"Asami? Asami. Hey, wake up."
"Korra?" Asami could feel that she was on her couch. A Naga's muzzle was nudging her hand. "Korra, are you home?"
"Asami, it's me. It's Opal. You fainted." Asami sat up her, head still foggy but she trained her sight onto Opal.
"Opal." Everything rushed back to Asami. "Korra, I think she is in trouble." Her breathing began to quicken as she tried to get up but vertigo took over.
"Asami, you need to sit. I think you hit your head pretty hard when you fainted. You've been out cold for a couple of hours." Opal handed Asami a glass of water. "Here you should drink some water."
"Opal, do you know anything?"
Opal looked down and her hands.
"I think it's best Bolin talks to you to give you the full story. He and Mako were on the phone when the hotel was getting over ran with the rebels. He is at the news office now finishing up his article to make tomorrow's deadline then he has a meeting with Kya to discuss what's happening to the hostages."
"So Korra is at the hotel." Asami said defeated.
"Yeah, they've been there about a week. It's their last stop before they were to come back. Well it was supposed to be. Who knows what's going to happen now." Opal looked at Asami a bit confused. "But you should have known all this. I know Korra has been writing you, and I know she always keeps you in the loop."
A wave of guilt overcame Asami.
"I haven't been reading them, or writing her. I only opened her letters when the radio reported the rebel take over. We had a fights and I might have told Korra I might not wait for her this time. I was so angry that she took this assignment without talking to me about it first." Asami began sobbing.
"Oh Asami, I didn't know. I just assumed you were upset and threw yourself into work like you always did. I didn't think that you and Korra were on thin ice because of this." Opal said pulling Asami into a hug.
"It was an empty threat, I was going to wait, of course I was going to wait. Korra is my everything. I just wanted her to know how it felt to be on edge waiting to hear news about me instead of me waiting to hear news about her. I should have let it go. I should have written her. Opal, if something happens to Korra and she thinks I don't love her anymore…" Asami began to break further down.
Opal pulled her in for a closer hug. At that moment Bolin came in through the door. He clearly had been through a stressful day.
"Hey Asami," he sat on the couch next to Opal. "Well I guess there isn't a need to sugar coat any of this."
"How bad is it Bolin?" Asami looked up at Bolin fearful of what he was about to say.
Bolin took a deep breath.
"From what we know The Red Lotus has control of the hotel Mako and Korra were staying at. They aren't the only journalists that were staying there since it was thought that the Inner Ring of Ba Sing Se was the most stable and least likely to fall, making it a great hub. I was on the phone getting his latest reports and an update on Korra's imagery uploads.
"He was getting worried about her. He said she had been a little more reckless at the back end of this trip than she normally was. He said she was thinking about attaching with a Dai Li unit and freelancing for a a few months when the rebels attacked the hotel. I heard the explosions, they had planted several bombs. Mako said he had to go but left the phone off the hook. I heard Korra say she was going down to the lobby, that this was too important to miss and not get photos of. He argued with her but we know Korra, once she is set on something she is doing it.
"That was the last I heard before the phone line went out."
Asami sank lower into Opal's grip.
"It's my fault." Asami whispered.
"What are you talking about Asami? None of this is your fault." Bolin said.
"If Korra got herself killed it is," Asami said.
"You guys had a fight, that doesn't mean it's your fault if she was taking things too far and acting this way Asami. We all know Korra was reckless before she met you and you're the only reason she probably is still alive at this point." Opal told Asami.
"I missed something here, didn't I?" Bolin said. "Look I'm really lost on what's going on but Korra isn't a Pulitzer winning photographer because she is meek. If she is able to get the shot, she is going to get the shot and this rebellion has been getting her work noticed again. So even if your fight has caused her to throw some caution to the wind, this is Korra doing what Korra does, and does well might I add."
"You're right, both of you. I guess it's just hard to picture that side of Korra. I've seen her work and she is incredible but it just always seems like such a different world. And even though I know she loves being a personal trainer I know it's not her calling. And now I feel like an ass by being angry with her for doing what she is pretty much meant to do."
Opal put her hands on Asami's shoulders.
"Don't dwell on that right now. Let's focus on Korra getting home and you two can have that conversation when she gets back." Opal said. "Let's turn on the TV and see if there are any new reports."
"Well ladies, I got to get back to the agency. If I hear anything I'll call." He stood up and kissed Opal.
Asami grabbed the remote from table side and flipped her way to the news channel.
The announcer's voice rang out through the apartment.
"The fall of Ba Sing Se, Hostages, and Rebel groups. What does the fall of the Earth Kingdom mean for the United Republic? We discuss this and more tonight on United Republic News."