Happy new year everyone! *whispers* I know I'm past the actual New Year's Day to post this but shhhhh we're gonna pretend I'm not. *goes back to normal voice* I hope you all had a wonderful start to 2016. It feels weird to type 2016 and to say it. *mumbles 2016 to myself five times* Anyway, here's the latest update to History: Part II. And, I know I say this a lot and what not, but thank-you to each and every one of you who have read this story. It's been a very roller-coaster ride this past year. 2015 was the first time I ever wrote fanfiction and it was the return of one of the passions that I have not explored since high school; writing. Prior to this, it had been five years since I wrote a single thing. And I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to write and share this story with you. I know it's not perfect, and I certainly know it's lost a lot of attention since Chemistry first debuted in March of 2015 and History: Part I made things a bit... bumpier than desired, but I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking around and staying with the story. This project has been so much fun to work on, and the characters that have come out of it have been a blast to work with. I'm really looking forward to continuing on this journey as the story continues to develop.
So, my lovely readers, thank-you for your love and support, and may 2016 be as kind to you as you have been to me.
(PS - I'm sorry for this chapter. It's a rough one.)
(-)
Chapter 35
An explanation
Korra opened her eyes with a groan. Her head was spinning and her limbs were sore. She pushed herself upright when the sound of a crackling fire filled her ears. "What? Where…" She let her question fade as her pupils picked up the light in her room. Most of it came from the fire, though a small amount was shining through the window. The beam was orange and faint, indicating the setting sun outside. Naga was in her usual spot, resting in a curled up ball near the pane. A smile crept onto her lips when she noticed the stuffed polar bear dog plush under her paws.
Wait, where's Asami?
She glanced around the room, finding no engineer in her sight. Korra rubbed her lids with the back of her hands, the fatigue spreading to her face.
That... that was intense.
She stretched her arms above her head, noting the tension in her shoulders as a loud yawn escaped her lungs. Her fingers traced over her wolf pelt for a brief, absentminded moment, the bruises on her right hand stinging just a bit.
"I thought I heard you yawn," Asami smiled as she entered the open door, a small tray of tea in her hands. She pushed the handle with her hip until the latch clicked shut. "Here – you need to drink something." She crossed the room and placed the platter on the dresser. Asami grabbed a steaming cup and sat on the edge of Korra's mattress. "You were knocked out by the time Naga and I got you back. Luckily, the Strikers didn't destroy your house, too." She offered the warm mug to Korra. "I've been waiting for you to wake up to make sure you were okay. How are you feeling?"
Korra took the cup and inhaled the seaweed aroma.
Mom must have had some left over to heat up when all of this happened.
She sipped a bit of the hot liquid, grateful for the warmth and hydration. She brought her attention back to Asami. "I'm feeling a bit better now. I'm really tired, though. That – that was nothing like what I expected. Well, I didn't expect it at all. I can't believe they came all the way down here."
Asami grew a bit rigid for just a moment. "Me neither."
"Are you okay, Asami? With everything that female Striker said and I – I saw you get hit a few times…"
"I'm fine." She sported a soft smile to prove her case, even if it was a bit false. "I'm more worried about you." She slid her fingers into Korra's free hand.
Korra shot a similar smirk to her, though hers was genuine. "I'll be okay. I just need some more rest. And maybe some food." She downed the rest of her tea and handed the empty mug to Asami. When Asami left the bed to return the cup, Korra followed her on shaky legs. She put her hands on Asami's shoulders once she was stopped at the dresser and melted into her back. "I'm glad you're okay, Asami," she whispered, her cheek against the half-gear on Asami's coat. She shut her eyes and took a breath to calm herself. The scent of the woman she loved filled her nose, her natural aroma overpowering the arctic lilies from before.
Asami set the mug down and twisted so that their fronts pressed together in a hug. "Me, too." They stayed in this position for a minute or two until both of their stomachs growled. "We should eat something to get our strength back."
"Good idea."
They departed and approached the doorway. "I think your mom has some fish left over in the ice box. That's where I found the tea. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all. We've got nothing to hide."
They smiled and quieted, sneaking past the sleeping polar bear dog.
"Are my parents okay," Korra asked, stopping short of the exit.
Asami nodded. "I helped Katara get them back here once you were safe in bed. They were both knocked out before we got half way, so Naga helped us, too. The last time I checked on them about an hour ago, they were sleeping. I haven't heard much of a peep from them otherwise."
She sighed in relief. "Good. I was really worried about my dad. He wasn't conscious when we came back to the shore."
"Katara checked him over. He's got a few bruises and cuts, but he should be fine."
Korra smiled and pulled on the handle to her door. It squeaked open, but it wasn't enough of a noise to wake the exhausted polar bear dog. "Phew," she muttered, wiping the back of her hand against her brow to dramatize the moment.
Asami giggled behind her palm, careful to be as quiet as she could.
Korra couldn't help but grin; she loved seeing Asami happy. Mother Nature interrupted her amusement, though, her bladder screeching for release after the long day. "Er – I'm going to head to the bathroom. I'll meet you in the kitchen, okay?"
She nodded and returned to the dresser to get the tray while Korra slipped down the hall to relieve herself.
"Senna, before we eat, we need to talk." Tonraq's voice boomed through the corridor, radiating from the common room.
Asami halted in the open doorway when she heard his tone, platter in hand.
Well, I guess they aren't sleeping anymore.
And the chi blocking wore off.
It made sense to her, now that she thought about it; they had slept and recovered for a longer amount of time after this incident than they had when the Strikers first blocked their chi back in the outskirts of Republic City. She lingered, unsure of whether or not to leave the room. Her heart skipped a beat as she listened to the conversation.
"Talk about what, sweetie?" Senna was sincere in her speech, her concern carrying in her voice.
"Don't sweetie me." He stung back with a poison-laced response.
Asami heard footsteps as Tonraq moved closer to the hallway and farther away from his wife.
I don't think they know that we're home.
"Tonraq, what's wrong?"
"You know exactly what's wrong." His volume escalated enough to echo into Korra's bedroom.
"Tonraq –"
"I know you saw it. And if you didn't, then I certainly did. Twice. Korra Fire Bended." He paused as the sound of his boots clacked away from the corridor and back into the common room. "Now, tell me, how is it that my child – the child of two Water Benders – could possibly be a Fire Bender? Can you explain that to me?"
Senna hesitated. "Tonraq, please, we just made it through a horrible attack. People were hurt. People died. We need to go take care of the village before we discuss this."
"Oh, no. This isn't going to wait." He stepped further, approaching the center of the common room where his wife was standing. "We are going to talk about this right now."
Asami quivered in the doorway. She slid to the side so she was against the wall, keeping herself hidden from the sight of the entrance.
"Tell me, Senna. Who was it? Was it Mizu? You two were always close, always spending time together while I was with the captain, always – always good friends..."
"Tonraq, what are you talking about?"
"How else would my daughter be a Fire Bender? It's pretty obvious, Senna. You – you cheated on me. Korra isn't mine. She's someone else's!"
Asami let out a silent gasp, the tray long abandoned to the floor space beside her.
"How dare you accuse me of cheating on you. I love you, Tonraq, with all my heart –"
"And you knew that I wanted a family, with all of my heart. I wanted a child. I wanted to raise a Water Bender that could take my place and make me proud and redeem everything that happened in the north. It makes sense now – considering my damned inability to make a fucking baby – that you would go behind my back so that we could have a child. I couldn't conceive, so you went to someone else."
"Tonraq, this is ridiculous. I did not cheat on you. I have never cheated on you and I never will. Mizu and I –"
"How else do you explain Korra Fire Bending? Huh? There's no other possible explanation. It's not like some Spirit descended down upon her and gave her Fire Bending. That's not how this works. To be a Bender, you've got to have the Bender's blood, and Korra has Fire Bending blood in her. Otherwise, she wouldn't be a fucking Fire Bender."
"Tonraq –"
"No. I don't want to hear it. Whether you admit it or not, she's got some sort of Fire Nation in her and not my own. She's not my daughter."
"Tonraq, you helped raise her. You've been there from the start. You held her in your arms the moment she could breathe. She loves you and you love her."
"She's not my daughter. As far as I'm concerned, I have no child."
Asami clasped her hands to her chest in disbelief.
How – how could he say that? How could he think that about Korra?
Senna did much of the same. "Tonraq, I never cheated on you. Korra is as much yours as she is mine –"
"I don't want to hear it." His hot-headed temper and rage was consuming him in his fatigue. Watching his village get attacked, watching his fellow hunters and friends die, getting chi blocked and captured – all of it was just adding fuel to the fire of the past few days. He saw his daughter Fire Bend with his own eyes, there was no denying it; the moment those flames shot out of her, his heart shocked and crumbled. It was then that he realized it was too good to be true – it had to be… that – that him being able to conceive after years of failure was just some fluke. The baby girl he held in his arms when she was born, the little girl who couldn't Water Bend –
I guess we know why that's not possible.
He growled, his fists shaking in his absolute pain. He might not be the official Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, but dammit he was Water Tribe through and through. Family was crucial to him and his people. He had to pass on his legacy, his heritage, his blood, his royalty – even if it was yanked away from him. The fact – even just the notion – that Korra was fathered by another – especially that they were wed – that Korra didn't have his Northern blood pumping through her, that she was some product of his wife's infidelity… it engulfed him and tore him apart.
His heart was at war, one side telling him that it didn't matter, that he was the one who raised Korra, he was the one who was a father to her.
The other rejected the teen, like a male saber tooth moose lion killing the cub of another male in his pride.
But he was not a saber tooth moose lion. He was a wolf, a wolf of the North.
And wolves take care of their pack.
But they also kill off unwelcome intruders.
But is Korra an unwelcome intruder?
Or is she just the product of someone else coming into your pack and defiling your wife?
His fists tightened more, the turmoil within him too great. He fought back his angry tears. "It makes sense, Senna. Why she couldn't Water Bend after all those years. All that time we wasted trying to teach her to be something she was never ever going to be. All of the disappointment… All the times you took her to the docks to see Mizu and the rest of the Fire Nation Navy when they landed." There was venom in his voice.
"Tonraq, I'm telling you the truth. I didn't cheat on you. I swear to the Spirits –"
"Fuck the Spirits." He growled, kicking the door open. A gust blew in, but he didn't falter. "They've never done anything for me anyways. Fuck the Spirits, and fuck you."
Senna stood in the doorway for a moment in complete shock. Tears of anger and sorrow fell down her cheeks. She chased after him and grabbed onto his forearm to stop him from leaving. "Tonraq, wait. Where are you going?"
He ripped away from her. "I don't know and I don't care. What does it matter, anyway?"
"Tonraq –"
"Don't touch me. I – I need time alone."
"What about Korra? What about your daughter?"
He gritted his teeth. Everything was red in his sight. Anger filled his head, pushing out anything that might have given him more rationale or sympathy or anything that wasn't blinding ire. Even Urkoma's dark words had no effect on him. It didn't matter. The damage was done and there was no turning back, no voice to tell him to calm down inside and think things through. Urkoma was right in this case, of course she was. He hadn't changed. He was the same person he had been when he destroyed that Sacred Forest, but with a new addition of a wrath-filled drive for redemption. And he failed. He tried to bring something positive into the world and it wasn't even his. All he could do was act on what he knew and what he knew was that he was not Korra's father. She didn't have his blood pumping through him. All she was was a result of a betrayal that ran down to the core, covered up in a lie that he ate up in his exhausted fervor. The stress had piled up. The years had worn him down. Hell, the past few days – no, few hours alone were enough to push him over the edge.
He cracked, too deep in his emotions to find an escape.
"Korra is no daughter of mine." His response was full of both venom and pain.
"Tonraq, you can't possibly believe this."
"What else can I believe?" He turned to her, rage in his voice. "If Korra was born to two Water Benders, there is no way in hell she would be a Fire Bender. It's the only true evidence I have. And if that's the case, she's not my daughter. She doesn't even have my blood. As far as I'm concerned, she isn't even part of the Water Tribe."
"How could you say that? Korra is as much Water Tribe as you and I."
"Not if she's part Fire Nation."
"She's got my blood, so she is Water Tribe. And Tonraq, she looks like you, she acts like you: she is you. She's looked up to you since she could talk. You can't just disinherit and banish her from the Tribe. You are her father, and I'm telling you the truth."
"I want to believe you… but I can't. I can't deny what I saw. She Fire Bended. Unless you have a better explanation for this, then all roads point to someone else between your legs."
"How dare you." She grabbed his shoulder as he turned away.
He didn't stop.
She tried a different approach, looking for any way to convince her husband that she was telling the truth. "Tonraq, wait. Don't leave. Can't we discuss this inside? I'll make some tea and –"
"There's nothing to discuss." He crunched through the snow. His fists never stopped shaking. "Korra is no daughter of mine!"
"Tonraq!" Senna called, slamming the door behind her and running after him.
Asami stood against the wall in complete shock. Her heart was racing in her chest, the blood drained from her face.
What – what just happened?
It was something that she never considered, to be honest; she didn't spend all that much time thinking about why Korra could Fire Bend or looking for an explanation. She just kind of… accepted it. She didn't know why, and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense not to.
Tonraq has a point. If Korra is the child of two Water Benders, there's no way she would be able to Fire Bend.
And she did spend a lot of time trying to Water Bend only to come up short.
Still, though…
Asami didn't believe Tonraq's theory – not entirely. It had its logical components, sure. But she just couldn't picture Senna cheating on him.
You don't even know anything about her. Maybe they had a past. Maybe she cheated on him before.
Plus this whole 'health issues' thing. Korra mentioned that before; he wanted a big family but could only have her. He must have conception problems.
I guess that would point to cheating, too.
Despite the reasoning, part of her still didn't believe this and she didn't know why. Under a rational standpoint, every factor showed that Senna had to have had sex with another man. But something in the bottom of her heart refused to believe it. Her ponderings were cut short when she heard faint sobbing down the hall.
Oh no. Korra.
She must have heard the whole thing.
She rushed out of the bedroom and pushed the handle of the bathroom door. It was locked.
"Korra?" She jiggled the handle with shaking hands. When that didn't work, she gave the spot above the knob a few good kicks.
It still didn't budge.
Asami growled in frustration and dropped to her knees. She looked under the crack and searched for any signs of Korra. The room was lit with just a slit of the setting sun through the curtains.
"Korra?" She brought her hand up to the side of her head and felt around for her bobby pins. Lucky for her, she hadn't taken them out since the fight. She pulled the two pieces of metal from her hair and fiddled with the lock, trying to push the skeleton key out from its place on the other side of the door. She stopped her struggle when she heard footsteps behind her. Asami glanced over her shoulder to see the polar bear dog charging at her.
Fuck!
She shot to her feet and flattened herself against the wall.
Naga just grazed her as she slammed her massive shoulder into the small wooden door. It flew off the hinges with ease. Naga tried to crawl into the room, but the opening was too small for her to fit through.
"Naga," Asami put a hand on the polar bear dog's side, getting her attention.
She attempted to squeeze through once more, whining the entire time.
"Let me."
Naga pulled out of the hole and whimpered, a sad look on her face.
Asami stepped around the animal and scanned the area until she saw Korra curled up in a corner, face buried in her knees. "Korra." She exhaled and crouched beside the woman. She put a pale palm on her tan shoulder, her heart aching.
"I knew this was going to happen, Asami. My dad – he's going to disown me. He's going to kick me out of the Tribe."
"Do you really think he would do that to you? He loves you."
She shook her head. "You don't understand, Asami. All he wanted was a family. To know that I'm not his…"
"He doesn't know that. Not for sure."
"There's no other explanation, Asami. None that I can think of. I knew this was going to happen, the night that I Fire Bended in the City to protect you. I never should have gone to the Fire Nation. I never should have tried to Fire Bend. I wish that none of this ever happened." She slammed her fists into the ground. Pain crawled up her arms from the impact, causing her to flinch.
"Korra," Asami started to scold her but stopped; this was probably not the best time to confront her about her nasty habit of slamming her hands into things. Her expression softened. "It's going to be okay."
"Asami, if he disowns me – if the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe disowns me – unofficial or not... I'm not allowed to come back. Ever. I'll be banished. I'll have nowhere to go, no place to call home. No family…" Korra broke down to the thought. "All I've ever wanted to do was make him proud, to be the child he always dreamed of having. Not only was I unable to do that, I might not even be his."
She pulled her closer until Korra was resting against her. "It's going to be okay. Everything that's been happening the past few days has been exhausting and full of tension. Just give him some time to think things through and to talk to Senna after this whole mess with the Strikers clears up."
"But what if he doesn't change his mind?" Her oceans met the peridots beside her for the first time since Asami found her in the bathroom. "What if he abandons me?"
"Then we'll figure something else out, but we'll cross that bridge if it comes. If it comes. For now –"
Korra melted into Asami, wanting nothing but the comforting embrace of the woman she loved. She broke eye contact and curled up to hide her face. "I wish I never Fire Bended. I wish this curse would just go away. I – I always dreamed about being a Bender, but I never wanted it to be like this. Why is this happening, Asami? Why is it like this? Why did I ever Fire Bend in the first place?" Korra sobbed, struggling to find breath.
Asami paused, tightening her grip and running her fingers through the woman's hair. "I don't know why this is happening, Korra. I'm probably the last person who knows anything about Bending. But if it helps, your Bending – your Bending saved my life. Twice. Who knows what Kuru would have done to me if you didn't step in and shoot fire at him; he – he probably would have killed me before turning to you to do the same. And those Strikers? They would have captured me if it wasn't for you. They would have hurt me in the process and who knows if they would have actually taken me back to my father..."
After a few heaves, Korra whispered: "I – I guess you have a point."
"I may not know why you can Fire Bend, but that doesn't change your value as a person – at least not to me. You're amazing. You're a thoughtful, kind hearted, strong person, Korra. If Tonraq can go through all of these years of raising you just to reject you because of who's sperm is who's instead of who you are, well – you deserve better than that."
Korra sniffled, much too weary and distraught to argue.
"Everything's going to be okay, Korra. You'll get through this. And I'll be here to help you however I can."
Though she didn't respond, Asami could tell that Korra was grateful by the subtle release of tension in her body.
"Come on; let's go lay down for the night. You're shaking. The sun is setting and I think we've had enough for one day. Agreed?"
Korra nodded, still not revealing her face. She wiped her tears away with the back of her palms and pulled away from Asami. She was painfully aware of her bare right bicep now more than ever. All that was in place of her Water Tribe Warrior band was a jagged scar. Her chest convulsed in a minor heave at the thought.
Asami stayed by her side, rubbing her back until she was ready to stand. She helped Korra to her feet; she was a bit shaky after everything she had been through. Asami guided her to the doorway where Naga was waiting for them, pawing at the floor.
Once Korra was in reach, Naga nudged her face with her own, soft whines escaping her.
Korra threw a weary hand on her polar bear dog as they made their way to the bedroom.
Asami eased her onto the bed. "Do you want me to get you some food? Or some more tea?"
She shook her head; she was in no mood to eat.
"What about pajamas?"
She repeated the motion. With two pushes of her toes to her heels, she removed her boots. She unclipped the pelt from her waist and tossed it onto the floor. Her tired eyes stared at the wolf fur beside her, the one Tonraq had given her the day she was born to mark her as one of his pack. With another whimper, she took the pelt and threw it on the ground. She rolled onto the bed and ripped her wolf tails out. Despite everything she had done today, she didn't feel like a Warrior at all; her thoughts and emotions plagued her into feeling like a traitor to her people. She flung the three ties behind her, even going so far as to pull her blue bands off of her forearms. They met the same fate. Korra put her back to Asami and stared at the wall, too many things flying through her.
Her father.
Her mother.
Her Fire Bending.
Her –
Well, she didn't really know what they were. She went with best friend, though she knew they were more than that. Lover didn't do Asami justice and girlfriend just… was never established. Another set of tears streamed down her cheeks. Just when things had started to get better, they all fell apart, just as they always seemed to do. She felt like she was never going to be happy again.
"Hey," Asami spoke in a hushed tone, crawling onto the bed and sitting on her knees beside Korra. She leaned over and brushed a stray tear away.
Korra shifted onto her back and looked into the peridots before her.
Her pale hand lingered on Korra's cheek.
A soft smile crossed her face and she didn't know why. She didn't fight it, either. All she could do was cover Asami's fingers with her tan palm.
They didn't need to speak; this was one of those moments where the thoughts and emotions between them just… flowed. Asami laid herself down next to Korra and allowed Korra to melt into her front with her own. Asami held her close and stroked her now-loose hair, hoping the gesture would usher the woman to sleep as it had in the past.
"Everything is going to be okay, Korra," she whispered on repeat until she noticed Korra's breathing lower into that of slumber. She tightened her hold and placed a gentle kiss on Korra's forehead. Her lids touched and she inhaled, trying to silence the thoughts in her head.
"Everything is going to be okay," Asami muttered again, more for herself this time than the woman in her arms. "Everything is going to be okay."
(-)