Chapter 8

After a few minutes, Sota was forced to break the surface, gasping for air that his lungs needed. His head whipped around, finding that Korra was still underwater and probably still making her way toward the stadium, which didn't surprise him, given that she could hold her breath for much longer then he could.

Looking around once more to be sure the coast was clear, Sota took another deep breath, filling his lungs with the sweet oxygen before diving back under the shadowed liquid and continuing forward.

Korra finally broke the surface as she came upon the large stadium that was clearly packed as she could hear the crowds cheering from even down in the water. A smile came to her face before she realized that Sota had yet to break the surface.

"Sota? Sota!?" She called quietly, though there was an edge of franticness in her voice as she looked around. Seconds later, Sota broke the surface, taking in air and thankful that they had finally made it. Korra sighed in relief before grabbing him around the waist and giving her body a spin, bending a spiral of water under them and propelling them into an open window.

The two skidded to a halt in the empty hallway before bending the remaining water off of their bodies. Excitement colored Korra's features as looked around in wonder, though she quickly noticed that Sota was walking rather slowly. Turning to him, she could see him holding his hands between his legs, shaking a bit.

"You ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, I just really gotta go to the bathroom," he said, looking around for one.

"I told you not to drink so much during dinner," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Why didn't you just go to out in the bay?"

"Because I'm too old to be peeing in my pants, that's why," he said with a glare.

"Ugh, fine, just hurry up, ok?" She said, receiving a nod as he took off the opposite direction. Shaking her head, Korra walked a little further, looking around to see if she could find out where they were and if they could find somewhere to watch the match from.

Rounding a corner, Korra paused, standing in the threshold of a room with lots of gym equipment. A smile came onto her face as she walked up, looking around in fascination before coming to a stop in the middle of the room, never noticing the elderly man who was also there.

"Hey!" he called out, grabbing her attention. The man was definitely older, but seemed to be in good physical shape even though he was hunched over. His hair was a grayish white, and his arms were wrapped in bandages. Walking toward her, he asked, "What are you doing in my gym?"

Oh, uh," Korra said, plastering a nervous smile on her face. "My little brother was looking for a bathroom and we got lost, so-"

"Oh, the old, "I gotta pee" excuse," he mocked her disbelievingly, the smile falling from her face. "And where is this so called little brother of yours, huh? You know, I'm sick and tired of you kids sneakin in without payin, and I'm taking you to security!"

Korra panicked as she tried to think of a way to defuse the situation. "No wait-"

"There you are."

Korra turned to the young man walking in, helmet in hand and a smile on her face. He was clearly a probender as he was dressed in a red and white padded uniform, a green sash around his waist and a matching stripe on the top of his helmet. His skin was pale, making the shining green of his eyes seem brighter, even in the dim light of the gym. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I found your brother and he's waiting for you by your seats."

Korra looked at him in confusion for a moment, though it quickly faded as a smile came to her face. She didn't know who this guy was but she could clearly tell that he was trying to help her, and she definitely appreciated that. The last thing she needed was to get kicked out and have security called on her because that would mean that Tenzin would find out she was there and he'd skin her alive if he caught her.

Turning to the older man with a look that tried to emphasize how smooth he thought he was, he said, "It's alright, Toza; she with me."

"Yeah, I'm with him," she readily agreed.

"So, you see, we're together."

Korra's smile faltered as she looked at him sideways and said, "Well not, together-together. More like friends."

"Right friends, no, no, I didn't mean to imply," he apologized nervously, coughing into his hand as she accused, "Oh you implied it."

"Ah, I don't care what you are; I got work to do," he dismissed with a wave of his hands before turning around and walking back over to some equipment which he began to earthbend and move.

"Right this way, Miss," the green eyes young man said, leading her out the door.

"And thank you, sir," she spoke loudly before whispering, "seriously, thanks," behind her hand. With twin grins in place, the two took off, jogging down the hall. Once they were far enough away, they slowed down to a walk.

"So, do you actually have a little brother, or was that just something you came with on the spot?"

Korra chuckled before saying, "No, I really do have a little brother. He ran off to the bathroom as soon as we got here. I really should go look for him."

"There's a bathroom here by the locker room. I bet that's where he went," he said, leading her down the hall. "By the way, I'm Bolin."

"Korra; nice to meet you. So, what's it like being a probending player?"

"It's amazing! You wouldn't believe how much it is."

"I bet," she said honestly. "This'll be the first match I ever get to see in person."

"Well then I got a surprise for you," he said as they came to a door. Twisting the knob, Bolin pushed the door open, giving Korra a minute to take in the sight before speaking again. "What do you think? Best seats in the house, huh?"

"Whoa…" she gapped. "Unbelievable. This place is even more amazing then I imagined."

Korra took no notice as two other guys walked in, one of them whispering out to Bolin. Looking back, Bolin realized it was his brother and quickly jogged up to him.

"I told you, you have to stop bringing your crazy fan girls in here before the matches. Get her out of here," said in annoyance as he adjusted his pads.

"Ah, come on, Mako," he said, a bored expression on his face. "Alright, look, I kinda promised her she could stay and wait for her little brother here, but, man, I got a good feeling; there's something special about her. I know it." Turning back to her, Bolin tapped her on the shoulder and pulled her over toward the lockers. "Come here, I want you to meet my brother, Mako."

"Mako? Wow, I heard you play on the radio!" she said excitedly as she held her hand out. Mako completely ignored her as he walked past her, not even acknowledging her.

"Come on, Bolin, we're up," Mako said.

The smile instantly fell from Korra's face as she looked at her rejected hand. "Or, I could met him later…"

"Yeah, sorry about that. My brother just gets real focused before a match," Bolin apologized as he placed his helmet on his head. "Ok, I gotta go. Wish me luck. Not that I'll need it."

Korra smiled again as she watched him jog over to his teammates who were waiting for their platform, tossing them a good luck as she settled in to watch the match. Her mind quickly went back to Sota, wondering if she should go looking for him, but she figured he couldn't get far and would pass by the locker room at some point. After all, what was the worst that could happen?

Sota paced around the stadium, annoyance clear on his face. After spending nearly five minutes searching, the most painfully long five minutes in his life, he had finally found a bathroom. Thankfully, it wasn't crowded so it didn't take him long to go and head back to where he and Korra had came through the open window-

Only to find that she wasn't there anymore.

Looking around, Sota hadn't found a single trace of his sister, wondering just where she could be. That is, until some old guy say him and started yelling at him about having a ticket and not being allowed in there. Sota could feel the nervousness creeping into his stomach, and before the guy could get any closer, he turned and ran. The old guy cried out in protest, yelling something about calling security which only made Sota run faster as he turned random corners, went up and down random flights of stairs before finally coming to a stop.

As he turned around, checking to see if the cost was indeed clear, Sota realized that he had no idea where he was.

"Ah crap," he muttered before he started walking back the way he came in hopes of retracing his steps. Unfortunately, that only led to him getting even more lost. After nearly ten minutes, Sota had reached the peak of his frustration, silently cursing his sister to the deepest depths of the Spirit World for ditching him.

"I swear to the spirits, when I find Korra, I'm gonna drown her in a toilet," he said declared, turning a corner, only to pause in fright as he saw a security guard talking to the old man who had been chasing after him.

"Find that kid, now," he said grumpily. The guard nodded, pulling out a walkie-talkie and notifying the other guards to look for him.

Sota gulped, backing up and away from the corner, never noticing the sound of metal scraping. Behind him, a small grate that covered the vent that was built into the wall. Opening up, the grate swung on its hinges, clattering to the floor with a loud bang, startling Sota who whipped around to see what the noise was. Kneeling down, he peered into the vent, not really sure what he was looking for or what he was expecting.

The inside was dark, hiding whatever had made the noise from his site. Peering closer, Sota squinted as he tried to see what was inside. He wasn't prepared, however, for a pair of hands to shoot out, grab him and drag him into the vent. The grate closed up behind him, making a small sound as he looked at the person who pulled him in, their back turned. As they turned to face him, Sota gasped as his bright ice blue eyes met shimmering yellow eyes the color of liquid gold.

The person was a girl, one who had to be the same age as him. Her skin was pale, making it easy for him to see her even in the dim light provided in the vent. Her hair was a deep brown color, reminding him of a healthy full grown tree. At the back of her head was a golden band that pulled her hair back, leading into a tight braid that reached the middle of her back, the rest falling into her face as it was too short to be pulled back, instead framing her face, accentuating the roundness of it.

His eyes briefly glanced over her clothes; her legs were covered in black skin tight pants that matched her flat shoes as well as cut off at her ankles, but were covered in burgundy skirt. The stomach was exposed as she shirt cut off, though it wasn't just at the midriff; the arms of the shirt were sleeveless while the neckline travelled up to her throat. The skirt matched the shirt, her noticed off handedly, his eyes dancing over the black vest she was wearing and over the golden wristbands she wore that matched her hoop earrings as well as her eyes.

Sota blinked a few times, face turning slightly red; he had never met a girl as pretty as her before, and was embarrassed at having been staring at her. Shaking off his stunned stupor, her finally found his voice again.

"Who are you? And why-"

"Shhh…" she whisper quietly as she placed a finger to her mouth and held up a hand. Seconds later, the sound of feet pounding against the ground could be heard as multiple guards ran by the vent. As they got further and further away, the girl crawled past Sota, before gesturing him to follow her, a bright smile on her face. "Follow me."

Though her voice was quiet, Sota heard her perfectly clear, and began to crawl after her. Sota didn't know where they were going, but considering that she had just saved him from the guards, he figured she was trustworthy enough and he'd be safe to go with her.

"So…what exactly were you doing in the vent?" he said quietly as he tried to think up something to say, though for whatever reason, everything just sounded really bad to him, and he was beginning to feel a bit awkward.

A cheeky smile came to her face as she continued on. "Exploring, of course."

Sota smiled; her voice sounded so…light and gentle. He liked it. It reminded him of the calming effect that water had on him when he would just sit and watch it at rest, when it wasn't moving.

"Do you do that often?"

"All the time," she said with a small laugh. "I've explored this whole area dozens of times. I know my way around here like the back of my hand."

"Wow, that's, uh, really cool," he said, not sure how to say it. "So you're a big probending fan then?"

"Uh huh," she said with a nod before pausing by another grate. Pushing it open, she pointed to the opening. "Through here. Just be careful when you land."

"Um…okay," he said, looking at her in uncertainty. He hesitated for a moment before jumping down, landing, ungracefully on the floor of the locker room. Sota groaned as he pushed himself up, and he could have sworn her faintly heard a laugh coming from above him. Standing up to his full height, he began to dust himself off.

"Sota, there you are," Korra said happily as she walked over to him. "Where've you been? You've missed half the match."

"I got lost since you decided to ditch me," he said in annoyance as he looked at the sheepish look on his sister's face.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I kinda got sidetracked when this old guy, Toza, started freaking out and threatening to call the guards."

"Trust me, I know. He and I are well acquainted," Sota said with a roll of his eyes. "I'd have been dead if it wasn't for her-" he paused to look around for the girl, whose name, he realized, he didn't even know, only to find her not there. Looking back up to the vent, he found that the grate was back in place as if it had never moved.

"What girl?" Korra asked, looking around to find no one else in there but them.

"Um…nevermind…" he muttered, a bit sad that she was gone. Turning back to his sister, he asked, "What are you doing in the locker room anyway?"

"You'll never guess who I got to meet," she said, her excitement coming back. "Bolin of the Fire Ferrets!"

"What!? No way!"

"He's the one who brought me back here to watch the match. Here, come check out the view!" She said, dragging him over to the edge of the ring. Sota gasped before a smile plastered itself on his face as the second half of the match began.

The bell rang, springing the players into life once more. The Golden Temple Tigerdilos were the first to react, launching all three fierce bending attacks at the Ferrets, pushing them back into Zone Two.

"The Fire Ferrets are knocked into Zone Two, and the Tigerdilos advance!" The announcer cried out into the mic. Sota watched in awe at the way the game was played, never having seen it before. It was way different then he had ever imagined it to be, much better than he ever expected. He could practically feel the energy from the players all the way back in his where he was.

The bell rang out again, as the crowd cheered, the Fire Ferrets dancing in victory. Well, two of them anyway. The firebender, Mako, looked focused as he watched his opponents get back up and prepare for the next round.

"The Fire Ferrets synch the round in the closing seconds! It's one a piece, still anyone's match as we go into the third and final round!" The announce commentated, the bell ringing just as he finished. The match was well under way, though it looked as if thing were starting to take a turn for the worst. "Hasook stumbles…And now he tumbles, right into his teammate!"

Korra and Sota gasped in horror as they watched he and Bolin on the ground of the ring, praying that they could still pull it off.

"He and Bolin better untangle quick if they don't want to-" but the announcer never finished his thought as a disk flew right into the two downed players, launching them over the edge of the ring and straight into the water. "Oh! Too late!"

"Oh no!" Korra groaned, her hands sliding over her face.

"Well, looks like they're as good as done," Sota said in disappointment.

"It's all up to Mako now," the announcer said as Mkao began dodging the various attacks thrown at him. "He's bobbing and weaving, weaving and bobbing! But he's not hitting back! If Mako's knocked out, the Ferrets fabulous season is over!"

Korra groaned again, as she began pulling at her ponytails, and though Sota found this ridiculous, her couldn't help the fact that half his body was literally leaning half way over the railing.

"He's dancing on the edge of the ring…surviving the three on one barrage! It seems his plan is to let the Tigerdilos punch themselves out!" Mako threw a quick punch, fire shooting from his fist and colliding with the waterbender on the opposing team, knocking him back. "And his plan is working! He's in the pool! They're got nothing in the tank, and Mako is on the offensive!"

Sota and Korra cheered as Mako fought back, hope coming back to them that the team could actually still win.

"It's two on one!" The announcer yelled briefly before the opposing firebender was sent flying back into a pole and over the edge. "Scratch that; it's one on one, and it's an earth and fire slugfest!" The two elements collided, making it near impossible for anyone to see exactly what was going on. "There's so much smoke and dust from the fire fight, I can't even see where the Fire Ferret is!"

Sota watched, laughing a bit, as Mako jumped into the smoke, fist flaming, before coming out on the other side and launching a fiery blast into the Tigerdilo. That move instantly made him think of Korra during her fire test, and he distinctly wondered if that was just a trait for firebenders.

"It's a knockout! What a wingdinger of a hat trick, folks!" The announcer yelled, the crowd cheering. Sota and Korra soon started cheering as well, the excitement almost tangible in the air. "Mako pulls out the upset of the season, winning the match for the Fire Ferrets!"

"That was so awesome!" Sota said, Korra nodding her head as Bolin jumped off the elevator from the water in front of them.

"Whoo hoo! Yes!" he cheered. "One more win, and we're in the championship tournament!" Taking his helmet off, Bolin asked, "So, what'd you think, Korra? Bolin's got some moves, huh?"

"What did I think? What did I think?" Korra asked in excitement as she grabbed him by his uniform. "That was amazing!" Korra shoved him playfully, making Sota roll his eyes, though he couldn't help smiling at his sister. Turning back to her brother, she said, "Bolin, I'd like you to meet my brother. Sota, this is Bolin."

"Nice to meet you, SOta," Bolin said with smile as he shook hands with the younger boy.

"Nice to meet you too. You were doing great out there til you got knocked down," he said. Apparently, Sota wasn't the only one who thought so as the three watched Mako chew Hasook out as they walked back into the locker room.

"You did way more harm than good out there," Mako shouted. "You almost cost us the match."

"We won, didn't we?" Hasook ground out in his gruff voice.

"Barely."

"Get off my case pal," he shouted back as he walked past everyone, ignoring the pair of siblings, tossing his helmet to the ground. Sota's eyes grew wide as she looked at Mako, who muttered something about Hasook being useless under his breath.

"Whoa, it's Mako," he gushed, moving forward to shake his hand while Korra congratulated them. Mako simply walked past them, his annoyance at the entire match still bugging him. Sota's face fell, the dejection clear on his face as Mako made his way to his locker. Korra, narrowed her eyes at him; this guy was seriously that rude that he would ignore a kid, a fan of his at that? What kind of arrogant jerk did he think he was?

"Hey, how's about you at least acknowledge my brother instead of being such a jerk about it?" Korra said heatedly.

"Oh, you're still here?" he stated, not even bothering to look at them.

"Why you no good-"

It's ok, Korra," Sota said, shaking his head. Though it did hurt that Mako would just ignore him like that, it wasn't work her getting worker up for.

"Fine," she grumbled, turning back to Bolin, her mood changing a bit. "Anyway, I've been immersed in bending my entire life, but I never learned how to move like that. It's like there's a whole new style here! Think you could show me a few tricks?"

"Absolutely!" Bolin cheered.

"Right now? Come on, Bolin," Mako said with a sigh.

Jeez, this guy's seriously a jerk, Sota thought with a frown and an annoyed stare at the firebender's back.

"Just ignore him," Bolin said, his good mood not dampening in the slightest. "Yeah, I can show you the basics. I'm just not sure how my earthbending would translate to your waterbending. But we'll figure it out."

"Trust me, it won't be hard for her," Sota said with a roll of his eyes as he knew where this was going.

"He's right. I'm actually an earthbend," Korra said smugly.

Bolin paused, blinking at her in confusion for a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry! No, no, didn't mean to assume. Because, you know, I was just figuring, with your Water Tribe get up, that you are Water Tribe…gal."

"No, you're right; I'm a waterbender."

"Smug alert," Sota whispered, receiving a smack to the back of the head from his sister though the grin never left his face.

"And a firebender," she continued, giving him a pointed look.

"If your ego gets any bigger-"

"Sota!" She said in annoyance. "Keep talking, and I'll kick your butt so hard, even Katara won't be able to heal you."

"Oh, I'm so scared," he said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

Bolin thought out everything they said for a moment, trying to piece it all together, but he still wasn't getting it.

"I'm very confused right now," he admitted.

"You're the Avatar, and I'm an idiot," Mako said with a sigh as he hung his head. Of all the times he decided to be a jerk, it had to be the Avatar that his brother met.

"And a jerk," Sota added, Korra nodding her head.

"All of those are true," she confirmed happily as Bolin's jaw practically hit the floor.

"No. Way…" he said quietly, turning to his brother. Pointing to Korra behind his hand, he stated, " THE Avatar!"

"Yeah, she gets that a lot," Sota said with a smirk, though, it faltered a bit as his mind went back to the girl in the vents. He began to wonder if she was nearby, maybe even listening to them now, though he doubted it. If he overheard someone stating they were the Avatar, he'd have jumped out of the vent and exposed himself.

Looking back out into the arena, he saw people beginning to leave and head home, and wondered if she was even still here or if she had left already as well.

I wonder if I'll ever see her again… He thought for a moment, before shaking his head. Why did he even care? He didn't actually know her. She didn't even tell him her name. She was just some random crazy girl who liked crawling in vents. Who does that, anyway?

With a snort, he turned back to his sister and the Ferret brothers as Bolin began to ask her questions, not even realizing that form across the area, a pair of golden eyes were watching him, a small smile on her face.

"So what did you think?" she asked as another girl sat next to her, her green eyes bored.

"You know you don't actually want to know what I think. It's your opinion that matters, so I think the better question is, what do you think?" she asked.

"I think he's perfect," she said, smile still on her face.

"You don't even know him, Mai-Ling" she said, rolling her eyes.

"I know, but I've got a good feeling about him, ok, Jun?" she stated stubbornly.

"Why? Because he's a waterbender? Or…" Jun said, a cheeky smile coming to her face. "Is it because you like him?"

Mai-Ling rolled her eyes, but didn't answer, simply stating, "He's exactly what we need. We just have to get him to join us."

Jun hummed to herself before standing to her feet and turning to leave, Mai-Ling right beside her. "Well, we'll have to see about that. Since you're so sure about this guy, then I think it's only fair if I get to check him out for myself."

Mai-Ling sighed, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear. "If you must. Just try not to hurt him, okay?"

"Now you know I can't promise that," she replied, a small grin on her face. "Beside; a little pain builds character you know."

Mai-ling could only shake her head as the two blended into the crowd, making their way toward the exit and out of sight.

To be continued…

Ok, so I know this isn't the end of the episode, but I felt this was a good stopping point for a few reasons. The first being that I have more planned for this part that involves the Pro-bending stuff and when Korra becomes and athlete. Yes, she will still be playing for the Fire Ferrets, however, Sota will have a hand in this as well. I won't say why.

The second is that this chapter was getting long. I had planned to fit this as well as the next part into one, but I felt if I did it now that it would be rushing it and I don't want to rush this because it's very important to the story telling as well as to the introduction of new characters.

Which is where my third point comes in. I've been so excited and have been waiting to bring Mai-Ling and Jun into the story since I first came up with the idea and planned everything out for the series. They are going to be very important, but I won't tell you how. I'd like to see what you all think of both of them as well as what you think they're up to.

I will describe what Jun looks like in the next chapter, but didn't want to this chapter as it would ruin the mystery. Also, fun act, when I originally came up with the design for Mai-Ling, I hated it every time because everything made her look like a younger version of Tai-Lee from the original series. I was very happy when I started typing this chapter and was able to design her much differently and better in my opinion. Let me know what you guys think.

Later,

Blak-Ice