A/N: Hello everybody! It's time for the chapter that I know many of you have been looking forward to- the segment where we discover Asami's backstory for the Legacy of Korra!
For those of you that have pledged ten dollars a month or more on my P_a_t_r_e_o_n, you already got most of this chapter a week ago. This is now the completed version, so you'll finally figure out how we get some closure out of this. (more on that in the omake for those who didn't know)
Without further ado, let's get the ball rolling!
The Heiress
The rumbling of the train vibrated through the seat upon which a young woman sat, sending tremors all the way through to her hands, which grasped a book she was reading. Or at least, trying to read. Sighing to herself, Asami slapped the book shut and set it down on the table in front of her in defeat. Even in the first-class luxury carriage, she didn't feel comfortable where she was.
Asami was a beautiful girl, with long, rippling black hair and fair skin with green eyes that her father had said matched her mother's. Given her status, she also wore fine clothing and makeup that highlighted her already-abundant good looks.
I just wish that there was a better way to pass the time, she thought to herself as she gazed out the window to see the countryside speeding past. Normally she loved reading, but today her heart just wasn't in it.
She was on her way to Republic City for the first time in almost ten years, having spent the last decade at a private academy in Ba Sing Se. Her impending arrival in her home city was filling her with equal measures of anxiety and curiosity.
Her interest came from the thoughts of what might have changed in the last few years; what kind of new buildings might there be, what were the people like, and how the economy was doing.
Asami had studied a great deal of economics, mechanics, and business administration during her time in the Earth Kingdom, partly because of her early upbringing, and partly because she took to it naturally. In fact, she had already landed a job at a local construction company as an overseer for some of the new railroads that would be connecting the capital to other places in the kingdom, like Omashu and Kyoshi Island. Though she supposed it was only natural, given her family's history.
Of course, this was also the main contributor to her anxiety. It had been some time since she and her father stood face-to-face, though they wrote the occasional letter to one another. Still, even that method of communication had been strained and plagued with awkwardness ever since he had sent her away to the boarding school.
When she had received word after her graduation ceremony that her father, Hiroshi Sato, wanted her to come back home, her first instinct had been to rebel. He's gone out of his way to keep me at arm's length for most of my life, she had thought bitterly. Now he wants me back all of a sudden?
Still, something in her heart told her to make the trip home. He was her father, after all- they were family. She decided that maybe she should hear out whatever he had to say. Besides, she reasoned, she could always leave if things didn't go well.
It didn't make her apprehension ease up in the slightest, though.
"Miss Sato?" The stewardess' voice nearly caused Asami to jump out of her skin. "Sorry, Ma'am, but I just wanted to ask if you needed anything to drink? We can make some warm tea if you need something to calm your nerves."
Asami took a couple of seconds to compose her answer before saying, "Yes, that would be nice. I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. I'm just… nervous."
"Do you need someone to talk to about it?" the lady asked, seemingly concerned. "My break is in a few minutes, and I'd be happy to sit and listen if nothing else."
Asami smiled a bit at the kind gesture, but replied, "I appreciate the offer, but just some tea will do. It's not really something that can be talked out."
"All right, ma'am," the lady nodded. "I'll be right back." Then she was gone, and Asami was alone with her thoughts again.
I shouldn't be this nervous, she thought as she rubbed her arms as if to ward off a chill. Maybe Dad's not really the problem like I've been thinking…
The trip to Republic City took about another hour, but it seemed like an eternity to the girl. The tea that she forced herself to drink helped settle her rattled nerves a bit, but it did nothing for the pit in her stomach. By the time the train pulled into Republic City's main station, she was feeling light-headed from anxiety.
I can do this, she thought to herself. Just a quick visit, then I can go back to Ba Sing Se and get started with my life there… I can do this.
Once the train had come to a complete stop, she stood up and grabbed her purse to sling it over her shoulder. Walking a trifle unsteadily, she managed to make it to the exit, where a bellboy was waiting with her travel bag. Accepting the luggage with a polite 'thank you' and a tip, she made her way off of the train and into the busy hub that was the Republic City train station. There were people everywhere, both coming and going, young and old, wealthy and middle-class.
It was similar to Ba Sing Se, she thought. The big difference was that instead of a majority of Earth Kingdom natives, there were people from the three nations everywhere. Their garments were definitely of a wider variety, that was certain.
Okay, Dad must have sent a valet to come pick me up, she thought as she started walking towards the exit. I guess I'll just look for a sign with my name on it…?
Just as she was about to reach the main exit, she heard a voice cry, "Asami!"
Startled, she turned around in search of the speaker. Did I miss the sign? She wondered as she looked around anew for the valet.
"Asami!" the speaker exclaimed again. This time, she saw him- a heavyset man with a thick moustache, salt-and-pepper hair, dressed smart in a red jacket and a white button-up shirt. A pair of glasses framed intelligent reddish-brown eyes, set atop a larger nose that rested above a bright, winning smile. He was shouldering his way past people in the crowd, making his way to her as fast as his legs would carry him.
Her eyes widened as she recognized the man. "Dad?" she asked in surprise as he came within reaching distance. "You-?"
"It's so good to see you, sweetheart!" he laughed as he seized her in an undignified hug- hardly something that someone would expect of the C.E.O. of one of the world's biggest manufacturing companies. "You look amazing- just like your mother!" He stepped back, holding her at arm's length as he gave her another huge smile. "Welcome back to Republic City, Asami."
"H-Hi, Dad," she finally managed to say, her mind still moving at a hundred miles an hour. "What are you doing here? I thought that you would have sent somebody to come get me?" As soon as she said it, she realized how rude it sounded, but her father seemed to take it in stride.
"Come now, can't a father come to greet his princess?" he chuckled lightly. "Once I got your letter that said you'd be coming in today, I went ahead and cleared my schedule so that I could come get you myself!"
"Well, thank you," she managed to smile back a bit. "That's very sweet of you- thanks for coming to see me."
"No, no," he shook his head empathetically. "Thank you for coming to visit! I know you had mentioned getting a job in the capital of the Earth Kingdom, and I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to see you for a long time!"
It wouldn't have been any longer than the time you kept away from me, she thought bitterly, but she swallowed the words before they could come out. Instead, she said, "Well, I guess we should get going to the house, right? I'm sure you have a busy evening with the company since you're here right now."
"What?" he asked, confused. Then his face cleared as he said, "Oh no, no! I must have not explained properly- I didn't just clear my schedule to come and get you- I've taken the full day off!"
Her eyes widened in surprise. This was a far cry from what she had expected of him. "But what about the company…?" she asked, her head feeling like it been dumped in a blender- there was just too much to process right now.
"Hah!" Hiroshi laughed heartily. "I think the stockholders and branch managers can run things without me for one day. I wanted to welcome you myself and make sure that your stay is a good one, sweetheart."
"I…" she said, overwhelmed. "Thanks, Dad."
"You are welcome, Asami," her father smiled again. Reaching for her bag, he grabbed the heavy load and said, "Come on, now. I've got the car waiting for us, and I'd love to show you the house again- I've had some expansions put in since the last time you were here."
Still feeling dumbfounded, Asami followed her father through the crowd, wondering how in the world that this was the same man that had sent her off to boarding school and hardly spoken to her in ten years. Some part of her wondered if he was putting on an act, but that didn't seem right. No, he seemed genuinely happy to welcome her home.
While they drove home- Asami was surprised to find that Hiroshi had driven himself- her father was eager to hear about her classes, asking many questions, but always waiting patiently for her to finish talking before inquiring about another matter. Since traffic was busy at this time of day, it gave them plenty of time to talk.
She asked him a bit about how the company was doing and how his life had been, but for the most part he would say, "Things with Sato Industries are the same as ever- the bureaucrats argue over who should get profits from what department, and the workers keep wanting more overtime. Sometimes I think about locking myself in my workshop and inventing new products simply for the sake of the joy that comes from creating something new. Spirits know it would save me many headaches."
Asami couldn't help but laugh a little bit at that. As an intern at the company she was going to be working for, she'd already had to deal with the politics that came from the arguments between shareholders and employees. "Seems like it's impossible to find a balance between fair wages and profitable investments," she said.
"My thoughts exactly," her father chuckled. "Employees seem to think that we're simply loading all of the money in an account where we'll never use it! I just wish that there was some way to help them see that most of our profits go back into the company itself, and not lining our pockets."
"Don't think that's a problem that can be solved in one day, Dad," Asami replied. "Besides, last I checked, most employees that work at Sato industries are pretty happy with the way things are going. You're selling your work conditions short."
"Ha!" the older Sato laughed merrily. "I see you've been doing your homework."
"A little bit," Asami admitted, wanting to join in his uplifting attitude, but still feeling that the matter of their years spent apart should be addressed. Still, now hardly seemed like the time to bring the matter up. "I guess I wanted to know some of what was going on here."
"Hmm, yes, I suppose I should have told you more about what was happening in our hometown," Hiroshi said, his countenance darkening a bit for a second. "I would be happy to catch with you up on everything that's happened since you went to Ba Sing Se over dinner. Would that be all right?"
"Uh, sure," she shrugged. "What'd you have in mind?"
"I was going to leave it up to you," he replied. "We could have the chefs make us whatever you'd like at home, or we could be a little adventurous. There's a restaurant that I've been meaning to try called Kwong's Cuisine."
"What's the style supposed to be?" Asami asked, her curiosity piqued.
"That's the thing," Hiroshi grinned. "It's supposedly one of the few restaurants in the city that does the courses from every nation a big favor. They even have traditional Air Nomad food, supposedly courtesy of a few air acolytes that have done some part-time work there."
"That actually sounds pretty cool," Asami nodded, her attention becoming more genuine. "I'd love to try that out."
"I'll book us a reservation this evening," Hiroshi nodded. Then another thought seemed to occur to him, for he turned to her and asked, "Unless you wanted to do it another night? How long were you planning to stay?"
"Two nights," she answered. "I start my job back in Ba Sing Se in four days, so I'd like to make sure I've got everything settled back there."
"Oh," he said, his face falling a little bit. He quickly perked back up again as he said, "Oh well, who am I to stand between my daughter and her new job?"
"Dad, it's okay," she told him. "We can go to the restaurant tonight. I guess you had some other things you'd like to do while I'm here?"
"Actually, yes," he admitted with another grin. "Though I suppose I'll have to cut back on the list a little bit."
"Wait, you had a list?" she asked, almost laughing, feeling a little more light-hearted for some absurd reason.
"Of course!" he nodded enthusiastically. "I was going to take you to the main factory and show you how we've stepped up production, Avatar Aang Island gives tours now, the theater that we used to go to has actually begun to hire good actors, especially for 'Love Amongst Dragons' I've recently begun to grow rather fond of that new sport, probending. It's too bad that the season doesn't start for another few months, otherwise I'd say that we should go watch a match together."
"Really?" she asked, surprised. "I never would have taken you for a probending fan." She had never seen a match in person, but she had read about the championships in the papers, even managing to listen to the last two years' matches over radio with some schoolmates. It wasn't her favorite thing to do, but it was something to have in common with the other students, so she put up with it.
"What can I say?" the older Sato laughed heartily. "An old man's got to have fun somehow, and I must say that there's something about watching people putting everything that they have on the line and coming out on top through their hard work and determination."
"Kind of like you?" Asami asked, the words almost coming out on their own.
"Hmm, I suppose," he nodded to himself. "Though I don't exactly see myself as being able to keep up with all those youngsters." He slapped his rounded belly with another hearty chuckle.
"Do you have a team you prefer?" she asked. "The girls back in the Earth Kingdom like the champions from the last three years, the Wolf-Bats."
Her father grimaced as he said, "They may be the champions, but they're far too… arrogant for my taste. Not to mention, a man should never be prettier than the woman next to him."
Again, Asami had to laugh. "I guess that's true," she grinned. "He is kinda pretty."
"Not as pretty as my wonderful daughter, of course," Hiroshi said kindly. "You've taken after your mother, Asami, and I don't say that lightly."
She knew that it was meant as a compliment, but just like that, she felt her spirits sink down to the pit in her stomach. "Uh…" she mumbled, her face falling. "Thanks."
Hiroshi saw the change in her mood and realized the mistake he had made. "I'm sorry, Sweetie," he said, his expression a pained one. "I didn't mean-"
"It's okay," she said quickly, cutting him off. "I just… Can we talk about something else right now?"
"Of course," he nodded understandingly. "Anything you'd like."
There was a painfully awkward silence between them for several minutes as they drove out of the crowded city suburbs. Once they were out of the noisier parts of the area, Asami asked, "Any changes to the house since I've been gone?"
"Well, not to the interior, no," Hiroshi said, eager to regain a conversation with her. "Though I did have a pool installed a few months ago- the doctor says it's good for my heart to get some exercise every now and again."
"What about on the outside?" she asked, noticing how he had only mentioned the house itself.
"Now that's a different story," he said. "I moved my workshop out of the basement because I had a separate building constructed so I would stop getting clutter everywhere. Poor Klein was working himself ragged trying to clean the carpets of my oil stains."
"Klein is still working at the house?" Asami asked, surprised. "He's been there since I was little."
"Yes, and he was looking forward to seeing you come home," her father smiled again. "I don't think I've ever seen a butler be so expressive before!"
"I can't imagine," she said, remembering the calm, collected, bespectacled man that had practically helped to raise her.
"I think I even saw him smile the other day," Hiroshi joked. "But where was I about the outside…" Ah, yes!" His smile grew even wider as he said, "Remember the open area on the east side of the mansion?"
"Yeah, is that where you put the new workshop?" the girl asked.
"No, that's behind the house," he said as he shook his head. "Actually, I came up with something that I think you'll like a great deal."
"Well don't keep me in suspense," she said with a raised eyebrow. "What'd you do?"
"This will require a bit of context," he said as they rounded a corner that put them on a street that would take them out of the rural area. "See, I was having trouble finding an area to test out the new satomobile models, so…" He grinned mischievously.
She gave him a blank stare for a moment before her eyes widened and she said, "You didn't!"
"You actually did it," she said, eyes wide at the sight before her.
A racetrack had been constructed next to the house where she had grown up in. Ovular in shape, it was a kilometer in length. Hiroshi had explained that before he started to mass-produce a new model, he would test it against one of the favored cars that had already been released to the public to see which the better of the two was, and to decide if the new prototype needed any modifications.
"What do you think?" Hiroshi asked, pride evident in his voice. "Took us a few months- and far too much paperwork from the city for my liking- but the boys really pulled through for this project."
"You built this because of a mid-life crisis, didn't you?" she asked without even looking at him.
"Yes I did, Asami," he said as his shoulders sagged. "Yes I did."
"Still worth it?" she grinned slightly.
"Every yuon," he smiled back.
She was surprised to find that the inside of the house was just as she remembered it. Well, it seemed a little smaller since she had grown up, but the estate was by no means a small place. The house on its own could have taken up more than a city block, which wasn't even accounting for the rolling hills surrounding Sato's home.
"Just as you remembered it, right?" Hiroshi said, almost as though he could read her thoughts.
"Yeah," she nodded as she looked around the massive greeting room. The walls were white, as was the floor, though it was mostly covered by a plush red carpet. Two set of stairs led to the upper floor where the bath and bedrooms were. There were paintings of every kind on the walls, as well as expensive vases and the like on display.
"Miss Asami?" a familiar voice asked as its owner entered the room. "Is that you?"
The younger Sato turned towards one of the doors that led to the kitchen area to see Klein, the head household attendant. "Klein!" she smiled broadly as she ran across the room and gave the man a very improper hug.
At first he seemed quite surprised, but after his initial trepidation, he broke his years of staunch belief that a butler should never show emotion towards their masters, and smiled while returning the embrace. "It's good to see you come home, Miss Sato," he said as they pulled apart. "The household has been looking forward to your arrival.
"The whole household, or just you in particular?" Asami teased him.
"I may have played a part in the elevated level of excitement that has settled into the Sato Estate," Klein replied with his more normal, modulated tone, though he still wore a faint grin.
"Well if everyone is so excited, where are they?" Asami wondered, finally realizing that there was a surprising lack of noise in the house for a fully staffed mansion.
"Master Sato urged all but the essential staff to go home early for the day," Klein answered. "He insisted that your home's environment be a peaceful one upon your arrival. The regular household staff shall return in the morning."
"Oh," she said, surprised again at the lengths that her father was going to in order to make her feel comfortable. Looking around again, she murmured, "It almost seems stranger that things aren't busy like they usually are."
"I wholeheartedly agree with you, Miss Sato," Klein nodded, his expression finally settling back into a neutral one. "Seems a little too empty, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," she nodded quietly.
"I've had Klein prepare your old room for your stay, if that's all right," Hiroshi said after a small pause. With a slight grin he added, "Though I did make sure to have it appropriately furnished for a young woman instead of a little girl."
"Thanks," she acknowledged. "I guess it's just usually used as a guest bedroom now?"
"Of course not," Sato said with a slight frown. "That room is yours, Asami. I would never let anyone else use it." She looked at him with surprise, intrigued that he would seem so resilient to the idea. Seeing her face, his expression softened again as he added, "You will always have a home here, Asami."
The girl felt something beginning to build up inside her chest, so she turned away and said, "I'm, umm… I'm going to go freshen up before we go to dinner, okay?"
"Of course," he said, his voice still kind. "Take all the time you need." Turning to his butler, he said, "Make sure that she has whatever she needs. I'm going to make arrangements for dinner tonight at Kwong's."
"I shall be sure to have your new car ready for your outing, sir," Klein said as he bowed to his master.
"Thank you, Klein," Hiroshi said appreciatively.
Asami emerged from her room about an hour later. Part of the time had been spent getting ready for the evening, but most of it had honestly been grappling with the decision of going to dinner or not.
I don't get it, she had thought as she started to curl her hair. He's so different from the man that sent me to boarding school… Not to mention the one that hardly even talked to me while I was away for all those years… His own daughter! Even after what happened, he ignored his daughter!
Most of her wanted to scream at him until her voice gave out, to tell him every bitter resentment that had festered in her thoughts since the day he had abandoned her. Yet for some unknown reason, her bitterness continued to be repressed. Whether it was simply the fact that Hiroshi was her father or the unprecedented kindness he had been showing her, she couldn't tell.
I just have to make it through tonight and tomorrow, and then I'll be gone, she repeated to herself as she finished doing up her hair. One dinner isn't going to kill me.
"Miss Sato?" Klein's voice sounded from just outside her door. "If you are ready, Master Sato is waiting in the greeting room."
"Yes, I'll be right out," she answered as she stood up and examined herself one last time. Her dark tresses were perfectly curled, her dark green dress was spotless, and her makeup was immaculate. Why did I go to the trouble of doing this myself? She wondered. She knew that there were certainly staff members in the house that she could have called on to help her out.
Then again, as she had just finished recalling, she'd had several years to learn how to take care of herself. It's just habit, nothing more¸ she told herself. It wasn't like she had anything to prove- right?
"My, my, I feel underdressed," Sato laughed as his daughter came down the stairs. He was dressed very smart in a red-and-black suit trimmed with gold thread, so he was hardly giving himself any credit. "I'm impressed, Asami."
"Thanks, Dad," she said with a small curtsey as she stopped a few feet away from him. "I got it a few weeks ago for the graduation party."
His right eyebrow went up as he asked, "Are there any boys that I need to have a word with?"
"Don't worry about that," Asami said dismissively. "A lot of them are smart, but they think they own whatever they come into contact with. Let's just say that I didn't exactly fit their image of how a girl should behave."
Sato's smile grew even broader as he said, "That's my girl."
The car ride to the restaurant was a surprisingly relaxed one, Asami thought. There were several new music releases on the radio that had not yet made their way to Ba Sing Se, and Hiroshi was happy to let her flip through the channels so that she could listen to whatever caught her fancy. The city also had a certain charm to it when it was lit up at night, the various lanterns and lights casting soft glows on the streets that seemed soothing somehow.
The restaurant itself was one of the bigger sources of these lights, casting its warm luminance for more than a city block. The name of the building was even made up of glowing characters, though the entrance itself seemed to be more low-key when it came to the illuminations.
"Flashy, isn't it?" Hiroshi chortled as they walked in the door. A waiter came quickly to lead them to the table that Sato had reserved for them.
"We're not exactly blending in with the majority of Republic City, either," Asami replied with a slight smile of her own as they were seated in a booth in one of the corners of the restaurant for a modicum of privacy.
"That's because you light up the town wherever you go," her father said without missing a beat.
"Remind me to pay you later," she tossed back.
"I see that your wit has grown to surpass even Klein's," Hiroshi conceded.
"Klein has a sense of wit?" Asami asked half-jokingly.
"Don't let him convince you to play a game of pai-sho," the man sighed. "I never thought that I would lose because I was laughing too hard to notice his white lotus gambit."
"Klein?" Asami asked again, eyes slightly widened.
"Klein," her father repeated. "Still, I've not a foe so skilled in pai sho since you were a little girl. Imagine what you could do now!" He laughed at the last part, until he noticed Asami's downcast expression. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"
"I haven't played pai sho since I… left home," she said glumly. "I doubt I'm any good anymore."
"You've not played even once?" Hiroshi was very surprised.
"No," she shook her head. "I doubt that I'm any good at it by now."
"Nonsense!" Hiroshi insisted. "It's like riding a bicycle- I'm sure you'd pick it up quickly enough to beat your old man before you leave town."
"Was that a challenge?" she asked curiously, in spite of herself.
"Tell you what," Hiroshi said with a more mischievous grin as he turned in his seat to face her directly. "If you can beat me in a game of pai sho before lunchtime tomorrow, I'll give you a brand-new satomobile to take back with you to Ba Sing Se. The latest model, of course."
"Really?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. That seemed more like the cheesy apology gift that she had half-expected him to try and bribe her with, but it was definitely arriving in a manner much different than what she had expected. This actually sounded like it might be fun, she thought to herself.
"Really," he nodded. Holding out his hand, he added, "I'm even willing to shake on it."
"Wait, what do you get if I lose?" she asked, eyeing the proffered hand with mock suspicion.
"Hmm…" he seemed to think for a minute. Then his face cleared and he said, "I get to take you shopping wherever you would like for the afternoon."
Her other eyebrow went up as she said, "That sounds like a lose-lose for you."
"Asami, with a daughter like you, I never lose," Hiroshi said kindly. "I'm very proud of what you've accomplished, and I can't wait to see where you will take your life."
Suddenly, Asami found that she couldn't take it anymore. Then why weren't you there to watch me grow up?! She shouted in her head.
The bitterness and whirling emotions that she had been trying to repress suddenly came to the fore, and before she could bite her tongue, her dark eyebrows met in the middle of her forehead as she growled, "Well, that's the last thing I'd expect to hear from the man that put me on a train and shipped me half a world away when Mom died. Not to mention hardly talking to me in all that time. That's some real love you've been showing, Dad." The venom in her own voice surprised even her, and by the time she saw the look on her father's face, she knew that she could never take it back.
The man looked as though someone had visibly struck him in the gut in public and spat on him for good measure. His mouth was loosely hinged on his mouth, and his eyes were wider than his spectacle. He was even clutching at his stomach as though the wind had been knocked out form him. He looked like he might cry.
Asami worked her jaw up and down, but no sound came out. Not that it would do her any good, she realized. No excuse existed for the insults that she had just hurled at him.
Eventually, she managed to say with a dry voice, "I… I'm sorry, that was…"
"No," he said, his shoulder sagging as he looked down at his lap. He looked as though he had aged five years in the last five seconds. Yet still, he went on to say, "No, you're right. I don't deserve to be your father, Asami. I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most." He paused briefly before saying, "I wish that I could say that I'm only now seeing that, but that would be a lie."
Asami dared not speak, dared not move. Whatever he was about to say, he had every right to say after what she had done.
Sensing that she was going to remain silent, Hiroshi continued, "I wronged you, Asami, and for that, I am sorry. I know that no number of apologies can fix what I have done, but it's all I have to offer." He took a deep breath before saying, "I should have been there for you after Yasuko was killed, but I let my own weakness get the better of me."
His hollow maroon eyes came up to meet hers as he said, "It wasn't your fault, Asami, but… every time I looked at you, I saw your mother… and my heart would break all over again. I couldn't take it… so I sent you away. I was so selfish, I sent away my own daughter…" He placed his hands over his eyes as he began to cry.
"I'm so sorry, Asami…" he sobbed as he shuddered uncontrollably. He looked so different from the smiling, jocular man that had welcomed her home that it was hard to reconcile the fact that they were the same person. Just like her, she realized, he had been putting up a front. Unlike her though, his mask had not been for his own benefit, but for hers' alone.
"I'm… I'm sorry, too," she sniffed as she felt tears pooling in her own eyes. I had no idea… she thought as she watched her father crumbling in front of her. No wonder he never visited… All he could ever see was Mom.
She wasn't condoning what he had done in any way, but at long last, she finally understood just how deeply her mother's death had affected him. She had been so wrapped up in her own hurt, she hardly ever took into consideration what must have been going on with him after the love of his life was cut down by a firebending thug. While it would do nothing to change the past several years, it did give her a strange sense of closure that she didn't realize had been lacking.
Yet… She wanted so badly to forgive him, but years and years of isolation and bitterness clamped her mouth shut. I just can't do it…
They cut dinner short and came back to the manor the instant that they were done eating. Not that they had eaten much of anything, but neither one of them was able to stomach much after the conversation that they had just had.
The car ride was spent in complete silence, neither one of them sure of how to proceed from where they stood. It seemed that they were teetering on the edge of either reconciling, or never speaking to one another again. It was no small wonder that neither party wanted to risk making a wrong move.
Yet they both knew that the clock was ticking, too. Asami would leave the day after the next, and both of them had the sense that if things were not resolved by then, they never would be.
So how to proceed?
When they got home, Klein welcomed them at the front door. He quickly noticed their somber expressions, so he immediately surmised that it was best that they both retire for the night. He saw to it that Asami was escorted to her room by one of the remaining handmaidens while he followed Hiroshi to his room.
"I think I'll take some jasmine tea before I retire, Klein," Hiroshi said heavily.
"I'll brew a pot myself, sir," Klein replied neutrally.
"Thank you," the older Sato said. "I just wish I knew what to do, Klein…"
"I take it that things did not go according to plan, sir?" the butler asked after a brief pause.
"They couldn't have gone any worse," his master said with his head bowed. "I upset her in the worst way possible, and to make things worse, I broke down like a child in front of her. She's probably humiliated at the thought of her father acting like a little boy in public."
"If I may be so bold as to volunteer my own opinion, sir," Klein said slowly. "I don't think she's focused on that particular detail right now. She still grieves for her mother, and I believe that part of this may reside in the fact that you two never got to grieve together."
Most masters would have been infuriated with their servant for being so bold in their speech, but Sato was not most masters. Besides, Klein had served him for so long and with such devotion that he considered the man like family. He valued his opinion more than almost anyone else he knew.
"What should I do?" Sato asked the man.
"May I suggest the shrine, sir?" Klein said. "I think it would do her some good."
"I would have thought that too difficult for her to handle right now," Hiroshi said, somewhat surprised. "I can barely handle it as it is."
"Precisely my point, sir," the butler said. "She won't be able to handle it alone. Which means that you'll be able to be there for her, just as I imagine she would have wanted you to be when Lady Sato passed away." The words bit at Hiroshi, but Klein kept up his calm appearance. "As I said, sir, it's only a suggestion."
"Hmm…" Sato muttered, deep in thought. "I will have to think about this. Thank you, Klein. I think I'll take that tea now."
"As you wish, sir," his butler said with a deep bow before turning on his heel and walking away.
It was a rough night for Asami. The entire time, she was plagued with nightmares that she had forced herself to repress ever since she was little- the night when a firebender killed her mother, Yasuko.
Over and over, her subconscious forced her to watch the moment where her mother took the fire dagger meant for her father. That's right- the man from the Agni Kai gang had tried to get Hiroshi's account information out of him, but Sato was too strong-willed for them to wrest the information out of him. In a blind fury, the thug formed a small blade of fire and went to stab him in the heart.
The fire found itself in someone's heart- just the wrong Sato.
It was as though Asami were standing behind an impenetrable screen of glass, watching her younger self cowering on the floor, just barely peeking out enough to see what was happening, paralyzed with terror.
She kept screaming at her parents and her younger self, telling them to run, get away, and do something, anything that could change this nightmare. Maybe, if things could be done differently this time, she could wake up and find that her mother was waiting for her at the breakfast, just like she used to…
After perhaps the tenth time- or was it the hundredth- Asami gave up, shrinking into a ball, mirroring her younger self, trying to shield herself from the awful vision in front of her.
Why? She thought through her shuddering and sobbing. Why did this have to happen?
Though it was doubtful that she would ever find the answer, it was a question that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Maybe there was some greater purpose behind of all this. Maybe someday it would all make sense to her- but right now, all Asami wanted was for her mother to wake her up and tell her that it was just a bad dream, and that when she went back to sleep, she would have peaceful, happy dreams.
It's… not fair…
She woke up more exhausted than when she had gone to sleep. When she first opened up her eyes, she was greeted by the glare of the morning sun shining through her window. Pushing herself up with an audible grunt, she rubbed her eyes and thought, Weren't those closed…? She distinctly remembered closing the curtains to avoid letting in moonlight before she retired for the night.
"Good morning, Miss Sato," said a quiet, familiar voice. Asami bolted upright, nearly tangling herself in the duvet as she turned around to see a portly woman in her fifties, standing patiently by the door with a soft smile.
"Maria?" Asami asked with surprise.
"I'm flattered that you remember me, Ma'am," the older woman said as she smiled wider. "You always gave Master Klein your undivided attention, so I wasn't certain if you would remember the rest of us." She added a little chuckle at the end to show that it was all in good humor. "Master Sato sent me in to help you get ready for the day."
"Of course I remember you!" Asami said, a smile of her own breaking out as she moved to greet the woman. "You were mom's maid- how could I forget you?" She hugged the lady, not caring that it wasn't proper manners to hug a servant.
"You likely remember me having to shoo you out of your mother's room on more than one occasion," Maria laughed as she returned the hug. Once they pulled away, a bit of sadness entered her wrinkled face as she said, "My condolences about Lady Yasuko… I never got the chance to say it proper, what with you moving away to Ba Sing Se."
"I know," Asami said, her mood also dampening. "It all seemed to happen so fast…"
Maria noticed the change in atmosphere, so she forced herself to smile and pat the girl on the shoulder as she said, "Now, now. Let's brighten that face, shall we? Such beauty is done no service by a cloudy expression."
Asami cracked a brief smile at the lady's attempt to lighten the mood, but she quickly said, "I don't feel like there's much to smile about, Maria."
"Nonsense, there's always something to smile about, Miss Sato," the maid told her. "Come now. Let's get you something to wear, and then something to eat. You'll feel better with a full stomach."
"After last night, I don't think I could eat anything," Asami sighed heavily.
"I think you will," Maria grinned. "Chop chop! Let's have you turning heads when you visit the city today!" Asami's protests were ignored for the next twenty minutes.
Hiroshi was pacing back and forth in his office, nervousness wracking his thoughts. If don't get this right, I'll lose her, he thought. This is my only chance to make things right with Asami…
There was a knock at the door, so he stood still and composed himself before saying, "Come in, please."
In stepped Asami, wearing a very smart getup that both showed her style and beauty once again. It was a business outfit made up of dark gray and red, with a series of golden buttons running down the right side for decoration. In a way, the colors reflected his own attire, he realized as he glanced at his own suit.
"You look good, Asami," he said. It was a neutral way to start, he thought.
"Thanks, Maria picked it out for me," she said, shifting awkwardly in place. "Umm… Klein said that you wanted to see me after I had breakfast. …About last night-"
"Hold on," Hiroshi said as he held up a hand to stop her. "I should be the one to apologize first." She opened her mouth to protest, but then thought better of it and decided to hear him out. So he said, "I realize that I have no right to call you my daughter any longer. Sending you away was probably the cruelest thing a man could do, and I deserve every bit of anger that you have been harboring against me for all this time. I see that now… I supposed that somehow by welcoming you with open arms, it would be enough to let us start over, make up for all of the time we lo- No… The time that I took from you." He took in a deep, shuddering breath before continuing. "That was very foolish of me. I didn't even think about apologizing to you, and that was very wrong. For all of this, I extend my deepest apologies, Asami." Dropping his gaze away from her brilliant green eyes, he fell silent.
There was a long, long silence in the study.
It was finally broken in a most unexpected way. "I forgive you, Daddy," Asami said as she crossed the distance between them and hugged her father.
His arms went around her on instinct as she began to cry, but his mind was reeling from what he had just heard. "You…?"
"I forgive you," she repeated as she wept into his shoulder. "And I'm sorry too- I never once thought about how Mom dying would have affected you, too. Please forgive me?" She pulled back to see that her father had tears running out of his own eyes.
"There is nothing to forgive, Asami," he told her. Reaching up with a shaking hand, he wiped at one of the tear tracks marring her face as he added, "Thank you, Sweetie." They embraced again, both crying from relief and the sheer joy that comes from true forgiveness.
After nearly ten minutes of this, the father and daughter finally pulled apart and smiled with new light in their eyes for the first time since she had come home. "There is something I would like you to see," Hiroshi told her as he gestured for her to follow him out of the room.
They walked across the top floor of the house before arriving at a large set of double doors that Asami knew well. "Your room?" she asked, puzzled. "What's in there?"
"Actually, I don't sleep in here anymore," Hiroshi told her as he reached into his pocket to pull out a golden key. "I moved down the hallway after your mother passed away- I just couldn't bear to sleep in here anymore. Klein is actually the only other person besides me that has a key to this room."
"What's in there now?" she asked him.
"See for yourself," Sato said as he turned the key in the lock. With the seal undone, he pushed open the doors to let Asami inside.
Wondering why he was being so secretive, Asami stepped in past him and suddenly she understood. Inside were pictures all over the walls, some vases, writings, even a small shrine where incense could be offered. The one thing that they all had in common- Yasuko Sato. The pictures- even one of the paintings- were in her images, the writings were some of her favorite sayings, the vases had been used by her to hold her favorite flowers- the fire lilies- and the shrine had her name inscribed in gold in the middle of it.
"Everything in here has a piece of your mother in it," Hiroshi said as he stepped in behind her. "This is where I come whenever I can't face the world without her."
Asami had new tears running down her face as she stroked one of the delicate red flowers that her mother had loved so much. She remembered Klein helping her to make a crown out of them for her mother on her birthday, and the joy that had lit up Yasuko's face when her daughter had presented her with the gift.
Sato's voice became a little huskier as he pressed on to say, "I know… that she's always with us… wherever we go. But… sometimes… it helps…" He stopped, unable to continue, tears running down his face anew.
"I miss her, Daddy," Asami said as she sank to her knees. "I miss her so much…" The sobbing started again, the tears that she had never got to shed alongside her father, the sound of a hurting soul that cries out in its isolation.
"I know, Sweetie," Sato said as he knelt beside his daughter and embraced her. "I miss her too." He knew how stupid it sounded, but it was all he could say.
That was okay, though. Asami didn't need flowery speeches about how everything would turn out okay, or promises that the pain would eventually go away. She just needed her daddy.
This is all I need… she thought as she returned the hug. Though the tears were not joyous this time, they were still shed with her father- the one thing she had wanted since she was a little girl. At long last, the isolation was over.
Things took a very different direction in her life than she had expected after that. Before the next day, the day when she was supposed to return to Ba Sing Se for her new job, her father made a very interesting proposition.
"I won't stop you from going back to the Earth Kingdom if that is your heart's desire," he told her that evening while they were staring at a pai sho board, mid-game. "Though I would be sorely remiss to see us part ways so soon."
"What did you have in mind?" she had asked.
"I want you to stay so that we can finally be a family like I should have done all those years ago," he said bluntly. "I also know that you wish to pursue a career in the business world as well. So if you decide to stay, I will arrange for several of my shares in Sato Industries to be transferred to your name."
The full implications of his offer took a few seconds for her to process. "You want me to be a shareholder?" she gasped. "As in…?" A large smile broke out on her face.
"I'll have you as one of my branch managers, starting immediately," he had grinned, pleased at her reaction. "Before you ask, no, I'm not removing someone else to put you in a higher position. I really do need someone to fill the position of overseer in the moped's factory line."
"You're serious?" she asked, still somewhat in disbelief. "What about the other people on the board? Won't they object?"
"Perhaps, but your school records do you credit, not to mention the fact that you've already been offered another position very similar to what I'm offering," he quickly countered. "I shouldn't think that there will be too much fuss over the matter."
"Dad, I…" she was overcome, words failing her.
"I know you want your own life, Asami," Hiroshi said after a moment. "I don't hold that against you, at all. I just don't want to see us grow apart again. I'm afraid that if you go to Ba Sing Se, that's exactly what will happen, and this moment of clarity between us will only be that- a single moment."
She looked up at him again to see that he was truly in earnest. "You sure you can trust your shares to a rookie like me?" she grinned lightly, her heart lifting further.
"Your last name is Sato, Asami," he chuckled happily. "It's in your blood. Your drive to succeed was matched only by your mother's. Oh, the ideas she had…" He paused as he remembered the conversations he used to have with his wife, but for the first time in a long time, he was able to recall those times with more fondness than despair.
Looking at his daughter, he said, "You'll go far, no matter what path you choose, Sweetie. But it would make your old man very happy indeed if our paths could run alongside one another instead of in opposite directions."
"Okay, now you're just laying it on a little too thick," she teased him. "You're not that old, Dad."
"Can you blame a man for trying?" he laughed.
"Any other reasons you want to keep me around?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
He pretended to think for a moment before he said, "Well, I think I'd like it better if I could keep an eye on any potential suitors for my little girl…"
"Why, do you have someone in mind?"
"Heavens no!" he exclaimed. "You'll be making that decision all on your own- spirits know I'd end up on the short end of that stick if I made a bad choice!"
"Hey, you chose Mom," Asami grinned. It still hurt to talk about her mother- and in a way, she knew it always would- but it was more bearable than before. "Based on that, I think you have a pretty good judge of character."
"Hah," the man chortled. "Maybe you're right… Still, I'm not taking any chances! Your career and your heart, Asami… they are yours to follow, wherever they lead you."
"Well," she said, straightening in her seat. "In that case, I think I'd better tell Klein to get ready."
"For what?" Hiroshi asked, puzzled.
"For a lot of luggage," she grinned, her green eyes twinkling. "I have a lot of clothes that I'll be bringing from Ba Sing Se. Oh, and can I use the phone real quick? I need to call my new boss and tell him that I've found a better employment opportunity."
Hiroshi Sato had never been happier to summon Klein in his entire life.
Asami Sato had leaned back in her chair as she eyed the pai sho table, thinking to herself, Just watch, Mom. I'll make both you and Dad proud.
That autumn, Asami was speeding over to a staff meeting with her human resource and production managers when she had what some might call a fateful collision with a certain tall, dark, and handsome firebender named Mako.
Special Thanks go to:
Northern Warrior
N-Sight
Kidkaboom1
Mataras: So I assume many of you are at a point where you're beginning to ask, 'What happened to Korra and Gyatso?'
Roku: Now that you bring it up...
Aang: Don't worry, Mataras has it in hand. They're going to be making their return next chapter, where- halfway through the year- we will be finishing the first episode of the show.
Kuruk: Will there be fighting?
Mataras: What does this look like, Dragon Ball Z?! I'm trying to put out some high-quality work here!
Yang-Chen: That must take up a lot of time.
Mataras: Yeah-huh. Pretty much the main reason I set up that donation page on that website I mentioned in the author's note.
Aang: Wait a minute... don't you have a show you're supposed to be getting on?
Mataras: Oh yeah! The livestream that I first did three weeks ago has become a weekly thing, so I'm going live every Friday afternoon at 7 p.m. Mountain Time. Tune in to find out more about rewards for donations- including but not limited to early access to chapters before they're released here- and weekly topical discussions- something that you guys can be a part of in real-time! Just go to the link on my profile page to get to my YouTube channel. Hope to see you there!
Roku: Next time on the Legacy of Korra- Enter Republic City.