To LoamyCoffee, most of the awesome flavor text in the worldbuilding wouldn't be possible without my Beta, Spaceman. And as I've said countless times and will-continue-to-say, I love Worldbuilding. A lot of it just makes too much sense to discount. War always pushes science forward, most-obvious because the Fire Nation got Airships and the Earth Kingdom got "Slinky Tanks", but the medicine was a joy to put in because it just makes too much sense that, for lack of Water Healers on loan from the North, people would have to better-learn how to treat burn and shrapnel wounds.

Sultan Asil Arslan-Hiatus: People made issue about Zhu being feminine compared to Korra, and the author made him go full mad scientist. That sends a message doesn't it.

Re: Male leads don't all have to be "traditionally masculine" (read: Zhu) same way that Female leads don't all have to be "traditionally feminine" (read: Korra); having the two of them play off of one another was some of my favorite part of writing "Book 1".
As for the "message" about Zhu being a mad scientist… don't know if I get what you're coming from, but Zhu has always been "the Sokka" of the group. Asami is more-arguably "the Toph" of the group, being the heiress of a well-to-do family, but I digress…

Thefallenjedi66: FOR SCIENCE! Also, heres to getting ASC

Re: As Iknik Blackstone Varrick, Hiroshi Sato before him, and The Engineer before them both have shown, science can kick major ass in a fantasy setting.
As for the "Ambulatory Surgical Center", the end of the Hundred Year War created a "Renaissance" in industry, but Zhu is leading the charge in medicine, something he's studied extensively to try and rid himself of his own "affliction" before making peace with it.
Having Amon/Noatak around who looks arguably worse, also helped him come out of the shadows with his gift.

To blaze1992, the other doctors are essentially the "weirdos" in the other nations who wanted to cut open Human bodies but never had the chance to because it wasn't cosher; the Versalius-es in their fields, if you will.
When it came to Zhu inviting physicians the world-over to dissect the bodies once he was done with them, I was inspired by the
Adam Ruins Everything segment about medical colleges during the Renaissance (where everyone deferred to the Greek physician, Galen) and Vesalius when contemplating how-far-along medical knowledge was in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender even after the Hundred Year War.
Physical wounds could still be treated the old-fashioned way, but no-one would really know how the
inner workings of the body, well, worked, because [Water Healing] made it all so much easier.

To Felipe1402XZA, one of my favorite examples of stagnated medical knowledge in a fantasy setting (and the correction-of) actually comes from the Familiar of Zero/Mega Man crossover "The Blade of the Void" by DestrinBriar (on this site), where Roll from the Classic Era basically redefines medicine in Halkeginia.
It's a favorite of mine, and even though it's fallen off the radar, I still highly recommend it.
I'm always saddened when such amazing work falls too the wayside, but I try to hold out hope.

*RECONSTRUCTION*

Amidst the controversy of Grand Lotus Zhu's line of human experimentation, even with the transparently-known purpose of it all being to get the Bending back of those that had lost it, Hiroshi Sato's trial for his various war, race, and hate crimes loomed ever large in the public eye.

Though some had considered it untraditional to hold the then-un-tried man in prison instead of outright jail… the guy literally paraded himself as an Equalist sympathizer both before the public and on the radio. There had literally been mountains of evidence against him, and despite the urgings of his legal counsel, Hiroshi refused to take any sort of plea bargain. Even when it would've behooved him to claim that Noatak aka "Amon" had coerced him into complying with their plan, he chose to die on the hill that what he had done was not something that required punishing, and that he hadn't done anything wrong.

All of the 'Equalized' ex-Benders who were beaten, raped, and/or killed (not necessarily in that order) would obviously disagree with that sentiment. And even though the jury had largely been split dead-even between ex-Benders and non-Benders, the sheer and staggering betrayal that they had felt upon realizing Amon's deception, had been so embittering that it was almost universal that Hiroshi was guilty of… just about everything that Noatak himself had not himself committed.

In another time and place, he would not have seen his own daughter in person until just before his untimely death years later.

However, as the casting of a stone into a pond has shown, the ripples of even the most-insignificant event, can have lasting consequences for the world.

One such consequence was Asami Sato going to visit her father years earlier than the fates had intended. Prior to this visit, she'd been doing everything in her power to dig Future Industries out of the hole her father had dug for them, and since there was literally nothing more that could be done until their foreign business partners either came-to or abstained-from returning to the negotiating table, the board of directors insisted she take some time to herself. The young woman had been fueling herself on so-much coffee that even a Bloodbender would have a hard time getting a grasp on her.

And it was only at the behest of aforementioned Bloodbender, that Asami was visiting her father when she had a moment to breathe.

Asami for her part sat on one side of a glass partition. Hiroshi Sato, escorted by one of the few Metalbending guards that had escaped the purging, had his wrists and ankles shackled to themselves and then one another, rendering escape largely impossible. The man had lost a little weight since his incarceration, and Asami had to fight her better nature to not express some sign of worry as the man took the seat opposite her. Once the guard had stepped away, Asami reached for the phone to her right, Hiroshi mirroring the gesture.

" . . . "

" . . . "

" . . . "

" . . . "

The silence was almost as-unbearable as if her father had thrown hate-filled words at her like their last encounter. Just as Asami was about to hang up and write off the exercise as a complete loss, Hiroshi spoke up.

"Asami… There's something I need to say to you."

"Anything that needed saying would've come up at your trial."

"This has nothing to do with that," he returned, eyes downcast before looking back up. "Had things gone to plan, I fully intended on setting you up with Zhu as a suitor."

"Wh-What!?" Asasmi blushed, actually blushed like a primary schoolgirl as she wondered where the hell that had come from.

"It was never about Race, only about whether he was a Bender or not. Though he consorted with the Avatar, he held himself up with certain poise and dignity, even when for all intents and purposes he was a Non-Bender like we were. He was infinitely preferable to that street ra… to Mako," he amended when Asami's pretty face soured and her handset twitched toward the phone hook.

" . . . "

"Even now, I still think Zhu would've been a better suitor for you."

"Yes, well, tough. He and Korra are already engaged."

"Do I detect a hint of bitterness in your tone?" Hiroshi chuckled.

"Consider it the lingering after-taste of all the coffee I've had to choke down trying to dig Future Industries out of this deep, yawning hole you've made for us."

Hiroshi had nothing to say in retor to her embittered tone.

"Don't even try to be a 'Shadow Executive'. If our stockholders thought even for an instant you were trying to run things from here, they'd sell all their stock and leave us out to dry. The only reason I'm visiting you now…!" she said trying to hold back her tears.

The next moment Asami bolted from the room.

In any other instance, that would've been the end of the visit, and Hiroshi would've been escorted forcefully back to his cell.

However, when the guard caught sight of the rare combination of White Lotus blue-and-whites alongside brilliant vermillion hair, the raised hand of the man in question was all that was needed to stay his hand.

Zhu, stepping up to the discarded handset, made a show of placing it back down into the telephone hook before taking it back up and bringing the handset to his ear.

"Zhu."

"Mr. Sato."

" . . . "

" . . . "

" . . . I've heard tell of what you've been doing."

"Oh?"

"People tend to notice when death row inmates are taken away and they never come back."

"Well, they're going to die anyway, so-"

"Not that I particularly have a problem with it. Honestly, that my tax money in part went to feeding those monsters… You've actually made more people happy with your sourcing process than you've realized."

"Well, it's not like I'm exactly rife with 'volunteers'."

"That you aren't."

" . . . "

" . . . Zhu. Why do you care so much about me?" Hiroshi inquired, having already figured out that the young man before him now was the reason Asami had come to visit him at all.

"Is it wrong to sympathize with a man who lost the love of his life?" Zhu returned.

" . . . I suppose you actually know what you're talking about. You being wed to the Avatar and all."

"I'm marrying Korra, not the Avatar," Zhu corrected with furrowed crimson brows. "And the actual ceremony won't happen until things actually settle down in Republic City. Any sort of wedding happening right now might come across as a bit… insensitive."

"Ah, yes. Politics," Hiroshi returned.

"Perhaps. But at least with the floundering council, their greed makes them easy to manipulate."

"Well, you hardly need the stick when you have a nice juicy carrot to wave in front of them."

"Also true," Zhu replied.

" . . . How bad is it, really?"

"Imagine however bad you think it is, and then ramp it up by a factor of the fifth power."

"Ah, so you are also a mathematician?" Hiroshi inquired.

Fact of the matter was, the mathematical requirements for the public education system were quite low. It's why when entering the big corporations, many people working with numbers had to be re-trained almost entirely from scratch to be able to handle the sheer scale of what modern economics entailed. He'd actually had to work exceedingly hard to get the resources he'd been handing Amon past his own recordkeepers. A difficult task to be sure, but he was proud that those under his employ had made it such a challenge.

"Not as such. I tried to help Asami as much as I could, and she tried to bring me up to speed, but the fact of the matter is, the sheer scale of what she's trying to maintain… And I thought trying to find a 'cure' for my Bloodbending was a daunting task. I don't envy the long road she has ahead of her, all things considered."

" . . . I heard that the 'Red Spirit' was you all along."

"Aye."

"And that the whole thing about being 'possessed' was just a lark you pulled before the entire city to make everyone think the Spirits left Amon out to dry."

"Well, Amon was also a hoax. Only difference between us is, I came clean of my own volition and I needed less makeup."

"You're fortunate people are superstitious when they see things they can't understand, or else that gambit might not've worked."

"Honestly, I'm amazed no-one seriously thought I was having them on. I mean, Zuko pulled basically the exact same thing seven decades ago," Zhu shrugged. "Half was so I had an excuse to take a hot shower; the other was because they ran out of Blue Spirit masks."

"Indeed…" Hiroshi replied. "Why did you insist Asami come visit me?"

"Asami might think you are 'a horrible father', but that doesn't change the fact that you're the only father she has," Zhu said flatly. "Take it from someone who knows; the last time you see your parents, sometimes it might actually be 'the last time'."

"I'm deeply sorry for what you went through," Hiroshi returned, having heard the echoes of the young man's radio show from his holding cell. "I'd like to say what you went through only strengthened my argument… but the fact was, the North has always been a source of contention against the modern world. Did you know they actually illegalized the import of Satomobiles?"

"Well, it's nothing but ice up there, so… Who'd be enough of a sucker to drive one anyway?"

"Fair point…" the man conceded. " . . . Even if it was more for her benefit than my own, you have my gratitude."

"Yeah, well..." Zhu said raking his fingers through crimson hair. "Getting her to visit you now was a huuuge ask, so don't expect a repeat performance any time soon."

"Knowing that she's healthy and well, even if she thinks ill of me, is all I can ask for as a father."

"Well... you'll excuse me if I don't come to you for any sort of advice if I become a father."

"If? Not 'when'?"

"I mean, ultimately it's all on Korra," Zhu shrugged. "Well, I've got to get going. Don't go anywhere."

"That's so funny I forgot to laugh," Hiroshi hummed good-natureldy as he rattled his chains.

*RECONSTRUCTION*

" . . . So what did you and my father talk about?" Asami inquired, waiting in the Satomboile they drove to the prison.

"Nothing too major," Zhu replied as he climbed into the passenger seat. " . . . You're wound up tighter than a watch spring."

"Yeah, I know…" she sighed tiredly. "Did your Bloodbending tell you that?"

"Also yes," Zhu shrugged. "When we return to the estate, would you like a deep tissue massage?"

"The same kind that makes Korra go cross-eyed~?" Asami cooed.

"You make it sound so dirty," Zhu pouted. "It's all the fruits of my research, nothing more."

"And yet Korra married you without a moment's hesitation."

"After simping over a taken man for several weeks," he corrected, causing the heiress to giggle. "And to be specific, we're betrothed. The actual wedding won't happen until after the first presidential elections."

"Sensible. Very sensible," Asami hummed, lapsing into a comfortable silence for several long minutes. "So... Is it traditional to sample the goods orrrrr~?"

Zhu for his part spit-took a recent innovation from one of Varrick's many subsidiaries, coffee with the caffeine taken out, out onto the street.

"Wh-Wh-Wha-Wha-WHAT?!" the red-head squawked, his cheeks matching the drapes, eyes as large as saucers.

"Come on, Zhu, no need to be so coy~ A girl just knows these things~"

"D-Don't make a face like a perverted old man!" Zhu squealed, Asami chuckling prettily off to the side.

"But in all seriousness, I'm happy for the two of you. Especially Korra. She was glowing so-much I had to wonder if she got her Firebending back~"

"Urk...!" Zhu whimpered, face reddening as he fidgeted in his seat.

"So, how'd you manage to slip it past everyone else?"

" . . . "

"Please?" she pleaded giving him big Cat-Doe eyes. "I need a healthy relationship to live vicariously through."

"Didn't you and Mako reconcile?" Zhu blinked curiously.

"We did, but honestly... With the way things are going, 'Masami' might be on its way out the door."

"Masami...?"

"Our supercouple name. Didn't take long for the tabloids to come up with that one," she chuckled, something nostalgic coming over her eyes.

And why wouldn't it? It might've only been a couple months ago, but so much had happened since then, so much had changed, it may as well have been years and years ago.

"Masami... Honestly, I think 'Ako' sounds cuter."

"I know, right?" Asami gushed. "But come on, dish. How'd you stop everyone from figuring it out?"

"Okay... I'll talk... But you can't tell anyone."

"Cross my heart."

"And I'm not telling you about the, ahem... congress."

"I wouldn't ask you to," Asami nodded. "Fantasizing makes it way hotter~"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were into Korra too," Zhu deadpanned.

"And mess with 'Zhura'? No way~"

*RECONSTRUCTION*

And speaking of which…

"Tenzin."

"Korra? Do you need something?"

" . . . "

"Yes?"

"Can you help me unlock my Chakras?"

"What?" the Airbending Master blinked slowly.

"Can you… help me… unlock-"

"I heard you the first time, I'm just… I'm surprised you asked me this."

"Yeah, well… I can't spend all my time Airbending. I'm running out of things to say when Zhu asks me how my day was," she said with a tint of pink on her cheeks. "So… Can you help me out?"

"Of course I can," Tenzin nodded eagerly. "To think you'd come this far since you first got off the boat~" he chuckled. "Why, it feels like just yesterday you were a brash, hot-headed, arrogant-"

"Yes, yes, I get it, I was a bit of a handful," Korra cut his reminiscing off. "So um… just curious… How long would this actually take?"

"As long as you need. Republic City is at peace, or at least what passes for it nowadays, and unlike Aang who was deeply spiritual and had talked to his past lives many times before, you aren't on any sort of time crunch. There's no big battle on the horizon apart from those the rest of us need to fight if the United Republic will ever move forward."

"How is that whole 'democratically elected leader' thing going?"

"I've made some inroads with the Southern councilman, but the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation council members are still pushing back on the thing. I truly do fear that they won't budge on the matter until Zhu has some kind of commodity ready for consumption."

"And you really think he can do it? Reverse-engineer what Noatak did to all of us?"

"Don't you?"

"I know he'll try his hardest, but I also know, I don't know the first thing about Bloodbending. The whole thing would've been far easier if we had Noatak alive, but obviously things didn't pan out that way."

"If it's any consolation, we still have his brother."

"Oh... Wow... Yippee..."

"Well, don't worry about being polite for my sake. I feel much the same about him as you do."

"Hm. Yeah, well, him being Zhu's stooge in of itself is pretty funny," Korra chuckled. "So, you really think I can do it? Unlock my Chakras?"

"Technically speaking, anyone can. Since my father re-founded the Air Nomads, we've had people from the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and even the Fire Nation sign on. While unlocking ones' Chakras imbues you with a greater lifeforce, those who seek out Air Nomad teachings are those who don't want to fight anymore. And while it's true that some have attempted to use the Air Temples as hideouts to escape their own responsibilities… We have to believe that anyone can change."

"Huh. Well that definitely took a turn," Korra hummed. "So, which Chakra do I unlock first?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Tenzin said with a relieved sigh. "Come with me."

*RECONSTRUCTION*

One of the lesser-visited sites on Air Temple Island was the "Seven Chakras Grotto".

While only a pale imitation of the one that Aang encountered with Guru Pathik at the Eastern Air Temple, it still took years of practice with both Earth and Waterbending to get the water to flow just-right. Same as the original, sometimes moss would form on the rocks and muddy the flow, making it especially satisfying when a simple clearing of the first pond's mouth would clear the entire thing to a mirror-like sheen.

Tenzin had spent many days here in deep, contemplative meditation both before and after his father had passed away. Sometimes he would even fast as he meditated, attempting to unlock his Chakras. For the Avatar, the sensation was far more vivid because of the sheer wellspring of Chi already inside of them, but if he himself had unlocked all of his Chakras, he couldn't be entirely sure. Even if he hadn't however, he was happy with the life he had now, and that he could help Korra through her own spiritual journey…

It lifted his spirits in a way he hadn't realized he'd needed.

"Hey, Tenzin. Is the original grotto still there?"

"At the Eastern Air Temple? Yes, it's been immaculately preserved. Honestly, I'm a little jealous of the men and women who get to tend to it every day."

"I see… Maybe if I start travelling, I'll take Zhu there," Korra hummed thoughtfully. "N-Not for any sort of honeymoon! It's just… I want to be the one to take him to a place he's never been before, you know?"

"I understand," Tenzin nodded, getting used to the idea that the girl he'd helped raise was at the point where she could worry about that. "Now, why don't we take a seat, and we can get started," he pointed to a large flat slab of polished stone off to the side and overlooking the interlinked ponds, a pair of indentations worn from the many bodies that had sat there over the decades.

"Hold on, isn't this an all-or-nothing process?" Korra asked warily before she sat down, remembering something she'd read in one of Aang's books about his adventures.

"Not exactly…" Tenzin coughed awkwardly. "Guru Pathik could sense the turmoil occurring in the world around him, so he felt it important to elucidate the severity of the matter, and how-important it was for Aang to succeed," he explained. "While it was true that Aang departed the Eastern Air Temple before he could complete the process, it didn't mean he lost the ability to awaken the Avatar State forever. It simply meant that he had to sit down and repeat the entire process over again from the beginning; right in the middle of two very angry Firebenders."

"Soooo I can take my time with this?"

"As I said before, we are in no rush. You don't have to worry about a war or some other pending conflict. Right now, Republic City's citizens are taking the time to heal, and this includes you," Tenzin answered.

" . . . If I unlock all of my Chakras... will I get my Bending back?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no. Aang never had his Bending taken away, so this is completely unexplored territory," Tenzin answered honestly after some thought. "And if unlocking your Chakras doesn't give you back your other Bending forms?"

"Then I can either rely on Zhu to fix me up, or get used to life as an Airbender," Korra shrugged, something hiding in her voice.

"I understand," Tenzin nodded, he and Korra making themselves comfortable. "First, we will open the Earth Chakra, located at the base of the spine. It deals with survival and is blocked by fear. What are you most afraid of? Let your fears become clear to you."

Korra nodded, deeply exhaling.

Were she to attempt this from the very beginning of her stay on Air Temple Island, the mind-numbing boredom alone would've turned her away from the exercise. That she was able to sit down and deeply meditate without nodding off was a sign of how-far she'd come. How much growing she'd done since leaving the White Lotus' ice fortress in the South.

Loosening the tension from her body without completely relaxing, Korra delved down into herself, the world fading from view until all before her mind's eye turned black, leaving herself in an inky void. The pale light of the moon suddenly bathing her, stepping out of the darkness was Amon, a ring of green-eyed Equalists closing in on her from all sides.

However, it wasn't just Amon and his lackeys that she saw in her vision. She saw phantom nightmares of Zhu leaving her for another woman because she wasn't good enough. Of never regaining her Bending. Of losing her Airbending. Of not being able to fulfill her duty as the Avatar. Every fear and insecurity she ever felt materialized before her like the walls of a fortress, daunting and unassailable.

Her first instinct was to power through; like driving Naga through early morning traffic on her first day off the boat. However, the entire point was to let go of her fear. To set it aside and let it leave her body.

And so she did. One by one she confronted what she feared, accepted it, and then let it go. Let the tension leave her body until bit by bit, everything she was afraid of was gone from her mind.

The next moment she came back to herself, sweat dappling her brow but a tremendous weight lifted from her shoulders.

"Congratulations, Korra. You have opened your Earth Chakra," Tenzin said with a smile as he felt the surge of energy in the air around the Avatar's body, Korra wiping the sweat from her brow as she sleepily blinked her eyes.

" . . . Hold on, how long was I in there?!" she gawped as she stared up at the sky, the sun much farther along its journey than when she'd started.

"Well… Aang was more in-tune with his spirituality than you are," Tenzin nodded awkwardly.

"Oof, I'm exhausted…" Korra sighed as she tried to get up, a wave of exhaustion bowling over her like a runaway Satomobile and forcing her back down.

"The process can be more-taxing on some than it is on others," Tenzin replied. "Remember, you're trying to clear open pools and pathways of Chi inside your body, and the Avatar has more than anyone else in the living world."

"I don't think even Pro Bending ever exhausted me this much…" she yawned. It wasn't that she was sore, it was just… It was like she had no energy left. "And Aang went through this seven times…?" she asked incredulously.

"Thirteen times, technically," Tenzin corrected.

" . . . Wait, what did Aang do about the whole 'earthly attachments' bit at the end?" Korra asked worriedly, that part of the story sticking to her memory the most.

"Well, obviously Aang didn't set aside his earthly attachments permanently," Tenzin replied, gesturing to himself. "What Guru Pathik could've explained better was, you don't have to let go of what you hold dear to yourself on a permanent basis. You only need to… 'set it aside' until you no longer need the power inside of you."

"Oh. Okay, good… Because honestly, I was a little confused about that part."

"So then you have been reading."

"Mostly the exciting parts. Sometimes I have Zhu come in and read me to sleep," she admitted with a blush.

"I'm still not sure how I feel about him ghosting his way into the women's dormitory so late at night…" Tenzin said crossing his arms, realizing this was the first time he'd heard about it.

"Hey, at least I'm not having him stay the night," Korra pouted. "Though admittedly, that might change when we actually get married," she said fingering the choker around her neck.

"I'll… be sure to keep that in mind…" Tenzin sighed feeling the tension in his body rise.

He feared the day that his own children would come to crave the company of the opposite gender…

"So, what's the next Chakra on the list?"

"Another time, perhaps. Right now, you're too-exhausted from the opening of one Chakra."

"You mean I'll have to start over?" she groaned.

"With each subsequent attempt, the journey will become easier. It's why Aang was able to complete his awakening so-quickly even while being attacked by Firebenders."

"I guess it makes sense," Korra said, accepting her exhaustion even if she was unwilling to say it aloud. "Do you… What do you think would happen if Zhu unlocked his Chakras?"

"Well, he isn't just an ordinary Bender, he's a Spirit-Touched, so there's really no telling what would happen," Tenzin admitted, adopting a contemplative pose. "He might become a more-powerful Bender, which he might not necessarily want, or he might unlock a tremendous lifeforce within himself and live past a full century. Why do you ask?"

"I mean… don't married couples do everything together?" Korra asked bashfully.

"While it may be easier for you to make this journey together, at the same time his presence here may hold you back," Tenzin answered honestly. "Not to mention, his docket's quite full as-is."

"Yeah, that's fair," Korra admitted. "I guess I could walk him through it once you've taught me."

"I'm sure it'd be a great bonding experience," Tenzin said as he got to his feet before holding out a hand. "Come on, let's freshen up before dinner. You want to be bright-eyed and bushy tailed when Zhu asks you how your day has been, don't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right," Korra said letting the man pull her to her feet.

Facing everything she feared, even the stuff she didn't know about had been far from pleasant, but if Zhu could expose himself as a Bloodbender for the entire world to see...

*RECONSTRUCTION*

AN:
With someone like Zhu who has such a complicated relationship with his family, it only makes sense that Asami would try to visit what's left of her own at Zhu's insistence, since he genuinely knows what he's talking about on the matter.

Asami of course had every right to push her father out of her life, but Zhu in good conscience wouldn't let that happen for three/four straight years. Hence why this meeting happened earlier than in the Canon.

The "girl talk" was a last-minute addition that just came to me, but I hope the byplay between them is enjoyable.

As for Korra unlocking her Chakras (and by extension the Avatar State) the old-fashioned way, it just feels more satisfying to have it play out this way compared to the Canon, where Korra barely spent any time without her other Bending forms. And while this narrative decision might've been influenced by a series review on YouTube, I have to agree that the Canon events could've been done better.

The worldbuilding is all phenomenal, but like any sequel, it falls short in some places compared to the original.

Anywho, tell me what you think of the way I had Asami and Korra's side-plots carry out, and I'll see you all next time on Giant-Slayer: New World.