🔥
ＣＨＡＰＴＥＲ ＴＷＯ
Ａ ＬＥＡＦ ＩＮ ＴＨＥ ＷＩＮＤ
•
Ｔｈｅ Ａｖａｔａｒ＇ｓ very first training was with the airbending gates. Tenzin explained that to get to the other side you needed to be like a leaf in the wind. Being able to redirect yourself at any given moment, even when you hit an obstacle. The girl went head in first under the eyes of Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Tenzin and Daiyin. As was expected, Korra did poorly. She went right in but bumped into every panel she could. The device then knocked her out of it, seemingly having enough of her incompetence.
Daiyin should praise her for trying it again, if it did not look so pathetic. The princess shakes with her hand on her forehead. Tenzin too shakes his head and releases a sigh. Korra looks up with hard eyes at the princess when she sees her shake her head. "Don't look so smug, as if you can do it," she exclaims with anger and a little bit of embarrasment. The girl raises her eyebrow and the corner of her lip curls up with a smirk. "Tenzin, if you would please."
The airbender thought that it might be bad motivation for Korra to see her firebending master do this and maybe succeed, but she deserved a fair chance to prove herself for the Avatar. After all, maybe Korra's embarrasment would be perfect motivation for her to do better in the future. So, he bend the air and the panels begin spinning once more. Daiyin walks onto the platform and cracks her knuckles. Then she stands in bending position and begins to gracefully enter the labyrinth. The Avatar was gaping at Daiyin, who twisted and turned through the whole machine with ease and never hit anything. It was a big dent in her ego and the Avatar storms off angrily.
The princess left the labyrinth with an elegant turn and a satisfied smirk. Tenzin surely was impressed, but didn't say a word. "If you allow me, Master Tenzin, I would like to retire to my room. Call me if you need to keep Korra in check. I've experienced that can be.. quite a challenge." The airbender nods his head speechlessly and the girl walks passed them back to the ladies' building.
•
Ｌａｔｅ ｔｈａｔ evening Korra snuck out of the ladies' building and passed the White Lotus sentries with ease. She thought she had escaped the island and took a dive into the water without being noticed. She almost did, but one person saw her through her window. Daiyin.
"I am seriously thinking of going back to the Fire Nation right now," the princess sighs, but she turns around and leaves the building. The White Lotus did not even ask where she was going as it was none of their concern. Daiyin walks to the docks and rockets herself into the air by using her firebending. She goes straight to her goal, the place she knew the Avatar must be. After all, she couldn't stop talking about probending and wanting to see a match when she would be in Republic City. That was where she must be: the Probending Arena. Daiyin arrived there before the Avatar did and she awaited by the most logical entrance from the island's perspective.
Korra sneaks in through an open window and accidentally stumbles upon the training room. She looks around with big blue eyes, not noticing a tall woman walking up to her. That was until she started talking. "I see you are pulling your old tricks of escaping again, Korra." The Avatar gasps and turns around. Her cheeks blush up and seeing the stern girl walk up to her. "Master Daiyin.. I hadn't expected to see you here.." She trails off, not sure what to say or do. She had just been busted like only Daiyin could.
"Funny, neither did I."
Korra tried to come up with an excuse when an old man walks up to the pair of them. "Hey, what are you two doing in my gym," he says with a hint of annoyance in his tone of voice. Daiyin crosses her arms and lifts her eyebrow. "Excuse me?" Korra punches her with her elbow, causing Daiyin's glare to turn to her student. "Uh, we were just looking for the bathroom and we got lost," she explains.
"Ah, the old 'I had to pee' excuse. You know, I'm sick and tired of you kids sneaking in without paying. I'm taking you two to security!" Korra's eyes widen while the princess remains unimpressed. "No, wait-" Flashes of her being send back to Tenzin flash before Korra's eyes when a boy, probably around the same age as the both of them, appears in front of them and seems to be helping. He had dark hair and was wearing the outfit of a probender with a helmet under his arm.
"Ah, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you two!" The gym owner looks at the boy, not impressed whatsoever, but does not say anything yet. "It's alright Toza, they're with me," he ensures. Korra immediately plays into her role while Daiyin is still not impressed. "Yeah, I'm with him, and she's too." Their conversation about if she was his girlfriend or not continues for a little while the gym owner seemed as interested as the firebender. "Oh, I don't care what you are. I've got work to do," the old man snarls and he walks off.
"Right this way, my ladies," the boy says as he waves towards the open door. "And thank you, sir," Korra too acts. "Seriously, thanks," she whispers to him. The two of them walk off while Daiyin releases a sigh. Instead of bringing the Avatar back to Airtemple Island, she was here following her through the Probending Arena.
The boy opens the door to the changing room for the probenders, which had excellent sight on the training field. Daiyin walks to the bench and sits down with crossed arms, looking and picking at her nails while Korra talks with the boy, who reveals his name to be Bolin, and let her eyes wonder over the arena. A few seconds later another man enters. He glances over the room and sees the two girls, one with eyes full of excitement while the other looks like she wants to be executed right there and then, hanging around. Did Bolin once again bring some of his crazy fangirls here?
Though, he has to admit, the bored girl looks pretty beautiful.
He calls his brother to him and tells him to get rid of them. Bolin disagreed and instead introduced Korra to Mako. He seemingly remembered the girl on the bench again and looks at her. "What was your name again?" The princess rolls her amber eyes. "Daiyin. I would say it was a pleasure to meet you two, Bolin, Mako, but sadly my parents were not fond of liars."
"Don't be rude, Daiyin." The girl throws her a filthy glare which immediately shuts Korra up. So, instead of worrying about her teacher she fangirls on Mako. He was not receptive of her praise and passes her, calling Bolin to come and play their match. Korra was bouncing up and down with excitement the whole time during the game while Daiyin was still unimpressed. In fact, she found probending a disgrace to the art of bending. Especially when they bend fire for these thing. She was raised around the best of the best of firebending, trained by them too. It was a sacred gift, now used for sport and recreation.
She was not even impressed when Mako was against all his three opponents on his own, while Korra was clawing at her face and her hair. When he won and knocked all three of them off the field, she was screaming like a little girl. When the three return, Bolin instantly began flirting with Korra. Daiyin rolls her eyes again with a groan and walks over to the wall. She crosses her arms and legs and lowers her head.
Mako was confronting the waterbender on their team, Hasook, but the latter storms off angrily and leaves the room with a slam of the door. Korra was trying to tell them how amazing they were, but Mako ignores her and walks straight to his locker, which was next to Daiyin. There was something about her which causes Mako to glance at her every few seconds, but he says nothing. The Avatar asked for Bolin to show her a few tricks, which he agrees to but he says that he is not sure how his earthbending would help her waterbending. Korra tells him that it won't be a problem as she is an earthbender.
The Fire Nation princess rolls her eyes and waits for the ultimate reveal that Korra was fishing after. Bolin stutters while trying to explain himself and tell her that he didn't want to assume. She tells him that he was right and that she was a waterbender and an earthbender and a firebender. "Well, that is still debatable," Daiyin calls out from the other side of the room.
Bolin was confused, but Mako caught on. "You're the Avatar and I'm an idiot," he says, which Korra admits both to be true. While Bolin was freaking out over meeting the Avatar, Mako turns his amber eyes to Daiyin. "And you are a firebender, I suppose?" She nods. "Just a firebender, yes." The Avatar catches onto their conversation and interrupts. "But Daiyin, you are-" "-Telling you to shut up pretty quickly."
Bolin invites the Avatar to train with him, without Daiyin as she told them that 'she couldn't be there right now'. What that meant, no one knows. Mako went upstairs and looks out of the window. He sees Daiyin waiting outside, seemingly.. meditating? He was surprised someone could meditate at places like that, but didn't judge. A few minutes later he sees Korra leaving the building and walking up to the girl. Before she could say anything, the girl lifts a finger that easily shuts the Avatar up. Daiyin stands up and the both of them walk towards the water. The last he sees of them is Daiyin flying with the help of firebending, which Mako finds pretty cool, and Korra diving into the water. The two of them head to Airtemple Island and the firebender figures they must be staying with Tenzin, Avatar Aang's son and only adult airbender left.
His brother comes up just when the two girls disappear and he could not shut up about Korra while Mako could not rid the mysterious girl from his mind. There is something about her that is promising..
•
Ｄａｉｙｉｎ ｃｏｕｌｄ see Avatar Korra's fire from the place in the temple where she was meditating. From the screams she hears, she figures that her second training in airbending was no success either. With a shake of her head Daiyin continues to meditate, until an airnomad walks up to her with an envelope in her hand. "Princess Daiyin," she asks.
The girl looks up to the airnomad and immediately spots the envelope in her hand. "A letter from my grandfather?" The airnomad nods her head. Daiyin accepts the letter and thanks the nomad. The princess opens the envelope and begins to read the parchment.
" Dearest granddaughter,
The Fire Nation is blossoming as well as the flowers in the palace gardens. You might like to know that the turtle ducks in the pond have had offspring. I know you adored their youngs when you were small. I will always remember the times I taught you how to feet them.
I've heard that you and the Avatar are now in Republic City. I ask you to be careful as my informants told me of a movement that wants the benders of this world to be gone. Your family and I would not wish to see you hurt in any shape or form.
The Nation misses its princess and so do your aunt and I. Your stepmother is still.. rather direct in what she thinks of my ascending of the throne when you've become eighteen. Izumi and I have often called her back on speaking her opinion on this, but she keeps pushing our limits. We want you to not see the throne as a burden and a duty, as I had when I was recently crowned and Lady Azina tries to paint it for you. You always have such a great sense of duty and honour, reminding me much of myself in my young age. It must come from your mother.
My dear, I ask of you to experience life in the fullest. You only have one chance at it.
Your grandfather, Zuko. "
Daiyin smiles softly at her grandfather's words. He was one of the people she holds a special place for in her heart. Her family means all to her, though her stepmother might be excluded. It's been more than a year since she last saw her grandfather and aunt Izumi. Even more so with her cousin Iroh, who left to be the general of the United Nations one and a half years ago. It sort of saddened her as they were very close, but they both fulfill their duties for this world now.
She stuffs the letter neatly in one of the pockets of her tight leather suit. Then, Daiyin stands up and returns to her room. Honestly, she had hesitated to go by Korra's room for the whole afternoon, but she decides against it. Maybe the Avatar just needed time and she would not impose on that, just as Korra would not with her.
When it was dinnertime, Daiyin sits on her spot at the table. Korra's seat was still empty when Pema was placing the food on the table. "Wait, where is Korra?" She looks at her husband with a knowing look when she sees his tense face. Then the bomb exploded. "Honestly Pema, I'm at my wit's end with that girl. I don't know how to get through to her," he exclaims with an undertone of anger and frustration.
"Logically, because there is no 'How to handle Korra'-manual. When she does not want to do something, she simply doesn't. You just need to accept that and project that same behavior back to her," Daiyin says as she picks her nails. Tenzin looks at the Fire Nation princess and shakes his head. "That is selfish behavior for an Avatar and that needs to disappear!" The girl smirks. "Then I wish you good luck in your approach, because it will fail." She takes a bowl of rice and her chopsticks and starts to eat.
Pema kneels down at her husband's side. "Dear, the best thing you can do right now is to give Korra some space," she advices. Tenzin raises his head to his two daughters. "You must promise me that your teenage years won't be like this." Daiyin giggles at seeing Ikki look at him with dry eyes while Jinora's eyes look just over the rim of her book when she replies: "I'll make no such promises."
The princess sits up after dinner. "I will go look for Korra. Do not search for me." With that the girl leaves the dining room and secretly sneaks off the island. Knowing the Avatar, and that the Fire Ferrets needed to play that evening, she rockets herself into the sky and flies into the direction of the city. She lands with easy on the roof. Daiyin walks to the edge and grabs it with her fingers. Then, she pushed herself over and swings into one of the open windows.
Now inside the building, she tries to find her way back to the dressing room that that boy Bolin showed them. The gym owner saw her once again, but seeing her determined, fiery glare he decided not to say a word and allow her entrance. The princess enters the dressing room and looks around for Korra, but it was abandoned. Through the speakers she could hear the commentator say: "Wait a minute, did that waterbender just earthbend?" Daiyin balls her fist in irritation. "When I'm done with you, Korra, you will be roasted Avatar."
She walks to the spectator platform, where she had good sight on Korra getting hit and knocked down over and over. Daiyin could honestly not feel sorry, as it was the girl's own fault for being so irritatingly impulsive and stubborn. Just a minute passed and the Avatar was knocked into the drain. When the girl crawled onto land, she sees her two angry Masters looming over her.
"Oh hey.. Daiyin, Tenzin.. I thought you two didn't like coming to these matches." She chuckles awkwardly and lifts herself onto the floor. "Well, I can speak for us both that we would have avoided one at all cost if you had not joined a team-" Daiyin says with her cold voice, sending a shiver of fear over the Avatar's back. "-without our permission," Tenzin joins in, looking equally as angry. Which is a prestation, as no one was able to frighten the young Avatar as much as her firebender teacher.
Then, a fight errupted between Tenzin, who had officially lost his temper, and Korra. The princess decided not to mingle in and instead looks with a glare at the probender brothers. The two boys locked eyes with the girl for just a second and could feel the same shiver over their backs as the Avatar had felt. They quickly get back into the game before they would get knocked off. After Korra left to finish her match, Tenzin and Daiyin both left through the tribune entrance.
The airbender couldn't help but look over his shoulder and sees how Korra was getting defeated. He groans and turns around, but the words of the commentator grasp his attention back, including that of the princess. "-She's been pushed back to zone three and the water is calling her name. It's only a matter of time before-hold the phone! She's still in the game, folks, and she is moving like an entirely different player. All of a sudden the Platypus Bears-"
"How about that," Tenzin mutters. Daiyin shrugs. "Okay, she can move. Am I supposed to be impressed?" The older airnomad looks at her with a gentle grin. "It will be her first steps to becoming an airbender. She has made progress." She yawns and turns around, asking him to wake her when the Avatar actually started bending air. Tenzin smiles at the back of the princess. "One day you will learn to stop surpressing your feelings of pride and affection, Your Highness."
And when Korra knocked a few players out, Tenzin jumped and screamed like a proud airball dad before composing himself and also leaving the arena.
After the match the other players were proud of how good Korra was in that last round. She thanked them, but told honestly that someone else thought her that trick. After taking off the probending gear, she goes back to Airtemple Island and searches for Tenzin, who was observing the reconstruction of the airbending gates by a few airnomads. She apologizes and so does he.
Korra runs off and tells him that she will be present at the airbending training and that she kind of, sort of, joined the probending team permanently. While the airbender sighed, the Avatar bumped into Daiyin. Not able to withold herself, Korra hugs the girl tightly and continues to run back to the ladies' dorms. Leaving Daiyin utterly surprised and somehow feeling..
Proud of Korra.