"What's the point in waiting?" P'li asked, reclining on the couch in the quarters the Queen had given them.
Aiwei looked away from the window to see Zaheer sulking. He wondered if Zaheer had heard her, or if he'd even respond. Zaheer had been meditating most of the day, but now they were well into the afternoon and he'd said nothing.
After a long silence, Zaheer stood. "The Avatar isn't here. I can feel it."
"So what do we do?"
"We move." Zaheer growled. "Tonight, we'll take down the Earth Queen. There's no use staying in Ba Sing Se."
"I trust you have a plan." Aiwei told him, arching one eyebrow.
"I do. And they're not ready. But first, we need to get rid of some of these guards."
Aiwei snorted. The idea of getting rid of any large amount of the Dai Li was ridiculous.
"How do you plan on doing that?"
Zaheer looked over at Ghazan and P'li before flashing Aiwei a wicked grin.
"We distract them."
Jinora winced as the gust of air left Ikki with a roar and slammed the guard into the wall. The other guards seemed shocked at the new aggression after Jinora's inaction, but the Queen was grinning.
She wanted us to fight.
Jinora kept repeating it to herself to remember. She wasn't surprised that the Queen seemed to be enjoying the spectacle. Though she didn't support her sister's decision to engage the guards when they attacked, the other airbenders seemed relieved. Jinora was too, if only slightly. Despite being treated by a healer she could still feel the aches spread through her body from the beating she'd received for being complacent. Ikki would not receive such treatment.
She felt guilty. Even though Ikki was the one tossing the guards the Queen sent at her like rag-dolls, Jinora felt like she was betraying everything Tenzin had ever taught them.
Airbenders don't fight. Evade. Don't fight. This is wrong.
Ikki didn't seem to mind anymore, and Jinora wondered if this bothered her deep down. Opal had been eager to release herself from the vow of non-aggression, but coming from Ikki it was odd.
Why?
Jinora dreaded what would happen when Tenzin learned of what had happened in the prison, though he already knew of Ikki's decision to abandon the vow as Opal had.
This has gone too far.
Still, with Ikki pleasing the Queen more and more with each attack, part of Jinora felt better. They wouldn't have to stay much longer. With Ikki in the prison with her, they'd made plans before the sun rose to escape before the day was over. Using spirit projection they were able to contact Opal and Kuvira who were just outside the city. They would coordinate the rest with Mako and Bolin, but they were ready to escape.
Jinora watched silently when the Queen waved the guards away and instructed Ikki to begin training the others. Jinora stayed in place, but the Queen either didn't notice or didn't care. With every minute that passed, they were closer to their freedom.
You have no idea. You can't keep us here.
Ikki was just as eager to leave, though she'd only just got there the night before. She was growing impatient, Jinora could see the signs of it in her sister's form. She was getting sloppy, and was only half-heartedly showing the others stances and strikes that would do them little good. The Queen didn't realize that Ikki wasn't putting any effort into her instruction, and by the end of the hour she was satisfied.
"Take them back to their cells." She instructed the guards with a wave of her hand. "This was good. I look forward to meeting with you again tomorrow to continue."
Ikki gave her a respectful bow, but Jinora saw this distaste flash in her sister's eyes as soon as she turned around. Ikki was disgusted. They were obedient as the guards escorted them back to their shared cell, but the further away from the Queen they got the closer Ikki seemed to vomiting.
"I hate her." Ikki muttered quietly as the door slammed and locked behind them.
"Me too. Good news is we won't have to see her again."
"I'm ready to go now-." Ikki began.
"I know. But we have to wait until sundown."
Ikki huffed and rolled her eyes, flopping onto the cot before glaring angrily at her feet. Jinora sighed but didn't let it get to her. They had to be patient for a while longer. The darkness would be safer for the others. Part of her still remained uneasy, and she hoped Kuvira and Opal would be able to reach them safely.
I wish Korra was here.
Korra stood at the edge of the water, looking down into the clearer end of the shallows. There was a large fish that had been circling nearby and she'd been keeping an eye on it. She could reach it from where she was with her bending, but she was more interested in seeing if there was more than one. The longer she waited, the more impatient she got. She finally gave up, bending a small bit of water around the fish and pulling it out of the shallows. It felt like cheating, to catch the fish that way. Korra ignored the feeling however. It was more important that she and Asami eat.
As she brought the fish closer, something in the distance caught her eye. She could faintly make out the form of a man gradually sifting his way through the vines across from her. Korra raised one eyebrow, her eyes quickly darting to where Asami was standing nearby. Asami had seen the change in Korra's expression, and she was looking in the direction Korra had been, but it was clear to Korra that Asami didn't see anything—or anyone.
But Korra wasn't imagining it. She looked again to make sure, and her eyes found the man again in time to see him fully clear the last of the vines. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the familiar faded-blue parka, coupled with the silvery almost snow-like hair that was still pulled into a wolf-tail. Despite the weathered face lined with wrinkles, the deep blue eyes were just as Korra remembered them. But the faintest of grins spread across his lips, and it was almost enough to stop Korra's heart. It had been twenty years. And now Sokka was standing in front of her, just as she remembered him.
"Korra?" Asami's voice was full of worry, but Korra's head was spinning and Korra barely heard her.
He wasn't real. He couldn't be real. He'd been dead for twenty years. Still, her heart was raising, an all but forgotten ache forming in her chest. Sokka was there.
"Korra?" Asami called again, and Korra heard movement in the water coming toward her. But her eyes never left Sokka.
He stood there for several seconds, watching her with the well-worn smile she hadn't seen in so long, until he gave her a nod and turned to leave. Korra didn't know what was going on, but she knew he couldn't just leave like that. Before she knew what she was doing, Korra was running. If he was real, she wanted to talk to him.
"Sokka?!"
She heard Asami yelling for her, but Korra couldn't stop. She had to know if it was real or not, despite some deeper part of her soul understanding that it wasn't. She still had to know. If he was real, which her inner-eight year-old hoped he was—then she had so much to tell him.
"Sokka, wait!" Despite his age, he was easily avoiding Korra. She could only ever see his back to her, always several steps ahead.
She chased him until her lungs burned, and tears stung her eyes. The further she ran the more she realized she was just chasing the wind. It had been twenty years, she told herself. Even if she wasn't sure Sokka had died when he had, he'd have been gone well before now. But some small part of her wouldn't give up. She'd seen him, now she needed the closure. So she kept running.
Finally, Sokka stopped. Korra could see him through the thick vines just ahead of her, and she stumbled through the roots in front of her with one arm out to bat the vines away, trying to get a clearer view of him. He was finally there, and all she had to do was just push a bit further and she could talk to him properly.
Unfortunately, when the vines cleared away, she found herself alone. Korra didn't want to believe it, and she spun around rapidly trying to find him.
"Sokka?!"
It took several seconds to sink in, but Korra was alone. Sokka wasn't there, if he had been at all. She felt like she was going crazy, and the next thing Korra knew her legs were buckling underneath her. Once she was on the ground she pulled her knees to her chest and took a deep breath, tears pouring down her face. She felt like an idiot.
"I should have known better." Korra said aloud, her voice bitter as she wiped her eyes.
"Korra?!"
She turned her head in the direction Asami's voice had come from, and it made a bad feeling worse. She'd left Asami there without thinking about her at all. She sighed and pushed her hair out of her face before she pushed herself back to her feet. Sokka was dead. He had been for twenty years. Whatever she saw in the swamp wasn't him, and she had to accept that. It didn't make it hurt less, but that was just the way it was. She had to focus on Asami. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd scared her.
"Over here, Asami!"
Korra could hear Asami wading through the vines much like she had, and when Asami finally emerged Korra saw that she was out of breath and her face was pale. She looked at Korra worriedly when she saw her, and Korra felt extremely foolish.
"Korra…" Asami said slowly, her brows furrowing. "What happened?"
Korra shook her head, wiping the fresh tears on the back of her hand. "I saw Sokka. My Sokka."
Asami looked around much as Korra had, looking for Sokka too but without seeing him. He was long gone. When she looked to Korra again, her eyes were sad. Korra didn't want Asami to think she was crazy.
"I saw him, Asami. Really. Just like he was right there in front of me. Just like I remember-." She stopped and sighed. Maybe she was crazy.
She felt Asami's fingers stroke her cheek, and she looked up to see Asami still watching her. "I believe you, Korra. Something isn't right in this swamp and we both know it. So if you say you saw Sokka…then you saw him."
Korra nodded tentatively, leaning into Asami's touch. It was more comforting than Asami would ever realize, but Korra was still shaken from seeing Sokka. If the swamp was playing tricks with her head, she wanted to know why. The feeling that she and Asami should be there was still present, after all.
Korra pulled Asami's hand from her face and sighed, lacing their fingers together before she took a second look around. There was something there. She couldn't call it much more than a gut-feeling, but she trusted it. She scanned the trees and vines surrounding them but found little. It wasn't until she looked at the ground that she caught sight of the worn down footpath that led back into the swamp in two directions. One half went behind Korra and Asami, in the direction they had come from, but the other went on ahead. Something told Korra to follow it.
"You see that?" Korra asked, pointing it out to Asami.
"Yeah. Wonder where it goes to."
"We're about to find out." Korra said, squeezing Asami's hand before she set out.
The path didn't lead half as far as Korra had anticipated, eventually bringing them to what appeared to be a small cave. There was dead moss hanging over the entrance, and Asami and Korra exchanged a glance before Korra lit a flame in her palm and stepped forward.
She wasn't sure whether she should be thankful or alarmed that the cave was empty. It had been occupied once before, Korra could see that. There was a fire-pit that had been dug into the ground, and it showed signs of use but none of it was recent. There were various pieces of earthen-furniture, including a series of shelves that had been carved out of the wall. It was all clean, and likely the result of earthbending Korra thought.
There was a tea kettle and several jars and cups resting on the shelves, but they were empty. If they weren't, their contents had turned to dust. No one had been here in a long time, that much was apparent.
"Well…" Korra said after a pause, looking around. "I guess we can stay here tonight. We'll just need something for a fire…"
"What about our stuff?" Asami asked, arching a brow. "We left our bags near the pond you were fishing in."
Korra's shoulders sagged. She hadn't thought about that, and she didn't know if they'd be able to find their way back to their things—and if they did, if they would be able to return to the cave.
"We'll need our phones." Asami added. "I mean…I know we didn't have signal outside the swamp…but I'd rather have them on the off-chance they work than not."
Korra nodded, but she wasn't too keen on going back outside. Not after seeing Sokka. If they were careful they could leave markers to guide themselves back, but she wasn't sure she wanted to try. One glance outside the mouth of the cave and she saw that the swamp had darkened considerably and it was nearly night. There wouldn't be time, they would have to set out in the morning or they would get lost.
"We can deal with it in the morning."
Asami glanced at her, and Korra couldn't miss the worry still lingering in her eyes. "It's…it's probably an Avatar thing." Asami tried to soothe. "We saw a lot of spirits this morning. Maybe they're related."
Korra sighed and shrugged. She didn't know, and wasn't sure she wanted to.
"I'm going to see if I can find some dry wood to make a fire with." Asami told her quietly. When Korra started to object, Asami stopped her. "I'll stay close. I promise. If you want to come you can, but I'll be okay."
Korra didn't want Asami to go alone, but dreaded the thought of going back into the swamp. Something about the cave told her she was safe. She sighed again.
"I'll sit outside and listen for you." Korra finally offered. It was enough of a compromise.
"Good idea." Asami said with a warm smile. "I won't take long."
Please don't, Korra thought. The last thing she wanted was to be alone.
"I don't think we're high enough."
Opal huffed from behind her, clearly irritated. "Juicy has to be above the clouds. If we can't see the ground, whoever is on the ground hopefully can't see us. The darkness helps."
Kuvira wasn't comforted. She had no way to reach the ground. Opal could glide, but the best thing Kuvira could do would be jump and pray. Jumping from this height would only have one outcome and Kuvira would like to live a little longer if she had any say about it.
"Stop it." Opal grumbled, rising from where she'd been seated on Juicy's head. "You're making me nervous."
"Glad I'm not the only one nervous then." Kuvira shrugged, to which Opal responded with a shove to her shoulder. "If you haven't noticed, I don't have a way down."
"You've got me." Opal replied. "I'll get you down."
"You'll forgive me for not believing you."
"Shut up."
Kuvira couldn't form another smart remark in the time it took Opal to deploy the wings of her glider-suit. Opal stretched for a moment before sighing and looking at Kuvira with a slight frown.
"Once I come back around, wrap your cables around my waist and you can dangle from me as I go down. I can keep us up that long."
"You're fucking crazy."
"It'll work. I won't drop you."
It was the only shot they had, and Kuvira knew it. Juicy couldn't get lower than where he was now without being seen. A skybison drew more attention than they would, even if it was dark. She just hoped Opal knew what she was doing.
"Fine."
Before Kuvira could blink Opal leapt off Juicy's saddle, disappearing off to one side and out of sight. Kuvira took a deep breath and steadied herself. She wanted to keep her feet on the ground—or on Juicy. But that wasn't an option. She was startled when Opal shot up through the air behind her, but when Opal evened out and began to glide above her Kuvira was as ready as she could be.
Both cables darted from her hips and wound around Opal's waist with enough slack that Kuvira could take a running start off of Juicy's back. She held her breath as the freefall started, not knowing when it would be cut short. It came sooner than she expected, with the cables pulling taut within seconds and she felt fear form in her gut at the jerking motion that continued her fall. She contemplated letting the cables go, momentarily lacking confidence in Opal's capability. But that would have inevitably led to her own death. She was thankful that the fall slowed shortly before she made a decision, and looked up to see Opal gliding above her.
"You okay?"
"I'll get us to the ground." Opal assured. "Don't worry."
"Safely?"
"No, Kuvira. I'm going to drop you. I promise."
"Have to ask." Kuvira replied. She tried to avoid looking down, and she felt a little better for it.
The rest of the descent was smooth, and Kuvira dared to look down as the walls surrounding the palace began to pass underneath them. They were going to land in the gardens as best she could tell in the dark. When she was comfortable with the drop distance she released her cables from Opal's waist and entered a freefall, bracing herself and fragmenting the earth under her feet when she made contact with the ground. She heard Opal land close by, and turned to join her.
"Alright, where is Ikki supposed to be?"
"Dunno. But we're going to find out."
Kuvira frowned to herself but followed Opal's lead. She'd hoped Ikki would be easy to find. The sooner they got into the prison the sooner they could get out. She didn't want to stay out in the open any longer than necessary.
There was a surprising lack of guards, which Opal seemed to notice at the same time Kuvira did.
"Something's not right."
Kuvira nodded, looking around cautiously. "We can't worry about it. We need to move."
"I hope Mako and Bolin made it in okay." Opal muttered as she began to move toward where they suspected the prison to be.
Kuvira had almost forgotten about them. She hoped as Opal did that they'd made it inside the palace walls, but was briefly afraid that the two brothers might have been responsible for the absence of guards. No, they wouldn't have gotten caught.
A distant boom echoed from the lower-ring of the city, and Kuvira flinched at the noise. It was too familiar to not send a pang of fear through her. P'li was there. Which could only mean that the Red Lotus were attacking. She fought every instinct to grab Opal and run, forcing herself to stay. They had to help the airbenders. She just hoped they had time.
"What was that?" Opal whispered, the fear apparent in her shaky tone.
"You know what that was."
"P'li…"
Kuvira took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, clenching her fists.
"We have to find Ikki."
"Opal?" The third voice caused Kuvira's head to snap around, and she saw the wispy form of Ikki a few yards away from them. "Oh thank goodness—this way. Quickly."
Opal surged forward, and Kuvira had to jog and keep up with both of them as Ikki's near-transparent form darted ahead of them. A second boom echoed through the city and Kuvira swallowed hard. At least she knows where we're going. Now I just need to know what the Red Lotus are up to.
Aiwei kept himself from rolling his eyes as he strolled into the throne room at Zaheer's side. Zaheer had decided the pair of them would be present for the early execution of the Earth Queen. This would give them the chaos they craved. The rest would be easy.
The Earth Queen was sitting on her throne, looking down at the pair of them without even bothering to mask her disinterest. "What is so important that the two of you had to come so late?"
We came to kill you.
Aiwei lied. "We wanted to let you know we found no sign of the Avatar during our search today."
They hadn't even looked. The Avatar wasn't in Ba Sing Se. They didn't have to look for Korra to know that. Her friends were still nearby, but they mattered little. They'd die just like the rest.
"What's the point in telling me something I already know?" The Queen scoffed. "If you'd have found her, you'd have brought her to me."
No we wouldn't have.
Aiwei started to say something more, but Zaheer interrupted him.
"I wanted to discuss the state of the Earth Kingdom, your highness." Aiwei saw the corner of Zaheer's lips twitch into a smirk as he spoke. Zaheer had been waiting for this longer than the rest of them. "You see, I think that it's kind of unfair that the stability of an entire nation rests on one selfish woman's shoulders."
The Queen was visibly insulted, but Zaheer continued speaking. He'd be hard to interrupt, whether she had the guts to try or not. Aiwei began to tune Zaheer out. He'd heard it all before, and wasn't interested in hearing it again.
Zaheer went on about all the damage the Queen and her selfish desires had done to the Earth Kingdom, and how the entire idea of a monarchy was so outdated and useless that he wasn't sure why she still wore the crown in the first place.
Zaheer was slowly approaching her as he spoke, and Aiwei let out a quiet sigh. Despite the pleasure seeing the Queen's death would bring him, part of him wished he'd chosen to go with Ghazan and P'li instead. The two of them were wreaking havoc on the lower-ring of the city, leaving Aiwei with Zaheer as Ming'hua waited to take the two of them away from the palace in an airship.
Still, they all had their part to play. Aiwei was with Zaheer if something went wrong, and nothing more. The guards on the way to the queen had been easy to dispose of, and she was too proud of the Dai Li's so called skill to bother having them in the throne room itself for such a last-minute meeting. That would be her fatal mistake, but Aiwei suspected it didn't matter. He and Zaheer would have taken out the posted guards regardless.
But Aiwei was acutely aware that against the non-bending Queen herself, he would not be needed. Still, he kept a lookout with his bare-feet to the stone floor. He could alert Zaheer if anyone approached them, but that took minimal effort which allowed his thoughts to wander.
He hadn't planned on staying with Zaheer and the others past Ba Sing Se. They would go on to target the other world leaders, he had no doubt of that. For Aiwei, though he supported the ideals of the Red Lotus, he had no interest in actively participating until it came to the Avatar. She was the key.
Aiwei thought briefly that he could simply pick an apartment of his choosing in the upper-ring of Ba Sing Se and wait the rest of the death out until his companions needed him again. That would be simpler, and he couldn't say he minded the idea of being alone as Ba Sing Se crumbled into chaos bit by bit.
He was in the middle of deciding what color combinations he wanted to use in the living room when he heard a fear-filled gasp escape the queen's throat. Aiwei raised his eyebrow and looked over, only to see Zaheer pulling the breath from her lungs. He watched silently, satisfaction coursing through him as the life was quite literally torn from her. Aiwei hesitated when she dropped to the floor, suddenly able to sense the presence of others just outside the throne room door.
He was able to make out the shape of two people, but from the lack of armor he knew they weren't Dai Li. He turned his head to look toward the entrance to the room, only to see the door cracked open the slightest amount. A wide, amber eye stared out at him through the gap and he grinned before taking a step forward.
The figures bolted when he moved, and he followed their footsteps in his mind until they were well out of his range. It doesn't matter. He kept his eyes on the door though he didn't expect them to return, and after a few moments Zaheer moved to his side looking quite pleased with the outcome of the assassination attempt.
"Now, Aiwei." Zaheer grinned. "Prince Wu will be next."
Mako grabbed Bolin's arm and ran, winding through the maze-like halls of the palace and dragging his brother far away from the throne room. They didn't need to be there.
"Mako what're you doing?!" Bolin exclaimed, looking back over his shoulder toward the throne room. "What about the Queen?"
"She's dead, Bo." Mako replied simply. There was nothing more they could do for her. Fighting Zaheer over a dead body would get them nowhere. "We have to find Prince Wu before they do."
Bolin didn't have any further objections, but Mako knew his brother wasn't happy about the decision. It didn't matter. The only thing they could do to help now would be get the prince to safety.
The Earth Kingdom will need him.
Mako had no idea where he was going, but he had a vague idea of where the prince's room would be from noticing how the Dai Li changed shifts around the palace. He trusted the prince to be guarded all day as well as the Queen was, and he wasn't disappointed in his instincts when they found Prince Wu lounging in the first sitting room they'd come across with two Dai Li guards posted outside.
"The Queen needs you in the throne room." Mako told them urgently, hoping they'd be able to stop Zaheer and Aiwei but not holding his breath.
The two guards looked at each other as if they didn't believe him, but one of them eventually stepped past him and moved on down the hall. He'd hoped they'd both leave, but he could deal with one of them on his own if it came to it.
Ignoring the guard for the more pressing matter, Mako darted into the sitting room where Wu was, the words leaving his mouth before he could be more tactful. "The Queen has been assassinated and you're in danger. You need to come with us."
Wu raised one eyebrow before glancing at the guard behind Mako. "What're you talking about?"
"The Queen is dead." Mako repeated. "The Red Lotus assassinated-."
The tears that sprung to Wu's eyes surprised him. "Auntie is…dead?"
"Yes. We need to get you out of here-."
He wasn't expecting the hand that wrapped tightly around his arm, and Mako heard a gruff 'you're under arrest' before he moved. Mako didn't want to attack the guard, but he had to get Wu out of here. The Dai Li hadn't protected the Queen, the prince would not fare much better against the Red Lotus.
"Bolin! Grab him!" Mako barked out his instructions as he kicked a flame at the guard's head, and he saw his brother moving out of the corner of his eye. When he heard Wu shouting in protest, he unleashed a series of short jabs, a flurry of flames that ran the guard into the wall. Before the guard had time to pick himself up Bolin had bolted, Prince Wu hoisted over his shoulder.
Mako sprinted after them, looking over his shoulder to make sure the guard wasn't following them. They had to get out of the palace.
"Bolin, get to the gardens. That's where Kuvira and Opal will be."
"Mako are you sure?"
"Yes. Don't put the prince down until they're with you. I'll catch up." Bolin started to protest, but Mako cut him off. "Go! I'll meet you there."
Bolin continued running ahead of him and Mako skidded to a halt, turning his back on his brother.
As if on cue, the Dai Li Mako had stunned came barreling around the corner, charging down the hall when he saw Mako waiting on him.
I just have to buy them time. I can distract him long enough.
"They're here."
Jinora looked up to see Ikki standing at the ready, a grin on her face. Jinora felt relief crash over her as she heard the sounds of fighting down the hall of their prison. As the sounds got closer Jinora stood and moved to the door, hoping she would get a glimpse of what was happening. She expected Kuvira, Mako, and even Bolin to be fighting their way down, but she was surprised to see a guard launched past the bars of her cell door by a gust of air.
"Nice shot, Opal." Kuvira bragged a moment later, before both Opal and Kuvira came into Jinora's field of vision.
"Hush. Start letting them out."
Kuvira moved to the cell door Jinora was pressed against, and retrieved a small shard of meteorite from her pocket. She bent it down until it was almost liquid, then guided the metal with a fluid motion into the keyhole. The lock slid open a breath later, and the door swung back against Jinora and nearly knocked her down. Ikki caught her, and Kuvira looked in at them apologetically.
"You okay?"
"We're fine." Jinora assured her, dusting herself off. "Get Lin next, across the hall."
Lin's face appeared in the door's window as Jinora spoke, her expression angry. "It's about time."
"Do you want out or not?" Kuvira asked, unfazed.
Lin rolled her eyes, and took a step back as Kuvira opened the door to her cell. "Give me some of that meteorite. The guards will be up and moving before you open them all."
"Attention all airbenders!" Lin barked as Kuvira passed over the meteorite. "We are leaving! You can come with us, or you can stay here. Which is it?" There was nothing but a chorus of 'take us with you' that reached Jinora from the center of the hall, and Lin nodded before she moved. "I had a feeling you'd all say that."
As Kuvira and Lin began freeing the rest of the prisoners, Opal got Jinora's attention with a gently-placed hand on her shoulder. "We need to go. Kuvira can lead them out."
Jinora nodded, limping after Opal when she turned her back on Lin and Kuvira. There was a narrow metal staircase that led them above ground, and Jinora could hear shouting from above them as they made their ascent.
"OPAL!" Bolin's panicked voice reached them, distant though it was. "KUVIRA?! SOMEBODY HELP!
Opal ran up the remaining stairs, disappearing out of Jinora's sight only momentarily as she ran to Bolin's aid. Jinora and Ikki emerged seconds after her, and saw Bolin running toward them with someone slung over his shoulder. As they drew closer she saw it was Prince Wu, who was doing his best to escape Bolin's grasp.
"Bolin what're you doing?" Opal asked, her eyebrows shooting up. "Put him down!"
"I can't." Bolin panted. "Queen dead—Zaheer—Aiwei—Mako fighting—help."
A loud boom echoed from behind them, and Jinora looked over the wall to see plumes of smoke rising from Ba Sing Se. Her mouth fell open for only a moment before her eyes darted to Opal, who was standing in front of Bolin with her fists clenched.
Opal took a deep breath as airbenders began pouring out of the prison. The entrance had been covered by earthen slabs that were removed by the guards for entering and exiting, but Lin and Kuvira didn't bother to close them as they followed the airbenders out. Jinora did a headcount as Bolin repeated his message to Kuvira and Lin, satisfied when she saw that everyone had made it out.
"Lin," Kuvira said her name impatiently, looking at the palace warily. "What do we do?"
"We're not staying here." Lin grunted. "Go find an airship. Opal and I will go get Mako."
Bolin paled. "What about the Red Lotus?"
Lin hesitated. "I don't think that's a fight we're going to win today. Keep the prince safe. Kuvira—go."
The sound of another explosion churned fear in Jinora's stomach. They had to keep the airbenders safe. I wish Korra was here. Bolin moved to group up with the airbenders, a disgruntled Wu still held on his shoulder. Ikki was pacing like a caged animal, her eyes scanning the entrance to the palace, occasionally glancing in the direction Kuvira had ran in. Jinora closed her eyes and put her hands together, counting as she inhaled deeply. She needed to focus.
She tuned out the fear spreading through her, concentrating on each breath. Kuvira will get an airship. Opal and Lin will get Mako. We will get back to Zaofu. Jinora treated each thought as fact, counting each exhale.
Minutes passed, and Jinora only opened her eyes again when she heard the hum of an engine above them. She looked up and saw an airship approaching them, the wind whipping her hair as it descended near them. Jinora saw the airbenders tense, and it took a moment for her to recognize that it was an airship primarily used by the Dai Li, the Queen's seal emblazoned on the side.
Jinora moved to the front of the group of airbenders as Ikki assumed a defensive position in front of the airship's ramp. When the ramp began to open, Jinora braced herself as well. She didn't want to fight, but they'd come this far.
Instead of any Dai Li that they were expecting, when the door lowered further they saw Kuvira with her hands raised palm-open watching them with caution. When Jinora and Ikki both relaxed with recognition, Kuvira closed her hands and lowered her arms with a smug smile.
"Here's your airship."
Ikki immediately began ushering the airbenders inside without a word, but Jinora turned to the palace. Lin and Opal weren't back yet with Mako. Bolin hesitated with Wu, and she knew he was as worried about the three of them as she was.
"Take Wu inside." Jinora told him. "I'll wait on them."
Bolin paused, nodding solemnly after a few seconds and carrying Prince Wu into the airship. The ground trembled underneath her feet, and Jinora frowned as she looked to the plumes of smoke rising rapidly above the city. What're they doing?
Shouting drew her from her thoughts, and she snapped her head back toward the palace to see Lin, Opal, and Mako running toward her.
"Is that the airship?" Lin barked.
Jinora nodded once as the trio slowed to a jog to approach her. "Kuvira just got here."
"We have to get into the lower-ring." Mako panted as he jogged past Jinora onto the ramp. "We have to get my family, the whole lower-ring is on fire."
"You got it, kid." Lin promised, motioning for Jinora and Opal to board before her. "Then we're getting the hell out of here."
Mako and Lin rushed into the cockpit of the airship, and Jinora moved closer to her sister as the airship slowly rose into the air above the palace grounds. Kuvira was standing near the window, her cellphone clutched desperately against her ear. Jinora paused, unsure of who Kuvira could be calling, but when Kuvira spoke a chill spread to Jinora's very core.
"Su? Su it's me. We're leaving Ba Sing Se—we're fine. Listen to me. Please. The Red Lotus are attacking."
Jinora felt her chest constrict as dread washed over her. Part of her felt like she'd been here before. Then she heard it, and when the words left Kuvira, Jinora couldn't breathe.
"The Queen is dead. The city is burning. You aren't safe."
Kuvira continued talking, but Jinora couldn't make out what she was saying. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again she was alone. She didn't recognize the walls around her. This was no airship. There were no airbenders, Lin, Opal, no one. She was alone. She closed her eyes again and tried to focus, but when she opened them once more she found herself in the same position. Jinora began to panic, her head whipping side to side as she tried to find something familiar.
This isn't real.
She turned around hoping she could will herself out of whatever was happening, but instead found herself face to face with Asami. Jinora froze.
Asami isn't here. She's with Korra. Not real.
There were tearstains streaking down Asami's cheeks, and she held a pistol in one hand, her grip shaky. She was looking down at her feet, and Jinora followed her gaze downwards. There was a body at Asami's feet, but Jinora couldn't recognize who it was. It appeared to be a man, but when Jinora looked to his face all she saw was red.
Asami choked back a sob, and when Jinora looked up again she saw nothing but pain in Asami's eyes.
"He's dead…" Asami croaked out. "He killed him…"
"Asami?" Jinora didn't trust her own voice. But she was afraid. I have to know what's happened.
"He's dead…" Asami repeated, before she began to fully sob. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop him-."
Asami froze. Jinora shuddered when Asami's piercing pale eyes found her. All her agony was replaced with rage, and Jinora quickly looked down again to avoid the gaze. She was met with nothing but red.
"Jinora?"
Hearing her own name startled her. Her eyes bore into the figure at their feet to continue avoiding Asami, and she took a deep breath.
"Jinora?"
Isn't real. None of this is real. It's not real. It's not, it's not, it's not.
The limp body in front of her began to stir, and Jinora's mouth fell open in horror as the bloody head turned toward her. The eyes fell open but instead of the eyes of the poor man she was met with an empty blackness, and as his mouth opened in agony Jinora clenched her eyes shut and bit back a scream.
"JINORA!"
She felt pressure on her shoulders, and used all her strength to force her eyes back open. Instead of Asami, she found Ikki in front of her, her sister's hands gripping her tightly.
"Are you okay?"
Jinora took a shaky breath and shook her head. Bolin and Opal were both watching her with concern, Kuvira's gaze still locked on the window. Ikki didn't let her go, and Jinora was grateful.
Ikki sighed. "Come sit down."
Jinora obeyed, sitting next to her sister on a low bench and gulping down air. The airbenders were staring but she didn't care.
This is real. Everything is okay.
It took a minute for Ikki to lean closer, her mouth close to Jinora's ear as she whispered. "What did you see?"
"I don't know." Jinora replied, fear still coursing through her. "I don't…I don't feel right."
"What do you mean?"
"I feel like…part of me is missing."
Ikki frowned at Jinora's words, and Jinora knew she had no better way to explain it to her sister.
I need to calm down. I can't figure it out in this condition. Just relax.
"The wall is gone." Kuvira murmured from the window, drawing everyone's attention. Jinora looked as best she could, and could see burning gaps in the massive stone wall that separated the lower and middle rings. Lava was pouring through them, and Jinora watched in horror as an explosion illuminated a street below them.
We need to stop them. How many people have they killed tonight?
"Mako bring the airship down!" Lin barked. "The house is below us!"
Lin felt the airship lurch slightly as Mako obeyed the order, and she saw Bolin in the corner of her vision, pacing worriedly.
"What if they're not down there?" Bolin asked aloud, his face pale.
"They will be, Bo." Mako called back. "The entire lower-ring is on fire. They don't have anywhere to go."
Lin understood Mako was trying to comfort his brother but that wasn't the way to go about it. Even she knew that. Bolin only seemed to grow more anxious, something that was apparently irritating to Kuvira, who had moved next to Opal with her arms crossed.
"They'll be fine." Kuvira growled. "We'll get them out."
Kuvira was about as sweet as a rabid wolf, and Lin kept her mouth shut. There was nothing she herself could say to soothe any of them. Her head was throbbing painfully, and all she wanted was for the group of them to get back to Zaofu safely.
Kuvira's response seemed to pull Bolin out of his own thoughts, and Lin watched realization flicker across his face through the fear. "What about your parents, Kuvira? They're down there too! We can-."
"We're getting your family and we're leaving." Kuvira replied, cutting him off in a cold tone.
Bolin opened his mouth, but he never got another word out. Not to Kuvira, at least. Mako opened the ramp on the back of the airship, and Kuvira had jumped out of it almost immediately, landing on the rooftop. Opal and Bolin both followed after her, and Lin sighed. She heard another combustion blast strike somewhere in the distance, and the sounds of chaos in the lower-ring were multiplying.
Mako was muttering nervously to himself as he eyed the skyline, and Lin caught sight of Jinora and Ikki embracing each other as the recently freed airbenders congregated together. Lin saw Prince Wu off by himself in a corner, and she approached him with a frown. This couldn't be easy on him.
It wasn't until she was nearer to him that she realized he was crying, and he was rubbing his eye with one sleeve when she moved in front of him. When Wu looked at her Lin completely blanked on what she'd been about to tell him. Whatever it had been, hadn't been words of comfort. She felt like a fish out of water, her mouth falling open slightly as she tried to wrack her brain and remember what she was going to say.
"What?" Wu sniffled.
"Um…." Lin blinked, cursing herself for putting herself on the spot like this. She was relieved when she finally remembered. "We're going to be heading to Zaofu. My sister Suyin will make sure you're safe-."
"What about the Dai Li?!" Wu nearly shouted. "They're supposed to be protecting me!"
"The city isn't safe, your highness." Lin replied, reminding herself not to snap at him. "Once we have you in Zaofu where you can be protected, we will try to get in touch with them."
"I don't want to go to Zaofu." Wu protested. "My aunt-."
"-is dead." Lin told him bluntly, which nearly caused him to start bawling again. "Which means we have to do everything we can to keep you safe."
Lin saw movement in the peripheral of her good eye, and she whipped her head around to see Opal climbing back into the airship. She turned a moment later to see Opal bend over as she helped Bolin and Mako's grandmother into the airship. Once the older woman was on board, the rest of Mako and Bolin's family began climbing inside. Lin could hear Mako counting. He was making sure everyone got out, and Lin couldn't blame him. But unlike Mako, so long as Opal, Kuvira, Jinora and Ikki were on the airship, Lin was happy. She had less to worry about in that moment than Mako did.
Jinora and Ikki stood and set to work helping Opal usher the rest of the family inside, and Lin crossed her arms. It took only a few minutes to get everyone in, which was a relief. The sooner they were all inside, the sooner they could leave.
"That's the whole family." Opal called from near the ramp. "Now Bolin and Kuvira-."
The airship started moving, and Lin set her feet against the metal floor and saw Jinora and Ikki nearly roll out of the still-open ramp door. Opal was holding onto the wall, her eyes wide. The airship was rising.
"Mako what're you doing?!" Opal yelled. "They're still down there!"
"What?" Mako shouted back, looking over his shoulder.
Wu had moved to get a better view of what was happening, and Lin shouldered past him on her way to Opal's side. They were about ten feet above the roof, and Lin could see Bolin and Kuvira still standing on the roof below them. Bolin's mouth was hanging open in shock, and Kuvira's eyes were wide. But Kuvira recovered faster than he did. Kuvira grabbed Bolin by the shoulder, a length of cable wrapping around his waist. Lin moved immediately, understanding that the gesture meant Kuvira was going to let Bolin go up before her.
When Kuvira snapped the cable from the spool at her hip she used her bending to throw it up toward the ramp, Lin hated not having her own armor and cables readily available. She was able to gain control of the cable with ease, and she buried it into the floor in front of her before she began to pull. Bolin came up, slowly but surely, and Lin kept her gaze on Kuvira to make sure they both got up safely.
The airship was still rising higher, and it didn't take long for Lin to realize Kuvira wasn't coming. A wave of smoke passed between them before Lin understood the look on Kuvira's face: fear. She'd run out of cables.
They should have come up at the same time.
"Mako!" Lin barked. "Lower the airship!"
"I can't!" Mako fired back. "The smoke is too thick! I'll hit something!"
"God damn the smoke, Mako! Kuvira's still down there! I can see her fine, and I'm going blind!"
"Chief, I can't."
"Damn it, Mako." Lin spat back. "I'm dangling your fucking brother out of the airship. Bring it down, now!"
"I can't fucking see!" Mako bellowed. "If you think you can do a better job then by all means!"
"Lin we can't just leave her." Opal told her, her voice cracking with fear.
"We aren't going to fucking leave her." Lin growled, reaching down and dragging Bolin up by the arm once he was close enough.
"One of us can fly down." Ikki offered as soon as Lin wheeled around and stormed toward the cockpit.
"You'll do no such thing." Lin replied. "I'll take care of it."
She grabbed Mako by the shoulder seconds later, yanking him out of the way as she took the controls. She knew with one look out the window that Mako was right. The smoke was too thick to see, and was only worsening. But she refused to admit she was wrong. She knew she could get several feet lower—within safe reach of Kuvira—but that would run the risk of hitting something. If they did, they ran the risk of crashing. That put them all in danger. Mako had made the right call, but Lin wouldn't tell him that. Nor would she leave Kuvira if she could help it.
"Opal you can't." Lin heard Bolin say in a pleading tone. She looked over her shoulder to see Bolin standing close to Opal, one had closed around her arm. "You heard Mako. If you go down there-."
Opal ripped her arm from Bolin's grasp, her eyes flashing angrily. "Kuvira wouldn't leave any of us, Bolin."
"Opal-." Bolin started.
"Kuvira fell through the roof!" the voice belonged to Jinora, who was still standing near the open door.
Lin started forward at once, despite knowing there was little she could do now. She made it to Jinora's side, able to see little but smoke and flames—Kuvira nowhere in sight.
"Opal!"
Lin heard Bolin's voice crack as he called after Opal a second time, and before she knew what was happening she felt an elbow in her side nudging her out of the way.
It was Opal. "Get Wu and the airbenders back to Zaofu. I'll catch up." Lin blinked, her arm shooting out reflexively to grab Opal and keep her from jumping. Instead, all she caught was air. Opal was a step out of reach and Opal glanced at Lin for only a moment, her eyes dark. "I can't leave her."
Opal jumped out of the airship a second later, and as the wings to her glider suit deployed Lin felt like the breath had been knocked out of her. They'd lost complete control of the situation. She vaguely heard Bolin begging his brother to lower the airship—he'd fail, just like Lin had. But Lin's eyes were following Opal, even as she heard the motors whir to life and begin raising the ramp back into place so the door would close.
When Opal landed, she took only moments to fasten the glider suit's wings back into place. The last glimpse Lin got of Opal before the door closed was of Opal turning her head to look up at the airship. Her expression gave away the pain she felt, amplified by the sight of Ba Sing Se on fire behind her. When Opal was fully obstructed by the door, Lin took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"We have to do something!" Bolin insisted.
Lin was going to regret this. Every inch of her screamed in protest. This was wrong. But she ignored it as best she could.
Shaking her head, she looked back toward the cockpit, her voice loud enough to carry to Mako. "Get us to Zaofu."
"Chief." Mako acknowledged briefly.
"We can't just leave them!" Bolin tried again, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
She had to trust Opal's instincts, if she could. If Opal said she'd catch up, she would one way or another. Lin didn't have any other choice now. She hated not having control.
"We have to think of everyone else." Lin said, though it killed her to do so. "And that means we have to get to Zaofu."
She gave Bolin a pointed look to let him know that was the end of the matter, though she didn't miss how angry Jinora and Ikki both seemed about her decision. She hated that too. Taking a deep breath, she turned away from them and made her way back into the cockpit with Mako.
"You sure about this, Chief?" He asked quietly.
"You know damn well I'm not." Lin grunted. "But we can't risk everyone else's lives to try and save them. Hate it…but have to do it."
Mako was silent for several tense seconds, and after a pause he looked at her nervously. "What happens when we get to Zaofu?"
Lin crossed her arms and shrugged. Zaofu was still a while away. "I don't know. But you're the one who gets to tell Su where Opal and Kuvira are."
That was a burden Lin would be glad to be rid of. Especially if harm came to either of them. She was hiding enough from Su as it was. Mako could bear the consequences of this decision.