Awhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh
"That sounds like Naga!"
Tenzin quickly shifted the reins over Iggy, steering the flying bison in the howl's direction. Asami grabbed hold of the saddles side, trying to steady herself from toppling over into Bolin.
"Down there!" Mako said anxiously, pointing toward the outline of a white polar bear dog. Asami looked at him for a moment, wondering where the determination in his face had come from. Yes, he had been acting strange for some time- but she refused to believe he was choosing Korra over here. They were together. If he liked Korra, he would at least have the decency to inform her, right?
Iggy landed with a loud thump onto the ground. Tenzin quickly jumped off, the rest of the group followed.
"Korra" Tenzin shouted, making his way toward the polar bear dog.
Korra lay unconscious on her back, scrapes and fresh cuts along various parts of her body. Her hair was matted, mixings of twigs and mud tangling it over her face.
"Korra!" Tenzin shouted again, moving closer to her.
Korra's eyes slowly opened as she picked her self up midway, giving a weak smile as she peered over at them.
"Oh, thank goodness" Tenzin remarked with a relieving sigh.
"Where's Tarrlok? How did you get away?" Lin shot off, stepping in line with Tenzin.
"Give her some space!" Mako yelled, parting the two with a shove.
Asami watched as he cupped her into his arms, whispering while he carried her to Iggy.
Mako sat at Korra's beside, grabbing her hand as she slept. Asami stood within the doorway for a moment, eyeing the steaming hot soup in her arms before deciding to turn around and walk back toward the kitchen. Mako seems to want to take care of her. Let him bring her soup. She signed, stopping mid stride within the stairwell that lead back upstairs. No she thought to herself, shaking her head slightly with internal protest. It's not Korra's fault that Mako is being horrible to me. Asami began to slowly turn around, the soup gushing slightly over the bowls rim. Right. She smiled slightly, as her heart began to pound against her ribcage with slight anxiety. Korra is my friend. Asami started down the now dimly lit corridor again, towards Korra.
She arrived again at the shoji doors, which were now closed. She cleared her throat lightly before sliding open one door with her right hand, soup still held firmly in her left. There was a slight rustle from the room within as Asami parted its shield. She stared into the room half heartedly, only to see Mako and Korra arms length apart in distance on the bed.
"Asami!" Mako said, voice ringing with a little too much surprise. He sat up straight, quickly distancing himself from Korra.
Asami looked down for a moment, wondering what to make of the situation.
"I think…you should believe in Mako" Her voice choked her for a moment as Bolin's words came rushing back into her mind. Yes, he's right. I should trust my boyfriend and best friend. Asami looked up at both of them, smiling widely as she gestured toward the soup in her hand.
"That soup was delicious, Asami. You've got to give Pema my sincerest thanks when you go upstairs again!" Korra said sleepily.
She was lying on the bed flat, the empty soup bowl back into Asami's hands-who was sitting upright facing Korra.
Asami watched her as she drifted in and out of sleep, clearly bruised very badly in patches along her body. It's in bad taste, but this may be my chance…
"Korra?" Asami said gently, not wanting to startle her out of the blissful state she was in.
"Y-yeah, Asami?" she replied, a little caught off guard.
"Mako" she began, looking down and tracing a pattern in Korra's quilt with her finger.
"Is he…going to be around anytime soon?"
"No, of course not" Korra replied, a little too quickly for comfort.
Asami cut her eyes at her, before realizing herself and softening back up. Korra, who seemingly noticed this through her drowsiness, continued where she left off.
"I mean, he's a guy. Guy's are on the other side of the island, right? Well, except for Bolin-but he's an extreme case" she grinned a bit while slowly easing herself up to a sitting position. Now facing Asami at eye level, she beamed at her.
"He's only been around because he's been worried about me" she said before putting her head down to hide her eyes away from sight.
Oh?
"Mako's great like that, isn't he?" Asami said quickly, feeling her face getting warm.
"I mean its swell you too are such great friends, isn't it?"
"Asami-" Korra said softly, raising a hand and then dropping it halfway.
"D-don't. Don't cry, Asami. He's not worth it" Korra said softly, unsure of what to do.
He's not worth it? How would she know his worth?
Asami leaned away from Korra on the bed, now crossing her arms and throwing one long leg over the other-as if closing off her entire body to what the battered waterbending girl was saying to her.
"Korra" Asami said firmly, voice stark now with what she believed to be anger.
"What have you and Mako been up to?"
"Asami!"
"Korra" Asami repeated, this time so roughly Korra shrank back behind her.
It was silent for a long time. Upstairs footsteps could be heard. Probably Pema and the kids preparing tonight's dinner, Asami thought to herself. She looked around the room, waiting for Avatar Korra's answer. Just as she had resorted to counting the floorboards from the entrance to where the bed they were seated on lie, Korra made her move. Asami looked straight ahead, listening as the weight behind her shifted to meet the wall behind with a small hollow Thud. Asami slowly spun around to sit across from Korra, who was now facing her head on. She watched with dread as Korra's face tensed up, defining any lines and wrinkles she had on her youthful face. Korra closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, steadying herself before opening her eyes again. Asami wanted to remark that if she applied herself that hard with the same concentration she uses for the Avatar state, she'd have mastered it already. No, that's a bit too harsh. Not to mention highly inappropriate. Asami diverted her full attention to Korra, who was now glistening lightly around the edges of her forehead.
"Asami" she said breathlessly, her voice shaky. Asami looked down, focusing in on the quilt beneath them. She would look up when she told her the truth, for now this was an excuse to not look her in the eyes.
"I-er-I mean we…uh…ummm" Asami looked up, her curiosity getting the best of her. Korra's entire face was beat the deepest shade of red she'd ever seen it, even when laughing. The sweat from her forehead has glued all the stray hairs to her face, making them seem unnatural in some odd way she could not properly put her finger on. Asami placed a hand at her side on the bed, then looking back up at Korra incredulously when she felt vibrations circulating through it. If she's shaking this much…at this rate she may pass out from her own exhaustion. Asami sighed, not really wanting to let this go. But-
"Korra?" Asami said, not pausing to wait for an answer.
"We can talk about this later, when you're in better shape" she said, before getting up and quickly walking toward the door. With one hand on the screen, she stopped in the doorway. A moment later she grasped the screens ledge hard, deciding to not look back and walked out of the room-leaving the darkness from the hallway to overtake the helpless Avatar.
Asami opened her eyes to the sound of a ship passing the island. Its loud horns signaling those surrounding of its arrival. She sat up, peering out over the window and toward the steamy lights of Republic City. Nighttime. Asami rolled over the side of her cot, shivering slightly when her bare feet hit the cold floor. She strode over to the window, the source of the now cold air within her room. Closing it, she looked down at her damp feet. It must have been raining. Asami went back over to her bed, sitting down slowly on its edge. She stared down at her damp feet, running them over each other with the slickness of the water. She sighed deeply. Korra had picked this room for her when she first arrived to the island. It was the very last room on the first floor, a few feet from the stairwell. The airbending kids as well as Tenzin and Pema had rooms right near hers, while Bolin and Korra roomed two floors down. It has always perplexed her at why her room was so far away from theirs. At first, she thought maybe it was because Korra just didn't like her. Although now when she thinks about it, it was one of the nicest rooms aside from the family's. Yes, it was still small and er- 'quaint', but it had a lot of character. Asami had even taken to sneaking off one day to go to her mansion. There wasn't much left amenities wise, as much had been sold off to lenders and bill collectors after her father had sullied their family name-thus draining their income along with it. She'd managed to collect a few choice books from the library, something to read when everyone was busy on their adventures or "missions" as they'd like to so lovingly refer to them as. Her hands glided along the edges of her makeshift book case, dropping a finger down to caress the textures of its inhabitants many spines. Asami plucked one up and brushed a hand over it's worn cover, reading it's text through watery eyes
Hiroshi Sato: How I made my first million
Asami felt herself stifle a sigh as she opened the book, her chest suddenly all too heavy for her body.
Chapter 1: The Mechanics of a Million
Growing up my parents left me nothing to inherit. I was a 'Street Rat', walking aimlessly in life. Until one day, I had a dream-No-a vision of an empire. And at my side, my lovely wife and daughter would rule it with me. Until tragedy struck when-
Asami slammed the book closed, not wanting to read any further. It was suddenly all too cold in her room. She felt a shiver run up her spine, goose bumps forming along the flawless skin of her arms. She closed her eyes and reached for the first three books that fit into her hand. Asami marched over to her bed, plopping down on its edge and smoothing her bottom across it until she reached its middle. She opened her eyes, curious of what her blind grab produced.
Bending techniques anyone could master by Sifu Kwan Ha Na
How to train your Platypus Bear in 29 days by Earth King Kuei
What happened to FireLord Zuko's mother- Avatar Aang's recount by Transcribers of The Order of the White Lotus (With special prologue from Princess Azula)
Hmmm, Korra might like this Asami thought as she plucked up the book to examine it closer. She flicked through its pages, witnessing a myriad of colors flash before her eyes. The book stopped on a page one of her fingernails had caught. It was an illustration of an ancient waterbending form with text written to its adjacent side.
Bending form official name: The Octopus
Skill level: Intermediate ranging to advanced control
Synopsis: The bender steadies their respective rate of breathing in order to become in synch with the surrounding waters. When ready, one simply raises the water around them to enclose oneself into a circle, creating 8 'tentacles' for defenses against enemies.
Special restrictions: Traps the bender, making a speedy change of location quite difficult.
Benefits: Successfully exercised, can target and eliminate a group of unforeseen enemies.
Also can be utilized by turning tentacles into icy peaks- further rendering the enemy threat impotent.
Asami smiled as she closed the book, ready to rise from her bed.
"This will definitely help Korra out. Especially when those Equalist try to jump her again"
She slipped into her zori and headed for the door. Asami took one last glance at the damp room before entering the hallway, wondering if Korra was still awake at this late hour.
Note: Sorry for the late update, I'm a terrible person I know. Anyways this chapter along with the next one will be told in Asami's perspective. We get to take a look at her life at the temple. She's a bit of a loner, and Bolin is one of her best friends...