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Chapter Text

That move was blatantly illegal! What were the refs thinking? Tahno and his Wolfbats were a bunch of cheats, and even the announcer was pointing out the transparent favoritism. Korra turned to Bolin, unsure of whether her teammate was okay after being hit square in the face with a jet stream from Tahno, filled with sharp-edged stones from a broken disc. Bolin was too focused on the fight to acknowledge her, or the blood flowing from a wound on his forehead, valiantly hurling a volley of discs at the opposing earthbender, too fast for him to react. Yeah, he was fine; way tougher than Korra gave him credit for.

Following Bolin’s lead, Korra turned her attention back to the task at hand: beating these lowlifes. Bolin and Mako were in zone 2, and she was behind them in zone 3, courtesy of the penalty she had received for streaming half a millisecond over the allowed time. The Wolfbats had won the first two rounds, so their only chance left was a knockout. She had to keep a cool head and follow the rules flawlessly, or they were done for. And she had to do it fast; Mako’s flames were starting to fade, and Bolin’s volleys were slowing as they were being worn down just defending themselves from all the cheating, no chance to strike back.

It couldn’t end this way. The Fire Ferrets had fought so hard to even make it to the finale. Korra watched her teammates, fighting with everything they had just to stay in zone 2. The brothers were so loyal and dependable. When she had arrived in Republic City, Bolin had invited her to live with them above the stadium, even though the brothers had almost nothing themselves. And somehow, Mako had used his street smarts to find them a wealthy benefactor: Hiroshi Sato of Future Industries. He and Bolin had both done so much for the team, and Korra was nothing but a clueless runaway hick from the south pole who couldn’t contribute anything useful. Nothing, that is, except her extraordinary skill as a waterbending master. She had to make this moment count.

And there was her opening. Tahno and his teammates were distracted with their glee at Tahno’s illegal use of ice to trip Mako. Cocky. One quirk of being in zone 3 was that she didn’t have to waterbend through the grates. And she took full advantage of this, unleashing a furious torrent over the back of the arena, whipping Tahno and his teammates straight off the opposite end.

A knockout.

One second left on the clock. The crowd waited with bated breath for the ref’s ruling. Silence descended on the arena. Finally, the ref made his call: it was a knockout. The Fire Ferrets had won.

Korra jumped for joy and ran to hug her teammates. The crowd erupted into wild cheering. The announcer hopelessly tried to recap the Fire Ferrets’ journey throughout the pro-bending season, starting with Korra’s unorthodox last-minute replacement of the Fire Ferrets’ original waterbender at the last possible second. But the crowd’s rapture swallowed up his words, and anyway, any proper pro-bending fan already knew the story.

That was some knockout. Korra knew in her heart that she had just made history. No one had ever won a pro-bending match before with such a spectacular knockout following such a spectacular disadvantage, especially not first-season rookies. This match would go down in the halls of fame, cementing the Fire Ferrets’ place in the history of the sport. And yet, all Korra could think of was how glad she was to be sharing this moment with the best friends she had ever known.

The award ceremony was all a blur. Bolin quickly cleaned up the wounds on his face before they went out to face the public. Mako was interviewed first, as team captain, and he was very professional, warmly thanking Hiroshi Sato and Future Industries for their support of the team. Bolin was a little more personal, tearfully telling the fans that it was their support that got them through such adversity. And then it was Korra’s turn.

“Last but not least, our knockout gal herself, Korra!” the announcer blared, then handed her the championship trophy and pointed the microphone to her.

Korra had no idea what to say. She was overcome with emotion, no room for composure. Tears in her eyes, she lifted the trophy in the air and said the only thing she could think of. “This is the best day of my life, and I’m so glad to share it with you… with all of you! I’ll never forget this moment, and I hope you won’t either. I love you, Republic City!”

Judging by the crowd’s reaction, that was the right thing to say. Of course it was. This moment was perfect, and nothing could ruin it.

But then, of course, something had to ruin it. Plenty of reporters wanted a statement from them on the way out, and Korra left that task to Mako. But the closer they got to the stadium entrance, the more Korra seemed to hear angry sounds. That couldn’t be right. Everyone was elated that the Fire Ferrets had won. Yet the sounds were unmistakable; there was an angry mob outside the stadium.

Korra leaned in to speak in Bolin’s ear, so he could hear her over the crowd noise. “Are you sure getting noodles is such a great idea right now? It sounds like something serious is going on out there, and I’m not sure it’s smart to stumble into it.”

“What are you talking about? That’s just the fans screaming to see a little more of this!” he exclaimed, flexing his muscles for the spectators surrounding them. Several women squealed and fainted.

“Bolin, take this seriously! The Wolfbats were the reigning champions, they must have had hardcore fans. What if it’s them, and they want to throw rotten fruit at us?”

“Rotten fruit?” Bolin laughed boisterously and threw an arm around Korra’s shoulders. “That'd be tame. Trust me, fans can get wild. Sometimes the metalbenders even have to get involved.”

“Well, maybe we should wait for things to calm down, and then we can head back to the Sato mansion. We don’t need noodles right this second, and I’m sure the butler can get us the best noodles in town, safe at home.” She gave him the best puppy-dog eyes she could manage, though, truthfully, she had never been any good at groveling.

Fortunately, Mako came to her rescue. “She’s right, bro. Remember the last time we ended up in the middle of a riot?”

Bolin seemed to reconsider his position. “I bet Hiroshi’s personal chef makes better noodles anyway. You’re right, let’s wait in the locker rooms until things die down.”

The going was slow, with Korra and Mako shaking hands signing autographs, and Bolin doing the same as well as blowing kisses the whole way, but they did eventually make it back to the locker rooms. They breathed a collective sigh of relief. Once they had taken a moment to get their wits about them, Mako asked a staff member if someone would mind letting them know what the rioting outside was about. The worker nodded and agreed to report back to them as soon as she knew anything.  

Korra was not only worried about the rioters themselves, but about encountering the metalbenders who might be there as well. Her last encounter with Police Chief Beifong had resulted in her spending 6 weeks in prison. Not an experience she was eager to repeat. Trying to distract herself, she tried to make conversation with her teammates. “So… you guys have seen a riot before?”

The brothers looked at each other. Mako said tentatively, “You’ve heard of the Triple Threat Triads?”

Korra scoffed. At times, Mako really had a way of saying the exact wrong thing. “Oh, you forgot? I was arrested for standing up to them the first day I came to Republic City.”

Mako cringed. “I… yeah, I remember. I just wasn’t sure you remembered who they were.”

Blinded by rage, Korra replied, “Remembered? Mako, do you know what waterbender prison is like? They keep it so hot and dry and keep the prisoners so dehydrated that we can’t even sweat. And you think I’d so easily forget who landed me in there?”

“I… uh… yeah, well, uh… the riot was… people were upset with the Triads. And we were at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Mako fumbled. He and Bolin gave each other desperate looks.

Korra focused her attention on Bolin. Mako may be steadfast, but Bolin was weak to her feminine wiles. She felt a little evil for manipulating his feelings, but this was personal, and she needed to know the truth.

As predicted, Bolin caved quickly. “Fine, you win! We worked for them! For the Triads! We were nothing more than hired muscle, and we had no choice, we were homeless, we had no choice! And we’ve had nothing to do with them for years, years before you ever came to Republic City. I promise!”

Korra’s anger fizzled out, and she felt guilty for even being angry in the first place. Of course she couldn’t hold this against them. She knew the brothers had lost everything when their parents died. She remembered her own first day in Republic City, being unable to afford anything for Naga to eat and chased off by the police for fishing. How could two children be expected to fend for themselves in such a harsh environment? And throughout the past few months of knowing them, she had picked up little hints here and there of how hard their life on the street had been. Life wasn’t fair in this city, and they did what they had to to survive. She gave Bolin a hug and said softly, “I understand. I believe you.”

Bolin melted into a puddle of tears.

Mako raised an eyebrow at her. The nerve! What did he care? He was dating Hiroshi’s daughter anyway.

Korra glowered back at him from over Bolin’s shoulder. So what if she maybe had a slight crush on him when they first met? Her feelings for Bolin had developed more naturally over time, and they were more real. Bolin was the only person she knew who could have his face sliced open by illegal rock-infused jet streams and still be so excited for noodles. She certainly wouldn’t have been able to take that abuse the way he had; she would’ve gotten herself thrown out of the match entirely if the Wolfbats had tried that move on her. How could she help falling just a little for someone so reliable and loyal?

They were finally rescued from the awkwardness of the situation by the stadium staffer returning. “Fire Ferrets!” she exclaimed, “The noise you heard outside the stadium is the result of an Equalist rally!”

“Equalists?” Mako questioned. “What do they want?”

“They provoked the pro-bending fans into a brawl by telling them they’re fools for worshipping benders when non-benders deserve an equal voice in society,” the staffer replied. “It’s a mess out there. Chief Beifong and her metalbenders have arrested people on both sides.”

Continuing to pat Bolin’s back, Korra grumbled, “If they want non-benders to be equal to us, they should just throw a championship tournament for non-bender athletes, not start a riot during ours!”

The staffer bowed. “You’re right, of course, Korra.”

“Damn straight I am.” Korra pouted. She may be right, but there was nothing she could do about it. She could join the pro-bender fans, but all that would do is get her arrested again and tarnish her reputation as a champion. A few months ago, she might have jumped right in anyway, but Hiroshi’s public relations training had sunk in more than she expected, apparently. Damn it all.

Hours later, the chaos could still be heard, and the team was still at a loss as to what to do. Fortunately for them, help arrived in the form of Hiroshi’s daughter, Asami. The streets were still a battleground, so she had driven a speedboat to the docks behind the stadium to retrieve them.

Mako and Bolin were nervous getting into the boat, having never been in one before. Asami held both their hands as they stepped in under the cover of darkness, and they stared nervously at the black water beneath them. Asami held out her hand for Korra as well, but Korra laughed.

“Waterbender, remember?” Korra asked with amusement. “Plus, I’ve been getting in canoes on the open ocean since I was a girl. This boat is a lot steadier, and these waters are a lot calmer.” She hopped in with ease.

Asami hopped in after her and said, “Well, then. I’ll make use of your expertise. Take that oar.”

She could have just propelled the boat with her waterbending, but something about the other woman teasing her on her ‘expertise’ made her want to show off just how good she was.

Mako watched the two women rowing for a few minutes before asking, “Asami? Aren’t we in a speedboat? What’s with the rowing?”

“I don’t want to use the motor until we’re far enough from the stadium that people there won’t hear us,” Asami explained without interrupting her rowing rhythm in the slightest.

Despite Korra’s general dislike of Asami, which may or may not have had to do with the fact that she was dating Mako, she had to admire the personal touch of coming herself to retrieve them. Not to mention, she was surprised to find that the prissy princess was actually able to keep up with her rowing; they weren’t drifting to one side at all, as far as Korra could tell in the dark, just moving slowly but steadily further from the bright lights and golden dome of the stadium.

Once Asami decided they were far enough, she pulled in the oars, then stepped over the huddled brothers to the back of the boat to start the motor. Korra might know a lot about boats, but she knew nothing about motors. Now that she was experiencing one, she still knew nothing about them except that they were loud and stinky.

“Shut that off, I’ll just waterbend us!” she shouted, but couldn’t be heard over the motor. Instead, she waited patiently until the ride was over. They stopped at a random dock a mile or so from the stadium. Now that it was quiet, she said again, “I could have used waterbending instead of that motor thing, you know. Much quieter, and just as fast.”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time we have to make a nautical escape under the cover of darkness,” Asami responded. She led the group to a Satomobile. Mako sat in the front next to Asami, leaving Korra and Bolin to pile in the back. Each time the streetlights illuminated Bolin’s face, Korra could momentarily see him sneaking glances her way. She wondered if he noticed her sneaking glances at him. Asami explained as she drove that the Equalists were causing disruptions all over Republic City, and they were following a carefully plotted route she coordinated with the police to avoid the demonstrations.

Back at Sato mansion at last, they got cleaned up and sat down for their noodle dinner. While Mako and Asami had a somber conversation about the Equalists, Korra and Bolin ended up in a slurping competition, which quickly had them both clutching their sides with raucous laughter. No matter how upset she was, Bolin could always make her feel like things were okay after all. He was a silly guy, but maybe, just maybe, she was falling for him anyway. She cared about him, and he was available. That had to count for something.

After dinner, Bolin asked, “Hey, Korra, I’m going for a swim, you up for it?”

Grinning and fist bumping him, she said, “You bet!”

They spent some quality time playing and splashing around, tackling each other into the water. When they started to get tired, they found some floater toys and lounged at the surface. After some companionable silence, Korra felt compelled to make a confession. “I’m totally selfish.”

“Nope. Not last time I checked, anyway,” Bolin said calmly.

She splashed him gently. “I am, though. Republic City is going through something serious, and all I can think about is how it’s upstaging my big knockout.”

Bolin thought about it for a moment. “I don’t think that’s selfish. All our fans are probably thinking the same thing. Normally, they party all night after the season finale. Especially after a historic knockout like that.”

“Historic, maybe…” Korra said, “but it won’t be on the front page of the news tomorrow. I really wanted to make my mark on the world, and I thought this was it.”

“How big a mark do you want to leave?” Bolin asked.

Korra squeezed her eyes shut. “This is going to sound so stupid. I… I used to dream about being the Avatar. I was a waterbender around the right age. It should’ve been possible. I was so certain that it was my destiny, I convinced my parents to have the White Lotus come to my village to evaluate me. What a fool. Of course it wasn’t me.” It was embarrassing to admit, but if anyone was going to be sympathetic to her childhood delusions, it was Bolin.

“You’re not a fool,” Bolin said, lightly touching Korra’s fingertips with his own. “Maybe that’s not your destiny, but I can tell you have one, a destiny, I mean. You’re going to do great things, Korra. I just know it.”

Korra stared at his face. This was her opening. But she wasn’t as sure of her footing in this arena as she was in pro-bending. She felt closer to him now than she ever had to anyone else. Come on, Korra. Make your move. But she couldn’t move.

Bolin saw her looking and stood up, paddling up to her. He gently cupped her face and kissed her.

Oh.

Oh no.

Wasn’t a first kiss supposed to be magical?

This first kiss was just… wet.

Tears warmed Korra’s cheeks.

After an uncomfortable amount of time, Bolin pulled back, his eyes shining. But as soon as he saw Korra’s face, his expression changed. “Korra, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that without your permission. I’m… wow, that is not the reaction I was hoping for. Are you okay?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she was quick to reassure him. “It’s all my own fault. I’m not feeling… the way I should be feeling. And that’s not right, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and you deserve to be loved, but I…” she couldn’t finish the sentence.

“You don’t love me,” he said sadly.

Come on, Korra. Say something, you coward. But she couldn’t speak.

He looked at her tentatively. “We can still be friends, right?”

She nodded. “Of course we can!”

“Good. Okay, yeah, that’s good,” he said, distracted. “I’m going to go to bed now, okay?”

“Yeah, me too,” she answered.

They shuffled out of the pool area, still wet, and wrapped up in poofy luxury towels, since staying to dry off and change into their clothes would be entirely too awkward at this point.

Back in her room, Korra had little hope of falling asleep. She stayed up and stroked Naga’s thick fur, wondering how she could have won so hard at sports and failed so hard at relationships in the same day. At least Bolin still wanted to be friends. Just the thought that she might have lost him forever had tears threatening to fall again.

With the impressive view from her bedroom window, Korra could clearly see billowing black columns of smoke rising from all over the city, not just the area around the stadium. Whole neighborhoods were blacked out with power outages. Wailing sirens and the pulsing of airship blades filled the air. It hadn’t really sunk in until now how serious this situation was. She had been so swept up in her victory and flirting with Bolin that it hadn’t even occurred to her what a coordinated city-wide attack like this could mean for the people of Republic City.

Staring out at the city in chaos, she waited for the sun to rise.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Korra wandered the halls restlessly, waiting for everyone to wake for the day. A servant bowed to her and said, “Mr. Sato would like to see you, at your convenience.”

“Okay,” she said. She wondered what Hiroshi could possibly want with her. She really hoped he had some news about the riots. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could bear the suspense of being in the dark.

She took a moment to gather her courage and pushed open the heavy chestnut double doors. “Good morning, Mr. Sato,” she said, trying to project an air of confidence.

“Korra,” Hiroshi responded, calm as ever, plopping sugar cubes into his ornate gold-rimmed teacup with fancy silver tongs. “I’m glad you’re here. I was just about to send for you. Would you mind bringing your teammates here as well? I have some exciting news for you.” He picked up a newspaper and showed her the front page.

Rookies Win Pro-Bending Championship in Historic Knockout, read the title, and the featured photo was Korra herself, holding the trophy in the air and smiling like someone on top of the world, with Mako and Bolin cheering by her side. Korra was envious of the version of herself she saw in that photo, eyes shining, triumphant and unburdened by the news about the Equalists. Seeing herself there on the front page was everything she had wanted, yesterday. But today, everything felt more complicated. Especially things with Bolin.

“Is this the only news you have for us?” She asked tentatively.

“You were expecting something more?” Hiroshi stirred his tea, the tiny silver spoon clinking against the delicate porcelain.

Korra shrank a little under his implication, but she remained firm. “No. I was expecting something different.”

He simply watched her, waiting for her to continue.

She couldn’t meet his gaze. She focused intently on his eyebrows so she could speak. “What about the Equalists? Surely that is a more important story. Not that I’m not grateful, I’ve always dreamed of being on the front cover, it’s just… well, I want to know what happened last night. And I bet the rest of Republic City feels the same way.” She felt a chill run up her spine at the way he looked at her.

So quickly that she realized she must have imagined the icy glint in his eyes, his expression warmed again. “Not at all. The Equalist rallies are covered right here, on page 2.”

He turned the page to show her. She skimmed the article, which implied that these were just peaceful demonstrations. It didn’t mention any of the fires or power outages or airships Korra had seen throughout the night.

Hiroshi continued, “Korra, you’re the hero of the hour. The public can’t wait to hear more from you. There have been numerous requests for interviews with the Fire Ferrets. Your publicist has the details. Now, go find those brothers and get prepared for a busy day with the press.”

Korra was hesitant, but something about the way he was watching her made her frightened to disobey him. “Right away, Mr. Sato,” she said.

She headed toward the brothers’ rooms. This was their first time ever having privacy from one another, and surprisingly, Bolin loved having his own space while Mako missed having him close by. That was one of the things she really loved about Mako. He acted so tough and distant, but he had a major soft spot for his little brother. Not that she loved him! That would be… just so messy now that she had utterly rejected Bolin. Not a chance, Korra. Mako’s out of bounds.

Korra knocked on their doors. “Hey, wake up. Mr. Sato wants to see us.”

Mako was ready first. He opened his door with a yawn. “What’s this about?”

Korra quickly relayed what Hiroshi had told her.

Gripping his mother’s scarf for comfort, Mako seemed to wake up immediately when he heard that. “Korra, how much do you know about the Equalists?”

“I know they’re a major nuisance. They’re a bunch of whiners, but from what I’ve seen so far, they’ve always been peaceful.” Korra looked at him. “I just don’t get it. Why act like a peaceful nuisance this whole time, and then get violent out of nowhere?”  

With a deep sigh, Mako asked, “Peaceful? What ever gave you that impression?”

“Well, every time I’ve ever run into them, they’re just on a megaphone whining about how oppressed they are. How was anyone supposed to know they had actual fighters?”

Mako stared at her again. “Korra, the Equalists have been in armed skirmishes with the Big Five for years, vying for control over the underworld. We’ve never personally run into them, but when we were working for the Triads, we worked with some guys who had before. They said the Equalists are skilled chi blockers who can prevent you from bending for several hours if they hit you at the right pressure points. And they fight with some kind of electric glove that they use to artificially lightingbend.”

“Well, don’t treat me like some ignorant bumpkin for not knowing that. You could have told me sooner.” Korra was genuinely hurt by the way he was talking down to her.

Looking away, Mako cleared his throat. “You’re right, I could have told you. It just didn’t seem relevant at the time. And I’m sorry if I implied that you’re ignorant, you’re not. If we were in a south pole village right now, I’m sure I’d be the one struggling to catch up.”

“’Struggling to catch up?!?’” Korra spat. “Yeah, I’m really struggling with the concept. Hmm, let’s see, violent chi blockers with lightning gloves? Nope, can’t follow along with that at all, can you explain it again? I’m really ‘struggling to catch up’ here!”

Mako put his hands up in defeat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Please, please, keep your voice down. Remember, we’re still guests in this home. And look, I understand that you’re angry, but something isn’t adding up here.”

“Well, please enlighten me, O great all-knowing sage of Republic City.” Korra bowed spitefully.

“Keep. Your voice. Down.” Mako said sternly. “I don’t know yet either. But something happened last night, something major, and I somehow doubt we’re going to find out what on the daily news.”

Korra was about to retort but was interrupted by Bolin opening his door. He looked like he hadn’t slept well. His eyes raised slowly, sadly, and he said, “Good morning, Korra.”

Immediately the tables were turned. Korra had to switch from playing offense to defense, offering Mako a placating look.

Mako glared at Korra with absolute fury. “What did you do?”

Bolin placed a weary hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Leave it. Please. For me.”

Mako studied Bolin’s face for a while. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. It’s not Korra’s fault, trust me.” Bolin gave a half-hearted smile. “Really, I’m fine.”

With that, Korra led the group back to Hiroshi’s office. There, they met with their publicist, a mousy man named Otto, and he went over their schedule for the day while they walked toward the dining room. There, they met with Asami and had their breakfast together. Hardly anyone spoke except Otto, who continued to lecture them about what to say and what not to say during the interviews. Of course, he didn’t want them to offer any comments about the situation with the Equalists, and if asked, they were to say they didn’t know anything or see anything. Which was almost true, in Korra’s case. Sometimes she really hated being the one fresh off the boat. As furious as she was with Mako right now, he had a point. Why was everyone trying to act like the Equalist attacks didn’t happen?

Speaking of Mako, he and Asami seemed to be having some sort of unspoken conversation. He just had to shove his perfect beautiful relationship with his perfect beautiful girlfriend in Korra’s face, so she’d feel even more guilty for screwing things up with Bolin. Why couldn’t she have just fallen in love with him? It hurt, seeing such a good friend so heartbroken. Normally an enthusiastic eater, he was barely even touching his eggs and toast. And it was all her own fault. She wanted to bang her head on the table and give up.

Sadly for her, they had a busy day ahead of them rubbing elbows with the press. Asami bid them farewell and gave Mako a quick peck on the lips. How come kissing looked so enticing when she did it?

They piled into the limo with Otto and rode in silence to their first interview of the day. They were scheduled 3 interviews, then a lunch break, then 2 more. It was going to be a long day. As they drove through the streets, pockets of chaotic protestors still lingered, but most of the commotion was done by now.

As soon as they arrived and stepped out of the limo, Bolin plastered on his flirtatious public persona. He kept it up flawlessly throughout the interview, winking at the female reporters whenever they asked him questions about his workout routine and tips for men looking to get biceps like his. Mako wore his usual mask too, unflappable and professional. Most of his questions were focused on the unique sponsorship the Fire Ferrets had with Future Industries and how that had allowed them to continue the season when they couldn’t afford the championship pot.

Korra was beginning to wish she had a public persona to hide behind as well. She was normally just her natural self when interacting with the press, but today, she wanted to be anyone else. As the interviews wore on, she noticed how many questions were directed at her along the lines of, “What was it like going from a small, remote village to the biggest city on earth?” And she realized, at least as far as the public was concerned, this was her persona: the clueless wide-eyed country girl who was just so overwhelmed by the electrical grid and buildings taller than one story.

She followed her teammates’ lead and leaned into it, joking about how hard it was to find space for a polar bear dog to roam and exercise in the crowded streets. As she described how good it felt to mount Naga and just run and ride as fast as she could, the Antarctic wind stinging her face, she felt one of those rare pangs for the home she had left behind. What she wouldn’t give to ask her mother for some relationship advice right now.

They also got a lot of questions about their teamwork. “Were you two deliberately distracting the Wolfbats to give Korra her opening?” one reporter asked the brothers.

Bolin laughed. “Not at all! We were just hanging on for dear life!”

And then there were the questions about the cheating and favoritism. Mako usually took these questions, explaining that it wasn’t their place to question the ref’s decisions, and it had all worked out in the end.

Korra couldn’t help but add, “Besides, if I hadn’t been pushed into zone 3, I never would have managed that knockout. You can’t get a fully formed water whip that powerful when you’re waterbending through the grates.”

Mako gave her a subtle nervous glance, but his concern was unwarranted, as that led to a series of questions about the team’s pro-bending strategy, which was a much safer topic, and one Korra enjoyed talking about. That led to a conversation about Korra’s disastrous showing in her first match.

“Haha, yeah, traditional waterbending forms don’t lend themselves so well to pro-bending,” Bolin said. “But we had ourselves a few private training sessions after that, and Korra’s a quick study.” He winked at her.

“I had a good teacher. The best,” she responded with a wink of her own. She already knew it, but it was nice to have confirmation that he would still support her, even after the disaster last night.

There were no questions about the Equalists.

During their lunch break in the plaza outside the stadium, Mako pulled Korra and Bolin close. “I need you guys to cause a distraction. There’s something I have to do.”

“You hear that, Pabu?” Bolin asked his fire ferret. “Looks like it’s showtime.” He commanded Pabu to perform some tricks, which resulted in bits of scattered applause.

Mako facepalmed.

“I’ve got this,” Korra said, cracking her knuckles. “Hey, Republic City! It’s your pro-bending champions, the Fire Ferrets! Free autographs!”

That did the trick. A noisy crowd formed around them, and in the din, Mako was able to hold a clandestine conversation with a street urchin right in plain sight. Korra saw him hand the boy money at least three times. She hoped no one else noticed. As angry as she still was with him, she trusted his judgment when it came to things like this. Even though it looked like he was doing something super shady, his actions in the past had always benefited the team.

Whatever Mako had done, it was obvious he didn’t want to discuss it in front of their publicist. So, Korra had to wait until they finished their last 2 interviews to hear what that was about. Her new bumpkin persona was working out spectacularly. She flew through the final interviews easily.

But, of course, just when they thought they were off the hook, one of the reporters transitioned from asking Korra about where to find authentic Water Tribe cuisine in Republic City to suddenly asking, “You must really be struggling to keep up with the local politics , right?”

He just had to say that. Korra desperately clung to her composure.

“We’re all struggling, to be honest,” Mako said, coming to her rescue. “We’re just athletes, after all. The whole situation is kind of over my head, and I’m sure my teammates feel the same way. We just hope everyone made it home safely.”

Korra’s face burned. Mako could play Mr. Perfect Dumb Jock, so why couldn’t she? Maybe it was the fact that, had it been her saying it, the words would have been true.

The nasty reporter sensed her discomfort and clutched his clipboard menacingly. Mako tried to intervene, but the reporter ignored him, continuing to question Korra. “But you’re superstar benders. You must have some opinion on all these accusations.”

“What accusations are you talking about, exactly?” Korra mumbled.

“You really are a sheltered girl, aren’t you?” The reporter asked with a simpering smile. “I’m talking about the accusations that the sport of pro-bending is a toxic culture that puts benders on a pedestal, makes you superstars, when non-benders can’t even dream of achieving such heights. I’m talking about the accusations that you are bender supremacists.” He leaned forward in his seat. “Are the rumors true, Korra? Do you think benders are superior to non-benders?"

“What? No, I believe all people are equal. My own mother is a non-bender. How could I possibly think of her as inferior?”

“Oh, really?” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “How can you say you support Equalist philosophy while still participating in a sport that excludes non-benders?”

Mako stood. “That’s enough. This interview is over.”

The reporter stood too. “That’s fine. I got everything I needed.” He smiled smugly. Korra wanted to punch him.

Once they were back in the limo, Bolin said softly, “Korra, I’m so sorry. That guy was totally out of line. Are you okay?”

She stared out the window, watching the streets go by, order restored. It was almost like last night’s attack hadn’t happened. “I’ll be okay when people stop treating me like I’m clueless.”

“Hm,” Bolin mused, “I thought you’d be more worried about the accusations that you’re a bigot.”

“What’s there to be worried about? That simply isn’t true.”

“That doesn’t mean the press can’t make it seem true to the public,” Mako said. “I’m worried.”

“Well, then, you can worry for the both of us,” Korra said coldly.

“Thanks. I’ll do that,” Mako said.

They sat silently for the rest of the ride home. Truthfully, Korra was worried. That reporter seemed way too pleased with himself. He provoked her, and she stumbled right along, like a stupid little easily manipulated puppet. Whatever his plan was, she had a feeling she was going to find out in tomorrow morning’s paper.

She also felt foolish for playing into the clueless girl stereotype and then getting mad when someone treated her exactly as such-like a clueless girl. She recognized how hypocritical it was and felt especially guilty for the way she had been with Mako today. They had always bickered a lot, it was part of their friendship, but she felt like she had crossed the line into genuine nastiness today. It wasn’t his fault that she was jealous of his relationship with Asami, and it was unfair of her to take it out on him.

Korra sighed deeply. “I’m sorry. I’ve been a jerk today. Mako, your original answer to that reporter was perfect, and I ruined it. Now we’re going to be in the papers for all the wrong reasons, and it’s my own stupid fault.”

Mako considered her for a long moment. “Yeah,” he said.

A one-word answer? He’s angrier than I thought. She felt she deserved his anger though, after making such a huge mistake with the press. Not to mention breaking his little brother’s heart. Despite her promise with Bolin last night that they would stay friends, things were different between them, and she wasn’t sure they would ever really be the same again.

Back at the Sato mansion, Mako gestured for Korra and Bolin to follow him toward the mansion’s private gym. Korra was surprised that he wanted her around, but followed him, nonetheless. Bolin headed straight for the free weights. Mako thanked the servant who was cleaning equipment, and the servant bowed and left the room. Mako closed the door behind him.

“Bolin, you can put the weights down now,” Mako said, sitting down on a crunch bench.

“Oh? What are we doing?” Bolin asked, still in a solemn haze. He sat down crisscross applesauce on the floor in front of Mako.

“There’s serious trouble. The Equalist leader, Amon, claimed to permanently take the bending away from the leaders of the Big Five last night in a big underground ceremony. And so far, it really does seem to be permanent. As of lunch time, they still hadn’t regained their bending.”

Bolin gaped. “So… Lightning Bolt Zolt… he…”

“Yes. He lost his firebending.” Mako nodded.

Korra, yet again, felt foolish. She had completely forgotten about the incident at lunchtime. As far as she recalled, the Big Five were the five major gangs that ran the underworld of Republic City, of which the Triple Threat Triads were the largest and most influential. So, the Equalists were targeting bender gangs, good riddance, honestly.

But something didn’t make sense. “Wait,” she said, “If the Equalists were all underground in a secret ceremony, then who were the rioters?”

Mako nodded. “Well, that brings us to why I don’t want Sato’s servants to know that we’re investigating the situation. I especially don’t want them to know I still have contacts within the Triads.” He gave both Korra and Bolin a serious look, and they both nodded back, acknowledging that they would keep this information to themselves.

“So,” Mako continued, “The Big Five all knew the riots were going to happen. The Equalists have been campaigning to radicalize non-benders for months, and they knew they were going to protest the pro-bending championship. They just didn’t do anything about it because they figured it didn’t involve them. The police and the Council got word of it too, and like the gangs, they assumed it would be just a few people whining on the sidelines while the pro-bending fans celebrated. Everyone underestimated the unrest the non-bender community was feeling. No one saw it coming. The scale of it, anyway.” He paused. “But, uh, yeah, the riots were a smokescreen to keep everyone’s attention off the de-bending ceremony. Basically, Amon just declared war on every gang in Republic City. And a lot of non-benders support him.”

Korra was terrified. Maybe all these big city politics really were too much for her to handle. She noticed she was still standing up, while the other two were sitting, so she sat down as well, on the floor next to Bolin. Being surrounded by the sharp chemical stench of the cleaning solution had her nerves on edge.

“But I don’t understand,” Bolin said, “Why were so many non-benders angry about the championship? What did pro-bending ever do to them to make them willing to resort to violence?”

Mako sighed. “Bro, have you read a single newspaper in the past few months?”

Bolin looked sheepish.

Mako folded his arms. “Councilman Tarrlok formed a special task force, supposedly to deal with the Equalist threat. In reality, all they’ve done is set curfews on non-benders and push stop-and-frisk policies and make arbitrary arrests under the guise of ‘suspicious activity.’ They’ve even cut power to entire neighborhoods.”

“Yikes. Well that certainly explains the riots.” Bolin said. “But what does any of that have to do with pro-bending? Shouldn’t they be protesting the Council instead or something?”

“Spirits, Bolin,” Mako said with exasperation, “they have been. The steps of City Hall have been lined with protesters for weeks.”

Bolin shrank away. “Well, sure, okay, but they didn’t riot until the championship.”

“It’s like the man said in the interview today,” Mako said, eyes closed. “Worshipping benders, excluding non-benders, yada yada.”

Reality finally dawned on Korra. “Oh no… that reporter was an Equalist supporter…”

Bolin put his hand over hers. “It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault. He tricked you.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Mako said. “You’re right, Korra. I’m not good at communicating. There are things about this city you should know. And me and Bolin, we’re your support system here, and it’s our job to introduce you to the way this city works. The press has always reported with a pro-Equalist slant. And if you had known that going into this, if I had just warned you, you would’ve been prepared for an attack like that.”

Korra wasn’t sure what to say to that. So, he isn’t upset with me after all?

Mako continued, “From now on, we have to be very careful what we say, and in front of who. Any non-bender could be an Equalist supporter.”

Korra wondered if that included Asami but bit her tongue before she could say anything. Mako had just apologized sincerely, and the last thing she wanted was to start fighting again.

Korra felt her eyes pooling with tears. Really, crying? Twice in as many days! She fought to keep the tears from falling. “Thank you,” she said softly. “All day, even though you were upset with me, and with good reason, you’ve had my back 100%, with the reporters, and everything… I really… I can’t believe how lucky I am to have friends like you.”

“Right back at you,” Mako said with a smile. “That was some distraction at lunch.”

“Hey!” Bolin objected, “my Pabu was fabulous!” Pabu chittered in agreement.

The three of them all laughed. Tears bit at the corners of Korra’s eyes, and she couldn’t place which emotion was causing them, as she was feeling far too many emotions at once.

Once they had recovered from their fit of laughter, Korra stood up and said, “All right, I’d better go take Naga for a walk before dinner. She didn’t get one yesterday because of the riots, and I could tell she was already restless this morning. The poor girl has been cooped up alone all day.”

“Yeah, I should catch up with Asami.” Mako stood up and held out a hand to help Bolin up.

Bolin accepted the offered hand. “I guess I’ll stay here and work out.”

“I can stay for a bit if you need a spotter,” Mako said.

“Nah, don’t worry about it.” Bolin stretched, cracking his back. “I’ll focus on my curls. Spend time with your girlfriend.”

“Okay.” Mako placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “But let me know if you need anything, all right? Don’t be afraid to interrupt us, we’re not going to be doing anything… uh…” Mako’s face went red.

They left the room, Korra grinning evilly at Mako’s blush. Mako walked faster to avoid her gaze. She laughed. This was exactly how things should be between them. Just friends, teasing each other over their respective love lives. Once Korra had a love life, anyway. Just friends.

Naga heard her coming as soon as she entered the hallway. Korra could hear her whining and scratching at the door. “I’m coming, Naga. We’re going for a walk right now, okay?

As soon as she opened the door, Naga erupted out at full speed. She knocked Korra to the ground and licked her like she hadn’t seen her in years. Korra calmed her down and then hopped onto her back. As Naga tore through the mansion, Korra yelled “Sorry!” to the servants the whole way through. Naga blasted the double doors of the grand entranceway open with her paws, and they were free. 

Chapter Text

Normally, Korra wouldn’t let Naga run until they got to Republic City Park. There were pedestrians, Satomobiles, livestock, vendors, and all sorts of other traffic in the streets that she didn’t want to disrupt. But today, she needed this just as much as her beloved polar bear dog. She continued yelling “Sorry!” to passersby as Naga dodged around areas of congestion like she was in a high-speed obstacle course.

Once they made it to the park, Naga was off, fast as the wind itself. She raced at full speed for a few laps around the spacious park, working Naga’s endurance. Finally, she began to tire, and Korra eased up on the harness. She spent a moment taking in her surroundings. The park was a huge open space, the only one in the city large enough for Naga to let off steam. Still, there were usually more people to dodge; today, it was nearly deserted.

Korra found her eyes drawn to the statues on the central hill of the park. She normally didn’t go there because crowds of children were always playing there, and she came to the park for solitude, so she avoided them. But today, everyone was avoiding them. They had been heavily vandalized, which made sense given the subject of the statues. There were four sets of them, each arranged in a circle with two sets of statues in mirror image. And each circle depicted the moves to an ancient bending form, one for each element. The one depicting firebending was a replica of one that Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko had found along their travels, which Aang used to learn firebending, and Zuko used to re-learn it. The Dance of the Dragons, they called it.

If Korra were the Avatar, the next element she would learn was earthbending. If she were the Avatar, she could do something about this whole mess. Bring balance, or whatever. Absentmindedly, she tried to pick the eggshell off one of the earthbending statues but found that it was glued in place by the dried egg. She sighed and gave up.

The statue stared past her, solid and imposing. She imitated the statue’s pose, planting her feet in a squat and raising both fists in front of her chest. She felt a little foolish, but something deep within her told her that she needed to do this, give it one last try. Even though it was hopeless. She followed along with the statues, around the hemi-circle. Earthbending forms felt stiff and unnatural, so different from the gentle ebb and flow of waterbending. Nevertheless, she returned to the first statue and tried again. And again. And again.

She didn’t even notice the sun setting. Naga had been chasing squirrels at the start, but by now she had grown bored and was taking a nap.

“Korra!” a familiar voice yelled. It was Bolin, panting from effort. “I should have known I’d find you here!”

“Hi, Bolin,” she mumbled, discouraged. “I’m sorry I missed dinner; I lost track of time. I hope I didn’t make anyone worry.”

“Who’s worried? We all know you can handle yourself. I’m just here to get a little cardio.” Gesturing to the earthbending statues, he said, “Your form’s decent when you’re in the stances. But your transitions need some work. Here, I’ll show you. You really have to make it quick and punchy, not so flowy like waterbending.”

“Oh, Bolin, you don’t have to do that,” Korra said.

“Do what?” he asked.

Korra chuckled. “Play into my delusions. I know I’m not the Avatar, it’s okay.”

“Maybe the White Lotus made a mistake. I mean, it’s not like they’ve found someone else. It’s just as likely to be you as it is to be anyone.” Bolin grinned at her. “Besides, Aang didn’t perform the Dance of the Dragons solo, he did it together with Zuko. His teacher. I know it’s a long shot, but maybe I’m meant to be your earthbending teacher.”

Korra didn’t have a response to that.

“It can’t hurt to try.” Bolin assumed the first pose.

Korra mirrored him.

And they danced.

Korra was surprised at Bolin’s proficiency with the traditional forms. It was certainly a different stye from pro-bending, where he had to be light and quick on his toes. This type of earthbending focused on being solid, planted to the earth itself. He explained that earthbenders draw their power from the earth, and these forms were meant to take advantage of that, emphasizing raw power over speed. From Korra’s understanding, he had never trained with a traditional master, but had learned exclusively from the school of hard knocks just like his brother. But there was no way he was this good without some training. It hit her how little she really knew about her friends.

Each time they repeated the dance, Bolin gave her little pointers. He was gentle, offering his criticisms in a way that focused on one thing at a time, and making sure to comment on where she was improving.

The dance began to take on a meditative quality, and Korra found herself reflecting on the events that had transpired, and her place within them.

She thought about the girl holding the trophy on the front page, and how simple her world had been then. How was it possible that, within a single day, she had become so deeply embroiled in a conflict that, just yesterday, she knew nothing about? She thought about the pro-bending fans that had been arrested during the riots and felt ashamed that she had forgotten about them all day. Tomorrow, for sure, she would check in and make sure the police were treating them fairly. Not that the police would listen to her. Her own criminal record would most likely stand in the way of helping them. Still, she had to try. She couldn’t bear the thought of someone going to prison simply for wanting to cheer her on.

She thought about all the non-benders she knew. Which ones had been supporting the Equalists all this time, adversaries lurking in plain sight? Big city politics really were terrifying. How so many previously peaceful civilians could have been whipped into a frenzied mob over a sporting event was insane. She wondered if the rioters knew anything about the secret ceremony taking place underground. The gangs seemed to have a pretty robust surveillance network, so the ceremony was likely kept to the Equalists’ inner circle only, otherwise the gangs would have caught wind of it and wouldn’t have left their leaders vulnerable.

She thought about how the real soldiers in the Equalists’ war were chi blockers. That terrified her. She had never fought without waterbending and wasn’t sure she even could. She and her teammates would have to find a non-bending fighting instructor as soon as possible, or they could be rendered helpless. It was clever of the Equalists to use the pro-benders as scapegoat for the people’s wrath, creating a smokescreen while simultaneously going after their true targets. The gangs made perfect sense as a target; Korra’s first day in Republic City, she had witnessed members of the Triple Threat Triads enforcing their protection racket on the local shopkeepers, using their bending to damage their property beyond what they could afford to fix. If the Equalists’ goal was to make life better for non-benders, the gangs were the obvious choice.

She thought about how the Equalists’ actions had made the non-benders’ lives worse. The police would never have had a reason to target them and force them under curfew if the Equalists hadn’t made every non-bender a potential suspect. She wondered whether that was planned, or an unintentional side effect of the Equalists trying to fight for their rights. Logically, it could be either, but her instincts were telling her that it was planned that way. She had the feeling that their leader, Amon, was willing to do anything to gain power, and didn’t care who got stepped on. But she had no evidence for thinking that way, so she reminded herself to stay open-minded to the possibility that he really did want the best for non-benders. And that was a sentiment she could get behind, despite how much she disagreed with Amon’s methods.

She thought about how meticulously coordinated last night’s attacks were. The guys on the megaphones that she had encountered before, right here in Republic City Park, were just pawns on a much larger chessboard. And she didn’t even know the rules. Thank goodness she had Mako’s intelligence to rely on, or she wouldn’t even be aware that she was a piece on a board.

And, on the subject of Mako… she needed to snuff that nonsense out right now.

She danced. She listened. She was beginning to feel the heartbeat of these earthbending forms.

Her mother had always told her, “If you want to change the world, start from within. Change your heart, and the world will follow.”

Korra had been holding a stupid little candle for Mako since the moment she first laid eyes on him. And it was superficial and stupid, based on looks alone. Now that she knew him better, he got on her nerves way too much for her to ever want to be with him romantically. Not unless something about him changed drastically. She wasn’t even pining for him. She was pining for a tall and dreamy idea of him that had formed in her mind’s eye at first sight. And it wasn’t fair to their friendship for Korra to want him to change. He was who he was. And she loved who he was. Platonically.

Her heavy steps began to line up, her footsteps pounding along to the deep, resounding bass drumbeat of the earth.

Even if she did truly love Mako in that way, she could never take that step. Not knowing how it would hurt Bolin. Devastate him. Even if it was true love, she’d carry it to her deathbed unrequited.

Her heartbeat joined with the rhythm of her feet, which joined with the rhythm of the earth.

But it wasn’t true love. It was her first love, but not true love. It couldn’t have been, otherwise it would not be so easily fading to nothing before her eyes.

Doors she had never known existed flew open. A whole new world laid before her. She felt free.

She was standing… no, floating… before her, the largest tree she had ever seen, 10 times larger than the largest one she’d ever seen… vines hung from the drooping branches… the tree’s heartbeat pulsed with the earth, with Korra’s own.

“Korra! Korra, are you okay? Can you hear me, Korra?”

The vision of the tree faded and was replaced by Bolin’s face, wearing a look of deep concern.

“Bolin!” she exclaimed and flung her arms around him. “You’re the best teacher ever!”

“I am?”

“Did I just earthbend?” she asked breathlessly.

She saw a sadness in his eyes.

“No,” he answered. 

Chapter Text

“Korra? Kooorraaa? Are you in there?” Bolin waved his hand in front of her face.

Korra snapped out of it. “I’m here, I’m here.” She shook her head. “What… um, what happened?”

“Well, I’m not sure, honestly. We finished the earthbending forms, and then you just sorta froze.”

“Froze?” She wasn’t sure what he meant by that.

“Yeah… you were just staring into space for a while… drooling…” he trailed off sheepishly.

“Drooling?” She wiped the side of her mouth. Yup. Drooling. Well, that was embarrassing.

Bolin put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you doing all right?”

“I’m fine. I’m just… I had some sort of… vision… I saw a tree; bigger than any tree I’ve ever seen.”

“A vision, huh?” He stroked his chin. “Well, we’d best consult a fortune-teller. A giant tree. Who knows what that could mean?” He started walking and said, “Follow me! We’ll get to the bottom of this in no time.”

“Are you sure?” Korra said, scrunching her nose with distaste, but still followed where he led. “Fortune-tellers always seemed kinda… hokey and fake to me. No offense.”

“Do you have a better idea?” Bolin asked.

She thought about it. “I guess not.”

Bolin reached out his hand to Naga’s muzzle so Pabu could climb back from his perch on Naga’s shoulders. “C’mon, don’t be worried. Madam Hua is an earthbending master who can sense peoples’ vibrations. Then she uses her observations to guide her predictions. She’s been spot on in the past.”

“Well, I did just have some weird earthy experience,” Korra said skeptically.

“What did it feel like?” Bolin asked.

Korra thought about it. It was hard to describe. “It felt… like I could feel the heartbeat of the earth, like I could feel the heartbeat of the tree, like it was in synchrony with my own heart.” She felt silly describing something so mystical and had to remind herself that what she felt was, indeed, real.

“That sounds sort of similar to my first time earthbending… except without the tree. I don’t get what that’s about. But what you felt, connecting your own heartbeat to the earth’s… I mean, everyone experiences it differently, but from what I can tell, you were almost earthbending. You almost did it.” Bolin smiled. “Maybe tomorrow. No one gets it in a single day of practice. But you made a major breakthrough today, and you should be proud of yourself.”

“You really think I can do it?” Korra asked.

Bolin folded his hands behind his head and looked up, pointing his eyes and elbows toward the sky. “I don’t really understand all that balance and harmony and spirity stuff, you know, Avatar stuff, but… I know you just formed a connection with the element of earth. That has to mean something.”

They continued to walk in silence, Naga following close behind. They left the sanctuary of the park and transitioned to the brightly lit evening streets. Every storefront wanted to be the brightest, the flashiest, to draw in customers. Raucous live music performances blared from the bars, and the street vendors shouted out to announce their items and prices. Every shop, that is, except for the one Bolin led her to. A pair of dim green lanterns with tassels hung outside the ominous arched doorway.

Bolin didn’t seem to notice how shady it was. He opened the door and gestured inward. “Ladies first,” he said. Just opening the door, Korra was hit with the stench of burned herbs.

Korra reluctantly entered the tiny shop, cluttered with books, loose papers, and the stubs of candles left to burn for too long. A grey owl cat on a high shelf silently followed her with its eyes. At a table sat an impossibly old woman with fresh flowers adorning her braided white hair. A chintzy lopsided chandelier hung too low over the table.

“What brings you to my humble doorstep this evening, young miss?” the old woman asked, a crackle in her voice, as if she had just woken up.

Korra crossed her arms across her chest. “Isn’t it your job to tell me that?”

A smile crinkled the old woman’s eyes. “Very well.”

She shuffled a very old and beaten-up deck of cards with fraying edges. Then she handed the deck to Korra. “You shuffle them now. Imbue them with your energy.”

Korra raised a skeptical eyebrow at Bolin, but he simply gestured for her to do as she was told, and she obeyed. Then she handed the cards back to the old woman.

The woman made a large fan with the deck. “Your first card represents your past. Reflect on your past self and pick the card that draws you to it.”

The unwanted image of the Korra in the morning paper sprung to the front of her mind, the innocent girl she was yesterday. She didn’t feel any card drawing her to it, so she picked one at random.

“Place it facedown on the table,” the woman instructed. Korra did. Continuing to present her fan of cards to Korra, she said, “This next one represents your present. Pick the card that is true to the way you are feeling right now.”

Again, Korra felt nothing from the cards, so she picked at random again, and placed it where the woman pointed, right next to the first one.

“Your final card represents your future.”

Korra waited for her to elaborate, but she did not, so Korra picked a card and laid it down next to the others.

The woman flipped over the first card. It showed a man on a white horse in a crowd of admirers. “You once won a great victory,” she said.

She flipped over the next card. It was upside-down and showed a man sitting under a tree. “A fog has lifted, and you are experiencing life through new eyes.”

She flipped over the final card. It was also upside-down and showed a large wheel surrounded by 4 winged animals. Her eyes went wide. “You will experience great misfortune, and there will be major changes in your life; these will be beyond your control. I sense that you will have trouble accepting these changes, but you must continue to move forward.”

Korra frowned. It was a little uncanny that the past and present cards had accurately described her; on the other hand, the descriptions the woman offered were broad enough that it certainly didn’t prove anything. She said as much. “Those answers were too vague to be useful at all. That advice could apply to literally anyone.”

“That’s because you didn’t ask specific questions. Ask vague questions, and you’ll get vague answers. The cards can be interpreted differently depending on what you’re asking them for.” The old woman smiled mildly.

Korra stood up abruptly, hitting her head on the chandelier. “This is a load of bologna.”

Bolin looked at her with pleading eyes. “Come on, at least ask her about the tree you saw.”

“Fine,” Korra sighed. “I saw a really big tree. Know anything about it?”

“Hmm…” the old woman mused, “You’d have to give me a few more details. What sort of a tree was it?”

Korra glared at Bolin. “See? Happy now? We need some concrete solutions here, and we are not going to find them hunched over a deck of cards.”

“Oh, come on. You can’t leave without at least giving it a chance. Something happened just now, and we’re at a dead end with our investigation anyway. Maybe this vision can lead us to the breakthrough we need to figure out what are next steps are.”

Korra considered him carefully. He was too tall to stand up all the way, and his solid frame seemed to fill in all the empty space, leaving no room for air. Still, he did have a point. Just because she had never had a spiritual experience before didn’t mean they weren’t real. She recalled her father telling her about an encounter in a spirit forest, once, when she was young. Even though she felt she might suffocate, she sat back down.

She described the tree in detail. Everything, from the way the roots felt clinging to the earth around them, to the way the vines hung in the soggy air, to the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze, to the pulse of life she could feel throughout the whole tree and beyond.

“I’m no expert,” the old woman said, “but that sounds like the banyan-grove tree in the Foggy Swamp.” Bolin and Korra exchanged confused glances, so she continued. “The Swamp is a Spirit Wild in the south part of the Earth Kingdom, and the banyan-grove tree grows at its heart. It is known to impart spiritual visions on people there. I’ve never heard of someone feeling its effects from so far away, mind you, so it’s possible that I’m mistaken. But if you’re looking for answers, that is my best guess.”

Korra groaned. “We don’t have time to go mucking around in a swamp in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. Our problems are here in Republic City.”

“Ah ah ah,” Bolin said, waggling a finger. “You wanted specifics, and you got specifics. It might not be super useful, at least not in a way that we can see right now, but you can’t deny it’s specific.”

“Very well, then,” Korra sighed with resignation. “I’m looking for someone. Can your cards help me find them?”

The old woman handed Korra the deck without speaking.

Korra shuffled it. Where is the Avatar? she asked them. But that didn’t feel like enough. She closed her eyes and spread the deck out on the table. Shuffling the cards around in circles, she asked again, Where is the Avatar? When they felt shuffled, she opened her eyes and looked at the pile among the mussed tablecloths. This time, she did feel an energy coming from them. Once more, she asked, Where is the Avatar? She let the question lead her to a card, and, finally, she picked one that had been buried under a fold in the fabric. She presented the card to the fortune teller.

The old woman flipped the card over. It was upside-down and depicted an old man on a mountaintop. She stared at the card but didn’t seem to find the answers she was looking for. Then she reached out and took Korra’s hands in her own. Her fingers were cool and dry. Her breathing took on a pattern that Korra recognized as a form of meditation. Korra instinctively planted her feet on the ground, feeling the earth’s energy flow through her. She almost wished she were barefoot right now, so she could feel the earth’s vibrations.

Speaking as if she were in a trance, the old woman said, “The person you are searching for is in total solitude. They are defined, right now, by the all-encompassing loneliness they feel. They are lost. The very earth can feel their heart crying out for connection with another human soul.” She paused. She furrowed her brows, more deeply than before. “You are important to them. Or, no, you will be. The time has come for them to reenter society, but they will not be able to do it without your guidance. Your destinies are intertwined.”

She broke out of her trance. “Do you have any other questions?”

“I’d say that’s about all I can handle for now,” Korra said. Her head was beginning to hurt. “Man, I’m starving.”

“That’s right, you missed dinner,” Bolin said. “That’s no good. You shouldn’t go to bed with an empty stomach.”

“You’re buying,” Korra said, standing more carefully this time so she wouldn’t hit her head again. “Until we get our money from the championship pot, I’m broke.”

“Oh!” the old woman said, as if it had only just dawned on her. “You’re Korra from the Fire Ferrets. I heard your game last night on the radio. I’m a big fan.”

“You recognized us the second we walked in, didn’t you?” Korra asked.

The old woman’s bashful expression confirmed it.

Korra felt officially swindled. She stormed out, shoving Bolin out of her way.

Bolin handed the fortune teller some cash and delivered a quick apology, and with that they returned to the bustling streets. Naga, who had been waiting patiently outside, had her eyes fixed on the meat stewing at a hotpot street vendor.

“Oh no no no,” Bolin threw his hands up defensively, “I know how much she eats. I’m willing to treat you, but she’s going to have to wait until we get back to Sato mansion.”

“I understand,” Korra said, “but it does look like she picked a nice spot for us.”

The hotpot vendor had three seats under their awning, which Korra and Bolin sat in. They ordered their food from a grouchy guy with a wispy moustache. He started making their food without answering or acknowledging them. Korra was used to the brusqueness of Republic City folks by now.

“That was a complete waste of time,” Korra mumbled as they waited.

Bolin frowned. “You have to admit, some of her advice was useful. All of Republic City is going to be going through some major changes, now that the Equalists and the gangs are officially at war. Not to mention what’s going on with the police and the non-benders. We are about to get hit with a lot of changes outside our control, and her advice about accepting it is good advice.”

“Okay, maybe it was good advice, but it wasn’t useful. She didn’t give us anything we can act on.”

“That’s true, I guess,” Bolin mused. “Fortunes rarely make much sense until you view them in hindsight.”

“So… now what?” Korra asked.

“I’m at a loss,” Bolin said. “Unless you feel like taking a trip to the swamp.”

They waited in silence until their hotpot was ready. Over the course of their meal, they chatted about which things tasted good, and made sure they each had a chance to try at least one of everything. As the food hit her system, Korra realized that part of her foul mood came from straightforward hunger. By the time they got down to dregs, she was genuinely just enjoying sharing a meal with a friend.

Bolin sighed contentedly and stretched his back. “Okay, fine, that may have been useless, but it didn’t do any harm either.”

The vendor glared at him.

Bolin looked sincerely back at the vendor. “I didn’t mean the meal! The food was perfect, absolutely delicious and full of vitality. I’m talking about something unrelated.” He grinned sheepishly and handed the man some money.

The vendor accepted the money with a gruff and monotonous, “Thank you for your patronage, please come again,” and went back to scraping blackened bits off the edges of his burners.

Turning back to Korra, Bolin said, “You have to admit, what happened with that last card was spooky. Who were you looking for, anyway? When you asked the cards?”

Korra wanted to hide her face in her hands, but she didn’t. “I asked them, ‘Where is the Avatar?’”

“Hm… Do you think the Avatar really is some isolated shut-in with no friends, like she said?” Bolin asked.

“I don’t know,” Korra said. “All I know is, I asked for a location, and instead I got a bunch of mumbo jumbo about loneliness and destiny.”

Picking apart his disposable chopsticks, Bolin asked, “Have you ever thought that, maybe, this time the Avatar wasn’t reborn at all? Like, maybe Aang was the last one. Maybe we have to solve our own problems, without the Avatar.”

“Whether or not they were reborn, it certainly seems that way,” Korra replied. “We’re on our own.”

Bolin sighed. “I’m sure Mako has a plan up his sleeve.”

“I certainly hope so.” Korra stood up. “Let’s head home.”

It was getting late enough in the evening that some of the more unsavory types of people were out and about now. The bawdy drinking songs from earlier had faded into sultry crooners trying to set a certain mood. People were putting out their trash for early morning pickup, the stench radiating through the summer heat.

Bolin yawned. “Man, I need a good night’s sleep.”

“Same here,” Korra agreed.