Maintaining the Balance

After piggybacking Korra to where she and her mother were staying, Kahn dropped the slumbering Avatar off in her room before preparing to return to his own. At least, that was his intention before his path was blocked by two women in traditional Water Tribe garments.
Cupping his hands together, Kahn politely lowered his head in the manner reserved for Masters as he said, "Master Katara, Lady Senna, it is good to see the two of you. I just finished placing Korra in her bedroom."
Smiling in response to Kahn's words and greeting, Katara stepped forward to get a better look at the young Avatar before mirroring his polite gesture and saying, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Aldr Kahn. I never got the chance to thank you for your assistance during Korra's attempted kidnapping. Without your timely arrival...I fear our losses would have been far greater..."
Shaking his head, Kahn's expression became serious as he said, "You give me too much credit. Even if I hadn't shown up, Masters Zuko, Tonraq, and Tenzin would have been able to repel the enemies. While my actions may have resulted in fewer lives lost, my only goal was to protect the Avatar. I am not a hero deserving of praise or gratitude."
Adopting a very grandmotherly smile, Katara issued a soft chuckle before saying, "The curious thing about gratitude is that it isn't up to the recipient to determine whether or not they deserve it. There is a reason we created words such as humility and humbleness..."
Though he understood the truth within Katara's words, it didn't stop Kahn from exhaling a sigh. His Creator, presumably with a desire to see how he would grow and develop of his own accord, hadn't equipped him with the knowledge or experience necessary to navigate a conversation. He knew all the words and could quickly ascertain a person's hidden intentions, but that didn't make conversing any easier. If anything, it made things worse.
"Just tell me what you want to say..."
Surprised by the sudden change in Kahn's disposition, Katara's brows raised as she amusedly remarked, "Oh my. No need to feel embarrassed. Now, what was it I wanted to say...ah, yes. How would you like to assist in Korra's training?"
Without missing a beat, Kahn answered, "I refuse. Instructing Korra is the responsibility of you and the other Masters. While our games are a form of training, their true purpose is to preserve Korra's innate curiosity. I cannot be her Master. Were I to assist in her training, Korra would lose one of the only outlets she has to express herself and behave like a child..."
Shaking his head, Kahn was prepared to depart when Senna obstructed his path, asking, "Why are you and your Creator so concerned about my daughter? Please, as her mother, I deserve to know if something terrible is going to happen. My heart can't take the uncertainty..."
Meeting Senna's remarkably blue eye, Kahn left the young mother feeling taken aback as he plainly stated, "You've got it completely backward. It is because they do not know the future humans can live happily. Knowledge of the future is a curse that forces people onto one of two self-destructive paths. Those with the power to do so exploit their knowledge for personal gain. Those without fall into despair as they do everything in their power to oppose fate only to fail miserably..."
Shifting his glowing green eyes in the direction of Korra's room, Kahn's expression softened ever so slightly as he added, "The being who created me is one of the few beings unbound by fate. As for why he made me, the answer is simple. The original Korra lived much of her life being led astray and manipulated by others. My Creator cherishes the concept of freedom above all others. I am here to ensure Korra is given a chance to determine her fate..."
"And what of you, Kahn? What about your freedom...?"
Hearing Katara's question, Kahn shifted his gaze to the elderly woman, a faint smile on his face as he answered, "I don't expect you to understand, but I am incredibly fortunate to be here. You cannot even fathom just how many people would readily trade places with me. Thus, while it may seem as though I am bound by purpose, I have cherished every single moment I've spent in this world..."
Eager to end the conversation, Kahn punctuated his words by cupping his hands together and bowing. Then, before either of the two women could stop him, he practically bolted out of the small yet cozy abode. It was an awkward display, but he would rather suffer a moment of embarrassment than continue conversing with the two Water Tribeswomen...
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Seeing Kahn run off, Katara had an amused smile on her face while Senna maintained an expression of concern. Kahn's words and actions did very little to alleviate her concerns. If anything, they made her feel even more anxious...
"Why did my daughter have to be born the Avatar...?"
Hearing Senna's silent utterance, Katara placed her hand on the young mother's back, her voice kind and supportive as she said, "We have no control over such matters, I'm afraid. If your daughter hadn't been born the Avatar, someone else's child would have been. All you can do at this point is raise her to the best of your ability. After that, it is up to Korra to decide the path she walks. In that regard, I am in complete agreement with our mysterious young friend."
Exhaling a sigh, Senna was about to express her concerns regarding placing their trust in someone with such suspicious origins when Korra emerged from her room dragging a stuffed polar bear dog by the leg, asking, "Mom? Is dinner-huh? Gran Gran? What are you doing here?"
With Senna at a momentary loss for words, Katara took it upon herself to greet the young Korra before explaining, "I'm going to be living here with you and your mother from now on. If you ever have any questions about Waterbending, feel free to ask. I'm no longer in my prime, but I'm still the best Healer and one of the best Waterbenders in the whole world."
Ever eager to learn more about Bending, Korra's drowsiness gave way to excitement as she jumped up and punched into the air, exclaiming, "Great! With your help, I can finally beat Kahn...!"
Though she had doubts about Korra defeating Kahn outside of the Avatar State, Katara nodded her head in approval, an amused smile developing across her face as she answered, "Perhaps. But why are you so eager to defeat him? Are you and Kahn not friends?"
Without any hesitation, Korra answered, "Yeah!" before promptly balling her hands into fists and adding, "But he just annoys me so much! We're almost the same age, but he knows so much more than me! Since I can't be smarter than him, I want to at least be stronger!"
With Kahn having an answer to virtually all of her questions, even some of the completely random ones, Korra had concluded she would never be as smart as him. Fortunately, she was the Avatar. Kahn may be the smartest, but the Avatar was the most powerful person in the whole world. She just needed to train hard, and she would eventually be able to beat him. Then, he would have no choice but the pay attention to her.
Seeing through Korra's intentions, an amused chuckle emanated from Katara's throat as she mussed the young Avatar's hair and answered, "I see. Well then, how about you show me what you've learned while your mother works on dinner?"
Never one to shy away from an opportunity to show off, Korra eagerly accepted Katara's proposal. She was a little tired after playing the entire day, but if it meant she could defeat Kahn, she didn't mind putting in a bit of effort...
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After returning to his abode, the first thing Kahn did was prepare himself a meal of five-flavor soup using squid, blubbered seal, arctic hen, and a few other staple ingredients popular in the Southern Water Tribe.
When Kahn first arrived in the secretive compound, the Order of the White Lotus offered to prepare his meals. After sampling their food, however, he insisted on being given the ingredients directly. Their food wasn't terrible; it just lacked substance. Like there was no emotion in it whatsoever.
Since food was one of the pillars of mental health, Kahn wouldn't settle for meals prepared without care. If the Chefs living within the compound didn't care about the quality of the food they were serving him, Kahn saw no reason to waste either of their time. He would simply prepare his own.
Fortunately, while it was clear that certain members of the Order weren't particularly enthused by Kahn's stay in the compound, they had yet to go out of their way to antagonize him. When Kahn asked for ingredients, they readily provided them. After all, as much as they disliked the notion of an 'uncontrollable element' near their precious Avatar, they weren't willing to risk offending someone that could best some of their most skilled Masters at the age of six. Kahn was clearly special, and, as ridiculous as the notion of a second Avatar was, they had no choice but to accept the reality that had presented itself before them.
Upon finishing his meal, Kahn took a moment to wash his face and clean his nails before making himself comfortable atop the duck-feather sheet that served as his bed. Instead of sleeping, however, he crossed his legs, sat as straight as possible, and linked his fingers together with his thumbs forming a loose circle below his navel. Then, in a remarkably short period of time, his consciousness descended into his body before he reawoke in the Spirit World.
While others would need to meditate for hours just to have any hope of entering the Spirit World, Kahn was able to come and go as he pleased. He was effectively a quasi-spirit, so if he wanted to, he could even use his Astral Body to pass through walls, gather information, and keep an eye on suspicious individuals. The only real downside was that his physical body was completely defenseless while his Spirit was away.
"Ah, you're here. I was wondering when you would show up."
Turning his head, Kahn was unsurprised to find a rather portly old man with a large beard emerging from the perpetual haze that obscured most of the Spirit World.
Adopting a smile he rarely exhibited outside, Kahn's expression and tone softened as he replied, "It's good to see you, Iroh. I trust you have been well since our last meeting?"
With one of the most grandfatherly smiles imaginable, Iroh ran his fingers through his long white beard as he warmly replied, "Your concern is much appreciated. However, I must continue to advise you against spending too much time in the Spirit World. As much as I enjoy our daily chats, a young boy like yourself shouldn't be spending all his time worrying about events to come."
Having gotten to know Kahn remarkably well over the past two months, Iroh couldn't help showing concern for the young Avatar. He was worried that Kahn was pushing himself to become the person he was meant to be rather than the person he could have become by simply doing his best to be happy.
Children, even those gifted with tremendous power, shouldn't have to bear the burden of the future. It was the duty of adults to make sure everything was running smoothly by the time the next generation was ready to take over.
Appreciative of Iroh's concerns, Kahn's smile became noticeably more amicable as he said, "I'll be fine. As I told you before, I spend most of the day playing with someone around my age. Besides, I enjoy working with my hands and building things. Working on this cottage every day gives me a feeling of accomplishment I can't really find in the outside world. Please stop trying to get me to stop."
Exhaling a faint sigh, Iroh ceased caressing his beard before walking over to Kahn and saying, "So long as you're happy, that's all that matters. Still, it wouldn't be very responsible of me to give up trying to deter you from spending so much time in the Spirit World. Even if you do not require rest, you should sleep. Without dreams to guide them, people eventually lose sight of the future. You may have been sent to this world with a specific purpose in mind, but you still have the right to your own hopes, dreams, and aspirations..."
Punctuating his words, Iroh lightly ruffled Kahn's dark-brown hair. He doubted the young Avatar would take his words to heart, but so long as Kahn kept returning to the Spirit World, Iroh would keep repeating them. He knew Kahn didn't have any parents, so even if the young boy came to resent him, Iroh was determined to do everything in his power to support and guide the boy toward the happiness he deserved...

Though her decision was opposed by many of the Elders, Katara's status as Grandmaster and wife of the previous Avatar gave her a lot of leeway regarding the way Korra was raised. The only people who had even more influence than her were Senna and Tonraq, Korra's parents.
As uncomfortable as Kahn made her feel, Senna couldn't dispute he had Korra's best intentions in mind. He also promised he would never try and take her away, so, as the months turned into years, Senna slowly grew to accept Kahn's presence around her daughter. At the very least, she knew he would never go out of his way to harm her.
With Senna supporting Katara's decision, the only person that could have opposed it was Tonraq. However, due to the sudden disappearance of his brother, Unalaq, he was effectively forced to take over as Interim Chief of the Northern and Southern Water Tribes.
Tonraq was resistant to the idea at first but eventually accepted after discussing the matter with his wife and the members of the Southern Water Tribe. They were hoping he could ease the tensions between the North and the South, so, after a short stay in the White Lotus compound, Tonraq moved to the North Pole to take over as Chief and help look after Unalaq's orphaned twins, Deska and Eska.
With Tonraq preoccupied with hew newfound duties and responsibilities, he had little time to concern himself with the specifics of Korra's training. He also didn't share his wife's sentiments regarding Kahn. The latter had risked his life to come to their aid, so while he did find Khan to be a little strange, Tonraq was content knowing the mysterious youth was willing to put his life on the line to protect Korra.
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Opening his subtly glowing eyes, Kahn was unsurprised to find Korra lying on her stomach, legs kicking, and arms supporting her head as she stared at him with a mischievous smile on her face.
Suppressing a sigh, Kahn reached for the mirror he kept next to his futon before raising his brows when he noticed there were no markings on his face.
"Did you suddenly grow a brain...?"
Unamused by Kahn's quip, Korra turned to the side before sweeping her legs like a breakdancer. The action caused a whip of wind to impact Kahn, but instead of injuring him or damaging his surroundings, it simply pushed him to his feet as Korra replied, "Did you forget what day it is? I shouldn't have to come and get you every morning."
Tilting his head to the side, Kahn pretended as though he was trying to recall something. This prompted Korra to ball her tiny hands into fists, but before she could lash out and lay waste to his bedroom, Kahn nodded his head in the direction of his closet, saying, "Check near the back."
Though she briefly squinted her eyes in Kahn's direction, Korra quickly regained her characteristically bubbly smile as she practically pranced over to the storage closet. After searching for ten minutes, however, she burst out of the closet with an angry expression on her face, screaming, "You tricked me...!" to an empty room.
Thinking that Kahn couldn't have gotten far, Korra wiped away the tears building in the corners of her eyes before charging out of the room like a Snow Leopard Caribou in search of its prey. She refused to believe Kahn had forgotten her special day, so, thinking he was playing a prank on her, Korra did her best to stay positive.
Fortunately, Korra's guess was correct as the moment she reached the exterior of the small compound that served as Kahn's abode, she found the hateful youth waiting for her with Polar Bear Pup panting excitedly at his side.
"Happy Birthday, Korra."
Rubbing away some fresh tears, Korra tried to force herself to appear angry but couldn't keep a smile from her face. She began to run toward Kahn with the intent to tackle him, but, before she was able to, the latter gave the Polar Bear Pup a light nudge. In response, it charged forward and pounced on Korra, eagerly licking her face as she laughed and tried to avoid its tongue.
Seeing the oversized pup smothering his childhood friend, a faint smile developed across Kahn's face. He had no way of setting in motion the events that led the original Korra to encounter the Polar Bear Pup that would eventually become her companion and mount. Thus, for the past six months, he had been sneaking out and befriending the local Polar Bear Dog population.
Polar Bear Dogs were challenging to care for, but they were a friendly and easily domesticated species. So long as you provided them with delicious food, they would typically follow you faithfully for the rest of their lives.
By befriending a few of the pregnant Polar Bear Dogs, Kahn was able to take away one of their runts without much of a fuss. After that, he asked Katara and Senna for permission to give it to Korra as a gift before hiding it away in one of the White Lotus's kennels. They reared a few Polar Bear Dogs as sledding animals so they could easily accommodate an extra pup or two.
The sneakiest thing about Kahn's arrangement was that Korra spent a lot of time playing with the Polar Bear Dogs. In other words, she had already been playing with the pup for the past three-and-a-half months. She even begged her mother to let her keep it but was shot down time and again on the grounds she was too young to have a pet.
Now that Korra had turned eight, officially old enough to start her training, she was finally old enough. At the very least, that was one of the excuses Kahn gave when he showed up and practically coerced Senna and Katara into letting Korra keep Naga, the name she had chosen for the Polar Bear Pup, as a pet.
After freeing herself from beneath Naga, Korra's expression was all smiles as she asked, "Does this mean what I think it does?"
Holding up his hand in a stopping gesture, Kahn said, "First of all, I can do without you pouncing on me. Secondly, yes. From today onward, Naga is yours. I al-"
Ignoring Kahn's opposition, Korra tackled him with all her might before causing him to tense like a statue with a kiss on the cheek. Then, with a cheeky smile on her face, she said, "You should see your face right now. You look even dumber than usual."
Pushing the mischievous girl off of him, Kahn rose to his feet with a blank expression on his face, whispering, "You shouldn't have done that..." in a tone too quiet for Korra to hear due to her laughter.
Shaking his head, Kahn looked towards one of the towers where a group of Sentries was keeping an eye on him. It had been more than two years since the beginning of his stay in the compound, but the White Lotus still didn't trust him. Not because he hadn't done anything untrustworthy, but because he consistently refused their requests to pass on his knowledge or obey their instructions. When it came to Secret Societies, anyone who didn't respect their hierarchy and rules was a potential enemy.
Noticing where Kahn was looking, Korra sat up in the snow, asking, "Is something the matter, Kahn?"
Returning his attention to Korra, Kahn surprised her quite a bit by smiling as he said, "No. Just a trivial annoyance. Now then, shall we head over to your place? I imagine the others are already waiting for us."
Staring at Kahn's proferred hand, Korra briefly hesitated before accepting his help in rising to her feet. She hated when Kahn acted all mysterious, but after discussing it with her mother and Katara, she found out he only did it to protect her.
Korra didn't like it, but she had come to accept that until she was strong enough to protect others, she was the one being protected. She had tried to defeat Kahn countless times, but he was always the one helping her up and teaching her new things. Thus, while she wasn't all that excited about having less time to play, Korra had been looking forward to her training.
Adopting a severe expression that didn't suit her young face, Korra stated, "Just you wait, Kahn. Once I master the elements and learn how to control the Avatar State, you won't be able to keep secrets from me anymore..."
"..."
Though he would usually dismiss Korra's words as her usual bravado, the kiss she had planted on his cheek was still fresh in Kahn's mind. He knew she had developed a crush on him, but he hadn't expected her to exhibit the signs of her growing affection so early. At this rate, there was a good chance that Korra would actively confess to him long before they left the South Pole.
While others in his situation may have been beside themselves with glee, Kahn had always viewed Korra more as a daughter than a potential love interest. In fact, he wasn't even sure he understood what love was. The knowledge and information stored within his mind didn't exactly provide a roadmap to understanding the complexities of human emotion.
Unable to think of anything more profound, Kahn averted his eyes from Korra's intense gaze, whispering, "Do what you want..." in a standoffish tone. Despite this, a massive grin developed across Korra's face as she gave him a not-so-gentle punch in the arm and declared, "Don't look so glum! Once I become strong enough, I'll be the one to protect you. Then you can spend all your time cooking, cleaning, and reading! Just leave all the fighting to me...!"
Resisting the urge to ask when he had been relegated to the position of a wife, Kahn just shook his head before attempting to liberate his hand from Korra's. In response, she squeezed his hand like a vice before adopting a toothy grin before pulling him along and shouting, "Come on, Naga~!" in a sing-song tone.
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Hearing the report of his Sentry, the Leader of the White Lotus, an elderly Waterbender with a round figure, balding head, and a full beard, couldn't help exhaling a sigh.
"I knew something like this would happen when that boy appeared out of thin air..."
Shaking his head, the Leader, known to his comrades as Master Tianshu, dismissed the Sentry before reaching into his drawer to pull out a brush and an expensive piece of parchment. Instead of dipping the brush into the ink well, however, he took a moment to reconsider his actions.
In the final few months of Aang's life, Master Tianshu was the one tasked with recording and carrying out his last will and testimony. This included a set of detailed instructions on how to train and, more importantly, protect the next Avatar.
Prior to his death, Aang had concluded that the Avatar Cycle was nearing the end of its usefulness as the lynchpin sustaining the balance between the humans and the Spirit World. He had worked tirelessly to ensure that the absence of an Avatar would no longer place the world in jeopardy. To that end, he asked that the Order of the White Lotus keep the next Avatar safe, secure, and, most importantly, away from the developing politics of Republic City.
After observing the impact he had on Republic City, Aang had concluded that an Avatar should never be directly involved with the administration or politics of any nation. For the sake of ensuring their neutrality, they should be kept far away from such things until they had fully matured and gained at least a basic mastery over the four elements. Before then, it was simply too dangerous, for themselves and others, to let them roam freely.
What Aang hadn't accounted for was the interference of his wife. Katara had always been the more sensible of the two, so, while she wanted to respect her husband's decision, she also knew that Aang had begrudged the Elders of the Northern Air Temple for deciding his fate and forcing him to train. She didn't want to see Korra forced into a similar situation, so the moment Kahn appeared, Katara used his presence as a justification to let matters take their course.
Recalling his many conversations with Katara over the past two and a half years, Master Tianshu breathed an exasperated sigh before setting aside his quill and reclining in his chair. Aang had repeatedly emphasized during his final testimony that Katara and the new Avatar's parents had the final say in their child's rearing. Thus, rather than penning a letter to inform Tonraq that his daughter was being 'stolen' from him, Master Tianshu just closed his eyes and muttered, "Let's just hope Master Katara knows what she's doing..."

"He's just been...playing with her?"
After returning from taking care of her brother's funeral, the first thing Katara wanted to know about was the mysterious boy, Kahn.
Before her departure, Katara had told the members of the White Lotus to let Kahn do as he pleased so long as he didn't try to take Korra away from the compound. Her decision made the other Elders apprehensive, but, as someone who had journeyed alongside and married an Avatar, Katara had a much better understanding of fate/destiny than them.
Nodding her head in response to Katara's question, Senna had a fretful expression on her face as she explained, "Korra seems quite...taken with him. She used to be very difficult in the mornings. Now, she often comes to wake me up so I can cook breakfast for her. After that, she runs off to play with Kahn and doesn't return until late in the afternoon."
"I see...and what kind of games do they play? I trust you check on them frequently?"
With a wry smile on her face, Senna answered, "I did in the beginning, but Korra kept complaining about how I was embarrassing her..."
Having raised three children, two of which were remarkably independent from a very early age, Katara couldn't help chuckling. However, as Korra was a notorious troublemaker even before her contact with Kahn, Katara didn't want to focus on it. Instead, she redirected the conversation back to the subject of games, asking, "I imagine Korra at least tells you what they play together, correct? She doesn't strike me as the type of child to keep secrets."
Nodding her head for the umpteenth time, Senna explained, "From what I have seen and heard from Korra directly, they play whatever she feels like playing. The thing that worries me is that Kahn actively encourages her to incorporate bending into their games. I've seen her propelling balls of fire and rocks the size of her head at him. He is able to dodge everything she throws at him, but I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before she seriously injures or kills someone..."
Blinking in surprise, Katara asked, "You're not concerned about Korra...?"
Shaking her head, Senna regained her wry smile as she answered, "I was in the beginning. However, after bringing up my concerns with one of the Firebending Masters, he told me that Kahn's control is unlike anything he has ever seen. He's only six years old, but he has mastered virtually every form of Firebending. Some of his techniques, such as Blast Bending, have never even been heard of..."
Though it was a little difficult to imagine a six-year-old exhibiting such an extreme degree of mastery over their element, Katara's expression didn't reveal the shock in her heart. If Kahn was who, or, more accurately, what he claimed to be, it made sense.
"I see...it sounds to me like our young Avatar friend is helping Korra in her training. Given Korra's personality, I can't imagine her responding well to a more structured lesson plan. Disguising her lessons as games makes a lot of sense considering her competitive and ostentatious nature..."
As she had been planning to try something similar, Katara could easily see through Kahn's intentions. There was no way Korra could ever sit still and listen to someone lecture her about the principles behind bending. Maybe when she was older, but certainly not now.
Rising to her feet with a grunt of exertion, Katara gestured for Senna not to worry as she asked, "Where do the two of them usually play together? I would like to see it for myself."
Though she was a little concerned that Katara might overexert herself, Senna answered, "Kahn had Korra create a ring and a field of pillars near the south-western corner of the compound. If they're not there, the only other place I can think to check is the north-eastern corner. Kahn built a treehouse there to serve as their secret base. Based on what you and the other Masters have speculated, I'm pretty sure he built it there in order to improve Korra's stamina. They often race from one corner to the other..."
Imagining the scene of Korra and Kahn chasing each other through the large, military-style compound, Katara couldn't help smiling. She hadn't vocalized it at the time, but she was actually in agreement with Tonraq that his daughter deserved a normal childhood. Keeping a young girl in a military installation and forcing her to train every day was an injustice. If Kahn hadn't shown up, Korra would have lived a very sheltered existence without anyone her age to play with, only much older training partners.
"It would appear our young friend's concerns for Korra are genuine. I'm looking forward to meeting him..."
Smiling wryly in response to Katara's words, Senna resisted the urge to disagree with her. Kahn was a very polite boy whenever they met, but his level of maturity made Senna uncomfortable. Though Korra seemed to be the one to decide what they did throughout the day, Senna couldn't shake the feeling Kahn was discreetly manipulating her. He was already the only person Korra talked about, and while that made sense considering he was her only playmate, Senna was worried that Kahn would one day choose to leave the compound. When that happened, Senna was almost certain that Korra would follow after him...
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Giving credence to Senna's concerns, Kahn was currently reading a book while the tuckered out Korra used his lap as a pillow. Most of the games they played were highly physical and, more importantly, Chi exhaustive. The White Lotus compound was also around 0.8km from corner to corner, so Korra was thoroughly exhausted by the time they reached their secret, constantly monitored hideout.
Since his Creator had blessed him with functionally unlimited stamina, Kahn didn't need to sleep. Instead, he spent his idle time meditating and exploring the Spirit World. He wanted to take care of a few things before Korra started her spiritual journey, so, with upwards of fourteen hours a day of free time, Kahn divided his focus between preparing for the future and gathering knowledge.
Though the world had recently entered an era of industrialization, there was no standardized schooling. Only the wealthy and the upper class were allowed to attend the various academies dotting the Four Nations. Everyone else just focused on their family's respective trade or tended to crops in the frontier regions. Just gaining access to books and scrolls was difficult, so, taking advantage of the fact he was in a facility belonging to the most powerful and secretive society in the world, Kahn was brushing up on his knowledge.
Feeling a wet sensation, Kahn was broken from his reverie. An annoyed grimace developed across his face, but upon looking down to find Korra drooling on his leg, it quickly faded. She could be extremely troublesome to deal with while awake, but she was pretty cute while sleeping.
Setting aside his book, Kahn checked the time by observing the angle of the Sun before poking Korra's remarkably squishy cheek, threatening, "If you don't stop drooling on me, I'm going to make your outie an innie..."
Though she attempted to ignore Kahn's prodding, Korra was eventually forced awake when he pinched her nostrils. She had a habit of breathing through her nose and snoring very loudly, so she would always wake up very quickly when her nostrils were obstructed.
Sitting up, Korra had a grumpy expression on her face as she rubbed her eyes and sleepily inquired, "What do you want, Kahn? Can't you see I was trying to sleep...?"
Instead of answering Korra's question, Kahn pointed to the sizeable wet spot on his left thigh. Korra followed his finger with her eyes, but, instead of apologizing, she animatedly inquired, "Did you pee yourself...!?" before bursting into laughter and adding, "Kahn is a big baby~! Waaah~! Waah~! Waaah~!"
"..."
Ignoring Korra's provocations, Kahn placed his hand over the stain before using his Firebending to dissipate it. Korra immediately took notice of this, her laughter ceasing as she sat up straight and eagerly inquired, "You can use Firebending to get rid of pee stains? Teach me how...!"
Though he was tempted to get even by asking Korra why she would need such a technique, Kahn jumped to his feet to grab a cloth and a large vase filled with water. Korra had a habit of throwing a tantrum and storming off whenever she felt embarrassed or upset, so Kahn never took her words to heart. He may have been created just a few months ago, but he had tens of thousands, if not more, years of knowledge and information stored in his mind. If he allowed a five-year-old to get under his skin, he would be the one embarrassed.
Carrying the large vase over, Kahn placed it right in front of Korra before sitting across from her. Then, before she could ask what he was doing, he began explaining the water cycle, specifically evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.
What most Benders didn't realize, primarily because they made minimal effort to understand it, was that each of the Elements shared the same origin. Bending was the process of manipulating Chi within the body and the surrounding environment. So long as you understood the process, it was possible to Bend every single element. It was just a little convoluted unless you had the appropriate affinity.
By infusing his Chi into the vase, Kahn was able to convert the contents into water vapor through evaporation. Then, before the shocked eyes of Korra, he manipulated it to form a small cloud above the vase's opening. From the perspective of most people, this would undoubtedly qualify as a form of Waterbending. In reality, Kahn was simply manipulating the Chi he had infused within the cloud of vapor. So long as he didn't let it dissipate, he could emulate Waterbending through an exceptionally advanced form of Firebending known as Steambending...
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.
Though she was eager to meet and converse with both of the children, the first thing Katara did after learning about Korra's and Kahn's location was head to one of the observation towers that kept a close watch on the pair's secret hideout. Kahn had installed large, open windows on the sides of the structure, so, from a higher vantage, it was easy to see the interior.
Seeing Kahn manipulate the water within the vase, Katara would be lying if she said she wasn't a little agitated. Based on what Kahn had revealed, he was a pure Firebender. To that end, his ability to Bend water vapor to form a cloud must be an aspect of Firebending. She just didn't understand how.
Lowering her binoculars, Katara softly remarked, "What a truly fascinating child. Though there is a disparity in power, his control over the element of fire is comparable to Aang's when he was in the Avatar State. Young Kahn may very well be the greatest Firebender in the world..."
While she was tempted to call Kahn the greatest natural Bender, that title belonged to one of Katara's, or, more accurately, Toph's former comrades. The man had pioneered several forms of Earthbending by the time he was a mere eight years old. Were it not for the fact he was a remarkably gentle person; there was a genuine possibility he could have ended the hundred-year war on his own.
"Master Katara...?"
Noticing Katara staring off into space with a pensive expression on her face, Senna couldn't help breaking the silence. When Katara came back to her senses, she offered a grandmotherly smile and said, "We should leave them be for now. I was always of the mindset that five years old is far too early to begin serious training. Since Korra seems to be enjoying herself, I say we let Kahn continue teaching her until she is around seven or eight. Who knows, by then, she may be the one teaching her Masters..."
Recalling how monstrously powerful Toph had been under the tutelage of her mentor-turned-husband, a perceptive glimmer flashed across Katara's eyes as she returned her attention to the young Kahn. She wasn't entirely sure, but her intuition told her the young Avatar of Fire and Absolution had something to do with her former colleague...

Chapter 7: Chapter 7