AUTHOR'S NOTES: There's a huge Monty Python reference in this chapter and I regret nothing. In other news, however, Korra meets Tenzin a bit more properly in this chapter. While she's not moving to Air Temple Island due to her setup with the Satos, she's definitely going to pay them regular visits to the point where Tenzin and his family will become regular characters starting from here. As always, any and all feedback is appreciated and encouraged.
Happy Reading!
BOOK TWO: CHANGE
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: IN PROTEST OF BENDING
Korra's mind raced as she thought about 1001 different ways to pay Asami back for everything she had done. She had more money than she knew what to do with, but despite that, Asami's fortune made Korra's look like pocket change.
Still… a date. Korra had to at least do that for her. They had been talking about it for weeks now, but Korra's busy schedule had kept her occupied, as did Mako and Bolin's Probending stunts plus whatever side jobs they did. Asami seemed busy with company business as well, making Korra wonder where Hiroshi had been. He was scarcer and scarcer these days, but despite Korra's outbursts, he didn't seem to show any objection towards her. She wondered if he knew that she was dating his daughter. Korra wondered a lot of things.
She went to the large park in the center of town, to rest and enjoy the scenery. There were a lot of hobos and vagabonds here, and so Korra, in her ragtag attire that didn't even include footwear, she fit right in—or would have if her clothes weren't so lovingly well-kept.
Either way, she continued her walk without incident until she was about halfway through the park, where she heard a commotion. Curious, and always itching for a fight if she sniffed out conflict, and so the young Avatar went to go investigate the sounds of the people making the noise. It was a protest of some kind by the looks of it, with a loud fellow holding a megaphone in the front of them all, clearly stirring them up.
Korra also gasped as she saw a large picture of that masked man she had seen in an alleyway three years ago—shortly after her first meeting with Asami. She wandered over to at least find out what the man on the soapbox who clearly enjoyed being the center of attention was saying.
"Are you tired of living under the tyranny of benders?" he spoke, "for too long, the bending elite of this city have forced nonbenders to live as lower class citizens! Join Amon, and together, we will help tear down the bending establishment!"
Suffice to say, this was not about to fly with Korra, who felt a need to speak up.
"What are you talking about?" She interrupted him. Despite her reputation, few people recognized Korra outside the Probending ring and thus it was easier for her to blend in when she went around town dressed like a hobo. "Bending is the coolest thing in the world!"
"Oh yeah?" The protestor turned to face Korra, "let me guess… you're a bender?"
"You're damn right I am!" Korra smirked and thumbed towards her chest before pumping her fist, "Water Tribe, represent!"
"Then I bet you'd loooove to knock me off this platform with some waterbending, huh?" The sideburned man was clearly trying to provoke the teen. Korra kept her cool for the moment, but it was clear that this man was already starting to draw her ire.
"I'm really considering it," Korra crossed her arms, "but for real man? Is this what you spend your time doing; harassing teenage vagrants just because they know how to throw water at your stupid mug? Because it sounds to me like you deserve it!"
"That's what's wrong with this city!" The protestor retorted, "benders like this girl only abuse their power to oppress us!"
"Yeah, get out of here!" Some of the protestors added in chant.
"Look, bud," Korra shook her head, "I'm just as entitled to take a walk through public property as anyone. You aren't the police!"
"Ahh, but assault isn't legal," the protstor retorted in an unintentionally hilarious callback to something Korra had told Lin on the day of her first arrested, "even if the person is a jerk!"
"Well then..." Korra began before being cut off.
"And by the way, I'm not your 'bud," The man on the soapbox added.
"Well I can't just call you 'man'." Korra stuck her lower lip out.
"Well you could say Dennis," the man replied,
"I didn't know your name was Dennis." Korra shrugged, pouting again.
"Well you didn't bother to find out now, did you?" Dennis retorted.
"How did you get a name like Dennis anyways?" Korra tilted her head, her pout returning.
"Ah, ah!" Dennis exclaimed, "See how she demeans us even on a nominal basis too!"
"I'm the Avatar," Korra finally cracked, "And you gotta deal with it."
"Oy, well I didn't vote for you," another protestor quipped.
"You don't vote for the Avatar!" Korra flapped her arms in incredulity.
"Well how did you become the Avatar then?" A third protestor asked,
"I, uhh... was born as the next incarnation of the Avatar cycle, blessed by the power of the Avatar Spirit which enables me to master all four elements?" Korra scratched her head, mentally reminding herself to ask one of her past lives about the Avatar's actual origins one of these days.
"Listen," Dennis pointed at Korra, "strange spirits distributing elemental powers is no basis for a system of government! Supreme executive power derives from the mandate of the masses, not some farcical spirit mumbo-jumbo."
"I'm not even in charge of anything?" Korra gave the man a skeptical pout.
"Well you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some spirity thing makes your eyes glow blue now, can you?" Dennis retorted.
"What are you even talking about?" Korra gawked, "What do you mean executive power? I literally just got done saying I'm not in charge of anything!"
"I mean, if I went around saying that I was the Avatar and that I was master of all four elements they'd have put me away!" Dennis taunted, clearly going off on his own tangent.
"Will you shut the hell up for just a moment!?" Korra barked.
"Ah, now we see the violence inherent in the system!" Dennis exclaimed. "Being the Avatar just means you can beat up harmless citizens at your every whim now, doesn't it!?"
"Let me show you just what it means to be the Avatar," Korra expertly sent herself into the Avatar State as a warning sign, but did not resort to violence just yet.
"Oh!" Dennis yelled, recoiling a few steps, "Come see the violence inherent in the system! HELP! HELP! I'm being repressed!"
"Bloody peasant!" Korra lifted the man up with one arm before throwing him into a bush, her Avatar State eyes dissipating.
"Oh, what a giveaway!" Dennis poked his head from the bush as Korra stomped away, "Did you see that? Did you see her repressing me, eh? You saw it! You saw it; didn't you?"
"You're..." Korra turned around briefly before stammering, "you're oppressing yourselves!"
"That doesn't even make sense!" Dennis shouted as he climbed back up on his soapbox.
Korra was gone by this point though. However, In typical Korra fashion, her day was far from being eventless, and she had barely rounded two streetcorners when she ran into a slightly familiar face. It had been years since they had actually met, but Korra still recognized Tenzin. He was a difficult man to forget, even without that trademark arrow tattoo.
"Tenzin?" her eyes lit up in a curious way.
"Korra," he exclaimed, "I almost didn't recognize you at this point."
"I guess a lot's changed in the last 5 years, hasn't it?" Korra had been 12 when she had last spoken to Tenzin, and they had only barely missed each other when Korra was 15 and fighting for her life against Nakkoa.
"That it has," Tenzin sighed, "You've grown up so much, and if your probending performances are anything to go off of, so has your power."
"You've attended them?" Korra looked surprised.
"I've watched one or two," Tenzin admitted, "but otherwise, it's usually just Air Acolytes or White Lotus Society members who listen to them on the radio."
"I guess being on the Republic City Council has kept you busy then," Korra shrugged.
"To put it lightly," Tenzin shook his head, "councilman Tarrlok has wrapped the remainder of the council around his finger, and with the Anti-Bending Revolution on the rise…"
"I met some of those bastards at Republic City Park," Korra pouted, "they're a bunch of jerks. Can you believe they tried to lecture me on the origins of the Avatar and something about executive power? Do they not realize that I don't actually wield any official political power?"
"That's a small taste of what I'm dealing with," Tenzin lowered her head. "But Korra? I wish to apologize to you."
"Apologize for what?" Korra tilted her head, "I heard you helped my parents apprehend the Red Lotus while I was off killing Nakkoa."
"I was with your father when they proposed taking you back to the compound," Tenzin admitted, "and like my father, I thought it was for the best. I was wrong, however."
"Hey, as long as I don't have to ever go back there, it's water under the bridge," Korra shrugged, "I mean, my girlfriend's here, my career's here, opportunities are everywhere here, and I have several friends here. There's so much to do and I'm all up in that!"
"It was our fault for letting Nakkoa and Kwan take you," Tenzin admitted, "We thought they had changed; that they were trustworthy."
"Well, I try to look at the bright side of that whole mess," Korra shrugged, her glum expression casting her eyes to the ground, "I learned a bunch of really powerful abilities, and somehow even picked up airbending—and the Avatar State."
"So I have heard," Tenzin nodded, "I suppose you don't really need teachers much anymore then, although I must admit I'm curious about your style."
"Wanna see it?" Korra offered, "I'm curious about Air Temple Island… it's always been so close and yet so far."
"Our original plan was to have you live there after you came of age," Tenzin indicated, "I do not know where you're staying now, but do know that you're always welcome to pay us a visit."
"I'm with my girlfriend," Korra smiled, "Asami Sato; Sato Estate."
"Girlfriend?" Tenzin gave pause, "When did this come about?"
"Well, we've been friends since I was 14," Korra explained, "but a few weeks ago we both kinda confessed our feelings for each other, and I dunno…" She scratched the back of her head. "I mean, is it weird that I'm in love with another woman or something" Such relationships were not generally considered unusual, but they were uncommon enough to sometimes cause surprise.
"Considering the antics of my sister Kya, I see no issue," Tenzin shook his head, "Others might disagree, but who are they to tell you how to live your life?"
"I knew I liked you," Korra smiled, "so hey, why the change of heart, speaking of which? I half expected you to find me, stick me back on a boat and ship me home."
"You are not the only one who still learns lessons in life, Avatar Korra," Tenzin explained, walking with Korra, "After your… unpleasant outburst… at the Southern Water Tribe, we concluded that confining you against your will was simply not an option. You are far too powerful to properly restrain or control, and as such, we have concluded that the best way to approach you is to attempt to reason with you."
"Well sure," Korra noted, "but I mean, this isn't just because of how strong I am, is it? Would your approach to me change if I wasn't as strong but I still wanted this kind of autonomy?"
"I like to think it would stay the same, but I am unsure since I cannot speak for the others," Tenzin admitted, "however, even if you're the Avatar, there are many of us that need to remember that you're also still human and that your needs and wants are as important as anyone else's. As such, this is why we wish to try and reason with you."
"Reason with me?" Korra tilted her head, "in what way?"
"I still wish to see you visit Air Temple Island," Tenzin explained, "but rather than coerce you into coming, I feel it would be better to simply extend a friendly invitation."
"And what brought this on?" an answer to this question did not occur to her.
"One of our other… endeavours," Tenzin began, leading her towards his flying bison Oogi, who would take them across the bay to Air Temple Island, "has been attempting to decipher what happened to you on that fateful evening three years earlier after our altercation with the ."
"Oh please tell me you have some leads!" Korra pleaded, "I really want to know what this problem I've had in my head is."
"One thing is certain:" Tenzin began as they climbed atop Oogi's back, "you—as well as the Avatar Spirit—are remarkably resilient. The healer at the Western Air Temple said that by all accounts you should have been dead."
"That reminds me," Korra looked up, watching the city behind her move farther and farther away, "who brought me there? The last thing I remember before… Nakkoa… was the Wulong Forest."
"If Fukui's words are to be believed," Tenzin gazed out over the bay towards the small island, "then it was Kwan herself that took you there."
"Where is she these days?" Korra's feelings for Nakkoa might have been rife with conflict, but Kwan was definitely the nicer of the two and one that Korra had far fewer negative thoughts towards. "Did she get locked up like the rest?"
"Despite her assistance, she was indeed locked up," Tenzin assured her, "It may have earned her a somewhat lighter sentence, but it seems she has quite the criminal history."
"I'm well-aware," Korra gave a hollow chuckle, "it was part of her charm in a way… but then again I'm messed up in the head so what do I know?"
"A remarkable amount, actually," Tenzin turned to her, "Despite the trauma that may have upset your emotional balance, you are a very swift learner, Korra. There's no other logical explanation for how you became so powerful in such a short time."
"Hey," Korra elbowed him, "right before I met you I was busy telling an idiot protester that bending is the coolest thing in the world—because it is!" She paused, "But I mean… I love that power and all of my abilities… but I feel kind of bad knowing that so many people are changing the way they act around me because of that."
"It's beyond our control at this point," Tenzin looked up again, "And isn't necessarily your fault. Your training was all part of a meticulous plan laid out by the Red Lotus for over a decade."
"Care to explain it to me?" Korra was leaned over the railing of the saddle, idly gazing at the waves below. "I didn't even know they were the Red Lotus until after the fact."
"From what we got out of Kwan, they wanted to mould you into a powerful force of anarchy." Tenzin explained, "The power they gave you and taught you how to use was supposed to aid you in being unstoppable. It seems on that front, they were remarkably effective."
"So you know about my tattoo then?" Korra put a hand to her forehead, which was still wrapped up with a headband.
"I do," Tenzin lifted the headband for a moment to Korra's slight surprise, but instead of reacting negatively he simply nodded to acknowledge its presence. "Bending disciplines of any kind short of bloodbending are neither good nor evil at their core; what they do for the world depends on their user. That is part of why I wish to speak to you, Korra."
"Well, if you wanted an afternoon of me at the Air Temple," Korra gestured, "here I am. Sorry I didn't dress a little better, huh?"
"Perhaps so," Tenzin didn't want to lie, "But I don't imagine your freewheeling attire will be too offensive. Air is the element of freedom after all."
"Hey," Korra glanced form Tenzin to the Air Temple that sat in the middle of the island that Oogi had just landed at, "I don't know if this is a ruse or genuine, but either way… I want you to know that your approach towards me is really appreciated, Tenzin. Seriously—it means a lot."
Korra gave him one of the warmest smiles that she had ever given anyone, to the point where only Senna, Tonraq, and Asami could ever say they had received such a warm look. It moved the old airbender in the subtlest of ways as he looked down at the wild young girl who was the literal reincarnation of his father, Avatar Aang.
Korra was fierce and rambunctious, but the way she smiled at him was the most heartwarming thing the older airbender had seen in decades apart from the smiles of his own wife and children. He was too familiar with Korra's determined looks at the compound, or the horrified and injured expressions she had worn after being so heavily traumatized. This smile, by contrast, betrayed just what kind of person Avatar Korra was at her core, and Tenzin hoped to see more of that young woman in the days to come.
"You're welcome, Korra," He put his arms around her in a fatherly manner, nodding. "Thank you for putting so much trust in me in turn."
He paused as he gestured to their destination as the two bending masters hopped off from Oogi's saddle. "And welcome..." he smiled, "to Air Temple Island."
AFTERTHOUGHTS: I know that there were some comics that went into further detail on same-sex relationships in the world of Avatar, but in my honest opinion, all of that felt extremely contrived. I mean, good on the writers for wanting to tackle what's an important issue in our society today, but I've got whole essays and arguments on why it feels very forced and out of place, and similarly, can (and would be quite happy to) explain my alternative approach instead if anyone is interested. I just don't want to write a tower of author notes bigger than the one I already have.