Legacies Prologue: Invincible

by RJH-NG

Nearly three decades after Kuvira's defeat, the world waits with bated breath as it enters a new age. This is the first of many prologue one-shots to something much greater that I've been planning with a friend of mine for quite some time. He's as important to the development of this story as I am. We both hope you enjoy it!

The streets of Republic City were silent. From Avatar Korra Park al the way to main street, nothing suggested the presence of a human being. Flocks of birds and odd stray animals were all that occupied the streets, free to pursue their selection of trashcan and discarded wrappers for food. But for these sparse examples, there was no life in the city streets at all. Almost every human being within the city limits was instead glued to their TVs. Huddled together in clusters around the nearest screen, the people of Republic City watched with rapt attention, as the show of the century drew near.

The relative few that were not at their TVs were gathered en masse at the shores of Yue bay, cordoned off by metal crowd control barriers, and a line of surely looking, armor-clad police troopers. Easily over five thousand people pushed and shoved one another, jockeying for better position so that they might glimpse what was going on behind the barrier. The white-noise din of several thousand people occupying one position cut through the humid summer air, and could be heard as far the spirit wilds at the city center. If one listened closely, ccasional shouts of dissent could be singled out from the rest of the noise. Sign-wielding protesters had snuck their way into the gathered masses, glowering intensely at the iron-clad guards who blocked their way.

Hastily erected tents and the bustling people moving among them could just barely be seen through the impenetrable wall of police forces. People carrying radios, large cameras, tripods for those cameras, headsets, and all manner of snaking wires connecting it all hurried to and fro nearer to the shoreline than anyone else had access too, issuing orders and receiving them in turn. Every camera that they placed was aimed skyward.

Helicopters circled the chaotic scene below, their downward gale swirling the waters of Yue Bay and blowing a spray of salty mist up over the pier, which annoyed the already haggard camera crews and threatened their equipment. Plastic waterproof housings were issued out to the cameras to protect the devices from damage. Unperturbed by the plight of the crews below, the helicopters-six in total-continued their circling of the shoreline like birds of prey, careful to keep a safe distance from each other. Their cameras were not pointed skyward, but downward, so that the reporters who rode the flying vehicles could paint a picture of the scene for those who had the sense to stay at home and catch the event on TV.

Above even these, maneuvering in patrol formation, Republic jet fighters cut a path through the skies, providing escort for a single, massive police airship keeping an eye out for anyone who might be trying to cause trouble.

Traffic along the Yue shoreline was completely cut off, which lead some legitimacy to the anger the crowd below felt. Many of them were nearby residents after all, and had woken up today to find that they could not take their cars out on the road. But this event was far too important to not take extra precautions, which included a temporary shutdown of the entire city. So it wasn't as if many of these people had anywhere to actually go, in any event.

Only one car drove along the pier road, approaching the police line with steady purpose. The car was sleek, polished black to a reflective sheen, and possessed on its hood a maroon decal in the shape of a half gear rising over a wire-frame approximation of the Earth. Inside the high-class vehicle, Asami Sato tapped her right foot.

"You'd think the ride would be quicker after they closed off all the roads," she said to no one in particular, checking her watch. "We only have thirty-nine minutes."

"We'll get there on time, ma'am, I can assure you. And then we will all see what we already know to be true." This was Boquin, the only other person in the passenger cabin of Asami's personal car. An elderly man who served as the head of Global-Future Industry's Aeronautics and Astronomy department, he was of stout posture, seventy-three years old, and bald but for a few wisps of hair in the back of his head. His rounded glasses fell almost to the tip of his wrinkly nose, and is face exuded a quality of confident relaxation, which Asami felt was a little premature. His department had been waiting for this day for a long time, and whether his theories were right or not would determine their budget for years to come. But Boquin seemed to be convinced he would get the funds he desired, which Asami mused to herself was so typical of a career scientist, to be so sure of themselves. It was an experience she was intimately familiar with, after all.

But he had incorrectly assumed her anxiety as being over the astronomical event that the day had in store for them. It wasn't the science which Asami was afraid of missing-after all, no one was missing this. No, Asami was afraid of missing Korra.

"I'm sure you're right, as usual, Boquin," chimed Asami, glancing at her watch again. "I just wish things could go a little faster."

"Get to be my age, and you won't want anything to go faster," he said. "Come on now, Mrs. Sato, today is a great day. Even disregarding the inevitable conclusiveness of my own hypothesis, today the world moves one step closer to burying the past and embracing the future. A future of peace, one you helped create. So please, enjoy the moment while it lasts." He raised a cup that was sat next to him in the cupholder and took a swig of its steaming contents in toast.

Asami's gaze drifted out the window to her left, as the crowds of people became increasingly dense. She saw the angered expressions on many of them, and the signs they held. One of them was a blown up image of the Global-Future Industries logo, which had been painted over with an angry red X. Another was a picture of Korra, and over it with thick black marker, the words TRAITOR cut across her face. Boquin's prophecy of peace seemed out of place here.

Asami let out a deflated sigh, turning back to Boquin. "I sure hope they can see that. And I hope you're right."

Boquin finished his cup of tea and set it down. "You did just say I always am."

"I said 'as usual', not always. You of most people should know the danger in expecting every outcome in an inherently chaotic system to be identical."

"I know that the universe tends to gravitate towards predictable patterns," retorted Boquin, "the outcomes of which can be said to be effectively identical in the grand scheme. So far, my being right stands among such patterns."

He wore a mockingly smug grin. Asami scoffed, and looked back out at the ever thickening crowd of people. "You're an amazing astronomer, Boquin. But people aren't celestial bodies. They don't follow mathematically predictable patterns of behavior, not the way the universe does. The universe is orderly, logical. People are…"

"A rotten mess, yes."

"Well, I didn't want to be the one to say it."

"The implication apparent in your voice was enough." Asami smiled to herself. This banter between the two scientists had become frequent since Boquin had joined the board of directors six years ago. For all his arrogance, Asami couldn't help but liking him-truly, she had no choice in the matter. He was the only accredited scientist on the board other than herself, and so was the only thing keeping her from tearing her own hair out in frustration at work. Her father was a businessman. Her father could wrangle a room full of suits and get them to see things his way. But Asami Sato was not her father, and thirty years since taking over the company, she would still prefer wearing a labcoat and fixing machines to wearing a suit and fixing a budget.

Boquin got her in a way no one else at that table did, and she appreciated his company for it, even if he was insufferable at times. "I know there's probably a good number of people out there who'd have a thing or two to say to me just for studying the cosmos," continued Boquin. "The hate mail I receive! Too caught up in their own ways, their traditions, which is all anyone should need to explain the universe, apparently. But I know if anyone can get them to see the light, to see that what we're doing today is right, it's you."

"You seem to think more highly of me than you have reason too," said Asami, smile unbroken. "Korra's the one who speaks their language. I spend too much time in the lab, at least according to her."

"And that's why you make a fantastic team. You, the scientist, to light the beacon of progress, and Korra, the Avatar, to lead the people to follow it. I joined your company because I believe in what you stand for, remember. That applies to both of you."

"I had no idea you were so idealistic, Boquin. Keep this up and I'll start mistaking you for an optimist."

Boquin held up his hands as if in surrender. "Oh please. I might not have the sunniest outlook on most people, but I fully admit that's probably because I have no more expertise in people than I do in microbiology."

"That's oddly specific."

"Such a tedious discipline," said Boquin with an air of disgust. "Too narrow a subject, unpredictable, a puzzle without the pieces, and is as much guesswork as it is evidence. It lacks elegance, and is small enough that it blinds you to the rest of the universe."

Asami bristled slightly at his own dismissiveness, something so unbecoming of a scientist as she understood the term, but one common enough in the lot of them. One of the many faults so many of the so called experts in her experience have in common is an insistence in the superiority of their own field of study. "I don't know," she mused. "I think studying the smallest things, and understanding how tiny they are, is a means to understanding the universe in a way only something so small can."

"Are we talking about microbiology still, or people?"

"What difference does it make?"

Boquin's eyebrows shot up. "I fail to see your point."

As ever, Boquin had his head in the stars. He always compartmentalized everything into distinct categories, and concerned himself with only the biggest, and to him, most important category. He failed to see how there is no forest without the trees. "Exactly my point," Asami said with a smug grin of her own, taking some satisfaction in the confusion etched on his face. "It looks like we're almost there," she said. As if on queue, the car's driver slid open the passenger compartment window so that he could inform the two that they were going through the security checkpoint. Outside, the crowd had reached peak density. It was here the emotions of the crowd were the highest-the strongest opponents and the most ardent supporters packed uncomfortably close together.

Asami did her best to focus her mind on the supporters-to recognize they at least won't be universally hated for this, and that many people would in fact love them for it. Maybe she could find some way to live with that? But her damnable scientific brain couldn't just let a significant portion of the data go. Retreating into the safe and comforting knowledge that some people were on their side in the matter was dangerous. People were going to be upset, and there was going to be backlash. That fact weighed on her as the car parked and she stepped out of the vehicle into the warm summer air, to a mixture of boos and applause. Everyone here knew who the people responsible for today's event were, and Asami was one of the most recognizable faces.

But even acknowledging how divisive this was did nothing to sway Asami from the belief that their cause was just. Sozin's comet was going to return today. It was going to imbue all Firebenders in the world each with the power to endanger entire countries. Sozin's comet had been the cause of so much death and destruction throughout human history. It's arrival had sparked mass murders, genocides, and terrible wars. Worst of all, its power was used to wipe out an entire culture two-hundred years ago, in a genocide so heinous the comet forever bore the name of the man who was responsible for it. Only now can that culture be said to have finally recovered, but it was because of that comet that the Airbenders had been almost lost forever.

Sozin's comet had to be destroyed.

Of course, whether the comet could be destroyed was another matter entirely. Like the sun, it was a source of power for Firebenders, amplifying their abilities a hundred fold. For this reason alone, the exact nature of the comet was a mystery to the world; almost everyone in the world believed the bending sources to be inherent qualities of the cosmos. Destroying one would not only be tantamount to blasphemy, it should be almost impossible. As equally impossible as destroying the spirit world itself.

Boquin-and, later, Asami-believed differently. The moon, the bending source of Waterbenders, was well known to be tied directly the spirit Tui, which lived in the North Pole alongside her twin, La. Avatar Aang had personally witnessed both the death and resurrection of Tui, and so everyone knew how the spirit ensured the presence of the moon. But the moon was also physical, something Boquin himself personally discovered while tracking a meteor through his telescope several years ago. Instead of falling to Earth as all meteors were thought to do, it drifted across the sky, and slammed into the moon, creating a crater large enough to just barely make out with the naked eye. The moon was something that could be touched, provided it could be reached. The same, Boquin had postulated, must be true of the other bending sources. Including Sozin's comet.

And if it could be touched, it could be destroyed. So with their telescope, Asami and Boquin had searched for Sozin's comet in the stars, tracking the trajectories of hundreds of asteroids, planets, moons and so on in their efforts. Through careful study, Asami came to see things the way Boquin saw them: the cosmos opened up to her with each object they catalogued, and she saw for the first time a universe run by mathematically predictable laws.

Finally, after two years of searching, they found it. Asami had determined Sozin's comet would first appear in the skies of Republic City, which she found at once to be both poetic and terrifying. Republic City, the "world's city", would potentially be the site of the greatest shift in human thinking since the birth of the first Avatar. But the city, and the millions of people who called it home, would also be the first to experience the power of the comet, and the dangers it posed. Asami had had a flash of memory when they mapped its trajectory-the screams of her mother as she was embroiled in hateful flames. She was left without a mother because of a criminal Firebender. If he had been empowered by the comet, he could have and likely would have done a lot worse.

If Sozin's comet could be destroyed, it needed to be destroyed as soon as it arrived.

The significance of their course of action was not lost on anyone present at Yue Bay. The people on the sidelines cheered or jeered the arrival of the Future Industries CEO and her chief scientist. Whatever the outcome of today's events, it would be a cornerstone moment in history. The direction the future took would be decided today, and the people of the world waited with bated breath to see what would happen. Thousands of years of tradition would be either upended or reinforced, and no one knew for sure what to expect.

"Mrs. Sato!" called a voice, which belonged to a burly police Sergeant, flanked by two lower ranked officers. "This way, ma'am. We will escort you to the tents." The Sergeant waved them forward, and Asami and Boquin followed in his wake. The pair could hardly help but feel anxious-even Boquin's air of arrogance had been knocked down a few pegs as he glanced about anxiously. Now that they were here, it was no longer hypothesis. Now it was the time for the experiment.

"Sure are a fiery bunch, aren't they?" quipped Boquin with a nervous laugh, looking at the tumultuous protesters.

"I'm trying not to think about it," said Asami. Indeed, there was presently only one thing on her mind, and it wasn't the crowd.

"Even most Firebenders were in support of this, you know. We'll be fine."

"Most Firebenders were okay with it," replied Asami. "Doesn't mean the same thing as in support of it. It's gotta sting, to essentially be told by the powers that be that you can't be trusted with your own abilities." The plan to destroy the comet may have been Asami and Boquin's idea, but it was President Oki who had authorized it. As luck would have it, President Oki was a nonbender. Many bender groups, especially Firebender groups, had taken this course of action personally. Oki's refusal to be here for the event itself had only hurt her ratings among Benders more (something Asami didn't think was exactly a bad thing on its own).

Only Korra's support had placated the bulk of the anger, but still others only took this to mean Korra had betrayed her own "kind". The people glaring at Asami and Boquin were part of the group who had felt Korra had turned her back on benders. "Looks like Mako's got his work cut out for him," said Asami. The protesters closest to the crowd control gates had taken to mocking the officers who guarded the pier. One person even threw a drink at one of them. The cup exploded its contents against the officer's polished dark grey armor. Dripping with strawberry smoothie, the officer admirably didn't even flinch.

"He runs a tight ship though," observed Boquin.

Asami smiled to herself at the thought of her longtime friend. "That he does." Lost in thought (which was a natural state for Asami whenever things became overwhelming), she almost didn't see the tall man in the blue suit rush at her for a bone crushing hug.

"Asami! It's been far too long, my fellow CEO! How's our company doing?"

How's our company doing was Varrick's customary greeting, along with knocking the wind out of her in surprise hugs. It was something he had become fond of since he had married Zhu Li, as an effort for him to appear more friendly and approachable. As with a lot of things, Varrick overcompensated.

Asami had to pry herself free from his embrace and smooth out her suit, gathering her thoughts. "That is something you should probably know, if you insist on calling it 'our' company," shot Asami. The police Sergeant who had been escorting them had turned to face them with a look of bewilderment. Asami raised her hand to tell him it was okay, and looked back to Varrick with a cold, analytical stare she knew he didn't like. He had greying hair which crept up the side of his head. Wrinkles lined his cheeks and mouth, and his eyes were greyer than they once had been. Varrick was aging noticeably, but between his endless supply of youthful energy, and meticulous grooming, the eccentric co-chair of Global Future Industries might as well not be a day older than forty.

"You're absolutely right!" he said, more loudly than necessary. "I'll get Zhu Li to give me the latest when all is said and done here."

Asami folded her arms at the excitable man (who was picking his teeth with a fingernail without a thought for decorum). "And where is she, if I may ask? Off being productive I hope?"

Varrick flicked the piece of food he'd been wrestling with from his teeth and smiled a grin so white it practically flashed in the sunlight. "Oh Asami, if ever there was a day when she didn't get a million things done, I'd be worried for her." His eyes drifted dreamily and his mouth stretched into an involuntary smile at the thought of his wife. As quickly as it came, it vanished, and he was back to his old self. "Besides! I have more exciting ventures than running a multi-billion dollar company. Observe!" He turned bodily and raised his arm to gesture at the camera crews hurrying about, as if they were his latest performance and he was the master of ceremonies.

"How many of these people are yours?" asked Asami.

Varrick tapped his chin. "Hmm, most of them. Silly news crews keep getting in the way, no concern for personal space." Boquin had to take a step back to avoid being crowded. Asami meanwhile had long ago learned to hold her ground against Varrick, and planted her feet. "It'll be the biggest documentary ever! The greatest battle ever fought! Korra vs. Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle!"

"Was there a first battle?" asked Boquin, who looked as if he had been struggling to find his voice.

"Of course there was! This documentary doubles as a feature-length mover, don't ya know? We're dramatizing the battle between Avatar Aang and Firelord Ozai a hundred years ago, then it'll end with the final defeat of that nefarious comet with Korra. Played by herself, of course! What better way to tell the story of the comet's destruction than with the actual people starring in the roles? I asked Korra to see if she could find a way to call on Aang's spirit and provide some special effects, but she told me to buzz off."

He said all of this so fast Asami almost forgot to get angry with him for asking something so personal and ridiculous. "Well, of course she did!" she said at last. "Even if she could communicate with Aang, it's not like she'd do it for something so stupid. It's not like Aang is some two-bit actor who can cameo in some dumb mover."

"History is never stupid, nor dumb," said Varrick with a wag of his finger. "This is a story that needs telling, and needs telling right." Asami stared daggers at him, and it was his turn to take a step back, eyes wide. Recomposing himself, and with a dramatic bow, he said "but as ever I apologize for my selfishness. Of course you are right, Mrs. Sato." He stood back up with a small hop. "Now! Time's a wastin', and I'm wasting yours. Go, and be with your dearly beloved. I will return to my duties. Ruk, you fool! Camera E goes on the left, not the right!"

And with that, he rushed off to harass someone else. Asami and Boquin stood in stunned silence for a moment, as if a great typhoon had suddenly blown through and they had to resteady themselves. "Ahem." Asami startled. They turned towards the noise. It was the police Sergeant, who looked relieved Varrick was gone. Gesturing for them to keep walking, Asami and Boquin continued their way towards the tents.

"It's practically unfair," said Boquin. "He's the same age I am and has the energy of someone half that old. How the blazes does he do it?"

Asami shrugged, rubbing her temples. "No idea. He's been better, though. He only gets this crazy when he's excited. Agh-" A stab of pain had shot through her head, and she failed to suppress a groan. She squinted her eyes shut, willing it to go away.

"Are you okay?"

She waved him off. "I'm fine, Boquin. Just too much stress, and not enough sleep. I think we'll have all earned some time off after this."

"I second that."

They had finally arrived at the tents. The entrance to the largest tent, the temporary police headquarters, was guarded by two imposing Republic military troopers covered head to toe in silvery/grey metal. Standing just over seven feet tall, they were elite Republic Enforcers equipped with the latest in Global Future Industries mech technology. Less of a vehicle and more of a suit of armor, these two could do things no human could do-bender or otherwise. They weren't machines, but their helmets fully covered their heads, and so the distinction was academic from the outside.

Asami checked her watch-and saw they only had about twenty minutes left until the estimated time for the comet's arrival. Growing increasingly frustrated, she followed the police Sergeant past the Enforcers and into the tent, Boquin trailing behind her. Inside, things were exactly as chaotic as outside. Uniformed men and women spoke into radios and headsets to their forces around the bay, delivering and sending reports to each other. Cheap looking wooden desks dotted the interior in a haphazard sort of way, and wires leading to computers and other powered devices snaked along the ground. "Clearly this was a rush job," said Boquin disapprovingly, taking in the sight.

At the opposite end of the tent from the entrance, a larger desk was sat facing everyone else. Behind it, the Chief of Police spoke urgently into a telephone. Asami smiled, and walked at a rather brisk pace towards the haggard looking Chief. She planted a hand on his desk and waited for him to notice her.

"Good work, Captain" said Mako through a sigh. "Keep me apprised." Mako set the phone back on the receiver and held his head in his hands. "I swear if I get one more call about common vandals, I'll-". At that moment he looked up and froze for a moment, his eyes meeting Asami's. Then his mouth widened into a huge grin, erasing the weariness that had settled onto his features. He stepped around from behind the table and threw a hug around one of his oldest friends. "I was so worried you wouldn't make it," he said.

The two broke apart. "Wouldn't miss it," said Asami. "Where's Bolin?"

"Bolin couldn't be here," explained Mako. "He's sick, some sort of stomach virus. Something he ate, probably. So Opal is taking care of him at the Air Temple, where he'll at least be able to get a front row seat. He should be well enough to return to work in a few days, they said."

Asami nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Boquin standing a few paces away. "This is Boquin," she said. The man stepped forward into the conversational sphere. "He's head of the Astronomy department at GFI." Boquin nodded curtly at Mako, and then looked at Asami, gesturing at his wrist. "Right. Time. Mako, the window for the comet's arrival is any minute now. It's gonna get rough when it arrives."

"We've taken extra precautions," explained Mako. "The Republic Armed Forces was courteous enough to send some Enforcers our way. They'll be able to pacify any act of violence."

"I saw," said Asami. "Those suits should be able to take anything someone throws at them, even a Firebender under the comet."

"Then you know we're safe," said Mako with a smile. It faded, however, and his tone grew more serious. Leaning he, he whispered so that only Asami could hear. "What actually worries me is Korra. Do you think she can do this?"

Asami nodded. "I'm positive Boqun and I are right. And if we are, than the only one who can do it is her. I believe in her."

"So do I." Although his face suggested he wasn't entirely sold on the idea. Worry lines formed across his forehead. "Maybe it's because I'm a Firebender, but knowing that this is really happening is...strange to me. Some part of me is just afraid that we might be wrong."

Asami placed a consoling hand on Mako's arm. "We're not wrong, Mako. She'll be fine. I trust her. I just need you to trust us."

Mako gave a half smile, and gently removed her hand from his arm. "I know, I do. It's just a lot for me to swallow. But I'll do my part, don't you worry about that. Now go on, Korra's on the other side of this tent, through that back flap there. I know she's been dying to see you."

Asami couldn't hold back the grin that stretched from ear to ear. "I'm sure she has."

Boquin elected to stay behind, to watch the event from the safety of the police tent on the monitors. Asami meanwhile went through the back flap of the tent Mako had pointed her to. The sun was hovering high over the horizon, past Firelord Zuko memorial bridge. The first signs of dusk were starting to show in the clouds, which were taking on an orange tint. Asami had to squint to see properly, and found the area behind the tent to be much calmer. Police cars lined the pier for a hundred meters further down, but there were no protesters here. The police wouldn't allow the protest to get anywhere past the tent.

Only a few officers mingled near the cars, much more relaxed than the officers in the front. But it was what was to Asami's right that caught her attention. Stretching out from the main pier, a formation of rocks had been raised out of the ocean, clearly through the use of Earthbending. The formation stretched for a few dozen meters into the water, and at the end of it, a lone figure stood, silhouetted in the sunlight.

Asami's heart leapt. Throwing dignity to the wind, she ran towards the unnatural rock formation, made her way across it-which was slick with ocean spray-and stopped about a dozen steps short of the lone figure. Korra stood with her closed glider in one hand, gazing out at the ocean and into the sky, in a perhaps meditative trance. This far out into the water, wind whipped her hair (which was cut down to her shoulder blades) and the loose ceremonial clothes she wore. Asami's legs felt locked, her eyes taking in the sight of her wife as if seeing her for the first time-after so long, it definitely felt like that. Korra looked...almost regal. Powerful, somehow, in a way she couldn't describe even as she felt the effects.

Regaining her senses, she stepped forward, and the impact of her footfall on the earth woke Korra from her meditative trance. The Avatar turned, slowly at first as she awoke. But as soon as she caught sight of Asami, her stupor broke completely, and she rushed forward to gather up her wife in an almost bone crushing hug.

"Asami!" she exclaimed to the winds. She lifted Asami into the air, arms wrapped around her waist, and spun her around. Asami let out a jubilant scream while the wind whipped through her hair, before Korra set her back down. "You made it! I can't believe it!" Korra's face was positively aglow with happiness, something Asami was sure was matched by her own. The pair were completely oblivious to their own hair blowing into their eyes. They were here, together, and suddenly that's all that mattered.

"I almost didn't make it," said Asami. "The cars were so slow, and then Varrick ambushed me with some nonsense about a mover, and then the pol-". Asami's words were drowned by Korra planting her lips on hers. Asami's eyes widened in shock at first, but then she met Korra's kiss with one of her own. It was several seconds before they came up for air, and when they did, they fell into a mutual embrace.

Korra ran her hand through Asami's thick hair, sighing contentedly. "You worry too much," she said soothingly in Asami's ear. "What matters is that you're here. Spirits, you have no idea how much I've missed you."

Korra resituated her arms around her wife and rested her head on her shoulder, relaxing into her. Asami did the same, neither wanting to let the other go, and they both planted their feet so that they supported each others' weight. They held each other so closely that from a distance they'd appear to be one oddly shaped person. "I do have an idea," said Asami. "Every single day I thought about you."

Korra raised her head slightly so that her mouth was inches from Asami's ear. "Hopefully you didn't think about me too much," teased Korra, her voice close and her breath warm on Asami's cheek. A shiver went down her spine that had nothing to do with the chilly ocean winds.

"Not that it matters now," Asami reminded her in a low voice.

"Heh heh, Touche." Korra picked her head up from Asami's shoulder, and the two locked eyes. "One last thing to take care of first." She looked skyward, expectantly. Instead of a comet, she found one of the helicopters circling above-camera pointed right at them. So enamored with each other, neither of them had noticed it approaching. "Ouch, think they caught all that?" asked Korra. She cupped her hands together over her mouth and shouted "hope you all love a good romantic reunion!" Then she waved, and Asami swore she could see someone in the helicopter wave back, but it was hard to tell from the glare.

Asami playfully shoved her wife in the side. "Korra," she implored. "There are kids watching."

"And they'll grow up knowing what true love looks like." She planted another, quicker kiss on Asami right before the helicopter circled back around and joined the rest of the fleet. Korra turned away from the retreating vehicle and her eyes met with Asami's again. The grin Korra wore obliterated the years on her face, and Asami was taken back to when they were in their twenties, to when they first fell in love. Their first date. Their first kiss. That smile could undo Asami completely and turn that big brain of hers into a disorganized mess one-hundred percent of the time. Even pushing fifty, that smile still lit Korra's eyes up the exact same way it always did. "After we're done here, wanna grab a bite to eat? I heard Kwong's is extending their hours." Taken off guard by the innocuous offer, Asami doubled over with laughter. "What's so funny?"

"You!" she said after catching her breath. "I've been worried all month about today. Planning it, running calculations, coordinating with the police...everything! Then here you are all 'so yeah, after I punch a comet out of the sky, wanna go chow down?' You're ridiculous."

"And you worry too much," repeated Korra. "I'll be fine. You're here, and I take that as a good omen. I haven't seen you in seven months Asami. Seven months! That's torture, for both of us I'm sure". Asami's raised an eyebrow but she didn't argue. "I gotta take you out to a nice dinner after being away all this time. Isn't that some unwritten rule of marriage? 'If you're away for long periods of time, you must, upon your return, placate your wife with food.'"

"Now that you mention it, I am pretty hungry," said Asami, nudging Korra's shoulder. "Very well, Kwong's it is."

Korra gave a very exaggerated bow. "And so it will be, my Queen." Asami giggled in spite of herself at Korra's cheesy expressions of love. One of the many things Asami had missed while Korra had been away was how much of a dork she could be. It was something that she seemed to experience less and less as time went on. Korra was away often. Both of them were, either with Asami on business trips, or cooped up in the lab, or Korra off saving the world. This time she had been visiting the unified Earth States, that menagerie of bickering buffoons that could, in Asami's opinion, only loosely be described as unified. Korra had been called away to them far too often to settle some dispute or other over the years. Between Korra doing her best to hold the world together, and Asami running the single largest company in on the planet, the little time they had together was precious.

The two women continued to hold each other, drinking in every moment they had of the others' presence. It was then that the sky rapidly sank into a deep red. A loud roar came from the direction of the police line and the protesters, loud enough to cut through even the billowing winds. Korra and Asami looked up and around, searching the sky for the source of the disturbance. Sure enough, beyond the horizon, across the ocean, a trail of fire cut its way steadily through the upper atmosphere. Sozin's comet had arrived.

"Wow," said Korra. "I feel...beyond energized." She turned from Asami to face the approaching comet. Then she smiled. "It's right where you said it'd be. You were right,."

"It's been known to happen." Asami wasn't looking at the comet. She was looking at the back of Korra's head, taking in every feature from head to toe, as if committing it to memory. The arrival of the comet had made what was about to happen exceptionally real, and Asami found herself no longer feeling anxious. She was afraid. "Promise me something," she said aloud before she could stop herself.

Korra turned and looked at her, the ghost of worry on her face.

Asami swore to herself and resigned herself to saying it. "Promise me...that you'll come back."

Korra furrowed her brow. "I just got back, where would I be going?"

Asami sighed. "Somewhere I can't follow."

Understanding came over her wife, and she reached a hand out to stroke Asami's cheek. "I'm not going anywhere," she said in that same soothing voice she used before. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I died now."

"The comet's only going to go as low as the mesosphere. You'll be exposed to almost raw vacuum, and the human brain can only survive without oxygen for six minutes before the likelihood of brain damage sets in, and I-"

Korra had placed a hand at the back of her head, and stared intently into her eyes. "Asami," she said simply. "I'm coming back." She kissed her, one that Asami returned weakly. Her mind was still sifting through all the datapoints, all the potential outcomes, all of which were significantly more likely and more terrifying than Korra seemed to think. When Korra ended the kiss, Asami felt the loss of touch as if she was already gone. "I love it when you talk nerdy," said Korra. "But now's not the time. It's getting closer, and I have to take that thing down."

She was right. The head of the comet's fire trail was making its way towards Republic City airspace at a precipitous rate. Asami steeled herself, and said "then you need to go now." Korra looked at her quizzically. "I know how fast you can fly, if you go now, you'll intercept it before it crosses the shoreline. It'll fall into the water. You probably have only a minute before that window closes."

"Then there's no time to waste. I'll see you soon." Korra squeezed Asami's hand in a reassuring way, before stepping back a few paces. "You might want to stand back a bit though." Asami did so, and couldn't help but smile. Korra always loved showing off for her, however or whenever she could. "Watch and learn." Turning to face the distant comet, Korra ran towards the ocean, lept into the air several meters so that she was clear of Asami, and then with enhanced firebending, propelled herself upwards. Flames shot out of her limbs like a rocket ship, launching the Avatar skyward. Before she was completely out of earshot, Asami heard Korra bellow out "wooooo hooo!" Somehow this eased the worst of Asami's fears. It wasn't long until Korra was so far away, it looked like another comet had risen from the Earth to meet the invader.

As the Avatar rose into the sky, some of the protesters finally snapped. Most of the crowd was pushed out of the way, broke free, and ran for safety as the more volatile protesters unleashed firebending the likes of which the world had not seen for a hundred years. From the first punch, everything was chaos. A torrent of flame, launched from the hands of some unseen belligerent, tore clean through the frontlines, and the police troopers scrambled for cover. They could weather most attacks under normal conditions with their heavy armor, but even they were rapidly breaking under the shear power the Firebenders displayed.

Chief Mako, himself a Firebender, and the handful of Republic Enforcers, were all that could stand up to this display of violence. Mako sprinted from his tent, and parried a stream of fire so that it circled around him and diffused into sparkling embers. Mako stepped forward, spun, and launched into an airborne bolley kick that sent a blade of flames over the heads of the protesters either crazy or stupid enough to still be around. "Get back!" he commanded the crowd.

Mako's attack had disoriented the protesters, and the Enforcers rushed into the fray to pacify who they could. The mechanized suits they wore enhanced their speed and strength ten fold, and so at close quarters, the attackers were Enforcers tackled, jabbed, and kicked in a coordinated counter attack that saw sixteen protesters downed within seconds. They lay incompaciated on the ground, having been stunned with rapid, precise blows to their chi paths.

Most of the survivors turned tail and fled from the armored warriors, but a few remained, determined to remain defiant to the end. They would never get the chance. Before either Mako, the Enforcers, or the rioters could make a move, the ground shook with the magnitude of a large earthquake. Windows shattered, car alarms blared, and people fell, their feet unsteady on shaking ground. Picking himself up, Mako looked skyward, and saw a burst of blue light shining through the clouds like a supernova. The clouds then cycloned like a whirlpool, but instead of falling to the ground like a tornado, they were sucked further into the sky, chasing the trail of flame left behind by Korra's departure. Soon, water from the ocean began rising as well, and finally chunks of earth were torn out of the landscape, floating after the the rest of the elements with the speed of a cannon round.

Several kilometers above the ground, Korra had activated the Avatar state. Her eyes glowed blue, but she was pushing herself so hard that spiritual energy wreathed her like a ghostly blue flame. Her awareness was heightened to a point not possible for any human, and she felt the whole world beneath her-all of its life, its spiritual essence, everything-as she felt herself. In the Avatar state, Korra wasn't just human; she was a god made physical, and it was now that she was more certain than ever that what she was doing was not only right, it was possible.

Korra pulled the four elements to her as automatically and naturally as a magnet pulls metal. They trailed after her into the air, circled her, and orbited her in crisscrossing lines, so that she was the nucleus of an elemental atom. The air she gathered to her formed a protective bubble that ensured she wouldn't asphyxiate at the extreme altitudes she flew. Higher, higher, and higher she climbed, breaking through the upper cloud layer, higher than any bird had ever flown, until she was level with the comet itself.

It was barreling towards her at frightening speeds, it's immense physical presence and blinding, fiery light taking up her entire field of vision. By all rights, Korra should have been blinded from staring right at it. But with the Avatar state, Korra saw with more than just her eyes. She reached a hand out, and smiled. She could immediately detect the metallic impurities within the comet, and knew it was in fact no different than any other meteorite that had fallen to Earth. She could do it. She could destroy Sozin's comet.

Korra gathered all of the elements to her. Fire, air, water, and earth came together in a single, pure elemental mixture. Focusing all of her power into her next move, Korra closed her right fist, and threw a punch.

Down below, Asami watched, holding her breath. She had rushed to the safety of the shoreline so as to put as much distance between the ocean and herself. She knew better than anyone else just what happened when Korra's Avatar state came out, and she didn't want to stick around to experience it firsthand. When the earth shook, she knew she had made the right call, and as the ocean water rose, she allowed herself to smile. Korra could do this. Only she could.

Without warning, the sky was rent with a shockwave that cascaded from above. Asami watched its progress as clouds were blown away into invisible vapors, and a spherical wall of compressed air could just be made out, forcing its way downward. Winds blew through the streets and alleys of Republic City, knocking anyone in their path over. Windows that had survived the earthquakes shattered into a million pieces. The heavy airship shifted its trajectory slightly, its powerful engines holding its steady, but the helicopters weren't having it so easy. They spun like mad through the air, their lightweight frames no match for the power of the winds. Asami stumbled back into the building facade she had been standing near, barely keeping her footing as the gail force winds from whatever had happened above struck the city with the explosive power of a small hurricane.

As quickly as the shockwave came, it was gone. The trees returned to their normal posture, and people picked themselves up, stunned looks on their faces. The helicopters righted themselves, their skilled pilots managing to weather the storm. Asami tentatively stepped forward, looking into the sky for any signs of movement. It wasn't long before she saw the first object fall. It was billowing black smoke, which traced its fall from orbit like black ink on the yellow-orange sky.

The remains of Sozin's comet careened to the Earth, falling well short of the Republic City shoreline. As the comet fell, Asami could hear roaring cheers from the thousands of people all along the coast, and probably the millions within the city's buildings too; the rioters and dissenters were evidently too shocked to have any reaction more than stunned silence.

Smoking all the way down, the blackened remnants of the comet crashed into the ocean, exploding a massive geyser of water into the air. The waves which erupted from the impact spread like huge ripples towards the shoreline. When they finally reached the coast, they smacked into the pier and drenched the entire police force, the gathered crowds, and Asami alike. This had the effect of momentarily dampening the cries of celebration, but they picked back up almost immediately, as if getting soaked in salt water was the best thing that had ever happened to them. Asami, however, was not celebrating. Not yet.

Gaze affixed to the skies, she barely noticed Mako and Boquin running over to her out of the corner of her eye. "No sign of her," he said. "We've got airships on standby in case she falls too." Asami ignored him, still scanning the skies for anything human shaped. After a painfully long moment, she spotted something.

"There!" She pointed up at the small, dark object that had just broken through the reforming cloud cover. It was too far away to make out any details, but it had to be her. A small stream of fire trailed behind her, but her descent seemed erratic, as if she was spinning out of control. "Oh no!" Asami held her hand to her mouth to stifle a scream. Korra, between whatever had caused that explosion, and the sudden loss of power that came with the comet's destruction, had lost control of her own flight.

Sky, ocean, sky, ocean, everything spun in dizzying circles. Up was down, and down was up, everything flashing in her vision so quickly Korra's head began to pound, her stomach tying in knots, and her heart threatening to burst free from her chest. Korra's attack on the comet had taken everything she had to give. It's forward momentum alone had nearly been enough to barrel her over outright, but what came next was truly shocking. When it had finally been robbed of its inertia, and before falling to the Earth, the comet sent out a blast of energy so powerful it had knocked Korra clean from the Avatar state, and out of the air.

The sudden, unexpected loss of the Light spirit's power had been debilitating. The explosion had blown through her body with such force she might as well have been hit by a speeding car. Every muscle fiber screamed in pain, and she could barely will herself to move, much less regain control of her descent. She was caught in an all too familiar setting.

Wind whistled past her ears, a deafening roar that she had heard once before. The feeling of falling, helpless, from the sky as pain wracked her body returned with immediacy. As the world spun about her, she caught glimpses of a ghost, a shadow of a man who should be long dead. His grey clothes, bald head, and disturbingly kind eyes watched her as she fell from fatal height. He could almost hear the laugh, the ruthlessness, in his accursed voice. "Even as you succeed, you fail."

The voice was an echo, it wasn't real, couldn't be real. She knew this, of course she knew this, but her own mind was turning against itself, as it had once done long ago. The fall had taken Korra back to him, and forced her to relive something she had buried a long time ago. The cold grip of fear tightened around her chest so that every breath was a struggle, and for a moment all she could think to do was fall, fall as fast and far as she could, to put as much distance between herself and that man as possible…

But only for a moment. She steeled herself, shook her head, focused her vision, and saw through the hallucination. In an instant it vanished from existence, and the tightness in Korra's chest disappeared just as quickly. Zaheer was dead. His body was a pile of bones, buried miles from Republic City beneath an unmarked mountain. There was no Red Lotus. There was no mercury to set her muscles and bloodstream aflame. There was only the wind, and the ocean below battling against her this time. This is a fight she couldn't lose. How could she? She had promised Asami she'd come back, and she has never broken a promise made to that woman.

Korra gathered every last thread of willpower she had left, and forced her muscles to move. She splayed out her arms and legs to slow and control her descent. The wind caught her, and she forced it to fight for her rather than against her. She was an airbender, the wind did not control her. She controlled it. If it wanted her to spin one way, she spun the other way. Wrestling for control, Korra spitefully defied the air until it was under her command. Caught on a bed of air, Korra's fall turned into a speedy glide.

Wits regained, Korra looked straight down and saw the blue waters of Yue Bay rushing up to meet her at a nauseating pace. It wouldn't matter how in control of her glide she was; at these speeds, the impact would kill her outright. Instead of allowing herself to panic, Korra drew upon what she had learned from Tenzin, and his mind-numbing meditation sessions. Patience.

She waited, and watched, studying the distance from herself and the water so that she may act at the perfect moment, not a moment either too soon or too early. Closer, closer she drew, the ocean rapidly filling every corner of her vision, until she could make out the foam of individual waves. At a quarter kilometer above the surface, Korra suddenly clapped her hands in front of her, and a hurricane-force burst of wind shot forth from her fingertips. The counter thrust was enough to stop Korra's descent cold. When gravity recaptured her, she was close enough to the ocean that it didn't matter. Her fall was too slow, the impact wouldn't kill her.

It was still gonna hurt like hell though.

Korra stretched herself out into a pencil dive. With some waterbending influence, a funnel of blue water rose up and engulfed her to further break her fall. It hardly seemed to matter, at least to Korra. The impact was forceful enough that it felt like a belly flop off a diving board. Her shoulders took the brunt of the impact, but she was moving so fast that the sudden rush of water and pressure past her body sent a million pin pricks off in all of her nerves.

Her muscles were weak, weaker than they had been in thirty years. Every fiber of her being screamed in protest as she tried to break the surface again, but the disorientation from the impact had boggled her sense of direction all over again. Heart pounding, Korra looked frantically around for the light.

"Where is she? Did you see her, Mako?"

Mako shook his head. He was holding the mouthpiece to a headset up to his mouth. "All teams on station, find the Avatar. No idea how much time we have, but assume it's an emergency." The airship accelerated at the pace of a cabbage slug towards the water, but search and rescue helicopters sped past it. The setting sun necessitated the usage of blinding floodlights, which shot forth from the aircraft onto the water below. Seconds ticked by, and seconds turned into minutes. Every instant that past, Asami's anxiety grew a thousand fold. Her eyes flickered between searchlights, desperate for any sign of movement, or any discoloration.

But the sun was behind the distant clouds now, its light fading as rapidly as Asami's resolve. "Where is she Mako!?" Mako's face had turned grim, jawline set as his teeth clenched. He had given up issuing orders to the aircraft. They knew what they had to do. It was doing it that was the problem.

This was so stupid, so unbelievably stupid. Stupid and arrogant! Stupid to have sent Korra up there, alone, and with nothing to help her get back down, and arrogant to think it would work with no consequences. There's always consequences when meddling with things you don't understand, Asami knew this. Her legs threatened to give out from under her as grief flooded to the forefront of her mind. It weighed her down, until she could no longer stand. "No, no, no..." was all she could manage, clutching her chest. "Please no. Please find her, Mako."

He placed a hand on her quivering back. "We're-" his voice caught in his throat. "We're doing everything we can. We'll find her." Another airship roared overhead and activated its own searchlights. But something deep, awful, and monstrous in Asami told her it was useless. Images of her father flashed in her mind, seeing the machine he drove getting crushed by a gargantuan metal hand. She was twenty-three years old, losing her world all over again.

That's when she heard a splash.

Even through her grief, she heard it, and the part of her that dared to hope convinced her to turn her head towards the sound. Half fearful of what she'd see, Asami squinted her eyes. Something was moving in the darkness, but the glaring light from the aircraft overhead made seeing anything in the shadows almost impossible. Asami gathered her voice, and said "Mako, there, over there, what's that?"

Whatever it was, was near the edge of the pier. Mako removed his hand from Asami's back and unstrapped the flashlight from his belt. He switched it on, and aimed the beam in the direction of the sounds. And there, no more than thirty meters away, lay Korra.

"Korra!" Mako and Asami had shouted in unison. As they ran, Mako yelled into the air "medic! We need a medic over here!"

Asami ran towards her wife so fast she could barely slow herself down. She slid on her knees and came to a stop right next to Korra's drenched body, face down on the concrete, showing no signs of life. "Come on, Korra wake up!" Asami shook her shoulder, and when that didn't work, she lifted her from the midriff to right her. This had the effect of a sudden coughing fit. Water sputtered from Korra's mouth and air rushed into her lungs in desperate gasps, followed by more coughing.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" cried Asami. Tears of pure relief spilled forth as Korra retched out the last of the water and opened her eyes. Asami pulled the limp, still convulsing Avatar close to her chest, holding Korra's aching muscles with far too much grip. Korra didn't protest; she was both too tired and too happy to care. Instead she raised a weak hand and placed it on top of Asami's, making sure to give it a reassuring pat.

Mako, Boquin, and others rushed to their aid. A man wearing white, slim armor dropped to both knees next to Korra. He reached to his thigh and a stream of water flowed from a pouch that was strapped there, and trailed his hand through the air. The water glowed blue, and he spread it across Korra's exposed arms, neck, anywhere that wasn't clothed.

Asami blinked away tears and looked, taking in the state of her wife for the first time. Her clothes had been torn to shreds in places. Her top had been burned down the right side so that all that was left was splotches of singed and bruised skin, and the blackened wrappings around her chest. Her pants hung in tatters, and her feet looked like she had stepped on burning coals.

"Spirits, Korra, I thought you were dead." Asami could.

The Avatar smiled weakly and chuckled. "I'm...almost...insulted." Korra's chest rose and fell with every word, every breath both a struggle and a blessing.

"What could you possibly mean?"

"I'm a water...waterbender. You think...a little swim...would finish me? Ha, heh...ow…" Korra's grip tightened around Asami's hand reflexively. Asami twisted her hand to return the hold. "Please. Give me...some credit."

Asami laughed through tears, a kind of giddy elation overcoming her. "You are invincible, Korra," she said.

"Don't feel like it," Korra mumbled. "Might have to raincheck...on that dinner date." She looked down at herself, and at the police healer working on her right arm. The helicopters and airships hovered overhead, searchlights trained on the gathered people below. Crowds of onlookers had formed, which the police were now corralling to the far side of the pier. Asami was distantly aware of camera flashes blinking at them from the crowds, but paid them no mind. Korra's eyes lazily took in the sights around her, before settling on the person directly at her feet. "Hey Mako. How...how've you been?

Mako rubbed his forehead and mumbled something that sounded like "unbelievable" under his breath. "I'm great, Korra. We need to get you to the hospital, you're banged up pretty bad."

"What, this? Pfft...I'm fine. Your guy here...he knows what he's...gah, can't catch my breath. He knows what he's doing."

Before Mako could say something, Boquin forced his way in through the circle of police officers and friends, looking beside himself with glee. Trailing behind him, Varrick practically bounced his way into the group, shoving Mako aside. Both ignored the officers' protests.

"Korra you've done it again!"

"An unprecedented moment in human history!"

"Could've done a more graceful landing…"

"You've done the impossible! Or rather, what everyone else thought was impossible..."

"...but the shots I got were incredible!"

Boquin turned on Varrick with an indignant gleam in his eye. "Is that all you care about? Your stupid mover? Korra just changed the world!"

"And I have the video evidence! Exclusive property of Varrick Film Studios, thank you very much."

Asami spoke up. "Guys-"

"There were dozens of cameras! Nothing exclusive about your pet project at all.

"Please, none of those so-called 'news crews' possesses even an ounce of the artistry my guys have in their toenails. You mark my words, my film will be looked at as the definitive take on today's events."

Varrick crossed his arms, convinced of a victory Boquin looked unready to concede so easily. Before Boquin could go in for round two with a brick wall, Asami shouted "HEY!"

It was loud enough to make everyone jump, even the healer. The water he had been using on Korra's shoulders splashed pointlessly to the ground. The Avatar ignored it and looked longingly at her wife. "I love it when you take charge," she said sweetly.

Asami gave a subtle wink to her before turning back to the frankly embarrassed looking belligerents. "Can you both just shut up, and give us some space?" Boquin's mouth opened and closed a few times as if he was wrestling his tongue back into submission. Even Varrick looked uncharacteristically bashful.

Not one to fail in being dramatic, however, Varrick gave his customary bow (which was stiffer than usual) and said "of course, my apologies. We will take our leave at once." He grabbed Boquin's arm and said "come on, professor, I'll show you what we got. It'll be my finest work, I swear."

Boquin followed him, more to avoid the steely gaze of his boss than to bear witness to Varrick's so called "artistry." All that was left was the Healer, a few police officers who refused to look at Asami or Korra, and Mako. The healer returned to his work at once, and Mako shuffled his feet. "Sooooo" was all he managed at first. He had a knack for looking out of place, Asami thought, even as chief of police. Some things never change. "You okay Korra?"

"Feeling better every second," she confirmed. As the healer worked, the worst of the bruises, cuts, and burns simply washed away like so much dirt under a faucet. Asami watched it happen, marvelling at the waterbender's ability to make wounds simply...vanish like that. At least, most of the wounds. It was more as if the abrasions and burns were healed at an accelerated rate. Raised skin tissue and glossy textures remained in the areas the damage had been the worst, but they were subtle enough to not be noticed at a glance.

When the Healer was finished with Korra's arm, and moved to work on her burned sides, Korra squeezed her hand into a fist. "Feels like new." She raised her arm to better light, inspecting the scars. With a sigh, she said "that's unsightly." She let the arm flop back to the ground, which elicited another strained "ow".

"You look fine Korra," assured Asami. "I do like a woman with scars."

"Happy to be of service. Maybe I could get a scar tattoo, something traditional, from the watertribe. You ever see one? Varrick could learn a thing or two about 'artistry' from those things."

Asami shook her head with a smile. "Mako's right, you're unbelievable."

Korra beamed at her in an exaggerated sort of way and turned back to the healer. "What's the prognosis, doc?"

"The damage was mostly surface level," he responded. He was now sealing a wound near Korra's belly button. "I'm not sensing any disruption along your chi paths, so best I can tell, you'll be fine by tomorrow."

"I still think she should spend a night at the hospital," said Mako.

"Obviously that's your call, boss." The healer removed his hands from Korra's stomach and the water flew back into his pouch. The repairs to her body were mostly finished from what anyone could tell, but the healer looked like he needed to take a break. He fell backward on his heels so that he was sitting down, breathing noticeably labored. Sustained healing like that over extended periods of time could be draining, Asami knew. It involved using one's own chi paths as a conduit to redirect another person's, so that their body could heal itself far more efficiently, with the water as the catalyst. When Korra explained it to her, Asami had imagined it as a transference of power between two generators, to which Korra cocked her head to the side and said "sure". She was smiling though, so Asami took that to mean she had understood it, in her way. That also meant this "transference" was taking a lot out of the healer.

When he regained his breath, the healer continued. "But in all honesty, she should be able to get home under her own power, provided she sleeps it off. You shouldn't be punching any more comets any time soon, Mrs. Sato. Or lifting heavy things for a week."

Korra groaned. "Man, there goes my week. But thanks for the help. I'll be fine Mako, I promise." Mako looked unconvinced, which was his natural state whenever someone he cared about said they were "fine", but he wisely bit his tongue and nodded.

"Fair enough," he said. "Want me to send for a car? I'll have one of my guys take you home."

"That'd be appreciated," said Asami. After everything that happened, the very last thing she wanted to have to deal with was nosey reporters demanding answers for every question between 2+2 and the meaning of life. A police escort would get them through that particular maelstrom no problem. "We can go back the Tower, I'll get her rested up."

Mako nodded and stepped away so as to speak into his headset, issuing orders to the massive police force that still mingled around and above the pier. Asami caught a little of what he said. The police were to tell everyone to go home, and to send a car with escorts to take the Avatar to GFI Tower. He also said something that sounded like "quarantine", which Asami took to refer to Yue Bay. The comet was an unknown quantity, and it made sense to seal off the area where it had landed until they could be sure it was safe. That explosion had been unexpected, after all. Who knows what else it might have to offer.

"In his element again," said Korra, watching Mako direct his officers. "Lin would be so proud of him." There was no irony in her voice, only a contemplative sort of tone carrying a lifetime of memory. Asami could tell, despite whatever face she put on for the others, that Korra was very tired. Weary even. Her eyes were partially lidded, and she seemed unwilling to do much moving at all. Korra always became very thoughtful when she was tired, a state of mind she saved for Asami, while to most other people she was the kind, energetic, and boisterous Avatar. Being back in Republic City after so long must be bringing back a lot of memories. It happened often whenever she returned, as if the city, and the people in it, was a relative Korra didn't see nearly often enough, but always changed in tiny, subtle ways that made it a little bit different every time.

Asami felt a familiar pang of sorrow for her wife that had little to do with their personal long-distance relationship. The Avatar was the one responsible for keeping the world in balance, which meant it was an inherently nomadic position. Korra could be away for weeks or months, or even years at a time, settling some dispute or navigating some crisis in the world. She always did her best to return whenever she could, but the world was big, and growing ever more complicated. There was little opportunity for her to just sit and rest. For as busy as Asami was, she at least had somewhere she could return too every night. The Avatar was never afforded that luxury, no matter how welcome she was in Asami's home.

Asami repositioned her arms around Korra so that her head was resting more fully on her lap. She brushed her fingers through Korra's drying hair, a sensation she knew Korra loved. Korra's eyes grew visibly heavier as sleep threatened to take her at once. But the spell was broken by the healer as he passed the water over her feet. Korra had to stifle a laugh. "Sorry, ticklish," she explained to the healer with a shrug.

"I've missed your laugh," said Asami, leaning closer. She placed a kiss on her forehead. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Korra replied. "It's nice. To be back home." Light from an approaching vehicle signalled the arrival of Asami's car, and the procession of police escorts which flanked it. The jet black Satomobile parked next to them, and its door swung open. Boquin sat inside, and froze when he saw Korra wasn't yet finished with her healing.

"Ah, my apologies," he said, turning away.

"It's fine, Boquin," said Korra. "He's almost done anyway." Indeed, as she said this, the healer removed his hands from Korra's legs. The soothing warmth of the glowing water disappeared, and the exposed skin suddenly felt cold in the sea-chilled night air.

"You're good to go, Avatar," said the healer. His demeanor then shifted, his well-disciplined professionalism fractured, and he gave a self conscious smile. "I uh, just wanted to say thank you. For everything. My kids'll love to hear about how I helped the Avatar today. They're big...fans, you see."

Korra returned the smile in a diplomatic sort of way. "What're their names? And come to think of it, what's your name?"

"They're Tekka and Li," said the healer. "Boy and girl. And I'm, well, I'm Tonraq."

Healer Tonraq seemed embarrassed by the name, but Korra gave a genuine, kind hearted laugh. "It probably doesn't shock you to hear, but that's my dad's name."

"Yeah, my folks were pretty keen on him. They grew up in the Southern Water Tribe, and they fought in the war against the North. They were always proud to have fought alongside him for our independence, to have been part of something big, you know? They actually met because of the war, so I guess you can say that our whole family owes itself to Chieftain Tonraq. He was a great leader, and he raised one hell of a daughter." Korra's smile went from diplomatic to sincere.

"Thank you, Tonraq. But this one here," Korra reached up and patted Asami's arm, "is the reason I'm here. Wouldn't have gotten this far without her."

"Of course," said Tonraq. He seemed much more comfortable now that he had gotten his own name off his chest. "You guys are all living legends. I came to Republic City to join the police force because of Chief Mako and Bolin. The chance to work with someone from Team Avatar was too good to pass on!"

The usage of the name Team Avatar struck an odd chord with Asami. It had been an impromptu name they had all come up with on the spot (or rather, Bolin had) as a way to honor the previous Avatar, Aang, and his friends. Now it was associated with them and only them, which Asami felt was unfair, but amusing in its own way. After all, it was some hokey name thought up by a group of teenagers people took seriously enough to use in normal conversation, which meant real historians were getting paid to write Team Avatar in their books. If Korra was on the same wavelength as Asami on this issue, she didn't show it. Ever the diplomat, she simply said "they're good guys to have on your side, Tonraq. Never lose sight of them."

"I won't ma'am." Asami saw something flash out of the corner of her eye. Boquin was reflecting light off his watch to get her attention. He tapped it, raised an eyebrow, and then beckoned them to get a move on.

"We really should be going, Korra," said Asami. She turned to Tonraq. "Not to cut this short, but I gotta get this one to bed."

"Oh come on mom, five more minutes?"

Asami shoved her in the arm, but Tonraq nodded. "No it's fine, I really have overstayed my welcome. Chief Mako would probably throw a fireball at me if he saw me making small talk while on the job." Asami briefly wondered how likely that actually was, knowing Mako's temper as she did. "It has been wonderful to meet you both." Tonraq stood, and made sure to shake the hands of both women before going on his way to rejoin Mako to give his report.

"The fanclub never dies. Help me up." Korra gripped Asami's hand and hoisted herself into a somewhat unsteady stand. Even while tired, injured and weak, Korra still managed to almost yank Asami to the ground from the strength of her pull.

"How's it feel?"

"Kinda like walking on crushed glass." Korra babied one foot and then the other, not able to keep the pressure on for longer than a few seconds. Asami wrapped her arm around Korra's back so that she could support some of her weight on her left shoulder. The effort was greater than she expected though, and Asami let out an involuntary grunt upon hoisting her up. "Didn't think those chocolate cakes the villagers gave me would put on that much weight."

"You've always been heavy," said Asami.

"Yeah but you've never grunted before." The two of them set off towards the car with Boquin waiting impatiently. Each step was a struggle for Korra, and each step dropped the weight onto Asami's shoulder even more.

"What can I say," said Asami. "I've been out of practice."

"I'm shocked. You never turn down an opportunity to train when I'm around."

"Because you're around. No one else wants to step into the ring with me, and no one can keep up. They damn well know it. Since you're back, how about I prove I still got it?"

Korra laughed. "Oh sure, beat up the cripple. You've always loved to fight fair."

They had reached the car. Before she lowered Korra so that she could scoot herself inside, Asami took the chance to familiarize herself with the well-toned, taut oblique muscles that her hand was rested on. "Yeah I don't think you'll be able to use that excuse for long. Knowing you, I'll find you up running laps by dawn."

Korra gripped the top of the car for support, turned, and planted a kiss on Asami's lips. It was sudden and quick, but returning it was as automatic as breathing. After seven months without contact, that kiss sent a shiver down Asami's spine that had nothing to do with the cold. "Yeah, probably," said Korra, pulling away. Her mouth was shaped into a sly half smile. "If you're too chicken to step into the ring for a fair fight, I can think of some other things you could show me instead."

Asami's mind turned to actions and ideas that were not in any way suitable for the state her wife was in at the moment. She crammed those corrupted, sinful thoughts into some dark recess of her mind, and crossed her arms. "Right now you've got the endurance of a handicapped tortoise. No one wants to see that."

"No one wants to hear it either!" Asami and Korra both blanched. Boquin was in the car looking incredulous. "Can you two keep it together for five minutes without going at each other like flying lemurs in heat?" Their faces beat red, the two climbed into the car and rode in silence. Now it was their turn to feel embarrassed.

Asami thanked the high spirits the roads to the GFI headquarters were still on mandatory lockdown, because there was no way she could stomach sitting in the car with Boquin's judgemental presence for a minute longer. Korra was the first out the door, which left Asami to bid the final farewell. But decorum demanded she ask her most trusted scientific advisor if he wanted to discuss the day's events, seeing as how it was still technically early by most civilized standards. Thankfully he had other plans. "I'll be doing nothing else tonight except catching up on sleep," he said. Allowing himself a grin, he added "I must say there is no better sedative than satisfaction in victory."

"Well, don't get ahead of yourself yet, Boquin. There's plenty of work to be done."

"Yes, yes I know. Tomorrow I will be petitioning Chief Mako for access to the rock itself, among many other tasks. Until then, I bid you goodnight." More than happy to be given a prompt leave, Asami stepped out of the car to greet Korra on the sidewalk in front of the Tower entrance. She was looking up at it, marvelling at its grandeur.

"This beats the hell out of that cabin I spent two months in." The car pulled away and sped off down the road towards the suburbs, where Boquin lived. Asami ignored it, and wrapped her arms around Korra's midriff from behind. "Hey now, still unsteady here. Frisk later."

Korra rocked on her recovering feet to prove her point. "Just happy you're home," said Asami into Korra's right shoulder. "Need help getting inside?"

"Like I'd pass on an excuse for you to hold me." Korra put an arm on Asami's upper back, but wasn't leaning on her nearly as much. Indeed, they looked much more like how a couple should look after a night out, and maybe a few drinks-certainly not like one of them had just suffered grievous burns and bruises. Water healing worked miracles, Asami thought.

The ground floor lobby of the GFI Tower was dimly lit, and only accessible because of an executive keycard Asami kept in her pants pocket. No one was there, not even the receptionist, which made the hotel-like lobby feel even larger. Asami preferred it this way; during the day even this large room would be packed to capacity with people from all walks of life coming and going on official business. As chief executive of GFI, Asami estimated she spoke to at least half of them personally. Endless meetings, phone calls, and reports on all manner of projects, requests, legal issues, interdepartmental disputes, and everything in between, was an average day for Asami.

Seeing the lobby like this was almost pleasant. Being here, alone, with Korra made it downright peaceful. Asami would have to remember to direct all calls made to her down to her secretaries in the morning. No way was she working tomorrow, not if she could help it.

When the pair reached the elevator in the back, Asami thumbed the call button and scanned her ID card again so they'd be given access to the very top floor, something reserved for Asami only. Still with her arm across Asami's back, Korra slackened a little and let out a kind of deflated sigh. "I didn't tell you," she said, "but I can only stay for a day or so." Asami's chest tightened at this rather sudden revelation, but remained silent so she could continue. "I never finished in the State of Yai. Global economics is...well it's something."

The Earth Kingdom had been officially dissolved into the Earth States around twenty years ago. King Wu abdicated the throne in an effort to make the Earth Kingdom more like the democratic United Republic, but his efforts were...more thoughtless than they should have been. For ten thousand years the Earth Kingdom had stood as the largest and most powerful state in the world. With Wu's abdication, it was suddenly fractured into several dozen smaller sovereign nations. The growing pains from this transition have haunted the world, and Korra, ever since.

The elevator door finally opened with a soft bing. The pair stepped inside, and were greeted with a pleasant little musical number over the loudspeakers. "Do you want my help?" asked Asami. If economics were Korra's present issue, then it might be something she could look into. She was a woman of numbers after all.

But Korra shook her head, apparently reading Asami's mind. "It's not the numbers that need crunching, it's the people." The bitter tone told Asami that Korra was only half joking about the crunching. "Each state is using its own minted currency, and the exchange rates between the states is causing havoc. No one knows what costs what, where this or that product came from, or anything!" Korra waved her free hand in the air dramatically. "So people are desperate. Many of them are homeless because their money isn't worth as much in trade to this state as it's worth to that state. Now there's talk of a unified currency, but then there's other people who are afraid of going back to the old regime system if they do that. I'm supposed to mediate, but I just feel like, I dunno, like a fly caught in a web between two spiders speaking a language I can't understand, or something." Korra let out a gruff sigh. Asami had known Korra was running charity relief with the Air Nation for impoverished regions of the Earth States, but it hadn't come up in any of her letters that she was also in the middle of top-level talks with the leaders. Asami suspected this was because Korra didn't want to think about it; she did her best griping in person, not in writing. "I haven't said this before," Korra continued, "but I really miss being seventeen. We lived in a simple world back then. We had a clear goal, and we went for it. I'd take Amon over two dozen new world leaders any day."

Korra's good mood right before taking on the comet made a lot of sense in that context. "No wonder you were so happy today," Asami said. "You got to let off some steam after dealing with politicians for seven months."

"Nothing beats throwing a few punches. I might have to take up your offer to step into the ring tomorrow. I need to get moving again. I can't keep sitting in rooms listening to meetings all day; it's driving me insane. Oh. Right.." Asami had turned towards her and raised an eyebrow. "But you're Asami Sato, businesswoman extraordinaire. I'm Korra Sato, Avatar extraordinaire. I bend all four elements and take down evil dictators. I bring food to homeless people. I communicate with the spirits. What good's bending, food, and meditation in legal proceedings? I don't get why they're coming to me."

It was clear Korra was at her wits end just thinking about it. More than frustrated, she looked crestfallen, drained of all energy, the kind of look she only got when she was feeling helpless. The bags under her eyes suggested sleep had been elusive for Korra, a concept Asami was intimately familiar with. Everyone in the world knew the situation in the Earth States was bad, but seeing it firsthand brought an unsettling new perspective. All the charity relief Korra and the Air Nation did was so many band-aids to a hemorrhaging wound. It didn't get at the root of the problem, which was that the sovereign Earth state leaders had been rushed to power, were unqualified, and self-serving. Korra hated uncertainty, and navigating the world stage this day and age was only ever uncertain. "I don't know why they're coming to you," said Asami, which was the truth. Avatar or not, Korra was no more qualified to opine on this matter than any other random joe who hadn't gone into political science. "Maybe it's just people clinging to their sense of tradition. When in doubt, ask the Avatar."

"And when the Avatar's in doubt, who does she turn too?"

"Obviously her wife." Asami took some satisfaction in the shadow of a smile that played on Korra's lips. Small victories. "If there's someone who has the willpower to get through this, I know it's you."

"My will is the only thing keeping me going. It's certainly not the sound advice I'm giving on fiscal policy. Planning a country is nauseating; remind me to never bad mouth the President ever again."

"Now I know you're at the end of your rope."

Korra hung her head and closed her eyes, attempting to regather her thoughts. "I need a break, Asami. I'm just so...tired of dealing with people."

Asami nodded solemnly, and then put on her take charge voice, as Korra called it. "You're getting one. For a week. I want you to take the time you have off and spend it with me. Doctor's orders. I'll handle the details, so don't worry about that." Korra huffed a joyless chuckle, but didn't say anything else. Korra could become pretty non-communicative when she was in a downward state, but Asami sensed her appreciation all the same. Regardless of how Korra felt at the moment, Asami had already planned the spin story in her head. Taking time to heal her wounds caused by the destruction of Sozin's comet. An official report from Chief Mako, and a little footage of Korra being resuscitated "leaking" to the media, would buy Korra the time she needed away from public scrutiny. Perhaps Varrick's footage for his dumb mover would be useful after all.

Thirty years in charge of the most powerful company in the world, and Asami Sato knew a thing or two about spinning things her way. The world could wait for the Avatar; right now, the only role Korra needed to be playing was Korra Sato, wife extraordinaire.

The elevator slowed and then lurched to a final halt. The doors opened into Asami's penthouse apartment at the very top of the GFI Tower-living arrangements which Asami recognized as bringing new meaning to "working at home". But it was necessary, given her schedule. And besides, it's not like she was complaining about the perks.

The elevator opened into a hallway that lead straight into the living room, which was a large open space centered with plush couches, coffee tables, and a grand piano off to the side. The back and left walls were composed of vertically positioned, and thickly layered, rectangular panes of laminated glass, one of which served as a door that lead to a balcony equally as large as the room itself. The ghostly blue glow of the outdoor pool lights was one of the only two sources of light in the room at the moment. The other was a far more brilliant, yellowish, glow coming from somewhere beyond the penthouse.

Korra and Asami stepped over the threshold, and headed for the couch which faced the city skyline. Asami had this penthouse built specifically for this view, so that the glass-walled room could take in a sight unique to Republic City of any city in the world. The golden spirit portal which served as the center landmark for the entire city rose into the above the skyscrapers like a beacon, capable of being seen over the horizon, across the ocean, and beyond the mountains. It cast its golden light upon the entire city, giving the metropolis a kind of permanent early morning hue, at least at these heights. A reporter had once called Republic City "the city of eternal light", and it was easy to see why. No one ever got lost in this city, it was said, because the spirit portal served as their guide. Romantic notions for a city this large, but it bought tourists.

As Asami settled into the couch, Korra fell deeply into Asami's embrace, gaze transfixed on the golden light. The anxiety that had defined Korra's features only a few moments ago was gone, replaced by heavily lidded eyes, and partially opened mouth. Korra's chest rose and fell at an easy, steady pace, while Asami ran her finger tips through her hair.

It always relaxed her to sit up here with Asami and watch the portal. Asami had wondered in the past if the portal had a calming influence on Korra, both on account of her being the Avatar, and for being the one who created it. A scientific mind trying to quantify cause and effect between two correlated variables. The truth of the matter was that Korra was only relaxed because she was home, with her family. Asami knew this, because she felt the same way.

"Beautiful," said Korra. She slid further up the couch so that she was laying across Asami's lap on her back, staring up at her with the same glossy transfixion. Korra's hair was curtained out underneath her like blanket, and Asami thought she had never been so pretty, even for as tired as she looked. In fact she half expected her to pass out right there. Instead, Korra smiled weakly. "Beautiful as hell."

Asami couldn't help it. She leaned down and kissed her. Korra returned the kiss after a moment-not of hesitation, but shear weariness, something Asami shared. An overpowering sleepiness had befallen her the moment she sat in the couch, and she was in no state to get up and head to her bedroom. After all, it was a well established rule of law that when your wife's head is on your lap, you don't move. Ever.

Korra's head slowly fell backwards out of the kiss, onto Asami's right leg. She had fallen asleep completely. Something swelled in Asami's chest at the sight of her wife sleeping peacefully. It always got to her somehow, sometimes even eliciting a tear or two. Korra had been through a lot in life, seeing and experiencing things at a young age most people never experience in their entire lives, nor should they ever. Asami had woken up many nights to find Korra sitting at the end of their bed at three in the morning, sometimes sweaty, out of breath, or just too tired to talk but too scared to sleep. The conversations always went the same: some nightmare about something that had happened. At first it was always Zaheer, but as time went on and new things happened, the dreams latched on to new fears, new anxieties. Asami would talk her through it, but eventually she found that talking didn't always work, and sometimes made it worse, because it got Korra thinking about it, causing her to dwell on it more.

They didn't need to talk anymore. So long as she was there, Asami was saying all that she needed to say. Eventually Korra would fall back to sleep in her arms, and spend the rest of the night in dreamless bliss. Being the Avatar was both a blessing and a curse, and so Asami had always been protective of her. Being married to the Avatar was another set of challenges on its own, but they were challenges she met gladly. She cherished these moments with her, because she knew they could only be moments, especially nowadays.

Asami reached her left hand to throw the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch on top of Korra so that it was covering the length of her body. Asami was warm enough with Korra on top of her, and the day clothes she had lacked the energy to change out of, that she didn't need one. Asami settled back, raising the foot rest slowly, so as not to disturb Korra, and allowed her gaze to rest on the distant spirit portal.

If Korra had to be gone in a week's time, so be it. They'd write letters to each other, talk on the phone, send pictures of their latest ventures, and so on. Just like they had always done. But for now they'd make the most out of the time they had. The comet, the Earth States, Varrick's mover or Boquin's funding, it could wait. It didn't matter. As far as Asami was concerned, the only thing that mattered was Korra. She was here, she was safe, and she was sleeping peacefully. In an infinitely complicated world, having each other was the one simple truth thing that always mattered.

It didn't take long for Asami to drift off herself. Asami followed her wife into a dreamless sleep, both content at least for now to be alone with each other, and that soft glow of golden light.