A/N This chapter (epilogue?) was uploaded the same time as the last so yeah, if you came straight here, you might want to go back to the last chapter.

A dragonfly grazes on a blade of grass, swaying slowly to the wind. Its wings snap open to an unseen force and it flits into the air, hovering in one spot before darting away in the breeze.

The earth erupts in a spray of upturned grass and dirt. A huge black snout pushes forth from the disturbance, sniffing at the air before the rest of the creature slides out the ground. It shakes loose soil from its shaggy mane, and the young rider sitting astride tumbles down its back. He picks himself up from the grass, brushes off the crushed blades, and scowls at his mount.

'Hey, careful, Benni. How many times have I told you not to do that whenever you finish tunnelling?'

The animal grumbles and butts him affectionately, its milky white eyes blinking in the sunlight. The young man tugs its ear and climbs back on. Once he settles, the animal sets off at a rough trot, pausing occasionally to sniff at rocks.

They arrive at the coast in late afternoon, where the jetty is already filling up with people for the day's last departure. Crates and bags are thrown onto the remaining cruiser, people are stepping carefully over the gangplank and sailors begin untying the rope that binds the cruiser to the wharf.

'Hey! Wait!' the young man calls, and his mount breaks into a hard lope. Sailors look up and halt their work. The animal skids to a stop in front of them, splattering the gleaming surface of the cruiser with mud and sand.

'Uh, yeah, sorry about that,' the man says. He produces a crumpled note from his pack. 'Here, I've got a ticket.'

The sailors scan the ticket quickly and look up.

'Animals are not allowed on board.'

He puffs with outrage. 'Where I go, Benni goes.'

'Then you'll have to stay here.'

The young man sighs and dives his hand into his pack again, fishing out a lotus tile. 'Master Rohan said both of us should be allowed on board.'

A shadow of reverence pass through their eyes, and they nod, allowing him passage. They stare warily at the massive beast as it rumbles past but otherwise make no comment.

Seconds later a loud crash follows as the animal steps a hole through the metal gangplank.

The journey is horrible. Earthbenders are not supposed to take to the high seas. At least that's what he consoles himself. While his mount curls up miserably in the narrow cabin, the young man alternates between throwing up and sleeping. Cruise ships do not rock in the waves but it's not the motion that makes him sick, it's the knowledge that there's nothing solid beneath him. They are floating over an endless depth of murky water. His only relief is the fact that they will only have to endure this for two more days. Perhaps someday, when he masters waterbending, he might enjoy sailing. For now, he prefers to feel stable ground underneath his feet.

It's lucky for him that he's going to Republic City to learn waterbending. He shudders to think of the week-long journey to either of the poles, not to mention the horrendous chill once he arrived. But only the finest waterbending masters resided there and he had had no choice, until Master Rohan, the oldest airbender alive, suggested he learn waterbending from a healer in Republic City instead. It's a wise suggestion, he thinks. Old monks must be in possession of a great deal of wisdom. Mind, not that he wants to be a monk when he grows old.

He doesn't divulge his identity to the crew and passengers, and in return his gigantic companion earns him sidelong glares and wary looks. He tries to explain to everyone that the incident with the gangplank was not because of Benni's strength, it was because Benni is a badgermole, only wanting to test the strength of the metal. After all, badgermoles are earthbenders foremost, and metalbenders by extension.

But no one on board believes that badgermoles are benders. So the young man nurses his indignant honesty and sulks in his cabin for most of the voyage.

When they arrive on the shores of Republic City the young man finally understands why some earthbenders kiss the ground after flying or sailing. He suppresses the urge to do so himself but Benni has no such qualms and nuzzles the dirt.

Republic City.

He stares in awe at the golden metropolis, with its glass towers stretching high enough to touch clouds and its bullet trains weaving precariously on the city's monorail. Every train is painted red, gold, and black, with the words Sato Train painted boldly over its sides.

There are so many people here.

Compared to the peaceful life in the Southern Air Temple, this is a firework of activity. Not even his home in Ba Sing Se is this busy.

The young man drinks in the sight of the sprawling industry, letting his eyes roam over the skyscrapers, over the tensile bridges –

And his breath catches.

He sees the statue of Avatar Aang.

Aang looks a lot like Rohan. The thought that one of his past lives was the grandfather of his airbending teacher makes him smile. He can see Air Temple Island beyond the statue of his past life, and makes a mental note to go there later. But first, he has to find his waterbending teacher.

Only then does he realise he does not know where to go.

He unfolds a battered map of Republic City from his pocket and turns it this way and that, finally locating Yue Hospital near the centre of the city. His heart pounds with excitement as he pulls himself onto Benni's back. Today, he is one step closer to becoming a full Avatar.

Once he is close, Yue Hospital can be seen from several streets off. But it's not until he is right outside its polished marble doors that he finally finds what he's really been waiting for all this time: a statue of his predecessor, a statue of Korra.

Everyone's heard of the Legend of Korra.

He is proud to have saved the city, to have sacrificed himself, in a past life. The cheeky grin on Korra's face speaks more to him than the serene smile on Aang's. He beams at the statue and pushes his way through the double set of doors.

Screams greet him.

'You can't bring that thing in here!'

He glances back his badgermole, smearing muddy pawprints onto the glossy, reflective floor. Benni whuffs in confusion and yawns, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth. Nurses draw back in fear.

'That's a badgermole,' the young man says.

'Still not allowed.'

Sighing in exasperation, he asks Benni to wait outside. The badgermole agrees with a droop in its ears and whiskers and lumbers from the hospital.

When his friend is gone from sight, he stomps over to the reception desk and glowers at the lady behind. 'Excuse me, I'm looking for the healer Harrok.'

'The head healer of Yue Hospital is too busy.'

His heart skips a beat. Rohan recommended him to the head healer?

'I'm the Avatar,' he says, a little embarassed. He has never used his title as an excuse before…

The receptionist does not bother looking up from her computer. 'Yeah, we get that every day.'

He bristles. He did not come here to be denied, even if the man he wishes to see might be one of the most important in the city. He did not brave the rough seas for nothing, so he stands firm. 'I'll bet you don't get this every day.' The young man leans forward and thrusts both palms in her face. In one hand he lights a ball of fire; in the other he swirls two marbles (a silly trick that Rohan taught him). Then he stamps the floor, and a sheer wall of earth shoots from the ground to slam into the ceiling.

There is no change of expression on the receptionist's face. 'Harrok is right this way, sir.'

The office is empty when he enters. The receptionist turns on the lights and invites him to a chair.

'He should be back very soon, I will go and find him, please be patient.'

He remembers his airbending training and a wry smile crawls across his face. 'I spent three years mastering patience.'

While he waits he rises from the chair and explores Harrok's office. It's nothing intrusive, just a look at all the curious instruments and objects brimming the desks, but none of these little gadgets makes sense to him. Charts of chi points plaster the walls, and there is a strange election poster of a masked man behind the chair. The poster is a little tattered around the edges and crease marks score the surface, but it's easy to see the red circle on the mask's forehead, and the word Equality jutting in the background.

For some reason, one glance into the mask's dark eyes sends a shiver of fear through him.

He looks away and begins examining the portraits on Harrok's desk.

Warmth spreads through him.

These are portraits of a younger Korra.

Korra in the arms of a noticeably older man; Korra on her wedding day, in her wedding dress, at the Spirit Oasis; Korra in a pro-bending uniform (wait, his predecessor was a pro-bender?) with two young men; Korra with her arms around a beautiful lady with glossy black hair and dark red lipstick. As his own green eyes meet the vivid sapphire of Korra's he feels old memories coming back to him; bending water at his opponents while his fans cheered for the Fire Ferrets; holding his daughter in his arms as his husband embraced them both –

'You must be the Avatar.'

The young man snaps from his reverie and the unbidden memories fade away. He clears his throat nervously and turns around to find himself face to face with a middle aged man.

'Oh, uh, yes. Are you Harrok?'

Harrok grasps his hand warmly. He guesses the man to be in his late thirties. There are faint creases around his light blue eyes and his mouth is set in a broad grin very like Korra's. Suspicion dawns in the young man's head.

'It's nice to finally meet you!' Harrok says. 'What can I do for you?'

He pulls out Rohan's letter and hands it to Harrok. 'I know you're busy and you're the head healer of Republic City's biggest hospital, but Rohan suggested I learn waterbending from you…'

'You've mastered the other three elements?'

At this, a flash of disappointment ripple through him. 'Yes. It took me three years to airbend. I hope waterbending doesn't take that long.'

'Don't worry.' Harrok claps him on the back, hard enough to send him staggering. 'Normally there's only one element the Avatar struggles to master. If it makes you feel any better Gran Gran had a lot of trouble with airbending too.'

Gran Gran?

The young man's jaws drop open. 'You mean you're Avatar Korra's…'

'Grandson, yes.' Harrok smiles at him. 'Didn't Rohan tell you? That stubborn old fool.' But there is no malice in his tone and the young man finds himself relaxing in the healer's presence.

'So.' Korra's grandson claps his hands together. 'We can start tomorrow if you like. Have you got a place to stay? Or would you like to stay at the hospital?'

He is abashed to admit that he has not even considered where he will be staying, taking everyone for granted. He shuffles his feet and looks at the ground. 'Well, no. Could I stay at hospital?'

'This is the room that Gran Gran used to stay in whenever she had to sleep overnight and help Granpa with his work in hospital. Since you're the next Avatar, I guess it's yours now. Make yourself at home.'

The young man is still busy digesting Harrok's first words. 'Your grandfather worked here too? Wait –' his mind scrambles to make the connections. 'So hang on – that means this hospital was almost like a second home for Korra?' Somehow, the thought pleases him; he feels closer to his predecessor already.

Harrok gives an easy shrug. 'Pretty much. But that was only because Grandpa was a bit of a workaholic, so Gran Gran had to stay here too.'

'He must've been a good healer.'

'Actually, he wasn't a bender.'

'What?'

'Yeah. I think he's the only head healer in the history of this hospital who couldn't actually heal. Just goes to show you can do anything if you're determined enough.' He suddenly claps his hands together, and a mischievous glint sparks in his eyes. 'Well, that's enough family history. If you want to learn more, you'd better master the Avatar State so you can talk to Gran Gran yourself.'

The young avatar shoots Harrok a disgruntled look and enters the quiet room. The afternoon sunlight has not penetrated the windows and it's quite cold in here. He dumps his stuff on the floor, punches the pillows on the bed experimentally, then bounces a few times on the mattress. Dust puffs up and he sneezes.

'Oh, sorry about that,' Harrok says. 'No one's stayed in this room for years. Not since Gran Gran died…' The soft smile on his face fades a little. 'Anyway,' Harrok continues. 'I'm sure you can get rid of all that dust with earthbending. Your badgermole can stay in the garden with our rabbaroos. Give one of the nurses a shout if you need anything. Take the day to explore the city. We'll start training tomorrow, alright? I'll leave you to it then.'

The door closes behind Harrok and the young man pulls out his sparse possessions from his weathered bag. He puts them on the dressing table beside the bed, and in doing so his hands nudge a framed photo.

Curious, he picks up the photo, blowing away the film of dust on the glass.

A faded picture of Korra and her husband gaze back at him. Korra is beaming but the man's face is set in a stern, solemn expression. It's slightly intimidating but also welcoming, and for a moment when the young Avatar closes his eyes he can imagine a pair of strong arms holding him securely. He can feel the light kiss of a Water Tribe betrothal necklace around his neck and he can hear the delighted gurgles of a baby girl in the background.

He can smell the rough sea and taste the salty breeze, and when he opens his eyes the thought of the ocean isn't so nauseous anymore.

The young Avatar grins and puts the picture back.

Tomorrow, he will finally start waterbending.

He can't wait to begin.

A/N: Well, that's it. Thank you to everyone's who's followed this story, whether you started following it way back in July last year or when you started following it last week. I appreciate each and every one of you readers, you have been the best audience a writer could ask for, and it has been a huge honour to write for you all.

Also a massive, massive thank you to all my reviewers, your words have always been so kind and brought a smile to my face.

I know the last few chapters of this story has taken incredibly long to be written, and for that I'm sorry. But thank you all for having faith in me, and waiting it out all this time.

Looking forward to Season 2, and possibly future generations of Avatar (I will fangirl scream if the next earth kingdom avatar has a badgermole for an animal guide, seriously. I always reckoned Korra should've gotten a Unagi as an animal guide, but heh, polar-bear dog works too.)

Thank you to everyone once more, it has been a truly great journey to share with you all. If you ever have any questions for me, you can PM me, or send anonymous asks through my tumblr, amorrathowra.