Winding Legacies: A 'The Legend of Korra' Rewrite

Episode 7: Reunion Part 2

Blowing his messy hair out of his face, Bolin tried to will some inner strength back into his body. They had been walking for what felt like centuries, and he still had no clue where they were. Varrick's cheeks were overrun with stubble that Bolin didn't even know he had and they were lost in some overgrown forest that felt like it was about to eat them alive.

"You know what would be fantastic right now? Some seaweed soup."

Bolin clutched his stomach as it grumbled hungrily. "Don't say that, I'm starving."

"I can't help it. I'm starting to see visions of my childhood flash before my eyes." Varrick lifted his hand to block out the piercing sun rays flowing between the forest leaves. He pursed his lips and said, "My mother made the best seaweed soup in the entire South."

"Did she actually or is that one of your exaggerations?"

Scoffing, Varrick smoothed back his unkempt hair. "I resent that accusation. I would never lie about my mother." He struck his nose up in the air in defiance and strut forward, determined not to dignify Bolin's comment any further. As he watched Varrick walk away, Bolin's eyes went wide, his hand rushing to try and pull him back. But before he could, the ground beneath them both sunk in, and a net of rope sacked them into the sky.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Varrick whined. "This is the worst escape attempt ever."

Bolin grumbled something indistinct. He decided to choose his battles and not chew Varrick out for that one, but all it did was remind him of how nice it would be if Pabu was around. At least he could chew them out of the ropes.

"Well, well. Look what we have here. I wonder if they were tracking us after we escaped?"

Scanning the little of the ground that he could see from the net, Bolin tried to position himself as friendly as he could. He knew their green uniforms were probably not going to win them any favors, so anything to get them a leg up survival-wise would be necessary. "Hello fellow travelers," he beamed. "I don't suppose you can help us out of this net?"

"Why would we free a couple of lowly Earth Empire soldiers?" one of them sneered.

Varrick scoffed. "Lowly? We were part of Kuvira's inner circle." Though Bolin could tell he was being bitterly sarcastic, he knew that their savoirs would not.

So, he quickly interjected. "Were. As in not anymore. Can you please let us out?"

His pleads were no use.

Before they knew it, Varrick and Bolin were being led along a riverside, their hands bound together as the rogue benders stopped for a drink of water. A few filled up the pouches on their side that Bolin recognized from watching Lemaya fight. He figured they must be escapees from Kuvira's prisons.

People she didn't want in her new empire.

"Will you at least tell us where you're taking us?" Varrick asked, irritated.

"The border checkpoint. You're going to help us talk our way past some Earth Empire soldiers."

Bolin sort of recognized that guy from when they were still stuck up in the net. If he heard correctly, he was Baraz and Ahnah was the waterbender helping the others heal their injuries sustained in their escape. Under any other circumstance, Bolin would love to help them. But they had pressing matters to attend to and they were kind of slowing them down.

"Okay, look, I'm real sorry for what happened to all of you, but we don't work for Kuvira anymore. So this plan you have to use us won't work because if we get recognized trying to go through that checkpoint, we are goners."