Maintaining the Balance: Ch. 20 (Patreon)

Though he couldn't make out her features, Kahn could tell it was Ethuza observing him. Every person, especially Benders, had a unique signature to them. As the only female Firebender on the island, Ethuza's aura was impossible to mistake for another's.

("I can see why Jinora's so concerned...")

Shaking his head, Kahn alerted the Airbending siblings by rising to his feet and saying, "Lunchtime. Let's go."

Bouncing to her feet, Ikki exclaimed, "I want peanut butter and pickles~!" in an excited tone while Jinora, still struggling with her inner demons, just forced a smile as she propelled herself to her feet using Airbending.

Ruffling Ikki's hair, Kahn emulated a smile of his own as he said, "Contrary to what you might think, liking two things does not mean they mix well. I'll whip something up if you want, but you'll probably get a tummy ache and have to go to the bathroom a lot..."

Understanding that Kahn was telling her she would probably get diarrhea, Ikki shivered before saying, "Nevermind." Then, with the obvious intention of being carried, she raised her arms high and smiled.

Exhaling a sigh, Kahn commented, "Aren't you getting a little old for this?" before dutifully picking up the pampered four-year-old and supporting her with his left arm. He had been carrying her around ever since she was six days old, so it had become something of a habit to carry her if they were going to walk long distances.

Giggling in gratification, Ikki hugged Kahn's neck before playfully poking her tongue out at her older sister. Jinora's brow twitched in response, but, understanding that Ikki was just teasing her, she did her best not to let it bother her. Instead, she generated swirling air currents around her feet and legs, slowly ascending into the sky as she said, "I'll go on ahead and help mom get things ready."

Without waiting for a response, Jinora kicked her legs and zoomed away from the meditation pavilion like an unfettered Sparrow Hawk. She really enjoyed flying as it made her feel relaxed and free. It didn't matter if she was traveling three hundred meters or three kilometers. If she were given a choice to fly or walk, Jinora would fly everywhere.

Seeing her sister flit off towards their home, Ikki puffed out her cheeks, muttering, "Show off..." in a grumpy tone. Kahn found this rather amusing, the softest of chuckles emanating from his throat before he assured her, "So long as you continue to work hard, you'll be able to fly within the next couple of months. Walking on your own two feet would help quite a bit. As free and liberating as it appears, flight takes a fair amount of strength and stamina to maintain over great distances. You need to improve your core and leg muscles if you want to be able to fly as freely as Jinora."

As this wasn't the first time she heard Kahn say such a thing, Ikki pursed her lips before tightening her hold around his neck. She knew it was only a matter of time before she no longer had the option of being carried, so, as much as Ikki wanted to fly, she wasn't in a hurry to separate from her beloved 'big brother'.

Shaking his head, Kahn held Ikki in a Monkey Lemur hold before leaping into the air and generating vibrant, bluish-white flames from the soles of his feet. He couldn't use Flash Step while carrying another person, but he also didn't feel like walking down the snaking path leading down the cliff. Thus, as was often the case, he leaped down the cliff while doing his best not to mind Ikki screaming gleefully next to his extra-sensitive ears...

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..

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After coming to terms with the fact Kahn had probably seen, or, at the very least, sensed her, Ethuza decided to wait along the path connecting the main house to the Men's Dormitory. There was a possibility that Kahn would fly over her, but Ethuza was pretty confident he would at least drop down to say hello if he noticed her waiting.

Fortunately for Ethuza, that was exactly how things progressed. Kahn was flying back to his room when he spotted her looking up at him from below. He could tell she was waiting for him, so he touched down a safe distance from her before walking over and saying, "Good afternoon, Princess."

With a wry smile developing across her face, Ethuza said, "Unless I return to the Fire Nation, I'm no longer a Princess. Please, just call me Ethuza."

Nodding his head, Kahn replied, "Okay, Ethuza." before asking, "Is there something you needed from me?"

Though there was still a chance Kahn hadn't noticed her, Ethuza decided to be forward, stating, "I've been watching you these past couple of days. I know it wasn't the right thing to do, but I couldn't think of any other way to learn more about you. I'm sorry if-"

Before Ethuza could finish her planned apology, Kahn shook his head and interrupted her, saying, "How you choose to spend your free time is up to you. You haven't directly interfered with my life or the girls' training, so I have nothing else to say on the matter. The only thing I'm curious about is your reason. Why are you so...enthusiastic in your pursuit of me? There is so much more to life than romance. Why spend so much time and effort on something that is ultimately just a compromise between two people?"

Not expecting Kahn to ask such questions, Ethuza found herself at a brief loss for words. When she did answer, she adopted a serious expression as she said, "Love, hate, and the will to survive are the most powerful human emotions. People may be able to achieve extraordinary things by devoting themselves to the pursuit of knowledge and self-mastery. However, when everything is said and done, it won't bring them happiness, only a vague sense of fulfillment. Fulfillment is an emotion that wanes with time. Love is an emotion whose memory alone can inspire people for the rest of their lives, even if they fell out of it."

Shocked by Ethuza's answer, Kahn absentmindedly remarked, "It would appear your time in the library wasn't without merit. You are wiser than I anticipated..."

Though she knew Kahn was trying to compliment her, Ethuza couldn't help turning her eyes up at him, a playful pout on her face as she teased, "And you're significantly less 'smooth' than anticipated. Aren't handsome guys supposed to be unruly beasts with silvery tongues? You're about as tame as a Cocogoat."

"..."

Not sure how to respond to Ethuza's playful barb, Kahn remained silent. Ethuza paid particular attention to this, numerous thoughts crossing her mind as she slowly pieced together the 'puzzle' that was Aldr Kahn.

("He's a lot more awkward than I expected...it's kind of cute...")

Thinking she might be able to benefit from Kahn's awkwardness, Ethuza hesitated for a moment before stepping toward him and spontaneously wrapping her arms around his firm yet surprisingly supple frame. Ethuza had half-expected hugging him to be like trying to hug a statue. Instead, Kahn had a fair amount of give, so much so that Ethuza felt like she could pull him into herself if she really wanted to...

Matching Ethuza's expectations, Kahn didn't attempt to break free from her hold. Instead, his brows furrowed as he asked, "What are you doing?" in an audibly annoyed yet equally inquisitive tone.

Releasing Kahn from her grasp, Ethuza revealed a somewhat sad smile as she answered, "Just confirming one of my suspicions. You don't really 'get' human emotions, do you...?"

"..."

Unsurprised by Kahn's silence, Ethuza reached up to give him a pat on the shoulder as she softly asserted, "Hey, it's not like you're the exception. If people understood each other, there would be a lot fewer problems in the world. At least you're trying."

Though she was tempted to bury her face into Kahn's chest or return the favor by pulling his face into hers, Ethuza just pat his shoulder a few times before retracting her hand and walking away. She now had a much better understanding of Kahn's character, but she would need to find someplace to cool her head if she wanted to make use of it. In her current state, with her heart and mind racing faster than an Eel Hound, the odds of her doing something incredibly foolish were equally high.

As much as she liked Kahn, Ethuza didn't want to take advantage of his naivete. A moment of gratification might be life-changing, but she would much rather receive it over the course of her lifetime. With how intelligent Kahn was, he was bound to appreciate patience and control over passion and indulgence.

Seeing Ethuza walk away despite pheromones exuding from her body like a palpable aura, Kahn would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised. Given her stalkerish behavior, he half-expected her to try and take advantage of the situation by convincing him to accumulate 'experience' together.

"She may be a little outlandish, but she's still a pretty remarkable person. If Korra wasn't arriving in a few months, I might have considered saying yes...")

Though he didn't care much for looks, Kahn could tell whether someone was conventionally attractive or not. The Princess was far from the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, but she wasn't lacking in appeal. If anything, her relatively normal appearance, especially in traditional attire, gave her an approachable, easily attainable vibe. She wasn't, but that was the impression she gave without makeup and royal garments...

After watching Ethuza for the better part of a minute, Kahn turned away and decided to walk the rest of the way to the men's dormitory. Ethuza's words had given him a lot to think about, so that's what he decided to do. Walking was considerably less intensive than flying around or using Flash Step. The scenery of Air Temple Island was also serene and beautiful, a stark contrast to the city visible just across the bay...

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After wrapping up her training for the day, Korra, once again, found herself standing half-naked and flexing in front of a mirror. She knew a single day's training wouldn't affect her physique much, but she couldn't help feeling as though her body was considerably more swollen in the afternoon than it had been in the morning.

Releasing the tension in her back and arms, Korra's exhaled a sigh before hanging her head and muttering, "I can't keep doing this..."

Plopping onto the ground, Korra began a series of stretching exercises intended to loosen up her joints and increase her flexibility. At this point, there was very little she could do about her 'ginormous' muscles, so she decided to at least ensure she didn't become a single lump. Fortunately, Air and Water Elemental Chi all but guaranteed flexibility, so, despite her 'massive' thighs, 'gigantic' butt, and 'bulging' back muscles, Korra could easily touch the back of her head with the soles of her feet. If she really pushed herself, she could almost take a seat.

"Five more months...five more months, and I'll finally be able to see your stupid face again..."

Motivated by her words, Korra linked her legs around her head before shifting her weight onto her palms and holding herself up. Then, similar to how Kahn would meditate on the tips of his fingers, Korra closed her eyes and focused on the circulation of her Chi. Soon after that, the faint, nearly indistinguishable trembling of her arms faded away. A few seconds later, even her breathing appeared to cease as a pale blue glow appeared from beneath her eyelids. At the same time, the vaguest outline of a luminous tattoo began to appear on her back...