Chapter Twelve: Unknown


Opal scratches her eyebrow as she sits outside of Lin's office with Bolin. Things couldn't be more awkward between them, and they both don't want to be the ones to break the news that Azula had to go back to the Fire Nation. Bolin is with Eska picking out various decorations for their wedding. It is coming soon in the North Pole, and Opal wonders if she will be able to stomach going to it.

Opal would call the vanishing of everyone waiting with her unexpected if it weren't for Kya's grand reveal a few hours ago.

Finally, Kya walks out of Lin's office. Her cheeks are ruddy and her jaw clenched. Opal's stomach twists.

"Lin quit," Kya says as she looks at Opal and Bolin.

Opal then frowns. "It's just us then, if you…" want to keep fighting for this.

"We still have…" Kya sighs and sits down. "That old viper-bat quit too, didn't she? We've got Bolin."

She smiles at him and he nods. It is not a very enthusiastic one, but he agrees nonetheless.

"Then I guess we'll have to catch the world's most infamous serial killer in three weeks without police or royal resources. Just a washed up old waterbender, a bright go-getter like yourself, a fire-ferret, a polar bear dog and whatever Bolin is."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound super easy." Opal toys with her hair and presses her lips together in thought. "Do you think Naga picks up scents? We could, uh, hand her the case files and ask her to sniff out the answers."

Opal laughs. Kya doesn't.

Instead, her eyes widen. "Damn. That perfume."

"What perfume?" Opal then realizes how stupid that was. She hasn't been able to get it out of her nostrils since she first started examining that haunted house.

"It was discontinued decades ago. Did they already think of that?"

Opal shakes her head. "I don't think it crossed my mind. Maybe Aunt Lin checked. I don't know how we can find someone through perfume, though."

"We're going to go solve a crime, Opal."

Opal smiles and says, "I am confused. But excited! Let's do whatever you're planning on doing!"

[X]

Korra wakes up in the Spirit World. She gazes at the sky that is so different from the one she knows. She looks to her side and sees Asami sleeping a few feet away. Yumi shivers and Korra gets up to check on her.

"You okay, kid?" Korra inquires and Yumi nods. "You don't look okay."

"I don't feel good," Yumi slurs, shivering yet again.

"We have to get you out of here and to some help," Korra says. Her heart races when she thinks about Yumi potentially getting hurt. Yumi feels like a child to her now…

And Yumi is her only real connection to Asami anymore.

"Hey, Asami. Yumi's sick," Korra says and Asami stirs before sitting up and standing up.

"She looks sick," Asami agrees. She rubs her lips together. "We need to find her a doctor. Which means leaving the Spirit World."

Their task here cannot be interrupted. They have to find Kyoshi, and they have to find the first victim in order to get information. But when they think about it, they let emotions get in the way of the case. That was their worst fear, and now it is confirmed.

"We need to get to an exit point," Korra announces. She lifts Yumi into her arms and begins to walk.

Asami gazes after her briefly. She always wondered what it would be like to have a family with Korra, to have a life with her, but she doubts that that will ever happen.

It breaks her heart, and she has to hide that fact.

[X]

Mako cannot believe what he is doing. He's a cop; he doesn't steal. Zirah keeps saying that it's about saving lives, and he supposes that he understands that, but…

Well, he still feels like he wants to put a stop to this whole operation.

They have the painting off of the wall and halfway towards the door when Wu drops it. Mako groans and hopes no one heard. Wu does not even apologize before the three thieves lift it again and finally make it out of the museum.

"You said you had people waiting for you outside of the city?" Wu asks Zirah and she nods in response. "That's good. Hey! I can take you the back ways!"

And so they stumble and fumble through alleyways. They take a deserted path out of the city and find two soldiers waiting. Zirah sighs from relief.

A voice comes from behind the men. "Stealing priceless art from a museum isn't the best thing to do, Zirah."

It's her brother.

It's her brother!

She is so busted.

"I agree would could have been more discreet," Mako says, adjusting his grip on the painting, "but this work of art can stop a serial killer."

"I also agree you could have been more discreet; you were spotted by four different people. I don't know if I can help you," Iroh II says smoothly.

"I'm sorry; this is our first museum heist," Zirah snaps.

"Luckily for you, I called Chief Beifong. I'll help you."

[X]

Korra walks with Yumi and Asami through the Spirit World. They have reached somewhere eerie and Asami walks closer to the Avatar. Korra picks up on some bad vibes right before they hit a dead end.

"Ugh. We should go back." Korra sighs. Asami thinks on her feet.

"There's a tunnel right there. It's narrow but we should fit without much trouble," Asami says, pointing at the opening in the rock.

Korra smiles. "You're amazing."

"I know." Asami flips her hair and flashes a teasing smile at Korra.

Korra examines the entrance as the trio hold back from entering. She hands Yumi to Asami and then sucks in a deep breath. As Avatar, she is fairly certain she has to go first.

Once she walks inside, she is at first greeted by darkness. But then, light glimmers in front of her. Korra walks towards it and feels an odd, warm sensation engulfing her. She loses herself in it for a brief moment before she sees Asami… and a baby?

Then she hears her own voice, but she has not said a word.

"She started walking? When did that happen?" Other-Korra asks in disbelief.

"While you were gone," Asami says coldly. The hatred in her emerald eyes wounds Korra to the soul.

This cannot be real. This is not real. This is the Spirit World messing with her.

Korra squeezes her eyes shut and runs towards the light at the other side of the tunnel.

On the other side, she senses an exit back to the mortal world. She looks for it until Asami makes it out of the cave, looking as shaken as Korra was. The Avatar cannot help but wonder what Asami saw in here that made her so jittery. Was it similar to Korra, or does Asami not have the same fears? Does Asami not have the same feelings?

Korra sighs. "The exit is right here. I'll help you two through."

[X]

Korra walks with Asami and Yumi towards Ba Sing Se. Yumi looks worse every second, and they need to get her to a doctor. That consumes their minds up until the point they realize that they failed their mission.

"Asami, I have to go back," Korra bluntly says, and Asami cocks an eyebrow.

"Why? We made it out and need to get Yumi help," Asami warmly replies, and Korra feels like a monster. She feels cold and bitter and she hates those feelings.

"I'm… I'm the Avatar, and I can't fail my mission. I have to keep looking for answers, even though I want Yumi to be safe. I think you can protect her while I go searching," Korra says. Asami looks at her like she is insane. Korra maintains her stony expression in order to keep focused on her responsibilities instead of her feelings.

"At least help me get Yumi help. Then you can double back and go looking," Asami insists. Korra cannot argue with her idea, so she silently nods and follows two people she loves towards the train back to the city.

As they sit on it, Asami turns to Korra.

"You're always going to have this, aren't you?" Asami asks softly. Yumi naps in her arms, and she and Korra feel alone. Alone together, at least. Korra wonders if Asami feels lonely; Asami wonders the same thing. Unfortunately, they do not ask each other.

"Have what?" Korra asks. She honestly does not know what Asami means.

"You're the Avatar, and restoring balance is more important than anybody else. I feel like Yumi is a great test of what if. What if we tried harder? What if we stayed together? What if you chose me over being the Avatar like you did for a little while? But I guess we know now. You're the Avatar; I'm busy… you're never going to be around," Asami says. Korra feels rage surge through her veins.

"Aang had a family just fine," Korra argues and Asami shakes her head. "I…"

"Do you want to try harder? Do you want to get back together? Do you want to try choosing the people who love you over—"

"Over the people who need me to protect them."

"I know that. But tell me if you think we should try again."

Korra squirms. "I don't know." She punctuates her sentence with a sigh. "I don't know."

Asami frowns. "That means we shouldn't."

"Why not?" Korra loudly snaps. Everyone on the train stares at them.

"Because you should be saying that you want me back, that you want a family with Yumi, that you love me more than anything in the world like you used to say. You should tell me that when you leave you'll always come back and do the hard work of being a wife and a mom and a person who would shout out that she loved us and didn't say, 'I don't know,' like that," Asami rants without taking a breath. She takes time to breathe; Korra takes time to think.

"But I don't know. I don't know if I can have that life. I'm being honest."

"I'm being honest too," Asami whispers.

Their conversation ends when Yumi wakes up and starts babbling at her caretakers.

[X]

In Republic City, Opal watches Kya break the lock of the haunted house. They head inside and walk past the eerie refreshment table and organized evidence. Bolin stayed behind to do wedding preparations, and so it is just the two of them.

Kya begins to explain, "Did you ever think about the fact that the smell of this place was so strong? If the last person who used that perfume stopped living her over fifty years ago, there's no way it would stick, even if she sprayed the walls with it every day."

"Lin said they were covering up the smell of that body in the closet."

"I don't care why. I care what. They would have to have more than just an old bottle if they made the smell so strong and fresh again. Akai Tsuki perfume was discontinued shortly after the Hundred Year War ended. Now, on top of it being a special order and being that brand, it severely limits the options."

"So, you think they still have a bottle of it? What if it's an old one?"

"Then it's an old one. This is way better than nothing. If I'm right and they had to get more somehow, there could be something. I asked Bolin to look into where a person could buy it."

"Bolin? He… that poor boy. He's wonderful but he's…"

"He'll manage. He helped save the world a few times," Kya says as she starts walking up the stairs. "Okay, check the evidence tables and bags first, then the bathrooms, then the bedrooms."

They scour the rooms until Opal says, "Auntie Kya, I found something hidden. It fell back behind the wardrobe. It's weird because I remember Bolin moving it."

Kya takes a slow breath. "Yeah?"

Opal hands a picture to her. "It has Kung Song in it. That's not too surprising since the killer is obsessed with him but—"

"Opal, hush," Kya snaps and Opal jumps. She never thought Kya could sound like that.

"What is it? Do you know that lady?" Opal asks, stepping up on her toes.

Kya swallows and says, "Well, I guess I know why they framed Kun Song."

[X]

In Ba Sing Se, "Yumi is getting sicker, isn't she?" Asami nervously says. She paces back and forth, wringing her hands.

The doctor examines her as Korra and Asami watch. They both feel overwhelming fear at what is in front of them. When the doctor frowns and Yumi shivers again, Asami's hand creeps to Korra's and Korra takes it. Even if they cannot have each other romantically, Korra will always support Asami and vice versa.

The doctor looks up. "She is getting sicker, Miss Sato. You're right about that. There's nothing I can do. Her illness is consumptive and very few people survive without frequent blood transfusions and other methods of care."

"We'll do that!" Korra barks, surprised at her own vehemence.

"I can't do it here," the doctor says. "I would advise you to go find a Water Tribe healer. It will be safer and give you more time to save Yumi than finding someone who is open to experimental treatment. The Fire Nation has a few, as does Republic City, but it is a shady practice."

"Katara," Korra says, turning to Asami. "Let's go parka shopping, Miss Sato."

Asami forces herself to smile.

Maybe a change of pace in the South Pole is just what their relationship, whether friendship or romance, needs.

[X]

Meanwhile, Chief Lin Beifong paces in the lobby of an upscale hotel in Republic City. She is waiting for Princess Azula to meet her, because Lin cannot quit at anything, no matter how much she wants to give up.

Kya, however, has not forgiven her or answered a single call. Nor has anyone else who was aware that she called it quits a week ago.

Azula walks down the stairs like some kind of beautiful creature headed to a royal ball and not to examine a dead body with Lin.

"There was another murder," Lin says the minute she sees the princess. "It was him… or her who killed them, I hear." Pause. Lin looks Azula up and down. "Are you up for another trip to the morgue?"

"Always," Princess Azula says.