Story entry for Round 1 of the Pro-Bending Competition
Word Count: 2584
Team: White Falls Wolfbats
Position: Earthbender
Plot: Someone returning to their lover after a misunderstanding
Prompts Used: Hard; (song) A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
Hard; (AU) no bending
She was walking down the road, back to the place she called home. It was a midsummer's day and the sun shone like a golden ball of blazing yellow, falling from the clouds. Her dirty clothes were still in the bag she grabbed two weeks ago. She didn't have enough time to snatch all her things from their house. She was only left with a couple of shirts and undergarments. Her pants were only washed twice.
Her feet dragged as she walked through the block. Her friends seem to notice her return and waved at her. Ignoring them, she stood in front of the same house she resided in merely two weeks ago. It was silent and the air around felt lifeless. Before she turned the door knob, her cheek suddenly stung with pain. It was still there. The pain that her girlfriend left from a strong slap.
She remembered everything like it was just yesterday. She shook her head to forget about those things and focused on apologizing. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.
"Just a sec!" A feminine voice answered from behind the door
She stood there impatiently, twiddling her thumbs and letting the butterflies flutter in her stomach.
The door opened. A pale, beautiful woman stood before her. Her eyes were a glittering light green and her smile enticed people to look at her.
"A-Asami…I-I'm s-sorry for—" she mumbled, not willing to look Asami in the eye.
"Uhh...is there something I can help you with?" Asami interrupted, staring at her confusedly.
The woman looked up and furrowed her brow "Wh-what do you mean?"
"Uhm…do I know you?" Asami tilted her head to the side, furrowing her brows.
"Huh?" She cleared her throat. "Stop joking around. I'm trying to apologize."
"What are you talking about? Clearly, you've mistaken me for someone else." Asami gripped the side of the door and attempted to close it.
She caught the door before it closed and grabbed Asami's wrist.
"W-wait! Asami! You don't have to go that far, pretending you…you've forgotten me."
"I'm gonna call the cops if you don't let go of me." She growled, gritting her teeth.
The woman released her but held the door open with her foot. "What are you doing?! It's only been two weeks. Have you moved on that easily?!"
"Just stop! Please! I really don't know who you are!" Asami paused. "Did I know you before the accident?"
The woman stared at her blankly "Accident?" She repeated.
"The one I had two weeks ago. If what you're telling me is true and you're one of the people I knew then, I'm sorry. I lost my memory from a car crash." Asami bowed her head, chewing her lip.
The other woman gasped and hugged her tight "I'm s-sorry! Please fo-forgive me…it's all m-my fault."
Asami returned the hug and patted the woman's back. "It's not your fault, don't worry. It was an accident. So, if you're one of my friends, then why haven't you told me your name?" Asami smiled at the sobbing woman.
She wiped her tears away and gave her a weak, hurt smile "It's me, Korra," she paused "Your girl…er…best friend."
Asami's face broke into a broad smile. "Oh! So you're the one that he's talking about! It's good you came back"
"'He'? Who's 'he'?" Korra asked suspiciously.
"My father, silly!" Asami giggled.
Korra gulped. "Of course! I know." She laughed nervously, shifting her weight.
"Come on in! I'd like to remember more of you and I think Dad would want to see you too." Asami pulled Korra inside and told her to sit on the couch as she ran up the stairs to get her father.
Korra was sitting impatiently on the sofa as she noticed that several of the pictures that Asami and herself had were removed from the wall. Then she remembered what Asami told her earlier.
How did she end up in a car crash?! And it was just two weeks ago?! That was the same time when we had a fight! She thought anxiously. That just can't be!
"The only one who knows the truth is Mr. Sato. I need to—" Korra's murmuring was interrupted by a deep voice.
"What would I know?" Hiroshi stood before her.
Korra gulped "N-Nothing! It's good to see you, sir." Korra stood up and stuck out her hand.
"And to you too." An emotionless nod was the only thing Korra received.
Asami felt the tension in the air and hastily broke the silence by clapping her hands and saying loudly, "Okay! It looks like that you two know each other! I'll let you guys talk while I go prepare some supper!" She scrambled out of the room and went in the kitchen.
Korra sat down again after she saw Hiroshi take a seat. It felt like her soul was being eaten whenever she looked into his eyes.
"Why did you come back?" He asked flatly, looking at her.
Korra looked up to face him. "I came to apologize to her. I'm sorry for hurting your daughter, sir."
"Do you have any idea for what happened to her?" He asked, keeping a neutral face but Korra could hear his angry undertone.
"I—" she stopped mid-sentence and looked away. "She told me earlier that she got in an accident with her car. Did she break anything?"
Hiroshi sighed. "That was a lie. I had to come up with something so she wouldn't know that…" he took a breath. "That she tried to commit suicide."
Korra gasped and jumped to her feet. "WHAT?! What did she do?!" She demanded.
"After you left the house, I heard her crying in her room. Then there were five loud bangs on the wall and another on the floor. I went in to check her and all I saw was blood all over the floor. Her wrists had only a few cuts but her head was bleeding. When I took her to the hospital, the doctors guessed it would cause brain trauma and would…the explanation they gave me was complicated but they just told me that her memories would be locked up in a sense. I don't know when or if her memories will come back."
Korra was completely shocked and dropped to the floor. She was crying.
Why?! Why did I have to do it?! It's all my fault!
He touched her shoulder. "It's not your fault. Things happen like this. It's the first time that I've seen her smile since the accident. I want my daughter to be happy. Promise me that you'll be more careful from now on."
Korra nodded, quickly wiping her tears away. "Y-Yes, sir. I'll never hurt your daughter again."
"Dinner's ready!" Asami called from the kitchen.
Everything was going well for Korra and Asami. Their relationship grew stronger and eventually, Asami felt comfortable with her. Korra still hasn't spoken a word about the truth since the day she returned.
"C'mon, Korra! There's some really nice clothes in here!" Asami tugged at Korra's arm, pointing to a store.
Korra sighed, but grinned anyway. "Alright, alright!" She laughed.
They usually hung around malls and strolled through the shops. Though she was happy that they were hanging out, Korra was still uneasy. She still needed to tell Asami what really happened on the day of the 'accident'.
"Korra! Are you there?" Asami waved her hand in her face.
She blinked. "I'm sorry, I kinda spaced out there." She looked at the ground.
Asami frowned "Y'know what? Let's get something to eat."
"Oh! I got an idea!" Korra dragged a reluctant Asami behind her, ignoring her mumbling about an empty stomach.
While they were walking, Korra was contemplating telling her the truth. She inched closer to Asami.
She needs to know. It's the only thing that'll bring her memory back. But…I have to tell her everything. From the time I met her and the time we fought, even if she would have to hate me.
"Asami? There's something I need to tell you."
Asami looked at her. "Okay?"
Korra bit her lip "It's about the 'accident'. There wasn't any accident."
"What do you mean, Korra? Don't kid around me!" Asami laughed it off nervously, moving away from her.
"We kinda were in a rela—"
"Heya, there ladies! Why don't you try and have a look at our newly opened store!" A salesperson interrupted her.
While Korra was busy glowering at the man and about to give him a punch in the face, Asami quickly pulled her away in a music store. There were dozens of guitars, a drum set in the far back, violins being displayed in their cases on a shelf, and a red upright piano in the center of the shop. Korra remembered how Asami would play for her whenever they bummed around the house.
She smiled as the other girl browsed the store for instruments. She then eyed an instrument that Asami taught her to play and a thought came to her.
"Hey, 'Sami! Come here! I gotta show you something!"
The other girl turned and her raven-black hair swayed. She's so beautiful. Her hair is just perfect…
"Hey! Korra!" Asami snapped her fingers.
Korra blinked, snapping out of her stupor. "I…"
"You've been staring at me for several seconds now!" Asami laughed.
"J-Just come here!" She sat down on the piano bench and patted the space next to her, waiting for Asami to sit next to her.
The other girl sat beside Korra on the bench. "Do you remember how to play?" Korra asked.
"I didn't even know that I played the piano before." She admitted, touching the piano's keys.
"You taught me a song that I could only play if you're beside me," Korra smiled and glanced at the other girl.
Asami looked at Korra who began to play. It looks like Asami remembers the song but isn't sure of where she heard it. Korra thought and started to sing.
"Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid
To fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away somehow"
Asami started to sing with Korra without giving it a second thought.
"I have died every day
waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid
I have loved you for a
Thousa—"
"ARGH! It hurts! Please, make it stop!" Asami held her head with her hands, clenching her eyes shut and shaking her head as memories came flooding back to her.
"Asami!" Korra immediately stopped playing and tried to look at Asami's face. "What's happening? Did I do something wrong?" She started panicking and called for help.
Asami shoved the people crowding around them away and tried to stand up before a sudden feeling of dizziness overcame her, causing her to pass out.
"How could you?! I thought you loved me!"
"What are you talking about, Asami?! She's just a friend!"
"A friend? Really?! DO YOU THINK THAT I WOULD BELIEVE THAT?!"
"You just don't trust me. You know what? Step aside; I need a break from this."
"A break?! A BREAK?! How dare you!? Don't step inside my house ever again! Leave and don't show your fucking face to me! It's over!"
"What?! W-wait! Y-you can't be serious! I-I'm sorry! Plea—"
Asami slapped her, shoved her out the door, and shut the door in her face.
She went up her room and started crying. All she could remember after that are her wrists bleeding and banging herself on the wall before everything went black.
"Huh?...KORRA?!" She was lying on the floor, holding Korra's hand.
"A-Asami! You're awake!" Her eyes filled with tears.
Asami slapped her hand and stood up quickly, starting to cry.
"Why are you here?! Where am I?!" Asam panicked, looking around the room. "I told you to stay away!" She added and started to run towards the exit
"Asami! Please! Let me explain!" When she realized she couldn't reach her, she pulled out her phone and started dialing Hiroshi's number to tell him about the problem.
It had been three days since Asami ran off from Korra. Luckily for her, she knew her way home. Korra stayed at her apartment several miles away from her. Every day, she tried to reach out to the Sato residence but Hiroshi kept telling her to call again some other time. Korra felt guilty and kept thinking about Asami. She decided to visit her former lover to attempt to start gaining back her trust.
She knocked on the door and Hiroshi answered.
"Go-Good day, sir. Is Asami here?" Korra asked, trying to look behind his shoulder.
"She just left a few minutes ago and didn't say a word on where she was going. Please bring her back. I'm not saying that you should bring her back to the house but, bring the Asami we used to know back. She's been crying every night and I think you're the only one who can talk her out of this."
She nodded then ran to search for her. Where could she have gone?! The only places she usually hangs out are the mall, Lu Kwong's Resto and…THAT'S IT! Emerald Lake!
Her heart beat pulsed faster than ever before. She saw a figure sitting on the bench, staring out on the beautiful lake.
"Can I sit beside you?" Korra asked, gasping for air.
Asami gasped and stood up to walk away again but stopped when Korra grabbed her wrist.
"Please, Asami! Before you leave, just give me a chance to talk," she begged.
Asami nodded hesitantly then sat back down, making as much distance between them as possible without falling off the park bench.
Korra took a deep breath. "First off, I'm sorry for being such an asshole to you back then. I didn't know what I was thinking. Wasting an amazing relationship with you was the biggest mistake I ever did. I came back to apologize to you but your amnesia made you forget about what I did and I was relieved to know that you wouldn't have any idea of what I did. I'm sorry for being selfish." Tears started streaming down her face. "I love you so much, Asami. With that short time I had with you, I felt happy again and I don't want to lose you again. My heart will break like an earthquake." She ignored the nagging bit of pride she had left telling her to wipe away her tears and run off.
"You were always bad at metaphors," Asami said weakly, offering a faint smile.
Korra smiled tentatively back but neither of them said anything for a long minute.
"Do you still remember? The lyrics of the song?" Asami asked suddenly, looking at Korra.
She was surprised that Asami hadn't forgotten their little piano performance "Uhh…y-yeah. Yeah, I do."
"How did it go again?" She tried to remember the song by humming a fragment of the melody she still remembered.
"I have loved you for a thousand years…"
Korra stared and held Asami's hand. Their fingers intertwined while Korra continued the song.
"I'll love you for a thousand more…"
Asami hugged the other girl and cried softly.
"I'm sorry, Asami. Please forgive—" Korra was interrupted by a soft, slender finger on her lips.
"Just hold me tight. I missed you." Asami smiled, more sincerely than before and gave her a hug.
Korra gave Asami a warm smile and hugged her tighter.