AN: So, I've got the rest of this story outlined, but I need to start trimming because it's freaking 25 chapters long. _ Please let me know which scenes from the actual show you want to see most (with my own additions, of course). Like... which battles, which conversations, etc. I've gotta narrow my outline down.

Also, is it just me, or is baby Yasuko+Naga the cutest thing ever?

Chapter Twenty-One:

Korra peered out over the ocean, letting the evening breeze wash across her face. The sound of Yasuko's laughter and Naga's cheerful barking echoed behind the meditation pavilion, but she didn't turn to see them play. She continued staring at the horizon, watching the sun sink past the dark water.

What should have been a happy day had grown sadder and sadder as the hours wore on. Thoughts of Kuvira hung over her head like a cloud, and every time she looked at Yasuko, she was reminded of all she had to lose. As grateful as she was to be reunited with her mate and her pup, she knew her happiness was more tenuous than ever before. She was still the Avatar. There was still a world that needed saving—a world she had to save for her family.

But how am I going to fix this? Kuvira defeated me at Zaofu. Even when I had the upper hand, I got in my own way. And on the train... She sighed and lowered her eyes, leaning against one of the wooden supports. Panic attacks, flashbacks, and creepy visions were bad enough when they didn't happen in front of Asami. I was almost too late to save us. Another moment, and we never would have made it off that train alive. Yasuko would have been an orphan.

"Korra?"

The sound of her name finally made her turn. Asami stood behind her, hands folded around a steaming mug. "Hey, Asami. I thought you went inside to warm up?"

Asami smiled, and Korra's heart hurt a little less. "That's what jackets and cuddling are for. Besides, I thought you might be cold out here too. I brought you some tea."

Korra took the mug from Asami, letting its warmth seep into her palms. "You're so sweet." She leaned in, brushing her lips against Asami's cheek. "Thanks."

"I also wanted to check on Yasuko." As one, they turned to look at the grassy clearing behind the pavilion. Yasuko was currently toddling after Naga on short, chubby legs, reaching for the polar bear dog's tail and trying not to topple forward. After a few yards, Naga stopped running away and allowed the pup to catch her. "She's been great with Yasu the past few weeks," Asami said, watching them with an expression of fondness. "It's like having a giant fluffy babysitter whenever we come to Air Temple Island."

Korra tried to smile too, but it ended with a sigh. "I'm glad Naga had somebody to play with while she was waiting for me. I wish I could have taken her, but..."

"But sneaking around the Earth Kingdom with a polar bear dog would have been a bit conspicuous," Asami finished for her. They watched Naga flop onto her back and expose her stomach for Yasuko's tiny hands. Korra wanted to laugh, but the sound just wouldn't come out. Her chest hurt too much. Her gaze shifted from Yasuko to Asami, and she couldn't help noticing the worried expression on her mate's face.

How am I going to protect them while I'm still like this?

"Are you okay?" Asami asked, reaching out to brush her arm. "You seem out of sorts. It's not because my heat's over, is it?"

Korra drew her lower lip between her teeth, trying to decide how much she wanted to say. She and Asami had agreed to share their burdens, and right now, hers felt awfully heavy. Asami's put so much trust in me lately. The least I can do is respect her by trusting her back. "Sorry. I've just been thinking about something Toph said. She told me that the world doesn't need me and it's basically pointless to try and stop Kuvira."

"What?" Asami's brow furrowed. "That's ridiculous."

"At the time, I thought so too. I figured she was just being her normal, cranky self. But I'm beginning to think she had a point."

"No, she doesn't," Asami said with an urgent edge in her voice. "Yasu and I need you, and so does the rest of the world. You're the Avatar."

Korra slumped a little. She was all too aware of what she was, but she had learned the hard way that being the Avatar didn't come with any guarantees. She could still fail, and had failed too many times to count. "But no matter what I do, the world seems to always be out of balance. Growing up, I couldn't wait to be the Avatar. I thought I was really gonna change things. I was so naive..."

A lump of fear formed in her throat as she re-visited her memories. Usually, she exhausted herself trying to shut them out. It was strange to think back to the people she had fought on purpose instead of being dragged to that dark place against her will. "The first time I saw Amon take someone's bending away, I was terrified..."

Pain lancing through every inch of her body. A thumb jabbing into her forehead, burrowing inside her and sucking something out of her—

The warmth of a hand on her arm brought her back. "You're forgetting about all the good that happened after you exposed Amon as the fraud he was," Asami said, more softly than before. "The Equalist Movement lost its leader and its power. Free elections were held in the United Republic, and nonbenders finally had a voice. People had hope again, and it was all because of you."

Korra closed her eyes for a long moment. Thinking about Amon had left her trembling. He had taught her what fear was, and it was a lesson she had never forgotten. "And I was hopeful, too. That feeling didn't last long. Because of Unalaq, I betrayed Tenzin, opened the portals, and threw the Spirit and human worlds into chaos. It was my fault he fused with Vaatu and became a Dark Avatar. And I was helpless to stop him from destroying Raava and cutting off my connection to my past lives..."

Unalaq's laughter stabs her ears. Her body seizes, shivers. Once again, something is being taken from her. She clutches, but can't hold on. The light that has always been with her is ripped away, and wavering faces flash before her eyes. One by one, they vanish.

This time, she shook the memory off herself. That one always left her feeling lonely, and she didn't want to linger on it. Part of her still blamed herself for losing her connection to Aang and all the other Avatars before her. She had survived, but so much had been lost.

"With Raava gone, Unalaq and Vaatu became more powerful than ever. All because I wasn't strong enough."

"But you became more powerful, too," Asami said. "I mean, you turned into a giant spirit."

The enthusiasm in her voice made Korra smile weakly. "Yeah... that was pretty awesome," she admitted. It was one of the few times she had felt strong and connected with her innermost self—feelings she wished she could find again, but had no idea how to reclaim.

"And opening the spirit portals turned out to be a good thing. You brought back the airbenders andcaused a positive shift in the world."

"Yes, but Zaheer got airbending too and nearly..."

She falls to her knees, mouth open in a silent scream. Wind swirls around her head, lashing her cheeks, roaring emptily in her ears. Her lungs burn, but she can't breathe. Can't breathe. Can't—breathe—

"Korra?"

She drew in a deep breath, trying to ease the constriction in her chest. "I'm... I'm okay."

Asami didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?" she asked, eyes full of worry. "You went back there for a second. I could tell."

"This is going to sound bad, but I'm kind of used to it by now. I'm fine." She lifted the mug of tea Asami had given her to prove it, but her hands shook as she sipped. The warmth sliding down her throat helped, and after a moment, her heartbeat slowed to a steady thud.

"Better?"

She nodded. "Sorry. Thinking about Zaheer is hard. When he trapped me up on that ledge, I was sure I was going to die... that I'd never see you again." She cast her eyes down into the mug, staring at the dark, rippling surface of her tea. "You were the last thing I thought about before Jinora and the other Airbenders saved me. I'd only just marked you. I didn't want to leave you alone."

"You didn't leave me alone." Asami's arm threaded through hers, and a warm cheek rested against her shoulder. "You survived. And now, you're back."

"Yeah..." Korra almost made a self-deprecating comment, but stopped herself at the last moment. She needed to do better, for Asami's sake if nothing else. Her self-hatred wasn't helping anything. "Better late than never, right?"

It was a stupid joke, but Asami laughed anyway. "Better late than never," she agreed.

But the moment of brightness quickly faded. Korra began to sink into doubt again as she remembered what had upset her in the first place. Not Amon or Unalaq or Zaheer, but Kuvira, the threat she still needed to stop. The threat she wasn't sure she could stop, even if she had the courage to try. "I know Zaheer's in prison, and I know he can't hurt me anymore, but it doesn't matter. Because of him... because of me... Kuvira's in power now. She's taken over the entire Earth Kingdom, and things are more out of balance than ever. Toph was right. Nothing's changed."

"You're right, Korra."

The sound of a new, deeper voice made Korra look up. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Tenzin stepping up to join them in the pavilion. She hadn't heard him approach, but Yasuko was nestled in his arms, smiling from ear to ear. She seemed fascinated with Tenzin's beard, and doting parent that he was, Tenzin seemed inclined to let her hold onto it.

"I'm right?" Korra said, cheering up a little. It was nice to see that her pup had taken up the family tradition of annoying her old airbending master. "That's not something you used to say to me often."

"In this case, it's true. I'm sorry for intruding on a personal moment, but I couldn't help overhearing what you said..." His voice trailed off, and his face twitched with mild discomfort as Yasuko tugged at his beard.

"Koa, Densin! Go Koa."

"Also, your daughter was quite insistent that we come see you."

"Here, I'll take her," Asami offered, opening her arms. That finally got Yasuko's attention, and she let go of Tenzin's face, allowing herself to be passed over with only a little wriggling. "What was Korra right about?"

Tenzin's expression turned serious once more. "It's true, there will always be new conflicts and enemies to face. But the important thing is to learn from your enemies and better yourself over time, which you have. You've changed so much since you first arrived on Air Temple Island. When you first came here, you were hot-headed and a bit selfish..."

Korra rubbed the back of her neck. Looking back, she had to admit that Tenzin was right. She had made more than a few rash decisions back then.

"But you've matured into a thoughtful young woman who puts the needs of others before herself. The new Air Nation is a testament to that. You sacrificed everything to save them..." His steady voice trembled the slightest bit, and Korra was shocked to see a hint of mist in his eyes. "You're an inspiration to the world. When she's old enough to understand, I'm sure Yasuko will be proud of you for everything you've done. I know that's how I feel about Aang."

For several moments, Korra didn't know what to say. Her former mentor's words had touched her, and she felt her own eyes start to sting. It had been a long time since someone had looked at her with that kind of respect, and even longer since she had believed she deserved it.

"Thank you, Tenzin." She set her tea aside, folding her arm around Asami's shoulder. It was thanks to her that she was actually listening to Tenzin's words instead of just dismissing them. "Thank you both." Asami leaned into her, and she knew her mate had understood. "I know this Kuvira problem is only going to get worse. But no matter what happens, no matter howcrazy things get, I'll always try to restore balance. I'm not running away again."

"Good," Asami said, shifting so that Yasuko could hold on to her as well. "Because I've finally got my family back. I'm not going to lose it."

Tenzin nodded. "You have your priorities in the right place, Asami. Family is important... something I haven't always kept in mind myself. But if you don't object to a small bit of advice, stop after four pups. Any more, and you risk insanity."

Yasuko chose that moment to start squirming, and Korra took her from Asami's arms, bouncing her slightly to keep her occupied. "Right. Well, I've got a lot of catching up to do first. I think one is enough."

"For now," Asami agreed, with a bit of a smile.

Korra's eyes widened in surprise, but she wisely chose to remain silent. She buried her face in Yasuko's soft, sweet-smelling hair, so much like Asami's, and inhaled her daughter's scent. Maybe she would be able to stand up to Kuvira after all. She had been defeated once, but now, she had something much more precious to fight for. If Yasuko and Asami needed her to be the Avatar, then she would find a way.