Hello out there, The Prime Writer has returned once again. I tried updating sooner, I really did, but I don't really have much of an excuse this time. I just let myself get distracted with other things in my life and forgot about my fanfics for a little bit, and when I felt like writing again, my hard-drive crashed and it took months to get a replacement, by which time I had little interest in actually writing so much as a story-review; sorry about that. But look at it this way, this newest chapter's at over 8,000 words, so that's something; I actually had to split the episode in half because it'd have been up to twice as long as this chapter otherwise, and that might happen often in the future, so be aware. I hope to get plenty of reviews this chapter, especially since I didn't get too many last time due to me publishing it on a Sunday, when many people spend their time sleeping in, playing games, attending church, and dreading the coming school-week; I'm not much different, but there it is.

In this chapter, we see Korra begin her Airbending training and Wally making his first patrols in Republic City; Wally's off to a good start, but Korra...not so much. Against Tenzin's orders, they sneak away from Air Temple Island and visit the Pro-Bending Arena, where they meet and befriend Mako and Bolin of the Fire Ferret Team. Meanwhile, Wally continually tries to referee the increasing number of arguments between Korra and Tenzin as well as he can, but even he can only take so much.

Now for the disclaimer; The Legend of Korra is owned by Nicktoons, Young Justice is owned by DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Now that we're done with all that information, let us continue the story with chapter 6; please read and review when you finish reading, but I will understand if you choose not to.

Chapter 6: A Leaf in the Wind, Part 1

After the media circus of yesterday, Korra was actually looking forward to some training with Tenzin. Wally wanted to stay and watch, but he left early in the morning to get his bearings on the city and learn about the more crime-riddled areas. This meant that he would be out for most of the day.

Korra was a bit downcast when she heard this, but she understood Wally's promise to the city and how seriously it should be taken. To pass the time, she busied herself with one of the newspapers Tenzin liked to read; specifically, the Pro-Bending section.

"And in the final round, the Buzzard Wasps won with a decisive knockout! What do you say we go to the arena tonight, catch a few pro-bending matches and meet a few of the players? We could invite Wally if it's okay."

However, it was instantly apparent that Tenzin did not share her enthusiasm for the sport...not that he would even call it that. "That so-called 'sport' is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending and a trivial use for its full potential."

As was typical of Korra, she was not deterred so easily. "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. The matches never last that long anyway, so we wouldn't have to stay there for very long."

As was typical of Tenzin, he was not easily persuaded. "That's not the point Korra. You're not here to watch that drivel, you're here to master Airbending and finish your Avatar training. So, for the time being, I want you to remain on the island and away from anything that might prove distracting."

The disappointed Korra asked "Is that why you're keeping the White Lotus sentries around to watch my every move?" Tenzin was not put off by her mood.

"Yes. In order to learn Airbending I believe you require a calm, quiet environment, free from any distractions." Korra still looked disappointed, but accepted it nonetheless.

"All right; you're the master." Still, she couldn't help looking out the window at the arena and the city in general, nor could she stop thinking about how much she wanted to be out there and explore it. A thought entered her mind about how well Wally was doing as the city's newest hero.

While Korra was beginning her Airbending training, Wally was patrolling parts of the city in a somewhat organized fashion, searching for trouble while simultaneously getting his bearings on locations in the city. It's only been a couple hours and he's already put a stop to several muggings, saved an elderly couple from getting hit by a drunk driver, busted up a couple store robberies, and helped stop a small fire from getting any bigger. All the crime in the city was starting to remind him of Gotham, yet he still found multiple sights that showed a vibrant urban culture; sights like them gave Wally hope, and hope gave him drive.

After taking a brief rest to refill on calories and take in a few sights, Wally took off towards the Dragon Flats Borough, a low-rent residential district with a heavy Triad presence despite regular police patrols. He'd only been in the district for about five minutes when he witnessed a few thugs threatening an elderly woman for protection money; they were quickly beaten and Wally went on his way, but not before asking the woman to call the nearest cops.

A few minutes after that, he saved a little boy from being hit by a speeding car and stopped the car to reveal that the driver was drunk out of his mind; again he asked someone to call the cops, specifically the boy's mother, to report said man.

A few minutes after that, Wally witnessed a group of men in red coat-jackets, members of the Agni Kai Triad if he remembered right, breaking into a storage building and looking around. He followed them in and saw them opening crates filled with swords, knives, and various other close-range weapons, all of which were probably illegal, and some crates were opened the reveal medium-sized crossbows with weird levers on them. Those were Chu Ko Nu repeating crossbows, which had less power and accuracy then normal crossbows but a much higher rate of fire, and the bolts themselves were often covered in poison.

Those thugs were quickly incapacitated with a few high-speed punches, after which Wally carried out the unconscious Triads and tied them to a nearby lamp-post before alerting a nearby warehouse worker. Wally stayed out of sight until he saw some metalbender cops come and put the thugs in armored police vans, slipping away when no one was looking. To be honest, he sorta hoped for a bigger challenge then what he'd faced so far, given how bad crime is in the city; as much as some peace and quiet is appreciated, a little excitement every now-and-then was nice as well.

Stooping for a minute to snack on the last of his high-energy bars, Wally decided to watch the criminals be hauled into a police van with little struggle on either side. He was mildly surprised to see that Chief Beifong was among the officers present, and even more surprised when she made eye-contact with him. Without changing her expression, she looked back to one of her officers and talked to him about something for a minute before turning on her heel and walking towards Wally's hiding place. When she arrived, they stared at each other for a few seconds before Lin broke the ice.

"You didn't listen to me yesterday about my stance on vigilantism." It was less a scolding so much as a statement of fact.

Wally responded with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm pretty sure I made my opinion on your opinion known. If people don't like what I'm doing or try to stop me, I won't give them a second thought."

Lin spoke again after a brief pause. "My officers have been busy all morning arresting the various criminals you've captured; there have been more arrests this morning than any other day this past month."

That last fact was admitted with a hint of reluctance, which made Wally smirk a tiny bit. "I try my best. Your cops seem good at their jobs, so I'm going to guess that a lot of the criminals are just as good at what they do."

Lin closed her eyes and nodded grimly. "Unfortunately, that's often the case. Some of those scum-bags either have a lot of luck or a lot of talent if they've managed to last so long, to say nothing of what they might have learned in that time. During a few years when things get really bad, some graveyards have to be expanded to make room for all the good people who fall because of the job."

That was a surprise to Wally; he knew that things were less then peachy in the city, but entire graveyards reserved for fallen police officers? That was almost unreal. Lin took notice of Wally's expression and her face softened a little. "A lot of rookies and newcomers have the same reaction. Some days I'm amazed that we still have people who want to join the force. There are a few years when we're lucky to receive any applicants."

Wally was silent for a minute before he looked at Lin. "If things are so bad, then why'd you try to stop me from helping people? It certainly sounds like you guys could use the help."

Lin didn't look at him for a couple minutes, and when she did, her face showed deep concern. "It's not that the city doesn't need any help, but some people might get it in their heads to try and do what you're doing: become heroes. We've tried our best to discourage vigilantism, but there are still some people out there who try to fight criminals on their own, whether out of anger, naivety, a desire for fame or vengeance, and various other reasons. Many times they just get themselves killed, other times they end up worse then the criminals they try to fight...and I emphasize 'try'."

Her face hardened when she looked Wally in the eye. "I think you understand my stance on it now." Wally nodded slightly; it did make sense once you thought about it more thoroughly, but he still had a job he had promised to do, and .

"You have some valid reasons to try and halt my activities, I'll admit that, but there are some valid reasons to not try and stop me as well. All I'm asking for is a chance, and if in the end people don't like me, I still won't stop."

Lin stared at Wally for a few seconds before she gave a grudging nod. "Alright, I'll let you keep doing what you're doing...for now. But the very first first time someone who's not a criminal gets hurt because of your actions, I will come after you." She let that threat hang as she left the alley.

With his impromptu conversation over, Wally decided to end his patrol a little early and head back to Air Temple Island. Hopefully Korra and Tenzin were having some luck with her Airbending training...hopefully.

While Wally was enjoying his new-found success, Korra, now in Air Acolyte clothing, was being led to the Airbending training grounds to begin her practice, Tenzin walking a little ahead of her. Normally brimming with confidence, Korra actually seemed considerably downcast; Airbending has never really gone well for her. She was distracted from her musings when Tenzin spoke up.

"So Korra, my mother informed me that you've never been able to successfully Airbend before. Is that correct?"

He stopped walking when he noticed that Korra had stopped following him, and saw her looking at the ground despondently. After a second of internal deliberation, she decided to just get her feelings and reservations out of her system. "Yeah, but I don't know why. The other elements came so easily to me, but every single time I've tried Airbending, not even the tiniest gust appears."

Tenzin walked up to her and looked at her reassuringly. "That's perfectly alright, you just need to be patient. Oftentimes, the element that's the most difficult for the Avatar to master is the one most opposite to the Avatar's personality. For Aang, it was Earthbending."

Despite Tenzin's intentions, Korra didn't cheer up at all. "Well I'm about as opposite an Airbender as you can get"

Tenzin just smiled at her softly. "You'll move past this block in time, but every bender can only realize his-or her-potential after the first lesson."

With that, Tenzin led her to where his children were waiting. Ikki was the first to notice. "Korra's gonna Airbend! Korra's gonna Airbend!" Korra herself was focused on what she saw ahead of her: a series of standing wooden gates within a circle, all of which are standing in a different direction and had the symbol of the Air Nomads painted on them. "What kinda contraption is that?"

Tenzin was about to answer her question when they all heard a sonic boom and turned to see a blur approaching them at high speeds. When it approached them, the blur skidded to a stop and revealed itself to be Wally. "Did I miss anything exciting?"

Korra and the children quickly ran up to Wally, Korra speaking first. "What're you doing here? I thought you were patrolling the city."

Wally genially answered with "I was, but what kind of a friend would I be if I didn't support you during the big lesson." It was then that he noticed the contraption behind Korra.

"And what exactly is that thing?" Tenzin was able to speak without interruption this time.

"It is a time-honored tool that teaches one of the most fundamental aspects of Airbending. The goal of the exercise is to weave your way through the gates without having any of the gates touch you, and you need to do that while the gates are moving."

That said, he took a stance and began twisting his arms and hands before thrusting them out, generating a massive gust of wind caused the gates to turn rapidly. He then grabbed a small leaf and moved it towards the gates, letting them watch is it flowed seamlessly through the twirling obstacle course.

"The key is to be like the leaf. Flow with the movements of the gate." He then looked to his eldest daughter. "Jinora, if you would demonstrate?"

Jinora nodded and entered the swirling gates, moving like she'd been doing it for years; considering Tenzin's personality and hers, that's probably a given.

"Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice." Just as Tenzin finished saying that, Jinora exited out the other side of the gates and sped up their movements with another gust of wind.

Wally looked at his friend and asked "You ready for this?" Korra replied in a determined voice "Lets do this!" Without waiting, she ran into the gates and collided against the first panel she encountered...and the next one...and the next one, until eventually, she was tossed out on her behind with multiple bruises marring her skin. Without taking a breather, a thoroughly annoyed Korra rushed back into the gates and was again catapulted around like a pinball. Tenzin and Wally could only cringe in sympathy while the children shouted out advice.

Jinora: "Don't try to force your way through."

Ikki: "Dance, dance like the wind."

Meelo: "Be the leaf."

Unfortunately, Korra could hear none of that as she was continually knocked about until she was forced out again, falling flat on her front on the ground. Wally looked at Tenzin and sardonically said "This might take longer then you thought." Tenzin could only sigh and nod in response.

Later that night, Wally ended up searching for Korra after Tenzin and several of the acolytes said they hadn't seen her since dinner. He eventually found her in a courtyard with Naga sitting nearby, attempting to Airbend at a newspaper showing a picture of Chief Beifong. She ended up burning the paper with firebending out of sheer frustration. "Now what did the paper ever do to you?"

Korra looked at Wally in mild surprise, but it was quickly replaced with frustration. "I just don't get what's wrong with me. I've been doing some of the simplest Airbending moves in the scrolls but nothing happens. Maybe I'm just not cut out for Airbending."

Wally walked over to Korra and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Anything and everything a person learns comes with its own learning curve. Sometimes the curves are pretty easy, other times they make you want to bang your head against a brick wall. You're talented enough and stubborn enough that you can get through this learning curve, but it'll take some time for you to actually get through it."

Korra gave Wally a flat look. "So in other words, I need to be patient."

At this, Wally gave a sheepish smile. "I was trying to make it not sound like something Tenzin would say, but basically yes. Trust me, you're not the only one with patience issues."

Korra gave a small smile at that statement before turning her head at something she heard over at a nearby radio. "Ladies and gentlemen! This is Shiro Shinobi coming to you live from Republic City's Pro-bending Arena, where tonight the best in the world continue their quest for a spot in the upcoming championship tournament. Grab your snacks and grab your kids because this next match is gonna be a doozy!"

She turned to Wally with an excited look on her face. "Tenzin never said anything about listening to Pro-Bending over a radio; wanna listen in?" Wally thought it over for a second before he responded.

"I don't see why not, but I think it'd be best if you stayed out of sight in case Tenzin arrives." Korra nodded and hid on the roof of the porch while Wally joined the guards. They stayed in their respective locations for about 10 minutes, listening to a match between the Ba Sing Se Badgermoles and a rookie team called the Fire Ferrets, growing more excited and getting closer to the radio as the match grew more intense.

"This Mako's got moxy! He advances, fires two quick shots. Yomo is hammered back to zone three! Clock is winding down, can Yomo hold on? He's teetering on the edge of the ring now. The Fire Ferrets line up to strike and-"

Whatever Shinobi was going to say was cut off as the radio lost power, with Wally and the disappointed sentries whirling around to see and annoyed Tenzin holding the plug in his hand before tossing it on the ground. "Korra, get down here now!"

An equally disappointed Korra hopped down from the roof, ignoring the surprised guards and walking up to her teacher. "What the heck was that for? You shut it off right at the best part."

Tenzin ignored that part and spoke in a stern voice. "I thought I made it perfectly clear this morning that I do not want you listening to any of this distracting nonsense."

Wally frowned and felt like saying something, but Korra beat him to it. "But it's their radio. And technically, you said I couldn't watch a match. You didn't say anything about listening to one."

Tenzin sputtered briefly at this before he recovered. "You know what I meant Korra. Anyway, shouldn't you be in bed by now!?" With that, Tenzin turned and walked away, a trail of wind ruffling the others as he left. Wally glared at Tenzin's retreating form before going after him.

"Tenzin, that was totally unnecessary and you know it." Tenzin turned to see a displeased Wally but he wasn't intimidated in the slightest.

"I don't care whether or not you though it unnecessary, Korra should not be having anything to do with that nonsense. Pro-bending is a perversion of the ancient bending arts and useful only for the entertainment of those with practically no real life."

Wally narrowed his eyes at the stubborn bending master. "For someone supposed to be so wise, you're being about as blind as a Badgermole. Traditional arts are all well-and-good, but modern forms can have just as much relevance. They represent the creativity and improvisational prowess of the city's people and are a landmark of the urban melting-pot culture that your father hoped to create."

"Do not bring my father into this!" That outburst startled Wally briefly but he quickly recovered.

"Look, all I'm saying is that Korra is a curious young woman and that there are a lot of new things she wants to experience. The sort of isolation you're trying to impose on her is exactly what the White Lotus tried at the South Pole, and we both know how that turned out. If you don't start making some big changes soon, she'll probably end up running away again, and there's nothing either of us could do to stop her."

With that, Wally walked back to Korra and left Tenzin with his thoughts.

Early the next morning, Wally had talked Korra into giving Tenzin's training methods another try, and so she had joined Tenzin and his children for meditation in a gazebo. However, it was never a part of Korra's nature to sit still for hours on end, and as such she fidgeted throughout meditation until she finally spoke up. "I think I'm doing it wrong."

Tenzin opened his eyes and tried to reassure Korra. "There's nothing to do Korra. Let your mind and your spirit be free, for air is the element of freedom."

Korra unsuccessfully stifled a few chuckles, prompting an annoyed Tenzin to ask "Is something funny?" Korra's amused expression turned into one of major frustration.

"Yeah, you're telling me to embrace freedom, but you won't even let me listen to the radio. And forget about leaving this island."

Tenzin put his fingers to the bridge of his nose before turning back to Korra. "Yes, Wally's already given me a talk about that after last night and had me do some thinking. If you promise to remain focused on your studies and avoid anything an everything to do with Pro-Bending, I will allow you to visit the city for limited periods of time with less supervision then normal."

Korra's face instantly brightened; she'd have to thank Wally later. "That'd be awesome!" Her face fell when she remembered her current predicament. "Doesn't really help me with meditating though."

Tenzin gestured to his son, who seemed to be close to falling over. "Perhaps you can look to Meelo for advice. He's meditating rather peacefully."

Korra gave her mentor a deadpan look. "Actually, I think he's asleep." Tenzin took a closer look and saw that his son really was asleep. "What? Well, at least he has the relaxing part down."

That didn't help curb Korra's frustration at all. "Whatever, none of this airbending stuff is making any sense to me."

Tenzin remained patient as ever. "I know you're frustrated, but these teachings will sink in over time. Then one day, they'll just click."

Tenzin then closed his eyes and went back to meditating. Korra tried following his lead...for about 5 seconds. "Yeah, it's not sinking in yet." She then got up and began walking away. "I'm gonna go get a glass of lychee juice."

Tenzin tried getting her to stop and shouted "Korra, the meditation's not over yet." Korra just ignored him and continued walking, and Wally arrived at the gazebo just as she left his sight.

"So what'd I miss?" Tenzin just sighed in annoyance.

Later that night, after Tenzin told Wally about the meditation exercise, he found Korra in her room looking down at the White Lotus guard standing below it. At the sound of her door opening, she looked and saw Wally entering the room, at which point she closed the window she was looking out of. "Hey Wally, what's up?"

"Can't a friend visit a friend without an ulterior motive?"

Korra didn't look convinced, so Wally sighed and said "Tenzin was worried that you might try to sneak out after today's incident at meditation." A look of annoyance crossed Korra's face and she went back to looking out the window.

"That's so typical of Tenzin; I don't do well at something at he assumes that I'm going to make a break for it."

She then looked away pointedly, prompting Wally to ask something. "Were you planning to escape this island?" Korra turned around with an indignant look on her face. "No, I most certainly was not." Wally just gave a pointed stare, causing Korra to wilt.

"Okay yes, but can you blame me? I mean all he does is tell me the same things over and over again: be patient, no distractions, focus on your studies. There's only so much I can take, and I'm pretty sure my patience level is at its limit."

Wally's look became more understanding. "Believe me, I know how that feels. At the same time, running off into the city like this isn't going to convince him to let up on your studies."

Korra's face became a bit more stony. "Which was why I was hoping that no one would catch me running off."

Wally knew that she was talking about his interruption, so he let a conspiratorial grin cross his face. "You know, I was planning a trip to the city so that I could see more of it when I'm not in costume. I'm sure it'd be nice to have company while exploring."

Korra quickly caught the hidden meaning behind his words and let her face split into a wide grin. "Have I ever mentioned how great a friend you are?" Wally just smirked and responded with "You could stand to mention it more often."

Korra just grabbed Wally's hand and pulled him towards the window. The second the White Lotus guard left their sight, they jumped from the building and landed softly in the courtyard before making a mad ash towards the sea. In retrospect, this reminded Wally of a lot of old missions he had with The Team in his old home, only they weren't on a hostile island and there were no villains trying to capture them; not yet at least.

The second they reached the edge of the sea, Korra jumped into it without hesitation, softening and quieting the landing with her waterbending. A second later, she popped her head up from the sea and waved for Wally to follow. Taking a deep breath, Wally jumped into the chilly water, Korra softening his fall like she did with hers and creating an air-bubble for the both of them. from there, it was just a quick swim for Korra to the Pro-Bending Arena.

Once they reached the arena, Korra waterbended the both of them through an open window and dried them off with said bending, after which they began their exploration. The first room that they entered was a gym full of water-containers and earth-disks for the Pro-Benders. Korra looked around the room with wide eyes, while Wally was more cautious. "Maybe we shouldn't be here in case someone walks in."

Korra just brushed aside his concerns with a wave of her hand. "Relax Wally. What are the odds that someone's gonna come in here anytime soon?"

Just then, someone came up behind them."Hey!" They turned to see an old, pot-bellied man in a green tank-top with white hair and green eyes come up to them with an irritated expression. "What're you two doin' in my gym?" Korra was at loss for words, but thankfully Wally spoke up in their defense.

"We are so sorry for interrupting your previous business sir. This is just our first time here and we ended up getting so excited that we lost track of where we were going and ended up in here."

However, the old man was having none of it. "Oh, the old 'I got excited' excuse. You know, I'm sick and tired of you kids sneakin' in without payin'! I'm taking you to security!"

Before either of them could speak, a young green-eyed man with short black hair and an easy-going smile walked in and spoke up. "There you guys are. I've been looking everywhere for you." He turned to the old man with that same smile. "It's alright Toza, they're with me."

Korra gave an innocent smile and quickly agreed. "Yeah, he's our friend, and he invited us." Bolin then agreed with her. "Yup definitely friends, nothing more then that."

That satisfied Toza enough to let them go, but he was still heavily annoyed. "Ah, I don't care what you are! I got work to do." That was all he said before he started moving some nearby barbells via earthbending.

"Right this way my friends." Korra returns the man's extravagant bow with one of her own. "Why thank you good sir."

Wally just leaned in and spoke in a more casual voice. "Seriously dude, thanks."

After a couple minutes of walking, the man led them to a door and opened it to reveal the entire Pro-Bending Arena. "Whaddya think? Best seats in the house, huh?"

Korra returned the man's statement with an enthusiastic expression. "Whoa, this place is even more amazing then I ever imagined." As she went to look over the side of the stand, Wally turned to their new friend.

"Hey, thanks again for getting us in here. Name's Wong by the way, and my friend over there is Korra." He shook the young man's hand as he responded.

"No problem. Bolin's the name, and Pro-Bending's my game." Wally chuckled slightly at his new friend's boasting, but further conversation was cut off when another young man, this one with golden eyes, spiky brown hair, and a darker skin-tone, turned to Bolin. "Bo, get over here."

Bolin turned away from Wally and walked up to the other man in the room. "I told you, you have to stop bringing your crazy fans in here before the matches. You need to get them out of here."

Bolin's face fell in disappointment, and he gave the man a pleading look. "Come on, Mako! Look, I kinda promised her she could stay, but man I got a good feeling about these guys. I don't know what it is, but there's something about these two that make me want to trust them."

The other man, Mako, just gave Bolin a deadpan look. "You say that about everyone you meet."

Bolin remained adamant. "I know that, and I know I'm not always right, but just trust me on this one." Mako just went back to putting on his Pro-Bending uniform while Bolin turned to his new friends.

"Come on guys, I want you to meet my brother Mako." Korra developed an excited look and was the first to offer her hand.

"Mako of the Fire Ferrets? Wow, I-I heard you playing on the radio last night. It's nice to meet you." Mako ignored the hand just walked right past the two of them.

"Come on Bolin, we're up." That caused Korra to wilt and prompted Wally to comment with "Or we could meet him later." Bolin looked at them with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, he just gets really focused before our matches." He then finished putting on his helmet before turning back to them. "Okay I gotta go. Wish us luck...not that we'll need it."

That was all before he ran up to his teammates and joined them in the ring. An announcer came up from the floor of the with a microphone in hand. "Introooooducing the Fire Ferrets." Bolin and the waterbender began waving to the crowd while Mako stood solemnly in-between them. The announcer spoke again, this time pointing to the left side of the ring. "And introooooducing the Golden Temple Tigerdillos." A team of men, all several years older then the Fire Ferrets Team, appeared on the left side of the ring.

While that was going on, Shiro Shinobi spoke from his position in the commentators box. "The rookie Ferrets came from out of nowhere early this year and have made it further than anyone expected this season. But tonight they face their toughest test yet, folks."

The second the bell was struck, both teams began blasting each other with their respective elements. Mako and Bolin fire their elements at the opposing firebender, but he dodges or blocks most of them before he sends a pair of fireblasts back at them. The team waterbender meanwhile was on the defensive and unable to properly attack, which Shiro quickly noticed.

"Hasook is the first to feel the heat of the Tigerdillos! He tries to return the favor, but they're too strong and too fast for him, while Mako shows off his trademark 'cool under fire' style."

Just then, the Fire Ferret waterbender, Hasook, sends a blast of water at the opposing earthbender, but he quickly dodged it before sending an earth disk to Mako. Mako also dodged and was quick to retaliate with a pair of fireblasts, only to dodge several more incoming attacks. Meanwhile, his teammates were blasted into the second through blasts of earth and fire.

"Oooh, the Tigerdillos score with a walloping one-two combo, leaving Mako struggling to maintain his hold in Zone 1."

Mako dodges several attacks, but he gets pushed over the line after about half-a-minute of struggle. "Mako's over the line! The Tigerdillos get the green light and advance into Fire Ferret territory."

The Tigerdillos quickly throw their all into their attacks and keep the Fire Ferrets on the defensive, pushing Hasook back into Zone 3 as he struggles to keep up...until an earth disk sends him falling into the massive moat below the ring.

"And Hasook takes a dip! Don't worry folks, he'll be back for round two...assuming the famous Bending Brothers can hold their ground against much more experienced opponents."

Thankfully for the Ferrets, the bell rang just as they were knocked into Zone 3, leaving Round 1 a victory for the Tigerdillos. As soon as Round 2 started, it was clear that the Tigerdillos had the advantage, and the Ferrets were quickly pushed back into their 2nd zone. The Ferrets managed to find their rhythm and began fighting back, with Hasook blocking several attacks with his waterbending while Mako and Bolin sent barrages of earth and fire attacks at their opponents. Eventually, the Ferrets knocked their opponents into their 3rd zone in the final few seconds of the match.

"The Fire Ferrets narrowly cinch this round in the closing seconds! It's one apiece, and still anyone's match as we go into the third and final round."

When the 3rd match started, Hasook quickly proved to be an easy target, with a majority of attacks focused on him while his teammates were too distracted to provide any help, until he was eventually knocked into Bolin via a large water-blast.

"Hasook stumbles, and now he tumbles right into his teammate. He and Bolin better untangle quick if they don't want to..."

Before Shiro could finish, an earth-disk from the opposing team knocked them into the moat, leaving Mako to face off the Tigerdillos by himself. Wally and Korra were starting to pull on their hair in suspense as Mako started facing off against his opponents, dodging every attack that came his way.

"It's all up to Mako now! He's bobbing and weaving, he's weaving and bobbing, but he's not hitting back! If Mako gets knocked out, the Ferrets' fabulous season is over!" As the match continued, Mako continued to duck and dodge all the Tigerdillo attacks while sending none of his own. Eventually, the Tigerdillo's attacks grew less powerful and appeared less frequently.

"He's dancing on the edge of the ring, surviving the three on one barrage! It seems his plan is to let the Tigerdillos punch themselves out." Just as Shiro finished that sentence, the Tigerdillo waterbender was knocked out of the ring.

"And his plan is working! Han is in the pool! They've got nothing left in the tank and Mako is on the offensive in a two-on-one battle!" The opposing firebender was knocked out just then,leaving Mako and the earthbender in a war of attrition.

"Scratch that, it's one on one, and it's an earth and fire slugfest! There's so much smoke and dust from the fire that I can't even see where the Fire Ferret is!" The earthbender paused to catch his breath and try to locate his opponent...only to be knocked into the moat by a massive blast of flames from Mako, after which the bell began ringing.

"It's a knockout! What a wing-dinger of a hat trick, folks! Mako pulls off the upset of the season, winning the match for the Fire Ferrets!" Mako took off his helmet and sent a couple of waves to the cheering crowd while Wally and Korra stared at him in amazement. When the Ferrets returned to the box, Bolin was clearly in the highest spirits.

"Woohoo! Yes! One more win and we're in the championship tournament! So, what'd ya think guys? Bolin's got some real moves, huh?"

Korra went up to him and grabbed his collar in enthusiasm. "What did I think? What did I think? That was amazing!" Bolin was pushed back when Korra let go, but Wally was there to catch him, also excited but a tad more subdued. When Mako and Hasook came up, they seemed significantly less cheery; actually, they looked downright annoyed at each other.

"You gotta start getting your act together Hasook. You did more harm than good out there and nearly cost us the whole match!"

Hasook took off his helmet to reveal an increasingly annoyed expression. "We won didn't we? An inch is as good as a mile in any case."

Mako was not dissuaded. "Not when we're so close to the championship matches."

Hasook's only response was to throw his helmet on the floor and yell "Get off my case man!" before slamming the door shut. Mako muttered something under his breath before moving towards the lockers. Korra approached Mako with an excited look practically plastered on her face. "You guys were incredible out there. Especially you Mr. Hat Trick."

To Korra's disappointment, Mako walked right past her without so much as a look, prompting Wally to comment with "And you're still a total jerk" Bolin was quick to defend his brother.

"Don't worry about him. Mako's a nice guy, but he tends to be cautious around new people, and I tend to bring a lot of new people with me into the stand."

Korra quickly got over Mako's unfriendly attitude and looked out at the arena. "I've been immersed in bending my whole life, but I've never learned how to do tricks like what you guys can do. It's like there's a whole new style here!"

Korra turned to Bolin with a hopeful expression. "Think you could show me a few tricks?" Bolin's response: an excited "Ab-so-lute-ly!"

As expected, that did not sit well with Mako. "Right now? Come on Bo." Bolin remained nonplussed and conspiratorially whispered "Just ignore him", which prompted Wally to whisper back "No problems there."

Out loud, Bolin's response was "Yeah, I can show you the basics. I'm just not sure how my earthbending would translate to your waterbending, but we'll figure something out."

Korra simply crossed her arms and gave a smug smile. "That won't be a problem. I'm actually an earthbender."

Bolin thought he had insulted her and quickly backpedaled. "I'm sorry, no, no! I didn't mean to assume! 'Cause I, you know, I was just figuring...with your Water Tribe getup...that you are...a Water Tribe...gal."

Korra's face never changed. "Nope, you're right. I'm a waterbender. And a firebender."

Bolin hummed with his hand on his chin for a moment before he spoke up again. "I'm very confused right now."

Mako was the first to realize what she was getting at and bowed his head at not figuring it out sooner. "You're the Avatar, and I'm an idiot." Wally responded to that with a smug "Took you long enough."

Bolin was significantly more shocked then his brother. "No...way." Bolin turned towards Mako with his hand hiding his face and whispered while pointing at Korra. "The Avatar."

A few minutes later saw them all in the arena gym where Korra and Wally first met Bolin. Mako and Bolin were in grey pants and white sleeveless shirts and had just finished up a few exercises, and Bolin was going to give Korra the bending tips he had promised her, Wally watching in the background. Korra started off by quickly bending a pair of earth-disks at a net, hitting the net dead-center before she turned to the watching Bolin.

"That was great! Good power! But in a real match, you'd be a sitting turtle duck. Try not to be so upright and flatfooted. Stay light on your feet, on the tips of your toes, right up until the moment when you need to dig in and strike."

Bolin demonstrated by quickly bending a pair of earth-disks right to where Korra's had hit earlier. Korra went back to staring at the net and did a quick jump from side-to-side before she perfectly mimicked Bolin's fast strikes.

"Wow! Nice adjustment! You're a natural at this." Korra beamed at Bolin's praise while Mako just gave an aloof "Not bad." Korra looked at Bolin with an irritated look.

"What does it take to impress this guy?" Mako's response was an annoyed "I said it wasn't bad." Wally spoke up to diffuse a potential argument.

"Don't take it personal, she's always had a challenging nature and was kept away from the world at large for most of her life by the White Lotus. She's still learning more about the world each day."

If that changed Mako's opinion of Korra, he didn't let it show. Instead, Wally just left him be and walked over to Korra. "I'd hate to break up all the fun you're having, but if we don't get back to the island soon, then people will be hearing Tenzin's shouting all the way north and south."

Korra gave Wally a downcast look, but ultimately relented. Just as she and Wally were about to leave the gym, Bolin popped up right beside them and put on a showman's winning smile. "Ah c'mon friends, it isn't really all that late; can't we fit in a little more practice before she has to be forced to the grindstone tomorrow?"

Korra joined Bolin in his pleading smile; despite his reservations...it couldn't hurt to have a bit more fun. "Fine, but only for a few minutes, and only because I'm such a big softie at heart."

Korra and Bolin whooped in joy and made their way back to the training field...turning a few minutes into almost 2 hours.

The next morning, Korra and Tenzin actually agreed on something for once: that Korra should continue practicing with the wind gates until she can master them. To make a long story short, she still wasn't having much luck, even with Wally there to support her. Tenzin's stern teaching methods weren't really helping things; if anything they made Korra even more frustrated. "Patience Korra, you won't accomplish anything through brute strength alone."

Wally sent a look at Tenzin. "Dude, how is that helping her become a better Airbender? Pushing Korra to her limits won't work, it'll just make her mad." Normally Wally wouldn't be so cranky, but a late night out with Korra and some new friends, a whole bunch of muggings and attempted robberies to stop, Tenzin's stubborn attitude, and the fact that he hasn't had anything to snack on for almost 3 hours make for a very grumpy speedster.

Just then, Wally's prediction came true; Korra's frustration reached a peak and she just burst out in a firebending tantrum that ended up destroying much of the device, leaving a panting Korra in the middle and Tenzin and the others stunned. As Korra slowly looked around and realized what she'd just done, Tenzin broke the silence in a shocked, rather quiet voice. "That was a 2,000-year-old historical treasure imported from the Northern Air Temple." He closed his eyes briefly before an angered look crossed his face. "What is wrong with you!?"

Despite her regret, Korra still let her frustration show. "There's nothing wrong with me! I've been practicing like you said but it isn't sinking in okay! It hasn't clicked like you said it would!"

Tenzin allowed his temper to ebb away and spoke in a calmer tone. "Korra, this isn't something you can force. If you would only listen to me..."

"Don't you think she has been listening?" Wally's voice interrupted the two of them before either of them could say something that they'd regret, only his voice sounded much more stern and forceful then usual; even when they weren't training they had a habit of bickering about practically everything, and Wally had just about had it.

"Korra might not be giving it her all, that I'll admit, but you trying to constantly push her is not only making things worse, it's a detriment to her progress. She's not one of your kids or an Air Acolyte, the training that you've given them won't work with Korra. If you're too close-minded or self-righteous to realize that, then you are nowhere near as good a teacher as you thought."

Tenzin's eyes widened at that accusation before Korra spoke up in a relieved voice. "Finally, someone who actually understands." Wally's gave turned to Korra, who seemed surprised at the intensity of the gaze.

"Don't think you're not at fault here Korra. I've already mentioned you aren't giving it your all and that's true. Every time something doesn't work out for you, you just give up and go do something else instead of putting any effort into trying to improve yourself. You listen to Tenzin's instructions but don't actually try them out, nor do you ever consider anyone else's point of view on anything. You need to either work on actually working on improvement or you'll never get anywhere as a fighter, much less an Avatar."

Korra's face held a look of shock after Wally had finished his speech, but he didn't give anyone a chance to speak. "I'm going to go on patrol; a very long patrol. If neither of you plan to get along, then don't bother to expect anymore help."

That was all he said before running off towards the city. Korra watched as Wally ran off before she rushed away in another direction with tears in her eyes, while Tenzin just stood there despondently, his children giving him comforting hugs.

I thank all the readers who stuck with this chapter to the end and still want to leave a review for all to see. If you have any comments, complaints, and/or questions that you would like to ask, please leave them in a review and I will answer them as soon as I am able to do so; you may also send them in a message if you'd like. As always, I understand if you don't feel like leaving a review, but i encourage you to do so even if I haven't been the most active writer as of late.

As we have seen in this chapter, Wally has started adapting to the life of a hero in Republic City and has reached a sort of pseudo-peace with Chief Beifong. Korra however had great difficulty with her Airbending training and got into a variety of arguments with Tenzin over what was best for her, leaving poor Wally to try and play the peacekeeper. Their only solace has become the sport of Pro-Bending, leading to a friendship between them and the Pro-Benders Mako and Bolin, though mostly Bolin. Eventually, Tenzin's and Korra frustrations, as well as Wally's, came to a climax when Korra destroyed an ancient historical relic in a fit of rage, and Wally harshly critiqued them both before leaving for a LONG patrol.

Next chapter, Wally is feeling somewhat guilty in the aftermath of his outburst, but such feelings will need to wait when he's contacted by a notorious crime-boss. Korra meanwhile just wanders the city aimlessly in a depressed funk, still stewing over her seeming inability to airbend, much less get along with anyone for more then a few days, and Tenzin begins to doubt his teaching abilities. When they learn that Wally is meeting with a dangerous criminal, his impromptu 'meeting' with the crime-boss quickly goes south, and the three must put their differences behind them if they want to get out of their latest situation with their lives and confidence intact.

How long will it take to get the three out of their moods? Who is the mysterious crime-boss with an interest in Wally and what are his interests exactly? What sort of trouble will they get themselves into and will they make it out alive? You'll have to wait for the answers to these questions in the next chapter of A Speedster Among Benders.