Chapter 24

"You're finally here!" Ikki cheered as Mako, Bolin, Asami and Jun pulled up to the dock on their ship. Korra, Jinora and Meelo stood beside her, waving to the group as they pulled in. "Welcooome to Air Temple Island, your new home."

"Yes, welcome to my domain," Meelo declared, pointing to himself as they stepped off the boat.

"Well, aren't you sweet, little monk child," Bolin said as he carried his duffle bag and leaned down to him. Pabu jumped from his shoulder, scurrying between Meelo's legs before heading over to Naga who'd accompanied them to greet the others.

"What's that fuzzy creature?" the little boy asked.

"That is a Fire Ferret," his eldest sister said, finger pointed up studiously. "An arboreal mammal common to the bamboo forest of the central Earth Kingdom." However, this seemed to fall on deaf ears as Ikki squealed at how cute she thought he was while Meelo jumped into the air, landing on Naga's head and pulling on her ears as if they were reins.

"Yip Yip! Fly, Sky Bison! Fly!" he chanted while Pabu hissed and ran away from Ikki who was more than willing to give chase.

"Is it always this…lively?" Jun asked with a grimace on her face while walking up to Jinora who unplugged her fingers from her ears. "Please tell me it's not always like this."

"Unfortunately, yes, it is," Jinora said with an apologetic smile. "Don't worry though, you'll be in the dorms, so you'll have an escape when you need it."

"Great because I haven't slept all night, and the last thing I need is to constantly hear Ikki's screaming."

"I know what you mean," Jinora said, her apologetic smile turning into a sad one as her eyes fell to the ground. "I hope they're alright."

"They'd better be," Jun mumbled stubbornly as she wrapped her arms around herself and looked to the ground as well. "Those two are so dumb sometimes when they're together, and they swore they would be careful. Instead, we're here, worried sick about them. When I find them and get my hands on them, I'm gonna kick both their asses and then I'm gonna tie them up, and lock them in a steel box, and..and…"

The young Earthbender hadn't even realized that she had started rambling or that she had started crying until the tears were running down her face and dropping into her palms. Her hands were shaking as she stared at them before she cried into them, sniffing as she tried to stop herself from doing this again.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled out as Jinora walked up to her and embraced her in a hug. "I just really hope they're ok."

"I know, I do too," Jinora said, pulling back as Asami walked up to them. The older girl placed a hand on Jun's shoulder, offering her a handkerchief to which Jun accepted, wiping her face clean before nodding that she was ok. Taking her hand, Jinora told Jun, "Come with me; I'll show you to the dorms."

As the two started to make their way, Mako walked up to Asami as she and Korra watched them. "Thanks again for sending the Air Acolytes to help us with the move."

"Yeah, they've been amazing," Asami chimed in as two Acolytes carried a mountain of luggage, followed by a third carrying a smaller tower on her own. "Such tireless workers."

"Oh, I thought you were only bringing a few things," Korra commented, nearly getting crushed by the stack as the Acolytes stumbled and steadied it.

"Trust me, it could have been worse," Mako said.

"Well, I wanted to make sure the girls had everything they needed, which is why I asked for the extra Acolyte. I'm surprised she was able to carry all their things on his own," Asami said, watching Jun's retreating form. "Unfortunately, this isn't an unusual circumstance for them. They're pretty used to having to move around a lot."

"I'm sorry to hear that. And really, it's not a problem," Korra reassured them. "Everyone wants you guys to feel welcome." Turning, she led the group to follow Jinora, Jun, and Ikki as they made their way toward the Temple.

"And now for the grand tour," Ikki said, pointing to each area around them as she spoke, "The flying bison sleep in those caves down there, and that's the temple Grandpa Aang built. And that's the greenhouse where we grow the vegetables we eat." Finishing, she turned to their guest, all of whom were impressed with the beauty of the island.

"I have a couple of questions," Bolin said, trying to ask them as rapidly as he could, mimicking her. "Is this an all-vegetarian island? Is that where you train airbending? Do we have to wear Air Acolyte clothes? Do we each get our own sky bison? And final question," he bent down to her height, asking, "how many trees are on this island?"

Ikki paused for a moment before, to the amazement of everyone other than her siblings, she answered, "Yes. Yes. No. No. Ten Thousand Five Hundred and Fifty-Two."

"Ok, seriously, do you just feed her like a pound of sugar ever morning, or something…" Jun asked Jinora as Ikki smiled at her.

"So, where will we be staying?" Mako asked.

"You're a boy. Boys have to stay on the boy's side," Meelo replied, pointing toward the Men's Dorms.

"I'd be happy to show you to the Men's dormitory," Jinora volunteered, leading the brothers away.

After suggesting that Meelo go with them, as well as allowing him to declare his love for her friend, Korra turned to Asami and Jun. "Ikki and I will show you both to your rooms."

"Asami, did you know Korra likes Mako?" Ikki inquired as the four girls wandered the halls of the dorm. The Avatar's jaw dropped open in a silent scream as she panicked, looking from Ikki to Jun, who looked like she was now fully awake, and finally Asami, who looked taken off guard.

"Oh, uh…no, I wasn't aware of that," she replied before being dragged away by Korra. Jun and Ikki watched the two older girls as Korra opened a door, smiling as she showed it to Asami. The heiress smiled back, walking into the room before Korra closed the door in Ikki's face when she tried to follow.

"Hey!" Ikki cried out unhappily.

"Run along, Ikki. Show Jun to her room," Korra said from the other side of the door, receiving a sigh before Ikki started making animalistic, cat sounds as she swiped at the door.

"You know, maybe I was too quick to dismiss you, Ikki," Jun said with a grin as she placed a hand around her shoulders. As the two started to walk down the hall, she said, "So, about Korra liking Mako…"

Korra looked at the ground awkwardly before looking at Asami, her back facing the Avatar. Her posture told Korra she was feeling just as awkward now that they were alone, prompting the Avatar to sigh as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"So…here's your room," she said. "I know it's a little rustic compared to what you're used to."

"I think it's charming," Asami said, walking to the window before turning around. "And the best part? Nothing here reminds me of my father. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Of course. I wanted you and Jun to feel at home. How…are you both doing?" she asked gently.

"Honestly, I'm worried sick. I didn't sleep at all last night, and by the looks of it, neither did Jun. She's…taking it pretty hard and keeps blaming herself for not being able to go down there and help," Asami said, before gently asking, "How are you and Tula?"

"The big sister in me can't stop worrying, but I have to believe in Sota. He's smart, resourceful and cautious. Plus, he's got Essa with him, as much as I wish it weren't the case," she said, looking at the ground sadly. "Tula's been sanctioned to her quarters until further notice. Tenzin thought it'd be best to prevent her from going off on her own, so I haven't had a chance to talk to her since we've been back."

A loud knock interrupted them, annoying Korra as she turned around to the door. "Ikki, I swear if you don't leave us alone, I'm gonna- "The Avatar stopped dead in her tracks as it was revealed to be Tenzin on the other side. Face turning red, she said, "Uh, Tenzin. Come right in."

"Good day, ladies," he greeted as he walked up to them. "Asami, welcome to the island."

"Thank you for having us," she replied, giving a small bow to him, which he returned.

"Beifong's replacement, Saikhan, is going to be inducted as the new chief of police later," he said to Korra. "I think we should both be there."

Korra was hesitant; truth be told, she had hoped to join in the search party for Sota and the others but reconsidered. Maybe this was the better choice and could help her clear her head. After all, getting in with the new chief was part of her duty to the city.

"Alright. Let's head out then," she agreed.

"It was an honor serving under Chief Beifong for so many years, and I wish her a speedy recovery," Saikhan said into the many microphones laid before him. The front of the Police Station was crowded with citizens and reporters, all out to see the new Chief that would be taking over the city's safety. Behind Chief Saikhan were his select team of officers, as well as the members of the City Council and the Avatar. "It is with great humility that I take her place as the new chief of police. Republic City is facing a threat like none the world has ever seen, but there is one man who has been effective against Amon's revolution; Councilman Tarrlok."

Tarrlok gave a graceful nod, a conniving smile on his face as his photo was taken.

"That is why for all matters involving the Equalists, I will report directly to him," Saikhan said. Korra and Tenzin looked at him in disbelief before looking at each other. The two shared a look of understanding before facing the crowd again.

So that was Tarrlok's game.

"The police department will lend any and all available resources to the Councilman and his taskforce until we quell this insurgency," Saikhan declared with a pound of his fist on the podium as he finished his speech.

"What is that weasel-snake Tarrlok up to now?" Korra whispered to Tenzin with her arms crossed. Her master said nothing, wondering the same as he looked at Tarrlok.

As the crowd dispersed after the ceremony, Tenzin made his way over to confront his fellow Councilman.

"Tarrlok, I don't know what you did to get Chief Saikhan in your pocket, but I highly doubt it was legal," he said.

"Oh, Tenzin, always the conspiracy theorist," Tarrlok said with a chuckle as he faced him. "Did you ever consider Saikhan simply recognizes my talents and wants what is best for the city?"

Tenzin scoffed at this as Korra joined them, directing her frown at Tarrlok as he took note of her as well.

"Well, Avatar Korra, long time no see. Now that your little Pro-Bending distractions are over, I look forward to your return to my taskforce."

Korra scoffed ad well, crossing her arms once again before stating, "Forget it. There's no way I'm joining your vanity project."

"That is unfortunate to hear," he replied, cheerful demeanor gone. "Especially since I thought you'd jump at the first chance to lead the primary search team that will be looking for your brother."

Korra's jaw dropped, she and Tenzin both taken back by the audacity Tarrlok had to bring Sota into this.

"But I'm sure you'll come to your senses as you have in the past," he continued snidely.

"Don't hold your breath, bub," she spat back as she resisted the urge to punch him in the face. Pointing at him and moving closer to his face, she continued, "How dare you bring Sota up as if his life is some kind of bargaining chip? You know, Tenzin's been right about you all along. You played me, you played Beifong, and now, you're playing the new Chief too. Well, I've got news for you; you need me, but I don't need you. I'm the Avatar."

"You're not, in fact, the Avatar," Tarrlok said, pleased at the look that Korra gave as he finished, "You are merely a half-baked Avatar in training. Which reminds me, how is your Airbending going?"

Korra's heart sank at his words. As much as she hated to admit it, Tarrlok was right. No matter how much she practiced the forms and trained, Korra had yet to bend even a small gust of wind.

"Made any significant progress with it?" Tarrlok taunted, smirking as Korra held her head down in frustration. "I didn't think so. If you will not be part of my taskforce, then you'd best stay out of my way."

While Tarrlok turned to take his leave, Tenzin placed a concerned hand on Korra's shoulder as she grit her teeth and watched the other Councilman walk away. Suggesting they return home, Tenzin guided Korra back to Oogie and they were soon on their way.

"I don't understand what's wrong with me," Korra said from the saddle. "I've memorized nearly all the practice forms, but I still can't produce a single measly puff of air! I'm a failure."

"No, you're not," Tenzin replied encouragingly. "You just need to work through this Airbending block."

"Amazing advice. I'll get right on that," she said sarcastically.

"I wasn't finished yet. You see, Aang not only had his bending teachers, but also his past lives to call upon for guidance. Have you ever made contact with your past lives?"

"No, of course I haven't. Didn't you get the memo from the White Lotus? I'm a spiritual failure too."

"You may have made a connection without realizing it. Perhaps something you mistook as a dream."

Korra was silent for a moment as memories from the night of Amon's attack on the Pro-Bending Arena, as well as when he ambushed her, came to her mind.

"Maybe… I had a few weird hallucinations. But I hardly even remember them," she said.

"And did you see any previous Avatars in these visons?" Tenzin asked in surprise as he turned around to face her.

"I saw Aang," she confirmed before looking away into the distance. "It seemed like he was in trouble. What do you think it means?"

"Hmm…I don't know," Tenzin admitted, brining his hand to his chin. "But I urge you to meditate on these visions. I believe Aang's spirit must be trying to tell you something."

"Now, hold on, Jun," Jinora said hastily as she tried to properly explain the situation to the angry Earthbender. "I know you're upset- "

"I'm gonna bury those two so far down, they'll be kissing the Earth's core!" she declared as she stomped back and forth from one side to the other of the meditation hut they were in. "I can't believe they almost blew the whole tournament because of stupid teenage hormones." Stopping, she rounded on Jinora, asking, "And why didn't Sota just tell us if he knew what was going on?"

"Wait, how do you know he knew?"

"Are you kidding me? Every time I touched him, it felt like his heart was gonna come flying out of his chest. He was acting so weird, what else could it have been?"

If she's this upset about that, I can't imagine what she'd do if she found out they kissed… Jinora thought to herself before stating, "It's because of Korra. Sota would do anything to help his sister."

"Including hiding a secret from his friends?"

"Well, can you blame him? I mean, look how upset you are. I can't image how Mai-Ling or Asami would have taken it," Jinora joked to try to lighten the mood.

"Ugh! I'm so frustrated right now, it's giving me an even worse headache," Jun said, voice lowering in volume as she rubbed her temples.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Jinora asked, holding up three of her fingers. Jun looked from her to her fingers, and back, narrowing her eyes at the Airbender. "I'm waiting."

"Then you'll be waiting for a long time because I'm not playing this game," Jun said, crossing her arms.

"Is it more then 4?" Jinora taunted. When Jun's face turned red, she smirked and said, "I thought as much."

"Haha, smarty pants. I'm sorry, ok? I'm just really tired and upset because my whole life has been crumbling like loose mud. I would give anything to sleep but something keeps kicking me in the head when I try…I might be just a tinnie, tiny…" Jun trailed off as she struggled for a moment to think of the words needed to finish. "Um…"

"Sleep deprived?" Jinora offered.

"Yeah, that. And it's making it really hard to think straight right now," she said, taking a seat on the ground. Jinora joined her, sitting across from her and folding her legs.

"Why do you try meditating with me?" The young Air Nomad suggested, receiving a tired look from Jun. "Come on, just try it. You've got a lot weighing on you and you're never gonna be able to sleep If you don't get it off your chest. For Air Nomad's, meditation is used to help calm and focus ourselves. It might just be the trick to help you get past these feelings so you can sleep."

"Well, I suppose it can't hurt to try," Jun relented. Crossing her legs, she folded her hands in the same manner that Jinora was.

"Good. Now, close your eyes and take a deep breath. When you breath out, try to clear your thoughts of any outside distractions, and let your mind be free."

Closing her eyes, Jun did as she instructed, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out as she mumbled, "Let my mind be free…". The two fell silent, a gentle breeze blowing through the area that caressed the leaves and grass. The wind brushed lightly against Jinora's face as she found herself at peace, though it only lasted for a moment before she was rocked by a sudden jolt.

Jinora opened her eyes as another wave rocked under her. Looking at Jun, she could see the Earthbender fidgeting as her brow creased and sweat built on her forehead. Jinora grew concerned as her friend looked like she was in pain, and she immediately reached out to shake her.

"Jun?" She called to her, gently shaking her. "Jun, it's ok, you can stop."

Her words fell on deaf ears as Jun grit her teeth and said nothing. Her fists were clenched tight, and her posture was stiff as her mind raced, not even registering the steadily growing earthquake beneath her.

"Jun!?" Jinora called, now starting to panic as the ground started shaking more. Bending a gust to stand, Jinora grabbed her by both shoulders, and shook her hard, screaming, "JUN!"

"AH!" Jun screamed, falling back and hitting the wooden floor of the hut. The earthquakes quelled as she stared at the roof, body shaking while she panted before her vison began to blur and tears filled her eyes.

Jinora panicked, dropping to her knees next to her to try and help her. "Jun, are you ok? Are you hurt?"

"I…I…" she stammered, trying to catch her breath as she wiped her eyes. Why? WHY AM I ALWAYS CRYING!? She thought to herself somberly.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you to – "

"I can't stand this!" she shouted, sitting up. "I'm so pathetic! How can I ever call myself their friend again when I abandoned them!? Why am I always such a failure!?"

"Jun, stop, it's not your fault! You didn't abandon anyone," Jinora said desperately, a few tears coming to her eyes as well.

"I was too scared to go down there when they needed me! What kind of Earthbender is scared of her own fucking element!?"

Korra sat sadly on the edge of a cliff, staring out into the bay at the statue of Aang. A few tears rolled down her face as the day's events weighed on her mind. Not only had Tarrlok hit a sore spot, but they had yet to find any clues or leads to Sota or the others.

What kind of Avatar am I? A crappy one…she thought to herself.

"Korra?" Mako's voice came from the distance. "You out here?"

The Avatar quickly wiped the tears from her face as the bush behind her rustled. Pabu came rushing out, locating his friend before climbing over her as Bolin cried out her name.

"KORRA!" he cried out as Pabu licked away the remaining few tears on her face. Bolin, soon spotted them, Mako and Asami along with him. "There you are. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she quickly lied.

"Come on," Mako encouraged. "What's wrong? You can tell us. Is it…about Sota?"

Korra gave a sigh. "How am I supposed to save the city, or my brother, when I can't even learn Airbending? I'm the worst Avatar ever. I just feel…alone."

"No, that's nonsense. You are amazing," Asami replied.

"Yeah, and remember, Aang hadn't mastered all the elements when he was battling the Fire Nation. He was just a little kid," Mako said.

"And he wasn't alone. He had his friends to help him," Bolin spoke, a smile coming to his face. "Look, the Arena might be shut down, but we're still a team. The NEW Team Avatar!"

"We've got your back, Korra," Mako said as he, Bolin and Asami walked together and stacked their hands. "And we can save the city. Together."

"Yeah," Korra said, standing to her feet with a renewed vigor and a sense of hope. Smiling, she placed her hand on top, declaring, "Let's do it!"

The moment was immediately lost as Meelo descended from the sky with a gust of wind, farting to soften his landing on their hands. The four teenagers looked at him in disgust as he fist pumped obliviously to this.

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Meelo said, before farting again. Slumping over, he asked, "What are we doing?" And though it was strange, this seemed to have brought the mood up, bringing all four to laughter while the little Airbender could only give a goofy grin.

To be continued…