Kapitel 27: Maintaining the Balance: Ch. 27
"Kahn and I are dating."
Not expecting Korra's announcement, at least not so soon, everyone gathered around the large, rectangular dining table momentarily froze.
Recovering a little faster than the rest, Pema offered a supportive yet noticeably wry smile as she said, "Congratulations, you two. Just make sure to take things slow, okay? While it can be a lot of fun to experience new things, it's easy to get caught up in the moment and make mistakes."
Focusing her attention on Kahn, Pema's expression softened slightly as she added, "You might not be able to keep her out of trouble, but I trust you to keep Korra safe."
Nodding his head in affirmation, Kahn was about to respond when Korra poutily replied, "Hey! Why do you make it sound like I can't take care of myself? I am the Avatar, you know."
Speaking in place of his wife, Tenzin explained, "We are well aware of your status, Korra. In fact, it's one of the reasons we're so concerned about you. A lot has changed since my father's time, and, based on what Kahn has revealed, they are bound to change even more over the next couple of years. I managed to push the Avatar Act through the Council, but you're only a few incidents away from having your privileges within the city revoked. You'll have to keep that in mind as you explore around the city and attempt to perform your duties as Avatar."
Though her expression had soured the more she listened to Tenzin's explanation, Korra perked up when she heard him mention the Avatar Act, asking, "What's the Avatar Act? I've never heard of it before now."
Reaching up to caress his beard, Tenzin seemed proud of himself as he adopted a somewhat cheeky smile and explained, "The Avatar Act is a special law that grants the Avatar situational impunity within the United Republic. So long as you have reasonable grounds of suspicion, it allows you to stop, question, and even search the property of others. There are also clauses regarding insurance and fraud, but I won't bore you with the details. Just make sure you don't go around destroying public or private property without a good reason."
Surprised by the revelation, an excited smile developed across Korra's face as she remarked, "Wow. The way everyone put it during my training, trying to do anything as the Avatar was going to be a nightmare. Let me guess..."
Shifting her attention to Kahn, Korra asked, "Did you have something to do with this?"
Though Kahn shook his head, Tenzin supplied an affirmative nod as he said, "While Kahn had no personal involvement with the legislation we set in motion, his comments about the Avatar's duties superseding laws were what compelled us to act. Historically, nations and rulers that have tried to limit the actions of the Avatar have either been corrupt or the cause of their people's suffering. By granting you situational impunity, we're hoping to limit public backlash in the event of a scandal."
After directing an accusatory glower towards Tenzin, Kahn turned to meet Korra's piercing blue eyes. He expected her to be a little angry due to his inadvertent meddling. Instead, she had an 'as expected' kind of smile on her face as she squinted her eyes and playfully remarked, "Why am I not surprised?"
Not sure how to respond to such a remark, Kahn adopted a noticeably awkward smile as he replied, "Because you're very intelligent...?"
Blinking in surprise, Korra opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. It was almost impossible to tell when Kahn was joking, so she didn't know if he was being serious or just messing with her.
Coming to both of the awkward teens' aid, Pema asked, "Have you put any thought into what you want to do once you reach the city? Kahn has saved up a bit, but his funds aren't unlimited. If you're going to travel the world, you'll need a source of income."
Meeting Pema's gaze, Korra tilted her head to the side, asking, "What do you mean? I thought the Order of the White Lotus was supposed to pay for everything. I mean, aren't they supposed to be like the most powerful and influential organization in the entire world?"
Shaking his head, Tenzin explained, "It's a little more complicated than that, Korra. While it is true that the Order has considerable funding and ample human resources, they cannot act as agents or in direct support of the Avatar. If they did, it wouldn't be long before the public began viewing them as the Avatar's private army. That would cause a number of social and political issues, so it's up to each respective Avatar to recruit people and secure the funds necessary for their journey."
Opening her mouth, Korra paused for a moment before asking, "Don't I at least get like an allowance or something? I mean, no one even hinted that I would need to purchase things on my own, and I don't even know where to start when it comes to making money."
Alleviating some of Korra's concerns, Tenzin adopted a smile and said, "It won't be as difficult as you're thinking. You're the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the Water Tribes, and you're more than welcome to stay on the island for as long as you like. The only things you will need to pay for are personal effects, external goods, and luxury items. If I'm not mistaken, I believe securing funds was one of the underlying reasons for Kahn's decision to accompany my family and me to Air Temple Island?"
Returning her attention to Kahn, Korra's eyes widened as she asked, "Is that true? Did you...did you really do all of this just to earn money for our travels...?"
Though his actual reasons were quite a bit more complicated, Kahn knew he wouldn't be doing himself any favors by denying Tenzin's accusations. Instead, he adopted an awkward smile and allowed the misunderstanding to speak for itself.
Interpreting Kahn's silence as confirmation, Korra's emotions began to run rampant. Over the last five years, there were several instances where she had blamed or resented Kahn for leaving her in the South. She thought he abandoned her, but, just as he had always done, Kahn had been doing his best to support her while she wallowed in selfishness and self-pity...
Hanging her head and shoulder, Korra became uncharacteristically meek as she muttered, "Kahn...I..."
Interrupting before Korra could say whatever she wanted to say, Kahn stated, "You shouldn't feel guilty about actions I took of my own accord, Korra. Just continue doing your best and become the best Avatar you can be. That's all I've ever wanted."
Though Kahn hadn't intended for his declaration to sound even remotely passionate, nearly everyone at the table looked at him with a mixture of shock and admiration in their gazes. Korra and Meelo were the only two exceptions. The former was covering her mouth and holding back a few burgeoning tears while the latter simply had no idea what was going on.
Feeling a little uncomfortable, Kahn seriously considered excusing himself and returning to his room for the rest of the evening. Instead, he offered a wry smile before picking up his bowl and slurping down a few mushroom noodles.
Thinking Kahn was embarrassed, a laugh emanated from Korra's throat as she wiped away her tears. Her laughter triggered a chain reaction around the table, and, as a result, Kahn felt genuinely embarrassed as he lowered his head and muttered, "The food's getting cold..."
...
..
.
After refusing Tenzin's offer to stay the night and agreeing to meet up with Korra first thing in the morning, Kahn meandered his way over to the Men's Dormitory in a slight daze. A lot had changed in a very short period of time, and while he had always expected Korra's arrival to shake things up, he felt overwhelmed for the first time in his life.
Unfortunately for Kahn, life had a way of further complicating things when you were at your lowest point. He wanted little more than to return to his room and organize his thoughts, but there was one more important issue on his itinerary, dealing with Ethuza.
As he had anticipated, Kahn found Ethuza waiting for him in their usual spot. He wasn't sure how long she had been there, but sensing the flow of fire elemental chi in and around her body, it was at least long enough that she felt the need to warm herself up.
Though they would typically greet each other, Kahn and Ethuza remained silent even after the former sat in his usual position, a mere 5 centimeters separating them.
Understanding that Kahn probably didn't know what to say, it was Ethuza who broke the silence, stating, "I sent a transmission to my mother. I'll be returning home around noon tomorrow..."
Furrowing his brows, Kahn felt a feeling of discomfort despite Ethuza's calm and composed revelation. He didn't know why or how to describe it, but he felt as though he had wronged the petite Firebender in some way.
With Kahn turning towards her, clearly intending to ask for an explanation, Ethuza seized the opportunity to pounce on him, her lips overlapping with his as they tumbled to the ground. She knew Kahn was probably going to tell her he was now in a relationship with Korra, so, before he could make things even more painful for her, she decided to shut him up with a kiss.
Though he could have easily thrown Ethuza off of him, Kahn's mind briefly stalled until her tongue spontaneously invaded his mouth. That was more than enough to bring him back to his senses, his hands moving to grasp her shoulders as he turned his face away and muttered, "We shouldn't be doing this..." in a tone that was equal parts confused and apologetic.
Surprised by Kahn's reaction, the realization she may have just stolen his first kiss entered Ethuza's mind. In reality, she had missed the timing by a few hours, but that didn't stop Ethuza from believing she had secured a small victory over Korra.
Adopting an ostensibly wry smile, Ethuza gently caressed the side of Kahn's face before combing through the hair on the side of his head as she said, "I love you, Kahn...one day, even if it's in the far future, I hope you remember that and feel the same way. Just as you waited for Korra, know that I will always be awaiting your arrival back in the Fire Nation..."
To punctuate her words, Ethuza planted a chaste kiss on Kahn's cheek before reluctantly rising to a seated position. She was a little upset that Kahn's body hadn't 'reacted' to her, but that didn't stop her from focusing on the sensation for a few moments before rising to her feet, turning her back, and saying, "Farewell, my beloved Dragon of the South..."
Without waiting for Kahn's response, Ethuza generated plumes of flame from her feet as she propelled herself high into the sky. She wasn't nearly as skilled as Kahn when it came to Flame Propulsion, but it was one of the techniques her mother had compelled her to learn as a form of protection. Very few people could fly, so even if she could only keep it up for a short while, it was more than enough to escape a precarious or uncomfortable situation...
Despite Ethuza alighting his body and flying off, Kahn didn't immediately rise from the cold, hard ground. Instead, he followed her departure with his eyes before staring blankly at the veritable ocean of stars above. The light pollution of Republic City reduced visibility quite a bit, but it was still a breathtakingly beautiful sight to behold...
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein