Months had passed since the Avatar bested Amon and "liberated" Republic City from the grasp of the Equalists. In truth, liberation was not as clean as advertised. A referendum on political reform in the city was put forward by Councilman Tenzin after the conflict, resulting in an overwhelming majority favoring democratization of power. Though in theory the result sounded promising, it resulted in years of political unrest and instability as a consequence of direct democracy, eventually driving the city to opt for a presidential system four years later.
After regaining her bending a few weeks after the encounter with Amon, Avatar Korra had begun restoring the bending of those who'd lost it, but focused her efforts first on those who were "important" such as the police. Because of this, it took a much longer time for Hasook, Shinook, and Doka to receive an opportunity to get theirs. As the long line approached closer and closer to the podium in the Governmental Square where Korra was restoring people's bending, Hasook grew somewhat uneasy. He'd spent the last few months living as a non-bender and finally understood what exactly the Equalists had meant by discrimination under the bending class. He'd been refused job after job because of the stigma of Amon's touch and despite some initial hesitation joined the Wan Shi Xiu Li (10,000 Things to Repair) party, formed from both benders and non-benders frustrated with the state of affairs in the city, who wanted equality in the eyes of the law. Finally, they reached the stage. Shinook went first. After the flash of power, Shin gleefully spun his arm while running down the stairs and water from the fountain followed. He turned around and dashed back up to Korra, hugging her. Doka was next. He climbed the stairs, respectfully bowed the Avatar and closed his eyes as she released his bending. Satisfied enough with just the feeling Doka stood with Shin behind Korra, waiting for Hasook.
He climbed onto the marble podium and walked slowly up to Korra.
She smiled warmly at him, taking a second to recognize who she was looking at. "Hasook! Oh thank spirits your alive." She ran up and hugged him forcefully, picking the slender boy up off the ground while the crowd laughed. Hasook looked at her, still unsure of himself and responded, "Hi Korra." He smiled weakly. She gestured for him to come forward while asking, "You ready? Come here!"

A few weeks later, after Shin finally completed his community service with Bei Fong and then the City Beautification Commitee, Shinook, Doka, and Hasook waded out into the marshes on the city limits. Standing in a triangular formation, shirtless, the boys volleyed around a heavy stream of water, lacing it through their bodies like the graceful diagrams from Hasook's NWT scrool. Not exactly one for deep meditative thought, Shin spoke. "So, now that we have our bending back at full strength, what's the plan? Get a job over at the water processing plant intead of the docks?" he laughed. Doka and Hasook coordinated their movements and shot a blast of water at him from both sides. Shin forced his flattened palms downward and dried his shirt. "Hey what's the big idea schmuck 1 and schmuck 2? I was just tryin' to make some conversation."
Doka laughed, "I thought we had a rule about no pessimism."
Hasook had walked off deeper into the reeds and was staring at the large trees in the distance. Shin and Doka both looked at him somewhat puzzled. "Hey, Hasook, what're you looking at?" Shin called after him. "Hasook? Ah forget you." He began walking back to shore with his hands in his pockets.
Doka walked over to Hasook and placed a hand on his shoulder. They'd more or less decided to ease off on the romance for now at least after the whole hubbub with Amon, but remained the closest of friends. "Hasook, what're you thinking about?"
Hasook turned to face him, this eyes full of hope for the first time in recent memory. It was as if he'd just mastered waterbending completely. "What if we just left Republic City, all of this, right now?"
Doka raised an eyebrow skeptically, "I'm not exactly following."
"Like what if we went on a world trip."
Doka laughed, thinking Hasook was joking, but he caught himself, "Oh? You're serious? We don't have that kind of hay though."
Hasook reasoned, "I've got some, you've got some, Shin's probably got more than he lefts on. Why not?"
Doka shrugged before turning and shouting after Shinook. "Yo stretch!"
Shin spun around angrily at the nickname, screaming, "What did I tell you about the nicknames?"
Doka laughed, "Wanna go on a vision quest with Hasook here?"
Shin waded back into the marsh, "A what's-it now? Vision quest? Ain't those for those freaks that wanna live on Air Temple Island and eat nothing but sunshine and water?"
He shrugged, "Eh, I suppose there are worse things to do."
They all turned and began walking towards the shore when Shin quipped, "But you AIN'T gettin' me to be the one that tells Sepay, that's on you chumps."
He began to dash as soon as they got to shore, only for Hasook and Doka to freeze his feet.
"Hey, hey, how about some respect for your elders? Didn't your-" he stopped himself before he continued, "Eh, joke's not worth getting beat by Sepay for it later."
They walked along the earthen path towards the skyline against the setting sun. The air was clean, people seemed somewhat back to normal, and they had each other. Whatever they ended up doing, it'd work out.