Book 3: Change

You can't even imagine how sorry I am this took so long to get out!

When I posted Book 2, I thought it would take me only a couple weeks to get Book 3. Obviously, that didn't happen. Life decided to be an absolute asshole, and I lost my grandfather, got the flu, and was bombardedby school work all at the same time. It just shows how awful winter is. I usually wait to upload stories when I'm completely done with them so I know that nothing contradicts anything, but I couldn't let this be a weight on my shoulders any longer. Updates for this book will be short and far between (*ducks a brick*). I know! I'm sorry, but I'm past 300 pages, and hate where the end of this story is going. I'm only going to upload a chapter when I know nothing in it will ever change at any given point. I might have to delete a couple dozen pages and start over to make it sound better and make more sense, but I promise I'm working as hard as I can. If you follow any of my other stories, you know that I've been working on those too so that might be part of the equation. Just everything has been a mess, and I'm apologizing more than an apology is worth to try and make it up to you guys. Anyone who loves these characters as much as I do deserves to have all their dreams come true. But, without further a do, Book 3...

"I can't believe that we have to go to another one of these dang things."

Emi was whining on her way to the press conference that Raiko had called this morning. Lin honestly thought that it was kind of adorable.

"He's just trying to prove to the press that he deserves a poll rate over 15%," Lin assured her, "We'll be in and out in no time."

"Then we'll both be able to pick Hisa up from school!" Emi squealed excitedly, "She told me this morning that she thinks school was way more fun than she thought it would be. I'm so happy, and it was especially fantastic that Tenzin volunteered to pay for a private school."

"It was nice of him," Lin agreed, "Who knew that that man could be anything other that the stoic master of airbending." Tenzin had been unusually kind after the battle of UnaVaatu, and it had taken the two earthbenders in love by surprise. He had started a movement for higher police wages, he paid for Hisa's medical bills, and he even allowed them to bury Hisa's cat Pika on the island so, as he put it, 'he could rest easily with the spirits'. It made both women utterly confused.

"That airhead is surprising," Emi said as they turned the corner. Emi had to laugh out loud as she saw the tree that was growing though City Hall for what felt like the thousandth time this week. "If that's not karma, I don't know what is."

Lin laughed along with her as they walked up the stairs to City Hall where a press conference podium was set up. Raiko, his bodyguards, and his advisers were already there. Raiko had ordered Lin, Emi, and some of their best officers to be there because he felt that the public was getting a bit too rowdy. Lin and Emi both knew this wasn't the case.

After the Battle of UnaVaatu, Raiko had been a bit shaken. He was extremely paranoid, and more crabby than usual. He was also starting to get even bossier, and was getting on the Police Department's nerve. He felt that the Department hadn't done anything helpful during the Battle of UnaVaatu even though Lin had saved his life and the entire force had done what he had said. He cut back on their checks, and were now being paid minimum wage (which was why Tenzin came in to help with Hisa's school costs). He was giving the Department impossible demands that spread the force thin, and the Triads had started fighting over the vined in territory of the city that the Department had deemed unlivable. Everything was going just fantastic…

"There you are, finally," the President huffed as Lin and Emi came into his view. Emi growled and clenched her fists, and the only reason she didn't attack him was because Lin put a warm, loving hand over her's.

"We came as fast as we could Mr. President," Lin assured him.

"I highly doubt that," the President sneered, "And where are the rest of your officers?"

"We called them in, sir," Lin said, "They'll be here shortly."

"They better, for your sake," Raiko said with a finger pointed at Lin before turning back to his advisers."

"Who voted for him again?" Emi whispered angrily to Lin, "Because I'm going to throw them in jail."

"Shh," Lin quietly laughed as she covered Emi's mouth with her hand, "I don't want you to get fired."

It took another 30 minutes before Raiko's advisers left, Emi's officers arrived, and the press came. Emi set up her men in a line behind the press podium, and after Raiko's bodyguards gave her the all clear she got into her professional stance next to Lin, who was standing to the right of the podium. With that, the press conference began.

"Mr. President," one of the reports said, "Are you concerned that your approval ratings are now nearly as low as the Avatars?"

"Have you seen today's headline?" another asked, "I says Raik-Oh No: Polls Pan Press Plans."

Emi almost laughed at that one. For the last two weeks the press had been making the funniest, cleverest headlines, and Emi laughed at almost every, single one of them.

"I'm not concerned with snappy put-downs in the press," Raiko told the reporter with a little irritation audible. "I'm facing this collamaty just like every other citizen." Raiko pointed to City Hall behind him. "There is a tree growing right through my office. Do you think I'm not doing everything I can to get rid of it?"

Emi smiled when she saw Korra fly into view on her custom made, blue Air Glider. She landed to the left of the President that caused a gust of air to past over Raiko. It made his glasses crooked and caused some of his 'perfectly', smoothed down hair to pop out of place. Emi was actually glad she came to this press conference. It was the funniest thing that had happened all week.

Emi watched as Raiko put is hair and glasses back where they were supposed to go with a scowling face before reporters started to ask the young Avatar questions.

"Avatar Korra, do you regret the way you handled the Unalaq crises?"

"Why are you forcing the integration of spirits into Republic City?"

"Listen," Korra said, trying to calm down the press, "I've been trying everything I can think of to get rid of these vines, but…"

"Why can't you fix this?" a reporter interrupted.

"Are the vines here to stay?"

"Is this part of your new world order?"

Emi felt her teeth clench together. These people were better at yelling than Raiko and that was something she thought would never happen. Even Lin felt sympathy for the frustrated Avatar.

"Look!" Korra said with a raised voice so everyone could hear her. "Harmonic Convergence was just a couple weeks ago. I just need a little more time to get everything back to normal…"

"The Avatar has put us all in a difficult position," Raiko interrupted Korra, "But my administration…"

"Oh I'm sorry," Korra angrily interrupted him, "Did I put you in a difficult position by fight the giant force of pure evil that was going to destroy the whole world?" Korra reached up, grabbed Raiko's chin, and mockingly rocked his head back and forth. "Maybe your administration could have handled that!"

Lin grumbled before walking out of her position, and pushing the two apart.

"That's all," She said over the press conference microphones, "No more questions."

Lin gave the Avatar a glare as Raiko walked back into City Hall trailed by his bodyguards and advisers, who had been waiting inside. Lin then walked away from the podium as workers began to move it back into City Hall, and walked over to Emi.

"Well that was fun," She said sarcastically.

"I can't believe Raiko would say that," Emi growled furiously, "He literally said…" She hunched her shoulders, and messed up her brown locks on top of her head. She put a frown on her face, and started to mock Raiko's posture and voice. "The Avatar has put us in a very difficult position, but my administration blah blah blah. That's just awful! We both saw Korra battling UnaVaatu and defeating him. She saved us, and he's making her look bad."

"He just wants to come off as the savior in this situation," Lin tried to calm her girlfriend down as they walked away from City Hall. "Besides, if a tree through is office is karma to the world, I think he'll get what's coming to him."

"Oh I hope so," Emi grumbled before forcefully putting one of her signature smiles on her face. "But on a more positive note, let's go pick up Hisa!"

Lin just smiled, and shook her head as her girlfriend skipped off. How could she have that much energy? Lin asked herself as she ran to keep up.