Maintaining the Balance: Ch. 4 (Patreon)

After confirming the safety of his wife and daughter, Tonraq convened with Tenzin and Zuko to discuss their next plan of action. Among them, it was Fire Lord Zuko who took charge, explaining, "Of the twenty-three Sentries assisting in the Avatar's escort, seventeen have succumbed to their injuries. We severely underestimated just how much of a threat the members of the Red Lotus were."

Seeing Sokka's body among those who had died, the expressions of all three men, Tenzin more so than any other, were grim. Sokka was his uncle and, while he may have been seventy-four years old, it didn't feel right for him to succumb to a surprise attack.

"Mother is going to be devastated..."

Placing his hand on Tenzin's shoulder, Tonraq was going to say something to try and console him when the young boy from earlier, Kahn, said, "If he was given the option, I'm sure Chief Sokka would rather die protecting his family and friends than in a bed. Grieve if you must. However, so long as a single person carries his will, Chief Sokka will never truly die..."

Using his head and eyes, Kahn drew Tenzin's, Zuko's, and Tonraq's gazes toward the sleeping Korra. Once things started to calm down, she quickly fell asleep. As a result, Senna was currently cradling the young Avatar in her arms with a heavy yet motherly smile on her face.

"It is the responsibility of the generations ahead to blaze a trail for those that follow. These men and women were warriors who died believing in a cause far greater than themselves...now, it is our turn to bear the torch of the present. If we allow ourselves to get caught up in the past, there is no future...only remorse..."

Speaking on behalf of everyone present, Zuko asked, "Just who are you? I heard about you from Master Tonraq, but I find it difficult to believe that a second Avatar could exist. And your Creator, this Sage Dragon Emperor. I have neither read nor heard of a being bearing such a name or title..."

Smiling in response to the elderly man's words, Kahn mused, "As vast as your knowledge is, I can assure you, Fire Lord Zuko, there is far more you don't know. For one, this is not the only planet in existence. There are tens of trillions of inhabitable worlds beyond this one. If you can name even a single one of them, sans the Spirit World, I will share with you the secrets of the Universe..."

Understanding that Kahn was effectively calling him ignorant, Zuko's expression became sullen. In his fifty-eight years as Fire Lord, he had never once experienced being talked down to by a child. Fortunately, at least compared to his younger self, he was considerably more patient.

"While it is true that I cannot deny your words, the burden of proof falls to the person making a claim. Can you demonstrably prove the existence of these trillions of worlds? At this point, even your status as an Avatar is up for debate."

Though it didn't earn him any brownie points with the codgerly Fire Lord, Kahn made a show of rolling his eyes before rising to his feet and saying, "There is no meaning to this kind of discussion. This world has more than enough problems without concerning itself with the truth of the Universe. Most of you can't even enter the Spirit World of your own accord..."

Shaking his head, Kahn directed his attention to the man that had been driving the vehicle carrying Senna and Korra. Not every member of the Order of the White Lotus was a Bender. Benders only made up between 10-12% of the global population, so it wasn't uncommon for organizations to assign ordinary citizens to logistics and support roles.

"This should shut you up. And no, I won't be doing this again unless I feel like it."

Ignoring the gazes of the trio of men, Kahn sauntered his way over to the visibly shaken member of the White Lotus before surprising everyone in earshot by asking, "Would you like to become a Firebender?"

Though he was surprised that the kid everyone was talking about had come up to speak with him, the driver didn't even need to consider his response, answering, "If I had the option...yes..."

"Thanks, that makes things a lot easier for me."

Without explaining further, Kahn took advantage of the fact that the man was seated to place the tips of his index and middle fingers on the man's forehead and chest. A vibrant white light glowed at the points of contact. From the driver's perspective, a sensation akin to a warm shower washed over him, instantaneously overpowering the sub-zero temperatures of the South Pole.

When the light faded away, Kahn retracted his hands, a supportive smile on his face as he said, "Take it slow. Firebending, especially in the wrong hands, is one of the more dangerous Bending Arts. Start by imagining a flame as small as a candle at the tips of your fingers. Once you're able to make the flame dance between your fingers, you're ready to move on to more advanced techniques..."

Rather than simply explaining things, Kahn produced a tiny flame at the tip of his thumb before making it leap between his remaining digits. After that, he caused it to weave between his fingers before squashing it in his palm.

Seeing Kahn's demonstration of control, Fire Lord Zuko was already at a loss for words. Even he wouldn't be able to demonstrate such fine control over his flames, yet here Kahn was informing someone that it was a 'basic' technique. It was such an outlandish notion that he wasn't even surprised when the driver managed to produce a flame at the tip of his index finger, lightly burning it in the process.

"I...I did it...!"

Ignoring the fact he had just burned the tip of his finger, the driver was so overjoyed by his sudden status as a Firebender that he attempted to hug Kahn. Unfortunately, at least for the driver, Kahn preempted his efforts by stepping away and dodging to the side, saying, "Good for you. Make sure you train hard from this moment onward."

Finished with his demonstration, Kahn returned to the trio of Masters just in time to hear Tenzin remark, "Astonishing...he truly is an Avatar..." under his breath.

Piggybacking off of Tenzin's words, Kahn explained, "The only thing that makes the Avatar special is the fact they have fused with the Great Spirit of Light and Peace, Raava. In truth, anyone that had melded with a Spirit qualifies as an Avatar. The Avatar can bend each of the elements because the original had his Chi Pathways opened by the Ancient Ones, the beings commonly referred to as Lion Turtles. Without their support and guidance, there would be no benders. Heck, there wouldn't even be any humans..."

Having learned about the existence of Lion Turtles from his father, the former Avatar, Tenzin's eyes glistened with a thirst for knowledge as he asked, "How do you know these things? As far as I know, even my father was unaware of them. He spent the last thirty years of his life recounting and recording all of the knowledge he accumulated throughout his life. If he had known these things, he would have shared them."

Shrugging his shoulders, Kahn's expression became mildly annoyed as he asked, "What's your point? Being an Avatar doesn't make one a scholar. As for how I know these things, they were hardcoded into my memory by my Creator, the Sage Dragon Emperor. He saw fit to give me knowledge of the past, present, and even the future of various worlds. Unfortunately for you, he also gave me the right to share and withhold it as I see fit. Unless I deem it necessary, don't expect me to divulge anything. Knowledge and information are power, and, in the wrong hands, there are no limits to the amount of devastation they can cause. I am here to help restore balance to the world, not disrupt it further."

Though Kahn's words made him feel a little uncomfortable, Tenzin did his best to commit them to memory. He believed there was much they could learn from someone like Kahn, so, while Zuko and Tonraq had succumbed to an awkward silence, he didn't hesitate to ask, "Is something going to happen? The Avatar Cycle has spanned nearly four hundred generations. In that time, there has never been a second Avatar sent to 'support' and 'protect' the current Avatar. If something terrible is about to occur to this world, you must tell us."

Shaking his head, Kahn answered, "No, I don't. The simple truth of the matter is that any society that relies on external assistance and warning to avert a crisis does not deserve to continue existing. You, and by you, I mean humanity as a whole, have always had the option of living in peace and creating a world where everyone can live happily..." 

Closing his eyes, Kahn found himself suppressing a sigh as he crossed his hands behind his back and continued, adding, "Even if I were to share the truth, you would spend more time debating and arguing over it than fixing the issues that need to be addressed. If you want to contribute, continue supporting the Avatar to the best of your ability. Oppose systems that try to limit her power and question the reasoning of anyone who thinks their ten, twenty, or even sixty years in power grants them greater status and authority than the individual that has protected humanity for nearly ten-thousand years..."

Feeling exhausted, Kahn punctuated his rather serious statement with a lengthy, seemingly uncaring yawn. Since he lacked the personal thoughts and experiences of the man who had created him, his highest priority was watching over Korra and ensuring she wasn't controlled or manipulated by others. He had no interest in involving himself in the sociopolitical affairs of this world. At least, not until Korra invariably caused trouble.

Thinking of the young Avatar, Kahn preempted any further questions or arguments by stating, "Unless you intend to make camp, we should bury the dead and make haste for the nearest town. Waiting for reinforcements to arrive when you haven't even established a defensive line is incredibly foolish. What if more members of the Red Lotus showed up...?"

With Tonraq being a former General and Zuko being the Commander-in-Chief of the First Nation's Armed Forces, it didn't take them long to see the reason contained within Kahn's words. They weren't particularly fond of the words he had chosen, but that didn't diminish their significance. If anything, it compelled them to try and remedy their frustration by taking control of the situation...

...

..

.

Far removed from the incident transpiring near the South Pole, both in distance and time, members of a gang known as the Agni Kai Triad were breaking into the mansion of one of the wealthiest industrial magnates in all of Republic City, Hiroshi Sato. 

As the founder of Future Industries, Hiroshi Sato's wealth could rival that of a small nation. He was the genius that had invented Satomobiles, and, more recently, the planes being adopted by various militaries throughout the Four Nations. As a result, his wealth, power, and prestige had already reached the point that people regarded him as one of the most brilliant and influential men in history.

Intending to expand the influence of his gang and secure Hiroshi Sato as a private Sponsor, the leader of the Agni Kai Triad commanded his men to kidnap Asami Sato, the six-year-old heiress of Future Industries. Hiroshi was known to dote on his daughter quite a bit, so countless gangs, not just the Agni Kai Triad, had been targetting her since her debut one year prior.

After several months of observation, the members of the Agni Kai Triad were confident in their ability to invade the Sato Manor and sneak out without alerting the mansion's security. The gang leader even went out of his way to hire a talented Metal Bender known for his ability to discretely tunnel into Banks and other secure buildings.

At first, everything appeared to be going smoothly. The seven members of the Agni Kai Triad were able to infiltrate the mansion and enter Asami's room without incident. The only problem was that the six-year-old heiress never showed up. The increasingly anxious group of criminals waited well over an hour, but there was no sign of Asami anywhere.

Since it would be difficult to infiltrate the mansion a second time, the leader of the operation made the decision to check the master bedroom. There was a chance that Asami was sleeping with her mother, so, while it wasn't part of the original plan, he figured they could kidnap both girls. If they were successful, their boss may even let them have a bit of fun with Yasuko, Hiroshi's wife. If they threatened to do the same to his daughter, it should serve as excellent blackmail material.

Unwilling to retreat without their spoils, the group of seven men used the floor plan of the Sato Manor to locate the Master Bedroom. It was located on the third floor, but, thanks to their Metal Bending friend, they had very little trouble accessing it. When they did, they found the beautiful Yasuko glaring at them with a resolute expression near the headboard of a king-sized bed.

Seeing the gorgeous woman wearing little more than a silk nightgown, lecherous smiles developed across the faces of the seven men. Before they could even think to approach or threaten her, however, a vibrant, bluish-white line passed through each of their temples like a beam of light. In the very next moment, all seven men dropped to the floor with holes on both sides of their heads...