The Only Hope

Book 1: Chapter 4

The next morning, I opted out of eating breakfast with Tenzin; as I normally do. She would be eating with him, and I had no desire to see her face. So I ate in the small dining room, with Pema and the kids. I got a few looks as I walked past Tenzin and Korra, but nothing more. That was the one nice thing about the Acolytes. They basically minded their business, and most importantly, kept their noses out of mine. As I glanced around the room, it seemed unbalanced. Having the White Lotus there seem to keep some one edge, thus messing up the peaceful atmosphere. I entered the small dining room just as Meelo tossed rice. Can you guess where it landed? On my forehead. It caused me to stop short, and drop my own breakfast. I let out a small groan as the rice fell further down my face.

As I came out to the training area, Korra was blabbing on about Pro-Bending matches, and how she wanted to see one. I stopped short, and gave a sly smile, as my right eye brow rose. I could use this little piece of information. Glancing over to her, she saw me. I gave her a nice big ol’ genuine fake smile. But she didn’t know me well enough to know I was faking, so she gave a confused smile back. I waved, and she gave a halfhearted wave. I continued walking, as she went on with Tenzin.

The kids, who had gotten there a few minutes before me, were going nuts creaming;

“Korra’s gonna air bend.”

Over and over again. I rolled my eyes, as I stopped next to the kids. I looked over to Tenzin as I crossed my arms tightly over my chest and shifted my weight to my left side.

“What is that contraction?”

I rolled my eyes at the Avatar’s question, and held back a scoff as Tenzin gave the definition and then asked Jinora to explain. When she was finished the Avatar gave a side smile.

“Seems easy enough.”

“Jinora forgot to mention you have to do it while the gates are spinning.”

With that Tenzin step forward, and blasted out a wave of strong air at the gates. The gates spun, at a dizzying speed.

“The key,”

He started out as he held up a leaf and then slowly pushed it towards the spinning gates.

“Is to be like the leaf… Flow with the movement of the gates. Jinora will demonstrate.”

Jinora rushed to the gates and begun to weave her way through as Tenzin explained further on to Korra about Air bending. When she found her way to the other side she bended back a huge wave of air. It brushed over me like a simple breeze would. The Avatar cracked her knuckles, and had a very determined look on her face.

“Let’s do this.”

She rushed in, and was quickly hit. And then hit once more. And another time after that. Though, I know how much it hurts to get hit by the gates, I had to hold my hands over my mouth as my cheeks puffed out and got red from holding back laughter. It was nice to see her get what was coming to her. She landed back out in front of us, on her butt. But as fast as she fell she was back up, and going in again.

“Don’t force your way through!”

I let a small chuckle out then, because Jinora had come a tad bit late with that tip for the ignorant Avatar.

“Dance! Dance like the wind.”

I lifted an eye brow at Ikki, as she glanced over to me. I smiled, and turned back to the fabulous show in front of me.

“Be the leaf.”

Meelo flowed his hands and arms around more like water, than wind. But hey he’s like 5. Since everyone had added their two Yuans I figured I would add my own.