Dream Chaser

By K. Petra

A/N: Before reading, please note that this chapter will be in Rasa's POV. It will switch back and forth every even and odd chapter (with even chapters being Rasa's). I know it's confusing, but there is a reason to all of this, please bear with me.

Chapter Two: Spirit Child

My first memory was of tears; a bright soul was crying, crying, crying.

The person with that pure soul held a woman in her arms…but no matter what she did, the other woman was not moving.

I did not know why, but I felt drawn to that sad being. It was as though she had something of mine, and only she could ever return it.

I did not know who I was, or where I needed to be. So I followed her, watching from the shadows for days as the tears eventually dried, but her heartache remained.

It seemed like she stayed that way for a long time, holding the other woman week after week.

As a spirit, I did not need to eat. I spent my time watching, trying to understand why the sight of her intrigues me so, and why I felt like she is the key to my memories.

Then one day, she decided to leave the spirit world.

I flew after her, careful to be as silent as possible in case she discovered me and sent me away.

But the soul was very kind.

She'd noticed me long before we both left the portal. That night, instead of telling me to leave, she'd asked me if I wanted to join her quest. Me, for my memories. She, to save the life of her beloved.

It was then that, right before dawn, I was first given a name: Rasa…And she became my mistress.

Since then we have traveled through forests and cities, searching for the pieces of a soul that once belonged to the lover my mistress had left in the spirit world.

They come in the form of tiny tear drops that are absorbed into someone or something, changing it and giving it more power.

I detect the location of the tear drops for my mistress, storing them in her locket each time we successfully extract one.

She hopes that one day, we will have enough to revive her lover.

In the mean time, being close to the tear drops make me stronger. They fill up my mind, often helping trigger the memories I had lost.

But the feelings overwhelm my mistress each time. Frightens her.

Each time a part of that soul is recovered, we can see into her lover's past. Sometimes, it is a memory that they both share.

This worries me.

As a spirit, it is difficult for me to fully express all my thoughts to my mistress. Still, she tries as best as she can. She'd tell me stories about that person in hopes I'd be able to better comprehend why mistress is trying so hard to save her.

I listen to her stories patiently, faithfully.

What she doesn't know is that I learn much more of her lover through her frequent dreams.

My mistress lives for nights like these, where her dreams of that person are the happiest. Yet they tend to give way to most unbearably miserable mornings once she wakes up.

Similar to with the stories she tells me, I watch the events in her dreams play out faithfully.

Helplessly.


It was actually Asami's idea.

With everything bad going on, she thought that doing something spontaneous for the day would give them both some respite to calm their minds.

But as she and Korra entered the trolley, the men and women already inside seemed to stare at them curiously, and Asami began to nervously fumble with her fingers.

Between Naga and her satomobiles, they never really took the time to travel as most people in the city did. She had half a mind to turn back, yet the sight of Korra's smile assured her that perhaps… everything would work out after all.

They stumbled over to an empty corner before the trolley began to move.

The first few seconds were awkward. It was hard to think of a conversation while people were so close by. Instead, they opted to look out the windows.

Asami sighed as her mind raced, trying to settle into her seat. She failed to notice that beside her, the avatar was nervously fidgeting for a different reason entirely.

Korra's face remained dead-set towards the windows as she sat, back straight and hands holding onto each side of the bench. Her fingers drummed the wooden seat lightly, feet tapping on the ground as she pondered her next course of action.

A swift glance around them told her that even while people were initially surprised with their presence, no one was looking at them directly.

At the corner of Korra's eyes, she could see Asami twiddling her thumbs slightly. A cute habit, she thought, and she took in a deep breath.

Then…

The trolley stopped. People were walking out.

Asami stifled a gasp when a warm hand slid smoothly into her own. Their fingers intertwine, and Korra made no move to stand up, face still turned away, seemingly nonchalant.

The doors of the trolley closed, leaving them alone inside.

"I know we're both busy, but I want to continue this…see how far it goes." A slow blush crawls up the avatar's neck despite the serene tone of her voice, and Asami smiled, recognizing the double meaning in the girl's suggestion.

The green-eyed girl squeezed the hand holding hers encouragingly. "So…"

Feeling the gentle pressure on the palm of her hand, Korra closed her eyes as if in attempt to calm her quickly beating heart.

"So…together, okay?"

It wasn't a profession of love.

Neither of them were even sure what existed between them. Sometimes, words could never properly express or define.

But together it was.

Asami nodded, then leaned forward to press her forehead against the other girl's back.

"Okay."


Mistress jolts awake, tears in her eyes.

I keep a respectful distance, alerting her gently of my presence by rustling my wings, before flying out of the window so she would know that I have gone.

It is the same every single time. There is work for me to do, and my mistress will wish to be alone for a while.

This morning is no different. For almost half an hour, I fly aimlessly around the city, before the sight of the two men from yesterday catches my eyes.

Having nothing better to do, I decide to follow them to see what they are up to. I shift into the form of a bumble fly just in time to lightly land on the younger brother's belt unnoticed. He was taking turns between munching on an apple and talking.

"So…is there something you need to tell me about Asami?"

Similar to yesterday, Mako seemed reluctant to join his brother in conversation. His lips pursed as he tried to decide on what to say, before finally-

"That's classified information."

"Seriously, bro?" Bolin stared at him, facial expression clearly unimpressed.

They stared at each other for a couple of minutes, before the older brother relented.

"Fine!" He said, crossing his arms, "All I can tell you is that we have reason to believe that Asami had monetary connections with Kuvira, backing the latter's attempt to take over the Earth Empire. I didn't want to believe it at first, and it's partially my fault for not attempting to connect with her more once Korra left to the South for treatment. But I guess after she started seeing her father again…"

He paused, and Bolin took the chance to exclaim loudly, "No way! You remember that this is Asami we're talking about, right? The same Asami who chose to remain on our side after finding out her father was an Equalist!?"

Bolin's loud outburst startles me, and I flutter my wings in attempt to settle back down.

"I know. It doesn't add up. Before that final battle with Kuvira, I'd talked to Korra about this and asked her to confront Asami. But then both of them disappeared, so I can't help but think that Asami might have a large part in all of this."

If only they know the truth, I think, regretfully. They don't seem like bad people.

Perhaps, if given the chance, they might be able to help my mistress.

As the brothers each quiet down with their own thoughts, a couple of yells resound in the air. They break into a run towards the source of the cacophony, with me still clinging on to the younger one's clothing.

We end up at a dead end of an alley, where a girl was standing beside three unconscious men. I quickly recognize her to be the one from yesterday, but the brothers, never having met her before, eyed her cautiously. They raised their arms, preparing to fight. Bolin's apple was quickly thrown into a nearby dumpster.

Before they could jump into action, however, Tovan immediately spoke up once she spotted them.

"Please don't alert anyone. I didn't do anything. I'm just… I was just picking up some medicinal herbs for my mother, when I ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Mako's gaze remained fixed on her in silent observation, but Bolin relaxed his stance upon noticing her frail appearance.

"You don't know who these guys are, then?"

The elder brother's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I do! But…" She glanced at our surroundings, before whispering "Can we just…go somewhere safe first? I promise I'll explain everything."

She motioned for the young men to follow her.

"You must not be from around here. I know you don't really trust me just yet…but these people are part of a local gang. It's better if we just leave them there. We'll be in trouble once they wake up."

They hesitated, however, throwing swift glances at each other and at the men on the ground. Satisfied that the men did in fact look like they would be from some sort of gang, the brothers agreed to join her.

She led us through a series of intricately winding streets before stopping at the door of a small run-down house. After a couple of knocks, a grey-haired woman opened the door. From my hiding place, I could see the brothers visibly relax upon seeing the harmless-looking woman.

They followed her inside, and are quickly invited for a cup of tea by the tiny table in the corner. As her mother left for the kitchen, Tovan began her explanation.

"Those guys are part of a street gang here, lead by a man named Dao. A short while ago, Dao gained some sort of mysterious power, and began to bully everyone around here for money. Because my mother and I didn't have anything to give them, he sent his subordinates to capture us. We escaped yesterday, but this morning they caught sight of me while I was walking down the street. They chased me down the alley, but lost sight of me after I duck behind a dumpster. Shortly after, those three were punished by Dao for failing to bring me back."

For a moment, the siblings remained quiet. Curious on what their reaction would be, I climbed up Bolin's shoulder to look at their faces. The younger brother seemed appalled, while the elder's expression darkened considerably.

"A mysterious power…you wouldn't happen to know anything about the dark spirits that have been appearing lately, do you?"

The girl turned to look at Mako directly in the eyes, before shaking her head slowly.

"You're both benders, aren't you?"

At this, Bolin was quick to nod. Noting his childlike expression, the girl moved forward to touch his right arm.

"If you're investigating the dark spirits, maybe Dao will be able to give you an answer. He's dangerous, I wouldn't dare to ask you to help us fight him…but maybe if you can find out how he got his power, and find a way to rid him of it, you'll be saving our entire neighborhood."

It strikes me as odd how she invited them to fight Dao, while warning my mistress against it the day before. But before I can process the thought, I am distracted by the shorter man's sudden movement. His eyes brighten in eagerness as he juts out his chest in pride.

"Sure! Leave it to-"

His brother's hand against his chest stalls Bolin from continuing, and Mako used the chance to interrupt.

"No. We can't just listen to your side alone. We'll find out for ourselves what's going on around here, and if what you say is true, we'll give this Dao guy what he deserves."

Mako made a move to stand up, pulling his younger brother along with him. "Anyway, if you'll excuse us…"

He drifted off, eyes softening slightly at the sight of the blind mother carrying a tray towards them. Unaware that her guests were about to leave, the old woman set the tray onto the table with a tad of fumbling.

They all reach forward to help her.

"It's been such a long time since we've had guests around! Please, enjoy yourselves. We don't have much to offer, but the tea isn't too bad."

For the first time all morning, I noticed a hint of gentleness in Mako's voice.

"You're too kind, Ma'am."

Hands shaking somewhat, the woman reached forward to hold onto Mako's hand kindly.

"Make yourselves at home. After my husband died, it's always been just me and my daughter. I'm getting older, and Tovan here is always taking the time to take care of me instead of going out and meeting new people. I'm always afraid that one day, I'll end up leaving her all alone. It's nice to know that she's made new friends after all."

Realization hits the three of us at once; Tovan's mother is not aware of why she brought the brothers here.

I half-expect Mako to deny their relationship, but he simply placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.

They continue to talk, with Bolin occasionally wiping his eyes as the woman described the condition in which they've been living and the life they've lead. It took me a while as I listen to their conversation, before I remember that Tovan had not said anything else since then.

I turned to look at her, noting her smile as she watches her mother chat animatedly.

All of a sudden, she turned toward Bolin, eyes catching sight of me.

"Hey! There's a bumble fly on your shoulder."

The young man jumped while I fly off.

"Yikes! Those don't sting, do they? Get if off me, Mako!"

Before they can touch me, I ducked through a hole in the window and head back to my mistress, having heard enough.

Mistress thinks that part of her lover's soul might be the source of Dao's newfound power.

Something about Dao seemed strange to me, but the presence of my mistress's lover does surround this place. I can now confirm her suspicion that a tear drop does exist in this part of the city.

I will help her find it.


End Chapter Two.