PART I By: Sherry Cheng
A strike of lightning tears through the sky as Korra awakens but keeps her eyes closed. She does not want to move (doesnotwanttofacethetruthbecauseithurtssomuch) but she has to.
Today is Korra's 22nd birthday.
In her mind, Korra thinks how dreadful of a day her birthday is, for Avatar Aang to die, only to be reborn into herself, a pathetic excuse of an Avatar (andforhertofinallyrestorebalanceatthecostof-).
Korra forces her eyelids open and sits up on her bed. Robotically, she stands up and while walking towards her closet, starts removing her clothes and her body keeps working until she is completely dressed in black.
Black. No blue. Just plain black.
Because black is what one wears to funerals, right?
As Korra descends the stairs in the Air Temple to meet with the rest, the despair hanging in the air is so palpable she can practically taste it. She feels all eyes on her but she does not return any of the contact as she wordlessly keeps walking and the others can do nothing but follow.
(-losingherbestfriend)
Tears threaten to spill as realization dawns upon Korra once more and hits her harder than it has ever before: today, on her 22nd birthday, Avatar Korra is attending Asami Sato's funeral.
.
.
.
In her eulogy, Korra praises Asami endlessly, from her beauty to her intelligence, from her kindness to her combat skills…even when Korra is done, she feels she has not said enough (becausewordscannotbegintoexplainwhatkorrafeelsforasami), but she steps down to allow the funeral to proceed, and the next person steps up to talk.
It is Mako.
Mako. Oh Mako.
Korra still clearly remembers the pain stretched across his face when Asami had breathed her last and the Avatar thinks that the Firebender is still in love with the now-deceased Future Industries' CEO.
Korra closes her eyes and her breathing still hitches, a sure sign that she is fighting her tears, but Korra will not cry (notinfrontofeveryoneatleast). She is Avatar Korra. Avatars must be strong.
So Korra will be strong, because she is the Avatar.
.
.
.
Almost everyone is gone now, save Korra, Mako and Bolin – what remains of the new Team Avatar. They stand in front of the gravestone and try to take in the situation (trytowakeupfromthisnightmare).
The first drops of rain landing on them and around them remind them (again) that this is reality and that Asami really is dead while they are alive (butbarelybreathing).
The rain falls harder, but Mako makes no move to open the umbrella he's brought with him, and Bolin does not move to create a little cave to shield them from the precipitation, and Korra's hands remain motionless when she could be bending the rain so that they do not get wet.
Instead, they stand in the rain and get soaked to the core, because it is so (sososo) cliché but the skies are crying with them too, and the tears on their faces are no longer distinguishable from the drops that fall from the skies.
The youngest, Bolin, is the first to break down. He lets out a wretched sob and turns to Korra, burying his face in the crook of her neck and holds her tightly, all the while whispering about how none of this is fair. Korra can't even find it in her to try to comfort him, and instead, keeps her eyes trained upon the carved marble.
Mako shifts to them, and being slightly taller, pulls them both to him and buries them in his shoulders in an equally tight embrace. Mako has never cried since his parents passed away because he vowed he never would. Nonetheless, he finds that crying right now is inevitable.
Korra remains soundless and motionless the whole time (becauseshehastostaystrong).
.
.
.
Tonight, Korra whimpers in her sleeps, because she is plagued by nightmares of the events that have tragically occurred.
"K-Korra…"
In the nightmare, she sees (remembers) shaky breaths, sweaty palms, Bolin's sobs, trembling hands, and Asami's blood (ohthereissomuchbloodbutKorradoesnothaveanywaterwithherandcannotdoanythingtoclosethewound).
"A-Asami? W-wha…"
Korra remembers how she realized that Asami had blocked Kuvira's attack for her – a sharp piece of metal piercing through her middle. She remembers scolding Asami.
"Wh…WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO STUPID?" Korra yelled, wanting to shake Asami to show her frustration. The Asian beauty smiled weakly.
"I c-couldn't let her hurt…you," she replied, her words coming out with uneven breaths.
Korra remembers making a promise and making the others promise her things too.
Korra grit her teeth and her arms cradling Asami's body tightened their grip before she bent down and pressed a soft kiss to Asami's forehead. She pulled back and looked straight into Asami's mossy green eyes.
"I'm going to put an end to this, I promise. I'll come back as soon as I can – maybe a little beat, but I'll come back to you no matter what, and then we can go car-racing, so-" Korra closed her eyes as her breathing hitched and finally reopened them when she felt the tears retreat.
"So you better still be here when I'm back."
"I-I…"
"Promise me you'll be here, alive." After a short moment of hesitation, Asami finally nodded her head.
"I promise."
Korra let out a breath she didn't know she was holding before she gently shifted Asami's body into Mako's hold. She reached out and captured Bolin and Mako's arms in a death grip.
"Promise me you'll protect her with your life."
Korra remembers the protests both brothers presented.
There was a "Korra, one of us has to be there to-" and a "I'm not letting you go out there alone-", but both brothers winced and stopped talking as Korra tightened her grip.
"Promise me," the Avatar merely said, and the brothers could do nothing but nod reluctantly, knowing that there was no room left for argument.
Korra remembers a lot of fighting. She remembers chasing Kuvira and remembers Kuvira trying to shoot her with a blast of Spirit Energy. Korra remembers the energy from the Spirit Vines going berserk. She remembers managing to step in front of Kuvira, energybending to protect herself and her opponent. Korra remembers confronting Kuvira and laying out her own fears in front of the enemy, explaining that even as the Avatar, she is subject to loneliness.
Korra remembers Kuvira finally accepting defeat and leaving the Spirit World together with her. She remembers Kuvira calling off her troops and announcing that she will accept all punishment. Korra remembers Beifong and Suyin coming forward and Kuvira saying something to Suyin, but Korra does not remember what because all she remembers is running back to her friends and remembers seeing Asami's body held protectively by Mako, as the pale female tried her best to raise a hand and hold his cheek.
Korra remembers stopping a few feet away and watching the exchange while feeling an odd pang of jealousy (jealousofwhomshedoesnotknow). Korra remembers catching snippets of Asami's words as Mako wrapped his fingers around Asami's and leaned into her touch.
"…see the way…look…Korra…still love her…? …take care…for me…love you…so…much…"
Korra remembers Bolin finally noticing her, and hearing her name leave his lips in a desperate yell.
"Korra! Hurry! A-Asami…"
The Avatar was beside the group of three in a flash, and the sight of Asami's ghostly white skin was enough to make the dam break. When Asami turned to smile at her, Korra only cried harder.
"Korra…y-you kept your promise…" Asami coughed and blood started leaking out from the side of her mouth. Korra's hands were clenched into fists so tightly that the whites of her knuckles could be seen.
"Exactly, so you better keep yours!" Korra's eyes narrowed as Asami's eyes slowly closed. The Avatar dropped to her knees. "Asami! You can't-"
"But I…have kept my promise…"
Korra remembers her eyes widening and understanding what Asami meant.
"You told me…to still be here…alive, when you c-came back…"
"Asami-"
"I've kept m-my promise…haven't I?"
Korra remembers seeing tears brimming in the corners of Asami's eyes. She remembers being so stunned she could barely nod reluctantly. Then she remembers a beautiful smile (thesmilethatwillhauntherforever) appearing on Asami's face as her eyelids slowly closed.
"I love you all…so, so…so much…"
"No…Asami, that wasn't what I meant! Don't twist my words!"
"I wish…we could have s-spent more time toge…ther…"
"We still can! Asami, don't you dare die on me!"
Korra remembers screaming for someone to bring her water. She remembers demanding Asami to keep talking to her and the increasing volume of Bolin's sobs.
She remembers Asami's last words.
"I…really…love…you…so…so…much…"
Korra remembers watching Asami's arm go slack, her hand in Mako's go limp. She remembers looking at Mako and seeing him shake his head at her sadly. She remembers someone finally coming back with water, only to realize that they had been too late.
Korra remembers trying to calm her shaking hands as she reached for Asami and rested her best friend against her own body. She remembers laying her head on Asami's still chest, trying to listen for a beat or a pulse (anythingatall).
But Korra remembers hearing nothing.
Korra's eyes shoot open and a familiar sting in her eyes is present. She does not bother to hide the tears because she is alone right now.
As Korra silently weeps, she thinks to herself that she will not be getting sleep anytime soon.
Stay tuned for Part II!