Day 5: Change

Day five: Change

Takes place three years after season 3 with Zaheer still being the big bad guy despite having been imprisoned. His followers have all gone in to hiding emerging every now and then to cause chaos before slipping back into the shadows. Korra has traveled with General Iroh not only to aid her recovery but also to guard a treasure hidden with in the decks of the United Forces' lead ship the Leviathan.

Korra looked at her friends waiting for her on the shore as the battle ship Leviathan docked. Iroh stood next to her dressed in his General's uniform his face not showing the distress both were feeling.

He turned to her. "You sure you want to do this alone?"

"I'm not going to be alone I'll be with my friends General, Don't worry about me. You're needed here."

"I know, I just don't like after three years Zaheer demanding to talk to you."

"I don't either, but he knows about the Red Lotus and information about them can hopefully help end the chaos they've been causing all over the world." She resisted the urge to give the General a kiss goodbye and just patted his arm. "Take care!" She jumped down from the bridge and used air bending to land softly on the deck below. "I'll see you in Republic City!" She waved and Iroh waved back.

Disembarking the ship, she hugged her three friends. Letters and brief visits were just not enough to not miss them especially when even those brief visits had stopped almost a year before. Even if the circumstances troubled her, she was happy to see them again. "Come on." She said trying to fake a smile. "Let's go see what this nut wants to talk to us about."

As they walked they did so in silence. Not because they didn't have things to say to each other there was just too many hostile and untrustworthy ears here. Korra didn't and couldn't trust any of them to hear about her personal life or the lives of her friends. Somethings were more important then idol small talk.

.o.

On the Leviathan the Captain saluted Iroh as he walked up to him. "We're ready to weigh anchor sir."

"Then do so." Iroh glared at the island.

"Yes sir! Sir if I might ask are you ok with leaving the Avatar on the island? with out an escort?"

"No, but we have our orders, we are protecting more important things on this ship and cannot afford to have any of those imprisoned on that island make it on to this ship." He turned and walked away. "Alert me the moment the lights of Republic City are in sight."

.o.

Zaheer was in a straight jacket chained to a wall when Korra and the others walked in to the room. Two armed guards were station on the inside of the door.

Korra took a chair and sat down with crossed arms. "So you wanted to see me. Why? After three years of not talking, why now?"

Zaheer smiled. "Because, I've grown to respect you Avatar Korra. You have managed to embody almost the exact opposite of everything I believe. That takes a certain talent."

Korra narrowed her eyes. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult, either way I'm not going to sit here if that's all you planed to do. I don't have time to be insulted by you."

Zaheer chuckled. "You'll stay and listen, because you really want to know what I have to say. You're dying to know. I can see it in your eyes."

.o.

Hours past and all Korra had gotten out of Zaheer was lists upon lists of Air Nomad poetry and the odd Red Lotus member most of whom had already been caught or died avoiding capture. Frustrated Korra stood up.

"That's it Zaheer you've wasted enough of my time." She made to leave the room.

"One last target."

Korra turned. "What?"

"We have one last target and then we're done. It's our grand finally."

Korra slowly sat back down. "What is your last target?"

Zaheer smirked. "We know what the great sea monster protects in its claws. Tonight it will be lost in a blaze of red and gold."

Korra felt her blood run cold as she stood up and ran from the room her friends in tow. She raced through the halls up towards communication tower of the prison.

"What did he mean?" Mako yelled after her trying to keep up. "What sea monster?"

Korra rounded a corner and sprang up a flight of stairs. "They're going to bomb or distroy the United Forces Flag ship!" She yelled back.

Bolin paused for a moment. "Why? How? How did you get that from what Zaheer said?"

Korra wrenched open the office door. "I'll explain in a moment I have to warn the ship!"

.o.

Thirty Minutes Earlier

Iroh sat at his desk pouring over papers but not paying them much mind. He didn't like it. Zaheer didn't talk to people so why now? What had changed? He looked at the first report of Zaheer asking to see the Avatar. His eyes narrowed at the date. The first time he asked for an audience was two weeks ago, right around the same time the ship had docked in Kyoshi and the sailors had disembarked from the ship for the first time since the new crew members had come into rotation. Iroh paused thinking about the time line. It didn't sit well with him at all. Why were they so close in time?

He cursed under his breath and called the bridge. "Capitan put this ship oh high alert!"

"Why?"
"I have a bad feeling that we might have Red Lotus sympathizers on the ship. Alert all the high officers and who they deem the most trust worthy and bring them into the loop! I want this ship on lock down and people searching the decks for anything that doesn't belong."

"Yes Sir. Oh! Sir we have spotted the lights of Republic City."
"Good! Call a head tell them our concerns!"
"Yes Sir!"

Iroh slammed the phone down and trying to act calm walked out of his office and navigated to the most secure area of the ship. He was suddenly violently wrenched back by a wire wrapping around his neck trying to choke him of air. Using his fire bending, he melted the wire ignoring the pain and burns it left on his neck. He didn't even bother to look back at his would be assassin, after he plunged a knife into his chest. This was not good. Not good at all. If they had enough men to try to take him out then they could have reached their main target already.

.o.

Korra felt he body go numb as she was told by the radio officer that as of fifteen minutes ago the battle ship Leviathan was burning in the middle of Republic City's harbor. She shook her head. "When did that happen? Why wasn't I told immediately! Are there any reports about the necklace?!"

The radio operator looked at her stunned. "Lady I just got the news now so you did just get is immediately and a ship is burning in the harbor and your worried about some necklace? I'm sorry but that ain't-"
Korra grabbed the man's collar. She spoke threw gritted teeth looking the man right in the eye. "Get back on that radio and ask them if there's any word about the Dragon's Pearl necklace, now."
The radio operator glared straightened his collar and got back on the radio. "Hey Ed, yeah I got a dame here who knows you're busy, but wants to know if you know anything about some pearl dragon necklace…yeah Dragon's Pearl that's it…No, no word on whether that survived the attack? Ok, thanks Ed." He turned to Korra still glaring at her. "No word on your precious necklace lady, now if you don't mind I need to get this joint locked down. So if you don't want to be here for awhile I'd leave now."

Korra turned on her heal and stormed out the door. She looked at Asami. "We need to get back to republic city now." She was trying to keep her voice calm but it just wasn't going to happen.

Asami nodded. "Sure, we'll use the airship it will only be about an hour away by air."

Korra nodded and started to head to the air ship docking. The three others ran to catch up with her. Mako put a hand on her shoulder once they reached the airship. "Hey Korra, I know your upset but you need to talk to us. What's so special about the necklace you mentioned?"

Korra's shoulder's dropped a little. "The Dragon's Pearl is code name for the Fire Nation's most important treasure. The crew of the Leviathan's main task of late is to keep it from being destroyed or falling into the wrong hands. That's all I can tell you right now. I need to get to republic city and try to find it." She looked at her friends the worry and sadness clear on her face "Please, I need to."

.o.

The shipyard was filled with injured solders, medical personal, military police, civilian police and solders. It was definition of chaos and no one paded attention to a hunched over man in a captain's coat and hat limping through to crowd. The man's right arm was in a sling and under his coat. The hat covered most of his face and he looked to have a bad burn on his neck.

The man limped over to Chief of Police, Lin Beifong who was over seeing crowd control. She narrowed her eyes at the slumped man. "I'm sorry sir, but no one leaves here until they know who survived...and who didn't."

The man held up a necklace with a giant pearl with a gold dragon wrapped around it. "Please, I need to get this to the air bending Master Tenzin. It's very important that i reach." The man's voice was raspy and sounded like he may have a heavy smoking habit.

Lin looked unimpressed. "I'm sorry sir, but that's not a good reason to leave this area."

The man showed her the reverse of the pendent that had a white lotus emblazoned on it. "Please, Chief I need to get this to Tenzin."

Lin nodded and escorted the man through the crowd and to a boat that took them to Air Temple Island.

.o.

Commander Bumi looked out at the bay and burning ship as the rain started to fall from the sky. Bumi sighed, he hoped that the death toll wouldn't be too high. Sitting near him, his younger brother played with the now three year old Roan. Tenzin looked up at Bumi again. "Would you please sit down? There's nothing you can do to help so just sit. You're making every one nervous with insistent pacing."

Bumi huffed and sat down on the sofa. "I get it, family clown can't be serious every now and then." He stood up again when someone knocked on the front door.

Tenzin moved first, putting his son down and rushing over to the door. Opening it to find a hunched over man in a green united forces captain's jacket and hat. Tenzin narrowed his eyes. "What do you want? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the docks or getting medical attention?"

"I'm here because the dragon's pearl needs protection a need that exceeds my own well being." The man pushed passed Tenzin. "It's no longer safe under the protection of the United Forces and so I come to you."

Tenzin closed the door and walked over to the figure spotting the necklace in the man's hand. He took it and the man let it go freely. Looking at the piece of jewelry closely Tenzin eyed the stranger. "It's beautiful and clearly valuable, but I don't see the dyer need to protect something like this. Does it hold some ancient mystery or code?"

The man chuckled and pulled off his hat, revealing jet-black hair and golden eyes. "If you think that I would risk men's lives for that you really have no faith in me." Iroh said his voice still raspy and quite strained. He started taking off his coat. "That's not what I'm trying to protect, That's just an old necklace my mother had." He pulled off his coat fully and undid the sling to reveal an infant sleeping soundly in her fathers arm. "This on the other hand is worth protecting."

Tenzin looked down at the child. "Is that?"

"Her name's Sona, and she's my daughter and the princess of the Fire Nation." He looked down at his daughter. "The thing I value over everything else."

Tenzin held out his arms to take the child. "You're badly burned Iroh, Kaya is here, and you need to have someone look at that." The elder man smiled. "Don't worry I've held my share of little ones you don't have to worry."

Iroh nodded and carefully handed the child over.

.o.

Korra walked up the steeps of Air Temple Island defeated. She had spent hours looking for Iroh and the princess but to no avail. Her friends who still had energy stayed behind just in case they could find the missing prince and princess. They had actually told her to go and rest after she mistook a captain for Iroh and upon realizing her mistake started to cry.

She barely even finished knocking on the door when Tenzin answered. With out saying a word she just buried her face in his robes. He patted her on the shoulder. "I think I know exactly what you need to see Korra."

She looked up at him not really believing him. He took her to a room where Iroh lay asleep his neck bandaged. Resting on his chest was Sona her dark skin in contrast to that of her father's. Tenzin watched her smiling. Three years had definitely changed the young brash avatar. Korra cradled Sona in her arms and kissed Iroh's forehead. Tenzin left the young mother with her child and husband.

A/N ok I will admit this one I cheated a little as I wrote this one shot along time ago before I saw all the Korroh week prompts but it fit so I used it. Shrugs well look on the bright side I can put the time and effort into the last two stories of this week. :)