First Lesson

'At the boat'

Koda went on to tell Korra his parent's history on Tenzin being in a previous relationship before Pema.

"So my father met my mother and had me a few years after dating, It wasn't until I was nine they started to go their separate ways, but they always wanted the best for me. Sure their co-parenting was quite bothersome, but they did care for me." Koda looked at Yue bay as he was talking to Korra about this. He was trying his best to reason with her to not grill Tenzin about the fact that he apparently had some sort of secret son who was her age, no less. Though he told Korra that Pema knew about Koda's existence.

She later left the earthbender alone and went to Tenzin. "Tenzin, please, don't send me back home," Korra pleaded.

"You blatantly disobeyed my wishes, and the orders of the White Lotus," Tenzin said, clearly disappointed in the young Avatar's decisions.

"Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training. Being cooped up and hidden away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar," Korra tried to explain. "Koda showed me a lot of the city today, and it's totally out of whack. I know that the police are doing their best, but it's just not enough. I understand now why you need to stay. Republic City does need you, but it needs me too," she said, hoping that her intentions would sink in.

Tenzin merely gave a weary sigh and moved to the bow of the ship as they approached the dock, leaving Korra where she stood. With her hopes seemingly dashed, Korra turned towards the rear of the ship as she took in Republic City's skyline for the last time. As she moved to disembark, she could see members of the Order of the White Lotus waiting for her at the end of the ramp.

Korra and the guards were walking towards their own ship when they heard several children shout her name from overhead. Looking up, Korra saw two orange gliders move in for a landing near to where she was standing. The first glider to land actually had two occupants. The pilot was a girl, about 10 years-old, and the rider was a boy, clearly much younger than her. The second was also piloted by a young girl, somewhere between the age of the other two.

They were all wearing the traditional garb of the airbenders and were clearly siblings. The girls both had light brown hair, while their younger brother had a shaved head. The younger sister had two bobs in her hair and the oldest only had a single. These were Tenzin's airbending children: Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo.

"Korra!" they each shouted

"Are you coming to live with us on the island?" asked Ikki excitedly.

Korra knelt down and placed a hand on both Jinora and Ikki's shoulders, "No, I'm sorry Ikki, I have to go home now."

"Aw." Said Ikki.

"But, I brought someone who you might like that's gonna live here." Korra said looking at Koda. The kids looked to her direction and their eyes widened. Koda looked at the kids with a smile and dropped his bag. He went down on one knee and opened his arms out.

"KOKO!"

Koda fell to the ground with an "Oomph!" Koda started to laugh as he saw his younger siblings. "Hey goofballs, what's up?" Koda said, smiling down at his three younger siblings.

"It's been forever since we've seen you, that's what," Ikki said as she latched back onto one of his legs.

"Actually it's only been about 4 months," Jinora corrected. The older sister opted not to grab onto their older brother. "Still, we missed you, Koko," she said with a smile.

"Aww, I missed you too kiddo," Koda later picked up Jinora with one arm and Ikki with another. Meelo on the other hand jumped onto his older brother's shoulders.

"Are you going to try and keep Korra here? You always said how it would be awesome to meet her?" Ikki asked in hope.

"Sorry Ikki, it's not my call, but I can say it was great to meet her." He said as he flashed the water tribe girl a smile.

Korra returned it and walked to the ship ready to take her home.

"Wait." Tenzin said as he stepped forward, "I have done my best to guide Republic City towards the dream my father had for it. But you are right. It has fallen out of balance since he has passed. I thought I should put off your training in order to uphold his legacy, but you are his legacy." Tenzin said as he placed a hand on Korra's shoulder, "You may stay and train airbending here with me," Korra gasped. "Republic City needs its Avatar once again." He finished

"Yes! Thank you! You're the best!" Korra cheered

The kids cheered also and she hugged them all together. She later let go of the hug and looked at Koda who was still holding onto his sibling.

"Wait, so why do they call you 'Koko'?" Korra asked, grabbing everyone's attention.

"That's because when Jinora was a baby she tried to say Koda's name, but it came out as 'Koko,'" Ikki explained excitedly. "Mommy and Daddy thought that it was so cute, that they started to call him 'Koko' too. When Meelo and I were born, Jinora, Mommy, and Daddy were all still calling him 'Koko,' so we did too."

"Aww, that's such a cute story. Eh, Officer Koko?" Korra teased as she nudged Koda with her elbow.

"Pleeease, 'Koko' is just what the girls call him," Meelo defended as he crossed his arms indignantly.

"Meelo..." Koda looked up to his younger brother.

Tenzin looked at the four and had a content smile on his face. Tenzin was genuinely happy to see all four of his children back together again, despite one of them being from a different mother.

'Press Conference'

Koda and Korra were sitting next to each other and they sparked up a conversation. "Korra you okay, you seem bothered," Koda said.

Korra sighed. "It's just... I don't know what I'm supposed to say once I get out there," she said. "I've lived almost my entire life in a White Lotus compound at the South Pole. I spent most of my days training or taking tests. I haven't really ever done anything too important before. Fighting those Triads with you the other day was the first thing I've ever done that can be counted as part of my 'Avatar duties.'"

"Well, what do your note cards say?" Koda asked, motioning to the papers still in her hands.

Looking down at them only made Korra even more frustrated. "These are just the notes your dad gave me," she replied.

Koda chuckled at what she said and continued to listen to her.

"He wants me to tell everyone that I will only be training in airbending while I'm in Republic City, and that, while I'm here, I won't be fighting criminals, like those guys we took down," Korra explained. "The thing is though, I'm not sure if that's what I really should be doing. As the Avatar, I'm supposed to help keep the whole world safe and in balance.

"But how can anyone expect me to do that if I'm not even able to keep the peace for a single city?" she asked in exacerbation. "I mean, by the time he was my age, Aang had already learned to bend all the elements, mastered the spiritual aspects of being the Avatar, ended a century-long war, and was already in the process of building this very city. How am I supposed to measure up to that!?"

Koda could tell that Korra was starting to get worked up. At this rate, she wouldn't be in any sort of condition to speak to the press. "Listen, Korra, I can understand what it's like to try to live up to that legacy," he said.

He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "Look, Aang was a caring person and an amazing Avatar. He mastered all four elements and the Avatar State in record time, all while trying to end a war that threatened to literally destroy the world. Then afterwards, he began the process of single-handedly resurrecting a millennia-old culture that had been destroyed by that war. And he founded a completely new nation, based upon the ideals of peaceful coexistence. I know that's a lot to try to live up to," Koda explained. "But here's what always sorta helps me when I feel like I'm failing to live up to him: the knowledge that he wasn't perfect."

Korra gave him a questioning look. Almost like she didn't believe him. However, Koda continued, "My grandfather made a lot of mistakes along the way. He ran away after finding out he was the Avatar and ended up getting frozen in a glacier for over a hundred years. In that time, the Air Nomads were completely massacred, and 3 generations of Fire Lords were free to set the world ablaze."

"Even after he was free from the ice, Aang didn't always live up to his title or take his duties seriously. During the Siege of the North Pole, he failed to protect the Moon Spirit, and Princess Yue was forced to sacrifice herself to restore the cosmic balance that the Avatar is supposed to maintain. Later, he failed to prevent the falls of Omashu and Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation.

"In fact, he almost ended the Avatar Cycle completely when he died in the catacombs under Lake Laogai," Koda explained. "Even that's another mistake unto itself. Until Aang revealed it to his friends, the knowledge of how to permanently end the Avatar Cycle was a closely guarded secret known only to the Avatars themselves. Now, it's practically common knowledge."

Korra looked at Koda curiously. She was surprised to hear Koda, the son of Tenzin, ridiculing his revered ancestor so feverously. Koda had clearly given this a lot of thought. Being the grandson of an Avatar, as well as the grandson of two other members of that Avatar's team, likely meant Koda had a lot to live up to. The people around him probably expected great things from him.

"Anyway," Koda continued. "Those are just some of the mistakes my grandfather made in his first year out of the iceberg. He made plenty more later on, both in his time as Avatar... and as a father," he said with a sad smile.

"I may not have accomplished nearly as much as Avatar Aang, but I can't say that I've ever messed up as spectacularly in my entire life as he did in his first 12 years," he finished with a wry smile. Koda then leaned back as much as he could while sitting on their bench, closed his eyes, and put his hands behind his head.

"As weird as it sounds, that does make me feel slightly better," Korra said with a smile. However, her smile quickly disappeared, and she stared hard at the floor. "But I'm still totally unprepared to be the Avatar. Did you know that when you first met me, that was the first time in my life that I was completely by myself without my parents or the White Lotus watching over me?" she asked rhetorically.

Koda decided to just let her say what she needed to say. The young Avatar obviously needed to vent out her frustrations, and he was willing to listen.

"I hardly even gotta say as to who my teachers were. They just brought all the best instructors to me and that was it. No argument," Korra continued. "Throughout history, all the other Avatars traveled the world searching for their own teachers. They helped people along the way and learned what it meant to be the Avatar during their travels.

"Yet, the White Lotus keep insisting that it was Aang who told them to keep me locked up at the South Pole until my training was complete. Why would he do that?" her voice raising as she continued. "I mean, he had no one to tell him how to be the Avatar, and yet he accomplished more in a year than most Avatars accomplish in their entire lives."

"I thought I just told you," Koda said as if it was plainly obvious.

Korra gave him a puzzled look in response.

He sighed. "You said my grandfather didn't have anyone to teach him how to be the Avatar. He was unprepared. And as a result, he made a lot of mistakes in his time as Avatar, mistakes that cost people their lives... things like that tend to follow you," he said solemnly.

Korra then remembered that Koda had said he was with the United Forces before becoming a police officer. He probably lost comrades in the line of duty.

A realization struck her. "Aang didn't want for me to be unprepared... like he was," Korra said.

"Exactly," Koda answered, "but not just because he wanted you to do a 'good job' as the Avatar. Aang wanted you to be as prepared as you could be for whatever you might face. He didn't want for you, his successor, to have to live with as much guilt and regret throughout your life as he did."

Koda took a small breath as he tried to sort out his final thoughts. "I can't say for sure if Aang was right or wrong. I just think that it's important for you to understand the man."

They sat in silence for a moment pondering what Koda had just said before Korra finally spoke, "Hey Koda, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead," he replied.

"You're the grandson of Toph, Katara, and Avatar Aang. People probably expect a lot out of you, right?" Korra asked. "Are you ever worried that you may not be able to live up to those expectations?"

Koda smiled to himself. It was obvious that Korra was finding it difficult to deal with people's expectations of her, and she was trying to get advice without actually admitting that it was getting to her.

"Well, that's a—," Koda began.

However, just as he was about to answer, he was interrupted as a short, old man with grey hair walked into the lobby as he opened the doors to the entrance. From his plain, yet formal attire, it was clear that this man was some sort of secretary or assistant. Most likely, he worked for one of the Council members.

"Avatar Korra, they're ready for you," the man said in a very nasally voice.

From the other side of the opened doors, Korra and Koda could hear the raucous noise of dozens of reporters as they either talked amongst themselves or tried in vain to get the assembled Councilmen or police onstage to answer questions.

"Well, I guess we'd better get out there," Koda said, pushing himself up off the bench.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Korra replied as they made their way to the door.

Koda reached out and held the door open for her and the old council page. The older man quickly made his way out the door and moved to stand behind the line of council members.

Korra, however, decided to stop in the middle of the doorway as she was walking past Koda. "Hey, Koda... thanks for what you said in there. I may not have any idea what to say when I get out there, but I feel a lot better than I did before you talked to me."

"Huh? Oh yeah, happy to help," he said quickly.

He scratched his head as he answered her, which made his response come out slightly muffled. He also seemed to be looking at an area above the sea of reporters.

Korra was confused. She didn't see anything in the direction Koda was looking, but maybe he was just doing a sweep of the area or something since he was a cop. However, the slight pink tinting on his cheeks made her think that he was nervous about something.

She later went to the podium and Korra cleared her throat, "Hello, I'm Korra, your new Avatar."

The crowd cheered.

"Does this mean you're moving into Republic City?" asked a reporter.

"Were you trying to send a message to the triads yesterday?"

"Will you be fighting crime or the anti-bending revolution or both?"

"Will you be working with the Chief or Office Beifong and the police?"

"Um, yes, I am definitely here to stay, but honestly I don't exactly have a plan yet. See I'm still in training, but look... all I know is Avatar Aang meant for this city to be the center of peace and balance in the world and... I believe we can make his dream a reality." Korra said sincerely, "I look forward to serving you. I'm so happy to be here! Thank you Republic City!"

"Alright, that's all the questions the Avatar can answer for today." Tenzin said as he rushed Korra off the stage.

Lin started to head back to the station and turned to Koda, "Koda? Are you returning to the station?" She asked. He shook his head, "No, I best watch over my new friend, seeing that she's still new and all to the city." He said with a grin.

Lin sighed and rubbed her temple, why must her son be so much like her mother when she was a child, "Very well keep an eye on her... professionally of course." She said with a small smile getting a raise out of the boy.

Koda started to blush, "R-Right..."

Lin started to walk away, but stopped to look at her son with a coy smile.

"I'll check in with your father regarding your performance."

'Next Day at the Air Temple Island'

Koda woke up in his bedroom and he went to his desk and looked at his boyhood belongings. The largest and most eye-catching of which was a hollow, wooden sphere. It was about 9 inches in diameter and had several curvaceous slots running around its perimeter, allowing for it to catch even the most subtle of wind currents.

This was an airball. More specifically, it was a gift that Koda received from his grandfather on the day he was born. Koda reached out and picked up the wooden ball, as he had countless times before in his youth. He gave the ball a quick spin as he watched it rise into the air and then slowly descend as it lost its rotational momentum. Koda caught it before it hit the ground and gently set it back on his desk.

Although his father assured him that the ball was in perfectly playable condition, he had also been told that this particular airball was from the Southern Air Temple and had been crafted by the original Air Nomads before their genocide. That made it well-over a century and a half old, and he didn't want to take any chances on accidentally breaking it by foolishly throwing it around.

Next to the airball was a small white whistle in the shape of a bison. The bison whistle was a crucial tool for any airbender who hoped to bond with a sky bison. However, this specific bison whistle was special. It belonged to Avatar Aang himself. Tenzin had given this whistle to Koda when he was about 5 or so, telling him that he would need it one day.

Koda had mixed feelings about that whistle. Although it was a bitter reminder that he would never be able to use the whistle in the way his father intended, he did use it almost every day after school when he was a boy to summon Oogi for him and the other kids to play with.

Oogi was younger then and not used to taking such prolonged naps like he did these days. The sky bison used to always look forward to playing with the children, even as his rider would silently lament about how such a majestic and noble creature was now delegated to being 'playground equipment.'

Lastly, there were photo frames sitting on the back corner of the desk. In it, was a photo that was over 12 years old. The photo was of Tenzin and a 7 year old Koda on a beach in the Ember Islands. Tenzin's beard wasn't nearly as long as it was now. And instead of the tangled, dark brown mop he had these days, Koda's head was shaved in this photo. Both of them had identical grins on their faces that any acquaintance of Aang would easily identify as the late Avatar's iconic smile.

Another photo was him as a baby and his grandfather Avatar Aang, he was holding the baby Koda with Katara on the side. Then there was another photo of Koda and his siblings, him at the back with his younger siblings in front of him. Jinora in the middle, Meelo to her right, and Ikki to Jinora's left side. The last photo showed him and his mother Lin, he was 13.

Koda's desk was almost like a shrine. A shrine of his fond memories and to his boyhood aspirations that never came to be. Not wanting to remember happier times when he was naïve enough to believe in those dreams, Koda turned the photo of him and his father face-down on the desk.

He wasn't so sure what he should do with the other two objects. Perhaps he should just donate them to the Temple, or maybe give them to Jinora. She was getting to age where she would be getting her own flying bison soon anyway, so she could definitely use the whistle.

Ultimately however, Koda decided to hang on to them for now. Both because Jinora wasn't quite ready to tame a bison herself, and he was worried she might attempt it if he gave her the tools to try. And because Meelo would definitely try to use the airball as some sort of projectile to annoy their sisters if it ever left Koda's room.

But mostly, he held onto the items because he appreciated the irony. The irony being that, despite how much the Air Acolytes might cherish such iconic airbending artifacts that had once belonged to the original Air Nomads and Avatar Aang himself, they would be forced to endure the indignity of watching Koda, of all people, be in possession of them.

Deciding he'd done enough moping around; Koda unpacked his bags and stored his clothes in the dresser before making his way out to the dining area.

'In the Dining Area'

"And in the final round, the Buzzard Wasps won with a decisive knockout," Korra said excitedly as she finally set the paper down. "What do you say we go to the arena tonight, catch a few pro-bending matches?" she asked.

"That sport is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending," Tenzin replied. Though he was happy for any sort of distraction from that accursed article, he still wasn't pleased about Korra's interest in that nonsense. "It was bad enough that Lin let our son participate in it when he was younger," Tenzin mused.

"Wait, Koda was a Pro-bender?" Korra asked in astonishment.

"He was in the Junior-bending league," Tenzin clarified. "Besides, he gave up on it, when he realized how useless and distracting such a barbaric display is."

"Come on Tenzin. I've dreamed about seeing a pro-bending match since I was a kid," Korra said unperturbed, "and now I'm just a ferry ride away from the arena."

"I agree with her," Koda said, "I think she would enjoy something like that."

"I don't want her to watch that drivel, she's here to finish her Avatar training," Tenzin said. He looked at Korra and was clearly beginning to become frustrated. "In order to learn airbending, I believe you require a calm, quiet environment, free from any distractions," he explained.

"Alright," Korra relented, "you're the master."

Although she said that she agreed, Tenzin could still see the longing look in Korra's eyes as she turned to look across the bay in the same direction as the Pro-bending Arena. Tenzin merely sighed before taking another sip of his morning tea.

'Air Temple Training Ground'

"So so, what do you think of Korra, Koko?" Ikki asked excitedly as they waited for Tenzin and Korra. Koda hummed as he threw his younger brother into the air and the young Airbender landed on his shoulders with airbending, "Well, she's definitely headstrong, adventurous, a bit naïve to how Republic City works-"

"Why's that?" Ikki asked, interrupting him.

"Her grand entrance into the City." He simply stated and the three airbenders in the area nodded.

"Anyway, she's definitely the eager type too. But I think that's cool, oh and she rocks that ponytail like there's no tomorrow." He said nodding.

They saw Korra in an Airbender uniform and Tenzin entering the training ground.

"Korra's gonna airbend, Korra's gonna airbend!" Ikki said excitedly while jumping up and down.

"What is that contraption?" Korra asked as she looked at the large training device.

"A time honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspects of airbending. Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?" Tenzin asked his oldest daughter.

"The goal is to weave your way through the gates and to make it to the other side without touching them." Jinora said as she gave a textbook answer.

"Seems easy enough." Korra said confidently.

"Jinora forgot to say that you have to make it through while the gates are spinning." Ikki added

Tenzin stepped forward and released an air blast and the gates started to spin.

Tenzin took out a leaf, "The key is to be like the leaf." He said as he sent the leaf through the device, "Flow with the movements of the gates. Jinora will demonstrate." Tenzin finished.

Jinora wove through the gates with ease as Tenzin added commentary.

"Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance you must be able to switch directions at a moment's notice."

Jinora exited the gates on the other side and sent an air blast to get the gates to rotate again.

"Let's do this!" Korra said with determination.

She then charged directly into The Gates.

It went about as well as Koda imagined, with Korra being painfully bounced around between the various twirling gates. Eventually, she was thrown out and somehow landed on her butt in the exact same position as she had entered.

To her credit and despite her somewhat embarrassing display, Korra immediately jumped back to her feet, undeterred and ready to rush back in. However, just as she was about to run forward again, a hand grabbed her shoulder, stopping her.

"Hold up there, Korra," Koda said.

"What?" Korra asked, slightly frustrated. "I just need to get the timing right."

"Are you sure that you're actually a Water Avatar, and not an Earth Avatar?" Koda asked bluntly. "Because you really are as stubborn as any natural-born earthbender," he said, smirking.

Korra merely frowned and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Trust me, Korra," Koda assured her. "There's no way that you're going to be able power your way through those gates. Do you see all the scuff marks right under all the air symbols? You know, right where it hit you in the face," he prompted.

Although Korra was slightly peeved that Koda felt the need to point out how she had gotten smacked around by a piece of wood, she decided to give it a quick look anyway. And sure enough, upon closer inspection, Korra did notice that that particular portion of each gate seemed to be more worn down than the rest of it.

"You wouldn't be the first person to get it in their head to try to force their way through, regardless of how many times you get hit," he continued. "Unfortunately, the only thing you're going to get out of it is a concussion."

"Okay, then. How exactly do I get through them?" Korra asked cynically. "The only advice Tenzin gave me was to 'be like the leaf.'"

"Okay," Koda said, trying to lead her thinking. "What do you think he meant by that? Why did the leaf make it through The Gates, but you didn't?"

"Well, the leaf is light, I guess," Korra reasoned. "I was trying to be light on my feet, but I still got tossed around," she defended bitterly.

"Having less weight has nothing to do with it. After all, leaves get blown into things all the time," Koda explained. "During autumn, there's always a huge pile of them under my window. That's where they all fall after they hit the temple," he elaborated.

"What is it about The Gates that makes it possible for a single leaf to make it through a maze of spinning panels that are moving so fast that it's almost impossible to keep track of them?" Koda asked.

Korra was silent for a moment before finally giving a small shrug as she failed to come up with an answer.

Koda sighed. "It's the air currents," he explained. "The leaf was pushed around by the air currents created by the spinning gates, ensuring that it would be moved out of the way before it ran into any of them."

"Hey," Korra said indignantly. "I said that the leaf was able to make it through because it was light, but then you said that weight had nothing to do with it. And now, you're telling me that it was only able to make it through because it was blown around by 'air currents.'"

"Okay," Koda relented, "so you were half right, but you had no idea why," he said as he gave her a half-lidded stare.

Korra huffed as she'd finally had enough of an earthbender telling her how bad she was at airbending. "Hey Tenzin," she said, getting the wizened master's attention. "Aren't you the one who's supposed to be teaching me?" she asked, jerking her thumb towards Koda. "Not him."

"Actually, Koko knows more about airbending than anyone besides daddy himself," Jinora said, "he knows even more than I do.

"Jinora's right," Tenzin confirmed with a slight amount of pride. "Koda has studied the techniques and philosophies of airbending since he was a small boy. I have faith that he will give you good instruction."

"Alright then, Master Koko," Korra said with an annoyed sigh. "You were saying something about 'air currents.'"

"Yes," he continued, although slightly irritated. "As you probably already know, airbenders are masters of evasive tactics. They're able to sense incoming attacks by feeling changes in the air around them."

Koda could tell from her slightly absent expression that Korra still didn't fully grasp what it was that he was trying to say. He gave a heavy sigh as he tried to come up with a way for her to understand.

"Alright. Come over here," he instructed as he motioned for her to stand just a few feet in front of The Gates. "Now, close your eyes."

"This better not be another trick," Korra warned him with narrowed eyes.

"It's not," Koda assured her.

Korra took a deep breath before closing her eyes as instructed. "Okay, now what?" she asked impatiently.

"Now, try to feel the air around you," he said. "Is there any wind? If there is, what direction is it coming from? How strong is it?"

Korra gave it a moment as she tried to focus and feel any sort of wind. "Well, there's a gentle breeze coming in from the West," she said with some hesitation as she pointed to her left.

"That way is south actually," Koda corrected absently, "but you're right. That is a natural breeze that you're feeling. The key to making through The Gates relies on your ability to feel the disruptions in the natural air around you."

Even with her eyes closed, Korra couldn't help but smile at the small amount of praise that the young man had given her.

"Now hold your hand out directly in front of you," Koda commanded.

Korra did as she was told with her palm facing out and her fingers splayed. Her hand was less than a foot away from one of the spinning gates.

"Do you feel the air being blown into your hand by the gate?" Koda asked

"Yeah, a little... I think," Korra answered with some uncertainty.

"Okay, try to focus as much as you can on the sensations in your hand," he said. Koda gave her a moment to concentrate before continuing.

"Now, turn your hand around with your palm facing inward. Feel the air currents with the back of your hand," he commanded.

The result was almost immediate as what had only felt like soft fanning a moment before, now felt like a strong, cool gust of wind.

"Woah," Korra said in astonishment, opening her eyes and looking at Koda. "I can totally feel it now!"

He smiled. "That's because the skin on the back of your hand is much more sensitive than your palm," Koda explained. "Forcing you to focus your feeling in your palm only helped make the difference feel even more intense."

Korra was utterly amazed. She'd felt the wind blow against her skin countless times throughout her life, but she'd never felt it like this before. She wondered if this was how other Avatars had felt whenever they first discovered a new element. Did all her past lives experience this same sense of wonder and excitement?

Korra, herself, had been able to bend the other 3 elements for as long as she could remember. She never had to try to explore different sensations like this; she merely needed to dig deeper into what she had already known. This sense of discovery, this thirst for knowledge, was all incredibly new to her.

"Everything in the world causes movement in the air," Koda said, regaining Korra's attention. "Everything from a flying boulder or a fire blast to a single wingbeat from a spider-fly; they all create disruptions in the natural air flow. And airbenders are able to perceive the world around them by feeling these changes in the air against their skin," he explained.

"That's why most of the Air Nomads shaved their heads. Your scalp is extremely sensitive like the back of your hand," Koda said, motioning to his bald father as an example.

"I want you to close your eyes again. Visualize the spinning gate in front of you," Koda continued as he crossed his arms. "I want you to try to predict the speed of the gate's rotation. Feel the ebb and flow of the air as it spins. The air current should be at its strongest when the gate is closest."

Korra tried to feel this 'ebb and flow' that Koda was talking about, but no matter how hard she tried, it just felt like a constant breeze to her. "Hey Tenzin," she said, trying to distract from that fact.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you try to teach me this stuff?" Korra asked. "You just told me to 'be like the leaf,' then you let me run face-first into this deathtrap," she said motioning to The Gates. "Why is Koda the one teaching me about all this feeling-the-air-currents stuff?"

"Wait a moment," Tenzin said. "Are you saying that you didn't read the introductory material I left for you when I visited the South Pole?" he asked with a distinctive edge to his voice.

Then it all came back to her. Korra did seem to recall the numerous tomes and scrolls that Tenzin and his family had brought when they visited her the last time. After telling her that her training was to be postponed, Tenzin had told her to read through them so that she would be 'adequately prepared' for when he finally came back to begin her training. In her frustration at being delayed and her haste to reach Republic City, Korra had completely forgotten about them.

"Oh... um, of course I read them," Korra obviously lied. "But...uh, you don't mind reminding me of what was in them, right?" she asked with an uneasy smile.

Tenzin sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Most of what was in there, Koda already briefly explained. I thought that you just might have needed a brief review to help you get into the groove of things," he explained.

"Luckily for you, I have copies of those documents which you will review every single day, until you finally master The Gates," Tenzin informed her with a predatory grin.

"Wait, so I just have to make it through them, right?" Korra reasoned as she hoped to avoid hours upon hours of sitting around and reading.

"I can do that, no problem," she said. And with that, she charged right in once again.

Unlike the first time, she made it several feet in. And although she was hit multiple times, they were mostly glancing blows rather than the full-body hits she suffered the previous time. Nevertheless, she was forced out in the same direction she had entered.

She tried again with the same result. However, her third attempt was more reminiscent to her very first as she was once again thrown bodily out of the spinning contraption.

And just like before, Korra was ready to charge headlong into The Gates once again when a hand grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. It was Koda... again.

"Korra, it's okay to not be able to get it on your first day," Koda said, trying to console her. "You just aren't ready yet. You need more practice."

Korra was a do-er, not a thinker. She learned best through actions, not by sitting around in a library and reading. She needed to master airbending as quickly as possible. She promised the people of Republic City that she would protect them. Korra wanted to know why Koda was trying to hold her back, to slow her down. What did he know about the expectation of becoming an airbender?

"Oh yeah?" Korra asked in frustration. "Well if you're such an expert, then why don't you try making through those gates?"

Koda frowned deeply at Korra's spiteful response, but he didn't bite back with any sort of angry retort. Instead, he then smirked as he stepped up to The Gates and popped his neck loosened up.

"Wait, he's not serious, is he?" Korra asked Tenzin in surprise. "He's an earthbender!" she said to Tenzin as Koda seemingly called her bluff.

Both remained silent as they observed the young man. Koda got in a tiger claw stance and looked to his two youngest siblings.

"Ikki, Meelo, reset The Gates," Koda commanded.

"All right!" Meelo exclaimed, throwing his fist into the air in anticipation.

Both of the young airbenders enthusiastically sent an incredibly strong gust of wind into The Gates. In their excitement, they accidentally made their blast a bit too strong as Jinora was forced to move out of the way. "You guys are messing up my hair," she complained.

Koda sighed in disappointment at the bickering of his younger siblings as he stepped up to The Gates, closing his eyes. Korra held her breath in anticipation as she waited for Koda to inevitably get mauled by the spinning panels just as she had been.

Yet, to her astonishment, Koda deftly dodged every obstacle as he glided through The Gates just as Jinora had, if not better. However, unlike his younger sister who had moved through in a relatively straight line, Koda seemed determined to move through every square inch of the network of spinning gates. He was moving with almost unnatural agility and speed that made it seem as though he was being carried by the air itself.

Just when it seemed as though Koda was about to exit The Gates out the opposite side, he astounded Korra once again as he abruptly stopped and began to move backwards towards the position he had originally entered.

Koda had been making his way throughout The Gates for several minutes by the time he finally made it back out from his point of entry, so the spinning gates had become noticeably slower than they were when he had first entered. After exiting, Koda brought his arms around in a sharp, circular motion. Using his earthbending, he turned the round, stone slab that The Gates were built upon. This caused the wooden panels to catch air as the entire structure was spun a full 360 degrees.

With his demonstration seemingly done, the Gates continued to spin as though they had been reset by a master airbender. Korra later went and decided to go again and she got hit again at the gates.

Why do I need to get the first-aid kit, Koda thought.

They watched as Korra tried to go through the gates as she bounced off each one and was flown out the entrance.

Korra got up again to try for a second time.

"Don't force your way through!" Jinora said

"Dance! Dance like the wind!" Ikki said

"Be the leaf!" Meelo said

"Father, I think it's safe to say that a first care will be needed. I'll go get it" Koda said.

Tenzin nodded to his son's comment, "Please do so."