A/N: I had this in what was going to be a prompts collection, but I think it needs to stand alone. I literally cried while writing it, essentially breaking by own heart in the process. This was probably the best prompt I've ever gotten and I thoroughly enjoyed writing this piece.
Tumblr Prompt: "I see a lot of fanfics where after a lifetime together, Korra dies first, Asami grieves then meets the new Avatar. Some are really great but I want to see what would happen if Asami died first. What would Korra the Avatar do if she survived her wife/soulmate of 50 years together?"
The monument was insanely huge. An ornate slab of dusky red granite stood erect above the two sites, each marked with their own footstone and a permanent vase for flowers to be held. 'Another one of his less-than-stellar fatherly moments,' the old water-tribe woman contemplated to herself. 'It's as if, even in the afterlife, he continues to torment her for the supposed betrayal he claimed.' She stifled a low chuckle, almost sinister sounding. 'She may have forgiven him in the end, but she always deserved better. What a pathetic excuse of a man.'
The words were ornately engraved, taking up a large amount of space for only being four letters. Her fists clenched just looking at them. The "family" plot was nothing more than a joke in her eyes. She knew that Hiroshi was entirely focused on avenging his wife's death after her passing, claiming his Equalist ties to the preservation of her memory. But never, in a million years, would she have guessed that he'd go so far as to buy a family gravesite for only two – Hiroshi and his wife. Underneath the 'SATO' monument, there was no room for her love, their daughter, the now gone from this world, Asami Sato.
Tears fell as the now 72 year-old Avatar crumbled to the ground. Memories of the previous day flooded her mind, blocking out any ability to focus on the beautiful life they shared. The moment Asami's life was taken, everything that the Avatar was on the inside was taken as well. She may as well have died alongside the love of her life; feelings of grief, emptiness, anger and heartache were all that were left behind. She was a shell, a very powerful shell that would soon lose control.
As quiet sobs filled her lungs and blocked her hearing the sounds of the world still moving around her, she hadn't noticed the footsteps that made their way up behind her. Strong, yet soft hands gripped her shoulders, but she barely felt it. The movements were recognizable, though, having felt them before. However, there was nothing left in the world meaningful enough to steal her attention away from her heartache. There was nothing she wanted to focus on except the pain of the loss she was suffering. Her heart had been ripped from her chest, leaving her only desire in the world to be for her life to be torn away as well. The hands moved to pick her up, struggling slightly with age, but still managing to cradle her against the person's dense chest as she was carried away from her spot.
Whispers were spoken all around her, but she didn't care. Her eyes closed and her head leaned into the solid body. Life, as she knew it, was over.
"Is she alright?"
"I don't know. The White Lotus found her here after following a series of unnerving reports from the locals."
"Was she here all night?"
"She disappeared after…" The last comment drifted off, the words having no need to be spoken. Everyone knew what happened, what was causing the Avatar's anguish.
For the last year, Asami had been in and out of the hospital due to heart problems. Her first heart attack had been many years ago; the doctors stated that it had been stress induced. While Asami, in typical fashion, shrugged it off that everything would be fine, it only began to fuel the anger that would build within Korra as she blamed the people around them, for always pushing, always wanting more from her wife; from both of them, really. They could never be left in peace, as some new danger or situation always tugged at their attention.
"How many times do we have to tell them that other people need to learn to handle these problems themselves," the Avatar would yell to no one in particular, her wife patiently waiting for her anger to subside.
"I don't know, sweetie, but it's our responsibility to handle these things." They would have the same conversation over and over, only to increase in frequency over the years. "I'm the CEO of the world's largest company and you're –"
"I know, I know," Korra would always cut in. "And I'm the Avatar. I know! I understand it's our responsibility, but we also have a responsibility to each other that is constantly put on the back burner!" While the natively-born waterbender had gotten better about her hot-headedness over the years, her anger in regards to wanting to live her life with Asami in peace, yet it was constantly interrupted, would only continue to grow. However, Asami always managed to talk her down, forcing her to relent and continue her duties, promising that the time they would get to spend together afterwards would be worth the wait.
The wait… Why had she waited? Why hadn't she taken more control when she had the chance? Instead, she let everyone run them ragged and because of it, her wife was now gone. After everything they had made it through in the over 50 years they had been together, the woman she loved with every piece of her heart, soul and body was taken by a heart attack; a small murmur, a jolt, a skip, but enough to end it all. Why had they waited?
The body that carried her so reverently placed her in the passenger side of the vehicle, reaching over to buckle the belt meant to hold her in place. 'There was a time when those soft, delicate fingers were the only thing able to hold me down,' she considered in her mind. 'Now, a piece of fabric is the only thing tying me to this world.' She began to tremble, her hands reaching across her chest to hold herself tight, her legs coming up as she curled into herself. She leaned on the door, the cool glass pressing to her forehead. Someone climbed into the driver's seat and started the car; only a few moments later did they begin to drive away.
The world passed by in a blur, her eyes not focusing on anything as she stared out the window. The trembling calmed as she felt the rumble of the car, reminding her of the many late night drives that her and Asami would take, just to get away, to spend some much needed time together. Over time, various levels of pain in her limbs began to catch her attention. She looked down at herself, noticing the torn and battered clothes she was wearing. Cuts and scrapes covered her arms, legs and her front. One of her ankles looked purple and swollen.
"You sure did a number on the city last night," a voice rang out, firm and flat. "I don't think there's a person in this city who isn't aware that the Avatar was rampaging through the streets."
"What –" she croaked out, unable to continue, her throat dry and shaky.
"I don't think you even know what you were doing. You left the hospital in the Avatar State, literally destroying everything in your way." Recognition finally hit her, Mako's voice always having a hint of accusation to it that was always recognizable. "We tried to stop you, but there was nothing we could do. You were entirely out of control."
Silence staked its claim until they pulled up to the mansion. The once beautiful home now looked as though an arsonist had set it ablaze recently. She made no move to get out of the car, only gazing at the sight, new tears forming in her eyes as her body convulsed slightly with a new wave of sobs boiling just under the surface.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you hear. Asami warned me some time ago that you may not handle her death well, and while I didn't quite expect you to do this, I promised her that I would help you clean up the mess." He signed, knowing that there was no possible way to salvage what was left of the mansion. "I'll talk to Varrick about getting some folks out here to take care of this, but I figured we should at least see what's left behind that you can keep."
"No."
He looked at her, unsure of what she was saying 'no' to. "What do you mean, no?"
"No, I don't want any of it." She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "There's nothing here for me."
"Korra," he began. "I'm sure there's keepsakes, pictures, something that you'll want. You two had a lot of great memories together. You can't tell me that you want to throw them all away."
"I'm not throwing them away. But I can't take any of those things with me where I'm going." She opened the door and stepped out, taking strides towards the demolished home and walking over the threshold. Wave after wave of memories of their life together flashed across her mind. Her fists steamed as her body rose in temperature, the air around them picking up, spinning around the spot she stood.
Mako quickly ran after her, holding his arms up to protect his face against the wind as it picked up speed. "Korra! What are you doing?!"
"He didn't even leave a spot for her. His own daughter!" Sparks began to fly from her fists and pebbles began to dance on the ground around them as the foundation shook. "It was me and her in this life. I'm her only family. Even after… after it all, her father didn't even leave a spot for her to lay amongst them." The clouds in the sky darkened, swirls becoming visible as the wind continued to pick up, the beginnings of a tunnel starting to form.
"Hiroshi was messed up, we all knew that. Even Asami knew it," Mako yelled, trying to entice his friend to calm down. "We can find her a spot, Korra. We'll make a new family plot for your family." He toppled suddenly, losing his balance from the wind and quake.
The clouds, continuing to dull the sky's light, began pouring down rain. Thunder rolled just above them as a storm formulated. "I can't live without her, Mako. And I won't let her go into the afterlife alone. I won't let her body be placed in the ground without mine right next to it." The storm raged on. The old Avatar's eyes began to glow, her body lifting from the ground as wind and water from the storm gathered in a twister covering her lower body.
"You can live on without her, Korra! You have us! We're still here and we need you!" At this point he was shouting as loud as he could, the sound of his voice just barely audible over the roars of the wind and rain, the crackle of lighting in the sky and the rumble of the earth beneath them.
"No, my time is over. I've given enough to this world, always waiting, putting off my chance to live my life with the woman I love for the sake of responsibility." Her words were dark and heavy, booming in sound as the Avatar State reverberated the sound, echoing it loudly. Her body turned to face him, eyes glowing white with tears pouring out of them. "It's our chance for peace now. The world will have its Avatar, but it won't be me. Goodbye, my friend."
The air sped up one last time, the twister expanding from the ground to the sky, engulfing the woman in its wrath. After one bright and final glow, the Avatar State ended as Korra's body gave in to the power of the elements around her. Her limbs and back twisted, a series of snaps echoing in their wake. The body fell to the ground and the storm dissipated, the world calming all around them.
"NO!" Mako screamed, his arm stretching out towards his friend as she fell. He knew it was over; she left them to be with the one she loved. The Avatar of this lifetime was gone. Two of his best friends had left him, and the only thing he could do was cry until someone found him and the body laid out on the ground, mangled and disfigured.
A week later, a ceremony was held for only those closest to the women. The day before a formal funeral was had, both the Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries were honored by the city for their dedication to the people. There was nothing personal to it though, leaving the people who loved the women as family and friends to celebrate their lives separately. At the end, they were both laid to rest, their graves made on the ground of Air Temple Island. The caskets were laid side by side, connected by ropes of red and blue, wrapping the boxes reverently, their connection to be never-endingly bound. The monument was simple and elegant, yet bold and compelling, the words identifying its occupants forever.
'Mrs. Korra and Asami Sato – Avatar, Engineer, Savior, Innovator, Friend, and Wife. Forever and Always.'