Past, Present, and Future

Chapter 17

Chia-jung's POV

I sat up and decided to put on the outfit I was found in.

I slowly lurked out of the room to find the house empty again this time it was a calm kind of empty.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a fruit and a bottle of water and headed outside where I started to hear yelling.

I walked over to the source and saw Korra yelling about how tired she was of Tenzin bossing her around. Before she stormed off to stare at the sea.

"I don't understand her. Just when I think I get through to her something sets her off." Tenzin looked a bit stressed.

"I got it. I'll talk to her." I slowly made my way over to her and she was talking to herself.

I walked over to her just before she chucked a bolder into the sea.   For a moment I watched as it skipped  across the water until it was out of view.

"Korra?"

"I don't want to hear it.  Okay? I can't deal with your 'it will  get better' or 'you will get it eventually' crap right now." her words struck deep like a thousand blades cutting my skin.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" She turned to face me. "You get to do whatever you want with not even a slap on the wrist. Yet you go and tell everyone their problems will be OK.  You get arrested for running from illegal fighting rings Tenzin does nothing, I get arrested for protecting people.  I get lectured and told to stay on the island."

"You don't even know what I deal with.  Everyday not knowing who I am or why I'm here." I had tear start to burn my eyes.

"Do you know what its like to be the avatar?" she swung her hand down like she was going to slam it on a table.  Suddenly I felt a burning on my arm, but I pushed it aside.  "Everyone expects me to be perfect, but no one expects shit from you!"

This time after she spoke I turned around and walked away not saying anything. 

I walked all the way to our room and grabbed a few of my things.  Like a change of clothes and a couple pens and one of my drawing pads I had accumulated.  I looked around to make sure I wasn't missing anything and I turned around and headed to the boat to leave the island.

I eventually  found myself sitting on a bench next to a stream running through republic city. 

I ended up taking out a few sheets of paper and folding them and throwing them in the air to watch them soar around.

Suddenly  I felt a hand on my shoulder.  I jumped around holding a pen like it was a weapon. 

"Chill sweetheart.  I was just wondering how you managed to make these fly.  With such  a complicated design." He opened his hand to show that he had manged to grab a couple.

"It's not hard." I said mostly mumbling.

"How did you get hurt?" he pointed at my left arm that was freshly burned.

"Got into an argument."

"Are you a bender?" he asked as if it would determine weather  or not the conversation  would continue.  That's when I realized he was the speaker at the anti-bending rally.

"No. I'm not."

"See this is why I always say we need to stand up.  These benders have too much power. They just use their bending to control and attack those who don't see like them."

"Yeah." I looked at my arm and saw the burn was extremely  bad but it was going to leave a scar.

She was your friend and she hurt you. You are just meant to be tossed around.

"Are you good at making bigger things, or designing things?"

"Yea. Creating things seems to be all I'm good at now."

"Do you want to help the resistance and help fellow nonbenders break free from their control?" He sat down on the bench next to me. "The world isn't fair being controlled my those benders. We should be equal if we are all without bending we will truly be equal."

He has a good point. There will be less pressure on you from the avatar and other benders.

"Well what do you say?"

He will respect you. They need your help.

"I'll  do it.  I'll help you. What do you need me to do?" I stood up and we shook hands.

"First I need your name."

I knew this man was testing me. He was the one who asked me what my name was at the rally outside the pro-bending arena. I didn't want him to think I wasn't trustworthy so I gave him the name I gave him before.

"I'm Mara."