Maintaining the Balance

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us? I know about your promise with Korra, but I don't think she would mind if you came to visit."
Though he appreciated Tenzin's concern, Kahn shook his head, stating, "I don't want to be known as someone who breaks their promises. That was one of the first I ever made. Until Korra appears of her own accord, I will continue to wait here."
Exhaling a sigh, Tenzin extended his hand to pat Kahn's shoulder, saying, "Very well, then. Please take care of the island while we're gone."
Though he would have protected the island regardless, Kahn nodded his head and offered a reassuring smile as he said, "Leave it to-"
"I...I want to stay...!"
Hearing Jinora's outburst, Kahn and Tenzin shifted their attention to the young Airbender as she jumped off the back of Oogi.
"Jinora, we've been over this. You're too young to stay back on the island by yourself. Besides, if you miss this opportunity, it will be another year before you have another chance to visit the South Pole."
Furrowing her brows, Jinora pointed to Kahn, saying, "Kahn will be here, and we have Sentries protecting the island from potential threats. Please let me stay."
"Young lady-"
Before Tenzin could put his foot down on the matter, Pema decided to lend her daughter a bit of support, stating, "Leave her be, honey. Jinora is already a capable Bender, and I trust Kahn to look after her. He has never let us down before."
"But, sweetheart..."
Though there were a few instances where Tenzin had asked Kahn to take care of the children for multiple days, the furthest he and Pema had gone for their vacations was just outside Republic City. If something happened, it would take them less than two hours to return. Traveling back from the South Pole could take upwards of a week if the weather didn't favor their return.
Turning her eyes up at her husband, Pema assured, "This is Jinora we're talking about, Tenzin. Even without a sitter, I'm convinced she would be able to take care of herself. You said it yourself, didn't you? The only thing preventing her from becoming a Master at this point is her age and lack of experience. Would you worry this much about another Master?"
Surprised that his wife would mention something they agreed to keep a secret, Tenzin's eyes widened as he looked towards his eldest daughter. Fortunately, though it made Tenzin feel a little embittered, Jinora seemed more interested in staring at Kahn than listening in on their conversation.
Sighing, Tenzin shifted his attention to Kahn, asking, "What do you think, my boy? Given the circumstances, the final decision falls to you. If you're willing to keep her safe, I don't mind letting Jinora stay behind."
Without needing to consider his response, Kahn returned an affirmative nod, saying, "Leave it to me." in a confident tone. In truth, he was a little annoyed by Jinora's selfishness. However, understanding that things were about to change, Kahn didn't mind indulging her.
Though he was still a little apprehensive about leaving Jinora alone for two whole weeks, Tenzin ultimately nodded his head in approval before shifting his attention to his daughter and saying, "Kahn is in charge while we're gone. Do as he says and make sure to stay on the island. No flights over the bay, understood?"
Suppressing her excitement, Jinora did her best to appear poised as she cupped her hands together and said, "Understood." in a calm, composed tone. She hadn't actually thought about what she would do over the next two weeks, but she was determined to spend it with Kahn.
Noticing his daughter's peculiar behavior, Tenzin was tempted to renege on his decision. His wife seemed to have other thoughts, however, as she practically dragged him over to Oogi before subsequently shutting down Ikki when the latter demanded she be allowed to stay. Staying behind and messing with Kahn sounded a lot more enjoyable than spending the next five days cooped up in a carriage next to a screaming Meelo.
Unfortunately for Ikki, her parents readily pulled out the age card on her. She was much too young to be allowed to remain on the island for weeks on end without parental supervision. Kahn may have had a hand in raising her, but he wasn't one of her parents. Until she was experienced enough to take care of herself, they couldn't afford to leave her behind for such a long period. It wouldn't be fair to Kahn.
Though she tried to protest, claiming she was just as mature as her elder sister, Ikki's arguments were shut down pretty quickly when they asked if she could fly. She still attempted to argue, but her words fell on deaf ears as Oogi gradually ascended into the sky and began its five-day journey to the South Pole...
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Seeing the Airbender family disappear towards the horizon, Kahn would be lying if he said he didn't have mixed feelings. He just didn't let them get in the way as he turned to the wide-eyed, smiling Jinora and asked, "What do you want for lunch?"
Not expecting such a question, Jinora's mind briefly stalled before she burst into laughter and said, "You never change. Always so serious and reliable..."
Shaking his head, Kahn explained, "Everyone changes from one moment to the next. I simply choose to adhere to my baseline more than others. Now, what would you like to eat for lunch?"
"Hmmm..."
Tilting her head to the side, Jinora seriously contemplated her response before surprising Kahn as she answered, "Meat. I like being a vegetarian, but I wasn't given the option to choose anything different. Now that my parents aren't here...there are lots of things I want to try."
Ignoring the meaningful gleam in Jinora's eyes, Kahn asked, "Aren't you a little young to be going through a rebellious phase? And did you seriously expect me to help you break the rules of the Temple?"
Adopting a pouty expression, Jinora turned her eyes up in an accusatory manner as she said, "I know you eat meat, Kahn. Besides, I talked to Mom last night. She was the one who encouraged me to follow my...to discover my own path. If a Princess of the Fire Nation can, why can't I...?"
"..."
With the ability to ascertain a person's true intentions, Kahn could tell Jinora wasn't lying when she said her mother had encouraged her. He also knew Pema very well, and she was precisely the type of person that would support her daughter's crush. She just trusted him enough not to take advantage of Jinora's feelings and let things get out of hand.
"Very well. However, should your parents ask, I will have no choice but to reveal that you willfully elected to consume meat, understood?"
Nodding her head in affirmation, Jinora's expression became serious as she said, "Just make sure the portion's small. I read in a book that meat is super greasy, and I don't want to upset my stomach."
"Yeah, yeah, just leave it to me..."
Though it was way too early to start on lunch, Kahn put his hands into his pockets and began walking towards the main house. Pema had prepared a room for him years ago, so he didn't need to stop by his room unless he wanted to check in on Ethuza. He imagined she was waiting for him along the path, but that was something done of her own prerogative. He would eventually fly over and explain the situation to her, but she would have to wait until he checked the condition of the house.
Despite Tenzin's and Pema's efforts to convince him to take it easy, Kahn took house and babysitting very seriously. They were entrusting him with two of their most precious things, so there was no way he would slack off. Thus, first and foremost, Kahn would investigate every square centimeter in and around the house in search of vulnerabilities. He also had a habit of returning things in the same state he had received them, so while Jinora followed him around like a Turtle Duckling, Kahn went through each item on his checklist without skipping a single thing.
Having watched Kahn complete his checklist several times, Jinora knew when he was finished. She also knew better than to disturb him when he was in his 'serious' mode, so she waited until he was wrapping things up before asking, "What do you want to do for the next two weeks? Since it's Summer, we could go to the beach. There's a pretty neat little cove on the Northern side of the island."
Directing his gaze towards the petite Airbender, Kahn remained silent for several seconds before replying, "The only directive your father gave was to stay on the island. If you want to go swimming, I will accompany and watch over you."
Smiling radiantly in response to Kahn's words, the only thing preventing Jinora from squealing in glee was the notion of how embarrassing it would be. Kahn had always been a very earnest and mature person, so she felt compelled to act the same whenever he was around.
"Great. I'm really looking forward to it."
Having said the thing she had waited nearly two hours to say, Jinora went out of her way to cup her hands before retreating to her room. She would ordinarily help out or watch Kahn cook, but she had other thoughts on her mind at the present moment. Besides, even though she was willing to give it a try, Jinora didn't want to see Kahn cutting up and handling raw meat.
Watching Jinora scurry off faster than she had probably intended, Kahn waited until she had entered the house before infusing lightning into his legs and disappearing from the premises. Ethuza waiting for him was her own decision, but he would feel guilty if he ended up making her wait the entire day without bothering to explain the situation.
Fortunately, not that he expected her to be gone, Kahn discovered Ethuza taking a nap in the shade of a tree. Her butt had gotten a little sore sitting on a stone bench for well over an hour, so she spent a few minutes trying to meditate before ultimately giving up and just taking a nap. As someone whose head was filled with countless stories, clearing her head was next to impossible.
Crouching down next to the Princess, Kahn extended his fingers to pinch her nose. Unlike Korra, however, she didn't immediately awaken. Instead, she rolled away from him before curling up in a fetal position.
"..."
Resisting the urge to grab and pull Ethuza's ponytail, Kahn lightly shook her shoulder as he said, "Wake up. I need to tell you something."
Hearing Kahn's voice, Ethuza instantly awoke from her slumber. However, instead of opening her eyes, she tugged at the knot keeping her sash in place before rolling onto her back and exhibiting herself in an ostensibly defenseless posture.
Unfortunately for Ethuza, her robes didn't open in the way she envisioned. Kahn also didn't bat an eye towards her body as he flatly affirmed, "I can sense the fluctuations in your breathing and heart rate. If you're going to keep pretending, I'm going to leave."
Without correcting her posture, Ethuza opened her eyes, a wry smile on her face as she groaned, "You could at least pretend to be interested. Women are vain yet self-deprecating creatures. Without a bit of positive reinforcement from the people we like, we're prone to getting moody or outright depressed. Come on...no one else is around. I'm sure you're at least a little curious..."
Grabbing the hem of her robe, Ethuza tried to hike it up in a tantalizing manner, but there was too much fabric, and her position made it difficult. All she managed was revealing her calves, and while this would be more than enough to excite some, Kahn just continued staring at her with a borderline deadpan expression as he said, "I'm going to be house-sitting and taking care of Jinora for the next two weeks. You shouldn't wait here for me."
Bolting upright, Ethuza's expression revealed shock and a fair amount of frustration as she exclaimed, "What the heck!? I've been waiting months for this opportunity, and you're telling me-!?"
Realizing she was out of line, Ethuza covered her mouth with both hands as she stared at Kahn with widened eyes. Fortunately for her, Kahn wasn't the type of mull over the peculiarities of a person's behavior. Instead, he offered a practiced, apologetic smile as he said, "Sorry...it caught me off guard as well..."
Removing her hands from over her mouth, Ethuza exhaled a sigh of relief before turning her eyes up and staring at Kahn. If they were going to be apart of two weeks, she wanted something to keep her going. Thus, even though she felt like she was pushing her luck, she said, "I'll forgive you if you ogle my breasts or give me a kiss on the cheek..."
Employing a basic negotiating tactic, Ethuza gave Kahn two options, one ridiculous and one relatively tame. When presented with multiple options, people had a strange habit of thinking they didn't have any other choices. What Ethuza had failed to take into consideration was the fact that Kahn wasn't an ordinary person. He considered kissing far more intimate than simply staring at someone, so, much to Ethuza's surprise, he lowered his eyes and stared directly at her breasts, asking, "How long...?" without so much as a single quiver in his voice.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..."
Though the taste was far beyond her expectations, it wasn't long before Jinora felt as though her stomach was twisting in knots. She tried lying on her side as Kahn suggested, but it did little to combat her growing feeling of nausea.
"There is nothing wrong with you, physiologically. Your symptoms are the result of a nocebo effect. You feel guilty about eating meat, so your body is responding as you think it should."
"Uugh..."
Instead of helping her feel better, Kahn's words caused Jinora to groan as she curled up in a fetal position. She knew he was probably right, but the notion that she had just eaten a living creature still weighed heavily on her mind and stomach. Airbenders were supposed to cherish all forms of life, from the largest Flying Bison to the smallest Spider Fly trapped in its own web. Consuming the flesh of an innocent creature that simply went about its life trying to survive felt wrong...
Seeing Jinora beating herself up mentally and physically, Kahn couldn't help sighing. He knew something like this was going to happen, but just as he intended to let Korra make her own mistakes, he had no intention of stopping Jinora from finding her own path. She had her mother's blessing, so who was he to say otherwise?
("I should still say something...")
In an effort to mitigate Jinora's symptoms, Kahn explained the circle of life, the properties of fruits, and how plants were multicellular organisms that irrefutably qualified as living creatures. They were a different form of life than animals, but humans wouldn't even have air to breathe if not for plants.
Listening to Kahn's long, educational diatribe regarding bacteria, natural selection, and other naturalistic philosophies, the pain in Jinora's stomach gradually waned. Not because she had suddenly overcome her guilt, but because she enjoyed listening to Kahn speak. He wasn't very expressive, but his calm, deep, and euphonic tone compelled people to listen closely to everything he said. Combined with his looks, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Kahn had a very mesmerizing manner of speaking.
"You still with me...?"
Blinking back to awareness, a faint blush colored Jinora's cheeks as she averted her eyes and instinctually apologized, muttering, "Sorry...I sort of lost focus halfway through..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Kahn's expression remained neutral as he calmly stated, "This wasn't an official lesson. So long as you're feeling better, it's okay."
Rising to his feet, Kahn walked over to where Jinora was curled up on a couch, asking, "Can you stand?"
Though she was tempted to shake her head, Jinora didn't want Kahn to think she was the same as Ikki. Thus, after a moment of hesitation, she sat up and said, "I'm fine. I still feel like there's a weight in my stomach, but it isn't nearly as bad as it was before."
Nodding his head in approval, Kahn extended his hand for Jinora to grab as he said, "I'm about to start my afternoon training. It's still a little early for you, but moving around is one of the best treatments for nausea and bloating. At the very least, I can teach you a few stretches and breathing exercises."
Accepting Kahn's hand, a radiant yet visibly cramped smile developed across Jinora's face. She would have preferred to simply observe Kahn from the sidelines, but the notion of training alongside him wasn't exactly unpleasant. She just hoped she didn't embarrass herself by passing gas in the middle of a stretch. Even the thought of such an incident was enough to make her want to scream...
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After a relatively uneventful afternoon, Kahn prepared dinner, performed his evening checks around the house, and sent Jinora to bed. She wanted to stay up playing games like Cat Catching Mice and Bouncing Birdie, but Kahn talked her down by reminding her they were supposed to be going to the beach the following day.
With Kahn's reminder, Jinora hurried back to her room after wishing him a pleasant evening. She still hadn't decided what she wanted to wear to the beach, so while Kahn settled down in the living room and sent his Astral Form to keep watch from the roof, Jinora spent an additional three hours going through her entire wardrobe.
Though he could tell Jinora was awake, Kahn had a strict policy against entering private quarters, baths, and bathrooms with his Astral Form. He was willing to make an exception if he was scouting an enemy base, but Jinora wasn't exactly his enemy. There were times when she was a little annoying, but Kahn had come to view her, Ikki, and Meelo as his younger siblings. He knew she had a crush on him, but that didn't affect his views in the slightest.
"Hmmm...?"
Noticing a figure sneaking up one of the side paths leading to the main house, Kahn flew over in his Astral Form to find Ethuza pacing back and forth and talking to herself. His previous actions had left her feeling more than a little muddleheaded, so she was trying to convince herself it wasn't a 'completely' terrible idea to sneak into the Airbending residence and see if he wanted to have a 'chat'.
Exhaling a sigh, Kahn muttered, "Love and desire really do make people behave like fools..."
Shaking his head, Kahn decided to leave Ethuza be and return to his perch. She wasn't hurting anyone, and even if she did approach the residence, he could always send her away after a short conversation.
Fortunately, Ethuza came to her senses after a close shave with a pair of White Lotus Sentries. They wouldn't have done anything to her, but it was bound to generate a few rumors if she was discovered sneaking about in the middle of the night. Thus, after evading the patrol by ducking behind a tree, Ethuza hurried back to the Women's Dormitory without attempting her ill-advised break-in. As for Kahn, he just muttered, "There she goes..." in his characteristically monotone voice.
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With the sky beginning to illuminate above the horizon, Kahn performed his morning sweep of the property before heading to the kitchen to start breakfast and prepare a picnic basket for lunch. He was pretty sure that Jinora would want to stay at the beach for most of the day, so he made sure to prepare plenty of snacks and beverages.
When Kahn finally exited the kitchen, Jinora was already waiting for him at the dining table with her head down. She had stayed up pretty late the previous night, not because she was sorting through clothes, but because she was too nervous and excited to sleep.
"Good morning, Jinora. Sleep well...?"
Groaning in response to Kahn's words, Jinora reluctantly raised her head to say, "I would feel better with a cup of black tea or coffee..."
Responding with a curt not, Kahn left the breakfast on the table before heading back to the kitchen to prepare a little pick-me-up for the moody Airbender. He could have had Jinora do it, but he generally preferred the tea and coffee prepared himself.
Returning after a few minutes, Kahn found Jinora looking apologetic as she said, "Sorry...I didn't mean to sound rude..."
Shaking his head, Kahn placed down the tea set before taking the seat next to Jinora and saying, "I accept your apology. Now, eat up. We may be on break right now, but there is a reason it's called daily training. So long as you're my student, I won't tolerate slacking off."
Though she nodded her head in understanding, Jinora made sure to pour cups for both herself and Kahn before turning her attention to the food he had prepared. The lack of meat made her feel genuine relief, not because she still felt guilty, but because she couldn't risk another 'mishap' like the day before.
Bloating and stretching were a dangerous combination...
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With breakfast coming to an end rather quickly, Kahn waited for Jinora to finish cleaning the dishes before the two of them made their way over to the Airbending Training Arena. It took the form of a stone platform with an Eight Trigrams Formation engraved around a 10m wide Taiji, the black and white symbol traditionally associated with Yin and Yang.
The Actualized World of Avatar drew inspiration from traditional Chinese culture and philosophies. The Earth Kingdom, in particular, was a parody of the Ming Dynasty, while the Fire Nation was loosely inspired by Japan and other island nations in Southeast Asia.
Though there were innumerable variants, the martial forms of Bending were based on traditional martial arts such as Tai Chi, Hung Gar, Ba Gua, and the Northern Shaolin Style of Kung Fu. In matching order, these four arts served as the foundation of Waterbending, Earthbending, Airbending, and Firebending.
As an Airbender, Jinora's foundation was centered on Ba Gua, a form that utilized light, circular walking techniques, and an attacking style known as the Eight Trigrams Palm. Because of this, her training focused primarily on balance, flexibility, swiftness, and spatial awareness.
Though the Air Nomads had developed a form of training using a series of spinning gates, Kahn wasn't particularly fond of it. They were excellent for beginners, but their nature as fixed obstacles meant that pretty much anyone could pass through them so long as they had a proper sense of timing.
Ever since Kahn had taught Jinora how to sense Chi, her training primarily revolved around emulating the other Bending styles while wearing a thick blindfold. An Airbender's most important sense was their ability to detect even minute changes in the surrounding air currents. A true Master could even detect and react to attacks from their blind spot, so, much like how a skilled Earthbender might train their Seismic Sense, Kahn had Jinora work on her Spatial Awareness.
During her flight training, Jinora had gained the intrinsic ability to sense changes up to three meters away from her body. With an additional two and a half years on top of that, she had managed to expand the range of her senses to seven meters. While this might not sound like a lot, it was a truly ludicrous amount when most people couldn't even sense things out of the corner of their eye, much less seven meters behind or above them.
The only complaint Kahn had about Jinora's progress was her inability to keep track of her feet. She could respond to rubber projectiles thrown at her, but she would randomly trip on uneven surfaces. In other words, she was great at sensing things moving through the air, but had yet to master 'probing' her surroundings using her self-created air currents.
Fortunately, Jinora was only seven, going on eight years old. She was so far ahead of the curve that she could take another three to five years and still be on track to becoming a True Master. Kahn's expectations were just a little inflated due to how quickly Jinora had improved in just a few short years.
With such thoughts on his mind, Kahn waited until Jinora was wrapping up her hour-long routine before saying, "Good job. At this rate, you'll be able to give your father a run for his money by the time you're ten. Just be sure not to let it go to your head."
As it was pretty rare for Kahn to praise someone, Jinora's face blossomed into a smile before she quickly caught herself, cupped her hand together, and said, "It's thanks to your teaching. Without it, I could have trained my entire life and never achieved flight. Thank you, Ma-"
Taking advantage of the fact Jinora had lowered her head, Kahn extended his hand to muss her hair as he stated, "Stop. I've said this before, but I'm not your Master. I also wouldn't praise you unless I thought you deserved it, so, once again, good job."
Removing his hand from Jinora's now messy hair, a faint smile developed across Kahn's face as the diminutive Airbender looked up at him with an expression that was equal parts gratified and pouty. She disliked having her hair mussed, but she also enjoyed receiving praise. Thus, for a brief moment, Jinora didn't know if she wanted to admonish Kahn for treating her like a child or thank him for his ostensibly sincere compliment...

(A/N: Happy Holidays.) In the days following his encounter with Ethuza, Kahn didn't catch her spying on him a second time. The only time he would encounter her was on his way back to his room, specifically near the place of their previous conversation. Though they ordinarily talked about books and other educational topics, the subject of the conversation would periodically shift to likes, dislikes, and feelings in general. Ethuza hadn't been joking around when she said she wanted to know everything about him, so, over the course of several days, Kahn casually recounted much of his story for her. Since her mother and grandfather had already informed her of Kahn's identity even before his birthday party, Ethuza wasn't surprised to learn he had been created by a being known as the Sage Dragon Emperor. If anything, she found it incredibly fascinating. It was almost like he was a character out of one of the books she read, a Hero compelled by fate and duty to save the entire world. The problem with Kahn's story, at least from Ethuza's perspective, was that there was already a prominent Heroine. Kahn went on and on about Korra, and while she understood the reason was that they had grown up together, Ethuza could feel her prospects decreasing the more she heard about their time together. While it was pretty obvious that Kahn had no interest in romance, the way he described Korra's behavior created a clear picture in Ethuza's mind. As far as she could tell, Korra was head over heels for Kahn even before their separation. The five years they spent apart might be enough to diminish a normal relationship, but promises made during adolescence had a habit of persisting a lot longer. As a woman herself, Ethuza knew that the moment Korra started puberty, Kahn would be at the forefront of her thoughts. Girls that age developed an obsession with the future and constantly thought about relationships. Guys were much the same, but instead of thinking about the future, they focused on the present or, more accurately, competing against others for a chance to 'claim' the best girls for themselves. Though boys were bound to have competed for her attention, Korra's promise with Kahn and her status as the Avatar made it impossible for them to sway her heart. If anything, boys fighting over her would make Korra apprehensive about spending time with any of them. After all, the usual social dynamic didn't really apply when the woman being coveted was exponentially more powerful than her would-be suitors. The kicker for Ethuza was the pendant Kahn had carved for Korra and the jacket she had made for him. Korra may have 'forced' him, but Kahn didn't have to engrave the pendant if he didn't want to. He could have continued refusing until the end or put his foot down near the start by explaining the significance of the pendant. Korra may not have understood fully, but she was bound to relent if he explained it clearly or provided an alternative. Unfortunately, Kahn was an extremely awkward boy, and when it came to people he cared about, he was a big softie. He wouldn't have wanted his final moments with Korra to become a bad memory, so even if he knew it was bound to create problems, Ethuza could easily imagine him relenting and carving the pendant just to make the parting easier. Kahn would never admit it, but he was a bit of a pushover when it came to the people he wanted or felt obligated to protect. Thus, unless he thought it was necessary to protect someone, Ethuza speculated that Kahn would remain a bachelor for the rest of his life. He just didn't see any reason to invest time and effort into something that would invariably get in the way of the things he actually wanted to focus on. By talking with Kahn, Ethuza was able to get a better grasp of his nature and, more importantly, his peculiarities. She had prepared for a fight even before relocating to Air Temple Island, so, even if things looked dire, she wasn't going to give up. If things with Kahn didn't work out, she was fated to marry for purely political purposes. Thus, unless Kahn outright told her she didn't have a chance, Ethuza was determined to continue fighting till the end... ... .. . During one of their afternoon discussions, Ethuza decided to change things up a bit by asking, "How are things with Jinora? She is no longer avoiding me, but I can tell she isn't very enthused by my presence." Nodding his head, Kahn explained, "I say this about most of my students, but Jinora is particularly brilliant. I believe her awareness of her parents' plight and the circumstances with the Air Nomads as a whole are forcing her to mature much too quickly. She believes she bears a responsibility to help restore her people, so she allows her head to fill with...unnecessary thoughts." Understanding what Kahn was too uncomfortable to say, Ehuza muttered an, "Oh my..." before shifting her attention to the Air Temple. She was well aware of the circumstances of the Air Nomads, but she had never actually considered what it must be like to bear the burden of restoring a culture... "Hmm...it seems to me that everything could be resolved if Master Tenzin simply took multiple wives. The original Air Nomads never had a tradition of marriage, and polygamy was common in the Earth Kingdom until 99AG. His hesitancy is going to make the lives of his children very difficult..." Hearing Ethuza casually reference polygamy, Kahn gave her a 'you aren't sneaky' kind of look before answering, "Tenzin is a man of principle. While his duties as Councilmen hinder him, he cares deeply for his family. Pema may be willing to accept such an arrangement, but Tenzin would never be able to live with himself if he caused her emotional pain or duress." Undaunted by Kahn's gaze, Ethuza playfully poked her tongue out at him before saying, "That doesn't mean it's a bad idea. At this rate, his children are fated to become brood stallions or baby factories. You said it yourself. Jinora is only seven years old, and she's already thinking about the future of her people. That kind of mentality isn't exactly healthy for a young girl, especially one as prodigious as your precious student." Catching Ethuza by surprise, Kahn shook his head before plainly stating, "It won't be an issue. By the time Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo reach adulthood, there will be plenty of other Airbenders. If she focused her attention on her training and stopped letting her emotions cloud her judgment, she would be a lot happier. It would be one thing if she were on the verge of adulthood, but she's just a little girl. She shouldn't be concerning herself with things like romance when it isn't even an option at her present age." Though she was 'very' interested in asking about the circumstances that would lead to more Airbenders being created, Ethuza decided to focus on the subject of the conversation, Jinora, stating, "As I said before, women, even young girls, have a propensity for looking towards the future. More specifically, we're always searching for a destined or, at the very least, a desirable partner. Just as boys greedily attempt to claim beautiful women, girls have a heartfelt desire to be 'chosen' by strong and capable men. So long as the option remains, we would never settle for 'second-best' when it concerns the potential father of our children..." Turning her eyes up at Kahn, Ethuza made her intentions very clear. If he didn't end up with someone else, she would never give up trying to claim him for herself. She also didn't mind being his second, third, or even tenth girl. So long as he eventually settled down and chose her, she didn't care if he philandered around for a few years. Such was the right of attractive men and women. Exhaling a sigh, Kahn closed his eyes and began looking for ways to end the conversation. Fortunately, Ethuza was remarkably perceptive, so the moment she realized Kahn no longer wished to continue, she suggested, "If what you said about there being new Airbenders is true, you could try sharing it with Master Tenzin and his family. If nothing else, I'm confident it would alleviate some of the burden placed on Lady Pema. I can't speak from personal experience, but I can't imagine it's pleasant being pregnant all the time." Blinking in surprise, Kahn opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a complete loss for words. Ethuza's suggestion was pretty much a perfect solution; he just hadn't considered it since he generally did his best not to discuss events to come. Amused by Kahn's reaction, Ethuza remarked, "You look cute when you're baffled." before rising to her feet and appending, "Good luck. If things go well, feel free to reward me. I accept kisses and candies. If you're feeling especially grateful, you can feed them to me mouth-to-mouth." Feeling pretty confident she had 'won' this particular conversation, Ethuza practically skipped away before Kahn could reply. She had developed the habit of assigning a positive or negative value to her communications with Kahn. So long as she exceeded a certain value, Ethuza was confident that Kahn would feel obligated to repay her favor. It was fairly underhanded of her, but Ethuza believed in the saying, "All's fair in love and war." She was already at a disadvantage due to Kahn's duty to protect Korra, so she had to do something to level the playing field. It wasn't her fault Korra just so happened to meet him first... ... .. . Following his rendezvous with Ethuza, Kahn waited until after dinner to reveal the truth to Tenzin and Pema. He didn't reveal any of the specifics, but he did tell them that an event would occur that caused the Spirit and Mortal Worlds to connect. In the wake, countless people would suddenly awaken as Benders. This included Airbenders by the hundreds, so, rather than focusing on increasing the size of their family, Kahn advised them to prepare for the dozens, if not hundreds of people that would be looking to them for guidance. Having developed a considerable amount of trust towards Kahn, Tenzin didn't press him for too many details. Instead, he was equal parts excited and terrified by the possibility of hundreds of Airbenders appearing out of thin air. They weren't even remotely prepared to deal with such numbers, so, immediately following the conversation with Kahn, Tenzin contacted the Order of the White Lotus to ask for help. As for Pema, she breathed a sigh of relief, as, despite feeling as though it was her duty to help rebuild the Air Nomads, giving birth to three children over a six-year period hadn't been easy. She was only in her late twenties, but she was already finding strands of grey within her hair. Now that she knew her services were no longer absolutely necessary for the restoration of the Air Nomads, Pema decided to focus all her efforts on raising the children she did have. The complications she had endured during her pregnancy with Meelo had already given her reason for pause, so Kahn's revelation couldn't have come at a better time. If her next child had been a stillbirth due to her declining health, her heart wouldn't have been able to bear it. Fortunately for Kahn, one of the first things Pema did following the news was sit her daughters down for a heart-to-heart discussion. She wanted to assure them that they were free to love and choose their own path in the future. If living within the Air Temple wasn't something they wanted, they would be allowed to freely explore once they turned fourteen. After all, what was the point of being an Air Nomad if they were forced to stay in one place?

Chapter 22: Chapter 22