Author's Note: I went back and updated the previous chapters and changed any mention of the Earth "Kingdom" to Earth "Confederacy", since at the end of Korra, King Wu stepped down and abolished the monarchy. All the Earth territory are now democratic, and I figured that they'd have a congress and a Prime Minister to handle any disputes between the states and is responsible for executive actions during wartime.
Yang headed downstairs barefoot and headed toward the kitchen. She rounded the corner from the stairwell and upon entering, saw Xiaolong in a sorry state. He was sitting in his bathrobe at the kitchen table, his head in his hands, a cup of coffee in front of him.
"You look like shit," Yang said as she headed toward the coffee pot. She nodded at Yenzing as she poured herself a cup.
"I'm 60 years old, Yang," Xiaolong said in a muffled voice. "I don't recover from a night like that as quickly as I used to."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Yang said as she sipped from her coffee. "This is good stuff."
"It's from a city along the western coast of the Earth Confederacy," Xiaolong said, removing his face from his hands and picking up his coffee. "It's actually where coffee first appeared 50 years ago."
"Well, I like it. It's got an…earthy flavor I've never tasted anywhere else," Yang said, having a seat across from Xiaolong. "So, what are your plans for the day?"
"Well, I need to get back with the people I blew off yesterday," Xiaolong groaned as Yenzing placed a "hangover breakfast" in front of him. "Because as much as I enjoyed last night, I still have a business to run. What about you?"
"I think I'll head into the city," Yang said. "I need some new clothes, new books…oh, and a weightlifting set!" She scooped her food into her mouth and continued after chewing. "But I really just want to explore and see Air Temple Island. Never got to go there before I left, you know?"
"Okay, I'll keep your account active for the time being," Xiaolong said, digging into his own breakfast. "But we'll need to figure out a way for you to have your own income. I know we're family, but the Avatar can't be too closely tied to anyone."
"Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out," Yang said. She trusted Xiaolong to understand all the legal requirements for Yang to legally "break" herself from Xiaolong. She was of age, yeah, but she was a bender, not a businesswoman or anything.
Yang and Xiaolong finished their breakfast and Yang went upstairs to get ready for her day, once again wearing her tank top and jeans outfit. She put up her hair the same way she did whenever she intended to fly; tying it back so she wouldn't have to fight with it getting in her face. She headed down the stairs and grabbed her jacket before heading outside. She threw on her rucksack and began to concentrate. Her method of flight was unique, something that only the Avatar could do.
She began swirling the air around her as if she was creating an air scooter, making sure to get the air under her. The swirling air began to lift her off the ground, and once she at least a meter off the ground, she began to firebend out of her feet. This heated the air and began creating lift and thrust. She then began firebending out of her hands to create more thrust, and finally took to the air.
Yang loved the fact that she'd created a method of travel that only the Avatar could utilize, though it required to understand the physics of how hot air balloons work. Combining what she'd learned at the Air Temple on how to use her glider about lift with her knowledge of firebending, the way she flew was unlike anything the world had ever seen. She still needed to be careful, however; hair was very flammable, after all, and she put in a LOT of effort to get her hair the way she liked.
She eventually set down inside the city limits and took a deep breath. Summer in the city was always beautiful, with the plants in full bloom and all the wild creatures foraging for food all over the place. People mulling about, living their lives the only way they knew how, it warmed her heart.
But she was immediately saddened when she saw homeless people struggling. She never stopped noticing them, and she always did something for them. She ALWAYS gave out money whenever she saw someone, ALWAYS shared her food when she had some available, and once completing her waterbending training, she ALWAYS used her healing talents to make their lives better. But she also knew that, even as the Avatar, she could only do so much. The problem wasn't at the street level, it was at the top, the billionaires and corrupt politicians that created the problem in the first place. She knew she had to do something but had no idea what.
After handing out as much as she could on the way, Yang finally found the stores she wanted to visit. She picked up a ton of books, as well as some documentaries, about previous Avatars; there was so much about her past lives she didn't know about, and there was only so much written down in the first place, because it had been assumed that it wouldn't be needed. Because while her Earth Confederacy predecessor had reconnected her to her past lives, his efforts hadn't been perfect. It took a massive amount of effort to just talk to anyone older than Korra, and the ability to possess the current Avatar's body had been completely lost. With that in mind, the best way for Yang to access most of the wisdom was to learn about her past lives the old-fashioned way; through research.
The next store Yang went to, however, was not pleasant. She went in for clothes, picking up socks, underwear, shirts, laces for her boots and shoes, a new sewing kit for repairs, and a kit to help her clean her jewelry. However, when she went to cash out, she was stopped by a small, weak looking, self-important man.
"I know you!" the man shouted. "You're that street urchin that kept stealing from me!"
Yang was taken aback, but quickly remembered what he was talking about. Back when she was still homeless, yes, she'd stolen from him. But that was only after he started having his employees destroy "unsellable" clothes before throwing them away. So, Yang never felt guilty stealing from his "to be disposed" bin in the back of the store that she raided after close. However, she'd been caught on camera too many times, and had to move her shelter across the city so she wouldn't get arrested or worse. The fact that he still recognized her after all these years was disheartening.
As the fully realized Avatar, however, Yang refused to let him intimidate her. "I have money this time, asshole."
"And you probably stole that, too!" the man shouted. "I swear, you homeless trash deserve what you get and more!"
Yang was just about to rebuke his words when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Avatar Yang?" the voice behind her said, and Yang turned around to find a very familiar face from her childhood.
"Lin?!" Yang said as she turned around. She wrapped Lin up in a big bear hug while the small store owner fumed at her.
"Bullshit you're the Avatar!" he shouted. "You and your friend are trying to con me!"
Yang angrily turned around and glared at the store owner. She silently conjured flame in her left hand and pulled liquid of a nearby cashier's water bottle with her right, holding both elements on full display. She watched his face go from anger, to confusion, to frustration, right back to anger in a manner of seconds.
"You know what? I don't care! Once street trash, always street trash!" He shouted, doing his best to appear bigger compared to this tall, muscular woman in front of him.
"Now wait just a damn minute!" Lin shouted. "The Avatar is not the same person she was all those years ago! She's put in a lot of time and effort…"
Yang, who had dropped her flame at this point, simply put her hand on her friend's shoulder to cut her off. "He's not worth it. Let's just go." She turned around and carefully placed the water she'd bent back into the cashier's bottle and headed out the door with Lin following suit.
"That guy was a dick," Lin said once they were outside.
"Yeah, he was," Yang said dejectedly. "He's one of those assholes who goes out of his way make life harder for the homeless."
"Well, I hope someone was filming that," Lin said. "There's no excuse for treating anyone, much less the Avatar, that way."
"I just didn't think people from my past would be that angry to see me." Yang said, sadly. She looked over at Lin, and then smiled. "But hey, look at you! You finally got your arrows!"
"Yeah, last year," Lin said. "I've actually been traveling the world ever since."
"Getting those Nomad miles under your belt, huh?" Yang smiled, happy for her friend.
"Yep," Lin said. "You've got some tattoos too, I see. Even had the arrow done yourself."
"Only partially," Yang said, rolling up her sleeve. "When I started getting these done, I realized how important the Air Nation is to me, and I wanted to show my mastery over the element. And I did that for all the elements. Dragons on my shoulders, badger moles on my side, and I've got the moon and ocean spirits on my ankle."
Yang looked down upon hearing her stomach growl. "You hungry?"
Lin smiled. "I could eat."
"Great," Yang said as she took to the air. "I know a great place not far from here."
A quick flight brought Yang and Lin to the Peaceful Koi Deli, and Lin looked at the place with concern. "Are you sure they make stuff I can eat?"
"I promise, not only do they have vegetarian dishes, but they're really good," Yang said, pushing the door open.
"Hi Yang," Pekkonas' granddaughter, Tollan, said, then looked at Lin. "Are you here with Yang?"
"I am," Lin said. "My name is Lin." She extended her hand, and Tollan shook it.
"You're vegan, right?" Tollan asked.
"Vegetarian," Lin said. "The Air Nomads are fine with milk and eggs, so long as they're retrieved kindly from the animals."
"You don't have to worry about that here," Tollan said. "So, what can I get for you?"
"Can I get a grilled salmon salad roll?" Yang asked. "And can I get some onion rings instead of potatoes?"
"Absolutely," Tollan then looked at Lin. "And you?"
Lin looked over the menu, not sure what she should choose. She'd lived her entire life in the Air Nation, so she really had no experience as to what she should be eating out in the world, having to either look up things in books or on the phone to see if forgeables were safe to eat, or asking about ingredients at restaurants.
"Try the seaweed noodles," Yang said, knowing her friend's palate. "They're really good and can be very filling."
"I'll try that, then," Lin said, slightly intimidated, but trusting her friend's choices.
"Oh, and give it a little Fire Nation spice to it," Yang said. "Not too hot, though."
Tollan nodded and headed into the back while Yang led Lin to a table.
"So, what did you end up getting me?" Lin asked, clearly worried.
Yang just smiled. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. I just asked her to make Water Tribe ramen, no meat, no fish. And while I know you love spicy food, but I didn't want to overwhelm you on something that unfamiliar."
They continued to talk and catch up as Tollan brought out first their tea, and then their food. Yang told stories of what she'd done on her Avatar Journey, and Lin updated Yang on what had been happening at the Air Temple over the last 12 years. Sister Lanu was now Mother Lanu given her age and experience, and Mother Superior Yahun was getting ready to step down from her position due to health complications. But all in all, the Air Temple was thriving.
Yang just smiled as they talked, glad they'd gotten past that awkward moment 13 years ago.
13 years earlier….
Lin led Yang to one of the gardens with a clear view of the night sky. Yang loved looking out at the stars whenever she could, as she could never see them back home. But between the elevation and lack of pollution surrounding the temple, it was always wonderful to see.
Yang looked around when they stopped, and noticed a few strange things. Lin had a blanket laid out, with a few candles surrounding them. She had some fruit and some pastries on the blanket, and had a bottle of grape juice sitting in the middle.
"Wow, this is pretty," Yang said as she sat down.
"I'm glad you like it," Lin said, blushing. She sat down and poured some of the juice into a glass and handed it to Yang. Yang took a sip, and Lin swallowed hard.
"Yang, I like you," Lin said, stumbling over her own words. "A lot."
"And I like you too," Yang said, completely oblivious as to what was going on. "You've been a great friend these past three years."
Lin smiled again, her cheeks beginning to redden. "Would…you like to be my girlfriend?"
Yang nearly spit out her drink, but swallowed hard instead. She had no idea Lin felt this way. Lin had always been her best friend, there from the start. She started looking inside herself, to figure out if she felt the same about Lin as Lin felt about her.
And the sad truth was that she did not. "Lin, I'm sorry, but…" Yang said sadly, struggling to find the words that would hurt the least.
Lin's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry," Lin sobbed. "I need to go." Then she jumped up and stormed off crying.
Yang felt really bad that she couldn't return her friend's feelings, but she knew it wouldn't have been fair to either one of them if she pretended. She thought about giving chase, but realized that would be the worst thing she could do right now, and instead got up and started packing up Lin's picnic to return to the kitchen, not wanting anything to go to waste. She knew Lin would feel better in time, but right now, Yang knew she needed her space.
Present Day…
And Yang had been right. A week later they spoke again, and Lin understood that was just Yang's way of being friendly, and that their friendship mattered more than any romance. And as Yang discovered years later, she wasn't into guys either. She was completely aromantic and asexual, having no strong romantic feelings toward anyone, nor any physical attraction either. She loved people, sure, but her feelings were completely platonic.
After finishing their meals and paying, Yang and Lin headed out the door before Lin stopped Yang.
"Give me your phone number," Lin said. "That way we can keep in touch."
"Absolutely," Yang said, handing her friend her phone. Lin quickly typed in her phone number into Yang's contacts, and Yang texted Lin immediately so she had Yang's number.
"Oh, and before I go, it is both my duty and honor to tell you that the Air Nomads will keep Tenzin's promise," Lin said, and then leaped into the air, extending her arms and legs so her airbending would catch her wingsuit and lift her into the sky.
Yang was shocked, remembering Tenzin's promise. It was made when Avatar Korra was wheelchair bound, and it essentially said that the Air Nomads acted as an arm of the Avatar, granting her support when she needed it. And they had served in this role for the past three cycles, even helping her Fire Nation predecessor survive far longer than expected for a man who had to spend a good chunk of his cycle battling dark spirits that had been enraged due to the damage capitalism had done to the world.
Yang headed to another clothes store and began to ponder just how she'd use the Air Nomads in the future. But one thing was certain; she was going to need her own Team Avatar to do the things that she couldn't.