Korra's never slept so well on the Island. Most the actual sleep she's gotten in the past few weeks was from the blood loss, without that she's certain she's only gotten a few hours a night since she left the North Pole. She attempted to eat some dinners at Pema's insiststance but she almost fell asleep in the rice, causing the nonbender to lead her back to her old room, still exactly as she left it, and told her to sleep.
Groaning, she rolls over and slowly opens her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the low light filling her room. She pushes herself up, looking around the room as her mind slowly starts to catch up, she looks to the window, the city's lights are on, but the sun is behind the island, it has to be evening. She quickly leaves the room, looking for Tenzin, Pema or one of the kids.
She doesn't have to look far as Ikki runs into her, "You're up!"
"Yeah." Korra can't seem to think of anything else to say as Ikki runs to hug her.
"Mom and dad said not to wake you, but it's almost been a day."
"Sorry about that," Korra tells the girl, "I've kinda been traveling for most of the last 3 weeks, so I was exhausted."
Ikki nods, "It's after dinner, but I think mom saved you some."
Korra frowns, "What time is it?"
"Almost 6 I think," Ikki tells her.
Korra bites her lip, an idea forming, "Can you tell your parents I'm going to the city? I'll be back later."
"Okay," the girl nods, allowing Korra to pass, "Can we do an air scooter race?"
"How about we and your brother and sister do one tomorrow before I talk to your dad, kay?"
"I'm gonna kick your guy's butt, Avatar."
"I'm sure you will, but I've got to go now." Korra want to get there before it starts.
•••••
The Probending arena is packed as she walks up to the ticket booth, "I need to talk to Toza," she tells the man.
"He's a little busy right now."
"Please, tell him Korra wants to talk to him."
"I'm sorry Ma'am, please come back tomorrow."
She rolls her eyes but nods, she debates buying a ticket, instead a new plan forming in her mind.
She walks away, sitting on the side steps for the athletes, getting comfortable as she waits for the matches to be over.
Only half an hour or so later, she hears the door opens she looks up, just the person she was waiting for. She pushes herself to her feet, "Bolin!" She calls, unable to fight the grin that pulls on her lips at seeing her friend.
"Korra?" He grins, running down the steps, "When did you get back?"
"Yesterday evening," Korra explains, "I left the North Pole a couple, three weeks ago."
"Long trip back here?"
"Long trip, this is looking like it's not going to be the last stop. But I need to explain to Tenzin and you guys my plan, see if you want in."
"Whatever it is, I'm in, and I'm actually about to go have dinner with Asami and Mako, if you want to come?"
She pauses, remembering her last conversation with Asami, but then nods, "Sure. Sounds nice."
"Great, let's go." He grins, grabbing her hand and leading her away.
•••••
"So, wait," Mako leans closer, cutting all the others in the restaurant off, only the four of them, "You want to open the Spirit Portals, which have been closed for who knows how long."
"From what Koh says, it's a great balancing, it could undo what Amon did and…" she bites her lip, "I think maybe undo what Sozin did."
"Airbenders." Asami breathes.
"Have you told Tenzin?" Bolin asks.
"No, I don't want to get his hopes up, this could be the rebirth of his entire culture, but if it's not…" she sighs.
"And you trust this spirit?"
"He has no reason to lie, and it lines up with the little I know from various spirits and it just seems… I don't know, something in me knows it's right."
Mako closes his eyes then nods, "Then let's do it, worst thing that happens is it doesn't work, right?"
"Right," she nods, "The solstice is in ten days, Harmonic Convergence a few weeks after that."
"What about the Glacier Spirits Festival."
"Lots more people will be down there then usual." Asami reminds quietly
"The festival means nothing, except for how we get there, it should be a couple days there from Harbor City, I'll stay to make sure no one enters the Spirit World, there'll be boats back, so if you want, you guys can leave after the festival, I'll come back after Harmonic Convergence," she sighs, hopefully longer than a few days."
"I'll stay down with you," Bolin responds immediately.
"Me and Asami can't."
"There's a state meeting the week after, I can't miss it."
"Sounds good, Chancellor," Korra teases softly.
"And my job is protecting Asami, where she goes, I go."
"Honestly everyone's just paranoid, I don't need anyone to protect me."
Korra's certain this is an old argument as Mako just rolls his eyes, "I know, Sweetie," he leans over and kisses Asami, Korra ignores the dark feeling in her gut, and instead nods.
"Perfect, we have a plan," Korra runs her hand through her hair, "Here's hoping it doesn't fall through," she lets out a heavy sigh, "Look, I have to get back to the island, I'll talk to you tomorrow after I talk to Tenzin." She pushes yourself up.
"I'll go with you." Bolin offers jumping to his feet before catching up with her, "See you at home, bro." He waves over his shoulder.
•••••
"You didn't have to come, Bolin, it's a quick walk back, I'll be fine."
"Mako and Asami are more mushy than you and her ever were, honestly you just gave me the perfect excuse to avoid some of that." He laughs, scratching the back of his neck, "So, the North Pole was useless?"
"Learned a few things, some could be useful, especially after I get my bending back, but overall, a whole lot of meditation and cold until the last week or so." She shrugs, "I learned more from leaving, learned more between Kyoshi Island and here, three weeks, then the 15 months earlier."
"Yikes," he laughs.
"I know, right," she snickers, then sighs, "My father was right, I shouldn't have trusted my uncle." She frowns before shaking her head, "So what's been going on in Republic City since I left?"
"Well, I'm still probending, there's this little orphanage down the street from me and Mako's new place that I help out in whenever I can, I don't want any of those kids to slip through the cracks like Mako and me. Mako, he started at the police station, but after the attack on the capitol building, well he got put on the protection squad, more specifically Asami, and well that happened."
"She never told me, how did she end up as one of the chancellors? From what I remember she didn't want the position."
"Write in, probably the most controversial but she gets stuff done, better than our esteemed president Raiko."
Korra nods, "I should have been there helping," she runs her hand through her hair, "Raava, I'm the worst Avatar in the history of Avatars, and after all that, after leaving when I should have stayed, I have nothing to show but maybes and potentially."
"Oh, come on, Korra, you're the Avatar. You're amazing, if anyone could do it, it'd be you."
"You sound much more sure than Kuvira does." Korra laughs before her face falls into a frown again.
"What's wrong?" Bolin mirrors her expression as they step on the docks, not far from the ferry now.
"Just…" I don't know about this great war that's coming, "I can't help but think she's right. There's no way this will go as smoothly as I'm hoping. And if she's right about that," she sighs, "I just hope I'm not making too many mistakes."
"No way," Bolin shakes his head, "You've got this, Korra. I'm behind you one hundred percent."
"I hope I deserve that faith," Korra frowns before walking towards the ferry boat, "Night Bolin."
"Night, Korra." He waves with a smile.
•••••
Honestly you do not want to know how many times I rewrote this chapter, how many scenes I cut and added or how close I was to just putting this fic on hiatus for at least a while, but here it is. Not my favorite chapter I've written but satisfactory. And now, I'm going to do something I normally hate doing, I'm going to beg for your guy's feedback, reviews, PMs, favs, follows, anything to let me know what you guy's think about what I've written so far for this book or what you think I should do as I continue. Thank you in advance.
I swear there's more plot heavy action coming in the next chapter or so.
