Fighting Mad
Summary: Asami had finally tracked her down: she finally found Korra. But she wasn't supposed to be this weak? What happened to the invincible girl she once knew? Why was her heart breaking so painfully? Korrasami with a previous declaration of love, trigger warning for angst and mental illness. I own nothing of The Legend of Korra, and thanks for the prompt harleyquinn142257
Asami was dressed to not impress, wearing a plain olive green shirt and pants, with a jade green sleeveless tunic and an olive haramaki over the top. Her chocolate brown boots had her pant legs tucked into them, with a matching brown cloak shadowing her face from view, along with an olive green mask on the bottom of her face. She moved with the shadows, making sure to remain invisible to the eyes of the populace, reaching the illegal earthbending ring with little hindrance, entering to find the one that she sought for over a month.
Avatar Korra, her missing love.
She caught a lead from a fishmonger in a small coastal village, enquiring about the photo of her that he took, before following Korra's steps throughout the village, going to a clothing shop for a certain outfit, which Asami took note of, and a weapon shop before leaving into the mountains. Though the Avatar had last been seen two months prior, Asami found Korra's old armband in the stream, caught between two rocks. This path was not often ventured, and due to the heat of the summer, a few of Korra's footprints remained, pointing north-east.
The CEO had chosen a fast mode of transport to keep up with Korra's trail, but to not miss out on any clues that may be left behind. This mode of transport, was called a mongoose-lizard: one of the fastest trackers in the world. Though it didn't compare to the extremely rare shirshu, this mongoose-lizard, lovingly named Mizu, managed to lock onto Korra's scent after sniffing her footprints by the stream.
The pair went from village to village, before arriving at this particular village, where Asami spotted her for the first time. The Avatar was leaner, and looked sullen, borderline lifeless, startling her immensely. She had shorter hair now, which Asami admired from afar, but she waited for the night, lurking out of sight where Korra's temporary home was, in a dark and unappealing apartment. Korra then walked out of her house alone, Asami following after her without Mizu in a bid to not alert Korra right away. The younger woman led her here, and Asami did not like where this was going at all.
She stuck to the back of the stands, watching Korra get into the ring with another woman, who was obviously brawnier than the leaner Avatar. Asami usually had every faith in Korra to decimate her opponent, but the lack of flame in her eyes made the young CEO really unnerved, and feeling that something was going to go wrong.
Oh, how she hated her gut instinct from time to time.
As soon as the referee called for the match to start, it became really obvious that Korra was all over the place. The opponent was using brutish techniques that were easily predictable and basic, and yet Korra couldn't land a single hit on her with her own earthbending. Said Avatar was getting pummelled from two boulders here, a few slabs there, each of them connecting with cringe-worthy cracks. Asami's heart jumped into her throat, her blood turning to ice as Korra was knocked to the ground, and the opponent still wasn't done.
Not adhering to the rules of the match and the ring, the opponent didn't let up as the bell rung, slamming a boulder onto her downed contestant repeatedly, Korra crying out in pain until Asami heard a series of sickening snaps. Korra coughed up a large torrent of blood, her body going prone and unmoving as the ref and a couple of guards earthbent her opponent back, keeping her trapped. Without hesitation as the guards did this, Asami jumped out of her seat, into the aisle and flew into the ring, rushing to her fallen partner's side, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Is there a medic or a healer here?!" Asami yelled to the spectators.
"No," one of the guards informed her, "however, a healer is nearby. Go to the left when you head out the door, turn left again onto the main street. The healer is a few doors down."
"Thank you," Asami said gratefully, before turning to the trapped opponent and socking her in the face, the woman falling unconscious. "Fuck you, you vile bastard!" Asami spat, before scooping up her downed love and running through the crowd and out the door, the viewers leaving her a path.
Asami's worry and fear escalated with every stride in her fast sprint, hoping to save Korra from being confined to yet another wheelchair. That may just break the both of them for good should that happen. She turned onto the main street, dodging the pedestrians here and there, drawing a vast amount of attention towards them. The healer's was just before her, and Asami ran to the door and kicked it open, the door fortunately being a saloon-type door so it swung open freely. If Asami had to guess, it was probably because of people like her kicking down the door in panic without any regards to property.
"I never will regret making that door purchase," a middle aged woman stated simply, confirming Asami's deduction, "Now, that girl looks like she's in a bad shape. Follow me, dear."
Asami, thankful that the woman was getting straight to the point, nodded and followed her immediately, walking a short distance to a curtained off room and laying Korra in a shallow pool of water. She hurriedly got out of the healer's way and sat near Korra's head, gazing down helplessly at her wounded second half. The healer began her scanning of the injuries and started to relay them to her.
"She has a great deal of internal damage," she informed her, "several bruises and lacerations, broken arms and multiple broken ribs, one of them pierced her lung. You were quick and correct in getting her here."
Asami swallowed down the painful lump in her throat. "Can you heal her?" she asked urgently.
"Fear not, child," the older woman smiled, "she'll be almost as right as rain when I'm done with her. She just needs to rest for two to five days for her ribs to heal on their own."
Asami bowed her head and said "Thank you so much for your help."
The woman smiled and replied "You are welcome, young lady. Just rest for now: the healing process will be done in an hour."
She leaned her head back against the bed behind her and watched the healer work through her half-lidded eyes, the constant motion of the water making her sleepy as she kept staring at it. She fell into a light doze, feeling warm and comfortable after the panic she endured earlier.
However, she was roused when the healer announced softly "I've healed her as much as I can. She's no longer in any danger."
Asami bowed to her in respect as she sat on her knees, saying gratefully "Thank you."
She gingerly picked up her unconscious partner from the pool and carried her to the bed, the healer waterbending off the excess water from Korra's limp form. Asami tucked Korra in tightly and turned to the healer, asking politely "Is it alright if I stay with her tonight? I wish to be here when she awakens."
The healer nodded and replied "You may: I have a spare futon for guests wishing to stay with their patients. Wait here, I will fetch it."
"Please, allow me to help you," Asami countered, "You have helped her so much. Speaking of, what is the fee for your treatment? I can pay right away."
The older woman shook her head and told her "I don't save lives for profit, I save them out of morality, and a desire to do the right thing. Nonetheless, I don't need help, but thank you for offering child. I will be back in a moment."
The healer left the room, leaving Asami to stare down at Korra's face, feeling emotions rise up from seeing her for the first time in years: relief, happiness, anger, sorrow and confusion. She needed to process her emotions thoroughly over the course of the night, lest she creates an explosive outburst. Whilst coming to that conclusion, the healer brought in the futon with ease, Asami moving to help her set it up on the floor beside the bed and before the pool. With a nod, the healer left Asami and Korra alone, bidding them a 'Good night' before leaving for the reception area of the building.
Asami took off her cloak and rolled it up to use it as a pillow, lying down onto the futon and staring up at the bed Korra laid upon. Sleep was not going to arrive just yet, so she just laid there, wondering about the future and what is to come, and what answers will Korra give her when she's awake. Her heart constricted painfully as remembered Korra's lifeless eyes staring into the great beyond, disconnected from everything and everyone around her, unable to fight back against a brutal force.
"What haunts your gaze, Korra?" she breathed to herself, before falling into a fitful sleep.
When she awoke the following grey morning, she noticed that Korra wasn't in her bed, causing her to look around with a start before spotting her by a window looking out into the backyard of the healer's property. She gingerly stood up and stared at Korra, not daring to move in case Korra were to somehow flee from her. The Avatar was as dead as she was the previous night, not a single spark flaring into life within her ocean blue eyes. Her body was bruised and broken, but most alarmingly, her soul seemed shattered, like a mirror thrown to the ground like it meant nothing to anyone.
Korra's voice was as soulless as her eyes, merely a voiceless breath that passed a name past her lips "Asami."
The young CEO pulled down the face half-mask and simply stated "It's been a long time, Korra."
Korra nodded, unsure as to what else to say. The ticking of a clock on the wall filled the silence, both of them wishing to say so much to the other, yet they knew not what to begin with. Korra seemed to struggle with herself internally, before finally asking "How did you find me?"
"I used a mongoose-lizard called Mizu. I would've used a shirshu, but they are uncommonly rare," Asami replied.
"Right," Korra stated, before once again falling silent.
Asami stared at her back for a bit longer before sighing, and cutting to the chase "Why are you out here, Korra?"
Korra said nothing.
Asami walked to her love's shoulder and gripped it tightly with her hand, continuing "What happened to you? The fiery passion that burned within your gaze has faded, your life and energy has fled from you, and yet you linger in the shell left behind, not doing anything to overcome your losses or gain anything you once had or better." A beat of silence broke up her speech, before she asked again "Please Korra, what happened to you?"
She saw Korra's face contort and quaver, trying to keep her composure intact desperately, yet failing bit by bit. Asami gently turned her around and embraced her lovingly, whispering delicately into her ear "No one else is here Korra, just you and I. You can let your emotions free."
Korra released a stifled sob, her longing hands clinging urgently to the back of Asami's tunic, agonised tears falling fast down her face and into her love's shoulder. Asami stroked the back of Korra's head to sooth her internal pain, her intense anguish, and her immense fear. The young CEO felt her strength nearly wane completely upon hearing her love's cries, wishing to know what had happened to cause her brave partner to be tortured so.
Korra's voice cracked as she began to cry out about what had befallen her "Aaah … Aaaaah … I tried to go home, 'S-'Sami! I l-left and reached the city, b-but … b-but … she was there, my h-haunter, m-my past s-self. I-I keep seeing my p-past self, and she … she … she keeps attacking me!"
Asami's heart clenched at those words and asked "Is that what happened in the ring last night?"
"You saw that?" Korra sulked bitterly.
"Yes, I did," she replied, "I knew that something was off: it was like you were staring off into a different realm, with deadened eyes. Admittedly, that expression, combined with what that bitch did to you, terrified the shit out of me."
Korra snorted self-derisively, yet slightly amused as she pointed out "I've never heard you swear before: that's a first."
Asami gave a tight smile and responded "That's one way of knowing how sincerely I was terrified." Her smile faded fast and she said "The past self attacks you, you said. She was attacking you in the ring also?"
Korra nodded with red-rimmed eyes, whispering "She fights me, I get defeated, and then she disappears, and I am seen as a lunatic." She walks away from the window to sit on the bed, her head in her hands as tears escaped her silently "I want a break from her, but she still hunts me everywhere I walked, haunts me every time I look into a mirror, and conquers me whenever I dream."
She looks up at Asami as she approached her, whispering "I am so sorry that I left you alone for so long. I wished every day that you would one day be by my side as I awoke. I wished that the southern sun would illuminate your skin in the morning light as we gazed at each other. I wished that I could've held your hand when I needed support, hugged you when I needed safety, and kissed you when I needed love. I wanted to be selfish, and I knew that it wouldn't have been fair on you, so I pushed you away, only replying with one damned letter when you deserved one every single night, ending them always with an 'I love you'."
Asami knelt before Korra and caressed her cheek before telling her "I was hurt that I was only given one letter, I cannot deny that. However, despite that all, I am just so happy that I am here with you now, with you being completely honest with me. I never will know how much you were hurting, but I knew how much you were hiding your hurt from me. When you left, I wanted so badly to visit you: I almost did at one point. Instead, a major accident happened at a construction site, and I had to handle everything there. Even then, I wanted to be the one that you walked to when you attempted to walk again, and catch you if you fell. I wanted to embrace you every night to chase away your demons, kiss you everyday, purely out of the desire to feel your love and give my own. I wanted to recount funny moments in our lives to make you smile and laugh, because I missed them both everyday in my bland life."
Korra clung onto the hand resting on her cheek, leaning into the tender touch, stating with a loving smile "You are the most selfless and benign person in the world. I am so happy that I have you in my life."
Asami blushed lightly at the words that passed Korra's lips, and joked lightly "Since when did you know what 'benign' means?"
Korra chuckled, making Asami's heart and soul lurch in irreplaceable joy, the avatar leaning in and kissing Asami tenderly, the CEO reciprocating immediately with matching loving gentleness. They parted and Korra told her "I love you, Asami. I am going to defeat my demons, and claim my happiness once more, with you by my side. I will never leave your side like this, ever again."
Asami enveloped her into her arms and jabbed tauntingly "You better not."
Korra chuckled again and they laid on the bed, relaxing the morning away in each other's arms.
They left a few days later, saying goodbye to the lovely healer, who they found out was called Malaq, and held hands as they walked to Mizu and hopped onto her back, riding off into the Earth Kingdom wilderness with barely a destination in mind. They decided that some alone time was in order for a bit before heading back to Republic City, in order to reconnect, and work of helping Korra with her inner demons.
At the end of the day though, Asami and Korra were happy to bask in each other's presence, uncaring of the world for just a little while longer.
So sorry for not updating sooner guys, I was swamped last minute with work for my security course. However, at long last, Fighting Mad is here! Thank you once again harleyquinn142257 for the prompt, and if you have any other guys, send them my way, and I will see what I can do. My current story Found will be updated in the next few days to a week, I just need to look up the specific episode/s for the future chapters and incorporate my own story ideas into it. Nonetheless, keep an eye out, and I will catch you all later!
Thank you all!