Thank you for waiting for this next chapter, I know it's been a minute. This story isn't done and is often lurking in the back of my mind, even when I am not actively working on it. Happy 2022!
Suyin didn't waste any time the following day. She was up and in Korra's suite before anyone else rose. She escorted the groggy group to the dining hall for the buffet-style breakfast.
The previous night's festivities hadn't slowed any of the representatives down. The hall was a din of conversations and porcelain clanking.
While Korra waited for her turn at the fruit table, a hand brushed the top of her shoulder, startling her.
"Avatar Korra," Bingwen said softly.
Korra turned around at her name. "Oh, hello, uh.."
"Bingwen."
"Thank you, sorry I met a lot of people last night."
Bingwen smiled and shrugged. "Of course. How was your meeting with Kuvira?"
Korra nearly dropped her plate. What was she supposed to say when she didn't want people to know she knew it wasn't Kuvira. Was it a good meeting? Is there such a thing as a good meeting with a tyrant who was supposed to be dead?
"That bad, huh?" Bingwen offered.
Korra's confusion must have manifested in some form on her face. She looked at his expression, and bad appeared to be the correct experience.
"Yeah," Korra replied with an exaggerated slump of her body. Lying by omission felt like her best course of action moving forward.
"Wild stuff, this whole situation." Bingwen saw the table clear. "Oh, we're up next. Need a push?"
Korra held up a hand. "No need."
After getting their fruit, they loitered by the edge of the serving table.
"Mind if I follow you to your table? I want to show you something," Bingwen said in a whisper.
Korra started moving towards where Suyin and the other were seated. "You can sit with us if you want."
"I need to meet with my fellow reps. I just want to do a little demonstration."
The group looked up from their plates at the two new arrivals. Korra wheeled herself up to an empty spot at the table next to Suyin.
"Good morning, everyone," Bingwen said with a big smile.
Opal fluttered a hand enthusiastically. "Good morning Bingwen."
Bingwen pulled out The Republic Magazine and held it level with his head. He casually glanced around him and then waggled the booklet. "Can I get your autograph?"
Korra sheepishly looked around the dining hall, noticing many eyes on her. "Sure, I'd love to."
"Are they looking?" Bingwen asked through his teeth.
Korra darted her eyes around again. "Yes."
Bingwen grinned. He let the magazine fall in front of Korra and slipped a pen out of his pocket. "In about thirty seconds, a line will form behind me with about a dozen other people who also just so happened to have this on them."
"I doubt it-" Korra started.
The sound of chairs scooting added to the collective noise of the dining hall.
"The Earth Kingdom is changing. I think the turmoil of the last few years has put into perspective what really matters."
"This is the work of your Kyoshi stories, isn't it?"
Bingwen grinned. "That doesn't hurt. But many of the people behind me are genuine. Take good care of them."
"Of course."
Bingwen collected his freshly signed magazine and held it out in front of him exaggeratedly. "Lovely, now I just need to get Miss Sato's signature. Next time I'm in Republic City?"
Korra shrugged. "Sure."
"Can't wait." Bingwen waved as he strutted away. "Keep the pen."
Korra addressed the woman now in front of her with the magazine outstretched. She was in her late forties, with green robes and big glasses that made her look mousey.
She laid the magazine down on the table like an offering. "Would you mind? I think it's so brave of you, being so open about yourselves."
"Thank you."
"My son," the woman looked down at the table. "He's... he's had a tough time."
"How old is he?" Korra asked as she signed next to her photograph.
"Fourteen, but he told me he knew when he was much younger. That's usually the case, isn't it?"
"Honestly, it's all kind of new to me too," Korra offered. The woman stayed silent, waiting for her to elaborate. Korra was not eager to share any more of her private self with the world but felt a strong need for reassurance from the mother standing before her. "I had a feeling I was different somehow, but I was also the Avatar, so a lot of my differences I chalked up to Avatar stuff. But yeah, I think it's just a part of who you are, something that's always there. Everyone figures out in their own time."
"I agree." The woman nodded a few times. "Part of the reason I am here is to hopefully make the Earth Kingdom a friendlier place for my son and other people like him."
"You're not alone in that desire. Suyin and-" Korra gestured to the Beifong matriarch and then looked to the small line of people forming behind the woman. "Hopefully, everyone else here, looking for a signature."
The woman glanced over her shoulder. She turned back to Korra and smiled. Suyin waved the woman over and started a side conversation.
Opal and Zhou Rhen silently ate and watched Korra's breakfast get cold as she interacted with a dozen or so representatives seeking her signature. Suyin snagged as many people as she could after Korra finished, like a tiger-eel poaching fish passing by.
Mako had his head on a swivel, eying the room. As unexpected as the number of people interested in Korra's signature, most of the room remained seated. With many keeping their heads down or attention locked on the conversation at their tables. But Mako saw a few shake their heads or suck their teeth. His favorite six at one point gave Korra's crowd a sidelong look.
After about half an hour and several refills on tea, Korra and her group went back to just themselves at the table.
Suyin pushed her half-eaten plate away. "I hate to mention this, but my friends in Omashu also want to grab your signature at some point. I saw them slink in here a few minutes ago, looking a bit too hungover to notice our little crowd."
"That's fine," Korra said with a tired shrug. "I should probably savor this one moment in time people are interested in Avatar Korra memorabilia, besides old koots slinging seaweed rolls."
Opal and Mako shared a confused look. Korra caught the exchange. "When I was traveling alone. This old shopkeeper took this awful picture of me for his 'wall of Avatars.' Increased his collection by one hundred percent."
"That's generally the best you can do is live to see two Avatars," Suyin muttered to no one in particular.
Opal leaned towards Korra. Her eyes narrowed inquisitively. "What did you do while you were going it alone in the Earth Kingdom? I've wondered if it was like some kinda erotic journey of self-discovery leading you to the realization that there's only one person you want to-"
"Alright, we should get going," Suyin announced abruptly, her chair screeching on the tile floor.
"You can't seem to help yourself lately, can you?" Korra said with a small punch to Opal's arm. She then wheeled herself away from the table after Suyin. Mako followed quickly behind her.
Zhou Rhen shuffled to the empty space to be beside Opal. "She doesn't seem to speak much of that time. Do you really think that could be true?"
"Where was this interest last night?" Opal asked, rubbing her arm.
"I'm trying to get Korra to like me more," Zhou Rhen murmured back.
Opal sucked her in lips, creating a slight smacking sound. "Smart call then."
Zhou Rhen winked.
Suyin, Korra, and Mako waited outside the breakfast hall for Opal and Zhou Rhen to catch up. Once together, Suyin led the group to a small corridor to discuss their next steps.
"Korra," Suyin started laying a hand on her shoulder. "Our top priority today is to attempt to get access to Wu."
Korra nodded. "Right."
"I'll go with you," Mako offered.
"Can't risk it. Wu was taken captive on the grounds of conspiracy. I believe it's regarding your failed mission to return Kuvira to Ba Sing Se. Your name hasn't come up, but I fear seeing you might jog others' memories of your participation. At this time, the enemy knows more about us than we do of them."
"So what should we do then?" Opal asked, waving a hand at herself and the two men of the group.
Suyin looked back and forth between Korra and Mako. "Who are our other loose ends? Tu? No word from him?"
"My grandmother said he's been very aloof. She's been told to relay my message, but that has him going to Wu's place," Mako offered.
"Maybe you three should go check and see if Tu or anyone else, for that matter, is holding up Wu's villa." Suyin fished in her robes and pulled out a key. She slid it across the table to Mako. "He gave me a copy."
"I'm supposed to stay with Avatar Korra," Zhou Rhen chirped.
Suyin glanced at Korra, who shrugged, then conceded with a nod.
"Asami didn't happen to give you that instruction, did she?" Korra asked Zhou Rhen as they and Suyin headed towards the area of the palace where the meetings were conducted.
"She may have grabbed me the morning we left," Zhou Rhen said nervously, fidgeting his glasses. "Miss Sato was very kind about it. She is just concerned for your safety."
Suyin's eyebrow quirked up as Zhou Rhen spoke. She leaned over to him inquisitively. "And how exactly are you supposed to help in a dangerous situation? You're not a bender, right?"
Zhou Rhen bowed his head.
"If it gives Asami comfort, that is all that matters," Korra offered, flashing her lopsided grin. "I'm sure your husband worries about you being here all alone, right Suyin."
"Bataar has never been scared for me," Suyin replied deadpan, eyes forward.
Korra sneaked a glance at Zhou Rhen, gave him a cheeky grin to let him know everything was alright, and mouthed. "More like scared of her."
"We demand a seat at the table!" A deep male voice shouted from the other end of the hallway.
The three shared a look and then picked up their pace. They reached the corner and found five Dai Li members outside a meeting room. In the doorway was a representative from Chu, and not far behind him a small gaggle of other states reps.
"How about you let us see Prince Wu, and we'll consider that request," Suyin called out as they arrived.
The five Dai Li turned to see Suyin, Korra, and Zhou Rhen join them in the hall. One of the Dai Li casually stepped forward as if greeting an old friend. "Suyin Beifong, how involved you are with everything these days." His eyes fell to Korra. "Avatar Korra, welcome back to Ba Sing Se."
Suyin put a hand on her hip and threw out the other in the Dai Li's direction. "And who do we have the pleasure of speaking to?"
"You may call me Serpent."
Suyin huffed and shot a snarky look to Korra. "Not offering any real names at this time, I see."
"I would like to speak with Prince Wu," Korra urged, wheeling herself a few revolutions closer to the Dai Li agents.
Serpent crossed his arms. "Not possible."
"And why not?" Suyin pressed.
"He is at our base," he said casually, glancing back to his comrades. "Which we would like to keep secret, for obvious security purposes."
"Then bring him back to the palace. You have no right taking him hostage," Korra barked back.
"Citizen's arrest, which I believe is legally within our rights as the Dai Li."
Korra stole a glance at Suyin. She saw a small crowd start to form along the edges of the corridor. Their voices must have carried them in.
"Well, I'm the Avatar, and I-"
"You'll what?" Serpent asked, looking at the four other Dai Li beside him.
Korra felt her carefully laid-out words tumble from her brain. "I-"
"You'll speak to her with respect!" Zhou Rhen said as loudly and bravely as he could muster.
Suyin pulled his sleeve, dragging him behind her. "That's not necessary, Bingwen."
"I'm Zhou Rhen," he protested in a whisper.
Serpent eyes wandered the room, catching the crowd that had formed around them. "What right do you actually hold over us or any citizen for that matter? Your will does not override any other authority's rights. The Avatar can merely make suggestions."
Korra's knuckles started to turn white as her grip around her wheels tightened.
Serpent gestured at the crowd again. "Isn't that right? If Queen Hou-Ting was still alive today, you couldn't wheel in here and demand an audience with her captives. Well, you could, but she'd be in her right to deny you. As she did with her Airbenders which you stole. I believe last time you were here, you were made an outlaw, and the warrant for your arrest was never formally cleared. The Queen died and the city fell before you could have made things right or suffered the consequences for your actions. Why it could be argued I'd be neglecting my duties if I didn't arrest you. It wouldn't even be difficult."
Korra felt her body shake with frustration and anxiety. She summoned her strength and pulled herself upright and out of her chair. Her fits outstretched and clenched to keep her balance on her right leg.
"Korra," Suyin hissed as a warning, but she also moved into a defensive stance.
"Try anything, and I'll wrap my chair around you like a net and hang you from the ceiling."
"Easy Avatar Korra," Serpent started, holding his hands up defensively. "Just stating a fact."
"And what about my original offer?" Suyin asked.
"You'll see the prince soon enough at the trial. When all truth comes to light, you'll see we deserve a place in the Ba Sing Se again." Serpent motioned to his four colleagues, and they dispersed into the hall.
Suyin wrinkled her nose as she watched them leave. Once out of sight, she turned to the representative from Chu and others still lurking in the doorway of the meeting room. "These men wanted to sit in on your meeting?"
The rep from Chu nodded. "They apparently want to participate in the government."
Suyin's face turned to stone. "I think you are good for today. Go hold your meeting."
"So now what do we do?" Korra asked.
Suyin took a few steps away from Korra and Zhou Rhen. A hand drifted to her chin, her fingers thoughtfully drumming.
"Asking to see Prince Wu appears to be off the table," Zhou Rhen muttered.
"What role the Dai Li will play in the new Earth Kingdom government hasn't come up. I don't like the idea, but they have some right to be considered." Suyin looked around. Most of the representatives had entered their meeting room, but a few people still milled about in the hallway. "Let's go to the gardens."
Suyin, Korra, and Zhou Rhen moved through the palace in silence but not unnoticed. Every palace attendant stopped and bowed deeply as they passed, murmuring a greeting to 'Avatar Korra.'
Korra appreciated this less hostile visit to Ba Sing Se, but overt gestures of reverence made her uncomfortable.
Korra could almost hear the deceased queen's shrill voice hollering about topiaries when they reached the gardens. It was clear the current flora was an attempt at a more modest aesthetic. It was still lush. Korra felt instantly more relaxed amongst the greenery. They stopped by a small fountain.
"I've figured it out," Suyin started. She flapped her arms at her sides a few times in a frustrated gesture. "It's so obvious I can't believe it took me this long."
Korra cocked her head. "What's obvious?"
"What the Dai Li want. They just spelled it out back there."
"To be included?" Zhou Rhen offered.
"Exactly," Suyin replied with a quick point of her finger to the younger man. "They must have been biding their time waiting for the right moment to resurface. Kurvira would have disbanded them immediately. A secret organization with muddled loyalty; no way."
"So why now? Why not after Kuvira fell?" Korra asked as she bent a little ball of water from the fountain to play with.
"It would have been plausible. But what value did The Dai Li have to offer the new government? They retreated when the city fell. They didn't even participate in Kuvira's reconstruction of the Earth Kingdom. Which would have been both in and against their favor."
"Prince Wu is their bargaining chip?" Zhou Rhen asked.
Suyin nodded. "Yes, and when they arrested him, they were privy to Kuvira's recapture before the rest of us."
"So they have some shady information gathering skills," Korra muttered, raising her water ball in the air and dividing them into four smaller ones.
"I doubt they even care about the conspiracy. Prince Wu's likely just a pawn." As Suyin spoke Korra divided the water further and their movement mimicking Pai Sho pieces. Korra caught Zhou Rhen watching the water, as if she was potentially strategizing with the small orbs.
"Do you think they know the truth about this Kuvira?" Zhou Rhen asked.
"No idea. She could even be a plant by them…"
"That woman seemed pretty sincere, plus why would she lie to me about how she got captured? If she really wanted my help, why not say the Dai Li got me?" Korra said before letting her water droplets fall into the dirt. They made a brief pitter pattern sound like rain. She looked up at Zhou Rhen and smirked.
"Maybe she doesn't know… I need some time to think about all this." Suyin took a seat on the fountain wall. "Why don't you two track down Opal and Mako."
Korra nodded and then gestured to Zhou Rhen. "You got all that right? Let's go."
"Now when you say go," Zhou Rhen started.
It wasn't too long of a walk for Opal and Mako to get to Wu's upper-ring penthouse. The sun was starting to reach its crest, so the shelter inside was a reprieve from the heat.
"Welp, no one's home or been home, it seems," Opal muttered, looking around the small seating area in the atrium, then moving to the narrow kitchen. Nothing looked used or out of place.
Mako followed behind her, scrutinizing the rooms more closely. "He could have a very clean intruder hiding here."
Opal finished her lap around the first floor, meeting Mako still in the seating area. "Go upstairs with me?"
Mako nodded and followed her up the metal spiral stairs to the bedroom. Wu's large bed was perfectly made. Behind the headboard on the wall hung gaudy triptych tapestries depicting some sort of ancient story about Badgermoles. Golden thread was sewn to highlight the silhouette of the original Earthbenders. Jewels threaded to the fabric for eyes.
"Wow, he really loves those moles," Opal said after the long moment of silence it took to really take in the tapestries. "So, no one is here. What do we do?"
"I think we should wait a bit. Tu could show up at some point."
Opal shrugged. "Alright, let's go wait downstairs. I think there was like one book on the coffee table. Want to arm wrestle to see who gets to read it?"
"It's yours."
"Aww, c'mon, I was banking on us fighting to take up some time!" Opal moaned, following Mako back down the stairs."
Mako stood by the window closest to the front door of Wu's penthouse, keeping watch. He used the hefty velvet drapes to conceal himself. Opal lounged on one of the small sofas. Her stocking feet casually resting on the coffee table. She occasionally looked up to see if Mako was still at the window like a faithful dog waiting for his owner to return from work.
"Will you sit down? You're making me tired," Opal groaned from behind Wu's one book. It wound up being a halfway decent pulpy mystery.
Mako perked up and did a double-take. "It's Korra." He scurried over to the door and opened it before Zhou Rhen got a chance to knock.
Opal let her book fall. "Tell them we don't want any."
Korra snorted as she rolled into the living room. "Always so quick with a quip."
"Bolin's been making me be his partner for improv. Helps with acting, I guess."
"Any luck seeing Wu?" Mako eagarly asked.
Korra shook her head. "A snowball's chance in Mt. Makapu of seeing Wu before the trial."
"So you are here to bring us back to the palace?" Opal asked as she eased herself up from the sofa.
"Your mom still thinks we should track down Tu."
Mako drummed his fingers on his chin. "The longer he goes unseen, the more concerned I am that he's been snatched up as a co-conspirator."
Zhou Rhen held up a hand. "I'm sorry, who is Tu?"
Mako, Opal, and Korra's eyes darted amongst each other. A silent question of who would answer and how. Mako wrinkled his nose and accepted the task. "He's my cousin and a friend of Wu's."
"Very close friend," Opal added along with an eye brow wiggle.
Mako shot her a scowl. "The Dai Li might be snatching anyone associated with Wu."
Opal clapped her hands together, startling the group. "So we're off to the Lower Ring then? I should touch base with Kai, so I'll split after the tram ride."
Mako remembered to call his grandmother before they departed Wu's penthouse to get their new address. As he, Korra, and Zhou Rhen approached the apartment building, he was pleasantly surprised by the halfway decent exterior. Grandma Yin's was on the second floor, and there was no elevator, so Korra had to bend her own. Fortunately, the steps were made of stone.
Grandma Yin happily ushered the group into her home. Her soft little hand startled Mako as it slipped into his.
"I'm so happy to see my grandson," she whispered as she walked with him into the kitchen. They walked by a fairly occupied living room. His aunts, uncles, and cousins smiled and waved as they passed. Mako strained his neck, looking amongst the somewhat familiar faces searching for Tu.
Grandma Yin dropped Mako's hand and motioned to the dining table. Mako and Zhou Rhen promptly lowered themselves to a pillow. Korra groaned at the sight of a short-legged table. She opted to wheel herself beside Zhou Rhen and remain in her chair.
"Listen, Grandma," Mako started before clearing his throat. "Is Tu home?"
Grandma Yin shook her head. "I guess he came home very late last night but was gone again by the time I woke up,"
A bit of relief washed over Mako. His cousin wasn't kidnapped. "Ugh, what is going on with him?"
Grandma Yin shrugged. "He's a big boy. He can handle himself. So, where is Bolin?"
Mako grabbed his forehead and rested his elbows on the table. "He's in Republic City. Shooting a mover, so he couldn't come out this time."
"Oh, phooey." Grandma Yin flitted her left hand. "Aloof, just like his father! I want to wish him and his fiancé congratulations."
"Well, Opal is here, but she's meeting with some fellow Airbenders…." Korra added. Grandma Yin leaned in as Korra spoke. Eagerly hoping for good news.
"Korra-" Mako started.
"Mako, why didn't you at least bring her?" The older woman asked.
"Grandma Opal's got a lot of responsibilities with the Air Nation. What's really important is us finding Tu."
Grandma Yin pouted. "Well, do you at least spare spend with your dear old Grandmother?"
"C'mon Mako," Korra started, nudging Mako's elbow with her own. "A glass of lemonade won't be the end of the world."
Grandma Yin pushed herself up and away from the table and meandered into the kitchen. "Lemonade, bleh! Too tart. I've got some lovely date juice I can give you, kids. And some fig paste cookies.
"My favorite," Zhou Rhen murmured, feigning polite enthusiasm.
After a few awkward and quiet moments, Grandma Yin returned to the table with a small tray. She passed out the small glasses of juice and then placed a plate of brown cookies in the middle.
Grandma Yin happily reclaimed her seat and helped herself to two cookies. "So, are you Avatar's new boyfriend?" She said, gesturing to Zhou Rhen with a half-eaten cookie.
Zhou Rhen nearly dropped his glass. A few droplets of juice dribbled on the table in front of him.
"I read all about it in a magazine. I have it here somewhere…."
"You don't have to, " Mako groaned.
Grandma Yin waved him off before rustling a magazine from the big pocket of her dress. They all peered down at the cover and then to Zhou Rhen. Take off the glasses and undo his bun. With his long dark hair and fair Fire Nation complexion, they assessed an argument could be made that the two share some resemblance. Distant cousins, maybe.
"Uh, Grandma Yin, this is Asami Sato," Korra corrected, tapping the cover. "You stayed at her home for a couple years."
Grandma yin nodded and smiled. "Oh yes, very generous girl."
"She's my girlfriend."
"I know that, dear."
Korra's eyes crossed.
"Korra, it might be a lost cause," Mako warned as he could see Korra wind herself up for another round of explaining.
Korra gave a defeated nod. "Want me to sign your copy?"
Grandma Yin's eyes lit up. She quickly produced an inkwell and pen. Korra signed her name under herself on the cover. Grandma Yin eagerly pointed to Zhou Rhen.
He gave Korra a sidelong look. She shrugged her shoulders back and passed him the pen. Korra smiled as he watched him sign 'Asami Sato.'
Mako shot up from the table. "We gotta get going."
Zhou Rhen rose as well, and Korra rolled herself away from the table.
"Is Uncle Chow working at the fruit stand? Maybe we'll try there."
"Yes, he should be."
Mako gave Grandma Yin's shoulder a squeeze. "It was good seeing you. I'll visit again soon."
"I'm going to hold you to that!" Grandma Yin called out, clutching her freshly autographed magazine to her chest.
It was about a fifteen-minute walk until they arrived at the small market where the family's fruit stand was located. Just a tiny square with a few other food vendors. Chow waved, spotting Mako right away.
"Mako, good to see you," Chow said, offering one of his large hands.
Mako gave it a few shakes, feeling his own much smaller hand crumple inside. "Uncle Chow."
"Will you take a look at our fruit these days? Freshest I've had in years.
The trio's eyes roamed over the crates of muted-looking melons, bananas, apples, lemons, and limes. The improvement was lost on Korra and Zhou Rhen.
"Yeah, not bad," Mako said, picking up a cantaloupe. It held firm in his hand.
"Limes…" Korra muttered, recalling her lunch with Asami in the city a few weeks back. "Say you wouldn't happen to know anything about the fruit that gets exported, would you?"
Chow scratched at his furry chin. "Well, I wasn't here during Kuvira's time, but I heard from other vendors that she had a very firm Earth Kingdom first policy when it came to all goods."
"Republic City apparently has had some issues getting certain fruits, like limes."
"Ah, I hear those were hard to get for a while. Lemons and limes were being used for the troops and the relief packages. Small, but high in vitamin C. Good for staving off scurvy during leaner times."
Korra shrugged. "That makes sense."
"So what's the hold up now then?" Mako asked.
"I'd guess some folks prefer the Earth Kingdom first policy, that and keeping the supply low so the demand is high."
"So another area where there isn't any government oversight," Mako murmured.
"Say Avatar Korra," Chow started as he bent down to be at Korra's eye level.
"What happened to your leg?"
"I had a bit of a nasty fall, broke it clean in two," Korra answered, rubbing her cast unconsciously.
"There's a healer here in the lower ring. He's amazing. They call him the bone master. I bet he could fix you up. I broke my arm not long after we got back. He had me mended and working the very next day."
"I do need to continue my treatment…" Korra said as she considered the option.
"But with a lower ring, doctor?" Zhou Rhen asked nervously. "I don't know if we should entrust the Avatar's body with someone like-"
Chow's face reddened. "And why not? He's as good as any of those crooked doctors in the upper ring slinging tiger-boar blood potions and snake blams."
"I'm up for at least checking him out."
Chow beamed with the knowledge he was assisting the Avatar. "Here, let me jot down his location."
"This doesn't look like a medical establishment," Zhou Rhen murmured as the three stood outside the door of the alleged 'Bone Master.' It was a modest structure no better or worse off than the other small shops in the lower ring. In the window were stacks of dusty books and papers, no indication of what kind of business it really was.
Mako took it upon himself to pound a fist on the door. The three shared a look as a crashing sound could be heard inside. Mako was about to knock again when the door opened. A stooped-over old man with a big poof of white hair stood in the doorway eyeing the group. "Are you here for healing or matrimony services?"
"Uh…" The three stammered.
Mako gestured to Korra's cast. "Healing, obviously."
The old man bent down lower than he already was and eyed Korra's left leg.
"Alright, come on in." He eased himself back up and shuffled inside.
The group looked around the small hovel as the old man started clearing things off a large wooden table in the middle of the room.
"Sorry, we never caught your name?" Zhou Rhen asked.
"Friends call me Beanie," the old man muttered, scooping up another load of clutter to move.
"My uncle recommended we come to see you," Mako started, taking a few steps towards the healer. "He said you helped him recently with a broken arm?"
Beanie paused for a moment between runs. "Chow, was it?"
"Yes," Mako said, feeling a smile tug at his lips.
Beanie blew a raspberry. "He was a big wuss."
Korra smirked as she watched the smile fall off Mako's face.
Beanie finished clearing off the bric-a-brac from his table, and gave the old piece of furniture a few swipes of his hand. Dust billowed off, small particles glittered in the sunbeam pooling in from the windows.
"No recent patients?" Zhou Rhen asked, eying the dust.
"None needin' the table. A broken arm or a couple of fingers are more prevalent in these parts. Also, the wedding officiation business has really been taking off."
"Is that a newer venture?" Zhou Rhen asked politely.
Beanie nodded. "A lot of the young strapping people of the lower ring were scooped up by Kuvira. Those are also the people most likely to get hurt. I noticed many wanted to marry their sweethearts before going off to fight the good fight. So I got my license and hung out a second shingle."
Korra clicked her tongue on her teeth. "I guess that makes sense." She tried to visualize the old man in front of her somehow looking presentable enough to perform a wedding ceremony, but it just wasn't coming together in her mind. Maybe that didn't matter so much to the bride and groom, if he was performing rushed pre-war weddings.
"Alright, girly, let's get you up on the table and take a look," Beanie said as he offered a hand to Korra. She took it and eased herself upright. "You strapping lads want to lift her up there?"
"That's not-" Korra started, but Zhou Rhen and Mako were quickly on either side of her. They both bent down so Korra could put her arms around their shoulders. They then each grabbed a thigh and hoisted her onto the end of the table.
Beanie gestured to Korra to scoot back, so her legs were laid out straight along the table. He then pulled out sheers and began cutting into the cast.
"You can put a new one on afterward, right?" Korra squeaked.
Beanie snorted as he continued to snip. "You won't be needing one when I'm through."
Korra flashed Mako and Zhou Rhen a worried look. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Korra started to rock her torso in an attempt to roll off the table.
"I need you to sit still, Miss Avatar. You don't want my scissors to slip."
The two halves of Korra's cast fell off her leg with a thud on the table. Cut right down the line between Ikki and Meelo's paintings. Beanie moved to sweep them from the table.
"Wait! I want to keep those," Korra cried out.
Beanie switched movements and passed the two halves into Mako's arms. "I'd recommend leaving them outside for a bit. Let that funk air out."
Mako grimaced as he looked around for a spot to place Korra's cast pieces. He held them as far away from his body as if they were contagious.
Korra looked down at her leg, it hadn't been that long, so there wasn't any significant shrinkage or loss of muscle. She could see the angry bright skin of the scar where bolder broke the skin.
Beanie palmed his sleeves, pushing them up to his thin but muscular arms. He then fluttered his hands at Zhou Rhen and Mako. "Step back, boys. I need my space."
The two young men obediently shuffled away from the table. Beanie moved to Korra's left side. He then widened his stance, squatted down, and closed his eyes.
Korra, Mako, and Zhou Rhen shared looks as they watched the motionless old man.
Beanie's eyes flashed open, and he laid his gnarled hands on Korra's leg. They were still at first but then started to shake until Korra's whole leg rattled.
What was happening didn't hurt, but it definitely felt weird to Korra. Like a deep pressure on the area surrounding the wound.
"C'mon, you little bits!" Beanie moaned as his whole body began to shake.
"Little moooooooore."
The old man's arms began to rise, lifting Korra's leg. Then in a flash, he let go. Korra's leg began to fall, but with a few quick gestures of Beanie's hands, the leg held still in the air. He raised his fists to the ceiling, balling them tightly. His sinewy arms taught. A soft crunching sound came from Korra's leg as the bone mended.
Beanie's arms then fell, and his body went limp. Korra's leg landed on the table with a thud.
Mako and Zhou Rhen flinched as they watched Korra's heel collide with the hard wooden table. Waiting for a cry from the Avatar that never came.
Beanie teetered a bit as he waddled out of his squat. "Phew. Reluctant little bastards, but the two halves are together now."
"How does it feel, Avatar Korra?" Zhou Rhen asked hesitantly.
Korra eyed her left leg. She started by flexing her toes and then dared to draw her foot closer, bending the knee. It felt normal. She grinned and straightened her leg to bend it back up again.
"It's healed."
"Sure is," Beanie replied proudly. "Go on, put some weight on it."
Korra rotated her body, swinging her legs off the side of the table. She led with her right leg, placing her foot flat on the ground. She then eased her left down to the floor. She scrunched her toes a few times on the cold floor, then pushed off the table and stood.
"This is incredible." Korra took a few timid steps, then as her confidence grew, she did a lap around the table. "I'm walking!"
"Will she need crutches at all?" Mako asked as he stepped closer.
Beanie rubbed his chin. "Shouldn't. Give it a few days before going on a run or anything that strenuous. But she should have no issues walking around."
The old man walked over to a side table and started scribbling on a pad of paper. He tore a sheet off and passed it to Korra. "Here's my fee."
Korra eyed the paper, and her eyes bugged. "That's like Two hundred and forty yuan. Is there an Avatar discount?"
Beanie tapped the sheet in Korra's hands. "That has been applied to the bill."
"You'll take Yuans, right?"
Beanie nodded.
Korra looked over to Mako. "Did you bring any money with you?"
Mako's brows furrowed. "Don't you have any?"
"A little, from my parents," Korra replied, shrugging. "That reminds me I still owe Bolin…."
"Asami doesn't give you an allowance or anything?" Mako asked as he dug around in his pockets for his wallet.
"Why would she do that?" Korra stepped closer. "Did she do that for you?"
Mako blushed and started searching more feverishly. "Not exactly."
"I don't know if I should be jealous or proud."
Beanie cleared his throat.
"I have some money with me, Avatar Korra," Zhou Rhen offered, pulling out a little satchel from his robes.
Korra waved the young men closer. "Okay, how much you all got? I have about forty-eight yuan." Korra held out the coins in her palm for them to see.
Zhou Rhen placed seventy-five yuan onto the pile.
"I'll pay you back," Korra promised, counting the yuans with her own. "So that means I just need-"
"One hundred and seventeen," Mako says, taking the coins out of Korra's hands and combining them with his. He pulled out a few more from his back pocket and motioned to Beanie that he was ready. The old man bowed and held out a small tray. Mako dropped the coins into it with a crescendo of noise."Much appreciated."
Zhou Rhen and Mako started towards the door.
"Remember, I do weddings," Beanie called out as he started to count his loot. "Tell your friends!"
"I wonder what the fee for that is…" Mako grumbled.
"Not to be rude, but do you think that was a bill your uncle could afford?"
Zhou Rhen asked, keeping in step with Mako.
The Firebender pursed his lips. "I bet he inflated the cost because Korra is the Avatar. Old bastard must know the Republic City dwelling Avatar is no pauper."
"Though today she might have proven otherwise," Zhou Rhen said with a smirk.
Korra trailed behind the boys, not paying attention to their conversation, even though she was the subject. She looked back into Beanie's shop, then stopped before clearing the door. She shuffled back in and held out a hand to Beanie.
"Thank you, I can't believe I'm walking!"
"My pleasure, Avatar," Beanie replied, bowing as he accepted her hand.
"Actually, I have a question. Is it possible to heal paralyzation? A boy I know had a terrible fall on his spine."
Beanie shook his head. "Sorry, no. I work with only bones and minerals. That type of injury is affecting the nervous system."
Korra cocked her head to the side.
"It's like the puppet strings of the body. But once a string's cut, the body part doesn't feel the pull that tells it to move anymore."
"I understand."
"I'm sorry to hear that has happened."
Korra let out a long breath. "Me too. Thank you again."
It wasn't tricky for Opal to track down Kai and the other boys. Once the group made it to the lower ring, she asked the first local person she saw if they had seen any air bison and was pointed in the right direction. She chose to fly with, figuring the boys would have Lefty camped up on the roof of their hostel.
That's where the massive beast was resting. Opal gave him a few scratches on his wooly ears before dropping down to street level. Conveniently Kai and the other bends were loitering out in front of the building, playing with the scruffy-looking local children.
"Mind if I join?" Opal asked as she landed in the middle of the game.
Kai smirked. "Finally." He threw the ball to Cheng and waved Opal to follow him away from the game and towards the hostel. "So, what's the plan?"
"You all are going to continue on your original mission. We got everything handled here, and your talents would be better spent continuing to aid the small towns."
Kai pursed his lips and shook his head a few times. "You're sidling us. Why?"
"Not exactly," Opal replied, resting her back against the hostel wall.
"If this woman is actually Kuvria, you're going to need all the backup you can get. You know what she is capable of. And who knows how much support she still has here in the Earth Kingdom."
Opal bowed her head. She was hoping Kai would go without making a production. She chose her words carefully. "I don't think she is anyone we need to worry about anymore."
"What does that mean?" Kai asked, crossing his arms and throwing his weight to one side. "Somethings up, I can feel it."
Opal looked down at her feet, weighing her options.
Kai huffed and shook his head again. "Your hesitation tells me everything I need to know." He took a few steps away from her and kicked at the ground. "I thought we were partners."
"Kai," Opal started.
"I get it. It's privileged information. Even after everything, I'm not privileged enough to be included in the inner circle."
Opal felt her stomach tighten. She didn't want to lose Kai's trust. After all their time together traveling the Earth Kingdom, she knew he really was someone you could count on, no matter what. "It's not that we don't trust you. And trust isn't the right word. It's almost better not to know this information."
Kai took a few steps back towards Opal. "Tell me."
"Only if you promise to take the others and go about your original mission. They can't know, and it's not possible for you to remain here with them and somehow keep this secret."
Kai bit his cheek.
"We've got this handled, I promise. This type of problem is going to be solved with diplomacy, not fighting."
"Fine," Kai conceded, almost spitting the word.
Opal took a breath before speaking. She said a silent prayer that she wasn't dooming everyone with this one decision. "It's not Kuvira."
"Seriously?"
Opal nodded.
"But how can you be sure?" Kai pressed.
"Because we know where the real Kuvira is."
Kai flinched, "She survived the crash?"
"Listen, I can't tell you anymore, for now. You and I can sit down when this is over, and I promise I'll tell you the whole story. Just be comforted right now with the fact that we are not dealing with the real Kuvira."
"I had a feeling Jinora was hiding something from me when all that stuff went down after the trail. When she left with Korra to go to the desert," Kai muttered, swiveling his head back and forth. He punched the air. A few quick jabs at an invisible foe. "I knew it!"
Opal waited for Kai to finish. Once his shoulder slumped, she placed a hand on them. "We'll talk more. When we're all back at the temple. I promise."
Kai replied with a slight nod.
"So what do we do about Tu?" Opal asked the recently reunited gang seated around the visiting area of the Avatar suite. On the coffee table in the middle of their plush chairs sat an extensive offering of finger foods.
Mako reached for a piping hot reef crab Rangoon. "I don't think we can devote any more time to him." He replied between puffs of air to cool the fried appetizer down.
"Agreed," Suyin replied swiftly after Mako. Something tells me he isn't in danger, just trying to stay out of dodge. "If he is a captive of the Dai Li, we'll find out soon enough."
"So, what do we do to prepare for the trial?" Opal asked, looking to her mother.
Suyin was stooped over in her seat, elbows on her knees, her chin resting on her palms. "I still don't know what the best course of action is. All-day, I debated in my mind whether I solicit our allies and tell them what we know or is it better we drop the news to everyone at the trial, take the whole government body by surprise? We have one day to strategize."
Korra laid awake as she recounted the events of the day. Her eyes drifted over the ornate pattern on the ceiling, searching for something to focus on, but it was so busy. She wanted to roll over, but that would break the illusion she was trying to create for herself, that Asami was asleep beside her
Korra let out a breath. She wondered why it was so hard to sleep without Asami. She slept alone most of her life, with great ease. Apparently, that was a former skill she had taken for granted. How many more nights did she have away from Asami? What next problem would arise in another part of the world in the near future.
"I'm gonna have to figure it out at some point, but I guess not tonight," Korra moaned, pulling herself from her bed. She eased her right leg to the floor and then her left, forgetting herself for a moment. As both bare feet made firm contact with the cold tile, a smile tugged at her lips. There was a door to a small outside balcony from their share sitting area in the Avatar suite. Korra figured a little fresh night air might calm her mind, and this little spot was as good as it was going to get. It wasn't worth the risk for her to travel to the ornate garden and Koi pond that had been recreated as best it could in Queen Hou-Ting's original vision. If it was easier for her, Korra had half a mind to piss in that pond a final diss on her Qunnie-ness.
Korra pushed open the door to the balcony and was surprised to find a startled Zhou Rhen. After getting over the shock of a suddenly burst open door, he waved from his seat.
"Korra."
Korra made it fully onto the balcony and then closed the door. "Couldn't sleep either?"
"The time change has me a bit mixed up, but I will be in trouble here in a bit. I need to wake up early to…" Zhou Rhen stopped himself, realizing he perhaps shouldn't reveal his Spirit World conversations with Jinora.
Korra curled an eyebrow, waiting for Zhou Rhen to finish.
"To do my morning meditations."
"No one is forcing you, but I understand wanting to keep some kind of schedule."
"And is the time difference affecting you as well?" Zhou Rhen asked.
Korra bowed her head. "It's stupid, but it feels weird sleeping without her… I've never gotten so close with another person like this before."
Zhou Rhen looked down at his hands. "I've never been in a relationship before."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-four."
"You're young. You've got plenty of time," Korra offered with a wave. "I didn't start dating until I came to Republic City. I can't imagine there's a lot of potential romantic partners in the White Lotus compound you came from either."
Zhou Rhen nodded. "Just a lot of old men, if that's your thing."
Korra chuckled. "I've learned I don't discriminate based on sex, but age… I might have limits."
"Miss Sato is older, right?" Zhou Rhen asked, tilting his head curiously.
"Just by a year, but she's so much more mature. Even when we first met, I was intimidated," Korra slapped her hands on her thighs. "Like wow, here is a confident woman."
"She is a bit intimidating," Zhou Rhen admitted, thinking of their first meeting at Bolin and Opal's engagement party.
Korra nodded enthusiastically. "When you first meet her and learn who she is and what she does?" She let out a long breath. "And I was just some hot-head from the sticks who could not handle jealousy if my life depended on it. During that whole situation with Mako, she always kept her cool… Funny how it all worked out in the end."
"Were you attracted to her when you first met?"
"I honestly just felt really conflicted. Asami was so welcoming to me, and we worked well together. But she was with Mako, and I really liked Mako. I couldn't help but feel like she was in the way of my happiness. But when things didn't work out with Mako like the third time, Asami was still around. She was so supportive of me and what I was going through," Korra looked down at her lap. The thumb and pointer of her right hand were worrying with the pointer on her left. She knew she was not supposed to dwell on the past but felt a tinge of shame creep in. "I feel so stupid for ever feeling jealous in the first place."
"When did your feelings for her change?"
Korra snuck a look at Zhou Rhen. "This going in your little notebook?"
Zhou Rhen pulled his book from the small end table beside his chair and let it fall with a thud. "Not tonight. Right now, I'm asking as a friend."
Korra smiled and looked out over the balcony. Her view of the city was a bit obstructed by the railing, but she could still see most of the twinkling lights. It wasn't the Republic City skyline, but it had its own kind of beauty. Many of the buildings were over a hundred years old. Republic City was all shiny and new.
"I accepted my feelings when I returned to Republic City. Seeing Asami again after three years, what I felt about her during my time away became amplified. Like I couldn't breathe but at the same time was filled with this incredible energy."
"What kind of energy?"
Korra felt her face redden and hoped it was just dark enough for Zhou Rhen not to notice. "It's embarrassing to say; no one has ever made me feel that way before, but it was like this incredible urge to show off? Asami would look at me, and I'd want to pick up the Air Temple Gazebo and bench press it. But showing off and courtship was entirely inappropriate for an active invasion. Though maybe all that pent-up energy was what I needed to take on Kuvira. I had really sucked in all fights prior to that moment. When they actually changed, probably before my injury from the Red Lotus, I didn't have a grasp on what it meant or if it was possible. I was pretty sheltered in the compound."
"This is an area you can affect change in, you know," Zhou Rhen offered.
Korra cocked her head.
"The White Lotus's purpose is to work for you, Korra. Now that you are an adult, you can give feedback to the organization, let us know how to serve the next Avatar better. You were the first Avatar the organization helped raise. You were the guinea-sow. And without access to the past Avatar incarnations, you and Avatar Aang are all it has for guidance."
Korra winced.
"I'm sorry to bring up the previous Avatar. I-" Zhou Rhen stammered, repositioning himself to face Korra more directly.
"It's okay; I just have to remind myself it's not my fault they're gone."
"It truly isn't."
"So I can help the next Avatar, huh? " Korra put her arms behind her head and feet up on the railing in front of her. "Why didn't you lead with that when you first came?"
Zhou Rhen chuckled. " The truth is, I haven't finished my training. When Tenzin contacted us, a decision had to be made; send my master to be with you until I was ready or send me. My master determined that it would be best if you had someone who would be able to be a constant for you."
"It was probably the right call. I'm pretty sure I would have found an old man counseling me even more off-putting.
"My master never was meant to be your counselor," Zhou Rhen started, envisioning his old teacher. The sour look permanently smeared on his face. His uncle had warned him about 'lame turtle duck' members, those who were destined to just be a seat warmer for the next to assist the Avatar. Some handled the position with grace, but others definitely got a chip on their shoulder over it. "And the one I train likely won't council the Avatar, and they'll train the one that does. The positions must always be filled. No lapses allowed. This is to ensure the knowledge is never lost and we are prepared for any contingency."
"You mean if I kick the bucket unexpectedly?"
"For any Avatar's untimely demise. The beginning of the cycle is always when things are most vulnerable. I heard there was an effort to kidnap you as a child by the Red Lotus."
"Well," Korra sighed, feeling the memory of her poisoning threatening to flood her mind. "They eventually succeeded. I guess persistence does have its merits."
"And it's true that their goal was to kill you in the Avatar State, to end the cycle?"
Korra hung her head, accepting she was once again going to remember her darkest moment. "It was the closest I've ever been to death. Except maybe when I redirected Kuvira's spirit cannon. But that was a split-second decision. When I was poisoned, it was a drawn-out process. I was disoriented and even hallucinating."
"The method was used to trigger your body to go into the Avatar state, right? To end the cycle."
Korra nodded, her stomach tightening as she recalled the poison touching her skin, it didn't sting at first, just a cool sensation. Then it felt like fire as the Red Lotus metal benders pressed the sludge into her pores.
"Do you know how it works?"
Korra didn't hear him at first. She was too lost in that moment.
"How the cycle can end?" Zhou Rhen repeated.
Korra perked up a bit and gave Zhou Rhen a nod. "Raava dies with me, somehow." Korra recalled at that time she didn't see Raava. No words of encouragement from her other spirit, only the cruel words of Vatu.
"Yes, in a way. The Avatar state is a time when your spirit and Raava's are joined. A conscious decision to fuse together must be a conscious decision to separate. If you died in the Avatar state, Raava would be trapped. We don't know what will happen to Raava, but your spirit would experience true death, unable to reincarnate. Aang struggled with the Avatar state during his Avatar training. His earthly ties kept him from truly embracing his role. He was young but very much in love."
Korra held up a quick hand before returning it behind her head. "I think I see where this is going, but you don't have to worry about Asami and me. I can go into the Avatar state."
"But could you make a choice between her life and your duty?"
"Asami understands my duty as Avatar, probably more than most. She would never."
"I said, could you?"
Korra thought back to her conversations with Kuvira while she was awaiting her trial. The cold look in the dictator's eyes as she spoke. "There will come a day when the good of the people outweighs your own attachments."
How many people need to remind her? She was starting to get the suspicion that it wouldn't matter how many times she was reminded, how much she mentally steeled herself. Nothing prepares you for that moment. Korra let out a long sigh through her nose. Which was likely why those around her still attempted. All she really could do was hope that day never came.
Zhou Rhen decided to continue without Korra's response. "The White Lotus wanted me to dissuade you from being so public with your relationship with Asami, but the organization never doubted its validity. Tenzin reached out to us because he knew that this relationship truly means something to you. That you aren't just dating around anymore."
"Avatar Aang and all Avatar's before me have managed to have relationships while fulfilling their duty."
Zhou Rhen pushed his slipping glasses up his nose. "We have no doubt in you, Korra. We just want to prepare you for difficult choices you may have ahead of you. I am here if you ever need someone to talk to. And know this isn't just about Miss Sato or whoever your long-term romantic partner is, but children too."
"Let me guess," Korra started shaking her head, as she spoke. "The White Lotus aren't stoked on the idea of a pregnant Avatar."
"There is no formal record of this occurring, but we believe statistically is must have at some point. I'm sure conception is possible, but that gestation period is a very vulnerable time. Again, this is information for you to consider. We cannot tell you what to do or how to live your life."
"If Asami and I get to that point, with two women, we've got options, right?" Korra said with a grin.
"Yes, I guess that is true." Zhou Rhen gave his chin a few thoughtful strokes. Again the decision will be you and your partners."
"I honestly never really gave it much thought before. When I thought of the future, it was me as the Avatar. It wasn't until Republic City that I started picturing a future with another person."
"And now?"
A flutter tickled Korra's stomach. "It's like a little whisper in the back of my mind, sometimes when I watch Asami interact with Tenzin and Pema's children, I think maybe we could do that. It's strange, imagining little people who don't actually exist. You can only picture the outline."
"I suppose you're right. You can't predict children."
"No, only hope for who they will be," Korra shook her head. "My mother, she has all these hopes and dreams for me… but life won't play out in the specific way she anticipated. I try not to let it get to me, but sometimes when I think about the future, I feel the weight of that disappointment. Even though I know, she's trying. It's like part of me can't trust it will ever be genuine, that a part of her will always be a little disappointed. I wouldn't want my children to ever feel that."
"I could see the tension on your mother's face when we talked about the article before catching our ship back to Republic City. But I could also feel the love she has for you. I think it might be too much for her sometimes. Aang left no record of what it's like to be the Avatar and someone's child, only what it is like to have children himself."
Korra nodded. "Perhaps if I have children of my own, I'll understand my own mother a little bit better."
Korra and Zhou Rhen both looked back out towards the night sky.
"Korra? Korra where are you?" Mako's muted voice called from insite the suite.
Korra and Zhou Rhen both turned towards the door. Mako's annoyed face pressed against the glass. Once he spies the pair, he thrusts it open. "Suyin stopped by, said there is some commotion where they are keeping Fake Kuvira."
Korra shot up from her seat and met Mako at the door. Together they moved to the suite exit and down the hallway towards Kuvira's holding chamber, both still in bare feet.
When Zhou Rhen made it inside the suite, a sleepy Opal stood alone, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"
The halls were fortunately empty of any other statesmen. No sounds of conflict could be heard either. The calmness dawned on both Mako and Korra. They share a quiet, curious look as they continue towards the private holding cell.
They came to an intersection in the hallway. Mako went left, Korra right.
"It's gotta be this way," Mako urged.
Korra shook her head. "Who among us has been there once before?"
Mako grunted and obediently followed behind Korra.
It dawned on Korra this was the first time in a while she was running. She wanted to savor the moment but had to remind herself now was not the time. She probably shouldn't even be testing the limits of her healed leg so soon. As they neared the holding cell, they could hear some commotion. Once again, Korra turned a corner to discover an irate man shouting at a group of people.
A disheveled-looking but well-dressed man was held away by a guard from a small group that included Suyin. The captive wasn't very tall, but thick. His was toned accept for a pot belly, that was threatening to peak out from under his shirt if the guard restrained him any tighter.
"Sorry Avatar Korra, we thought he had permission to visit the prisoner," The place guard holding onto the man said once she was within earshot.
Instead of responding to the guard, Korra turned to Suyin. "What's going on?"
"It's the six," Mako muttered under his breath.
Korra gave the group another look. She didn't really recognize any of them. All she saw were older dudes ensconced in emerald robes.
"She's lying. You see it, don't you? How can that woman not be Kuvira?" The restrained man stressed to the group before him. "Go see for yourselves!"
"No one else is going in-" A guard started.
"What if the Avatar permits it?" Suyin asked, turning her gaze to Korra. She encouraged her to agree with a slight nod and quirk of her eyebrows.
Korra shifted her weight as she found her voice. "If it's just a quick peak."
"Thank you, Avatar Korra," Chi Gao said between ragged breaths." My colleagues just need to see her for themselves, and then they'll know the truth."
The remaining men awkwardly shuffled into the holding room and out of sight to get a look at 'Kuvira.'
Korra moved closer to the man speaking to her. "I think you can let him go."
At the Avatar's word, the palace guard released the man's arm and took a few steps away. The man favored the arm and gave it a few rubs.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Mako asked.
"Chi Gao, Governor of Siaw Jong, presidential candidate and one of the lead prosecutors in the trial," Chi Gao said proudly, brushing each side of his fluffy mustache with his thumb.
"Badgering the defendant outside of the courtroom is highly unprofessional," Suyin quipped.
The five men began exiting the holding cell. Suyin and Mako paid close attention to their expressions to gleam any details of their opinion on this supposed Kuvira.
"Well, what do you think?" Chi Gao asked his colleagues eagerly.
"No doubt in my mind now!" Dong, a balding representative of Jein Sin and the shortest of the five proclaimed. He turned to the others, who were visibly less impressed.
"It does appear to be her," the representative from Ru murmured while toying with his long beard.
Korra, Mako, and Suyin hung back and watched the group of men deliberate. After a while, a guard came back out and asked all parties to return to their rooms. The three trailed behind the six through the halls. At a large intersection, Chi Gao stopped and turned around. "You're not in a wheelchair anymore, Avatar Korra."
"Thanks for noticing."
Chu Gao's olive eyes narrowed. "Why exactly are you here, if you don't mind me asking? It's to help convict Kuvira this time, right? I heard you stayed out of the whole trial the first time around."
Korra's stomach tightened as she recalled how much she agonized over the decision to publicly support Kuvira, only to pull out at the last moment. Even though it was to help Kuvira, the emotional whiplash it must have caused never settled right.
Chi Gao smirked and turned around. "Who knows, things might have run smoother had you actually been involved."
The six took a left at the hallway intersection. Korra, Suyin, and Mako took a right.
"For a moment, there I was worried," Korra sighed.
"I don't think he suspects you of any sympathies towards Kuvira, quite the opposite. Clearly, he is critical of you appearing apathetic to the whole issue."
Korra grabbed the sides of her head. "There are too many truths with different people to keep straight. I'm going to loop Zhou Rhen in on everything."
Mako sucked his teeth. "Are you sure?"
"He's got to know something is a little off at this point. Regardless, he's my council, and I trust him."
"I'm with Korra," Suyin sighed. "Skirting the truth when he is around, which is always, is exhausting. The Airbender boys are out of the picture, so it's all inner circle folks left. We all need to be on the same page to get through this damn trial."
Suyin reached out and touched each of the youth's shoulders. "Go get some sleep. We got a big day of strategizing tomorrow."
To be continued...