37 Maintaining the Balance: Ch. 37
"You're going?"
Though Kahn had been willing to leave without informing anyone of their departure, Korra felt it would be a little too rude to people they had just met. As a result, the two of them made a short detour to the underground warehouse to inform Akua of their departure.
In response to Akua's question, Korra answered, "Yeah, but we'll be back soon. Probably not tomorrow, but maybe in a day or two."
"Mmm, that's probably for the best. Having you loiter around here before we meet in an official capacity will just cause problems. I'll have my guys send over a custom radio that lets you communicate with our base, so try to avoid coming here unless it's an emergency."
Blinking in surprise, Korra asked, "What do you mean, official capacity...?"
"You're a real airhead, aren't you, kitten...?"
Furrowing her brows, Korra intended to offer a rebuttal, but Akua beat her to the punch, explaining, "I have two independent lifestyles and personas, one public and the other 'very' private. If the Avatar is seen traveling back and forth between my private studio, journalists and paparazzi are bound to start buzzing around. Once it gets into the paper, anyone who opposes you will see me as a convenient tool to leverage against you. I'm far from it, but they won't know that."
Realizing what Akua was trying to say, Korra's expression hardened as she asked, "Would people really target you just to get to me...?"
Exhaling a sigh, Akua muttered, "Kitten...you've got a lot to learn about people, especially those who pursue power and authority. Developing a nation or toppling an existing administration isn't accomplished through diplomacy. Change comes about because some asshat with more power than sense stopped caring about the means and started sacrificing the lives of innocent people to get what they wanted..."
While there were a handful of exceptions that could refute her, Akua was confident she could offer a dozen historical anecdotes for even the most minor of them. She knew Kahn could readily do the same, so while Korra was struggling to process what she had said, Akua turned to her stoic and ruggedly handsome 'little brother' and said, "Take care of her, Kahn. Korra might be more than capable of fending for herself, but she has a long way to go before she matures as an Avatar."
"Don't you dare nod your head..."
As much as she appreciated Akua's concerns, Korra hated when people implied she needed protection. It didn't matter if it was true or not. Some things just shouldn't be said aloud, at least not right in front of her.
Amused by Korra's reaction, a teasing smile developed across Akua's face as she asked, "How is it that you're even more adorable when you're mad? It's no wonder my beloved baby brother is so taken with you..."
"Huh? What are you saying...?"
Though she knew Akua was deflecting, Korra couldn't help feeling a bit of warmth spread through her cheeks. Her awareness of what they would be doing later didn't help any.
Squinting her eyes, a catty smile developed across Akua's face until Kahn stepped in, saying, "We should probably get going. I can imagine Tenzin and Pema waiting for us near the docks..."
To remove any room for discussion or argument, Kahn surprised Korra by once again picking her up in a bridal carry. Her already reddening cheeks became bright red, but she didn't attempt to squirm free as Kahn held her close and said, "See you around..." without bothering to turn and face the two girls silently observing his departure.
Waiting until the young couple had disappeared completely, Akua turned to Asami and remarked, "He's a brazen one, isn't he?"
Exhaling a sigh, Asami replied, "That's one way to put it..." before asking, "Want to come over to my place tonight? My mom would be happy to see you."
Nodding her head, Akua said, "Sure thing. Let's get washed up first. Don't want your daddy getting in a tiff if we show up smelling like alcohol."
Without waiting for Asami's response, Akua emulated Kahn's actions by suddenly picking her up. Asami was quite a bit bigger than she was, but Akua was much stronger than the average person. Her arms appeared to be bereft of muscles, but she could easily lift a hundred kilograms without straining herself. Not that Asami was even close to 100kgs.
Despite offering no resistance, Asami couldn't help asking, "What do you think you're doing?" with a deadpan expression on her face. In response, Akua adopted one of her characteristically mischievous smiles, asking, "I can't let my baby brother show me up, can I? Now, be a good girl, and let me carry you."
"..."
Instead of responding to Akua's words, Asami just tucked her head in and nestled against the former's shoulder. Akua's diminutive stature made this a little difficult, but Asami hadn't slacked in her physical conditioning over the years. If nothing else, she was 'very' flexible...
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After picking up Naga and returning to Air Temple Island, Kahn's intuition proved partially correct as Tenzin and Jinora could be seen waiting at the end of the pier. The younger Airbender looked like she wanted to fly over, but Tenzin placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her in place.
Upon emerging from the water, Korra made a pulling motion to bend the water from Naga's fur before she and Kahn headed over to where Tenzin and Jonora were waiting.
"Welcome back, Kahn, Korra. You're a bit later than I would have liked, but I suppose that's to be expected considering it was your first time touring the city. Tell me, did you have fun?"
Answering in Kahn's stead, Korra's face practically lit up as she exclaimed, "It was amazing! Republic City is unlike any place I imagined. It's so much bigger than the cities in the South Pole, and there are so many interesting things to see and do! Kahn and I-"
Interrupting Korra before she could begin blathering, an amused chuckle emanated from Tenzin's throat as he mused, "Now, now, Korra, no need to be in such a rush. We can discuss the specifics of your day once we reach the Temple. I'm certain my wife and daughters would like to hear all about it and that mountain of packages you received..."
Remembering that Akua had sent her a ton of clothes, Korra's expression became even more energetic as she asked, "Well, what are we standing around here for?" before meeting Jinora's seemingly impassive gaze and asking, "Race you to the top?"
Instead of responding verbally, Jinora bent her knees before leaping into the sky and flying towards the temple complex located at the top of a long and winding set of stairs. Korra interpreted this as Jinora accepting her challenge, so she immediately produced jets of vibrant blue flames from her feet before following after her like a rocket...
"..."
"..."
"Awuuu..."
Though neither of them was surprised by Korra's behavior, Tenzin and Kahn couldn't help feeling mildly exasperated. As for Naga, she felt like Korra had suddenly abandoned her, so she shuffled over towards Kahn and nuzzled against him with her oversized snout. Long before she had been gifted to Korra, Kahn had raised and looked after her. In her mind, he was as much her owner as Korra.
With a head nearly as large as Kahn's torso, Naga's nuzzling caused the former to slide a few centimeters as he adopted a wry smile, wrapped his arms around the loose and incredibly soft fur of her neck, and said, "Hey now, no need to pout. You're not a puppy anymore..."
"Mrwuuu..."
Seeing Kahn being 'bullied' by the massive pooch, Tenzin couldn't help caressing his beard, an amused smile on his face as he said, "Well then, I'll see you back at the Temple. Good luck."
Following his words, Tenzin performed a short hop while producing a rapidly spinning sphere of compressed air beneath him. Then, with speed nearly twice that of a Satomobile, he raced up the stairs as if they weren't even a hindrance.
Ignoring the middle-aged man's showboating, Kahn buried his face into Naga's coat and gave her a couple of firm pats before climbing onto her back and mushing her up the stairs. He anticipated that Korra would be waiting for them near the top, so he made sure Naga took her sweet time reaching it...
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"What took you so long? It's been like twenty minutes. Naga could have easily made it up those stairs in three."
Without batting an eye, Kahn dropped from Naga's saddle, explaining, "She just spent half the day running around the city and swimming across Yue Bay, twice. I figured she could use a nice, leisurely stroll."
Feeling a little guilty after hearing Kan's words, Korra made her way over to Naga, grasping the sides of the oversized puppy's head as she softly muttered, "Oh, Naga...I'm sorry, girl..."
"Mrrrrr..."
Seemingly forgetting that Korra had left her near the base of the stairs, Naga affectionately nuzzled against the apologetic Avatar before giving her a lick with her massive, meaty, and incredibly moist tongue. Most girls would have been extremely put off by this, but Korra just laughed before hugging Naga and saying, "I knew Kahn was trying to mess with me. You would never be mad at me, would you, girl~?"
Rolling his eyes, Kahn looked around and asked, "Did Tenzin and Jinora return to the Temple?"
While continuing the caress Naga, Korra answered, "Yeah. I told them not to wait up since we still needed to put Naga in her den and give her some food. As you said, she worked pretty hard today. I think the stone streets are a little rough on her paw pads, so help me check them for any cracks or bruising once we get her settled in."
"Yeah, sure thing."
Having already anticipated Korra's request, Kahn showed no indications of being inconvenienced by it. This was one of the traits that Korra loved, or, at the very least, liked about him. Even if she felt her behavior was selfish, Kahn didn't seem to mind at all. If they didn't need to return to the Temple and chat it up with Tenzin and his family, she might have been the one to pick him up and carry him off someplace private...
Resisting the temptation to do precisely that, Korra gave Naga a firm pat near the base of her neck, saying, "Okay, girl, let's get you settled in for the night."
"Mawruuu..."
Though she wanted to continue playing, Naga followed behind as Korra tugged her leash. The difference in their size and weight was immense, but Polar Bear Dogs were known for their docility. Not that it would have mattered. If Korra wanted to, she could heft Naga's entire 500kgs with a single arm. In terms of raw, physical strength, she was presently the most powerful person in the whole world. No one else even came close...
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Nearly three hours after their return to Air Temple Island, Kahn and Korra were finally alone again. The latter had snuck into his room in the middle of the night, but instead of dragging him off to go skinny dipping, Korra just curled up next to Kahn in his largely decorative bed. He hadn't slept a single night since his arrival in the Actualized World of the Avatar. Instead, he split his time between the Spirit World and competing with Rindo in his mind.
Had Korra not shown up, Kahn was planning to have tea with Iroh before continuing work on the orchard he had spent the last four years planting and growing. When she suggested sleeping together, his plans shifted to spending the evening in his mindscape. At least, that's what he intended. Instead, he found himself simply observing Korra, feeling her warmth, and listening to the sounds of her sleep as she huddled with her back against him, the little to his big spoon...
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(A/N: Stories like this wouldn't be possible without the support of my patrons. If you'd like to read this, and several other stories, please consider supporting me. I'm currently focused on a Mushoku Tensei x Genshin Impact crossover, but I'm more than happy to continue Maintaining the Balance if there is enough interest from the community. Regardless of whether you support me or not, happy holidays~!)
