Since the rally, Korra couldn't sleep peacefully and all because she was afraid of Amon, a fact she didn't want to admit to anyone and that led her to make bad decisions such as joining Tarrlok's task force and, the most horrible of all, challenging Amon to a clean and individual fight, only for him to not comply with either one or the other.
Tenzin and Masane tried to warn her, but she ignored them and suffered the consequences.
She was extremely lucky to have woken up still with her powers.
It was then that she finally confessed her feelings to Masane, who took the risk to try to save her despite the horrible things she said to her before leaving for her duel.
After that, she was able to rest peacefully for the rest of the night, as that confession was like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders and it relaxed her a lot.
Right now, even though she felt the sun rising, she was in her bed, sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face and her head resting on two soft pillows.
Wait a minute, two pillows?
The last time she checked she had only one.
And why did the textures of those pillows feel different from her usual one?
With a slight groan, Korra opened her eyes to find out why, only to have them widen in surprise when she saw her answer.
Turns out she was sleeping with her head resting on the breasts of Masane, who was sleeping in her bed next to her.
Now that she stopped to think, she remembered that, when they returned to the island, she asked Masane to sleep with her in the same bed so she could feel better, which he accepted without hesitation.
What she didn't expect was for them to end up that way.
Korra started to move to move away a little, but then, Masane, who was still asleep, let out a moan as she turned to her, wrapped her arms around her head and pulled her to herself, burying her head between her breasts.
Korra let out small moans due to the fact that she found herself unable to breathe in that position.
She intended to wake her up all at once, but that situation was so embarrassing that he didn't want ANYONE to know about it.
So then, she gave her little pokes in her side, causing her to moan a little as she relaxed her arms.
Just enough so that Korra could escape, sit up and let out a loud gasp for air.
As she let out small breaths to catch her breath, Masane began to open her eyes.
"Good morning." said Masane unaware of what happened earlier.
"It will be to you." thought Korra with a frown as she recovered.
Masane sat up and stretched her arms as she let out a huge yawn before rubbing her eyes to shake off sleep.
"Did you have a good night?" asked Masane.
"Yes, I did." began Korra with a smile before wiping it away as memories of what happened the night before came to her mind. "Listen, Masane. I'm deeply sorry for what I said last night."
"Hey, it's okay. At the time you weren't really thinking what you were saying and…" began Masane.
"No. I mean it. As I told you, for years I felt alone in that complex, but everything changed when I found you. You may not remember anything of your life before that, but from that moment on, you were an important part of my life and I felt I would never be alone again. What I mean is… I consider you my best friend and I couldn't bear to lose you." said Korra with a smile.
Masane smiled back before giving her a hug which Korra didn't hesitate to return.
"You're my best friend too. No matter what happens, I will always be with you. In fact, like you said, even if I don't get to get my memories back, I can fill my mind with new memories and I've been able to do that so far thanks to you." said Masane.
"Hehe. Yes. Though there are some things I wish you didn't have to remember." said Korra, causing them both to share a laugh.
After that, the two parted ways.
"So what are you going to do now? Will you still be in Tarrlok's task force?" asked Masane curiously.
"No. I think I'm going to quit." said Korra.
"Really? Even though it would allow you to take down Amon?" asked Masane in surprise.
"Yes. After what's happened lately, I've come to realize that Tarrlok isn't exactly a trustworthy person. I may not be very smart, but I don't think it's the right thing to be under someone like him. If I'm going to take Amon down, it won't be on his terms, it will be on my terms and the terms of the people I truly trust." said Korra.
"That's the way I like it, Korra. Does that mean you're going back to the Fire Ferrets with Mako and Bolin?" asked Masane with a smile.
"Of course. After all, I helped them qualify for the tournament, it's my responsibility to stick with them until the end and now that Mr. Sato is sponsoring us, it will be possible." said Korra.
"Great! The team is back together!" said Masane hugging Korra with a smile.
Korra laughed a little before hugging her back, glad to have a great friend like her in her life.
After waking up, the first thing that happened that day was that they found out from Tenzin what happened at the scene where Amon's ambush happened.
Needless to say, the two girls were shocked to learn that someone had saved them, but killed people in the process.
For some reason she didn't understand, Masane felt as if she knew something related to that, but she couldn't find out why.
The next thing that happened was that they went to Tarrlok to tell him explicitly that Korra would no longer be in his task force.
Tarrlok tried to convince her, claiming that it wasn't his fault what happened that night, but Korra wouldn't be convinced and declared that she wouldn't follow his orders anymore, much to the frustration of the waterbender councilman.
The last thing that happened was Korra's return in the Fire Ferrets.
Mako and Bolin showed their concern for both of them when they found out what happened with the ambush and the massacre that followed, but the two calmed them down right away.
After that, Korra officially announced her return to the team and declared that she would work hard to make up for lost time and help them win the tournament.
Mako and Bolin, especially, were happy to have her back on the team again, as well as Masane, who declared herself their official cheerleader.
And so, training for the Republic City pro-bending tournament began.
Weeks had passed since that day and since then, to the relief and surprise of many, Amon and the Equalists were nowhere to be seen nor did they perform any acts.
Some rumors in city suggested that, due to the death of many of their own on that night, the Equalists were afraid to show themselves again for fear of the person who performed that act.
Other rumors point to the fact that the guy who killed those Equalist soldiers found them and killed them all, leaving them in a place that wasn't easy for the police or Tarrlok's task force to find.
Speaking of that killer, Tarrlok communicated what happened to Lin and now they were both doing their best to find the culprit despite not being seen for weeks, not that they had any clue about him or her either.
Another thing that had happened in those weeks was that Korra had been that time training for the pro-bending tournament that was to be held shortly.
She wasn't the only one training hard.
After her failed fights against the Equalist soldiers and the lieutenant, as well as what happened that night, Masane was determined to get stronger and better, so she was training hard for it.
She even asked Tenzin, Mako and Bolin for advice, who gladly taught her some combat moves and other things that would help her with her training.
In the pro-bending arena gym, Korra threw two water drops at Bolin who used an earth disk to block one while Mako used a fire kick to neutralize the other before throwing two fireballs at his brother who blocked them with earth disks.
As it turned out, the three of them were in a triangular position so they could launch attacks together and defend themselves.
While they were going about their business, Masane was off to the side performing martial arts moves with a dummy as a test opponent.
Korra threw a stream of water at Mako which he dodged with a leap before throwing two fireballs at Korra and Bolin which they blocked with their respective elements.
Then Mako threw Bolin a curved fireball that he couldn't block in time and ended up getting knocked down just before he could throw an earth disc that hit Korra, who had just thrown Mako a water jet, knocking her down in the process and since Mako was distracted, he couldn't stop the water jet from hitting him and knocking him down.
In the end, all three ended up knocked down and lying on the ground, but then they sat up and laughed as Masane stopped her training to look at the three with a smile on her face.
Mako stood up as he took off his helmet.
"It's been great having you at so many back-to-back practices, Korra." said Mako as the rest of them stood up and removed their helmets.
"Feels good to be back, although Tarrlok isn't too happy about my leave of absence." said Korra.
"Hey, you joined the Fire Ferrets before you joined his task force." said Bolin.
"He's got a point. Besides, you made it clear to him that you would no longer be under his command and if he plans to cajole you with gifts again, I'll report him for harassment." said Masane making the others chuckle.
"Well, changing the subject, team huddle time!" began Mako as the three huddled together with their heads touching each other, but soon after, Mako looked away from the set. "You too, Masane."
"Really?" asked Masane surprised at that.
"Sure. You're our cheerleader." said Bolin.
"Which means you're part of the team. Come on, join in." said Korra.
With a smile, Masane joined the team hug.
Bolin smiled at Korra who was flustered by that before smiling the same way at Mako who was confused by that.
"It's our first match of the tournament tonight. I know the four of us haven't been a team for very long, but even so, the Fire Ferrets have never been this good. Are we ready?" asked Mako
"We're ready!" said Korra, Masane and Bolin in unison.
"Not quite." began Asami who had arrived at the gym with a new shirt. "You'll need these."
"Hey, Asami." said Mako breaking away from the team to go to her.
"Good morning, sweetie." said Asami.
"These new uniforms look great!" said Mako looking at the new uniform.
"You look great, champ!" said Asami before they both rubbed noses (an Eskimo kiss).
Korra made a disgusted gesture.
"Aw." said Masane seeing the tender and romantic moment.
"By the way." began Asami making Korra act normal again. "I also brought something for you, Masane, the official cheerleader of the Fire Ferrets." said Asami pulling out a cheerleading uniform with the team colors and logo as well as some pom poms.
"Wow. Thank you very much, Asami. That's so nice of you." said Masane with a smile and accepting the clothes and pom-poms.
"You're welcome." said Asami with a smile.
"Well, teammates. I'll see you before the match tonight. Asami and I have a lunch date." said Mako before leaving with Asami.
"Okay, we'll check you guys later, you know, we'll see you when we see ya." said Bolin saying goodbye.
Korra and Masane were about to leave as well when suddenly, Bolin slid in next to Korra.
"So, Korra. There they go, here we are, all alone in the gym, just you and me, two alone people. Together. Alone." said Bolin.
"Uh... I'm here too." said Masane, making the earthbender realize his mistake.
"Oh, right. Hehe. Sorry, I forgot." said Bolin with a nervous smile.
Unfortunately, Korra understood what Bolin was implying.
"Ah, I gotta head back to the air temple to train with Tenzin. See ya!" said Korra hurrying off with Masane, leaving the earthbender sad.
Later, Mako and Bolin were in their apartment, with the older brother preparing food while the younger brother tried to give Pabu a bath in a bucket full of water, which the animal didn't like.
"Work with me here, Pabu! You wanna look spic and span in your new uniform, don't you?" asked Bolin trying to get Pabu into the bucket of water, but he kept resisting until finally, Bolin got him into the water, much to his disgrace. "So, what do you think of Korra, in a 'girlfriend' sort of way?"
"She's great! But I think it makes more sense for me to go for Asami." said Mako.
"I was talking about a girlfriend for me! Leave some ladies for the rest of us!" said Bolin.
"I know, that's what I thought you meant." said Mako lying slightly.
"Well…?" asked Bolin.
"I don't know, Bo. It doesn't seem like a good idea for you to date Korra." said Mako.
"You just said she was great two seconds ago." said Bolin.
"Yeah, Korra is a great athlete and the Avatar and stuff, but I don't know if she's really 'girlfriend material'. She's more like a pal." said Mako.
"Bro, you're nuts! Korra and I are perfect for each other: she's strong, I'm strong; she's fun, I'm fun; she's beautiful, I'm gorgeous!" said Bolin with a confident smile.
"Okay, but what about Masane? She's a girl too." said Mako.
"Yes, I admit that Masane is kind, funny and very beautiful. I mean, did you see her body? It surpasses even Korra and Asami's combined." said Bolin.
"I won't deny it, but I won't confirm it either." said Mako slightly agreeing with his younger brother.
"But regardless, I see her more as a great friend or a sister, nothing more." said Bolin.
"Just saying." said Mako.
"Okay, I don't care what you think, I'm gonna ask Korra out." said Bolin with a confident smile.
"Look, it just isn't smart to date a teammate, especially during the tournament. Keep your head out of the clouds and your priorities straight, okay?" asked Mako acting like a big brother.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, gah." asked Bolin reluctantly accepting his brother's advice. "You know what I'm talking about, Pabu, I'm talking about real love."
Meanwhile, as the snow was falling, on Air Temple Island, Korra, Masane, Jinora and Ikki were busy placing food in a cage for the flying lemurs.
"So, how's it going with the tall, dreamy firebender boy? You've been spending a lot of time together lately." said Jinora as Korra came down the ladder.
"Oooh, yeah! Tell us all about the magical romance." said Ikki.
" What? Haha. Listen to you two, I-I'm not interested in Mako or any romantic stuff." said Korra.
"Oh, come on, Korra. I've seen that you had a crush on Mako from the moment you two met." said Masane.
"That's not true. *cough* Besides he's all into that prissy, beautiful, elegant, rich girl…" said Korra.
"Well, I can't doubt that, but even if Asami is that what you said, you also have qualities that she doesn't." said Masane.
"Okay, let's just pretend for a second I am interested in him. What would I do?" asked Korra.
"Ooh! I just read a historical saga where the heroine fell in love with the enemy general's son, who's supposed to marry the princess. You should do what she did!" said Jinora.
"Tell me!" said Korra.
"She rode a dragon into battle and burned down the entire country. Then she jumped into a volcano. It was so romantic!" said Jinora.
"What kind of books do you read?" asked Masane with a bead of sweat.
"No, no, no! The best way to win a boy's heart is to brew a love potion of rainbows and sunsets that makes true lovers sprout wings and fly into a magical castle in the sky, where they get married and eat clouds with spoons and use stars as ice cubes in their moonlight punch. Forever and ever and ever!" said Ikki before jumping off while using air control to spin in mid-jump.
"The volcano is starting to make more sense to me now." said Korra.
Then, the young airbenders turned their gaze to the other girl on the spot.
"What about you, Masane? Do you have someone you like?" asked Jinora.
"Me?" asked Masane confused. "I'm sorry, but at the moment there's no one I like or catch my eye." said Masane with a smile.
"You know? I'm a little surprised you haven't had some suitor or something." said Korra.
"Yes. With those melons you have, you could attract any man." said Ikki.
"Melons… Masane…" began Masane sinking into thought. "How strange. I feel like those two words are related and that a man was the cause of it, but who?" asked Masane having a sense of familiarity, though she couldn't manage to remember why.
"Not that I'm interested or anything, but how come you have them like that even though we're the same age?" asked Korra even though deep down she DID care.
Instinctively, Masane hugged her breasts in embarrassment.
"I-I'm not sure. I don't remember anything from my previous life and even if I did remember, I probably wouldn't know either. I think it might be a feeding issue or something." said Masane a little embarrassed.
"If so, then, I'll feed very well. Then I'll have them so big that men will fall at my feet." said Ikki.
"Well, I'm not interested in any of that. If I ever get a boyfriend, I'd rather he likes me for how I am on the inside, not just on the outside." said Jinora.
"That's the way I like it, Jinora." said Masane stroking the young airbender's head.
"Well said." they all turned their gaze to the side to see Pema nearby.
"Oh, hey Pema. Uh, how long were you standing there?" asked Korra.
"Long enough. But trust me, I know what you're going through. Years ago I was in the exact the same situation, with Tenzin." said Pema coming closer.
"Daddy was in love with someone else before you?" asked Ikki.
"That's right." said Pema.
"Wow. What exactly happened?" asked Masane rather curiously.
"Well, for the longest time, I did nothing. I was so shy and scared of rejection, but watching my soulmate spend his life with the wrong woman became too painful." said Pema recounting events from the past.
"So what did you do?" asked Korra.
"That I hung my chin out there and I confessed my love to Tenzin. And the rest is history." said Pema.
"Wooow!" said the girls in unison.
Korra looked away thinking about Pema's story and smiled as she made up her mind.
Later in the evening, many people gathered at the pro-bending arena for the match.
The Fire Ferrets were in their box preparing for the match.
"Remember, if we are in sync, we will win this match." said Mako.
"You take it easy. We'll beat them so fast they won't know what hit them or when." said Korra.
"Well said, Korra." began Boli before realizing something. "Wait, where's Masane?"
"She said she wanted to change somewhere more private. She shouldn't be long now." said Korra.
Just then, the front door opened.
"I'm here, guys." said Masane.
The three turned their gaze to the entrance and were shocked when they saw the girl's attire.
She was wearing a skirt that came to mid-thigh, a short-sleeved shirt that exposed her belly, and she was holding a pom-pom in each hand.
"Well, how do I look?" asked Masane a little nervously.
Mako and Bolin stared at her, specifically, the breasts that were highlighted by the shirt, causing them to look away quickly with a slight blush.
"Eh… Good. Not bad." said Mako nervously.
"Y-Yeah, you look great." said Bolin with a nervous smile.
"Hmm. Boys." thought Korra with a frown before looking at her best friend with a smile. "You're looking good, Masane. As would be expected from our cheerleader."
"Thank you, Korra. Well, go ahead, guys. Win the game. I'll be cheering you on." said Masane with a smile.
Later in the evening, many people gathered at the pro-bending arena for the match.
"Folks, after a year of waiting the Pro-Bending Championship Tournament is finally here. Tonight is the first set of matches in our single elimination sixteen team bracket. And I gotta tell ya, these are the most tenacious and talented bending trios this arena has ever seen." said Shiro as the platform moved the Fire Ferrets onto the field.
"Come on, guys!" shouted Masane as she waved the pom-poms.
"Introducing our first team, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets! And their opponents, the Red Sands Rabaroos!" announced the announcer as the opposing all-girl team was led into the ring.
The two teams got into position with a serious and determined look on their faces. Soon after, the starting bell rang, but as soon as it rang, everyone threw their respective element into the same place, causing an explosion that sent them all tumbling backwards.
"What an explosive opening volley." began Shiro as the opposing team launched their respective elements while the Ferrets defended, though Korra had to duck to the side to dodge a fireball. "Both teams quickly recover and unleash a barrage of bending. I am astonished with the level of improvement displayed here by the Fire Ferrets."
Bolin threw an earthen disc at an opponent who was distracted blocking a stream of water, which caused the disc to hit her and send her into the back zone.
"No wonder the Avatar has been absent from the papers lately." said Shiro as the Ferrets advanced one zone.
"She's obviously had her nose to the grindstone in the gym." said Shiro as the two teams continued to launch attacks on each other and defend against opposing attacks.
"The Ferrets advance into Rabaroo territory and are holding nothing back." said Shiro just as Bolin threw a ground disc and a jet of water knocked down an opponent.
"Nice sprawl there by Mako." Shiro said when the disc hit an opponent, pushing her backwards until she collided colliding with her partner before a fireball and an earth disc hit both, knocking them both down.
"Bolin strikes, Ula dodges, and all three Rabaroos are down. The Fire Ferrets easily take round one!" said Shiro as the final bell rang.
"Round two!" shouted the announcer just before the opening bell rang.
The second later, one of the opponents squirted a stream of water directly at Bolin.
"The Rabaroos are looking for payback and they go straight after Bolin." said Shiro as Bolin lifted an earthen disc to block another water jet.
"Korra comes to his defense and she water-whacks Umi back into zone two!" said Shiro as Korra jumped in front of Bolin and launched a jet of water that hit the waterbender, sending her rolling into the back area.
"Fire Ferrets! Fire Ferrets! Who are the best? The Fire Ferrets!" shouted Masane cheering like a cheerleader as she danced and waved pom-poms.
However, that caused their breasts to bounce back and forth, which drew the attention not only of some of the spectators, but also of the Rabaroos, who looked at Masane with surprise and some envy.
The Fire Ferrets took advantage of that to launch elemental attacks at the three, who retreated a zone before refocusing on the match.
The firebender threw fireballs that Bolin dodged as Mako destroyed an incoming earth disc before jumping to dodge another while throwing a kicking fireball. He then ducked to dodge a water jet before launching more fireballs.
"The Ferrets are on fire tonight and they win round two." said Shiro.
"Round three!" shouted the announcer before the starting bell rang once more.
"Yes! Keep it up, guys!" shouted Masane waving the pom-poms.
"With the Rabaroos down two rounds they'll need a knockout to win, and with the way the Fire Ferrets are playing I don't see that happening." said Shiro as one of the opponents was hit by a ground disc while Bolin dodged a water jet, stepping in front of Mako.
Bolin threw an earth disc and then ducked to allow Mako to throw a horizontal fire wave in mid-jump that hit an opponent, who was sent to the back area just like her partner.
"These Ferrets are working together like a well-oiled bending machine." said Shiro as Korra and Bolin continuously launched attacks from their respective elements.
One of the discs thrown by Bolin managed to hit another opponent, sending her into the back zone.
"Bolin passes Adi back into zone two and the Ferrets get the green light to advance." said Shiro as the Ferrets advanced forward.
The opposing team was overwhelmed by the continued attacks, unable to defend or counterattack.
"The Rabaroos are just fighting to stay at their feet at this point." began Shiro as the opposing team members were pushed back to the edge. "Out goes Adi, and Ula, and Umi!"
"All three rounds go to the Future Industries Fire Ferrets to win the opening match of the tournament!" said the announcer.
"Woohoo!" shouted Korra jumping for joy.
"Hooray!" shouted Masane in happiness.
"Nice!" said Mako.
"That's what I'm talking about!" said Bolin before the three gathered in a group hug.
As Bolin stayed behind to thank the spectators, Mako, Korra returned to the box as the first two removed their helmets.
"Well done, guys. I knew you would win." said Masane.
"Yes and thanks for cheering us on. It lifted our spirits." said Korra.
"Among other things." muttered Mako having noticed how some of the men on stage were staring at her.
"All that training really paid off." said Masane.
"That's right, we were really connecting out there in that ring." said Mako.
"Yeah! You know, I feel like the two of us have been connecting really well out of the ring, too." said Korra a little blushing.
Masane had a feeling what her best friend was going to do and decided to stand on the sidelines curious to know the outcome.
"Uh, sure." said Mako.
"So, I was thinking we should spend some time together." said Korra a little nervously.
"Oh, we've been spending lots of time together." said Mako.
"I mean outside of the gym, and not while searching for kidnapped family members or fighting chi blockers." said Korra still blushing.
"I don't know. Asami and I have..." said Mako thinking he knew what the Avatar was talking about.
"Look, I really like you and I think we are meant for each other!" said Korra quickly, confessing her feelings.
Mako turned away with a sad face as Korra quickly turned away and hid her face which had a blush of embarrassment.
That was enough for Masane to realize that it hadn't turned out as well as she might have imagined.
"Korra, I'm really sorry, but I just don't feel the same way about you." began Mako.
"Forget I ever said anything." said Korra still blushing with embarrassment as she walked away a little.
Just then, Asami entered the room, as did Bolin.
"Congratulations, guys! You were so amazing out there." said Asami going to Mako's side and giving him a kiss.
Mako and Korra looked at each other sadly before the Avatar looked away and Mako smiled at his girlfriend before the two left.
At that moment, Bolin approached Korra sporting a gallant smile.
"So, Korra, I was thinking, you and me, we could get some dinner together, sort of a date situation." said Bolin.
"Oh, that's really sweet, but I don't think so. I don't feel very date-worthy." said Korra.
"Are you kidding me? You're the smartest, funniest, toughest, buffest, talentedest, incrediblest girl in the world!" said Bolin causing the Avatar to blush and chuckle.
"You really feel that way about me?" asked Korra with a smile.
"I felt that way since the moment I saw you! Trust me, I know we're gonna have so much fun together." said Bolin.
"You know what? I could use some fun. Okay, sure!" began Korra feeling more encouraged before looking at her best friend. "You wouldn't mind going back alone, would you?"
"No, don't worry. Have a good time." said Masane happy that her best friend was going to feel better after the confession failure.
"Yes! Who's the luckiest guy in the world? Right here, Bolin!" said Bolin walking out of the room with Korra, followed by Masane.
Mako stood for a while looking away from Asami to turn his head a bit and listen to the conversation between the two.
When the others left, Asami put her hand on his cheek to turn his gaze back to her.
They both looked into each other's eyes affectionately before Asami rested her head with her eyes closed on his shoulder, but after that, Mako turned his narrowed gaze to the exit where Korra and his brother went.
Later in the evening, Korra and Bolin were in a restaurant having a quiet dinner, with Naga sleeping near the entrance.
"So, how do you like it?" asked Bolin as he ate a bowl of noodles.
"Hmm, it's delicious and totally authentic! I didn't realize how much I missed Water Tribe grub." said Korra as she ate her meal.
"That's great, 'cause this is my favorite joint. See? You love Water Tribe food, I love Water Tribe food, just another reason we are so great together." said Bolin as Korra slurped down more noodles.
"They are good noodles!" began Korra before realizing something. "Hey, who's that creepy guy over there who keeps glaring at us?" asked Korra referring to a guy who was walking with two other guys and three girls, all of them looking at them.
"That's Tahno and the Wolfbats, the reigning champs, three years running. Don't make eye contact." said Bolin warningly, but Korra narrowed her gaze at him.
Soon after, Tahno stood up and with a wave of his arms, the rest of his group proceeded to follow him to where they were.
"Uh-oh, here he comes. Now don't mess with this guy, he's a nasty dude." said Bolin nervously and when he saw that they were very close, he set about continuing to eat his plate while Korra continued to scowl at them.
"Well, well, well." began Tahno as he approached the table they were at with their group. "If it isn't the Fire Ferrets. Pro-bending's saddest excuse for a team. Tell me, how did a couple of amateurs like you luck your way into the tournament? Especially you, Uh-vatar." said Tahno, receiving a snort of annoyance from the Avatar before moving a little closer to her. "You know, if you'd like to learn how a real pro bends, I could give you some private lessons."
"You wanna go toe-to-toe with me, pretty boy?" asked Korra a bit annoyed and annoyed as she stood up with her face very close to Tahno's.
"Go for it. I'll give you the first shot." began Tahno provoking the Avatar. "And if you're not interested in the offer, maybe your friend will take her up on it instead. I'm told she has a body of 10. I wonder how she moves even though she's not a bender."
Korra could stand being picked on, but not being teased like that about her best friend.
She clenched her fist in rage, wanting to give that boy the beating of his life.
"Korra, don't. He's just trying to bait you. If you hit him, we're out of the tournament." whispered Bolin trying to stop her friend from doing something crazy.
Tahno would smile superiorly, hoping the Avatar would fall for it, which it looked like he would when Korra raised her hand, but then, she used her hand to let out a hiss and Naga appeared through the nearest window to let out a mighty roar at Tahno, who screamed in dread as he backed up a bit.
"Don't even think of going near her." said Korra with a very stern and threatening expression.
After that, Tahno put up his hair that had been tousled by the roar and smiled again before raising his arms to signal to his group that they were done and then, off they went.
When they were far enough away, the two burst out laughing loudly.
"Whoa, ho, ho, I've never seen someone harass Tahno like that. You are one of a kind, Korra." said Bolin with a smile that Korra returned.
Later, the two were at another restaurant having a couple of milkshakes.
Bolin let out a small burp and then covered his mouth in embarrassment.
Korra, however, smiled before letting out a burp of her own.
Seeing it now as a game of dare, Bolin let out a burp louder than the previous one and then, Korra let out a burp so powerful that it made Bolin's hair flip in the wind.
The two looked at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing, though it wasn't the same for the other patrons in the room who looked on in shock and horror.
Then, in an illuminated tower (which resembled the Eiffel Tower), Korra and Bolin stood at the top enjoying the view.
While Korra was in awe of the view, Bolin was happy to spend some fun time with the girl he had romantic feelings for.
A short time later, Korra returned to the island to rest for the rest of the night, but when she reached her room, she stopped when she saw Masane in her bed reading a book with the help of a lamp.
"Hey, Korra. You're back." said Masane putting the book down.
"Yeah, I hope I didn't interrupt you." said Korra as she walked in and sat on her bed.
"Oh, no worries. So how did it go? Did you have fun?" asked Masane.
"A lot. Did you know there was a place where they serve the Southern Water Tribe food?" asked Korra.
"Really? You have to take me there sometime." said Masane with a smile.
"I will. After that we went to several places, had fun, saw a lot of things. I've never spent a night like that in my life." said Korra with a smile.
"I'm glad to hear that." said Masane.
"Although everything was almost spoiled because of them." said Korra with a frown as she remembered them.
"Who?" asked Masane.
"The Wolfbats. They are the current pro-bending champions, having won the tournament three years in a row." said Korra sticking out three fingers for emphasis.
"Wow. They must be really good." said Masane.
"Good and stupid. Especially their leader, Tahno. Word of advice, if you meet him, walk away immediately and don't even talk to him." said Korra.
"Who are you? My mother?" asked Masane with a pout. "I can take care of myself. I'm not who I was when I was kidnapped by the Triple Threats. If I get to see you and you step out of line, I'll kick you in your parts."
"Ha. If that happens, I'll be happy to see him." said Korra with a grin.
"*Yawn* Well, we'd better get some sleep. There's another match tomorrow." said Masane.
"You're right. Good night, Masane." said Korra getting into bed.
"Good night, Korra." said Masane turning off the lamp before getting into bed.
The next night, Mako was sitting on the stairs at the entrance of the pro-bending arena and stood up when he saw Korra walking towards the entrance.
"What kind of game are you playing?" asked Mako.
"Uh… Pro-bending? We've got the quarterfinal match." said Korra not understanding the firebender's question.
"No, I mean with Bolin. You've got him all in a tizzy and I know you're only using him to get back at me." said Mako.
"I am not, we're just having fun together. What do you care, anyway?" asked Korra.
"I'm looking out for my little brother. I don't want to see his heart get broken." said Mako.
"Wait a second… you're not worried about him, you're jealous! You do have feelings for me!" said Korra with an amused smile.
"What? Jealous? Don't be ridiculous." said Mako.
"Admit it! You like me." said Korra.
"No. I'm with Asami." said Mako.
"Yeah, but when you're with her you're thinking about me, aren't you?" asked Korra.
"Get over yourself!" said Mako.
"I'm just being honest." said Korra.
"You're crazy!" shouted Mako.
"You're a liar!" shouted Korra.
They both scowled at each other before turning away and walking towards different entrances.
When Korra and Mako arrived at the box to put on their equipment, Bolin and Masane were there.
"Hey guys, are you excited about tonight's match?" asked Bolin excitedly.
"Not now, Bolin!" replied the two in unison still angry about the earlier conversation.
Needless to say, both Bolin and Masane were confused by how the two were doing.
"Do you know what's wrong with them?" asked Bolin to the girl.
"No idea, but I hope it doesn't affect the match." said Masane.
"Eight teams have been eliminated and eight advance into the quarter finals, which get underway tonight." began Shiro with the two teams in position for the bout. "The rookies are about to take on the former and longest-reigning champs, the Boar-q-pines. Youth clashes against experience in a battle for the ages, or rather of the ages."
Just then, the starting bell rang.
In the next instant, the two teams proceeded to launch elemental attacks at each other while defending themselves.
Korra flipped to the side with a somersault to dodge several attacks.
"Korra dodges and..." began Shiro when suddenly, Korra, while dodging, ended up colliding with Mako. "Ooh, slams right into her teammate!" said Shiro as the opposing team managed to hit them all, sending them to the back area. "Down goes Mako and Bolin and Korra!"
"Round one goes to the Boar-q-pines!" said the announcer before the end bell rang.
"You were supposed to defend while I attacked!" said Mako.
"I had an opening so I took it!" said Korra.
"What is up with you two? All right, whatever, just pull together, guys." said Bolin.
"Come on, guys! You can do it!" shouted Masane, cheering them on.
Soon after, the bell rang for the start of the second round and the Fire Ferrets began to throw their respective elements.
"The Ferrets looking to mount some offense here in round two." said Shiro as Bolin threw an earth disc that hit one of the opponents.
The waterbender threw a jet of water that hit Mako while another was hit by an earthen disc.
Meanwhile, Bolin threw earth discs continuously while dodging enemy attacks.
"Bolin lets fly a flurry of attacks, he's a one-man bending battalion." said Shiro as Bolin continued to throw earth discs while dodging.
"Go, Bolin! Go, Bolin! Bo… lin!" shouted Masane cheering on the earthbender as she danced and waved the pom-poms.
Her dancing, as well as the effect it was having on her breasts, caused one of the opponents to be distracted long enough for one of Bolin's earth discs to hit him and send him to the back area just as the bell rang for the finish.
"The Ferrets are having a rough time finding their rhythm tonight, but thanks to Bolin, they narrowly notch round two." said Shiro making the earthbender smile.
"Well done, Bolin!" shouted Masane.
Then the bell rang for the start of the third round.
Both teams again launched attacks on each other, but the ones who got the worst of it were the Ferrets.
"Not sure what's eating them, but this is not the same team who took out the Rabaroos." said Shiro as the Ferrets team was constantly being beaten up.
"Hang in there, guys! I know you can!" shouted Masane beginning to worry.
Finally the final bell rang.
"Round three is a tie! We go to a tie-breaker to decide the match." said the announcer.
The referee flipped up a coin with one red and one blue side. When the coin landed on his hand, everyone saw the red side of the coin.
"The Fire Ferrets win the coin toss! Which element do you choose?" asked the referee.
"I got this." said Mako.
"I know you usually handle these, but frankly, your head's not in the game. I'm gonna take this one." began Bolin before taking a few steps ahead of his team. "We choose earth."
Bolin and the other team's earthbender stood in the center of the ring while the others stood back.
Afterwards, the area where both benders stood began to rise a little.
"Looks like the earthbenders will collide in the tie-breaker face-off." said Shiro as Bolin and his opponent positioned themselves to fight.
"Come on, Bolin! You can do it! We trust you!" shouted Masane receiving a thumbs up and a smile from the earthbender.
Soon after the opening bell rang, the two began to throw a pair of earth disks at each other which destroyed each other.
The earthbender leaped toward Bolin to knee him along with an earth disk, but Bolin rolled on the ground to dodge it.
Before the earthbender reacted, Bolin lunged towards him and grabbed him by the waist as he tried to push him away, but he stepped heavily on the ground to avoid being dragged.
"Bolin goes in for the grapple." began Shiro as the earthbender grabbed Bolin by the waist to then throw him through the air. "Chang reverses."
While in the air, Bolin attracted a disc of earth which he threw at his opponent, hitting him and pushing him back.
"Bolin strikes from midair, knocking Chang to the edge of the circle." began Shiro as Bolin landed before throwing a pair of ground discs, hitting him, and throwing him out of the ring and out of the ring. "Another strike from Bolin, and Chang is in the drink!"
After that, the bell rang for the finish.
"The Future Industries Fire Ferrets win their quarterfinal match!" said the announcer as Bolin celebrated the victory and Korra and Mako sighed in relief, though then looked away from each other with a frown.
"Yes! I knew they would win!" shouted Masane happily. "Although I wonder what was happening to Korra and Mako. Could it be because of that confession and the fact that Korra was dating Bolin afterwards?"
"Oh, that was a close one folks! Youth trumps experience tonight." said Shiro.
After the game, Korra stood under a gazebo outside the stadium, looking out at the scenery relaxedly.
"We need to talk." began Mako approaching her. "Look, sometimes you can be so infuriating. But I..."
"Save your breath." began Korra interrupting the firebender. "You've already made it clear how you feel about me."
"No, I haven't. What I'm trying to say is: as much as you drive me crazy, I also think you're pretty amazing." said Mako surprising the Avatar.
"So you do like me?" asked Korra turning to look at him.
"Yeah, but... *sigh* I like Asami, too. I don't know, things are complicated. I've been feeling really confused and..." began Mako before suddenly Korra lunged towards him and kissed him on the lips.
At first he was surprised at such an act, but then he began to return the kiss with pleasure.
The two parted and everything was beautiful until suddenly Korra saw something behind Mako that made her lower her head in sadness.
Mako turned around to see Bolin, who had Pabu over his shoulder, a bouquet of flowers, and was in shock at what he had seen.
He was paralyzed for a few seconds until he began to burst into tears and shed tears and snot.
"Bolin, this isn't what you think!" began Mako trying to explain himself, but Bolin ran off as he continued to cry, knocking over the bouquet in the process. "Great, look at what you did!" said Mako to Korra.
"You're blaming me?" asked Korra.
"You kissed me." said Mako.
"You kissed me back!" said Korra.
"Ugh!" groaned Mako very frustrated at the situation before running off to find his brother, leaving the Avatar alone.
"Well played, Korra." said Korra frowning sadly.
As Masane approached where Korra was, she saw Bolin running past her while he was crying, followed by his brother trying to catch up with him.
Very confused by that, she decided to go to the gazebo to ask the Avatar, hoping that she would know what was going on.
"What happened? Why was Bolin so sad?" asked Masane.
Korra lowered her head in sadness.
"Masane… I… kissed Mako." said Korra being embarrassed by what she did.
Masane was very surprised by that.
"Okay. As your best friend, I hope you understand when I ask you… WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! He's dating Asami!" exclaimed Masane.
"I know, okay?! I know I was wrong and that I acted without thinking! I… I don't know why I did it. It was the heat of the moment and now I've messed everything up!" said Korra so pissed at herself that she slammed her fist against a pillar, cracking it a bit in the process.
"And I have a feeling Bolin saw it, right?" asked Masane.
"Yes. What am I going to do now?" asked Korra with her head down.
All Masane could do at that moment was give her a hug which she returned.
"I don't know, but we'll get through it. We always do." said Masane.
Despite that, Korra kept thinking about the two brothers, whose friendship and relationship had been shattered because of a single act of hr.
The next morning, Korra was so discouraged because of what happened last night that she didn't want to go to the gym to train and preferred to stay on the island until the night of the match.
Masane wanted to help her best friend, but didn't know how.
The only thing she could do was to go talk to Bolin, hoping to cheer him up even a little bit.
The first place he went to look for was the pro-bending arena, where he lived, but when he looked all over the place, she didn't find him, which led her to think that he must be somewhere else.
Meanwhile, Mako was in the streets looking around for something to tell him where he was.
"Where the hell are you, Bolin?" asked Mako starting to worry about his brother.
"Mako?"
Mako quickly turned around to see Masane.
"Masane? What are you doing here?" asked Mako.
"I went to see Bolin, but he wasn't at the arena." said Masane.
"*Sigh* I know. I decided to stay in case he came back, but when I woke up and saw he wasn't there, I decided to go look for him." said Mako.
"Can I help you?" asked Masane.
"Sure. The more the merrier, but I've been looking for him for a while now and haven't found him." said Mako with a shrug.
"Well, do you know of anywhere your brother would go if he felt hurt and betrayed?" asked Masane.
"Korra told you what happened, didn't she?" asked Mako.
"Yes and even if she's not happy about it, right now the important thing is to find Bolin." said Masane.
"You're right" began Mako before crossing his arms, getting to thinking about the question from earlier. "I think I know where he might have gone." said Mako before he and Masane went off to the side.
Soon after, Mako and Masane went to the restaurant where he and Korra had their 'date'.
"Is this the place?" asked Masane.
"Yes, it's Bolin's favorite restaurant. They serve the Southern Water Tribe food he likes so much here." said Mako.
"Hey, Korra told me about this place. She told me this is where Bolin took her the other night. I think I understand why he came here." said Masane.
"Me too." began Mako before they went inside. "Morning, Narook. My brother here?" asked Mako to the restaurant manager who pointed to a nearby table where Mako could see his brother lying on the table that had several empty food bowls with Pabu sleeping on one of them.
"Thank you." began Mako before walking over to his brother and putting his hand on his back. "Come on. Wake up. Taking you home, bro." said Mako before Bolin lifted his head to look at him, showing that he had dark circles under his eyes from being up all night and crying, plus a noodle in his nostril that he absorbed from sniffing.
"Don't call me that. You're not my brother! You're a brother betrayer! The only ones I can trust anymore are Pabu. Pabu love me." said Bolin dramatically and still sad.
"You're a mess, and we've got the biggest match of our lives tonight." said Mako.
"Mako, don't be so insensitive." began Masane before sitting down in front of the earthbender. "Listen, Bolin, I'm really sorry about what happened to you."
"No, don't worry about it. I'm used to people preferring my TRAITOR of a brother to me." said Bolin.
"Don't say that, Bolin. You're funny, sweet, sensitive and brave. Any girl would be lucky to have someone like you and I'm sure you'll find the one." said Masane with a smile.
"Thank you." began Bolin with a smile before... "But that doesn't heal the wound in my heart!" exclaimed Bolin before dropping his face to the table.
"Alright, guess we'll have to do this the hard way." said Mako picking up his brother and putting him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Why?" asked Bolin kicking like a little kid.
"I told you dating a teammate was a bad idea." said Mako.
"You're a bad idea! Put me down! Put me down!" said Bolin as Mako paid Narook for Bolin's meal and left the restaurant with his brother on top of him as he kicked and cried.
Masane grabbed Pabu in her arms before leaving the restaurant, following the two brothers.
The night arrived and the arena was about to host the match that would decide whether the Fire Ferrets would go to the tournament final or not.
The only problem standing in the way of that was the great tension among its members.
Korra made her way to the box, and on the way, she was hoping they could patch things up between them, though a part of her wished Mako and Bolin had talked it over earlier so she could help her out a bit.
But when she walked in, she saw Bolin sitting on the bench looking very sad, which implied that they hadn't.
Glancing to the side, she saw Masane in her cheerleading uniform looking down at the floor before turning her gaze to her and giving her a shake of her head, a sign that she hadn't gotten anything on her own either.
In light of the situation, all she could do was get ready and focus on the match and leave the conversation for later.
Later, both the Fire Ferrets and the opposing team were in the center circle of the ring, waiting for the moment of the start.
"You can't find two teams more evenly matched in age, size, and strength than the Fire Ferrets and the Buzzard Wasps. Believe me, I've looked! This should be a pulse-pounding semifinal, folks!" said Shiro.
"Come on guys! I know you'll make it!" shouted Masane hoping to cheer them up a little at least.
At that moment, the starting bell rang.
The next instant, the opposing team began to launch elemental attacks as the Ferrets defended and dodged.
"The Buzzard Wasps open with a flawlessly executed combo." said Shiro as Mako was hit by a fireball.
Korra managed to block a jet of water with her own jet of water, but a disc of dirt hit her and sent her into the back area.
"All three Ferrets take an early visit to zone two." said Shiro as Mako fell back into zone two and Bolin was sent into the same zone by a fireball, but soon after, Mako was hit by a water jet that sent him into zone three.
"And Mako is knocked all the way back into zone three! The Fire Ferrets have been struggling to stay alive since the opening bell." said Shiro as Bolin threw a ground disc to block an incoming ground disc.
"Pull yourselves together, boys! Don't let them beat you!" shouted Masane.
"All three players are totally out of sync tonight." said Shiro as a ground disc hit Bolin hard in the stomach, pushing him into zone three and making him groan in pain as he tried to keep his mouth shut.
Suddenly, Bolin, stepped to the edge of the ring, took off his helmet and threw up to everyone's disgust.
"Ugh. I think he ate too many noodles." said Masane a little disgusted.
"And Bolin loses his noodles! Literally. Which reminds me, this match is brought to you by our sponsor, Flamey-O Instant Noodles! Noodliest noodles in the United Republic." said Shiro.
The waterbender threw a jet of water at Korra which she dodged by jumping as she spun to throw a jet of water with a kick, but while she was in the air, a disc of dirt hit her in the chest and sent her into zone three.
"The Buzzard Wasps fly deeper into Ferret territory." said Shiro as the opposing team advanced one more zone.
The Ferrets began to launch elemental attacks, but their opponents were able to defend themselves as they countered. Mako used a fist wrapped in fire to neutralize a jet of water before beginning to dodge a pair of fire and earth attacks, but then, a disc of earth hit him and threw him out of the ring.
"And Mako plunges into the pool! Can the Fire Ferrets hold on?" asked Shiro as Korra and Bolin tried to fend off the continued attacks from their opponents who kept pushing them to the edge of the ring.
"The Wasps have the Ferrets backed up to the edge now." said Shiro.
"Come on, Korra! Come on, Bolin! Hold on to the end!" shouted Masane.
Just then, the bell rang for the end.
"And the Ferrets are bailed out by the bell! They had better pull themselves together folks for round two, otherwise they can kiss the finals goodbye." said Shiro as Korra and Bolin gasped a little from exhaustion and Mako climbed up the ascending platform to get back in the ring.
"Come on, guys! If you don't pull yourselves together, all your efforts will have been in vain!" shouted Masane praying that everything wouldn't end because of a quarrel between them.
Shortly thereafter, the bell rang for the start of the second round.
The Ferrets launched their elemental attacks, but their opponents were able to dodge or block them before proceeding to attack.
A pair of earthen disks struck Mako, sending him backwards.
Suddenly, Mako launched a fireball directly at Bolin, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Hey! Watch it!" shouted Bolin turning his back to the enemy.
"Bolin, behind you!" shouted Masane as the waterbender threw a stream of water that hit him and rolled him out of the ring.
"The Wasps take advantage of Mako's unforced error and Bolin is in the pool!" said Shiro.
Korra dodged a couple of jets of water before throwing one, but instead of hitting her opponent, she grabbed her by the leg and tripped her before causing the water underneath a breathy one below her to jump like a geyser several times, sending the opponent bouncing away.
"Ooh, and a blatant hold by the Avatar!" said Shiro just as the referee blew the whistle.
"Oh, come on, Korra!" exclaimed Masane.
"Unnecessary roughness! Move back one zone!" said the referee.
"I'll unnecessarily rough you up!" said Korra angrily as she stepped back and splashed some water at the referee who pulled out a yellow fan.
"And the Avatar is slapped with the yellow fan" said Shiro.
"Really?" asked Masane surprised that her best friend would provoke that.
"The Ferrets are their own worst enemy right now. It's just sad to watch. With the Buzzard Wasps leading two rounds to zilch, the Ferrets' only hope of winning is with a knockout." said Shiro as the Ferrets gathered to decide what to do next.
"Well, I guess there's always next year." said Mako with his head down and eyes closed, accepting that they were going to lose.
"Come on! We still have a chance, even if it is a slim one!" said Korra trying to give them hope.
"The way we're playing, we don't even deserve to be in the finals." said Bolin in the same situation as his older brother.
"Look, if we don't pull together and work as a team, we'll never forgive ourselves." said Korra trying to cheer them up, but to no avail.
"Let's just get this over with." Mako said.
"The sooner, the better." said Bolin as the three of them got into position.
But while the two brothers accepted defeat easily, Korra wasn't willing to give up so easily.
She was going to keep fighting for her team and for her friends.
Besides, despite everything, Masane was in the box encouraging them to keep going and not give up.
She couldn't let her best friend down after all she was doing.
At that moment, the starting bell rang.
In the next instant, the Buzzard Wasps began to launch elemental attacks.
Mako was hit by a water jet before dodging another water jet and an earth disk.
He then launched a fireball, but suddenly, an enemy fireball hit him from the side.
Meanwhile, Bolin managed to block a water jet with a ground disc, but another ground disc and another water jet pushed him down into the back zone.
"Bolin's knocked into zone two." began Shiro as Mako was hit by a ground disc that pushed him until his foot stepped on the zone boundary line. "Followed quickly by his brother!"
The earthbender threw a pair of earth disks at Bolin.
One veered off course, much to the earthbender's confusion, but that distracted him long enough for the other earth disk to hit him squarely in the shoulder, making him scream in pain.
"And Bolin takes a zinger to the shoulder!" began Shiro as Bolin sat on the ground while clutching his shoulder. "Looks like it's a clean hit."
"It shouldn't be, referee!" shouted Masane.
"Ow!" groaned Bolin from the pain in his shoulder.
"Bolin!" shouted Mako worried for his brother.
"Look out, Mako!" shouted Masane as a fireball hit the firebender and threw him out of the ring.
"Mako's in the drink and out of the match." said Shiro as Bolin tried to get up and keep throwing ground discs.
"And Bolin keeps playing with one good arm! I gotta hand it to him, this kid's got grit! But how long can he keep it up?" asked Shiro just as a ground disc hit Bolin's legs, causing him to be airborne and a spray of water sent him out of the ring.
"Apparently, not very long." began Shiro as Korra threw a jet of water before starting to dodge elemental attacks. "The Ferrets' dream of making it to the finals now rests in the Avatar's hands. But with three on one, I don't like her odds."
"Come on, Korra! You can do it!" shouted Masane.
Meanwhile, Bolin leaned on the platform as he gasped for air after falling into the water.
Mako offered a helping hand with a smile and Bolin accepted it, managing to pull himself onto the platform.
"Are you okay? How's your shoulder?" asked Mako worriedly.
"Ahh, it's messed up pretty bad. But I think I'll be all right." said Bolin holding the injured shoulder before the two went to the ascending platform.
As they made their way up, they decided to talk about the subject of the night before.
"Are we gonna be all right?" asked Bolin.
"Of course we are. We're brothers. We'll get through this mess. I'm sorry." said Mako who stood with his arms crossed.
"Me too! Girls." said Bolin.
"Seriously." said Mako.
When they both got high enough, they could see Korra move nimbly to dodge the attacks as she took every opportunity she had to squirt a stream of water.
"What an unbelievable effort here by Korra! She's dodging every element the Wasps throw at her!" said Shiro just as Korra launched a water jet that pushed one of the opponents into zone three before the other two opponents launched water and ground attacks at her that she dodged.
"Ko… rra! Ko… rra! Ko… rra! Ko… rra! Ko… rra! Ko… rra! Ko… rra! Ko… rra!" shouted Masane cheering her best friend with all her might.
That caused a girl in the audience to stand up and start cheering for the Avatar to Masane's beat.
Gradually, more and more people joined in until half the crowd was cheering for the Avatar, filling the arena with their cheers.
Needless to say, that left the two brothers with their mouths hanging open in amazement.
"It looks like the crowd is sending their support to the Avatar and it seems to be working, as she finally gains some ground." began Shiro as she threw a stream of water that hit another opponent. "But with only ten seconds remaining, it might be too little too late!"
But suddenly, Korra created around her a ring of water before shooting the water from the ring as a single jet that hit the three opponents in a row, sending them all out of the ring.
"It's the big kibosh! What a knockout!" said Shiro before the bell rang for the finish and the crowd erupted in cheers, as did the two brothers in the box next to Masane, who jumped up and down from pure joy.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! That's my best friend! Hooray!" shouted Masane.
Korra stood at that moment, waving to the crowd who cheered her victory and shouted her name.
"It didn't seem possible, folks, but the Fire Ferrets are headed to the finals!" said Shiro.
Mako was so happy to hear that that he hugged his brother, who groaned in pain from the injured shoulder.
"Ha, ha! Shoulder! Shoulder!" said Bolin getting his brother to release him as he realized what he was doing.
"Sorry." said Mako just as Korra reached the box.
"Korra!" shouted Masane before giving the Avatar a hug. "You did it! You were amazing!"
Korra didn't hesitate to return her best friend's hug.
"Hehe. Well, I had to, especially after that little stunt you pulled earlier." said Korra.
"You bet. You managed to get the audience to join in. That and what Korra did was pretty much the coolest thing I've ever seen." said Bolin.
"Thanks for not giving up on us. We never would have made it this far without you. I owe you. Big time." said Mako with a smile.
"You're welcome." began Korra with a smile before looking away, as she had to settle the issue between them before it could turn worse. "So… I know things are confusing right now, but I hope we can still be friends."
"Definitely." said Mako.
"Take it for granted." said Bolin.
"Good! The group is united again!" shouted Masane pulling them into a group hug.
The others couldn't help but chuckle a little at that.
But then, through the doorway came the Wolfbats and their leader, Tahno, who still wore the same smile as the first time they saw him.
As he walked, Tahno sniffed the air with an inhale.
"Ooh, oof." groaned Tahno stopping and waving his hand in front of his face to push the smell away. "You boys smell something in here?" asked Tahno walking again, but with his nose plugged, which he then released. "Wait, I know what that is; yeah, that's the scent of losers." said Tahno as he walked past the Ferrets just before noticing a certain girl. "Oh, so you're the Avatar's famous friend. I must admit, you're much more beautiful than I was told."
"And you are Tahno, leader of the Wolfbats, right? You are just as Korra told me you were." said Masane with a frown.
"Oh, she told you about me? How flattering." began Tahno to the Avatar's frustration. "Hey, if you ever get bored of being his cheerleader, you can be my team's cheerleader. You'd have a LOT of perks, you know?" asked Tahno in a flattering and charming manner.
Korra felt like punching his pretty face, but then…
"I'm sorry, but I'm committed to the Fire Ferrets and I'll stick with them to the end." said Masane crossing her arms and making Korra and the two brothers smile as they saw that she would remain by their side.
"As you wish, but the offer will still stand in case you change your mind." said Tahno with his usual smile.
"I hope we see you in the finals. Then we'll see who the losers really are." said Korra.
"Yeah, I'm peeing my pants over here." said Tahno sarcastically as he and his team went to the ring.
"And now, the defending champs, the White Falls Wolfbats!" said the announcer.
"Grrr." growled Korra frustrated at Tahno's behavior.
"Korra. Do me a favor and, if you get to fight them, punch him in the face." said Masane.
"With great pleasure." said Korra.
"Great job!" said Asami suddenly appearing to hug Mako before turning her gaze to the Avatar. "What a comeback, Korra. I've never seen a hat trick like that."
"Thank you." said Korra.
Then, Asami turned her gaze to the other girl.
"And Masane, the way you motivated the crowd to cheer was amazing." said Asami.
"Thank you." said Masane with a slight blush.
"But, if it hadn't been for you and your father, we wouldn't have had the chance to play." said Korra.
"Yes, when you see him, thank him for us." said Masane.
"I will." said Asami.
"Uh, if everyone's done with the little 'thank you' party, need some medical attention over here." said Bolin, sitting up and holding the injured shoulder that was now in plain sight, with no clothes on and a small bruise.
"Ooh, let me help!" Korra said placing her hands on the earthbender's wound, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Owww! Gah! Haven't you hurt me enough, woman?" asked Bolin with a frown.
"Relax, I'm a healer! I learned from Katara, the best there is." said Korra as she scooped a large drop of water from a nearby water bucket.
"I can confirm that she's good at it." said Masane remembering when she healed the burns on her hands that she got during the kidnapping incident.
Suddenly, the drop of water started to glow before Korra put it on Bolin's shoulder who got a little nervous.
"No, no, oh… Ooh!" expressed Bolin as the pain began to fade. "That's the stuff!" said Bolin as Korra sat up to focus on the shimmering water.
"Bolin, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to let things get so out of hand." said Korra.
"Ahh, I'll be all right. But we had fun together, didn't we?" asked Bolin with a smile.
"I had a great time, honestly! You are one of a kind, Bolin." said Korra with a smile.
"And like I told you before, I'm sure, someday, you'll find someone who loves you for who you really are." said Masane.
"Please, go on. I enjoy praise." said Bolin.
Suddenly, the final bell rang, to the surprise of Bolin, Masane and Korra, who dropped the water she used to heal Bolin.
Your winners, the Wolfbats!" shouted the game announcer.
"What? How is it over already?" asked Korra quickly getting up to go watch it as did Bolin and Masane.
"With a brutal round one knockout, the defending champs secure their spot in the finals." began Shiro as medics carried the opposing team members away on stretchers. "I hope the Fire Ferrets know a good doctor, because they're gonna need one!"
Korra, Mako, Bolin and Masane stared at the team they were about to face in the finals with a mixture of shock, fear and concern, as they seemed to be really good.
AN: Well, what do you think of the story so far? Do you like it? Could it be improved?
I am open to suggestions and constructive criticism.
Leaving that aside, I inform you that, in the next few chapters, big changes will begin to emerge and I think we can all guess who or what will be the cause of those changes.