04x01 - After All These Years

[bunniefuu]

- Earth.

Fire.

Air.

Water.

Only the avatar can
master all four elements

and bring balance to the world.

- Welcome to Republic City,
the place of hopes, dreams,

and spirit wilds.

This metropolis truly has
something for everyone.

Visit air temple island, the
hub for all air benders

as they travel the
world helping others.

Or take a stroll through
beautiful avatar Korra park,

named in honor of you-know-who.

We've missed her these past
three years and we can't wait

to welcome her home.

Get well soon, Korra.

And of course you'll want to see
our most unique attractions,

The spirit wilds.

Here spirits and people
live harmoniously together,

like this old codger
and his new pals.

Yes sirree, this town is
truly on the up and up.

Come be a part of the
action in Republic City.

- And of course, my biggest
thanks goes to Asami Sato

and Future Industries.

She brought our old central
terminal into the modern era.

Ladies and gentlemen, the
world is entering a new age

of peace and prosperity.

Soon, prince Wu will
take his rightful place

on the Earth Kingdom throne,

and thanks to our
updated rail system,

Republic City and
the Earth Kingdom

will be united
like never before.

- Hey there, Asami right?

Great train house.

Maybe you can give me a
personal tour sometime,

what do you say?

- I do like the idea of
putting you on a train

and sending you far, far away.

That's... that's funny.

I like funny dames.

Maybe I should introduce myself,

I'm prince Wu, future king.

- Yeah... I'm aware
of who you are.

- Don't let my reputation
intimidate you.

I'm still human just
like everyone else,

only more human,
like extra-human,

or, hmm, super-human.

- Super-human?

- So, what do you say?

Can I show you a
low-key night out

with a super-human
soon to be king?

- Prince Wu, president Reiko
has some really important

king stuff to talk to you about.

- Now? Fine.

Think over the
offer, I'll be back.

- He's a real charmer, huh?

- He's... Something.

How can you stand
being his bodyguard?

- Well, I just remind myself
that once he's on the throne,

I go back to being a detective.

- And that works?
- I also go home

and smash my head into
the wall for an hour.

You know, just to
get the stress out.

It's good to see you, Mako.
It's been too long.

You hear from Bolin lately?

- I haven't talked
to him for a while,

but he's coming in a few
days for the coronation.

And bei fong told me that
Korra is getting in tonight.

- I can't wait to see her.

It's gonna be weird having
the old team avatar

back in the city after
all these years.

- After your coronation
the united forces

will escort you to ba sing se.

- Right, about that.

Are we all positive
that the Earth Kingdom

is safe enough for me to return?

I don't have to remind
everyone what happened

to my great aunt
three years ago?

May she rest in peace.

- Prince Wu, I assure you
Kuvira has the Earth Kingdom

pretty much stabilized
at this point.

- Define "pretty much."

- Well, the roving bandits
have mostly been dispersed.

- Mostly?

- Don't worry kid.

The chances of you being
assassinated are almost zero.

- Almost?

- Get out of here.

We don't have anything left.

- Now, you don't
have anything left.

- It's safe to
come out everyone,

the airbenders are here.

- You finally made it.

So, where are the rest of you?

- Actually, it's
just the two of us,

but we're going to do
everything we can to help.

I'm Opal, and this is Kai

- It's nice to meet you.
- What?

I called master tenzin
because my state has been

under siege by
bandits for months.

They blocked all the roads,
cut off our supply lines,

and all he sent is you two kids?

- Hey, us two kids

just took care of those
three guys for you.

- There are hundreds more
where they came from.

My citizens are going hungry.

Our entire state is on
the brink of collapse.

- Unfortunately,
the air nation is

spread thin right now.

We're all you have.

- We just got some good news.

Two more Earth Kingdom states
have agreed to join us.

- Excellent. Thank you, Bolin.

We're 90% there, Kuvira.

- That's great!

Julie, dish out some of that
special celebration tea.

- None for me.

I won't celebrate until
the Earth Kingdom

is 100% reunited.

- Why have we stopped?

- Apologies, there are
rocks on the tracks.

It's most likely bandits.

We're sending troops to
handle the situation.

- Call them off.

I will take care of
the bandits myself.

- Gah!
- O-wah!

- Aah!
- Oww!

- Ahh!
- Argh!

- Ugh, ooh!

- Ehh!
- Ack, ohh!

- You're... Kuvira.

- And you're the bandits who
have been causing chaos

where I am trying to
establish order, aren't you?

- We're sorry.

We didn't know this
was your train...

- Don't talk over me.

- Please, take mercy on us.

- Stop groveling as if this is
the worst day of your life.

This is a good day.

I'm gonna give you
all the opportunity

to rehabilitate yourselves

and become productive
members of your nation.

Right now, you're lost,

but pledge your loyalty to me,

and I'll give you a new
purpose in your lives.

Of course, if you
don't want to join,

you could always
stay right here.

Hopefully someone saves you

before the next train
speeds through,

but I wouldn't count on it.

- No, we'll join.

Don't leave us here.

- We pledge our loyalty
to you, Great Uniter.

♪ ♪

- I don't know why
we're leaving so early

if you're just
getting a haircut.

The dinner at air temple island
isn't until later tonight.

- Because I'm not just
getting a haircut.

It's a spa day.

We're talking
minimum four hours.

- Are you kidding me?

What are you having done
that takes four hours?

- A rejuvenating tea
leaf skin wrap.

Have you ever gotten
one of those, Mako?

Yeah, I'm not interested.

- Oh, you will be.

So while your hands soak
in a bubbling milk bath,

your feet are in a tub full
of these little suckerfish

that literally eat
your calluses away.

Gobble them right up.
Crazy, huh?

- That's disgusting.

- Then they scrape your skin
with blocks of sea salt,

lube you up with
seaweed infused aloe,

wrap you in tea leaves,
put you in a hot box

for four hours and
bam, you're done!

Mako, look at all my fans.

They must be in town
for my coronation.

- Uh, I don't know if all
those people are your fans.

Boo!

- Yeah!

All right, Wu!

- Wu, we have to get
you out of here.

- What?

- Go, go.

- What just happened out there?

- I think those were Kuvira
supporters in the crowd.

- Oh, no! Mako, I've been hit.

It's a gusher.

- That's not blood,
it's strawberry pie.

- Hmm.

Oh, yeah, you're right.
But that was close.

I don't know what would've
happened if you weren't there.

- You would've
been hit by a pie.

It's really not
that big of a deal.

- Or I could've been k*lled.

I don't know what I'd
ever do without you.

Wait a second, did you
say strawberry pie?

I'm allergic to strawberries.

I don't think I can breathe.

Get me to the hospital, Wu down.

- You're allergic to bee stings.

- Oh, right.

I always get those two mixed up.

- Look! A train made it through.

- Maybe they brought
food and supplies.

- Hey, what's your
boyfriend doing here?

- If he's here, he must be
with Kuvira and my brother.

This isn't going to be good.

- Bolin!
- Kai!

Wow, you are a lot heavier
than you used to be,

you're really growing up.

- What's up with your new hair?

You look like a stiff.

- Hey, Kuvira says it
makes me look intelligent

and professional.

- Don't believe
everything she says.

- Opal, I can't believe
you're here too.

I missed you so much.

- I missed you, too.

- Look who it is.

It's good to see you
again, little sister.

- What a wonderful surprise.

A happy reunion for
my favorite couple.

- How's Mom doing?

- Like you care. She still
hasn't forgiven you.

- You know, for someone who
claims to be so enlightened,

Mom can really hold a grudge.

- I guess when her
son betrays her...

- Please.

Opal. We're not here
to bicker with you

about something that
happened three years ago.

We're here to help this
town, just like you.

- I've heard how you help towns...
by conquering them.

- I know the rumors about
me can be pretty nasty,

but I am giving everyone in
this nation a better future,

and with Bolin's help
and my fiancé's ideas,

we're laying the groundwork
for the people to achieve

their own greatness.

- Your fiancé?
- You haven't heard?

Your brother and I
are getting married.

- Isn't that great, sweetie?

- I know things got
heated with your family

when Baatar and I left Zaofu,

but don't you think it's
time to forgive and forget?

- What are you doing here?

- Hello, governor. I
was wondering if you

and I could talk privately.

So, have you had time to
rethink my generous offer?

- Generous? You want
to take everything.

How is that generous?

- Governor, your state has
been overrun by bandits.

They have you outnumbered
and out-supplied.

The question's not if they'll
take over, it's when.

Unless you sign our deal.

Agree to our terms and
you'll have the full force

of my army backing you.

You will remain in charge,
just under my supervision.

I will save your life, and
the lives of your citizens.

I think that's pretty generous.

- I know how you
manipulate states

and force them to
join up under you.

I know the only reason
you want this region

is because it's rich in ore.

They might call you
"the Great Uniter,"

but you're destroying
everything.

I'll never turn the
great State of Yi

over to you.

- You have a lot of pride,

but it cannot protect
your people.

Your pride will not
stop the hordes

as your city crumbles
to the ground,

and your pride certainly
will not feed your hungry

when all that is left is rubble.

- Leave! Get out of my state.

- You will perish,

unless you take my
generous offer.

- It's time to go,
we're not wanted here.

- What happened?

- It appears we can't
make a deal right now.

- Wait, aren't you guys gonna
stick around and help?

- Here's the contract,
we'll wait at the border

for one day.

You get the governor to sign it,

and you'll have all
the help you need.

- I guess I gotta go.

- Don't, please!

You can't turn your
back on these people.

- I'm not.

I want to help, but if the
governor wants us gone,

There's... there's
nothing I can do.

I'm sorry... hey!

Opal, please.

- Leave if that's what
you're going to do.

- You know, we might not
need their help after all.

The roads may be impassable,
but not the skies.

We can use lefty to fly to
all the nearby villages,

pick up supplies and fly back.

- You're right.

We can save this town ourselves.

- Sorry we couldn't give you
more, that's all we could spare.

- Every little bit helps.

Because of you and the
other farmers around here,

we have more than enough
food to feed the town

until we can get
some reinforcements.

- Thanks.

- So... You and
Bolin doing okay?

- I don't know.

It's really tough having a
long-distance relationship,

and I can't stand that
he's working with Kuvira.

- I can tell.

But it does seem like he found
his calling, doesn't it?

He loves helping people.

- Maybe, it's just...
he's changed a lot

since he's been around her.

- He's growing up.

- I just hope we're
not growing apart.

Speaking of long-distance
relationships,

how are you and Jinora doing?

- Actually, we're doing fine.

You hear that?

It's more bandits.

We're hooked.

- No!

Ah!

Whoa!

- What happened?
Where's all the food?

- We were att*cked in mid-air.
We lost everything.

- It might be time to
make a tough call.

- Here, tell Kuvira
to save my people.

- For what it's worth, I think
you made the right decision.

- Did I ever really
have a choice?

- When Korra gets here,
I bet she's not even

gonna know who I am.
- Why is that?

- Because meelo the boy

has turned into meelo the man.

- Right, you're completely
unrecognizable.

- You've never had
the tea leaf wrap?

You have no idea
what you're missing.

The face massage
alone is to die for.

- Ugh. This coronation
cannot some soon enough.

I can't wait to go back
to being a detective.

- Right. Um, yeah, about that.

- What?

- I don't know how
to tell you this.

You're going to ba sing
se with the prince.

- No!

- I tried to get you out of
it, but it's over my head.

Wu personally asked Raiko.

He said he doesn't know
what he'd do without you.

- This can't be happening.

I'm not even an Earth
Kingdom citizen.

I work for the Republic
City police department.

- Not anymore.

You're just a pawn in
Raiko's diplomatic game.

You can try talking to
him, but I don't think

he's going to let you quit.

- There's a southern water tribe
ship pulling up to the dock.

- Korra!

- Cool!
- Yeah!

- The State of Yi is now under
the full protection of my army.

- Proclaim your loyalty, if
you wish to keep your post.

- I pledge my loyalty
to you, Great Uniter.

- Tonraq, it's good to
have you back in the city,

and everyone is excited
to see the avatar again.

- What do you mean? Isn't
Korra already here?

- No, we thought she
was coming with you.

- Korra left the south
pole six months ago.

She's written me letters.

She said she was here
in Republic City.

- I assure you, your
daughter's not here.

- Then where is she?

Is that all you got?

Unh!

Unh.

- We have a winner.

Here, for your lackluster
participation.

- Thanks.

- You know, you
look very familiar.

Yeah, you kind of look
like that avatar girl.

- I get that a lot.

- Whatever happened
to her anyway?

- I wouldn't know.