
"I wasn't hiding!" he declared. "Heh-heh-heh."
"I am not on the hunt for you," said Eska. "Currently."
Why did I get a bad feeling that what she said would come back to bite us later?
"We search for Varrick," said Desna. "Our father wishes him to stand trial."
"He is a traitor to the Water Tribe, along with our aunt and uncle."
"What?" I said in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"Are you saying Korra's parents were arrested?" Mako added.
"Yes," said Desna. "Your powers of deduction are impressive."
"Yeah, he's a cop," said Bolin.
"How dare Unalaq arrest people in their own land?" said Lomasi furiously. "He's the one who invaded our tribe."
"Considering how your people are savage enough to kill a chieftain in cold blood," said Eska, "I'd say it is probably for the best."
"Oh yeah?" snapped Adsila. "Well, who made you judge, jury, and executioner?"
"As you are clearly an unenlightened rube, I will explain in simple terms. I am a Northern princess. My opinions carry far more weight than yours."
"Yeah…well…you have bad hair," Adsila growled.
There was a moment of silence as Eska glared down the young Earthbender.
"What did you just say to me?" Eska replied in a deathly tone.
"I said: your hair looks stupid." For the first time, ever, I saw someone who didn't wither under Eska's gaze.
The Northern princess pointed at Adsila and then moved her finger across her throat in a cutting gesture that clearly implied "you're dead."
"I'd worry less about Korra's parents," said Eska coldly, "and worry more about your own father."
"What?"
"He has also been arrested," said Desna.
"How infortuitous," said Hachi. "Mother is surely distraught. Pity we didn't think to bring the family lawyer with us. I suppose we'll have to participate in some daring rescue in the near future." We all stared at her and she turned away. "Shutting up, now."
"Varrick's not here," said one of the guards.
"Very well," said Eska. "Desna, let us continue our search elsewhere." As they turned to leave, Eska stopped and looked at Bolin. "Boyfriend! Bow to me when I exit!"
"Yes, yes, my sweet koala-otter," Bolin replied, kowtowing to her.
"You are so cute when you grovel."
With a slam of the door, the Northerners left.
"What a bitch," Lomasi muttered.
"Don't let her treat you that way," Asami said with a note of concern.
"Yeah, Bolin, be a man," Adsila added. "Stand up for yourself!"
"I doubt that would be beneficial to his continued existence," said Hachi dryly.
"I tried to break up with her," said Bolin. "But Tarro and Lomasi gave me terrible advice. Thanks a lot, guys."
"I told you to run, if I remember correctly," I said.
"How exactly are your girl problems our fault?" said Lomasi.
"Bolin, you need to be honest with her," said Asami. "Tell her how you really feel."
"Honesty is for fools, kid," said a muffled voice.
"Varrick?" said Bolin.
"If you want to ditch this girl, then make yourself scarce. Disappear, like I did."
"Where are you?" said Asami.
"Someplace Unalaq will never find me."
It was at this point that I walked over to the platypus-bear and yanked open its mouth to show Varrick. I knew I had sensed people in there.
"You were hiding in the platypus-bear?" I said simply.
"Yep! In good old Ping-Ping," he replied cheerily. "How we doin'?"
"The coast is clear," said Mako. "You can come out."
"No way, mister. Not until I know it's absolutely 157% safe." Just then, a cup appeared in front of his face. "Ah, thank you, Zhu Li."
"Your assistant's in there, too?" said Asami.
"Zhu Li never leaves my side." He took a sip of his tea and then spat it out. "Yuck! You forgot the honey!"
"Sorry, sir," said Zhu Li. "There isn't any in here."
"No honey?! We're in a bear for crying out loud!"
"This is fun and all, but we still have a problem," said Lomasi. "Innocent Southerners are being locked up by invaders! This is just like what happened during the raids." Her tone turned icy. "Surrounded, outnumbered a hundred to one. Trapped inside FireNation nets and hauled up into a metal monster of a ship. Locked up in cages like animals. Never to see home again."
We all stared at her and she seemed to break from her trance.
"Uh…at least, that's how I imagine things went."
"I think we should go check on Korra," Adsila interjected awkwardly, dragging her sister out with her.
"Bolin, I got a little something for you 'round back," said Varrick. The tail of the platypus-bear lifted up and a stack of yuans fell out.
"Wow!" Bolin exclaimed as he picked up the money.
"Now listen up. Unalaq's rigged this trial, no doubt about it. So I need you to make sure my trusty rebels stay out of prison."
"What's the money for?"
"He's talking about bribery," I said. "He wants you to bribe the judge."
"Exactly!" Varrick shouted. "This kid's got his priorities straight. What's your name, by the way?"
"Tarro."
"Tarro, excellent. How'd you find me in this suit?"
"It wasn't exactly difficult."
"A keen pair of eyes. I like that! You could be a big help to me in the future. Stick with Bolin, you guys would make a great team."
"I think we catch your drift, Varrick-bear," said Bolin.
Third Person POV:
Alone in her igloo, Kaliska carved away at the piece of tiger-shark ivory. She was grateful that she was more artistically gifted than her father had been as she created the tiny model of her son. Her only child, the former heir to the Southern chiefdom, the closest thing her tribe had to a prince, and the precious child she had carried nine months in her womb, her last reminder of the man she loved. Both of them were gone now, all because of one man.
She set the little figurine in the family shrine along with the statuettes of her father, her mother, her uncle, and her husband.
"Someday, I will also have a place on this altar," she said to herself.
Sadness and anger swirled about inside of her. She had never liked Unalaq, from the first moment she met him she had sensed something rotten in his heart. Her father had seen it, too. Sokka had become suspicious of the North ever since Unalaq and Tonraq's father had tried to convince him to hand over governance of the South to the Northern throne to unite their tribes. Sokka had said "no" of course, that was why Unalaq had been sent to spend a year in their tribe just over two decades ago, to convince them that North and South should be made one tribe.
Kaliska suspected that Unalaq still had plans to take over the South. He'd killed her husband and son, invaded their tribe, and imprisoned both her siblings and his own brother. With Ciqala gone, the chieftaincy would pass to Paytah; Yue was not eligible because of her elopement with that Northerner Kohana (another person Kaliska didn't like or trust) which had resulted in her being deemed unsuitable as heir by the Council of Elders. With Paytah arrested, he would not be in a position to claim the title and his daughters would be next in line. After them, the only other people left were Senna, the youngest of the four siblings, and lastly Korra (who, despite being the Avatar, could still claim chieftaincy under Southern law).
It was like Unalaq was trying to pick them off, one at a time.
Kaliska rose from her seat and began to rifle through an old chest she kept tucked away in the corner. From out of the chest, she withdrew a uniform. It was similar to those worn by Kyoshi Warriors but was inspired by Water Tribe design with its dark blue skirt and belt, and the gloves made of tiger-seal skin. It had been a gift from her mother and Kaliska had every intention of wearing it when she entered the battlefield.
"Blood for blood," Kaliska muttered to herself. "As surely as death comes for us all, I will have blood for blood."
Noatak's POV:
We hurried over to the temple. The trial wouldn't be for another few hours and we needed guidance. Korra quickly looked in the main sanctuary but neither Ituha nor Guyapi was in there. We then raced down to the healing center which was filled with the sounds of angry cries and screaming. We saw Healers wrestling with the possession victims, all of whom seemed to be putting up a ceaseless fight. Soon enough, we found Guyapi in one of the rooms, attempting to force out the evil spirit.
"This isn't the best time," he said, not even turning around. "Noak, there's a scroll I want you to take. It's over on the desk there."
I looked over and saw the object he was speaking of. I picked it up and slipped it inside my parka to read later.
"Oh, and do me a favor and tell Lomasi her mother and I won't be home for dinner. Honovi is lending a hand with the patients and we need all the help we can get."
"Do you want me to-" I started to say.
"No, no, you two need to get over to the trial. Noak, as my apprentice, you may have to perform some Last Rites on my behalf."
"What do you mean?" said Korra.
"I mean that if things go badly tonight, there may be some innocent people going to their deaths." He struggled to hold down the possessed patient as she tried to claw at him. "Normally, Ituha would've sent Lenmana to do it, but we can't seem to find the girl. She's been missing since last night."
"What?"
"Yeah, it was the strangest thing. About the same time that Ciqala shuffled off the mortal coil, Lenmana up and vanished. If you see her, tell her we need every free hand to help."
Korra and I exchanged a look before leaving my mentor to his work. Reluctantly, we both made our way over to the courthouse for the trial. I was not looking forward to this. My future in-laws were being tried for something they hadn't done and it could cost them their lives. I put my arm around Korra as we entered the building and took our place off to the side. I was angry when I saw Unalaq standing there, looking on with indifference as the defendants were led in in chains.
Tarrlok's POV:
We were all seated in the same general area. Lomasi and I shared a row of seats with Mako, Asami, and Bolin, while Adsila and Hachi sat in front of us with their mother. Hien was absolutely broken up as the prisoners were brought in, ordinarily the woman was as steadfast as a rock (forgive the Earthbender pun); however, when her husband passed by her and gave her a smile and a wave, I thought she was going to lose it entirely. I admit, it was heartbreaking seeing all those people being brought to court simply for protecting their homeland. Seeing Tonraq and Senna in chains was like a punch in the gut; they had been nothing but kind and caring to me and my brother since we came into this universe, and Tonraq himself had been more of a father to us than Yakone ever had.
"We're good to go," Bolin whispered to us. "I gave all the money to some guys over there. I asked them to 'take care of it,' and then I winked. Pretty sure they got the message."
Bolin exchanged a smile and thumbs-up with two shady-looking characters on the other side of the room. I wasn't the only one who facepalmed in that moment.
"This trial will now come to order," announced the law clerk. "Judge Hotah presiding."
A sour-faced old man with thick, white hair and a beard entered and took a seat in the judge's chair.
"Man, I should've bribed him," Bolin whined.
"Ya think?" we all hissed at him.
Unalaq was called up to make his accusations.
"I had been about to retire to my rooms for the evening," he said, "when Chief Kaliska barged into the main hall of the embassy, levying some outrageously false accusations against me."
"What were these accusations?" asked the prosecutor. I noticed that the defendants were not provided with legal council.
"That I had ordered her husband's death five years ago." There was a collective gasp and some angry muttering from the people assembled in the audience. "She charged in there, raving like a madwoman about me having him killed and tried to attack me."
"Why did you not seek to include her amongst the guilty parties?"
"Because I believe she was misled. Someone had convinced her of this slanderous falsehood."
"Can you see this person anywhere in this courtroom?"
Unalaq turned and pointed a finger directly at Yue.
"Her. She claimed that I was threatening her family in order to keep this alleged secret from getting out. Despite the fact that I have been nothing but kind to her and her family over the years. Her husband happens to be an old friend of mine, and my brother is married to her sister. Why should I threaten her?"
"You liar!" Yue shouted, shooting out of her seat. It was strange to hear her shout. Of all Korra's relatives, her Aunt Yue was always one of the quietest. "You said you would kill us all if I said anything! I couldn't keep the secret anymore! You had Ahote killed and now you're trying to get rid of the rest of us!" The guards tried to wrestle her into her seat, but she turned to face the Southerners in the audience. "Don't listen to him! I'm sorry I turned my back on the South, but you have to listen! He wants to control us! He's been plotting this for years!"
The crowd began to get unsettled and Unalaq stepped forward.
"Perhaps I am being too harsh," he said. "Ambassador Yue is clearly mentally disturbed. The only thing I want is peace between our tribes."
"He's lying!"
"Sit down, woman!" Judge Hotah boomed at her.
Yue finally stilled, but I could sense she was still glaring furiously at Unalaq. Unalaq decided to continue with his story.
"As I was fighting off the attack from Chief Kaliska, I saw a shadowy figure moving along the edge of the room. I suspected it was an assassin because a servant or someone else would have run to fetch the guards rather than creeping over. Chief Kaliska had moved away from in front of me as I sent a blast of water at the assassin, knocking him through the window. I hadn't realized it was her son. After that, I realized Avatar Korra and her friends had entered the room, clearly having witnessed what happened. Chief Kaliska began to scream that I had murdered her son just as the group of rebels entered to make their attempt on my life. Luckily, my guards had heard the disturbance and captured them. It was then that it dawned on me that Chief Kaliska's son had been there to kill me, just as these men had been. I released Chief Kaliska from custody as a courtesy to her people and because I knew someone had given her false information."
Hotah thanked Unalaq for his statement and called Korra forth to give evidence. I could tell she was nervous as the fates of all those people could depend on what she said.
"According to Chief Unalaq's testimony, you attended a meeting where Varrick tried to incite a war. Is that true?"
"Yes."
"And were these men present at that meeting?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"And where exactly did this meeting take place?"
"Objection!" Bolin stood up.
"Quiet down out there!" Hotah shouted. "I'll ask you one more time. Where did the meeting happen?"
"My parents' house. But it was only because we've all been barred from the meeting hall!"
"And who led this meeting?"
"Your Honor, if I may?" Bolin interrupted again.
"May what?"
"May I…declare a mistrial?"
"Sit down!" He turned back to Korra. "Varrick and your father led the meeting, didn't they?"
"My family is innocent!" Korra shouted.
"Why am I even here?" Paytah called out. "The only illegal thing I've ever done was that telemarketing scam…uh, forget I said that."
Adsila and Hachi both slapped their hands to their foreheads.
"I've heard all I need to," Hotah declared. "I'll return shortly with my decision."
The recess was called and Bolin stood up.
"Okay, now's my chance," he said. "I'm going to break up with Eska. Wish me luck."
"You're gonna need it," I said.
Noatak's POV:
The recess was fairly quick. I supposed it was because Hotah had already had his mind made up for him by Unalaq before the trial. By the expression on Korra's face, I could see she felt the same way. We weren't allowed to speak with the defendants and it was clearly hurting Korra that she couldn't comfort her family. I couldn't understand why Unalaq had them all arrested, Paytah hadn't been involved in this, Yue was just trying to protect her family, and Senna just happened to have been at the meeting.
I noticed Bolin get up to leave the courtroom a few minutes ago, but he hadn't come back yet. Strange.
Judge Hotah reentered the courtroom and took his seat once again.
"Senna, please step forward," he said. Korra's mother was led up and I saw her throw a nervous glance back at Tonraq. "I have found you…innocent. You are free to go."
Senna gave a sigh of relief as the guard removed her shackles. She ran over to us and pulled both me and Korra into a bone-crushing hug. As I looked over her shoulder, I caught sight of Unalaq looking our way rather than at the defendants. Using my Bloodbending senses, I detected something off about his heartbeat. It was something similar to anger, but not quite that. He noticed I was looking at him and turned away.
"Yue, step forward," Hotah continued. Korra's aunt stepped forward. "You are revoked of your title of 'Ambassador' as you are clearly not fit to hold such a position. This court also deems you to be mentally unstable and likewise not responsible for your delusions regarding Chief Unalaq. You are not guilty by reason of insanity, but I commend you into the care of your family and insist upon your attendance of psychiatric counseling until such time as you are considered ready to reenter society."
The guard led Yue over to Senna but did not remove her handcuffs. Senna pulled her older sister into a hug, but Yue just stood there unresponsive. I saw a glint in the former ambassador's eyes, which looked so much like Korra's and Senna's, that I had never seen before. Something in the woman had genuinely snapped and I was now certain she was no longer afraid of Unalaq. Something most people didn't know about Korra's Aunt Yue, something known only in the family, was that the woman had her father's legendary skills in swordsmanship; I pitied anyone foolish enough to pick a fight with her unless they were absolutely and without a doubt the superior fighter.
"On the charge of attempted murder of the Chief of the Nothern Water Tribe," said Hotah, "I find the rest of you…guilty. The punishment for this crime…is death."
We all stood there, frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what had just been said. I heard several women in the audience burst into tears at the declaration that their husbands would be executed. These were men with families, some with children only a few years old. I saw that Tonraq had simply bowed his head in resignation of his fate.
"You can't do this!" Korra shouted. As Hotah began to walk away, Korra just got more enraged. "You take there lives, and I'll take yours!" He stopped at the threat, clearly realizing she meant it. I couldn't judge her for it; I would help her do it if it came to that.
"Korra, calm down," said Unalaq. "I'll talk to him." He turned to address Hotah. "I know I promised to respect whatever decision you made, but I must ask you to reconsider. Show these men…and my brother mercy."
He didn't mean it. I could tell from the way his blood was moving that it was all an act.
"Very well," said Hotah. "I'll change their punishment. Your lives will be spared, but you will live them out in prison." The men all let out relived breaths.
"Thank you, Unalaq," Senna said. It looked as though she'd been taken in by the charade. Senna had always been a kind woman, much like my own mother, but she often let her belief in people's goodness blind her to when they were deceiving her.
"It is the least I can do for your family," Unalaq said. "I feel terrible about causing your nephew's death."
Senna nodded and steered us away. I noticed Yue throw a final glare at Unalaq as she followed.
At dinner that evening, we were all silent. Senna had been given the keys to Yue's handcuffs and removed them, against the advice of the Northern soldier who had handed them to her. Kaliska hadn't joined us; she'd essentially been put under house-arrest, if the troops outside her home were any indication. Apparently, she'd tried to break into the courtroom during the trial and had injured quite a number of guards before she'd been forcibly taken back to her house.
It was too quiet in the room. For a moment, I wondered if this was how my home had sounded when I ran away and my family thought I'd died in that blizzard so long ago. It was…unsettling. A home once so filled with life, with laughter, with love had been reduced to people sitting around and silently staring at their food, trying to muster the will just to eat.
I didn't like it at all.
Korra's POV:
The day after the trial, we all went over to the prison. I had barely slept that night, and I sensed that Noak had had the same problem. Aunt Hien, Adsila, and Hachi had come with us to see Uncle Paytah. I couldn't believe he, of all people, had been arrested as an accomplice to the resistance. He was too good-natured to kill anybody; in fact he was always embarrassed that he wasn't a fighter like my aunts. As for my father, I knew he had nothing to do with it, and Unalaq knew as much, too.
As soon as we entered Dad's cell, Mom and I both threw our arms around him. Noak and Tarro seemed to stand back awkwardly, clearly not wishing to get involved in a family moment. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I motioned them over and they joined the group hug. They still hadn't adjusted to the idea that they were just as much family as anyone.
"Honey, are you all right?" said Mom.
"I'm fine," said Dad.
"Good, let's bust you out of here, right now," I said.
"Korra, no. Saving me would start a war. If fighting were to break out, the North would crush the South. I'll be all right. Just promise me you won't do anything rash."
"Fine, I promise," I reluctantly agreed.
"Hey." He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. "I'm proud of you, Korra."
I wanted to burst into tears right then. I wanted to hug my dad and never let go. I just felt like a child, like I needed my father now more than ever. But we couldn't stay. The guards ushered us out and we rejoined my aunt and cousins. Aunt Hien was broken in a way I had never seen before; her brown eyes were puffy and red and she was visibly shaking while Hachi had an arm around her shoulders. Hachi was usually somber and unexpressive, much like Eska and Desna, but right now she had an expression of deep sorrow I never expected from her.
"Dad's going to be fine," Adsila said, but her heart clearly wasn't in her words. "He says the food's awful and the beds are lumpy, but then he just laughed it off and said 'what's life without something to grumble about?'"
"Father is an imbecile," Hachi said calmly. "But he's our imbecile." She looked me dead in the face and I realized then just how icy blue her eyes were, like shards of ice that pierced straight through a person's soul. "I want him back."
The family had gathered at our house again. Aunt Kaliska was still absent. Aunt Hien agreed to go check on her while we set up for dinner. Mom was standing alone in front of the kitchen sink when I heard her start to sob softly, I couldn't even imagine how being separated from Dad must've been tearing her apart.
"It's okay, Mom," I said as I wrapped my arms around her.
"I-I hate feeling so helpless," she coked out.
"I know."
My mother was a strong woman. While she had the sweetest nature one could ever find, she was as much of a fighter as my dad. Seeing her crying was just unbelievable. I returned to the sitting room and saw my Aunt Yue sitting in the corner, looking up at me with a haggard expression. She hadn't slept at all last night, nor had she brushed her hair or changed her clothes. It was strange as she was usually very meticulous with how she looked.
"Are you gonna let those bastards make your mother cry?" she snapped at me. It caused me to stop and stare. Never had she spoken like that to me before and she never used salty language. I remembered stories about my aunt from her youth; Mom said Yue was never quite the troublemaker Aunt Kaliska was, but she had the warrior's attitude. I suspected she must have kept it buried deep ever since she married Uncle Kohana (I'd only met him a few times, but I knew he was very pushy and often flaunted his wife's successes in order to make up for his lack of any).
"What can I do?"
"If I were your age, I'd go after that judge and beat some respect into him," she replied. "While I was being hauled off to the court yesterday, I overheard a snippet of conversation between him and Unalaq."
"What?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you? Unalaq rigged the f***ing trial! That judge is the only one who can get our boys out of there. Go, and don't come back unless you've kicked someone's ass."
This was a side of my aunt I never thought I'd see. I kind of liked it.
Noatak's POV:
When Korra came charging out of the house and declared we should go beat up a judge, I thought I was losing it. Ten minutes later, we were both up on Naga's saddle chasing down the man who sentenced all those men to life in prison. It was a steep road along the side of a cliff and so Judge Hotah was trying to drive slowly and carefully, making it easy for us to have Naga shove his car off the road and into the cliff. Naga ripped the door off the satomobile and Korra yanked the man out of the vehicle by the scruff of his collar.
"We're going to have a little chat," I said in my best Amon voice. It was perfect for intimidating people.
"What do you want?" Hotah pleaded.
"It's not about what we want," said Korra. "It's about what Naga wants." The polar bear-dog growled menacingly. "And she'd like you to let the Southerners out of prison."
"I-I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do. I was just following Unalaq's orders!"
"So he did rig the trial?" I said. "That weasel-snake." Once again, the innocent suffered for the benefit of the oppressors.
Korra shoved Hotah headfirst into Naga's mouth.
"Unless you wanna be Naga's afternoon snack, I suggest you keep talking," she said.
"I-I've worked for your uncle for years!" Hotah said desperately. "He said he needed everyone to think the trial was fair."
"So, Unalaq told you what to say?"
"Yes! Every word! Even the part about your Aunt Yue being crazy."
"Then why did he have you free her and my mother and change your sentence?"
"He's trying to keep you on his side. But he also wants your father out of the way. Just like when he got your father banished."
We both froze and exchanged a look.
"What do you mean by 'he got her father banished'?" I said.
"Nothing!"
"Allow me?" I said to Korra. She let me grab hold of Hotah and I slammed him against the side of the cliff. If there was one thing I hated as much as oppressors and tyrants, it was the people who helped them get away with it. Little crooks like this man. "You'd better start talking. Believe me, I'm nowhere near as forgiving as Korra is. And she was about to feed your head to her pet."
"Okay, okay, I'll talk! Unalaq bribed the barbarians to attack the North so he would go after them. It was Unalaq's instructions for them to hide in the spirit forest so that Tonraq would destroy it. He needed your father gone so he could become chief."
"Why's he attacking the South?"
"I don't know!" I slammed him against the cliff again. "No, really, he doesn't tell me everything! All I know is that he wants to finish the work he started years ago, when he had tried to get the South to join under the North's government. That's why he had Ahote killed. The man had heard him planning to take over and tried to warn your aunt. When Ambassador Yue saw Unalaq have his guards take Ahote away to be killed, he threatened her and her family if she told anyone."
"Are they in danger?" Korra asked.
"No, Kohana is helping Unalaq, and the three boys are in the Northern army."
My mouth went dry. To think that Yue had been put through so much pain for a husband and sons who betrayed her and the South.
I dropped the cretin and he fell to the ground with a thump, he then cowered and started begging us not to kill him. It was hard not to.
Tarrlok's POV:
We had all gathered at Varrick's place. Noatak, Korra, Lomasi, Asami, Mako, Adsila, Hachi, and I were all there, standing around the platypus-bear that Varrick absolutely refused to leave. Bolin was curiously noticeable in his absence.
"Unalaq's a liar and a traitor!" Korra declared.
"I've been trying to tell you that from the get-go," Varrick announced.
"What happened?" said Mako.
"We found out the truth about my dad's banishment," said Korra. "Unalaq hired the barbarians to attack their tribe. He told them to hide in the spirit forest, knowing my dad would go after them."
"You're saying he set your dad up to get banished so he could become chief?" said Adsila. "That's so…so…"
"Sneaky? Underhanded? Devious?" Hachi suggested.
"Actually, I was gonna say that it's brilliant." She caught the looks on our faces and faltered. "But bad, and sick. Very, very bad and very, very sick."
"I can't believe I ever trusted Unalaq," said Korra. "I'm busting my father and the others out of jail. I need your help, guys."
"A chance to stick it to the Northies?" said Lomasi. "You know I'm in."
"I'm in, too," said Adsila. "No one locks members of my family in prison."
"I've got nothing better to do," Hachi said with a shrug. "I'm in."
"You know we're in," I said for both myself and my brother.
"If you do this, there's no going back," said Mako.
"I know," said Korra. "Will you help me or not?"
"Of course I'll help."
"Me, too," said Asami.
"Count me in!" said Varrick, raising the platypus-bear's paw.
That's when the door swung open. I had to resist the sudden urge to laugh. Bolin was standing there with Pabu at his side; clearly Eska and Desna had given them a makeover as both Earthbender and fire-ferret were wearing long robes that looked just like the twins' and their hair had been pasted down with some sort of hair gel. Bolin, I noticed, was also wearing some sort of morbid version of a betrothal necklace.
"I don't even want to know," said Mako.
"So, I'm guessing the breakup with Eska didn't go well," said Asami.
"No, no, the honesty thing worked out great," Bolin said sarcastically. "So great she decided we should get married!"
"Sorry."
"I'm pretty sure the guy is supposed to give the girl the betrothal necklace," Korra said, rubbing her fingers over her own necklace.
"I guess Eska didn't get the memo," Bolin snapped.
"Look, the only way to deal with crazy women is to lie big and leave fast," said Varrick. "Lucky for you, Varrick's got your back. Now, gather 'round Ping-Ping. Let's talk plan."
Varrick's plan was fairly convoluted but it actually sounded like it had some level of merit. So, in less than an hour, Korra was leading me, my brother, Lomasi, Mako, Asami, and Adsila to the prison while Bolin and Hachi left with Varrick to go and get the billionaire's yacht started up for our escape.
"How are we supposed to get in there?" Mako asked.
"Make way for the Earthbender," Adsila said proudly. She gave the metal wall a faint tap, then shoved her hands straight into the metal, Bending it out of the way.
"You're a Metalbender?" said Korra.
"Yep. Part of my Earthbending training. I can only Bend it if I'm touching it, though. None of the fancy stuff the cops in Republic City can do. Now come on!"
We made our way over to the wing of the prison where Tonraq, Paytah, and the resistance were being held. As we walked along the corridor, I noticed something odd. No heartbeats inside the cells. I exchanged a look with Noatak and I could see he realized it, too.
"My dad's in there," Korra said, pulling open the door. There was no one inside. "Where is he?!"
"I'm sorry, Korra," said an all-too-familiar voice. "You'll never see your father again."
It was Unalaq. We all got into our battle-stances.
"Where's my father?" Korra demanded.
"On a ship headed to the Northern Tribe. He'll serve out his sentence there."
"Bring him back or I'm taking out you and the rest of your army."
"Remember who you are. As the Avatar you cannot threaten war. You must remain neutral, or our tribes will never find unity."
"Pig-bull shit!" shouted Lomasi. "The Avatar has almost never been neutral. Especially not when it comes to tyrants and invaders like you."
"You don't care about unity, at all," Korra continued. "You want power. You've always been jealous of my father, haven't you? You got him banished so that you could become chief. And I bet it just killed you to learn he was the Avatar's father. No wonder you kept trying to take me away from him."
"All I've ever wanted was to help you realize your destiny," Unalaq said.
"Well, I don't need your help anymore."
"If you start a war, the Dark spirits will annihilate the South, and even I will be powerless to stop them."
"You're the one who started this," Noatak yelled. "And you're lying about not being able to stop the spirits. You've been controlling them the whole time, haven't you?"
"I bet Ciqala's death wasn't even an accident, either," I added. "You knew it was him and killed him because he was an obstacle in your plans just like his father."
"Enough," Korra said. "I'm done being manipulated by you, Unalaq. You're going to bring my father back, then you and your troops will return to the North." She turned and started walking away.
"And why would I do that?" said Unalaq.
"Because you still need me to open the Northern portal."
"No. I don't. You've served your purpose."
I took a step back as Korra sent several fire-blasts at Unalaq, which he deflect with water from the pouch he had at his side. He then sent his own attack back at us, but Noatak and I cut through it like it was nothing. Korra then sent him shooting back with an air-blast and Adsila ripped some metal out of the floor and Bent it towards Unalaq to slow him down.
"If we can get to Varrick's boat, we can still save them!" Lomasi shouted.
"Let's go!"
Third Person POV:
Up on a nearby hill, Ituha stood and observed the Avatar and her friends escape onto Varrick's yacht. Bolin, Hachi, and Varrick (who was still in the platypus-bear disguise with Zhu Li) managed to get past the guards when Varrick dropped a ton of yuans out of the back of the platypus-bear costume, causing the onlookers to scramble for the free money.
The old Prophetess watched this all and gave a slight shake of her head as she remembered the last time she had had to say farewell to an Avatar when she desperately wanted that Avatar to stay.
She was seven years old. She had just run from her mother's side and was now standing next to Katara; watching as a twelve-year-old Airbender boy directed his giant bison away from their small village.
"Aang, don't go! I'll miss you!" she cried out.
He looked at her with a sad smile.
"I'll miss you, too."
Ituha opened her eyes and looked out at the ocean. She raised her arms into the sky.
"Great Spirit!" she called to the heavens. "I charge you to protect the Avatar and her friends on their journey! Watch over our tribe and deliver us from our oppressors! In the name of all the higher spirits and for the sake of humanity, I plead for you to grant your aid in our darkest hour!"
A wind swirled around the old woman, as if Awonawilona was granting his reply that, yes, he would protect the South and the Avatar. The time was coming for a new age to begin.
Ituha gave a weary sigh as the winds stilled. Her prayer completed, she turned and headed back to the temple. That Northern princess, Eska, had come by earlier and demanded that a wedding ceremony be performed, regardless of the Southern traditions regarding ritual or the fact that there was still the problem with the possessed people. Ituha and Guyapi had decided to consent when presented with the option of either performing the ceremony or getting fed to dolphin-piranhas. Of course, Ituha was now fully aware that the girl would be left standing at the altar because her groom had run away.
Ituha almost felt sorry for the spoiled princess. Almost.
Korra's POV:
"Where's your dad?" said Bolin.
"On a ship headed to the North," I replied. "Think we can catch up to it?"
"Sure," said Varrick. "Once you get us past your friends from the North."
I looked out at the bay and saw the blockade of ships. Sometimes, I really hate my job.
"If only we had a plane to get me close to those ships. I could Waterbend them out of the way."
"A plane? Well, why didn't you say so?"
Varrick pressed the paw of his costume (which he was still wearing for some reason) to a button on the dashboard and suddenly the deck of the ship opened up to reveal a biplane.
"Um, why do you have a plane on your boat?" said Noak.
"In case the boat sinks, of course!"
"But, there's no runway," said Asami. "How are we supposed to take off?"
"Zhu Li, take a note: 'Build runway.'"
"Yes, sir," Zhi Li said from within the costume.
"I have an idea," I said. I led them down to the deck. "Asami, take the controls. Noak, you're copilot." I jumped onto one of the wings. "Mako, you get on the other wing."
Once we were all in place, Asami started the plane and I readied myself to Firebend like I've never Firebent before.
"Now!"
We were off with a shot. It was a bumpy ride, and absolutely terrifying, but I managed to keep my balance. We swooped in towards the blockade and I went straight into the Avatar State. It's a strange kind of high being under the influence of that kind of raw power; I could see things in a rainbow of different colors and hear the voices of all my past-lives murmuring in the back of my head. With nothing but a few waves of my hands, the waters split the blockade in half, allowing Varrick's ship to zoom straight through without difficulty. Knowing we were in the clear, I came out of the Avatar State and started looking for our target.
"There! My dad's on that ship!"
We came perilously close and I knew we wouldn't be able to land the plane anywhere. So, I slowly counted to ten and…
"Jump!"
The four of us landed in the water as the plane crashed into the side of the prison freighter. Noak and I Waterbent us all up so that we landed safely on the deck of the ship. At once, the Northern troops tried to attack us but we fought them off with ease, chucking them over the side of the ship. I noticed a stray crewmember trying to make his escape and froze him to the wall.
"Where are the prisoners?!" I demanded.
There was a spark of fear in the man's eyes and he talked. In minutes, we had everyone out of their cells and on the deck as Varrick pulled his yacht up alongside the lager vessel.
"Korra, this is crazy," my dad said. "You promised me you wouldn't do anything rash!"
"I had to," I said. "I'll explain later."
Just then, the Northern troops had managed to get back onto the ship and started attacking us. We all leapt onto Varrick's yacht, but I noticed someone wasn't with us. Uncle Paytah was still up on the deck.
"Uh, Dad," Adsila called up to him, "we're going, you know!"
"I know, but I've gotta make a dramatic exit!" he called back. From above, I heard him shout at the Northern troops. "This is the day you'll always remember as the day you almost caught Paytah of the Southern Water Tribe!" With that, he jumped over the side of the ship, collapsing as he landed on his leg the wrong way. "Ah, my leg!"
"Was that exit really worth your life, you idiot?!" my dad demanded as he helped him up.
"Totally worth it."
The boat sped off and we were finally on our way to safety. Once we were a good distance away from the Northerners, I turned to my dad and told him everything I had learned about Unalaq. How he tricked my dad into getting banished, how he had murdered and blackmailed and threatened to keep his plot a secret.
"So, once I knew the truth, I couldn't sit by and do nothing," I concluded.
"My own brother betrayed me," my dad said with a heavy heart. "And both of the Water Tribes."
"What's our next move?" said a man I recognized as my father's old friend Hakan.
"I've been running from my past for too long. It's time to put my brother in his place."
"You have our support, General Tonraq." The men saluted my father.
"Mine, too," I said. "I'll be proud to fight alongside you, Dad."
"No, Korra."
"But, you said the South doesn't stand a chance against Unalaq's forces. I can help."
"The best way for you to help is by getting the United Forces to come help us. We'll hold off Unalaq as long as we can, but we'll need the United Forces to win this war."
"All right, I'll do it." I hung my head as I hugged him. "I love you, Dad. I just hate that our family's getting separated again."
"I love you, too, Korra. And don't worry, it's not going to be forever."
Just then, my Uncle Paytah burst into tears and pulled his two daughters into a hug.
"I love you, my precious baby girls," he sobbed.
"Uh, we also love you, Father," Hachi said awkwardly.
The ship pulled up near a stretch of land and all the men got off onto an ice raft and Waterbended themselves towards the shore. I hated to see my father go, but I promised myself I would be strong.
"I really need to thank you, Korra," said Bolin.
"For what? I started a war."
"Exactly! Now Eska and I are officially broken up."
"Uh-oh," said Varrick, who had been looking through a spy-glass (and was still inside the costume!). "Looks like we have company! And not the fun kind!"
"What is that?" said Tarro.
Bolin picked up the spy-glass and almost dropped it when he saw what it was.
"That would be my darling Eska," he said. "Quick question: is this thing fast enough to get away from my crazy, Waterbending ex-girlfriend?"
"Why do think I built this boat?" said Varrick.
That being said, we cranked up the speed to high.
Third Person POV:
Senna was pacing around the igloo. It had been hours and the kids hadn't come back. She was now starting to get very worried. That was when a knock sounded at her door. Anxiously, she pulled it opened and glared at the Northern soldiers on her doorstep. They marched into the house.
"Ma'am, I'm afraid you're going to have to come with us," the leader said.
"What for?" she demanded.
"Because I have my orders. Now come with us."
"Hahaha…get…out…of my house," Senna said through bouts of laughter before suddenly turning serious. "No, seriously, get out."
"Stand down, Captain," said a calm voice. Unalaq entered the house and motioned for his troops to leave. "Senna, I'm very sorry it had to come to this, but the only way to stop the war your daughter started is for you to cooperate."
"What's this about Unalaq?" she asked. "Where's Korra?"
"That is not important right now. For the sake of our old friendship I am asking you to come with me."
Senna felt a flicker of anger.
"Friends don't lock friends up in prison."
"I let you and your sister go free, didn't I?"
"But you took my husband and my brother away. Why did you do it?"
"I don't have to explain my actions to you. If you won't go quietly, I will have to use for-"
CLANG!
Unalaq fell to the ground as something heavy and metallic collided with his skull. Standing behind him was Yue, a cast-iron skillet in her hand.
"I suggest we leave now," she said.
Senna, realizing at last that Unalaq really was everything her sisters had said he was, grabbed Yue's hand and blasted them both out of there on an ice-board, shooting past the Northern soldiers and into the distance.
Redbayly: Finally! I finally got it done! It took me all day, but I got it done!
Sokka: Yes! My baby girl hit Unalaq with a frying-pan! Go get 'em, girls! That'll teach him to try and use my daughter as a hostage.
Toph: He's quite proud of his daughters, isn't he?
Redbayly: Yep. Well, thanks for reading. Hope to see you soon. Please review.