The Girl After

Chapter 27

"Hold on," Asami put her hands up to stop me. "I've never been more confused in my life. Start over."

I inhaled sharply in annoyance. This was the second time I had been asked to repeat the entire story, and I was growing impatient. "Okay," I replied, "but this is the last time I'm starting over so pay attention."

All of us were sitting around a table in the temple. Aunt Jasmine was at my side, Kya on the other. Bolin, Mako, and Asami were on the other side.

"My mother was crazy," I said. "A lunatic, really. When Gran Gran and Fire Lord Zuko banished Grandfather, my mom became enraged. She lashed out, and attacked everyone she could. When Gran Gran had my aunts and uncles later on — Izumi, Jasmine, Po and Klei — my mom became even angrier. Gran Gran grew tired of my mother's violence and sentenced her to live in exhile, saying that she was a danger to others."

"What does that have to do with your bending?" Mako asked.

"I'm getting there," I said, then continued the story. "My mother was only eighteen when she was banished. She ran off to live in the South Pole, where she met my father. I still don't know who he is. They had me only a year after they met. When word got out that I was born, Gran Gran and Fire Lord Zuko sent out search parties for me. They finally found me and my mother in an igloo on the South Pole, not far from where the Winter Solstice celebration was."

"That's where you were coming from when you wanted to talk to me back in the South Pole?" Bolin asked.

I nodded. "Gran Gran tried reasoning with her to let me stay in the palace where I would be safe, but my mom refused. Gran Gran had to take me by force, bloodbending her own daughter."

Bolin's eyes widened. "That was the vision you were talking about!"

Asami sucked in a sharp breath. "That's awful..."

"It gets worse," I said. "My aunts and uncles spent a majority of their time guarding me. One night, when I was only three years old, my mom had devised a plan to take me back. Distracting everyone with an explosion on the opposite side of the palace, she was able to sneak into my bedroom. She was caught, though, by Jasmine. They fought, and Jasmine won — at least, I want to think of it that way. My mother was neutralised and banished once again. Even after that, she would attack the palace and try to destroy everything. Her antics eventually stopped by the time I was fourteen, but she's still out there."

The three of them all exhaled and said, "Whoa."

"And, all this time, I thought my father was a horrible parent," Asami thought aloud.

"He is," I said with unwavering certainty.

Mako shook his head. "But, wait," he said, "that still doesn't explain how you suddenly have the ability to bend water and fire."

I shrugged, not having a definite answer. "My bloodline is just waterbenders marrying firebenders," I said, "all the way back to Gran Gran's parents. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened to someone."

"That explains what happened at the park," he said after a long pause. "But why have you never used your bending? Working for the Triple Threat Triad, you could've been phenomenally unstoppable."

"I already was," I retorted with crossed arms, "and I still am."

"Okay, but why have you never used it?"

"Because I couldn't," I explained. "That's why I've kept myself on the island for so long. I've been trying to train with Kya. When Dakota bloodbent me, it must have triggered something. Maybe it broke through whatever barrier was keeping me from being capable of bending."

"Wait," Jasmine finally spoke up, a fire in her eyes. "You were bloodbent?! Who is this Dakota and where can I find her?"

"Dakota Lee," Kya informed her. "She's the granddaughter of Sokka and Mika. She's best friends with Avatar Korra."

"June's daughter," Jasmine sneered. "I never liked June. That woman was always full of herself."

"Sounds like someone else we know," Mako said while looking directly at me.

After sending a rude gesture his way, I told Jasmine, "Anyway, you can't find Dakota. She inserted herself into the Spirit World."

Jasmine's eyes widened. "Why? How?"

I only shrugged, and nobody else said a word. Obviously, no one truly knew the right answer.

"I have a very, very important question to ask," Bolin said with a serious face, clearly ignoring everything that had just happened.

"What is it?"

He paused, eyes locked on Jasmine. Bolin took a breath, then slammed his hands on the table and blurted, "What happened between your mother and Bao?!"

Asami nodded, though she executed herself much more calmly. "Yeah," she said, "I didn't even know she and Zuko had ever had a romantic relationship. What happened?"

Jasmine frowned. "Well, it's an interesting story. A few years before I was born—"

Suddenly, Ikki ran in with an excited grin. "Oh, good! I found all of you!" She said, "Korra sent a message!"

"Well, spit it out!" My aunt said. "What does the Avatar have to say?"

Startled by Aunt Jasmine's forwardness, Ikki stuttered, "S-She wants you all to come back to the South Pole."

"What for?" Kya asked.

Asami followed that by asking, "Is everything okay?"

Ikki shrugged. "She didn't say much else. She just wants you all to come back down."

Everyone above the age of eleven exchanged glances, each holding a different question.

Author's Note
I get the feeling @LogicPolice will hate me for this update, but that's okay! It's shorter than I intended, but worry not. Plot holes will be filled and more updates will come.