Woman in White

Chapter 25

Hold my hand, it's a long way down

When President Riko announced the Chief Tonraq was expected to make port in three nights Iroh could have kissed him but instead he retained his icy calm composure and only conveyed his gratitude that the Chief had been so quick in obtaining aid. The President nodded. "Yes, won't it be nice General Howl? You and General L'ten will have another person helping?"

Howl nodded. "I would suppose so."

"It will keep the stress down. I don't want to lose another General because he was over burdened."

Howl nodded. "Yes, Mr. President. Wouldn't want another General Iroh on our hands." He glanced over at L'ten who was now looking through some paperwork since clearly she had been left behind in the conversation. "Do you know what happened to my predecessor?"
"No, no real details anyway." She tilted her head. "Did he murder someone?" She showed the paper to Howl. "Because he's on the 'no pardon' list or is that a clerical error?"
"That's no error Mam, General Iroh is charged with the kidnapping and death of the Avatar." He smirked. "Though if you ask me I'm pretty sure he's dead and gone by now. Not just because no one can find the rat but, well, have you see some of the last pictures taken of the man?"
L'ten shook her head but looked intrigued. "No, does he look sick or something?"

Howl headed to the door and gestured for L'ten to fallow. "This way, I'll show you the 'good' General's last pictures, you'll see how unlikely it is that he's alive and well." He turned to the President. "Unless you have more for us?"

Riko shook his head. "No, just keep doing what you're doing." Howl nodded and the two Generals left the room. Riko sat back at the no pardon list perplexed. "Now, why are you still on this list? I though I had that wiped off the books after we found out the he was being framed by the White Lotus." He dialed up Chief Befong. "Hello, Lin this is President Riko. Can you explain to me why General Iroh is on the 'no pardon' list at all?"

.o.

Fire Lord Rohku glared in to the fire. "Five years and still no body. Where is that reincarnated fool?"

He looked up at his mistress turned wife. A fortuneteller by training Stasia had away with the dark and the occult. She was from the Western Islands beyond the four nations and seemed to exude exotic. She flipped up a card. "If you're so concerned about it why don't you find the original shell and destroy it."

"What?"

She raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "If you really want your brother dead, you destroy his original body, since this is not his first time around if you get my drift."

"I do, please tell me more."

"I've been talking to the spirits and the two love's first bodies never decayed, they became incorruptible as it were. Don't believe me go to the tomb of Mi'tem she looks as lovely as the day her brothers downed her in the pond. Occam's is the same, burned yes, but still whole. Destroy that body and your lost bother will fall down dead where ever he happens to be standing. Their kind depends on having their first bodies around."

"How do you know these things?"

She held up a skull, "Because I have friends on the other side. How many times do I have to tell you that, my poor unfortunate soul?" She slunk into his lap still holding the skull. "So are you up for some grave desecration?"

Rohku took the skull and regarded it. "If it means goody-two-boots is guaranteed to be dead and gone." He crushed the skull. "Then I'll desecrate a hundred graves."

Stasia smiled before kissing him. "How did your bother get the wrap of having the black soul?"

"Zechi was a fool whose head could be turned by mire rumor or suggestion. Get a high strung man to believe another is gunning for him and you've got yourself a show." He kissed her gently. "So shall we set sail tomorrow morning for Fire Man bay?"

"We can, but what about Republic City? They have reached out for aid, do we just ignore them?"

"We can send Izeem, he's going to be Fire Lord one day he might as well learn how to tell people bad news."

"Isn't fifteen a little young for that?"

"My grandfather was Fire Lord at fifteen, the earlier he learns the better off he'll be."

.o.

Korra pulled her coat closer to her body and waved to Sona who was standing next to her mother and Azulon. She felt a pain in her chest leaving Sona but she knew that this was the only place she'd be safe should it be reviled who she and Iroh were. Something inside her that even though Rohku had won the war and not tried to kill Iroh on the day of the wedding, he wasn't to be trusted. His reported actions in the Fire Nation civil war were enough to make her doubt whether there was such a thing as a 'good' brother.

She turned to her father and after glancing back one last time headed up the gangplank and on to one of the many ships headed for Republic City with supplies. Tonraq had been in contact with President Riko via radio and had gotten a list of things that were being taxed with the influx of people. There were plans in the works for families that wanted to immigrate to the Southern Water tribe for the interim. The journey there was expected to be a calm uneventful endeavor since, by luck, Kuriva was a land locked tyrant with no known navy.

.o.

Iroh looked at the newspaper clipping. Yup, he did not look well at all back then. If I really looked this bad how the hell did I get laid? "I can see why you think him dead. He doesn't look like he's even going to make it to the end of the week."

"Yeah, and what that picture doesn't show you is that he had been seeing visions of headless woman in his chambers too!" Howl put the framed clipping back on the wall. "Poor bastard, I almost feel sorry for him."

"Almost?"

"Sorry but when you're a prince and weighted on hand and foot for your whole life I find it hard to have sympathy when life gets a little too stressful." He leaned in a little too close. "Not like our lives, we've had to struggle to get where we are now."

Iroh pushed him back. "And that struggle has thought me how to deal with undesirables." He brought himself to his full height. "Remember that General, this is your last and final warning you make another pass at me and I will acquaint your face to the wall and your groin to my knee. Ok?"

Howl chuckled. "Sure you are beautiful."

Iroh felt someone's hand on his ass and then next thing Howl felt was his nose breaking as it met the wall and a knee where the sun didn't shine. Iroh let him drop. "Believe me now?"

Howl nodded.

"Good, now go find a healer and fix that nose."

.o.

Two days out to sea and Korra was itching to be back in Republic city and back in Iroh's arms. She sighed and looked down at the sea. Her kin surrounded her but felt like an outsider. She had entertained wearing typical water tribe clothing again but she found herself looking too much like her old self. She had pondered whether that was a good thing but after she looked at herself in the mirror again she didn't see her old self or her current self but a fraud trying to be something she wasn't. Instead she had gone for something more like what she'd wear during the day light hours in Omashu. She was wearing a simple puffy peasant dress with an exposed corset that ended below her bust. The sleeves of the dress were off the shoulder so some of her tattoos including part of the dragon were visible.

"You know you'd had to do a quarter turn to your right for that compass on your shoulder blade to be pointing north."

Korra turned to see an old sailor standing behind her stroking his beard. "Oh, thanks but I don't think anyone's going to be looking at me for direction anytime soon."

He leaned against the railing. "Why? I've been all over this boat and you're the only one here from Omashu, people here think you're someone important."

Korra paused trying to remember where she had heard the voice before. "I'm just a bar tender who was tasked with escorting some people to the South Pole. I'm not important."

"In all my years on the sea I've never met a person that wasn't important in some aspect." He looked out at the sea. "Even if all you are is just a bartender, which I highly doubt, you have a grand destiny a head of you."

Korra sighed. "How did you escape Zaheer?"

"Escape? Escape from where, my dear? That rock the White Lotus left me on? Because if you checked I'm sure you'll find some bones still there." He chuckled. "Your husband isn't the only one who can see the dead even if you have always been by nature less spiritual."

Korra turned and looked at him. "You never escaped did you? Not even the first time, where the others phantoms too or where you the only one masquerading as one of the living? Did they even know?"

"No I'm the only one. They didn't notice I wasn't all there until after you and Iroh were far away, safe from them and the White Lotus."

"Why are you here now? Do you wish to torment me more?" She looked back down at the sea. "Tell me, I've let the world down again? Call me a disappointment?"

"I'm just here to lend you some guidance." He paused. "After all that's all I've been doing since I met you in the forest, haven't I?"

"I guess so, who were you? Back when I had pale skin and golden eyes and lived in a palace that has been forgotten to time?"

"All those centuries ago when this whole wheel started. In that time I too have pale skin and golden eyes, and the people called me king." The phantom bowed his head. "I wronged you long ago Mi'tem."

"Mi'tem huh? I could never remember that name, I honestly thought that had been lost to me."

"Yes, well personally I think Korra fits you better then any other name you ever had."

"Really I'm kind of partial to Ming myself. That life came so close to being happy, so close to ending the cycle."

"Yes, so close but it was this life that ended it. The moment Sona was born the cycle was broken but you know the trouble with that is this time you have to get it right. Tragedy is easy because you just end it at the hard part happy endings are hard because you have to move past or avoid the tragedy and claim victory."

"How do I do that? What is victory anyway?"

"That is for you to define Mi'tem."

"I thought you said the name Korra fit me better."
"It does but it's the name I gave you so it's the name I will call you."

"Oh." She paused. "Is this the last time I'm going to see you?"
"Probably, the time for my soul to rest after the eons of being dragged through the ages has come to an end, but other's still roam this plane and they haven't ground tiered like I have. They will try to keep the cycle going not knowing it's already broken. You asked what victory was? I would hazard a guess that victory might evolve putting their souls to rest but don't take my word for it." He looked up at the sky. "Because I've been wrong before."

"I'll take your suggestion under consideration." She looked over at the phantom. "Before you go, I just want to say I forgive you, I don't want your soul to not be at peace."

"I don't deserve your forgiveness Mi'tem."

"Does anyone really? I thought that was the definition of forgiveness."

"That is the definition of mercy while forgiveness is an act." He sighed. "But mercy is not a bad trait to have. I thank you for your forgiveness. Good bye Mi'tem, Avatar Korra, I hope you find victory before you find peace."

"Or victory in peace." Korra whispered as she watched at the spirit nodded and disappeared into dust.

A/N: So some new characters and a good bye to some old characters and yes! Howl got some of what he was due but i wonder if it will be enough to keep him away? I hope so cause if not he's got really twisted tastes in women. Comment if you feel so compelled. See you ~C.C.