The Air Temple Island Acolytes were settling into bed as the night grew still. The Republic City lights were far off in the distance. The island started to grow quiet. The night air creeped through the cracks of Korra's room. She laid on her bed, staring into the emptiness of the ceiling, wondering when she'd fall asleep this night.
Korra couldn't feel anything, like she wasn't there. Everything around her seemed static and she was numb to sensations around her. The days went by and she couldn't recall much that stimulated her. She had been going through the motions ever since she arrived at Air Temple Island. Her energy was depleting everyday.
The shadows from the candle next to her bed created dark figures that danced on the ceiling. The candle melted as time went by. Korra tossed and turned. Slowly, her eyelids gave in. All was peaceful for a good portion of the night.
At the same time, Asami was in her other room also struggling to sleep. She was lying on her side, counting the stars from her window. Her company was undergoing new deals and she was starting to feel that she needed to move to Republic City. But she thought about Korra and how she was barely recovering. The world is resting on her shoulders...
Then, a wind blew out the small flame on the candle in Korra's room. Suddenly, visions of Zaheer pierced through the blackness of Korra's subconscious. Murderous eyes burned through her dream. Her wrists felt as if they were being strangled from cold, platinum chains. Mercury was forcing its way into the pores of her skin. She screamed in her dream, she fought, and she struggled but the blackness engulfed her entire body. Their insiduous faces loomed closer and closer to her… Amon...Unalaq... Zaheer...
"Korra!" Tenzin, in his night robe, held her shoulders, lightly shaking her awake. The entire island had heard her scream. He rushed to Korra's side, fearing that she was in trouble. Indeed, she was, but not the kind that he had previously imagined.
"Wake up, Korra, you're having nightmares," Tenzin said as Korra slowly regained consciousness.
She darted her eyes around like a cautious animal caught in a net. The Avatar sat up in her bed. The wooden boards beneath her, the hard bamboo mat she slept on, and the view of the bay out her window gave her some comfort that she was safe.
"I - I don't know what's going on," Korra tried to explain herself, "I knew that I was dreaming, but I couldn't wake up… it felt too real."
"Korra, it is just your mind playing tricks on you. You've been through unimaginable pain, but you've got to realize that you are safe here," Tenzin said in a fatherly tone.
"I know," Korra said defeatedly. She rested her forehead on her hand. "Ergh, I'll try going to back to sleep."
"Try not to be so hard on yourself, Korra. You don't need to place additional burdens on yourself than necessary. Let me know if you need anything," Tenzin said as he left.
The black and blue night light filled her room as Tenzin's lamp slowly faded away.
Asami happened to be listening to what happened next door.
Korra lay back down on her side facing the paper screen door. She was a still a little disoriented from her dream as she was in a state of confusion, anger, and fatigue. Long breaths, in… and out… in… and out… in… and… out…. in… and -
Then, a womanly silhouette appeared on the other side of the door. The faint moonlight cast behind her. The Avatar was confused at first, wondering if she had fallen asleep and started dreaming again. "Mind if I join you? I can't sleep either," a familiar voice chimed in as she slid the door open.
Asami was holding some of her contract agreements and a candle lighter in her hands. She knew Korra wouldn't be able to sleep after a nightmare like that. Asami felt that she needed to be there for her.
"Oh, Asami," Korra said sounding slightly relieved. "I"m sorry if I woke you."
"Don't worry about it. I was already up, looking over some things," Asami said as she lightly settled her things on to the desk next to Korra's bed.
"Do you want to try sleeping by candle light? It used to help me with my nightmares," Asami offered.
"Nightmares? Like, when you were little?"
"Well, yes, but I've found it's generally not an age-specific thing."
Korra sighed. Then she realized Asami was talking to her like a dark, faceless figure at night that sat a few feet from her, but she wasn't the least bit scared. It felt like Asami turned her entire focus to Korra at that moment. Her voice also didn't pierce the silence, but rather floated in the air. Her presence calmed Korra back down.
Asami took that pause as permission to continue. She flicked a match and light flooded from her fingers in an instant. It slowly shrunk into a tiny flame.
She elegantly lit the original candle by Korra's bed. Korra dazedly watched as the candlelight danced on Asami's smooth, pearly skin as it grew into life and started burning normally.
Asami smiled heartwarmingly at Korra and said, "Try to get some sleep, Korra. I'll be right here." She went back to the desk and started annotating the contracts in front of her.
Korra peacefully closed her tired eyes and pulled the covers back over her.
As the hours passed by, Asami's eyes were straining from the fading candlelight and from general tiredness from reading contracts through the night. I'll just put my head down for a little bit. Asami fell for that age-old mistake… She rested her head on her arms crossed on the desk. Indeed, she fell into a deep sleep.
Suddenly, Asami woke up. It was dark still. She looked over to her right and the Avatar was sleeping peacefully. Asami looked around her to wake herself up, and stretched a bit. The world was so quiet. She couldn't hear a single noise. Something was wrong. She looked over to her right again. Korra was gone.
Asami ran to the bed and she pulled the covers off that were shaped like someone was under them. It was empty. This is really strange. Calmly, Asami briskly walked to the paper screen door and looked out at the courtyard. The snow was thickly blanketing the inner yard. The icy winter breeze cut into her silk robe and chilled her skin. Where are you, Korra? She hastily scanned the landscape.
There, in the middle, Korra was lying in the snow, lifeless, like in her last fight with Zaheer. No! Asami felt something in her snap and she tried to run into the courtyard-
Then, Asami woke up again. She felt something lightly hit her chair. Her eyes opened slowly and, indeed, it was dark. Thank goodness that was a dream. She remembered she was in Korra's room and quickly looked over.
Asami saw the bedcover was on the floor by the feet of her chair. Korra was writhing in her sleep this time. With beads of sweat forming on the sides of her face, Korra was wincing from unseen causes of pain and her hands were clenched in tight fists. Then, her arm shot out to one side. Her other arm shot out as well. Her head tossed to one side. There was so much pain in Korra's body. You could feel it and it was hard to watch.
Right when Asami saw Korra sit up, Asami caught her and held her tight to her chest. "Korra, you're okay," Asami said softly. She had caught Korra before a scream was going to erupt. Asami held her close, but she was mindful of where Korra's injuries were. Her mind basically had Korra's body mapped out, each scratch and pressure point.
Korra snapped out of it and found herself in an embrace from someone she knew. Frightened, she held onto this person back for it gave her a sense of security. Then, she realized it was Asami. "I was so scared," Korra admitted.
She never knew she would utter those words.
"It's okay to be, Korra," Asami could feel Korra's pain.
Asami was relieved herself to have snapped out of her own nightmare. Korra was hyperventilating and her eyes welled up. Asami kept holding her and lightly stroked her arms to calm her down. "It's over, I'm here. I know you're scared. It's okay to be." She held onto her for a long time, calming her until she felt Korra relax. Korra had buried her face in Asami's hair. She felt like she could trust Asami, like Asami knew her. The Avatar let her guard down. The darkness enabled her to temporarily let go.
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