Ch 12: Nightmare: the raid
It was dark, darker that usual in the Arctic's despite there being some sunlight out. A storm was brewing and the clouds covered a part of the sky. But despite everything having a mixture of black, white and dark blue hues in the distance, it was still beautiful. Korra breathed out a deep breath and glanced at the white smoke escaping from her lips.
"Come on Korra, spill the lotus beans. I've know you've got to have some cool backstory with your tribal tattoo. Humor me! It's cold here." Iroh plees.
Korra chuckled "I've told you there's nothing special to it. I simply just completed my first hunt with my dad and as per our ritual, I got a tattoo."
"Come on work with me, there's got to be more spicy details." Giving Korra the baby moose lion cub eyes.
Korra rolled her eyes: "Fine I guess if that makes you feel better. Mmh lets see it was when I was six? I got lost in a snowstorm and ran into arctic wolf cub-"
Iroh's eye snapped open "WAIT WHAT!?"
"Calm your dragon guardians, I'm telling a story here. Anyways like I said I ran into an arctic wolf, well a cub more specifically, and I subdued her. There the end." Korra says while grinning.
"Aww come on Korra seriously?! Don't leave me hanging!" Full on frowning.
She laughed amused "Just kidding Iroh I got to entertain myself somehow to! Anyways what really happened was that I didn't actually subdue her, it was more on the lines of befriending her? Well the point is, is that night I came home that day riding a arctic wolf pup making everyone panic." Chuckling to herself as she imagined her six year old self on a wolf smiling like a goofball.
"Pfft hahaha right on Korra!" Iroh chuckled and gave her a friendly fist bump.
After sitting there for a few more hours, It was now around sunset. Both Iroh and Korra were on a scouting mission watching the Northern Water Tribes rebel's leader, Unalaq at their enemy camp. They both sat patiently behind a snowy hill staring at the campsite..
"... Korra something doesn't seem right..."
Raising her brow: "What do you mean?" Quickly wiping her head towards him.
"Here take a look." Passing over the set of binoculars.
"You're right. It's… It's to quiet where'd everyone go?" Korra looks around and noticed movement in the far distance. "Oh no... IROH WE HAVE TO GO NOW." Rushing to their Snow Sled Satomotorbikes.
Iroh follows Korra, no questions asked: "WHAT DID YOU SEE?" Screaming over the roar of the engine behind on Korra's tail.
"UNALAQ AND HIS REBELS WERE HEADING TO MY VILLAGE, WE HAVE TO STOP THEM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"
Iroh brows creased, he knew the situation wasn't good. The Southern Water Tribe was of course equally or even stronger than the rebels but they were outnumbered two to five which was more than double their own troops. Iroh reached into his bag to pull out his flare gun and shot a signal releasing a crimson flare, leaving a smoke trail of red in the cold, dry air. Informing his troops and warning their Southern Allies, the two of them rushed back to home base.
"LET'S STEP ON IT HOPEFULLY OUR TROOPS WILL MAKE IT ON TIME BEFORE THIS ESCALATES."
By the time they made it back it was already too late, the village was in ruins. Huts ruined, camp cites trashed, the once lively Southern Pole was lifeless and colder than normal as Korra stood there devastated staring at the village she grew up in destroyed. Shaking her head she snapped back to reality and made her way into the battle.
"DAD! MOM!" She ran desperately killing any rebels in her way with her blood stained army knife, painting the snowy floors a deep red searching for her parents. The smell of iron was thick and putrid as Iroh followed his comrade covering her back, taking down anyone she so happened to miss. Looking up ahead, a ray of light shined through the parting clouds and they both stopped when they saw familiar silhouettes. Korra let out a breath of relief until she saw a sudden movement. "NO, DAD WATCH OUT!" She screams.
"NOOOOOO!" Korra snapped upright, sweating like crazy and gasping for air.
"K-Korra?" Asami jolted awake hearing Korra's scream. She quickly pulled Korra into a hug stroking her back. "What's the matter are you alright?" Making a very concerned face. Korra embrace her tightly gripping her raven hair (since they slept naked) and breathed in her scent.
"S-sorry I didn't mean to wake you up. I-I'm ok... It's nothing I just had a bad dream." She says weakly shaking in Asami's arms.
Seeing her girlfriend uncomfortable with talking she decided not to press further into the details and glanced at the clock, 2:17am. Bringing Korra back down to her side, she pulled her tightly to her chest. Pulling their blanket over them she starts in a soothing voice: "It's ok love, it's ok... It's still too early to wake up now so how about we try going back to sleep?" Patting her girlfriend's back. Korra musters a weak response that was barely audible while nodding her head slightly. Shaking in her arms Korra takes several more deep breaths, breathing in her wonderful lavender and vanilla scent. She found it calming and enjoyed it.
The frighten girl eventually fell back asleep while Asami on the other hand couldn't sleep. She remained awake and worried about what she just saw: ("What happened... I've never seen Korra like this before...") She laid there for the next hour pondering her thoughts before she eventually fell asleep and dozed off while embracing Korra tightly.
That morning Korra was the first out of bed.
Barely sleeping a wink, Asami reached out missing her girlfriend's warmth. Looking up tiredly she noticed that Korra was in a light blue tank top and black shorts: "Babe where you going?" Pushing herself upright while rubbing her eye.
Korra turned around and gave her a apologetic weak smile "Just off to the gym… Sorry for waking you up again." Before Asami could say something she left their room closing their door with a clank.
Asami sighed and dragged herself out of bed to get ready for work. What normally would have been a good/decent day of work ended up becoming a horrible one. The CEO wasn't able to get Korra mind out of her mind and wasn't able to focus on anything. Several days passed by in a flash and ever since that night, Korra has been avoiding her. Not only have they not been hanging out as much, Korra started working more shifts. Even their love making sections got shorter and shorter as well and whenever she was at home Korra always seemed out of it.
The CEO was now sitting at her desk mindlessly taping her fingers. She had been aimlessly plowing her way through meetings after meetings and she wasn't getting anywhere so she decided to dismiss herself early.
"Opal?"
She looked up to a distressed Asami "Yes sweetheart?"
"Can you do me a favor and cancel the rest of my meetings for today? I have something very important I need to do..." Standing up from her desk. Looking at Asami with some sadness "It's about Korra isn't it? Alright leave it to me, I got you covered." Smiling lovingly at her friend.
"Thanks." Asami smiles back and headed towards the door, grateful for such a reliable coworker and friend.
"Ah, can I give you a little advice sweetie?"
Asami paused at the door "Sure go for it"
Accompanied by a sad smile "Try asking one of the brothers about what happened with Korra, they're better at explaining things than me."
Asami raised a brow ("Wait Opal knows what's wrong with Korra ? What the… Why...") shaking her head from her thoughts: "Alright will do thanks Ope." Waving her goodbye before rushing to her car. Asami floored it, speeding and traffic weaving towards the police station to grab one of the brothers while hoping that she'd run into Korra as well.
When she arrived at the station she ran into Chief Beifong and gave her a quick smile and bow. Lin waved her hand in acknowledgment and pointed in the direction where her friends were. Asami smiles as a thanks and sped walked towards their department and knocked on the door.
"It's open." Bolin calls out.
"Hey." as Asami creeped in, eyeing the room to see if Korra was in.
Bolin looked over his shoulder seeing his best friend "Asami!" Bringing the girl into a bear hug.
"B-BO! bre-breath!"
"Oh sorry sorry." Releasing her: "So what are doing here? Korra out in the field if you're looking for her." Asami frowns since she had hoped to at least take a glance at her lover, in their police uniform nonetheless.
"Actually I was hoping if I could borrow one of you guys real quick. You know… To talk about Korra…"
Bolin's eyes widen a bit "Ohhhhh ok I see, I gotcha." He glanced at the clock and frowns. "Sorry Sami I can't leave anytime soon I have to finish this report before the Chief kills me. Mako should be going to his lunch after he gets back soon though. Why don't you go ahead and wait at the Jasmine Dragon for some tea, I'll tell Mako to meet you there."
"Thanks Bo I appreciate it." Bring in her friend for another hug.
Smiling: "Don't mention it."
Asami made her way to the Jasmine Dragon and parked her car and went inside to order a drink. She furiously tapped her leg shaking the table in the process while taking a sip of her green tea latte as she waited for Mako. After a few minutes and another round of tea with some sakura mochi on the side, speaking of the Faceless Noh, Mako waved at her as he walked to her table.
"Hey Asami, what's up you seem a little… Tense…" Mako said with a worried look on his face "Bo said you wanted to talk?" Sitting down across from her.
"Hi Mako I have... A question... Has Korra seem different to you these days?" With sadness in her voice and eyes.
Mako raised his brow "No… Not really…" Realizing the situation: "Wait, oh… She hasn't told you yet has she?" Asami immediately snapped up and looked into Mako's eyes "Te-tell me what? Don't tell me she's breaking up with me!?" She starts panicking.
"Wha- what spirits no! No no no she's not breaking up with you Asami. How should I explain this..." Contemplating for a few seconds: "Mm you know how Korra used to work for the United Forces Army right?"
Asami nodded with confirmation.
"You see, the thing is..." Trying to ease in the topic: "You know about the war between the Northern and Southern Water tribes right?"
Getting irritated "Yes of course I do, come on Mako stop beating around the bush!" Looking at him dead in the eye.
Now clearly uncomfortable with the topic "Korra… She, she was there… And well long story short she was the one who ended the war..." Asami's eyes widen "Wait what I don't understand..." Clearly confused about how this concerns her girlfriend.
"You see Korra isn't just your ordinary soldier, she was their best and special… Asset. Anyone who knows anything about justice and power knows her as Avatar Korra" Asami froze "And yes, she was named after the legendary hero Avatar Aang, who stopped the hundred year war with the Fire Nation. And putting it in simple terms, she the world's most powerful person... And since the war happened in her hometown, she was despatched there for the home field advantage..."
Asami tensed up. She was stunned and just sat there silently listening to Mako not believing her own ears. She has heard the name Avatar before and she knew that this person was incredibly famous but she never would have imagined and connected the dots to her girlfriend. She felt slightly betrayed because all of her friends knew even though they were the ones who are dating each other. Korra never said anything about this and she felt hurt.
Mako continues "It… It happened just about four years ago before she left the military and retired with an honorable discharge after a certain incident that happened in the war... Of course she went MIA for a while but then joined the Republic City Police Academy, that's how Bo and I met Korra." Chuckling sadly: "Everyone who fought for justice knew about Avatar Korra since she is a legend and we just happened to get lucky and hit if off with her." Making a blank expression.
Asami could feel that something was wrong: "S-so… What does this specifically have to do with Korra acting weird..." Looking away from Mako's eyes afraid of what she might hear next.
Mako sat there in silence for a bit thinking hard before he looked up to Asami "I think you should ask her... It's an important event in her life so you should be hearing it from her." He states in a calm and soothing voice with a smile.
Noting the distress in Asami, he clapped his hands breaking the ice: "Well, you know that Korra is not the mushy type being all honest with her feelings in cases like this but she'll tell you if you just ask. Although you're probably gonna have to corner her and tie her down." Laughing a bit. Asami smiled in acknowledgment to his statement: "Anyways it took Korra about two years to open up to us so don't sweat it. She's your girlfriend so don't be afraid and just ask." Guaranteeing her while giving Asami a comforting hand squeeze.
Regaining her confidence: "You're.. You're right, thank you Mako." Pulling him into a huge: "I'll ask Korra when I get the chance to."
"Of course Sami, you know we'll always be there for you when you need it."