Welcome to Republic City - Part 1

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? It looks like we're there. I know it; this is very familiar! Are we here yet? Are we here yet? Ooh, please tell me we're here!" Elira sighed in annoyance at her little sister's constant talking. She was bouncing excitedly in her seat as Oogi began to lower to the snowy landscape beneath them.

"Yes, Ikki, as I've been telling you for the last fifteen minutes, we are, finally, here", Tenzin sighed, relieved.

"Whee!" Elira laughed as her sisters jumped out of the saddle on air scooters, riding down Oogi's tail. Elira's ring-tailed lemur Pichi chittered and flew after them.

Elira moved to the edge of the saddle and held her hand out to her pregnant mother to help her off. "Want some help, Mom?"

"No, that's okay, sweetie. I can manage" Pema smiled.

"You sure?"

"Elira, honestly, you're as bad as your father sometimes. I can get down by myself. Go greet your grandmother and aunt," Pema insisted with a small chuckle.

"If you say so", Elira shrugged and jumped onto an air scooter, riding down Oogi's tail after her siblings.

"Hello, Mother. Aunt Katara," Tenzin walked up to his mother and aunt, holding his hand up in greeting with Meelo still on his head and Ikki and Jinora tugging on his arms."I can't tell you how happy I am to see you...Please, help me."

Azira chuckled and picked up Meelo off her son's shoulders.

"Unhand me, strange woman!" The boy yelled, waving his arms about

"That's our grandmother, Meelo", Elira sighed as Pichi landed on her shoulder.

Meelo nimbly pushed off on Azira's hand, who looked surprised, and somersaulted above her head. He landed on the ground behind her before dashing away.

"It's so good to see all of you." Katara smiled warmly

"Hello, Gran Gran, Aunt Katara", Elira smiled back, hugging the two old ladies tightly.

"Elira, look at you. I swear you get more gorgeous every time I see you," Azira chuckled, making her granddaughter laugh.

"Gran-Gran, I've been reading all about your old adventures" Jinora looked up at her grandmother and great-aunt in awe " I've been dying to ask you: What happened to Great Gran Ursa?"

The old woman smiled softly at her. "Well, Jinora, it's an incredible tale--"

Ikki suddenly jumped in front of them, jumping and talking excitedly. "Gran-Gran, Auntie Katara, you look old. How old are you? And why is it so cold in the South Pole? Can we make a campfire and all huddle around it and tell scary stories and make snowmen? And then, can we make the snowmen move with waterbending and chase us? Wouldn't that be fun? Huh? Wouldn't it?"

Elira simply rolled her eyes at her hyperactive sister.

Tenzin noticed Pema sliding down Oogi's tail slowly, and he quickly rushed over to help her.

"Pema, let me help you. Careful now. Careful"

"Stop doting on me", Pema huffed. "I'm not helpless. I'm just pregnant."

The two looked down, smiling lovingly at Pema's pregnant stomach.

Azira and Katara walked up to the couple. Azira hugged her daughter-in-law before Katara placed a hand on her baby bump.

"The baby's strong. I see another airbender in your future" She smiled while Pema looked a little unhappy.

"All I want is one child like me, a nice nonbender who doesn't blast wind in my face every five seconds", She complained.

" I love you, too, Mom," Elira said sarcastically.

"Mommy, look!" Meelo called out, making them look over to see he had covered himself in snow while his two older sisters played in the snow behind him.

"I'm a snowbender!" He suddenly blasted the snow off himself using airbending, excitedly covering his irritated-looking mother.

Pema shook her head to remove the snow, leaving her hair a mess, before turning back to Azira and Katara. "Were Tenzin and his siblings this crazy when they were kids?"

"Ursa and Bumi certainly were. But Tenzin has always been ...rather serious," Azira replied with a teasing smirk at her son.

Tenzin did not look impressed. "Mother. Please"

Elira couldn't help but giggle a little as her grandmother and great-aunt chuckled before she then noticed a third figure standing patiently behind them. Her face lit up into a wide grin.

"Korra!" She quickly ran over to the Avatar, embracing her friend.

"El!"

Pichi chittered and jumped onto the avatar's shoulders.

"Hello to you too, Pichi" Korra gave the lemur a scratch behind her slightly chipped ear, making her purr.

"I'm so glad you're here, El. It's been so boring without you to liven things up" The Avatar then grinned at her friend.

"Glad to know I leave an impression" Elira smirked jokingly, making Korra laugh as Tenzin came over to them.

"Korra?"

Pichi landed back on Elira's shoulder as Korra ran to the older airbender with a big smile.

Elira watched her go before her siblings suddenly swarmed her. Meelo jumped onto her back while her sisters tugged on her arms. She giggled and began to chase them playfully, making them squeal.

"Look at you, so big and strong" Tenzin placed his hands on Korra's shoulders. "You've grown into quite the young Avatar."

"Master Tenzin, I'm so glad you're here. I can't wait to get started." Korra beamed

" Yes, well ..." Tenzin sighed, looking a little hesitant.

"You're going to have to tell her sooner or later." Pema chimed in

"Wait, tell me what?" Korra looked at the man, confused

"You're not staying, are you?" Azira asked sadly.

Tenzin sighed again. "I'm afraid not. We're only visiting for the night. Then I have to return to Republic City."

"But, no, you're supposed to move here. You're supposed to teach me" Korra looked sad and disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Korra. Your airbending training is going to have to wait."

*

That night, after helping her mother wrangle the kids into bed, Elira sat at a table next to Korra with her father and the leader of the White Lotus. Pichi was hidden under the table by Elira's feet, happily munching on the bits of food her owner would sneak her.

"So, how long until you're ready to teach me airbending?" Korra asked, " A week? A month?"

"It could be much longer", Tenzin replied

"I don't understand. Why are you making me wait?" Korra frowned

"I have a responsibility to Republic City. I am one of its leaders, and the situation there is very unstable right now."

" Why can't El just do it?" Korra gestured to her friend, whose eyes widened.

"I-I don't know about that, Korra", Elira nervously played with her hair.

"Why? You have your tattoos, so you're more than qualified" Korra pointed to the blue arrow on her friend's forehead.

"Elira has only had her master tattoo's for a few years. She's too inexperienced and still has much to learn about being a leader" Tenzin shot down the idea.

"You have a responsibility to Republic City, but you also have a responsibility to teach me", Korra huffed " Believe me, I'd be happy to find another airbending master, but you two are the only ones. We're stuck with each other."

"I wish there were another way." Tenzin sighed as Korra looked down.

Elira's eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. "Wait, Dad! There is! If we can't stay here, why doesn't Korra just come back to the city with us?"

"That's perfect!" Korra grinned excitedly at the suggestion.

"Absolutely not!" The White Lotus leader banged his hand on the table, making Pichi screech in fright and jump up onto Elira's shoulder.

" The city is far too dangerous. Avatar Aang tasked us with keeping Korra safe while she mastered the four elements."

"I'm pretty sure keeping Korra locked up in a compound all her life like some prisoner is not what my grandfather had in mind" Elira crossed her arms, scowling at the man challengingly.

"Girls, I know this is difficult to accept, but it's not the right time for Korra to come to the city", Tenzin declared

"Whatever" Korra abruptly got up and left the room, slamming the door shut as the White Lotus leader and Tenzin sighed.

Elira sat there silently for a moment before she also got up, giving an exaggerated yawn and stretching her arms.

"Well, I'm exhausted. Goodnight, Dad"

"Good--" Elira was already out the door with Pichi before her father could finish his reply."...Night"

*

Hurrying down the hallway, Elira caught sight of Korra storming back to her room in a huff.

"Korra! Hey, wait up!" She called, making the Avatar stop.

"You wanna come to Republic City?" Elira asked as she caught up.

"Yes! Badly!" Korra replied, "But you heard what your dad said--"

"Never mind what my dad said. I've got an idea. It's crazy, but it may just work. You up for a little rule-breaking?" Elira challenged

Korra smirked at her mischievously. "What did you have in mind?"

*

The next morning, the airbender family were packed up and ready to leave.

"Goodbye, Gran Gran. Goodbye, Auntie Katara," Ikki grinned as she waved goodbye along with her siblings and mother.

"Oogi, Yip Yip" Tenzin flicked the reigns, and his bison took to the skies with a growl.

Azira and Katara watched them go. A tear escaped Zira's eye, and she quickly wiped it away as Katara placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Flying past a cliff slide, Elira saw Korra sitting on the edge with Naga. Korra looked up as the bison passed her, and Naga let out a little whine. The Avatar's eyes suddenly hardened in determination.

*

That night, Korra snuck into the stables where Naga was waiting for her, wagging her tail. Taking her saddle from the rack, Korra draped it over the polar bear dog and began fastening the buckles.

"Nice night for an escape, isn't it?"

Korra jumped and whirled around. Finding Katara and Azira watching her.

"I have to leave. I have to find my own path as the Avatar," Korra said

The two women simply smiled at her.

"We know you do", Azira replied, surprising the teen.

"Aang's time had passed. My brother and many of our friends are gone," Katara stated, making Zira look down slightly, fiddling with an old worn bracelet around her wrist.

"It's time for you and your generation to take on the responsibility of keeping peace and balance in the world. And I think you're going to be a great Avatar" Katara placed a hand on Korra's shoulder.

"Thank you" Korra hugged the old woman before moving to do the same to Zira.

"Goodbye, Korra. And good luck."

Pulling back, Korra mounted Naga and took off. Leaving the two old women to watch her leave with happiness but also sadness in their eyes.

*

The next morning, Elira was out in the city with Pichi resting on her shoulder.

"That'll be 10 Yuans," The shop owner told her, handing her a bag of steaming dumplings.

"Thank you. Have a nice day" Elira handed the owner the money, waving as she walked away.

She was heading to the arena again to see her friends. She was lost in her own head as she walked down the street until suddenly, Pichi began screeching.

She had barely turned around when the airbender found herself flat on her back as something charged into her.

"Hey! Hey, what the--!" She cried as she felt something lick her face, pinning her to the ground.

"El! It's you!"

The airbender opened her eyes to see Korra and Naga standing over her, with the polar bear dog excitedly wagging her tail at the airbender.

"Korra! You made it!" She grinned, getting up, wiping the slobber from her face.

Korra jumped off of Naga and hugged her tightly.

" Oh, sorry about your snack" She gestured to the bag of dumplings now spilt over the path that Naga was happily gobbling up.

"They weren't for me, but that's okay. I'll get some more later," Elira smiled. "Now, come on, let's get back to the island and start your airbender training."

Korra jumped back into Naga's saddle with a grin as Elira opened her glider.

"Try and keep up" The airbender smirked, taking to the air with Pichi.

Korra laughed and urged Naga to follow behind her.

*

Korra was following Elira down a street when the airbender suddenly stopped and landed, staring at a red Satomobile coming down the street.

"El, what's going on?" Korra asked

"Trouble", Elira replied, her gaze hardening.

"You should get moving, young ladies", An old lady whispered to the teens from her shop. "It isn't safe."

The girls watched as three men got out of the car and approached one of the shops where the shopkeeper was cleaning his products.

"Mr Chung, please tell me that you have my money, or else I can't guarantee I can protect your fine establishment." One of the men smirked, turning to one of his partners, who ignited a flame in his palm.

The shopkeeper, Mr Chung, looked terrified. "I'm sorry. Business has been slow. Please, take one of my photographs" He offered the phonograph he was cleaning.

Without even taking his hands out of his pockets, the firebender effortlessly smacked the object out of the vendor's hands with a half-moon spinning fire kick, reducing the phonograph to a burning pile of rubbish as Mr Chung jumped back to avoid the blast, falling to the ground with a cry.

"My friend here is not a music lover" The leader smirked. "Give me the money or else--"

"Leave him alone, Viper!" Elira cut in, making the three gangsters turn to her as she stood behind them.

The leader, Viper, just smirked. "Now, now, little missy, you don't want to go picking a fight with us again. Got your pretty little head into some major trouble last time, didn't you? Now, why don't you and that pet rat of yours scram or else--"

" Or else what, hoodlum?" This time Korra interrupted, coming to stand beside her friend, her hands on her hips.

The three gangsters eyed each questioningly for a second before bursting out in laughter.

"Since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain a couple things", Viper sneered. "You're in Triple Threat Triad territory. And we're about to put you in the hospital."

"You're the only ones who are gonna need a hospital", Korra confidently smashed her fist in her palm as El smirked, "and, for your sake, I hope there's one nearby."

"Who do you think you are?" Viper growled, the gangsters becoming angry with the two teenagers.

"Why don't you come and find out?" Korra smirked

Viper's eyes twitched, enraged.

He suddenly bent a water bullet at the girls from an unseen water skin under his coat.

Korra stopped the water easily with one hand and sent it right back at the gangster, freezing the water over his head.

With his balance lost, the man stumbled forward toward the girls.

Korra hit him against the head with a back-spinning kick sending him slamming headfirst against the golden ornament on the Satomobile. The ice around his head shattered as he sagged down.

His gangsters winced before the earthbender gangster, enraged by what happened to his friend, charged at the girls by jumping up.

However, before he could land and earthbend, Elira used her airbending to unbalance him while Korra extended the portion of earth where he was going to land, catapulting him high into the air.

The earthbender fell on a wire suspended from one building to the other. From the wire, the man was catapulted again into a wooden advertising board, fell on the pentise of a shop, and was thrown into a tapestry, which ripped under his weight.

The man fell onto a shop display before flopping on the ground, where he lay still.

Seeing two of his allies defeated, the third gangster, Two-Toed Ping, aggressively bent a large fire stream at the girls.

Elira used her bending to form a dome around them, leaving them untouched by the flames.

When they were covered from view, Korra jumped forward and parted the fire, grinning cockily.

She jumped forward, deflecting the man's fire by holding two small flames in her palms. As she reached the man, she grabbed his hands, making him scream in fright.

With a grunt, Korra threw the man through the window of a radio shop, where he then lay defeated.

The girls slowly walked up to him.

"Got an idea about who I am now, chumps?" Korra smirked arrogantly

Elira was about to say something but felt the air currents shift behind them before the roaring engine of the Satomobile caught their attention.

Turning their heads, they spotted the car tearing down the street toward them!

Elira jumped and pulled Korra out of the way with her, bending to avoid being run over.

The Satomobile pulled over at the radio shop, where Two-Toed Ping came tumbling out.

"Come on!" The earthbender called to his friend

Two-Toed Ping jumped out of the broken window onto the street and ran after the car in a stumbling fashion.

The earthbender extended the part of the ground where he was running, causing him to fly inside the Satomobile with a yelp, just narrowly avoiding a blast of air sent by Elira.

"You're not getting away!" Korra ran after them before earthbending a fissure at the vehicle, catapulting it into the air.

It tumbled a few times before falling and crashing into a shop on the other side of the road, making Elira wince as she and Korra started running toward them.

Inside the shop, where the car drove into, the smoke started to clear, revealing the banged-up car and gangsters.

When the girls arrived at the smashed window of the shop, the door of the Satomobile flipped open, causing Viper and the earthbender gangster to fall on the ground, grunting.

Korra looked pleased with her hands on her hips with Naga, El and Pichi beside her.

"Nice work" Korra held up her hand to the airbender for a high five, but Elira only looked up at the sky in panic as suddenly, an alarm sounded from up above.

Naga started howling with it while Korra raised her head to see the sound was coming from an airship.

" Police! Freeze where you are!"

"Uh oh," Elira muttered as a hatch opened on the side of the airship, and three cops jumped out from it.

The cops anchor their metal cables on the nearby buildings, securing a safe landing.

" Cool! Metalbenders!" Korra gasped

"No, not cool! Korra, we need to go. Like now!" Elira tugged on the Avatar's arm

"Yeah, yeah, in a minute", Korra waved her off.

Korra watched as more cops landed gently on the ground as the three gangsters stumbled out of the destroyed store with groans.

" We caught the bad guys for you, officers." Korra grinned proudly, gesturing at her "catch", glancing over her shoulder slightly when Elira hid behind her.

" Arrest them!" The officer pointed at the gangsters

The other three cops ran forward and bent their metal cables to secure the three thugs. With their arms tied to their body, they fell down with a thud.

While the three cops each took a gangster and led them away, the captain walked up to the two teenagers.

"Oh, Captain Saikhan. Hi. How've you been?" Elira smiled sheepishly at the man.

Captain Saikhan did not look amused, making Elira laugh nervously.

" You're under arrest, too." He pointed at them

Korra gasped in shock.

"What do you mean we're under arrest? Those are the bad guys over there! They were smashing up a shop!" She backed up defensively, pointing at the gangsters being led away.

" From the looks of it, you smashed up a lot more than that." Captain Saikhan gestured to the trashed street.

"He's not wrong. You did go a little overboard," Elira whispered.

"You helped", Korra hissed.

Saikhan then took on a fighting stance and shot two cables to bind the teenagers. However, they both quickly moved out of the way, and Korra snatched one of the cables out of the air, holding it back.

"Wait, you - you can't arrest us!" Korra's biceps trembled in an effort to pull the cable

"Just let us explain", El begged.

"You can explain yourself all you like down at headquarters." Saikhan finally managed to withdraw the cables and charged at Korra and Elira.

He bent the cables again at them, but Korra ducked and tumbled backwards while El used her airbending to jump back over them.

Korra was just in time to push herself onto her feet again as Saikhan smashed the ground with his cables where she was just moments before.

Naga grunted while Pichi screeched as they came to the defence of their owners. Pichi jumped onto Saikhan's head, distracting him as he yelled out, trying to shake her off, and allowing Naga to push the man down from behind.

The other metalbending cops now looked shocked and angered at the events occurring in front of them, and they rushed forward to apprehend the two girls.

"El, let's go!" Korra quickly mounted Naga, dashing away

Elira opened her glider and flew after her friend with Pichi close to her side as the cops chased after them.

*

With the cop behind them, Naga slid to the left into an alley, and one of the cops launched himself forward as the animal slowed down for the turn.

Korra planted her left foot on his face and pushed him back, knocking him to the ground as El flew past with Pichi.

"Come on!" She yelled

One of the police officers stayed behind to take care of their fallen friend, while the other bent out a cable to bind an overhead wire. As soon as the cable secured itself, the policeman hoisted himself off the ground, nimbly landing on one of the overhanging cables, and slid over it in hot pursuit of Naga and the airbender flying closely behind her.

He bent two cables at the running polar bear dog but missed, smashing up the tiles of the street.

Naga dashed through the street, her tongue out of her mouth, and Korra hunched over her as El and Pichi flew overhead.

"Korra! Follow me!" El cried, taking the lead.

The Avatar didn't argue, following her friend around a corner down another street, narrowly avoiding more cables.

Some civilians shrieked at the sight, afraid, as they jumped out of the way.

The girls reached a bridge over a small stream as one of the cops smashed up some roof tiles while sliding over it.

He jumped off, bending his cables toward Elira.

The cables managed to wrap themselves around the teen's ankle, making her cry out and swerve in the air as she was pulled backwards but quickly regained her balance.

Seeing this, Korra angrily bent the water of the stream behind her, immediately turning it to ice, creating a wall between them and the cop.

The policeman, sliding over a cable, was pulled forward by the fact that he was still connected to Elira, who was still moving.

He yelled out in horror as he saw the icy obstruction up ahead, crashing against it at high speed.

The moment he did so, the cable released Elira's ankle.

Looking over her shoulder, El saw the ice slightly cracked where the cop crashed into it, his silhouette visible as he slowly slid down with a squeaking sound.

"Thanks!" She grinned down at her friend

"No problem!" The Avatar smirked before following the airbender down the street and up some stairs.

At the top of the stairs, Naga jumped onto the road causing a Satomobile driver to step hard on his brakes.

"Hey!" The driver yelled as the car slipped and halted across the road while Naga kept on running.

Korra glanced to the side and spotted two cops slide over two overhead wires to their left.

"El!" She exclaimed, and Elira looked over, spotting them as well.

"This way!" Elira quickly swerved to the right, and Korra jerked Naga's reins leading her to follow behind El.

The two ran over a bridge, and Elira spotted a train passing underneath it. She glanced over her shoulder at Korra and jerked her head to the side in a silent message.

Korra nodded and directed Naga to the edge of the bridge, where she leapt off and landed atop the train.

Sliding forward, the animal nearly slipped off, but she managed to remain on the roof. Korra, perched over Naga, sighed in relief as Elira landed beside her.

Sitting upright, Korra looked to the right, where Air Temple Island could be seen in the distance.

Suddenly a shadow passed over them as an alarm sounded.

"Oh, that's not good.." Elira muttered, looking up.

Korra followed her gaze and saw the airship of the metalbending cops flying over them.

Korra straightened the reins with a determined look on her face, glancing at Elira as she readied her glider once again.

The two nodded at each other before El took the air, and Naga ran forward.

As the train took a turn to the right, Naga jumped off toward the roof of an adjacent building.

But as soon as the polar bear dog touched down, several cables were shot from up above, successfully binding the animal's paws and lifting her into the air.

While being suspended, three more cables were bent down, binding Korra.

Elira glanced over her shoulder with a gasp before several more cables were shot at her, successfully wrapping around her and her glider, which snapped shut.

The two girls struggled to get free while Naga calmly hung there in defeat. Korra grunted and bowed her head in defeat as well.

Naga growled softly as Pichi landed on Korra's shoulder with a soft chitter.

"Dad's gonna kill me", Elira sighed as they were taken away.