12: Unconditional

I don't own The Legend Of Korra

Many words ran through Jinoras' head, none of which she'd ever say in front of her parents.

It took her a moment to realise that the enemies' attack had stopped. A second later a circle of light shone down on their position, and Jinora raised her head.

Korra, eyes glowing white, the moon shinning at her back, supported by her own tornado, was holding up something large enough to cover the entire enemy camp.

At first Jinora thought the aforementioned "something" was made of earth, but then saw the white material exposed by the hole. Korra was threatening to crush those below her with a custom made iceberg.

"Surrender, now"! the Avatar yelled.

Jinora checked on her companions, finding Asami looking at Korra disbelievingly.

An amplified voice, Jinora assumed it belonged to the enemy commander, pierced the silence. "I'm prepared to discuss terms, but first you must"...

The circle of light started to shrink. Jinora realised with a jolt that Korra was dropping the iceberg. For several long, terrible seconds, voices of panicked surrender filled the air. The apparent commander tried to rally his forces, yelling and threatening in a progressively higher and higher voice, but to no avail.

The iceberg stopped in mid air.

"I won't ask again". Korra dead panned.

The enemy commander (wisely, Jinora thought) unconditionally surrendered.

#

The iceberg was moved to a nearby lake, and Korra descended to her three friends. She ran straight to Asami, kneeling at her side.

"How bad is it"?

"Never mind that, how are you here"?

Was it just the moonlight, or did Korras' face look rather pale.

"But you're alright"?

"I'll live, but..."

Korras' eyes softened with relief, her mouth shifting to a smirk that spoke of being very pleased with ones' self, and collapsed into her girlfriends' arms.

#

Later that night, Jinora, Bolin, Asami, and Korras' parents were again gathered around Korra in her hospital room. A tired looking doctor was looking at a clipboard...

"The important thing is she woke up the first time. I don't know when she'll regain consciousness, but her life isn't in danger".

Jinora remembered the worried looking Northern Water Tribe guards she'd seen on her way through the hospital. Asami had pointed out their expression...

"That's the I'm so fired look".

Given their bosses' face, Jinora thought I'm so dead was more appropriate.

#

When Korras' eyes crept open the next morning, she found Jinora checking on her.

"Hey, guess I'm not dead huh".

"Don't even joke about that after what you did last night".

The door opened, and Korras' eyes widened like she was looking at paradise itself.

"Hey".

"You nearly get yourself killed twice in as many days, the second of those you collapse at my feet, you worry us all sick, and the first thing you say to me is Hey".

"Uh, I love you; I really, really love you".

Asami quickly moved to the other side of the bed and kissed her girlfriend before pulling her into a hug.

"I should hope so after last night, or I'd accuse you of giving me mixed signals".

Jinora suddenly realised she was a third wheel and turned to leave...

...when Korras' parents walked in.

Asami pulled back to face the new arrivals, hers' and Korras' hands sliding into each others, their eyes weary.

"Mum, Dad".

For a moment both parents silently looked at their daughter with relief as they moved towards the foot of the bed. Then her father spoke.

"Jinora, could you give the four of us the room please"?

Jinora gave Korra and Asami the most reassuring smile she could on so little sleep, and left praying to every friendly spirit she knew.

#

Jinora walked slowly, wishing she had some control over the situation currently unfolding, when she spotted Bolin, who was reading something...

"Bolin, Korra's awake".

Bolin spun around, before grabbing a piece of paper. After a burst of writing, he looked up to Jinoras' worried face.

"What's wrong"?

"Korra and Asami are talking to Korras' parents right now".

Bolins' face dropped, before letting out a heavy sigh. "Well, we'll just have to hope it all works out".

Jinora looked for something to change the subject, "what are you writing"?

"I promised Zao Fu I'd keep them in the loop about Korra"

"Does General Iroh know about this, and what if they're intercepted"?

Bolin made a rather smug smile.

"First, of course, and second, code".

Jinoras' eyes widened at that, just how closely was Bolin working with Sue, not even her Father knew those codes.

"So, when's the wedding, I'll tell Ikki right away".

The aforementioned smile fell flat.

"Ha ha, I remember when you were this polite little girl, what happened to her".

"Kai" Jinora answered with a smirk.

Bolin smiled back "I better get this sent".

"Would you mind if I come along, we could get some food afterwards"?

Bolins' eyes brightened on the last word...

#

Jinora and Bolin where in the formers allotted quarters when there was a knock at the door, which turned out to be Korra and Asami.

Bolin couldn't contain himself, shooting to his feet.

"So what happened, what's going on".

Asami gave her girlfriend a tired smile, before Korra sighed.

"We're ok".

Silence filled the room, before Bolin broke, "and"?

"They're ok with us, but, there's some stuff that's come up I didn't know about, it's like the Aang compound thing all over again.

Asami took her girlfriends' hand in hers. "And you fixed things up after that, remember".

Korra gently squeezed, "I know, but this is a lot bigger, and it's going to get even bigger".

"Well it's a good thing you have me then isn't it".

Korra looked at her friends and took a deep breath.

"When my Dad became Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, no-one really thought about his successor, and of course it can't be me. But apparently allot of important people in the tribe wanted one of my kids to take over someday. My dad knew, but didn't say anything. He thought I'd eventually talk about having kids and he'd bring it up then. And then I go and say I'm in love with a woman and, well, that all goes out the window".

Jinora took a moment before replying. "But surely there are other solutions, others who could take over in time".

Asami took over. "You'd think so, but with the Civil War still fairly recent, and the conflicts with Kuvira (Bolin winced), a clear line of succession is seen as the only way to prevent a power struggle, which could make the North more likely to interfere in their politics, or even attack again".

"Maybe I'm bias, but I can't see Eska waging a war, it'd be..." Bolin started.

"To much effort" Korra finished with a small smile.

"Well, yeah".

Jinora raised her eyebrow, "and you dating Mako at the time wasn't a problem"?

Korra let out a terse laugh, "no, one point for modernism".

"You said you and your parents were ok" Bolin asked carefully.

"I told my Dad I wouldn't give up Asami to make the politics easier, and I reminded him I never promised him an heir".

Jinora looked worried, "how did he take that"?

"He said he understood, that this was his problem to solve, but that things might get very bumpy after me and Asami go public. But he told me" Korra paused, visibly steadying herself "that he should never have sent that letter, and that whatever happens, he loves me, and he was sorry he made me doubt it".

At this point tears were leaking from Korras' eyes, and Asami pulled her into a tight hug.

"So, what happens now" asked Jinora?

"We wait until this job's done, we go public, and see how much of the world falls apart" Asami answered with a sigh.

"Let's hope the world can handle two women being in love".

"And whatever happens, we'll back you up 100%" added Bolin with his signature smile.

#

Apparently dropping an iceberg on your enemies can be highly persuasive.

Over the next few days, all sorts of people decided it would be better to negotiate rather than attempt to seize territory through force. These newly piece loving individuals welcomed the Air Nation and the political reforms being enacted by Prince Wu. A situation on the brink of collapse suddenly calmed overnight.

This didn't mean anyone's workload got any lighter.

Bolin started introducing himself as a representative of Team Avatar, and someone had dug up some old Republic City news stories and made a connection. Suddenly, the name was everywhere.

Makos' latest VIP (Kai made some jokes about bodyguard crushes and Mako already having several famous ex-girlfriends)...

Asamis' latest project (a mention of magic fingers made Korra rather red).

Bolin closing deals like Varric on a sugar rush (his words).

Or Korra showing up and sternly asking people to behave themselves...

Yes, Team Avatar was truly a force to be reckoned with on the word stage. Jinora had shown one of the articles to her Grandmother, who'd laughed and said Sokka would be glad the name was being kept alive.

Even the Air Nation got a boost, with Tenzin and Korra publicly reiterating the mission statement from after the poisoning, that the Air Nation would act in the Avatars' stead.

It was all falling into place. Peace was spreading across the Land of Earth as people were starting to call it, and soon it would be time for Korra and Asami to reveal something that could turn the whole world on its head and violently shake it.