The flames licked at your legs, having already burnt through the fabric of your clothing. The battlefield is granite, digging at your heels and smoldering. This isn't the first time that you've been to Hell, and with the way your life has been going, it certainly won't be the last. Smoke stings your eyes as you attempt to see your foe through the haze, a colossal demon hellbent on world domination.

This demon, however, seems to have made a mistake. Instead of possessing the soul of the president like it intended, it took control of a look-a-like resident to jump city. You alone volunteered to dive into the pits of Hell in order to save this 54 year old landscaper from eternal damnation.

With the legs of a bull and the head of a flaming lion, wielding a whip covered in barbs, the demon approaches you. it stands over nine-feet tall and has a snake for a tongue. Needless to say you are not at your most confident. The real trouble is the constant concentration required to deal with the pain of the flames of Hell. The skin on your legs bubbles and regenerates as you push through the pain to kick forward, and leap at the mythical monstrosity.

It swings it's whip at you, and you extend a hand wielding psychic force to alter it's path directly into the foreleg of the beast, causing it to fall to a knee. On your descent, you bring your right hand down on it's nose with a thundering blow. Your strength is super-human, and it's face crumples under your fist.

You land back in the flames, wincing. The demon roars at you ruthlessly, blood pouring from it's maw. It holds up it's free hand, a terrible magic gathering within. For the first time, the monster speaks. It's voice sounds like a cheap mockery of English, a series of growls, grunts, and snarls. "Foolish mortal! I have wandered the plains of Hell for eons! While the disgusting visage of you creatures has eluded my plot for control this time, I shall not be fooled again! Begone!"

It's hand is thrown forward, and before you can react you're struck. The attack obliterates your form in an instant, the being known as Donn existing only as a small speck of ash in a pit in Hell.

Or are you? Your consciousness is temporarily disbanded, but the memories, knowledge, and ability still exists. As an Endless, the line between your thoughts and reality are blurred. Then, something strange happens.

Whether it's because of the magical nature of the attack that defeated you, or simply the process of recovery, something is changing. The ceaseless void around you shifts in tint, and tone. Time seems to be completely out of reference in this state of being, and by the time you've completely reformed, you're unsure whether it's been ten years or ten minutes.

------


In the next instant, you're laying flat on wet concrete. Rain has soaked you completely, although it doesn't make much difference seeing as you're nude. Even as you lay here on the ground, there is something fundamentally different about where you are. The air smells foreign, and every sensation is slightly off. Like it was being presented to you in an alternate format, but still the same.
You stand, staggering about before leaning on a brick wall. The sounds of cars and pedestrians tell you that you're in a city, at the very least. A brief self check tells you that you're in perfect physical health.

You step forward, and cough from the ally to several people walking out of a nearby restaurant. "Uhh..Hi, could you-"

"AHHH!! HELP, DARLING! A NAKED MAN!"

You take another step forward, reaching out. "Wait, no! I need he-" A stream of cold water leaps from the gutter and gushes around you, covering your waste completely in ice so that you can't move. Before you can protest, a smaller splash of water impacts your mouth and freezing.

While you've seen people capable of controlling the elements before, such as Terra, you've never seen one quite like this. For the first time you truly gather your bearings, and look at the people around you. They're dressed in an assortment of red, blue, and green Chinese-American thirties-wear. Even one of the cars that rolls by looks old fashioned, although it certainly doesn't sound like it. Jazzy music plays from the restaurant.

Returning your panicked gaze to the man in front of you, he seems to be flagging down something in the night sky. Meanwhile, you struggle to break free from your bonds. The ice cracks as you flex your strength and eventually shatters as well, shocking the crowd forming around you.

Just as you're freed, a figure lands from the sky in front of you and stomps a foot on the ground. A casing of earth wraps around your entire body up to the neck, thick concrete that makes it impossible to move just in the slightest. You could quite easily teleport out of the trap, but something's telling you that if you continue to resist things will get violent.

Suddenly the figure's voice catches your ear. "Great, some streaker. Bring him in and I'll book him. This should be the last one we pick up before the next shift comes in, so I've got time." The next hour or so consists mainly of you being air lifted into the ship, and shuffled around by guards wearing metallic armor. They toss you some simple clothes to keep you covered, and bring you to a government building somewhere downtown of this strange city.

You feel as though you've gone back in time, when people wore clothes color coded to where they're from or something.

----

You sit alone in a room with a single hanging lightbulb, and metal cuffs around your wrists. There don't appear to be any doors, only complex metal designs in the wall. You're wearing a thin white tanktop and simple brown cotton shorts. Time has been dragging on for a while now, and you're starting to get a little bit impatient considering that you're only here on your terms.

The same woman as before bursts into the room, the metal of the wall opening up, and for the first time you get a good look at her. She has gray hair and strong features, as if she had been chiseled from stone. Green eyes and a scar across her face, as well. This woman looks as though she is all business all the time, and it doesn't fill you with confidence. "So, kid. You've refused to give us a name, and we can't find anything on anyone like you in our files. And we found you naked in an ally. Care to start explaining? We can't just let you go without knowing you've got somewhere to go."

You look up at the woman, your eyes filled with a range of emotions. The first would likely be utter confusion, mixed with a bit of disbelief. The words that leave your mouth are small and weak, as you struggle to articulate your situation. "I..need help."
She raises an eyebrow, and looks unimpressed. "Yeah, you said that earlier. We're going to need more than that to work with."

Looking around the room for answers, you find none. The only thing that you have at your disposal right now is your powers. Maybe if you showed her that you were something unique, then she could get an expert in here to help you? Surely they have magicians on this world. Yeah, all you need is a really powerful magician to get you back!

You look back up at her, filled with enthusiasm. "I'm fucking magic!" In one smooth motion, you stand and the cuffs drop at your feet. You wiggle your fingers up in the air, smiling. "Bring me your local magic expert. I think that they'll be the only ones who can help me in this situation. It's a really long story."

The look on her face is priceless. The woman drops the clipboard she was holding, and slowly backs out of the room before you hear the locking mechanism click. Fantastic start, at least. You lean back in your chair, and decide to wait for some form of instruction.

---

After falling asleep and awaking, you find that there's still no one here to greet you. You ponder that you've given everyone a good fright, and decide that it couldn't hurt to step outside and find some breakfast. By following the door that Lin entered, you quite effortlessly phase through and find yourself in a large police building. Busy workers sit at desks and run from place to place, all far too occupied to notice you.

Even then, you don't want to risk being caught by any of the guards. Right away you vanish again, and slip through the floor until you re-materialize in the entrance room.

A quick glance around, and the coast is clear. You exit left into an ally and make a run for it, not wanting them to have the time to realize that you're gone.

In broad daylight, the world is much more welcoming. The colorful architecture houses people filled with life, various markets and shops all around you. Consistently the world reminds you of an early twentieth century china, although a bit more technologically advanced in certain aspects. Not to mention the people who can control water and earth.

You slow your running pace as you enter a park, jogging until you reach a stream to sit by. The water is clean and the air is pure, not to mention the extremely high quality bush across the stream. You wash your face off in the cool stream, and look up to find a strange sight.

A massive creature, larger than an ox, is sipping from the same stream. It's white and has the head and limbs of a dog, while possessing the overall bulk of a polar bear. You instinctively stand up in reaction, putting up your ducks and bending your knees slightly.

It growls loudly at you, prompting a young girl with brown skin and bright blue eyes to appear from behind her. "Naga! Sit, Naga! Calm down girl!" You put your fists down, and sigh. You knew that things would only continue to get stranger, but you hardly wanted to accept it. She pets the head of the huge creature, and looks over at you, waving. "Hi! Haha, sorry about that. She's nice, I swear!"

You leap over the stream, much to the surprise of both Korra and the animal, who gasp in response. Korra takes a few steps forward "Woah! What a jump! Are you a bender?" You stop to consider her question, and look on with a blank face. A bender? A bender of what? Sure, you can bend things. "Uh, I'm not sure exactly."

She looks confused as well, and chuckles. "You're not sure? I don't know how you can be unsure about something like that, hehe. Did you..hit your head or something?" She crosses her arms, and cocks her head to the right while giving you a quizzical look.
You sheepishly smile and rub the back of your head, thinking of a quick excuse for everyone to explain stuff to you. Lying about being hit on your head is way more believable than claiming to be the incarnation of death from another dimension.

"Actually, yeah, I did get hit. You see, I really need help!" She leans forward, intrigued by your story. Your first impression of this girl is some serious naivety . "I can't remember my name, or anything about where I am. I don't even know what this bending stuff is."

She looks shocked, and her jaw drops. "You can't even remember bending!? That's like..how do you even..what!?!" You've touched a note with her, at the very least. This girl is a passionate bender, whatever that may be.

You check her out as she jumps around in confusion, and you're considerably impressed. The girl has a strong physique and ample bust, along with a cute face. She looks back at you, and grabs onto your arm. "Here! Sit down! I can tell you EVERYTHING! I even made some fish, so help yourself."

----


The two of you rest for a short while as she explains the nature of bending. Apparently it's common here for men and women to have the ability to manipulate one of four elements through physical motion, a pretty incredible concept. Although all the air-jews were wiped out by fire-nazis, or at least that's the jist of what you caught. The way that she's describing it all, you can tell that she's completely enamored by the art. Her passion is endearing, and you can tell how fiery she is just from her animated movements and descriptions.

She looks directly at you, with bright blue eyes. "So? Have I jogged your memory, yet?" You solemnly shake your head, more so at your current predicament than anything. At the very least you're in good company, though. She frowns, and sighs. "Darn it. I wish I could help you more, I'm supposed to be good at these sort of things."

You would like to tell her how you empathize, but it's best not to blow your cover. This girl seems friendly, and it wouldn't hurt to stick around. Although, it's only fair that you explain your situation with the authorities. "Actually, there is something you might be able to help me with.."

She looks back up. "Oh yeah? What's tha-"

"Hey you two! Stop! You can't fish here!" A chubby man in an authority figure's outfit blows a whistle and begins sprinting over. You turn to your new friend, quickly standing. "We best skedaddle!" Korra jumps to her feet and whistles loudly, and the dog-creature known as Naga takes off running. Korra grabs onto your arm, pulling you harshly as she jumps onto it's back. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"

You struggle to remain on the beast, lacking any sort of harness. You bounce around rapidly up and down, and you immediately notice that the saddle is only meant for one person. You place both hands behind you and grip tightly, leaning back for leverage. Naga is quick, and sprints across a nearby bridge. Looking back, the park officer is panting, resting against his knees. You'd almost laugh if something much more urgent were happening.

Yes, this was much more urgent than the police. Naga's running, and the tight spacing on the seat is causing Korra's rear to repeatedly grind against your crotch, which would be incredibly hot if it wasn't currently so painful. Your face turns a shade of red, brightly contrasted against your pale white skin. "You- OOF- gotta slo-OWW!! Down!"

She looks back, confused, and sees the pain etched on your face before she understands. "Oh! Sorry!" She pulls back on the reigns, and Naga slows to a brisk walk, the rapid bouncing coming to a sudden halt. You pant from the experience, trying to gather your bearings from the sudden assault on your Quixotes. She turns back again, stifling a chuckle. "Sorry again..I don't really have that problem, haha. I usually just ride as hard as I can!"

Before you can say "Good to know", your thoughts are interrupted by a man screaming into a bullhorn from a platform. He has a poster of a masked man behind him, who looks strangely menacing. If he were in your world, you're positive that he would have some sort of super villain name.

"Are you tired of the tyranny of benders!? Then join the Equalists! For too long, the bending elite of this city have forced the non-benders to live as lower class citizens! Join Amon, and together we will tear down the bending establishment!!" Amon? Not as threatening as Deathstroke the Terminator, you think to yourself.

You lean forward, and whisper to Korra, who's giving the man the glare of a lifetime. "What's he talking about? Tyranny?" She doesn't turn, instead simply stopping Naga and frowning. "I don't know! Hey! What are you talking about?? Bending is the coolest thing in the world!"

He suddenly looks smugger than before, if possible. "Oh yeah? Let me guess, YOU'RE a bender?"

"Yeah! I am!" She says, smiling confidently. It's pretty cute.

"And I bet you'd just love to knock me off of this platform with some waterbending, huh?"

"I'm seriously thinking about it." She crosses her arms, and smirks.

You can already tell where the man was going with this conversation though, and you frown as he begins to use Korra as an example for whatever soapbox he's standing on. He whips his head around and points to the crowd. "This is what's wrong with this city! Benders like THIS girl only use their power to oppress us!" The crowd turns on Korra, jeering and hollering angrily in her direction.

She's taken aback, clearly not having anticipated this outcome. "W-what?! I'm not oppressing anybody!..You're..you're oppressing yourself!" Not so big in the brains department, it seems. The man with the bullhorn shouts again. "That didn't even make sense!"

By now, you've seen enough, and shout over the crowd. "Hey! I'm a non-bender, and this girl's done nothing but help me since I came to this city!" Again, it seems that he has a retort prepared. "Oh, of course her little boyfriend would defend her! You get to enjoy all the privileges of the bending elite as long as you remain their lapdogturtle, right!?"

Before you can say "The fuck is a dogturtle?", Korra has already turned Naga around and started on the way down the street. It's not as if there's any point in staying here and arguing with them, or as if you even could. For all you know the benders really COULD be oppressing the non-benders, but this Korra girl seems to be far too innocent of a first impression for that to be true. The only other benders you've encountered was a man defending his wife from a nude hobo, and the police.

----


The two of you travel for a short while before you're sure that you've escaped the park guard, and hop off Naga to walk beside her. You're in a fancy shop district, and you're pretty sure that all the characters on the windows and signs around you are chinese. Which, while incredibly odd, doesn't help you in any way. You've got a tough enough time reading English words, forget random symbols.

Korra turns and speaks to you as you walk. "I'm going to bring you to Air Temple Island with me. I know someone there who might be able to help you. He's the son of Avatar Aang, a wise airbending master!"

"I thought you said all the airbenders were gone, though?"

She shakes her head. "Well, almost all of them. Avatar Aang saved the world from the Fire lord decades ago, and he was the last airbender. He had a family, and now Master Tenzin and his kids are the only airbenders. There are tons of people all over the world dedicated to preserving airbender culture though."

She stops, and turns to an old woman sitting by the shop she presumably owns. "Excuse me, I think I'm lost. How do I get to Air Temple island from here?"

She looks up. "Just head down this street." Suddenly, however, her eyes go wide and she stands. The roar of a car engine can be heard nearby. "You should get moving young lady! It isn't safe!" With that, the woman enters her shop, and the sound of locks clicking can be heard.

What look to be three colored coded 30's gangsters step from the automobile, and approach a man polishing his record player. While you're not familiar with this city, you've fought enough scumbags to know them when you see them. "Mister Chung, please tell me that you have my money! Or else I can't guarantee that I can protect your fine establishment.."

The smaller one in the back with the red hair suddenly ignites a flame, and seems to hold it in his hand freely. While the costumes and names may be different, situations like this are intimately familiar to you. The shopkeeper attempts to console them "I'm sorry! Please, business has been slow! Take one of my phonographs!"

The firebender lifts his leg up and drops it on the machine, igniting it in a blaze. The shopkeeper cries out and falls backwards, frightened out of his wits by the thugs. "My friend here is not a music lover.." says the apparent leader. Give me the money, or else-"

Just as you step forward to intervene, Korra places a hand flat on your chest, stopping you, and speaks out. "Or else what, hoodlum?" The gangsters spin around, and Korra standing confidently with a hand on her hip. You take a few steps backwards, deciding it best to let her handle this if she's so confident. You're ready to jump in and save her at any moment, your eyes trained on the group.

They all look at each other and laugh up a storm, before the leader speaks again. "Since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain a couple things. You're in Triple Threat Triad territory, and we're about to put YOU, in the hospital."

Your eyes flick over the brown-skinned girl, and you're surprised to find her still smiling. She slams her fist into her palm, and her knuckles crack. "You're the only one who's going to need a hospital, and for your sake, I hope there's one nearby."

The leader grimaces. "Who do you think you are?" Korra rubs her knuckles and gives them a death stare, seemingly ready for battle. You get the feeling that a serious showdown is about to happen. "Why don't you come and find out?"

The man opens up his jacket, and launches a volley of water directly at Korra. The girl pulls her hand back with perfect timing, and it stops dead short of hitting her palm. In one fluid motion she thrusts her hand forward, and the water slams into the man's face before freezing into a helmet of ice. His friends take a step back, shocked. He stumbles forward from the sudden weight, and Korra delivers a powerful roundhouse right to his head, sending him straight into his car and shattering the ice. "Nice one!", you exclaim. Apparently Korra has some natural talent.

The big guy in the group steps forward and swings his arms around, apparently prepping some sort of attack. Your eyes switch over to Korra and find her making a similar motion as well. You're a bit confused as there isn't any water to attack with, and even more confused when she stomps her foot into the ground and the earth raises up to launch the man a full two stories into the air.

Behind you, two shopkeepers speak your thoughts. "What just happened? Did she just earthbend?"

As the man descends, he comically rebounds off of several signs and awnings. You chuckle, and Korra whips her head around and gives you a smile. When she turns around, the final opponent has sent a torrent of flames in her direction. When you rush forward to pull her out of the way, you're shocked to see her leap directly into the flames and split them apart with her bare hands, before catching the man's palms, before spinning around and tossing him through a shop window as if he were made of styrophome. Seems those muscles aren't just for show.

"She can firebend too?! Could she be..?"

Korra steps over her defeated foe. "Hehe, got an idea of who I am now, chumps?"

They scramble to their vehicle and begin to race off, but Korra pouts and walks forward. "You're not getting away!" This time, the wind up on her attack is significantly longer. She thrusts her hands upward as she stomps, and a larger pillar of stone flips the car on two wheels and forces it to go careening into another shop.

You run over to her. "Holy crap! You're a regular hero, haha! But, I thought that people could only bend-"

The sound of sirens from last night ring out above you, and Naga howls. "Police! Freeze where you are!" Several men in armor leap from the airship, and steel cables extend from their wrists and plant themselves in the sides of the shops. Korra looks up and smiles. "Cool! Metalbenders!"

Looking around, you nudge Korra. "Uh, maybe we should get out of here." She turns to you. "What for? I just stopped the bad guys. They probably wanna thank me!" An officer steps forward, wearing a scowl. He points down to the criminals. "Arrest them!" At a word, metal cables fire from the other policemen and wrap themselves around the bodies of the offenders. Pretty impressive.

"Arrest her too!" You're honestly not very surprised. What with all this property damage, you would have know to get the hell out of dodge by now. Just part of being a vigilante. Korra steps back, and is quite clearly shocked from his outcome. You've simply been standing to the side quietly, but with the way things are developing, you're getting the sense that this will go south. "But they're the bad guys over there! They were smashing up that shop!"

"From the looks of it, you caused a lot more damage than that!" He shoots out his cable, and Korra steps the side and catches it. "Y-you can't arrest me! Let me explain!"

"You can explain yourself all you like, down at headquarters!" Uh oh. Here we go. The fight starts, and you immediately rush forward and tackle the man before he attacks again, pushing him into another officer. Korra jumps onto Naga's back, and yells at you. "Come on! Jump!"

Naga starts making her way down the road, but you quickly catch up and leap onto the beast and rest on the back. This time you're sure to simply sit on top of the back and hold onto Korra's waist, rather than sacrifice the opportunity to have any children by squeezing into the saddle.

The police give chase, and as Naga turns a corner, one of them attempts to leap onto you two. You simply push your hand out, and telekinetic force stops his leap dead in the air. Hopefully no one saw that. Naga tears down the street, and you attempt to keep your eyes trained on the metalbenders who are grinding on the power lines above you.

As Naga goes to cross a bridge, one of them leap from a building and fire off a cable directly at you. It nearly closes in on your face and impales it before you throw up a hand to block, which the cable promptly wraps around. "Shit! Shit shit!" you say in panic, as the line quickly begins to retract.

Thankfully Korra throws her arms up, and a wall of ice forms across the bridge and the officer slams into it face first. The metal around your wrist slacks as Naga hauls ass, leaping from a set of stairs onto a highway. Cars swerve out of the way of the beast, and you struggle to hold onto the wild ride. Looking to the left, more metalbenders grind along powerlines level with the highway. "We need to move! We can't stay up here!" you yell. Korra looks at the police as well, before quickly spinning her head around in the other direction. Her ponytail whips you in the face, and you sputter. "Right!" she exclaims, before Naga makes a hard right and leaps off the damn highway onto a train.

Naga scrambles briefly, and your knuckles turn white as your stomach drops and you nearly fall off the rear. You quickly slide to a stop, tumbling onto Korra instead. "Guh!"

The two of you upright yourselves, and you find Korra staring out at the ocean. An island with a magnificent looking temple stands alone, and you're positive it's the one she was describing from earlier.

An airship blares it's sirens and flies overhead, and Korra reaches behind and grabs your wrist. She pulls you forward back down into the seat, and sets your hand on her midsection. "Hang on tight! We're gonna jump!" You wrap both arms tightly around her as Naga stands and sprints forward before making a fateful leap, and you screw your eyes shut, positive that you're about to slam into the side of a building.

It never comes though, as the sound metal cables whips around you. When you open your eyes, you, Naga, and Korra are all suspended in mid air by the metalbenders. An instant later, more cables shoot down and constrict you and Korra tightly together in one bunch. Korra grunts and struggles to break free, but you remain still, knowing that you've been captured. Even if you teleported out of the cables, you'd certainly shatter your bones if you tried to land from this height.

Naga whines, defeated, as you're carried through the air, visiting headquarters for the second time in two days.

---------

You stand in the same interrogation room as before, leaning against a wall. In front of you sits Korra in handcuffs, and opposite to her is the policewoman who had captured you previously. On the left and right walls are metalbender guards, standing at ease. It's fairly clear that the extra guards are because of you and your previous escape, one which must seem impossible to the residents of this world. Korra looks back at you, before looking down at your hands and frowning. Her head whips back around, and she places her cuffed hands on the table. "Why am I the only one in cuffs here?"

The female officer slams her clipboard down on the table, causing the young girl to flinch. "Can it, missy! I'd be more concerned with other things, right now." She looks down and begins to list off the apparent crimes from the clipboard. "Multiple counts of destruction of private and city property. Not to mention evading arrest. You're in a whole mess of trouble, young lady."

Korra protests, trying to explain the situation. She leans forward, putting on her best innocent expression. "But there were some thugs threatening a helpless shopkeeper, and I had to-" The officer steps away from the table, looking off to the side. "Quiet! You should have called the police, and let us handle the situation." As you expect, Korra only protests further. "I couldn't just sit by and do nothing! It's my duty to help people! See, I'm the Avatar."

Whatever an Avatar is, Korra seems to believe that it will change the opinion of the officer. As the female metalbender turns around and sneers, it doesn't seem to have worked. "Ohh, I'm well aware of who you are, and your Avatar title might impress some people, but not me." You can tell that this woman is one hundred-percent business, one hundred-percent of the time. Probably necessary in a city filled to the brim with people who have superpowers, however.

You step forward to speak, but as soon as you do, the guards at the sides of the room fire off handcuffs which pin themselves to the wall, almost magnetically. Korra turns and growls at them in response. "Hey! What was that for?? He's not even a bender, and it's not like he'd hurt you even if he was!" She turns back to Lin, leaning forward on her chair and clearly growing frustrated. "I want to talk to whoever's in charge!"

You decide not to break free of your bindings. Again, if it makes them feel safe, so be it. Your primary goal is to keep everyone calm, and work this situation out before you start explaining yourself. You're dreading the moment that you have to explain to Korra that you lied about amnesia, but hopefully she'll understand.

The female officer takes a seat, and waves a hand, signalling to the others that they can relax. The metalbenders drop their fighting stance and return to an at ease position, and the woman begins to speak in a much calmer fashion. It seems that she's tired of this conflict as well, and is more interested in getting her job done than anything. "You're talking to her. I'm Chief Beifong."

Korra's eyes light up, and the two share a brief conversation discussing someone named Toph. Korra seems to have been trained by a previous Avatar, who knew the Chief's mother. Apparently the Avatar saved the world during the last generation, leading you to believe that Korra's title is quite hefty. You get the feeling that any sort of appeal to emotion as such won't work on this woman, but you let Korra try anyways. It's not like you can contribute to the situation at hand.

As expected, Lin isn't impressed. "That's ancient history, and it's got diddly-squat to do with the mess you're in right now! You can't just walk in here and dole out vigilante justice like you own the place!"

A metal window opens up to the right, and a metalbender pokes his head in. "Chief. Councilman Tenzin is here." Chief Beifong sighs and looks back to the officer before standing. "Let him in." She turns around and places her hands behind her back, and the door opens up to present a a bald middle-aged man in yellow and red robes. He has a well kept beard and a blue arrow tattoo on his forehead, similar to the gigantic statue that you had seen earlier by the train.

Korra speaks first as he enters. "Tenzin...sorry. I got a little sidetracked on my way to see you." She nods her head in your direction, and also to Chief Beifong's. This earns you a glare from the man, who probably thinks you to be some common criminal based on the way you're chained up to the wall. He takes a deep breath, and puts on his most pleasant smile before turning to the Chief. "Lin, you are looking radiant as usual!" She isn't having any of it, though. Her facial expression is as unchanging as stone, and her words razor sharp. You're sensing some tension, suddenly. "Cut the garbage Tenzin. Why is the Avatar in Republic City? I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the South Pole to train her?"

You can't help speaking on this one, that's just weird. "There's a city in the South Pole? Holy Hell, how does that work?"

The entire room stops, turns to look at you, and then looks back. Korra shakes her head rapidly at you, an indication of "Ixnay on the eirdway." Tenzin returns to what he was saying before. "The Avatar, on the otherhand, will be heading back to the South Pole immediately. Where she will stay put."

Korra only manages one word of protest before the adults continue speaking, feebly uttering "But!-"

"If you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra, I will take full responsibility for today's regrettable events, and cover all the damages." Chief Beifong sighs, before looking back at Korra and back at Tenzin. "Fine. Get her out of my city."

Tenzin smiles ever so slightly. "Always a pleasure Lin. Let's go, Korra." With a single hand motion from Lin, the handcuffs on Korra fall away, and she stands. Tenzin is on his way out the door before he realizes that Korra isn't following him, and turns around. "What is it? Do you want to go to jail?"

Korra looks back at you, staring for a few long moments. "But..what about him?"

"He's not our problem.", ordered Tenzin. "He's the city's problem now. Whatever this young man did he'll have to take responsibility for himself."

Chief Beifong grimaced. "Oh, he's got a lot to be responsible for. And a lot of explaining to do."

You've grown frustrated from being so polite with this bureaucracy, the absurdity of the situation wearing thin on your patience. There was a limit to how much you could before you'd have to simply strongarm your way out of the situation, as there was no way you're going in a jail cell. It's now or never, then. Maybe at the very least Korra will support you, if she doesn't freak out. You look over at her, and smile. "Sorry, Korra. I haven't been entirely honest with you."

Before she can ask what you mean, your wrists fade through the metal effortlessly, briefly entering your soul form. To you, they appeared wispy white and made of mist, but to anyone else, it would appear as if you simply phased through the metal with no apparent reason. Those who were magically inclined would understand the nature of your abilities, but it appeared entirely foreign to this land.

The metalbenders fire their cables at you once more, and you push out your hands in both directions. Telekinetic force impacts their path, and they rebound back at the men as if they'd hit a curved surface. You yell out a command, relying on the confusion and fear of the moment to be your authority. You didn't like using intimidation as a weapon, but in this case, it's all you have. "Knock it off! Or I'll..I'll..TURN YOU INTO A GHOST!"

Chief Beifong has taken a combat stance, and the two guards look at her, pleading. There's a few long moments of tension before she motions for them to stand down, preferring not to take on an opponent as strange as this one. "Fine. There's no point in binding you if you're just going to walk away from it, and I'd like to avoid whatever property damage we can. Less paperwork. So talk, and prove that you're not a threat to us. We're willing to listen right here and now, so you better make it real damn good!" She points a finger at you harshly before slamming her hand down on the table to punctuate her sentence.

Tenzin pulls at Korra. "Korra! Let's go! This doesn't concern us! Let Beifong deal with..with..whatever he is!"

She steps forward, pushing him off of her. Korra makes her way around the table until she's standing directly in front of you, and squints as she leans in close. Your faces are inches away, and she seems to be studying you for answers. "I want to hear what he has to say, first."

You cough into your hand, and sidestep to give yourself a bit of room. The pressure is on. Public speaking was never your strong point, but right now, you've gotta make it work. "Okay. To start. Uhm. I know how this is going to sound. But I need you all to consider what you've seen me do. I can do more, too. You HAVE to acknowledge that I'm not normal."

Lin scoffs. "That much is obvious. Get on with it."

You inhale and exhale slowly before starting again. "I'm not from this world."

The younger of the two guards can't help but speak out. "Holy crap, he's an alien! I knew it! I read a comic book just like thi-"

You growl at him, waving your hand around with the threat of spooky ghost alien magic, causing him to take a few steps back and retreat behind the Chief, as she sighs. "I'm not an alien! It's..It's weirder than that. I'm trying to think of how I can explain this to you in your world's terms. Do you have demons here? Like, evil spirits?"

Tenzin is the one to speak. "Demons? No. No spirits are truly evil, they're just spirits. But they do exist."

You nod, finally finding some common ground. "In my world, I was fighting a powerful spirit for the fate of one man's life. I'm somewhat of a professional in the business of fighting evil, but this time, I was out of my league. The spirit defeated me, cast some sort of incredibly powerful spell on me. The next thing I know, I've woken up naked in an allyway in this city. Which is when Chief Beifong here arrested me."

The room is completely floored. No one seems to believe you, blank expressions all around. You feel a bit of desperation, and turn to Korra, making your final appeal. "I'm sorry I lied to you about amnesia. I hope you see why I did though, now. I'm a stranger in a strange world right now. I know it sounds impossible, I know it sounds like I'm nuts but-"

"I believe you." she states flatly.

"What?" grunted Lin, in annoyance.
"What!?" shouted Tenzin, in disbelief.
"This is awesome!" shouted the younger of the officers. His partner simply looked at him, and shook his head.

She turns back to Tenzin and the others. "I believe him. I mean, what do any of us really know about spirits? If there's a spirit world out there, maybe there's other ones, right?? How else do you explain the things that he just did!? It's impossible! He was able to bend the metal that someone else was already bending. He just walked right out of those handcuffs."

Across the room, Tenzin had fallen into a deep grimace. "Korra, I know what you're going to ask me-"

She puts her fists down at her sides, angry. "Don't give me that Tenzin! Donn is in some serious need of some spiritual guidance! Isn't that what the Avatar's supposed to do? How am I going to ever be an Avatar if you don't..if you don't..let me be the Avatar! Please, at the very least, let him come with me to the South Pole! He can talk to the elders. If I can't help him, maybe they can. It's his only hope, it's not going to do him any good just to keep escaping jail over and over again!"

You nodded approvingly. Couldn't have said it better your self. Plus living with Korra sounded like a done deal, either way.

Tenzin looked at Korra's pleading face for a long while, before looking back at you. The man seemed to be studying you, and you made no effort to appear needy. You were honest with him. That's all you can be, there's no point in begging.

He looks over at Lin. "What are his charges?"

"Public Nudity. I suppose we can forget about evading and resisting arrest, if we're not going to arrest him. That's what's happening right now, isn't it?"

"Correct." uttered Tenzin.

Korra turns around and has a wide smile on her face, and jumps forward to pull you in for a hug. Your pale face clearly turns red in front of everyone, and you do your best to avoid a very fatherly stare from Tenzin as you lightly pat her back. "Thank you, Mr.Tenzin. I really appreciate this."

He frowns. "Now now, nothing's concrete, yet. We're going to mail the South Pole and see that they agree to having you stay there. In the meantime you and Korra will be staying at Air Temple Island. If they don't agree to it, it's out of my hands. I'll do my best to accommodate someone in need, however."

You walk around the table to extend a hand to Tenzin, who gives you a smile and shakes it in response. You look over to Lin, as well. "Sorry about all of this. I don't mean to waste your time." She keeps her stony face on as expected, and barks back. "Then quit wasting it and get out of here."

You nod, and Tenzin turns to leave. Korra follows behind, as Lin makes an "I've got my eye on you" motion at Korra, who returns the favor.

You're on your way to Air Temple Island.
---------------

After retrieving Naga, the three of you take a small ferry to the large Air Temple Island. From what you can see, it's reminiscent of Buddhist temples from your world. Considerably more modernized, however. While you yourself are thrilled to be free from danger and exploring a new venue, you look over to see Korra leaning on the rail of the boat looking quite defeated. Earlier you had heard Tenzin berating her for disobeying the orders of the White Lotus. Apparently, Korra had sneaked away from the South Pole to come here for some reason. You note to yourself to bring it up whenever you have some alone time.

The ferry pulls into the dock and the three of you depart. You begin walking up stone steps to the compound, and take note of a number of guards wearing uniforms reminiscent of the design of the architecture. There's quite a pattern of dressing based entirely on nationalism, it seems. Turning your head, you notice something that confuses you. "Hey Korra, I thought you said that the Airbenders had nearly been wiped out. Who are these guards?"

She looks over, smiling. You can tell that she's happy to have someone even more inexperienced than her around. "Oh, those are Air Acolytes. They're not airbenders, but they're dedicated to preserving airbender culture. The only airbenders are Master Tenzin and his kids."

Just as she finishes speaking, three children wearing outfits similar in color scheme to what Tenzin is wearing fly overhead, apparently using some sort of glider. They come in for a landing as they loop around, and you hear a young girl yell. "Korra's here!"

A small boy who can't be more than five, and two young girls run up to Korra and give her hugs and warm greetings. She laughs at their antics, and holds out a hand to introduce them. "Donn, this is Meelo, Ikki, and Jinora. They're the newest generation of airbenders." Meelo, the small boy, has a finger deep in his nose. Apparently mining for gold. He's the first to take note of you, walking over and looking up. "You're REALLY white. Do your parents not let you outside or something?"

You smile, and decide to give him the straight answer. "Haha, nah, my whole family is like this. Or at least my mom is. White as as snow." The oldest of the three siblings, Jinora, pulls at his arm and scolds him. "Meelo! Don't be rude!" The middle child approaches next, putting her hands on Meelo's head and rubbing it really hard, causing him to wriggle around in protest. "Yeah! How would you like it if someone just walked up and made fun of your big head, huh??"

You and Korra both chuckle as the two run off, and Jinora chases after. She stops after a few steps to turn around and give a quick bow. "So sorry about that!" She gives chase. "Ikki! Meelo! Stop it you guys! You're gonna get in trouble!" You look over to Korra and smile. "Nice kids." She nods and you two continue walking, nearly at the doors of the compound. "Heh, yeah. It's hard to believe that all that energy came from Tenzin."

----

A few hours pass as Tenzin's wife pregnant Pemma shows you and Korra around the area. It's fairly large with plenty of space, with a courtyard and training facility for airbenders. You're treated to a homecooked meal and enjoy some relaxation, although the kids in particular are constantly enamored with both you and Korra. Meelo in particular has a catalog of questions for you, while Ikki does the same with Korra. Jinora largely stays slightly distant, reading a small brown book and occasionally scolding her younger siblings whenever they get too rowdy.

Not long after, Tenzin approaches you all. "Okay everyone, time for bed. We're going to wake up early and head to the post office to mail the South Pole about Donn, and you little ones have been up past your bedtime as it is." The kids moan and groan in protest, excluding Jinora. As Pemma takes the children to bed, Tenzin leads you and Korra to your rooms. He takes Korra to one end of the building, and you take note that your room is all the way on the other end of the complex. With how large it is, you're sure this isn't just for spacing reasons.

As you approach the door, Tenzin stops you. "Wait Donn. There's something I want to say. Korra..she's young. This is a whole new world to her. I don't know anything about you, none of us do. But you have to understand how important she is to all of us. The Avatar plays a crucial role in this world. She needs to focus entirely on her training, not relationships. I'm not accusing you of anything, but I think you should know that it would be best for everyone if you just kept your distance."

You can tell that he cares a lot for Korra. It's because of him that you're not sitting in a cell right now, as well. "Don't worry, Mr.Tenzin. I've got my own problems to think about right now. My family at home's grieving, I know it. It's my first and foremost goal to get back home."

He seems somber, apparently not having considered your place in the situation. "You're right. I hadn't thought of that. I'm sorry to say such a thing, but I was a young boy once too believe it or not. I appreciate your honesty." You smile, and open up the door. "I appreciate the hospitality. Good night."

You lay down and shut your eyes for a few long moments. It's been a long day, and you welcome the rest. The mood Korra was in earlier bothers you still, though, and you wonder if it would be good to head over to her room and have a talk. There's plenty of questions that you have for her anyways that would be best taken care of alone. With the kids around so much, times like this might be your only opportunity to bring it up.

Although Tenzin asked you to keep your distance, he can't think that you're doing anything devious as long as he doesn't catch you sneaking, right? Right. You wait about ten minutes before leaving your room, making your way through the complex. Several times you need to turn invisible or teleport to another room in order to hide from the guards, but it's not long at all until you're just outside her door. The sound of a radio playing can be heard from inside. You give a few sharp knocks. "Korra? It's Donn. Can I come in for a second?"

The door opens, and Korra leads you in. She's wearing simple dark blue pajamas. "Hey, just one second. I wanna hear the end of this pro-bending match real quick." The radio goes on to speak about some sort of competition, you assume it's some sort of gladitorial deal where benders face off against one another. From the sound of it there's a number of technicalities and rules involved. You think to yourself how entertaining a sport comprised entirely of super-powered people would be. Your football games back at the tower were always action packed.

The match ends and Korra cheers, jumping up to her feet and bouncing around for a few seconds. You look on with wonder, before collecting yourself mentally and chuckling. "You'll have to tell me what all that means someday." She plops down onto her bed. "It'd be easier just to show you. Maybe we could go to a game before we leave." She smiles softly, but as the topic of leaving is brought up, you can see that her mood has changed. You take a few steps and sit down on the bed next to her. "You don't wanna go back to the South Pole, do you?"

She shakes her head back and forth, looking down at the floor. "No. I've been there my whole life, and just when I finally come to Republic City and get a taste of the real world, I have to leave. I wish there were some way that I could convince Master Tenzin, but whenever I bring it up he tells me that I'm not ready!" You lean back on your arms, and look up at the ceiling, thinking of what to say. "I keep hearing all about how you're the Avatar, and how that's super important and you need to train for a really long time. Tenzin even mentioned it to me."

She looks over, raising an eyebrow. "Huh? Why would he tell you about that?" You scratch the side of your face with a finger, and look off to the side for a moment before chuckling. "Well, he told me to try and keep my distance from you. I suppose he believes that boys are all too dangerous at your age."

Korra loudly goes "PFFFFT" and slaps her knee once, before laughing. "Jeez! I just met you today! What does he think I am? Maybe I should be the one having a talk with Tenzin." You smile, happy to see her laugh. "Can you blame him? I could see why he'd think that you'd fall in love with me at first sight." Standing up, you flex and pretend to admire yourself in the nearby mirror on the wall. Korra doubles over laughing at your antics, before sitting up. "Well, I know someone around here has a crush on you. Jinora couldn't stop looking over, it was adorable."

You walk over and sit down on the bed, rubbing the back of your head. "Ah, jeez. That's what that was about? It's tough being such a heartbreaker, I don't know how you do it." Korra's face turns a light shade of red behind her brown skin, and she twiddles her thumbs. "Me? I've never even had a boyfriend. What would make you think I'm a heartbreaker, as you put it?" You think for a moment on your answer, before looking over. "Well, you're very pretty. Plus you're the Avatar. That's sounding like you might as well be Superman around here."

She smiles with a cocked eyebrow. "You're sweet. No one has any idea what you're talking about half the time, and you're strange. But sweet. I'm sure this Superman person is very cool." You nod. "Pretty much the coolest guy around. I don't know how being the Avatar works, but where I come from Superman is the first thing anyone thinks of when you say the word hero."

She stands up, and walks over to the window where the radio is set, leaning on it. She stares longingly out at the statue of the previous Avatar, an airbender. "Yeah, it's something like that. The Avatar is the bridge between the physical world and the spirit world. I'm the reincarnation of Avatar Aang, and he's the reincarnation of Avatar Roku, and so on. It's our job to uphold balance among the four nations, and keep worldwide peace in order. Mostly I've just been sitting on my butt at the South Pole doing nothing, though. I wish Tenzin could trust me. I'm not doing anyone any good down there, and this city seems like it has some real problems. He sees me as more of a burden than anything, it feels like."

She hangs her head low, and you frown at such a sad answer. You don't know what that must feel like. You've never had anyone telling you that you couldn't do something in your life, never really minding any authority. The worst that could happen was pissing off Robin, but he seemed to be thrilled with whatever you did. Or rather, saw the good in it.

"I bet if he heard you right now, he'd change his mind. It seems to me that he's more stressed than he's willing to let on. He has to be, with all of the apparent problems in the city, right? Maybe you should just explain how you feel about it, instead of trying to argue with him."

She looks over, staring at you for a few seconds. "I've tried explaining how I feel. I just don't think it's going to do any good. Thanks for coming over and talking, I really needed it, but we should get to bed. If Tenzin hears us talking all his suspicions might as well be true, heh."

You nod, and stand to leave. "Right. Night, Korra. We'll go see that match sometime before we go."

She smiles. "Sounds great. Night."

Outside of the room, Tenzin has his ear pressed against the wall. He's frowning, and walks away with his head lowered, deeply in thought.

------

In the morning, you're suddenly awoken by Korra's voice. She loudly yells not far from your room, apparently really excited about something. "Yes! Thank you! You're the best!" You climb out of bed and open the door, groggily scratching the side of your head. Just down the hall, Korra has lifted Tenzin off the air in a bearhug. You're just in time to see him sigh, and roll his eyes. Korra notices you and lets him down, before running over to you with an ear to ear grin. "Donn! Master Tenzin said that we can stay here so that I can start my airbending training! Apparently the press wants to talk to me too. Today! This is so exciting!!"

This is the happiest you've ever seen Korra. She's positively glowing. What was that about the press though? "Awesome. Be careful talking to reporters though, they can be really aggressive." The young girl places a hand on her hip, and cocks her eyebrow at you. "Oh yeah? Do you have to deal with reporters back where you come from?"

You smile. "I try not to. Our leader mostly handles that sort of stuff. He was super rich, so he paid for any damages we caused." She suddenly gives you a curious look, her joking attitude going away for a moment. "Your leader? You were a part of a team or something?" Tenzin sees that you've captured Korra's attention for the moment, and walks off down the hall. You nod to Korra. "That's right. I was a part of a team of young adults who fought crime in the city we lived in. We were all elites, with special training and abilities. I was actually the newest addition to the team."

She blinks. "Huh, wow. What exactly is it that you can do?" You think for a few moments, trying to organize it all together. You've got a pretty solid mix of powers. You even decide not to mention the immortality bit. That might freak her out a little more than the other stuff. No need to scare everyone with your identity as a being that's supposed to be a foundation of the universe itself. "Well, I can teleport short distances. Go intangible and invisible. Use short range telekinesis. I'm stronger, faster, and I can keep going without food or water for way longer than any normal person."

Her jaw drops. "That's...a lot of powers. I can bend all four elements, and even I'm impressed, hehe. What exactly is it that lets you do all this crazy stuff?" You stop for just a moment to think on your answer, wanting to choose your words carefully. After a second you decide on the most obvious response. "Well, how is it exactly that you can bend?"

Korra looks up and off to the side. "Uhh..fair point. I guess it really isn't that important. Maybe you can show me all of that when I start my training." You nod to Korra. "Actually, I was hoping I could partake in your training with you. I need to keep in good shape, never know what's going to happen. Plus it'll be fun to learn a little about bending."

She smiles. "Awesome! Let's go get some breakfast so we can get started!"

You and Korra make your way down to the dining area, where air acolytes are enjoying their morning meals in Japanese esque seating arrangements. The comparisons to Asian culture predominant in every aspect of the world around you is pretty shocking. All those Kung Fu movie marathons with Robin are paying off somewhat, at least.

It's only a few moments until you're seated next to Korra and across from Tenzin, partaking in a vegetarian breakfast. You quietly wonder to yourself if waffles have been invented yet around here. If not, you might just have opened up a whole new avenue of business. Donn's waffle shop. It'd be the perfect way to make some money, considering the very real possibility that you might not get back home. The thought of returning had weighed on your mind heavily as you rested in bed, your family surely missing you greatly. As you considered these things, you considered your own nature as well. Even if this world presented no options of return, eventually you would grow powerful enough to transcend space itself. Possibly time as well.

Your deep internal thoughts are broken by a sudden outbreak of Korra's, who's reading a newspaper. On the cover is a young man with a stylish haircut, apparently some pro-bending champion. "..And in the final round, the Buzzard-Wasps won with a decisive knockout!" Korra sets the paper down, and looks across at Tenzin endearingly. "What do you say we go to the arena tonight, catch a few pro bending matches?"

Tenzin, however, doesn't seem to be impressed. "That sport is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending." Korra holds up her hands and explains her desire to go. "C'mon, Tenzin! I've dreamed about seeing a pro-bending match since I was a kid, and now I'm just a ferry ride away from the arena." The old master looks up from his meal, bearing a serious expression. "Korra, you're not here to watch that drivel. You're here to finish your Avatar training." Korra rests her elbow on the table and leans her head onto her hand, looking at him with disappointment as he finishes his decree. "So for the time being, I want you to remain on the island."

Korra makes a single hand motion around the room, highlighting various guards in a white unifrom whom you've seen posted all over the island. "Is that why you're keeping White Lotus sentries around to watch my every move?" Tenzin nods. "Yes. In order to learn airbending I believe you need a calm, quiet environment, free from any distractions."

Across the table, you're balancing a chopstick on his nose, wobbling back and forth as you tries to keep it straight up. Korra turns and flicks it off, causing you to run off and retrieve it as she smiles in your direction, before looking back at Tenzin. "Alright. You're the Master."

As you return, you notice Korra looking out of the window longingly at the stadium across the water.

----

You, Tenzin, and Korra are all walking along a path towards the training grounds. You look around and take note of the peaceful environment, and again appreciating the asian architecture. This world is strange, but it feels more like some sort of fantasy adventure than an alien planet. All things considered, you could have ended up in a much worse place. You're also wearing the traditional garb of the air acolytes, as is Korra. Although she's rolled up the sleeves for comfort, and presumably to show off her sweet biceps.

You're watching some sort of crazy flying monkey or something whiz by as Tenzin and Korra speak about bending. "So, my mother informed me that you've never been able to airbend before. Korra stops walking and sighs, causing you to come just short of running into her as you're distracted by the odd creature. "Yeah, but I don't know why. The other elements came so easily to me, but every. single. time. I've tried airbending...plfbft, nothing." She places a hand on her hip, and looks off to the side.

Tenzin approaches her and pulls down the sleeves on her shirt. "That's perfectly alright, we just need to be patient. Often the element that's the most difficult for the Avatar to master is the one most opposite to the Avatar's personality. For Aang it was earthbending."

Korra frowns. "Well I'm about as opposite an airbender as you can get." Tenzin turns around and begins making his way along the path and up a set of stone stairs, and you and Korra follow suit. "Let's begin your first lesson." As you break over the hill, you see Tenzin's three children eagerly awaiting everyone. Ikki jumps up and down as Meelo waves, and Jinora simply stands quietly with a smile. "Korra's gonna airbend! Korra's gonna airbend!" says Ikki excitedly, accentuated by her hops.

"What is that contraption?" Korra asks, referring to the series of wooden panels in a circular area. "A time honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspect of airbending. Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?" Jinora nods in response to her father. "The goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them." Korra nods. "Seems easy enough." As if on cue, Ikki pops up to make a note. "Jinora forgot to say that you have to make it through while the gates are spinning!"

Tenzin winds up an airbending motion and thrusts his hands forward, resulting in a powerful gust of wind that sends all the wooden panels rapidly spinning. He then holds up a single green leaf, and lets it go. He speaks as it effortlessly drifts through all of the panels, riding the motions of the wind and avoiding contact. "The key is to be like the leaf. Flow, with the movements of the gates. Jinora will demonstrate."

The young girl holds up her hands in a stance that reminds you of a martial art from your world, and begins to use incredibly floaty and delicate footwork to make her way through the wooden panels as they rotate. "That's amazing.." you say. Tenzin continues. "Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice."

As Jinora exits, she spins around and throws another gust through the panels, causing them to pick up speed again. A second later, Korra takes a determined step forward and speaks. "Let's do this!" She rushes forward headfirst, seeming to attempt to predict the motions of the gates and react to them rather than following their path of rotation. She slams into the first panel and rebounds into the next, bouncing around comically until she's spit out the other end on her rear. Beside you, Tenzin is wincing painfully.

She stands up and immediately goes in for another rush, clearly not having learned her lesson. You can hear her cry out as she bounces around like a pinball in the thick of the wood panels. Tenzin's children all yell out pieces of advice, that are probably more distracting than helpful. "Don't force your way through!" suggested Jinora. "Dance! Dance like the wind!" yelled Ikki. Beside you, Meelo waved his arms around and smiled. "Be the leaf!"

Korra is spit out once more at the entrance, spinning around before nearly landing on her face. You step forward and stop her from hitting the hard ground, catching her by the shoulders as she recovers from the daze. "That looked painful." She groans, pulling on your shirt and standing up before walking next to Tenzin. "It was. Uggh.."

You look over at the rotating panels, and look back at Tenzin. "Can I try?" He blinks, clearly surprised by your question. "You're not a bender though, correct? What could you gain from airbending training? Unless you're intending to become an Air Acolyte, perhaps?" This notion makes him smile, slightly. It's apparent that he likes seeing youth take an interest in old culture. You look back over to the contraption before looking back at him. "Where I come from, I was actually somewhat of a hero. I need to keep up my training while I'm here, which is why I've asked to participate today. Not to mention that it's fun to learn about all this. It's brand new to me."

He smiles fully, nodding. "Go ahead then. I'm always happy to accommodate someone interested in my ancestor's culture." You give him a thumbs up and a wide grin, and the children and Korra all group up, interested to see the results of your efforts. Korra crosses her arms and gives a cool smile.

Jinora thrusts her hands forward to start the spinning again, and you take a few cool steps forward in it's direction. You try to pay attention to the pattern of rotation in the panels, your enhanced reflexes allowing you to see more clearly than most. What you lack in training and skill you make up for in talent, and your first few steps into the gauntlet prove successful. You predict the motion of the rotation and spin on your heel accordingly as you step forward, but your vision betrays you as you're slammed from the side by a wooden panel. You can't rely just on your eyesight for this exercise, and it's suddenly evident as that one mistake sends you rebounding around the paneling much like Korra a few moments before you, being spit out on the other end.

You walk back over, shaking your head, dazed. "Jeez. That was way harder than it looks. We're gonna have to really buckle down on this, Korra." She nods. "I guess so. Neither of us even got close to the end. My idea didn't work. What did you try?" You rest your hands on your knees, before sighing and straightening up. You and Korra stand next to each other, observing the contraption in an effort to find a way to conquer it. "I tried to predict the spinning. I thought that If I could see what was coming next, I'd be okay. But the second I had to spin and my back was turned, I got hit."

Tenzin nods. "Not a terrible idea. But as I said, you have to be like the leaf. You need to respond to the natural flow of the motion, instead of trying to predict it and counter it. Move with it, not against it." Korra frowns, not understanding. You're pretty sure that you don't really get it either, but the two of you try long throughout the day with little progress being made. Your shortcomings come from your in ability to stop relying on your eyes and natural physical ability, and Korra's from her headstrong nature.

----

You, Korra, and Naga are all just outside of the main complex in the courtyard. Korra has a newspaper with Lin Beifong's face on the cover strung up by a laundry wire, and repeatedly thrusts her arms forward in an effort to move it. She frowns with every failure. "Airbend!...What is wrong with me!? Airbend!!" Naga whines at her master's distress. She gives up, and punches forward, erupting with a volley of fire. She turns around and places her hand on her hip, looking at you and Naga, whom you are petting. "Maybe I'm just not cut out to be an airbender, huh guys?" You shrug. You really have no idea how these things work. You don't want to give her false hope and tell her she can do it when it's a very real possibility she just isn't cut out to be an airbender, for all you know. "We only just started. I doubt anyone gets this kinda stuff right on their first try."

She nods. "Yeah, I guess you're right." In the distance, the sound of a radio can be heard. A fast talking announcer can be heard describing the latest pro-bending match, apparently one where the players are competing for the final spot in a local tournament.  Korra looks at you and makes a "Shh" motion with her finger, ushering you to be sneaky as you make your way up the building where the radio can be heard. You climb to the edge and look down to see three White Lotus guards listening to the match in earnest, and take a seat next to Korra to listen.

The match continues on for some time with great intensity, with Korra apparently rooting for the Fire-Ferrets. You've got no idea how this match works, but it's fun nonetheless to see her so excited and into something after a long day of no success. It seems these pro-bending matches are really great for her mood, and the more you hear about it, the more you want to learn about it. The climax of the match seems to be at hand, with a player named Mako pushing the last opponent to the edge of the ring with a barrage of attacks. Just as the announcer is about to declare the result, and everyone is on the edge of their seat, the radio stops.

"Korra, Donn, come down here please!" You both jump down, and Korra frowns. "You shut it off at the best part!" Tenzin, as usual when it comes to this subject, isn't amused. "I thought I made myself clear. I don't want you listening to this distracting nonsense." Korra steps forward, explaining herself. You can see where this is going, and lean back on the railing as they finish their discussion. "But it's their radio. A-and technically you said I couldn't watch a match, you didn't say anything about listening to one."

He squints. "You..Mmggh-you know what I meant! Anyway shouldn't- shouldn't you two be in bed by now?" He whips around, blowing a bit of wind involuntarily in each direction. Korra looks at you and crosses her arms, and the most you can do is shrug.

----

It's the next day, early in the morning. Tenzin, his children, and you and Korra are all seated in a meditative position in a gazebo on top of a large hill. On the way up you made particular note of the massive flying bison that everyone else seemed to be completely fucking ignoring. It made it difficult to focus on meditating, a practice you were usually able to engage in quite readily with Raven's assistance. It didn't help that Korra was constantly fidgeting as well. She speaks, breaking the silence. "I think I'm doing it wrong."

You take this opportunity to look over at the flying bison. Seriously, why isn't anyone else amazed right now? Are Kryptonian buffalo just commonplace here?

Tenzin looked up. "There's nothing to do. Let your mind and your spirit be free. For air is the element of freedom."

Korra laughs in response, gently slapping her hand on her knee as if Tenzin had just told a really great joke. He frowns. "Is something funny?" Oh boy, you know what's coming next. "Yeah, you're telling me to embrace freedom but you won't even let me listen to the radio? And forget about leaving this island."

He shakes his head. "Please Korra. Look at Meelo. He's able to meditate peacefully." You look over to the young boy, and see a snot bubble around his nose as he lulls back and forth, clearly in a deep slumber. You pipe up. "Uhh, I think he's sleeping."

Tenzin looks closer. "What?? Well..at least he has the relaxing part down."

Korra just shrugs in response. "Whatever. None of this airbending stuff makes any sense to me." Tenzin resumes his meditative position. "I know you're frustrated, but these teachings will sink in over time. Then, one day, they'll just click." You hear Korra take a deep breath and resume meditating for all of half a second before standing up. "Yeah, it's not sinking in. I'm gonna go get some lichi-juice."

She stands up and walks away, and Tenzin calls out. "Korra, the meditation isn't over yet!" She ignores his command and continues on. Before he can give chase, Ikki gives her father the sweetest face she can muster. "Daddy, can I have some lichi juice too??" Tenzin, as expected, flatly responds "No."

After Meelo falls over from sleep, you decide now is a good time as any. "So does anyone else see those flying Bison or should I cut back on the lichi juice?" Tenzin shakes his head. "I'll explain later."

----

Korra awakens you later that night, not long after you had both been sent to bed. "Hey! Wake-up! We're gonna go see a pro-bending match" You roll onto your side. "I don't wanna fight crime today...make..starfire do it..zzzz.." She frowns in confusion, before shaking you awake. "I'm gonna leave without you if you don't wake up!"

You finally jump awake, startled. "Huhwha!? Slade!?" Korra flinches back, looking at you with a raised eyebrow. "Riiight..pro-bending match, Donn. Let's go." You stand up and get dressed, putting on something casual clothing that Pemma had gotten for you.  It's simple brown pants which is the style for most general laborers, and brown boots and a white T-shirt with a dark grey cotton overcoat. Korra tells you it's probably best to leave the coat behind so it doesn't get soaked. You think to yourself how lewd that sounded as you sneak out the window, and past all the guards to the edge of the water.

Korra takes your hand and whispers. "Okay, I'm gonna waterbend us to the stadium. It's going to be quick, so just hold onto me I guess." In the darkness, your face burns red as you get behind Korra and wrap your hands around your waist. She turns her head back. "Ready?" You nod. "Yes. Please go. I don't want to get a bon-"

She leaps off into the water with you on her back, and you shut your eyes tightly as you plunge into the cold water of the ocean.  You hold on tightly as Korra waves her arms around and her body moves in a wave motion, similar to a fish. You can feel the water around you move around you and push you forward with every motion, as she bends the ocean into a form of propulsion. You're jetted across the water until you approach the stadium, at which point Korra makes a final flourish and you're launched into an open window of the building by a whirlpool of water.

Korra lands on her feet gracefully, as you skid across the polished floor with a loud squeak and slam into the wall back first. She shakes her head, and removes all the water from your clothing and out the window before doing the same to herself. She walks over and pulls you up. "C'mon! Let's explore a bit!"

You make your way down a hall before turning into what seems to be a gym for the athletes. The two of you enter and look around in wonder before the voice of an old man calls you out. "Hey! What are you kids doing in my gym?" Korra steps forward, intending to handle it. "Uhh, I was just looking for a bathroom and we got lost." It doesn't seem to work, though. The old man places his hands on his hips. "Ahh, the old I had to pee excuse! You know, I'm sick and tired of you kids sneaking in here without payin', I'm taking you two to security!"

As they talk, you notice a young man with green eyes, dark hair, and a bulky physique enter the room confidently. "There you guys are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" He struts over and stands next to Korra. "It's alright Toza! This is my cousin and ladyfriend. They're with me." You nod, and Korra does as well. You speak in unison, happy to have been saved. "Yeah. We're with him." The athlete smiles. "So, you see, we're together." Oddly enough, this sets off some small emotional reaction in the back of your mind. Was that a pang of jealously at some newcomer trying to make a move on Korra?

She isn't having it though, as she frowns. "Well, not 'together' together, more like friends." Suddenly, he looks a bit more bashful than before, quickly moving to correct his mistake. "Right! Nono, I didn't mean to imply.." You cross your arms, and without thinking before speaking, give your natural response. "Oh, you implied it." He reaches up and coughs into his hand.

Toza throws his hands up into the air. "Ahhh, I don't care what you are! I've got work to do!" He walks away and returns to his job. The newcomer holds his hand out, motioning for you two to follow. "Right this way, friends." You and Korra both smile, and she gives him thanks before whispering. "Seriously, thanks" as you make your way into the next room. As you're walking, Bolin quickly leans over and whispers in your ear. "Hey, sorry man, didn't mean to move on your girl, didn't know!" You shrug. "She's not my girlfriend or anyti-"

He quickly cheers. "Perfect!" and Korra looks in your direction. "What's perfect?" The newcomer quickly makes a smooth recovery, opening a door which leads into a box hanging over the stadium. "Best seats in the house, that's what!" Korra's jaw hits the floor as you enter, and you look around, equally impressed. "Woooahh..unbelievable! This place is more amazing than I imagined." You and Korra lean on the rails next to each other, and the athlete introduces himself as another two of his presumed team mates enter the box. "Name's Bolin, by the way." Korra is looking around the room, distracted as she responds. "Korra. This is Donn."

You give a small wave which is returned before Bolin's teammate calls him over with a whisper, and they discuss something you can't quite hear. A moment later and Bolin returns, taking Korra. You follow. "C'mere you guys, I want you to meet my brother, Mako!" Korra's eyes brighten, and you realize that he's the player from the radio the other night. Korra parrots this thought. "Mako! Wow, I heard you play on the radio!"

He doesn't respond, instead calling Bolin over as he puts his helmet on. "C'mon Bolin, we're up." Korra frowns. "Orrr, I could meet him later." Bolin turns as he places his own helmet on his head. "Yeeah, sorry about that. My brother just gets real..focused, before a match. Okay, wish me luck! Not that I'll need it."

The one wearing green reminds you of some strange combination of Cyborg and Beast Boy, while the one in red is clearly a Robin allegory. Funny how that works. Korra pumps her fist in the air. "Good luck, knock 'em out!"

The pro-bending tournament qualification match is about to begin. The players all square up at opposite ends of the small stadium, before meeting up in the middle. The teams are three on three, with each player wearing a color representative of what you can only imagine to be the element they use. The arena is split into six evenly sized spaces, and is a raised platform high above a pool of water. You're interested to see the terms that you've heard on the radio be played out in action, and you can tell Korra is as well. She's very nearly hanging off on the edge of the railing to get the best view possible.

The bell signifying the start of the round sounds off, and immediately both teams take a small leap back and begin firing small, direct blasts of their respective elements at each other. Water is pulled from grates that signify the seperation of zones, and earth discs are pulled from circular deposits around the ring.

A volley of attacks is flying across the field at a steady pace. The waterbender on the Fire-Ferret's team is the first to take a hit, and his reaction is easily dodged. Mako in the center is easily ducking and weaving under each attack, and his counters are precise and fast. Meanwhile, Bolin and the waterbender are both knocked back into the receding zone by their opponent's assault. Mako impressively flips and dodges around several attacks, but an earth disc slips through his defenses to knock him back to where his team mates are.

You observe with interest, making note of the difference in style from any other bending you've seen so far. You wonder why they're not using more advanced techniques and instead focusing purely on quick strikes. The other team advances, and Korra yells out a cheer next to you. "Come on Ferrets!" She pumps her fist into the air, and her enthusiasm is pretty endearing.

The waterbender named Asook is immediately knocked back into the last zone, and you realize that he's a pretty weak link in comparison to Bolin and Mako at the moment. Just a moment later and the opposing team does an impressive combination of attacks that knocks him off balance just as he recovers, and sends him flying into the water. A few moments later, the round ends, and everyone's position is reset. The Tiger-dillos take the lead.

The next round is much quicker, with the Fire-Ferrets taking an immediate lead and knocking their opponents out of the ring with haste. Mako looks as serious as ever, while Bolin and Asook celebrate. The next round starts moments later, and is off to a terrible start. Almost immediately Asook stumbles to the side, and their opponents capitalize on the opportunity. One precise strike sends him tumbling into Bolin, and another launches them completely off of the arena. Now only Mako remains, in a three on one final round. Things are tense, to the say the least, and Korra is gripping her hair tightly in panic. "Oh no.."

Mako takes calm steps backwards, ducking under and weaving through the attacks of the other team. He continues this until he's standing at the very edge of the ring, somehow surviving the barrage. You're instantly reminded of a boxer who is simply taking the brunt of attacks so that he can counter when the opponent is tired, and the announcer only confirms this statement.

With a final flourish, Mako begins a massive counter. Fireball after fireball rockets through the air, pounding the opponents one by one until it's a two on one match. Then a one on one. The earthbender and Mako exchange blows until a cloud of smoke and dust blocks each other's view, at which point Mako leaps forward and makes his last strike a surprise, clearing the stage of enemies and winning the match in an upset.

The crowd goes insane, and you and Korra look on in total amazement. "Holy crap." Moments later, Bolin leaps into the box and shouts. "Wooohoo! Yes! One more win, and we're in the championship! Tournament!" He snaps his finger, and adjusts his collar. He's thrilled to have come this far, and eager to go even farther. He starts to take off his helmet, and approaches Korra. "Soo, what did you think, Korra? Bolin's got some moves, huh?" Totally Beast Boy. Korra grabs him by the shirt and pull him in to accentuate her point. "What did I think? What did I think!? That was amazing!!" She shoves him away, and Mako and Asook approach as well. Mako seems is berating his team mate rather harshly, with good reason. "You did more harm than good out there! You almost cost us the match!"

Asook looks over, grunting. "We won, didn't we?" before throwing his helmet to the side and storming out the room. Mako grumbles. "Barely." Korra turns to him, thrilled. "You guys were incredible out there, especially you, Mr.Hat trick!" He doesn't bother to look in her direction as he goes to put his equipment up. "Oh, you're still here?"

Korra frowns. "Oh, you're still a jerk?" She turns back to Bolin. "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?" Bolin smiles, happy to help. "Absolutely!"

Mako sighs. "C'mon Bolin, right now?" He smirks and rolls his eyes at his brother's attitude. "Ignore him. Yeah, I could show you the basics. I'm just not sure how my earthbending would translate to your waterbending, but we'll figure it out." You step forward, smiling. "Oh, she's an earthbender." Bolin blinks, before nervously apologizing. "I'm sorry, nono, I didn't mean to assume. It's just, I was figuring what with your water tribe getup and all that you were a water tribe gal."

Korra crosses her arms, and smiles as well. "Nope. You're right. I'm a waterbender. And a firebender." You chuckle as Bolin puts his hand to his chin. "Hmm. Mhm. I'm very confused right now." Mako, meanwhile, hangs his head low. "You're the Avatar, and I'm an idiot." Korra is pleased to see him forsake his jerk attitude for a moment. You think to yourself about how lucky you really were to find this random girl sitting in the park. Granted, you've always been sort of a magnet for women of a magical nature.

Bolin's jaw drops. "No. way." He points at Korra, and looks over to his brother in shock. "The. Avatar."

----

Later on, the four of you head back down to the gym. You stand off to the side and look around the room, examining the equipment and thinking of how you could use it if at all. It seems like pretty much all combat in this world is done through the form of bending. Korra and Bolin are standing next to a pile of the earth discs, as Bolin asks for a demonstration. She does her thing, stomping forward and launching two discs with two quick punches. You walk over and tune into the conversation a bit more. "That was great. Good power. But, in a real match, you'd be a sitting turtle-duck. You need to stay light on your toes, right up until the moment you need to dig in and strike. Then, POP POP!!" He quickly jabs, his shots flying at a faster speed and curving slightly as they impact the net. You can tell that it's a move he's practiced endlessly.

"Okay. Lemme try it again." Says Korra. She bounces on her heels for a few moments before mimicking the motion almost exactly, firing off the discs in the same fashion as Bolin had. They strike the net at high speed. "Wow! Nice adjustment! You're a natural at this." Mako is standing slightly off to the side, and gives his piece. "Not bad."

Korra frowns. "What's it take to impress this guy?" He shrugs in response. "What? I said not bad. You know what, it's getting late. I think I'm gonna turn in. Nice to meet you, Avatar Korra. And uhh..what's your name again?" You turn, and give him a thumbs up. "Donn." He nods. "Right. See you upstairs, bro." He then heads up and out of the room, and Korra waves. "Yeah, been a real pleasure. Wait, upstairs? You guys live here?"

Bolin smiles and shrugs. "Yeah, in the attic. It's nothing fancy, but we have some great views! So. Back to bending. Do you wanna take a crack at it, Donn?" You turn, having walked over to examine the rock weights. "I'm not actually a bender. But there is something I was thinking about trying." You stand directly in front of the open net, smiling with open arms. "Why don't you take your best shot at me? I wanna see how I handle it."

Bolin and Korra both look at each other with concern. She frowns. "Donn, I don't think that's a good idea. You could really get hurt." Bolin nods in response. "Yeah, I don't know if I'm comfortable with throwing rocks at someone who can't defend themselves." You smirk in response. "Don't worry about me. I can defend myself just fine. Really, give me your best."

Korra shakes her head. "This really isn't a good idea." You cross your arms in response, frowning. "What, are you chicken? Or..rat-chicken, or whatever it is you guys have here?" There's a fire rising up in your blood. You miss the action. When's the last time you got really reckless, anyways? You start bouncing around on your heels, in a manner similar to both Korra and Bolin a moment ago. Little do they know that Robin taught you the basics of American Kickboxing, which Pro-Bending seems to be modeled after. You throw quick jabs one after another, which whiff through the air. "You're not the only ones who can fight around here."

Korra looks at Bolin with an annoyed expression, who still seems unsure. She steps forward. "Fine. If you want it so bad." Bolin hides his eyes behind his hands. "Oh man, this is gonna be bad.." Korra bounces around as you stop doing so, planting your feet firmly on the ground and focusing. She lets the volley loose, two earth discs come flying at you at high speed. It's nothing that you haven't had to deal with before, though. Your advanced reaction speeds allow you to clearly predict the path of the attack, and you thrust with two light jabs to send a telekinetic force at the projectiles. They slow down considerably as you approach, allowing you to spin on your heel and catch each disc in your hands with a flourish.

Korra and Bolin's eye go wide, as you walk back over to them. "Think of this as a lesson of my own. Never underestimate someone just because they're not as capable as you in some aspect. The leader of my team was incredibly dangerous, but he didn't have any powers at all. Just good training." You spin around, and hurl the discs at the net with all your might. They reach the same velocity as if you had thrown them with bending force, pushing the net back as they impact. Bolin blinks. "I've..never seen a nonbender move like that. What is happening today!?"

Korra walks over, and punches you in the arm with a big grin. "Show off. At least it's good to know you won't be useless in a fight." You return her smile. Bolin looks between the two of you. "I am totally lost." You look over to him, and shrug. "It's complicated. I'll explain at some point."

----

The next day, you and Korra take another crack at the exercise with the wooden panels. As expected, it's nothing more than repeated failures on both of your ends. Tenzin and his kids offer advice constantly, but no matter what, it doesn't seem to help. Korra is growing particularly frustrated, devolving into shouting in anger several times. You, however, buckle down and press on. For every time she fails and explodes, you throw yourself into the machine again and again. Tenzin approaches Korra, and offers what he can. "You need to be patient, Korra!" She looks up at him with an evil glare, and firebends towards the ocean in fury. "I've been patient! I've been practicing just like you told me but it isn't sinking in, okay!? It hasn't clicked! Like you said it would!" Tenzin frowns. "Korra, this isn't something you can force. You have to listen to me-"

She steps forward, and yells. "I have been! You know what I think!? Maybe the problem isn't me, maybe the reason-" You step behind her and latch onto her shoulder with a hand, spinning her around to face her. "What are you doing!? Why are you yelling at him?! Airbending hasn't changed, Korra. You can't make it work for you, you have to work with it! I don't know much about this bending stuff, but I do know what it's like to fail with no good reason! You think I'm not frustrated too?"

She growls, and snaps, pushing your hand off of her shoulder "Oh please, Donn! You're not even a bender! I'm the Avatar, I'm supposed to be able to do this stuff! I don't even know why you're trying so hard!" You grit your teeth, and give a menacing stare. You feel your adrenaline kick in from the conflict, your vision become extra sharp from anger. While she is wild and unfocused, your frustration is giving birth to pure obstinate behavior. "I'm doing it because I said I would! Because I wanted to learn about this culture, and draw what experience I can from it. You may be the Avatar, but you don't know anything about life, do you?" You take her by the collar and pull her in close. "I'm gonna prove you wrong. I'm gonna show that Tenzin can even teach someone with no bending to do this. Maybe then you'll get over yourself." You push her away from you, and turn around. The children and Tenzin are shocked to hear you speak like this, seeing as how you're generally calm and pleasant. Even Korra is looking at you with a hurt expression from the floor. You words were personal, and they cut deep. You've shown nothing but friendship so far, and it's clear she never thought that you were capable of such an attitude.

"Spin the gates!" you yell. Jinora steps forward tentatively, and causes them to rotate with a powerful gust of wind. You sprint forward at high speed and run directly into the trial, spinning on your heels and mimicking the fluid motions of an airbender to the best of your ability. When you're a few gates in, one of them smacks into your face with enough force to crunch your nose and send you reeling back, bouncing around until you're shot out from where you came.

You land on your knees, panting and clutching your face as blood drips from it. You look up at Korra, and with determination in your voice, command Jinora. "Spin them again!" She looks at her father, who is unsure of what to do. "Children, please go inside. I need to be alone with Donn and Korra for now. We'll see you in a moment."

They nod, and skitter off into the house. Tenzin takes a few steps forward, and for a moment you think that he's going to tell you to stop. He instead walks directly past you, and pushes a powerful gust of wind through the gates, causing them to spin even faster than before. He looks down at you. "Go again."

You grin, looking quite mad considering your current state. You stand tall from your knees, and Korra is looking at you absolutely stunned. Tenzin's face is grim, and he looks away as you sprint forward again and storm the gates. You look forward constantly, never spinning on your heel and instead focusing on dodging the individual rotations. Each step is as precise as possible, an inch of miscalculation would result in you taking another panel to the face. You move from right to left constantly, in a jerky and uncontrolled fashion. Your adrenaline is exploding from the pain and frustration, and the focus in your mind becomes clearer than ever. The wind of rotation is blowing across your face, stinging the broken mass of flesh that was once your nose. You make it deep into the gauntlent before finally being stricken across the face by the board, coming out somewhere on the left with a bruised cheekbone.

Korra stands up, and rushes over. "What the Hell, Donn!? Stop this!!" You push her out of the way, marching back over to the front of the gates. Droplets of blood are scattered around. You look over at Tenzin, and nod. He frowns. "Donn, are you sure? You're hurt."

You shake your head back and forth, ignoring the flaring pain on your face. "I'm not at my limit yet. Do it. I've taken a lot more punishment than this." You're breathing heavily, and you growl with animosity as you rush forward at the rotating gates again once Tenzin starts them up.

The process repeats several times, and you get closer to reaching your goal by a single step each time. The boards abuse and batter you repeatedly, and Korra is standing next to Tenzin, staring at the ground and wincing with the sound of each impact. You crash through the gates again and again, your vision growing blurry and your head becoming light and floaty. As you lose yourself in the pain, and your concentration lessens, your body undergoes a strange change. The sensation of dizziness and confusion from the pain causes you to relax. Initially, your batterings only become worse and worse.

You walk in front of the gates, a panting, sweaty, bloody, broken mess. Your face and hands are covered in a mixture of red, black, and blue. Finally, you shut your eyes as you sprint forward, nearly falling from the exhaustion. You black out entirely, though not in the sense that you lose consciousness. It feels as though you're watching your body preform the actions, smoothly stepping inbetween the gates and rotating on your heel with perfect timing. Eyes screwed shut, your senses become loose and weightless. You're on the verge of passing out, and are able to act purely on your instincts. The wind blowing across your sensitive face gives way to an incoming panel, and you spin through the obstacle like a needle through a thread.

The process feels as though it takes an age, a deadly dance threatening you with a long sleep. Without even realizing, you step from the final panel and exit without having been stricken a single time. You stumble to your knees, planting a fist into the ground and panting. You open your eyes, crusty with blood from a lacerated forehead. They sting from sweat. Korra and Tenzin rush over to you, and help you stand up. You weakly utter the words that you've been hoping you'd get to say all day. "I did it. I did it. I did it. Hahaha."

When you look over at Korra, you see that she has tears in her eyes.

----