AUTHOR'S NOTES: It's clear that since Nakkoa and Kwan are Red Lotus agents that they have some sort of external motive(s), but the sisters might have a few more screws loose than they let on. Their familial relationships do actually play a part in this, and we'll learn soon enough why it's important. They've got a storied history. That aside, this is a slight breather chapter. The next ones are wilder installments that delve into Korra's past and history-the lives she's lived before this one and that sort of thing.
Happy Reading!

BOOK ONE: POWER

CHAPTER SIX: CALM WORDS AND CON SISTERS

While Korra had gone back with Ichiro, Nakkoa and Kwan had returned to their room at Summer's Estate, where Kwan was playing cards with herself. Nakkoa had put the room's telephone to good use and contacted Unalaq about their progress. Kwan didn't breathe down her firebending partner's neck, but she kept one of her keen ears perked as she quietly played her card game at a nearby table.

"So we're in Gaoling." Nakkoa explained, "And of course the first thing the damn kid does is run off through town on that polar bear-dog of hers."

"Just remember," Unalaq's stern voice sounded through the receiver, "that 'damn kid' is not only the Avatar, but also my niece. Have at least some respect—or at the very least feign it. You're so talented at feigning everything else…"

"That is so beside the point," Nakkoa's brow furled, "but anyways, with Gaoling in mind, take a wild guess at where the first place she ran off to was."

"I am not really one for guessing games." Unalaq retorted, "Although you have piqued my curiosity. I do not imagine it was the Avatar Temple."

"Of course not," Nakkoa laughed, "Kwan found her in the Earth Rumble Arena. She actually did pretty well for a first-timer… and for being only 14."

"Why am I not surprised," Unalaq mused aloud, "How is she then? I take it you managed to recover her from the arena?"

"She's a bit roughed up, but nothing she didn't seem okay with shrugging off," Nakkoa spoke truthfully, "and of course we got her out of the arena." She purposely omitted the fact that neither she nor Kwan knew where Korra was right now. They assumed she was in the market, and had been correct up until Ichiro had invited her to his home.

"From my understanding your next ship leaves for Republic City in two days then," Unalaq made his request for information clear.

"Unless something comes up, aye," Nakkoa clarified, "and if it does, you will be the first to know, Chief—well, unless Zaheer says otherwise."

"Indeed," Unalaq muttered, "Well then; I shouldn't keep the fine guardians of my young niece too busy. Oblivion knows she is without a doubt a handful."

Nakkoa bade him farewell before hanging up and turning to Kwan.

"Any idea where she ran off to this time?" Her eyes bored holes into Kwan's skull as if she were accusing the earthbender of deliberately losing Korra.

"How should I know?" Kwan riposted, "I've been with you the whole time."

"Do you think we should find her, or should we see how her sense of responsibility holds up?" Nakkoa flung herself onto her bed.

"If you wanna try and hunt her down, go ahead." Kwan took a swig from a flask at her hip, "I'm quite done looking for her until tomorrow's Earth Rumble tourney."

"So you're going to just shrug it off like that?" Nakkoa sat back up.

"Naki, look at it this way—" Kwan began before Nakkoa cut her off.

"Don't call me that!" she snapped.

"Anyways," Kwan laughed, "look at it from her point of view. We're basically her guides. We're the ones promising to get her that top-notch Avatar training, and as rock-headed as she might be, she most likely knows that she's not going to get something like that here. So unless she decides to settle for some mediocre substitute, we've got her by the scruff of the neck. Either we find her, or we take the easy road and wait for her to come and find us."

Incidentally, that was what Korra planned to do, although for the moment she was busy with Ichiro. The man had been civil, and other than her footwear, he had not even asked her disrobe at all before he began healing her. He did get a brief glimpse of her midriff as Korra showed up a bright red and purple welt on her side that she had gotten from one of Titanborn's rock slabs, but that was comparatively minor all things considering.

Korra was quiet as she felt the cool water over her aching form, although Ichiro also hummed softly as he worked, which Korra found to be somewhat mesmerizing. She couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, and so she had an appreciation for those who could.

"You are extremely tense, little Avatar," He commented between tunes, "Are you still apprehensive about me, or is there something else gnawing at the back of your mind?"

"I am?" Korra hadn't even noticed, "I guess this is just how I've always been."

"Well, it's not healthy," Ichiro laughed as he continued his work. "Although I am not your father, or even your mentor, so perhaps it is not my place. Tell me though: what brings you to this backwater city of all places? I'm sure Master Yu's Earthbending Academy wasn't your first choice for an earthbending teacher…"

"We're on our way to the Northern Water Tribe," Korra explained, her eyes still closed, "this was just one of our stops since our next ship doesn't leave for another couple days."

"Mm," Ichiro muttered, "who's we? Or is it just your polar bear-dog?"

"My friends Nakkoa and Kwan," Korra answered, "They wanted me to pick up some of the more spiritual aspects before trying to push for more physical power. I don't agree with 'em, but hey, I might even learn healing."

"Like I asserted earlier," Ichiro ran his hands up and down Korra's back to loosen it, her form-fitting top doing little to conceal her muscle tone, "knowledge and mastery of healing will only do you favours in life. A little dancing knowledge didn't hurt anyone either."

"Why dancing?" Korra chuckled. Ichiro's touches were intimate, but there was something notably non-sexual about them. It was definitely a healer's touch, and Korra was convinced at this point that maybe he had been right about her needing it.

"Why not?" Ichiro cooed, "It's a fun way to express yourself and it's entertaining to watch someone of sufficient skill. On the other hand, I have in fact heard of both your friends."

"Good things or bad things?" Korra's eyes were closed but her lower lip stuck out again.

"Just that they're powerful." Ichiro shrugged, "Kwan's done time, I know that much, but she's honest enough. Her sister Nakkoa's a bit trigger-happy with her lightning though. I'm just glad it's her and not Kwan. Lava's a lot scarier than lightning to me at least."

"Kwan's a lavabender?!" Korra's eyes popped open as she gazed up at the waterbender.

"Unless she's forgotten since the last time we met," Ichiro chuckled. "Perhaps all the more reason to be excited if she's travelling with you."

"Oh, I'm excited now, alright," Korra confessed, "thanks for the healing by the way."

"A pleasure," Ichiro nodded, "on that note… feel any better?" Korra's injuries were not completely gone, but Ichiro had managed to reduce the swelling and negate almost all of the pain. Her left eye was able to open all the way again, and she was able to properly bend her right arm without staggering or needing to clutch it.

"I… do actually," Korra stared down at her right hand, curling her fingers. Her arm had ached the entire way there, but now she could move her hand without it hurting. "Thanks again… although now I just have to ask."

"Ask away, little Avatar," Ichiro cooed, sitting back and watching the young girl stretch and gaze at her hands.

"There HAD to be a motive." She asserted, "I mean, maybe I'm underestimating you or something, but there has to be a reason you wanted to heal my wounds in particular, wasn't there? If you just liked healing people you could probably make a killing peddling your wares around the Earth Rumble Arena."

"Full disclosure," Ichiro chuckled, "there was a motive. It is nothing malevolent though."

"You can't leave me hanging like that!" Korra gawked.

"I won't," Ichiro assured her as he stood back up and approached her. "In truth, it's a personal thing. How many people get to say that they got to heal the Avatar?"

"So if I was just some schmuck you wouldn't have given me second thought?" Korra's eyes narrowed somewhat suspiciously.

"Well, you're cute, so I might have still offered," Ichiro ruffled her hair. "You have really pretty hair too, on that note. But no, I digress—it was somewhat selfish, I'll admit; but ultimately, we both benefitted, yes? It's not like I was weaving liquid poison into your pores or anything."

"That's an unpleasant thought…" Korra shuddered, "but hey, thanks again."

"Always a pleasure," Ichiro gave her a genuine smile, "do stay safe out there…"

"Noted," Korra chuckled, "I can't promise that as long as the Earth Rumble Arena is open, but I'll try not to get too beat up or lose any teeth or what have you!"

And with that, the two waterbenders parted ways, with Korra heading back to Summer's Estate to rendezvous with Nakkoa and Kwan, and Ichiro staying at his home. He was an interesting man, and Korra liked him. He was weird and flirty, but they both had made it clear that they simply weren't for each other. He was 20 (per his admittance during their conversations), and she was only 14. Furthermore, she was about to travel, while he seemed to have made his home here in Gaoling. It just wouldn't work out. Still, Korra couldn't help but fantasize about meeting an Ichiro her age, but every teenager fantasized now and again, even if the dreams were too lofty or specific to ever be realized.

She tried not to raid her candy pouch before getting to the hotel, but failed spectacularly in this department, to the point where hardly 37 steps off of Ichiro's front porch, she opened the bag and demolished a pair of green spun-sugary confections. An almost catlike smile overtook her face as she savoured the treats, before she paused.

For all the candy she bought, Korra had mentally inventoried each piece, and she didn't remember these spun-sugar treats being on the list. Further examination of her candy hoard revealed two things: firstly, that she needed to pass through the market on the way back to Summer's Estate to buy a bit more, but secondly, that she had a noticeable amount of extra candy. She blamed Ichiro for it, although didn't for a moment think that there could be anything wrong with the candy. If he was trying to drug or poison her, it would succeed, because she popped another pair of the green spun-sugar bites into her mouth, unintentionally emitting a delightful squeal as she realized how much she loved these new treats. Yup, Ichiro was a friend in her books now. She'd have to ask him where he got those from tomorrow.

A rather unceremonious kick later, and the door to Kwan and Nakkoa's room flew open, with a rather satisfied Korra swaggering in as the door swung shut behind her.

"Well look who decided to show up," Nakkoa quipped, "if you were older I might have thought you went off gallivanting with some guy who would bed you this evening."

"Not everyone goes gallivanting the same way you do, Naki," Kwan elbowed the firebender, earning an irate look from her more because of the nickname.

"But tell us, Avatar:" Nakkoa composed herself and took a seat over some papers, "where did you run off to? You look like you saw a healer, and like you just inherited an estate."

"I did, and I wish," Korra laughed as she kicked off her boots and threw herself onto one of the three empty beds, "I met a really friendly guy who apparently knows you two though. He also gave me candy, which automatically makes him awesome."

"I wouldn't have taken you for a candy fan," Kwan laughed, "although the color of your teeth and that little colorful bag on your hip kind of confirms your claims."

"How can someone NOT love candy?" Korra sat up, a flabbergasted look on her face.

"Some of us love the more refined things in life," Nakkoa chortled, "but come now; why should you complain about my distaste? That just means more for you."

"Aha, silver lining," Korra nodded approvingly, lying back down. "Smart woman."

"Hm," Nakkoa hummed, "well, fortunately for you and your sweet tooth, we're here another day before our ship leaves, so rest up, go kick ass tomorrow in the pit or whatever you do, and enjoy yourself. There's no rule saying this trip can't be fun."

"I'll take those words to heart," Korra chuckled as she stripped her fur skirt and other blue accessories off until she was just in her baggy pants and blue top, undoing her hair again in the process. "But believe it or not, I'm deadass tired."

Almost as if she did it out of sheer will, Korra rolled right over, pulling a sheet over her body and closing her eyes. Either she had legitimately just crashed and fallen asleep right there on the spot, or the snoring coming from her bed was merely imitated and she was trying to annoy her two travelling companions.

"She's got the right idea," Kwan noted, "Mind if I kill the lights, Naki?"

"If you stop calling me that, sure," Nakkoa nodded as the lights went out. For a moment, she was shrouded in darkness as she glanced from the sleeping Avatar over to her old partner in crime. Their mission was still clear, although the kid was a lot livelier than Nakkoa had anticipated.

Korra was an endearing and intriguing creature; the energy of a sugar-induced toddler, but with the enthusiasm of a girl her age and the strength of a woman twice her age.

"The risks…" Nakkoa thought to herself as she sighed, "She's so strong already and she doesn't know the first thing about proper training barring which way to throw a fireball. To fathom the power this girl will have at her peak… she will be unstoppable, and thus needs to be stopped."

Nakkoa put her forehead against the desk she was sitting at, mumbling.

"No… it's just paranoia." she attempted to reason with herself, "It runs deep in the family; it's how Nani fell from grace all these years ago. To think we coulda been royalty, and…" She stammered, growling for a moment. "How does Kwan make it look so easy?!"

Nakkoa swung her head in the direction of the sleeping Korra, but didn't say a word.

"Rest easy, little Avatar." she whispered to herself, "your time will come…"