Maintaining the Balance: Ch. 22

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us? I know about your promise with Korra, but I don't think she would mind if you came to visit."

Though he appreciated Tenzin's concern, Kahn shook his head, stating, "I don't want to be known as someone who breaks their promises. That was one of the first I ever made. Until Korra appears of her own accord, I will continue to wait here."

Exhaling a sigh, Tenzin extended his hand to pat Kahn's shoulder, saying, "Very well, then. Please take care of the island while we're gone."

Though he would have protected the island regardless, Kahn nodded his head and offered a reassuring smile as he said, "Leave it to-"

"I...I want to stay...!"

Hearing Jinora's outburst, Kahn and Tenzin shifted their attention to the young Airbender as she jumped off the back of Oogi.

"Jinora, we've been over this. You're too young to stay back on the island by yourself. Besides, if you miss this opportunity, it will be another year before you have another chance to visit the South Pole."

Furrowing her brows, Jinora pointed to Kahn, saying, "Kahn will be here, and we have Sentries protecting the island from potential threats. Please let me stay."

"Young lady-"

Before Tenzin could put his foot down on the matter, Pema decided to lend her daughter a bit of support, stating, "Leave her be, honey. Jinora is already a capable Bender, and I trust Kahn to look after her. He has never let us down before."

"But, sweetheart..."

Though there were a few instances where Tenzin had asked Kahn to take care of the children for multiple days, the furthest he and Pema had gone for their vacations was just outside Republic City. If something happened, it would take them less than two hours to return. Traveling back from the South Pole could take upwards of a week if the weather didn't favor their return.

Turning her eyes up at her husband, Pema assured, "This is Jinora we're talking about, Tenzin. Even without a sitter, I'm convinced she would be able to take care of herself. You said it yourself, didn't you? The only thing preventing her from becoming a Master at this point is her age and lack of experience. Would you worry this much about another Master?"

Surprised that his wife would mention something they agreed to keep a secret, Tenzin's eyes widened as he looked towards his eldest daughter. Fortunately, though it made Tenzin feel a little embittered, Jinora seemed more interested in staring at Kahn than listening in on their conversation.

Sighing, Tenzin shifted his attention to Kahn, asking, "What do you think, my boy? Given the circumstances, the final decision falls to you. If you're willing to keep her safe, I don't mind letting Jinora stay behind."

Without needing to consider his response, Kahn returned an affirmative nod, saying, "Leave it to me." in a confident tone. In truth, he was a little annoyed by Jinora's selfishness. However, understanding that things were about to change, Kahn didn't mind indulging her.

Though he was still a little apprehensive about leaving Jinora alone for two whole weeks, Tenzin ultimately nodded his head in approval before shifting his attention to his daughter and saying, "Kahn is in charge while we're gone. Do as he says and make sure to stay on the island. No flights over the bay, understood?"

Suppressing her excitement, Jinora did her best to appear poised as she cupped her hands together and said, "Understood." in a calm, composed tone. She hadn't actually thought about what she would do over the next two weeks, but she was determined to spend it with Kahn.

Noticing his daughter's peculiar behavior, Tenzin was tempted to renege on his decision. His wife seemed to have other thoughts, however, as she practically dragged him over to Oogi before subsequently shutting down Ikki when the latter demanded she be allowed to stay. Staying behind and messing with Kahn sounded a lot more enjoyable than spending the next five days cooped up in a carriage next to a screaming Meelo.

Unfortunately for Ikki, her parents readily pulled out the age card on her. She was much too young to be allowed to remain on the island for weeks on end without parental supervision. Kahn may have had a hand in raising her, but he wasn't one of her parents. Until she was experienced enough to take care of herself, they couldn't afford to leave her behind for such a long period. It wouldn't be fair to Kahn.

Though she tried to protest, claiming she was just as mature as her elder sister, Ikki's arguments were shut down pretty quickly when they asked if she could fly. She still attempted to argue, but her words fell on deaf ears as Oogi gradually ascended into the sky and began its five-day journey to the South Pole...

...

..

.

Seeing the Airbender family disappear towards the horizon, Kahn would be lying if he said he didn't have mixed feelings. He just didn't let them get in the way as he turned to the wide-eyed, smiling Jinora and asked, "What do you want for lunch?"

Not expecting such a question, Jinora's mind briefly stalled before she burst into laughter and said, "You never change. Always so serious and reliable..."

Shaking his head, Kahn explained, "Everyone changes from one moment to the next. I simply choose to adhere to my baseline more than others. Now, what would you like to eat for lunch?"

"Hmmm..."

Tilting her head to the side, Jinora seriously contemplated her response before surprising Kahn as she answered, "Meat. I like being a vegetarian, but I wasn't given the option to choose anything different. Now that my parents aren't here...there are lots of things I want to try."

Ignoring the meaningful gleam in Jinora's eyes, Kahn asked, "Aren't you a little young to be going through a rebellious phase? And did you seriously expect me to help you break the rules of the Temple?"

Adopting a pouty expression, Jinora turned her eyes up in an accusatory manner as she said, "I know you eat meat, Kahn. Besides, I talked to Mom last night. She was the one who encouraged me to follow my...to discover my own path. If a Princess of the Fire Nation can, why can't I...?"

"..."

With the ability to ascertain a person's true intentions, Kahn could tell Jinora wasn't lying when she said her mother had encouraged her. He also knew Pema very well, and she was precisely the type of person that would support her daughter's crush. She just trusted him enough not to take advantage of Jinora's feelings and let things get out of hand.

"Very well. However, should your parents ask, I will have no choice but to reveal that you willfully elected to consume meat, understood?"

Nodding her head in affirmation, Jinora's expression became serious as she said, "Just make sure the portion's small. I read in a book that meat is super greasy, and I don't want to upset my stomach."

"Yeah, yeah, just leave it to me..."

Though it was way too early to start on lunch, Kahn put his hands into his pockets and began walking towards the main house. Pema had prepared a room for him years ago, so he didn't need to stop by his room unless he wanted to check in on Ethuza. He imagined she was waiting for him along the path, but that was something done of her own prerogative. He would eventually fly over and explain the situation to her, but she would have to wait until he checked the condition of the house.

Despite Tenzin's and Pema's efforts to convince him to take it easy, Kahn took house and babysitting very seriously. They were entrusting him with two of their most precious things, so there was no way he would slack off. Thus, first and foremost, Kahn would investigate every square centimeter in and around the house in search of vulnerabilities. He also had a habit of returning things in the same state he had received them, so while Jinora followed him around like a Turtle Duckling, Kahn went through each item on his checklist without skipping a single thing.

Having watched Kahn complete his checklist several times, Jinora knew when he was finished. She also knew better than to disturb him when he was in his 'serious' mode, so she waited until he was wrapping things up before asking, "What do you want to do for the next two weeks? Since it's Summer, we could go to the beach. There's a pretty neat little cove on the Northern side of the island."

Directing his gaze towards the petite Airbender, Kahn remained silent for several seconds before replying, "The only directive your father gave was to stay on the island. If you want to go swimming, I will accompany and watch over you."

Smiling radiantly in response to Kahn's words, the only thing preventing Jinora from squealing in glee was the notion of how embarrassing it would be. Kahn had always been a very earnest and mature person, so she felt compelled to act the same whenever he was around.

"Great. I'm really looking forward to it."

Having said the thing she had waited nearly two hours to say, Jinora went out of her way to cup her hands before retreating to her room. She would ordinarily help out or watch Kahn cook, but she had other thoughts on her mind at the present moment. Besides, even though she was willing to give it a try, Jinora didn't want to see Kahn cutting up and handling raw meat.

Watching Jinora scurry off faster than she had probably intended, Kahn waited until she had entered the house before infusing lightning into his legs and disappearing from the premises. Ethuza waiting for him was her own decision, but he would feel guilty if he ended up making her wait the entire day without bothering to explain the situation.

Fortunately, not that he expected her to be gone, Kahn discovered Ethuza taking a nap in the shade of a tree. Her butt had gotten a little sore sitting on a stone bench for well over an hour, so she spent a few minutes trying to meditate before ultimately giving up and just taking a nap. As someone whose head was filled with countless stories, clearing her head was next to impossible.

Crouching down next to the Princess, Kahn extended his fingers to pinch her nose. Unlike Korra, however, she didn't immediately awaken. Instead, she rolled away from him before curling up in a fetal position.

"..."

Resisting the urge to grab and pull Ethuza's ponytail, Kahn lightly shook her shoulder as he said, "Wake up. I need to tell you something."

Hearing Kahn's voice, Ethuza instantly awoke from her slumber. However, instead of opening her eyes, she tugged at the knot keeping her sash in place before rolling onto her back and exhibiting herself in an ostensibly defenseless posture.

Unfortunately for Ethuza, her robes didn't open in the way she envisioned. Kahn also didn't bat an eye towards her body as he flatly affirmed, "I can sense the fluctuations in your breathing and heart rate. If you're going to keep pretending, I'm going to leave."

Without correcting her posture, Ethuza opened her eyes, a wry smile on her face as she groaned, "You could at least pretend to be interested. Women are vain yet self-deprecating creatures. Without a bit of positive reinforcement from the people we like, we're prone to getting moody or outright depressed. Come on...no one else is around. I'm sure you're at least a little curious..."

Grabbing the hem of her robe, Ethuza tried to hike it up in a tantalizing manner, but there was too much fabric, and her position made it difficult. All she managed was revealing her calves, and while this would be more than enough to excite some, Kahn just continued staring at her with a borderline deadpan expression as he said, "I'm going to be house-sitting and taking care of Jinora for the next two weeks. You shouldn't wait here for me."

Bolting upright, Ethuza's expression revealed shock and a fair amount of frustration as she exclaimed, "What the heck!? I've been waiting months for this opportunity, and you're telling me-!?"

Realizing she was out of line, Ethuza covered her mouth with both hands as she stared at Kahn with widened eyes. Fortunately for her, Kahn wasn't the type of mull over the peculiarities of a person's behavior. Instead, he offered a practiced, apologetic smile as he said, "Sorry...it caught me off guard as well..."

Removing her hands from over her mouth, Ethuza exhaled a sigh of relief before turning her eyes up and staring at Kahn. If they were going to be apart of two weeks, she wanted something to keep her going. Thus, even though she felt like she was pushing her luck, she said, "I'll forgive you if you ogle my breasts or give me a kiss on the cheek..."

Employing a basic negotiating tactic, Ethuza gave Kahn two options, one ridiculous and one relatively tame. When presented with multiple options, people had a strange habit of thinking they didn't have any other choices. What Ethuza had failed to take into consideration was the fact that Kahn wasn't an ordinary person. He considered kissing far more intimate than simply staring at someone, so, much to Ethuza's surprise, he lowered his eyes and stared directly at her breasts, asking, "How long...?" without so much as a single quiver in his voice.