"Korra, please. Come back."
"What was that out there?" Asami chooses the easier conversation.
"Mako had challenged me to a spar."
"And you deemed it appropriate to beat him in such a way?"
"He had a lesson to learn."
"What lesson would that be?"
"To never underestimate me." Somehow Asami felt that was directed towards her also. The room fell quiet once more.
"Korra, what's this about?"
Korra doesn't answer. Instead she clenches her jaw and balls her fist. She can still feel her frustrations play around in her chest, lungs; her stomach. It's not entirely because she doesn't want to speak, though it does have its share, but mostly it's because she can't bring to mind the kind of words she wants to use.
"Korra." Asami's voice takes a tone that demands explanation.
"Why am I here?" her voice sounds strangled.
"The same reason all the others are here. I chose you. No one is underestimating you, Korra," sincerity whining from the back of her throat, "in fact; I have a job for you."
"You've said this. It's not enough. Why?" she's breaking.
Now, its Asami's turn to be silent. She doesn't want to say she doesn't know why. She doesn't want to say she bought and claimed her so no one else could have her. It was all impulse with Korra. Something she hadn't had the opportunity of doing since her mother died all those years ago. She doesn't want to admit her weakness for the woman. This situation is too delicate and has much more depth than one would prefer. She feels her throat dry up and her eyes burn.
"I need you to train them."
"Is that all?"
"Damn it Korra," she says more to herself than to Korra, "of course there are other reasons but they don't matter right now. There's a psychotic tyrant out there and I have a business, school, and villa to run. There are people protected under my name. So yes, I think your beauty competes with any empress, and yes I would like to do anything within and possibly beyond my capabilities to redo last night but now. Is not. The time."
"Fine." Korra walks out of the room. Asami wasn't facing her to see it but Korra's clear cobalt eyes are now surrounded in red and flooding with her frustrations.
It's time to go then. She thought walking through the corridor brushing past the houses overnight visitor. Ignores whatever gratitude he tries to pay her and heads for the villa's gates. As she walks past the stables she can hear the polar bears whines. Saying goodbye is something she's done too many times to even feel like it's worth the bother. She takes the path she took that morning which lead to a secluded garden of sorts and opens into a meadow of fire lilies. She dares not cry. In such times of disorder, who knows what lowlife she may cross paths with? She'd make her passage to the spirit world before she shows vulnerability.
It's the time of day where the sun is most confident and generous in its light, but its warmth is stifled by the seasonal changes. The breeze, however so soothing, tickles the back of her neck, raising her hairs and senses. There are no footsteps yet she senses movement. She looks around sees no face but feels sets of eyes pierce her back.
"Alright show yourself, I have no patience for games on this day."
"Korra." It comes from behind. She turns and sees the meadow crowded with these people with glowing blue eyes.
My dream. She thought.
"We've been watching you, Korra." A bald man with blue arrows on his head and hands steps forward. Korra responds with a step back.
"We're here to guide you."He says.
"What is this?"
"It's been a long time Korra; it's time to wake up."
"You're damn right."
"No Korra," He laughs, "that dream was sent by us."
"Yeah, well who's the sadist?" She says, visibly calming down.
"That's probably Kyoshi's fault. She believes fear is the great motivator. Though it appears we've underestimated how stubborn you are."
"Wait a minute. Kyoshi? That means you're … you're Aang," He smiles, indicating she is correct, "and if all of you… I'm really the Avatar." Aang nods.
"Where were you guys my whole life? I've been running for years because I couldn't do anything, and now I know…" She brings an arm up to cover most of her face as she's overwhelmed with everything she's been through. Now she knows she was supposed to do something. To know she could've stopped other peoples pain. Even with the law banning bending she would have rather ran knowing she'd done right by those people she'd left behind. Aang comes over and raps part of his auburn shawl around Korra's shoulders. It's weird, even though he's in spirit form Korra still feels the comfort of the cloth.
"There were things you needed first. You were very young when we first met I don't expect you to remember," He turns her to face him completely, "Korra, we can only hope you make the best decisions and you've been very selfish so far."
"What I'm supposed to do when I feel so helpless? The least I could do is look after myself."
"Ah, but that little girl from so long ago wouldn't say that," Korra looks at him questionably, "she'd say it's my job to deal with it. You were so proud and confident back then, and we believe you still are, all you need is the right motivation." He turns her head back toward the Sato house.
"She doesn't need me." She turns and begins to continue on her path.
"Oh? And why do say that? Korra you're not only the Avatar to stop bad things from happening but also to make good things happen. Don't forget what this cruel world taught you but don't let it take over your destiny." She stops not knowing what's next. She has this perpetual feeling that she's going to regret her decision either way. Now the question is which decision would she prefer least to regret, that will be her answer. Aang goes on:
"Now that you know and feel you can do something, where are you going to go?" Korra turns to face him but when she's does, he's gone and so are the rest of her past lives. No matter how confused Korra feels about what just happened, she still feels enlightened. She takes her first step back to the villa in confidence that she has a use. There is nothing in this world that feels more rewarding than having a purpose in the world and finding it.
She's reached the peak of the hills that over sees the villa and looking down on it as she does right now makes her feel like she's meant to be there. She makes her way down the hill and nowhere near the bottom, the ground begins to shake. Suddenly the Earth cracked open into red veins that ooze out a smoking red liquid.
"No…" It doesn't take long for her to gain full speed. By the time she reaches the bottom she can hear the full spectrum of torture on the inside of those gates. Servants screaming, and pleading, men giving their most powerful roar into battle, she's not getting there fast enough. When she reaches the gates they've already half burned down.
Great I still don't know how to bend, Aang!
She looks around for … for a… crowbar! She sprints over to the wagon workshop and barrows a crowbar. Just before she takes her first strike a big white fur ball with grey soot spots, bursts through the door and flames and pounces on top of Korra, snarling.
"I know I left, I'm sorry, but I'm back now let me up." The beast doesn't move.
"Naga..?" The polar bear dog accepts and allows Korra onto her back.
"Take me to the battle." Without hesitation the creature jumps back through the flames and heads toward the court yard. The better portion of the villa is melted into the ground as well as some of the inhabitants. The servants who have survived this far are on roof of the main house, the gladiators however are surrounded by a moat of lava gradually losing its circumference. A man not too far from them is moving in time with the lava.
"Naga, there!" Naga's power and speed increases to the point Korra can barely hold on. The beast uses its hindquarters to swat the man into the wall, knocking him out… for now. Korra dismounts from Naga and places a fallen beam to let men cross. They looked at her with a reluctant expression.
"You all have to leave the villa. Take whoever you can, leave no one behind. The people who are doing this will not leave until everyone here is dead."
That got them moving.
While they begin letting the servants down Korra takes a look into the infirmary, on the other side of the gladiator living quarters. The fires haven't reached it yet, but they will. There should only be one person in there, but when she turns the corner, it's empty. As soon as she steps through the thresh hold she's attacked from behind. Whoever it was felt off balance to her, making it easy for Korra to redirect them onto an open cot.
"Well you're making a speedy recovery." The man says nothing. He just stares at her with one half swollen eye. The ceiling begins to crack and split.
"We need to go." Still no response.
"If I need to crack you another one on the head I will but you are getting out of here alive." The boards above begin to whine, giving the two below the last warning.
"Get me up then." He says holding out his arm. They manage to get out without event.
"I'm taking you to Naga; she'll take you out of here."
"Who's Naga?"
"The—polar bear dog."
"There's no way I'm getting on tha—hold on did you name it?"
"Her and yes, and if you expect to get out of here alive, she's the way."
Once the reach Naga everyone's gathered in the courtyard ready to leave. Korra helps Mako onto Naga.
"Wait, where's Domina?" Mako's face though in obvious pain has an additional expression of terror.
"I'll get her."
"No! I—ah ahh"
"There's your answer, I said I've got it."
"It is my duty as a gladiator."
"Interesting, the last time I checked gladiators never attack from behind," Korra narrows her eyes and pats Naga to let her know to move on, "I have to get her, now go!"
The main house is mostly stone so the fire is having trouble spreading. That also means the building is still stable. So that loud crash in the guest room wasn't from a beam falling. Korra's insides felt like they were on fire the instant she heard that sound. In comparison the run down the hill was much shorter than the run to the guest room. She can already feel her mind clouding with adrenaline.
She gets to the door but it won't budge.
"Asami!" The sound of a vase breaking responded. Korra kicks down the door. She took the whole picture in at once. The room had been vandalized and littered with broken furniture. Their overnight visitor lays off to the side of the room, motionless. A rather short, bald man standing in the middle of the room with his arms extended to the limp being hanging from the front of the bed. That limp body wrapped in torn garnish being lifted up into the air with a ball of hair sucking the life out of her.
"Asami." The room begins to fade into a fuzzy white light. She feels her power seeping from her hands. Her body's moving on its own, unaware of what's happening around her. She has no control over her emotions any more. She feels every sort of pain she's felt so fare and then some. All of her past lives are here watching, and just like them, Korra's just along for the ride.
"Korra, you can stop." A sweet voice breaks through the light. She feels arms wrapped around her neck.
"Korra, please. Come back."
Avatar state or nah?I took too long with this... on the plus side things are picking up again. Next time there will definitely be more Avatar and bending talk because that's an issue. I screwed up with the last chapter I know. I should have waited till I had rest.