A Legend of Korra Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez (aka SMTsukishiro)
Author's Notes:
I have no idea why this chapter took so long, but, it's finally here. Hopefully, the next one will not be delayed as much *crosses fingers*.
Anyways, I want to dedicate this chapter to all those who took their time to review this story, thus far, especially my most recent reviewer: Yasmine Haddi. Thank you for the reviews, you made me smile and fueled my muse even further. I hope you enjoy this chapter and those that are to come!
Keep smiling, guys!
Dream on; Fly on!
Summary:
A promising engineering student. A mysterious woman capable of controlling the four elements. When their paths cross, the resulting collision not only changes their lives and themselves, but the fate of the entire world as well. [Korrasami AU]
Legend of Korra
The Schism
Chapter 54: The Invitation
There was many a time she wanted to strangle her charge.
There was that time when he had (mistakenly as it was) accepted an invitation to a brothel, all because he had failed to grasp the underlying message behind a buxom, young woman's words. It would have been a massive scandal if she had not managed to intercept him and threaten the young woman into never getting within close proximity of the Mover Star,
There was also that time he had failed (miserably so) to see his opponent bluffing in a game of Pai Sho that involved him betting—and, consequently, losing—one of their automobiles that had left them stranded for days in an inn. Luxurious as it was, she had to quickly come up with a way to pay the inn while trying not to empty their money that had been carefully and meticulously budgeted.
And how could she forget that time when Bolin had a sudden fascination with the concept of hiking and camping in the mountain? It was, in paper, a great idea. He needed time to relax and unwind at the time, after all. But then he just had to choose a mountain that was treacherous to climb and was ranked as one of the toughest as well. Suffice to say, the Mover Star was not going to go on another such escapade any time soon. And they still had some balance left at the hospital where they—and that included their entourage—were treated of severe cases of poison ivy and a couple of broken bones.
There were many (so many) other instances that had Dou Xing believing she deserved a massively gargantuan pay raise for the trouble and embarrassment Bolin caused to her person.
But none—none!—could, possibly, surpass the urge to truly hit the young Mover Star in the back of his head with a giant mallet, or two, at that moment.
The 'idea'—though she would not call it that—Bolin had to remedy their situation involved sauntering to the audience chamber, like he too was part of the Royal Family, and demanding an audience with either the Fire Lord herself or Lord Zuko...when both were already in the room, clearly not expecting visitors to go barging in.
Really, she had wanted the ground to open up and swallow her and Bolin both with how embarrassing her charge was. Especially when he kept on walking even as he was being half-dragged backwards by the guards that had been posted outside.
But that thought, and the speech she was certain he had prepared, whittled down to nothingness when they saw the strange, otherworldly pillar behind the two royals. That, and the glare the Fire Lord sent their way.
"What is the meaning of this?" And if that look had been open to interpretation, the way Fire Lord Izumi spoke made it certain she was far from amused by the young man's actions.
Quick with her wit, Duo Xing bowed her head and prayed her silver tongue would work as she apologized, saying, "I apologize, Fire Lord Izumi, Lord Zuko. Mister Bolin is quite excitable and he—"
"What in the world is that?" Bolin blurted out, eyes wide as he looked in awe at the strange spectacle before him. "That wasn't here the first time we came to visit!"
"Bolin!" Duo Xing hissed.
"What?" He looked at her bewildered. He waves his hand towards the strange, hazy pillar of light and asked, "Why? Aren't you curious about it too, Duo Xing?"
"That's not the point!" The Secretary wanted to facepalm at how tactless her charge could be. Could he not sense that both members of the royal family did not want to speak of whatever it was swirling behind them? Could he not read the mood? This really was not the time to even be discussing this!
The Fire Lord and her father exchanged looks. Try as they might to hide it, Duo Xing caught a hint of surprise in their expressions.
Curious.
"You...can see it?" It was an odd question to ask, but the way Lord Zuko asked it made it apparent that their answer was important.
"You would have to be blind not to notice...whatever that is." Bolin whistled as he followed the light up until it disappeared into the ceiling, growing transparent the farther high up it got.
Again, father and daughter shared a look. Afterwards, the patriarch of the royal household cleared his throat and Fire Lord Izumi turned her attention towards the Secretary. Her gaze was cold and piercing amd Duo Xing did all she could to not squirm under her scrutiny.
"And I take it you can see it too?" The Fire Lord asked.
"Y-Yes, ma'am," she admitted, taken aback.
As soon as she gave her answer, she was asked another question, "How much?"
It was a question she was often asked and could easily be taken out of context in her chosen profession. With how quickly it was asked, she was lucky she didn't blurt out a six-digit figure.
"Pardon? I don't understand..."
"How much of it can you see?" Fire Lord Izumi expounded. "Both of you."
"Just as well as anyone could, I suppose," she answered.
"It's a bit hazy, but we can see it." Bolin replied in unison.
Fire Lord Izumi nodded, and Duo Xing could tell she wanted to dismiss them as she turned to face her father. The two exchanged words in hushed whispers and vague gestures that, even for an experienced spy as Duo Xing herself, found difficult to interpret.
Bolin edged closer to her then, his movements were slow as though he didn't want to let the father-daughter duo notice him. But they were comically well-pronounced that he shouldn't have bothered to be discreet. It was as though he fancied himself still in one of his movies, playing some part or another.
"What do you think is going on, Duo Xing?" He asked, hand covering his mouth as he stage-whispered.
She sighed. "If I were to base it in our atrocious track record, I would say we might have just stumbled into something we shouldn't have."
"And if we were to base it on something...realistic?"
She side-eyed him before rolling her eyes. "I was being realistic."
"Father..." she began but was cut off.
"I know what you are going to say, my dear," Lord Zuko had a twinkle in his eye as he spoke. It was as though he was enjoying the strange turn of events. "And believe me, I am just as surprised, but perhaps for a different reason."
She raised an eyebrow. It was enough for her father to know the question behind it.
"I told you those who have the aptitude can see the seal, unbroken." She nodded. He had just explained that to here before their unwanted guests barged in. "Then, perhaps, they have such aptitude."
"But they—" she gestured towards them, "could barely see it. Maybe they don't have it, or maybe it is not that strong it might as well have been nonexistent? If we are going with conjectures, there are many, father."
"There are, and I do not attempt to know everything about these things. What I know, I was told. Everything else is merely speculation. Even still, I do not think we should dismiss these things."
"Neither am I, but if these foreigners can see it, then who's to say the least entire world cannot?" Izumi argued. Already she could imagine the chaos and pandemonium the appearance of this pillar of light would bring. Already they were facing strange phenomena all around, they could not afford to have it escalated. "We already have a lot on our plate, we can't deal with another international incident."
"Another?"
She waved her had in dismissal, not wanting to deal with that headache just yet, even as she answered, "Asami Sato and Opal Bei Fong. They are still missing in the eyes of their respective families and nations, and we just cannot keep their whereabouts a secret. There is also the disappearance of the people of Shu Jing and Jang Hui."
"The disappearances will sort themselves out," Lord Zuko's words were certain as he reassured her.
She couldn't help but glare at her father. "You know something about that, don't you?"
"All I have is a guess. Whether it is a correct one or not will reveal itself, eventually." His eyes focused once again on the pillar behind them, searching. "As for Asami and Miss Bei Fong, they will not be staying here for long."
"That is for the best. Hiroshi and I may not see eye to eye on several matters, and I would not even think of calling him a friend, but I know how worried he must be. And we don't need to get ourselves caught up in the troubles of the Earth Kingdom."
Her father turned his attention back at her with a strange, amused look on his face. Seeing it, she was certain that she was not going to be happy with whatever he was about to say.
"What?" The question came out with more bite than it should.
"Asami Sato will not be returning to Republic City and her father just yet." She glared at him. But that did not dissuade him from continuing to say, "Her fate is tied to the Avatar now. Korra needs her to accomplish the mission she has been given with. Without her, everything we have done and endured will be for naught."
"Is that not for Yasuko's daughter to decide?" Izumi hissed. "And what of the Bei Fong girl?"
"It is," her father acquiescence. "And she will ultimately decide. The same goes for Opal Bei Fong."
She had a few more choice words then, but their discussion seemed to have taken quite a length of time and had stretched the patience of their would-be audience. For it was then that the Mover Star's aide spoke.
"Excuse me, Your Grace," she said, tentatively. "I apologize for barging in—as does Bolin." At this she glared at the young man. "And it seems like you and Lord Zuko still have a lot to discuss," she glanced at the old Fire Lord, searching for a sign that she had presumed correctly. Lord Zuko, however, was stoic. "But, if we are not, in any way, in trouble...then perhaps, we should go..."
Startled, she didn't think they would be interrupted once more by the foreigners. As one, father and daughter turned to face the two in audience.
"Leaving already without voicing out your urgent concerns?" Lord Zuko asked. Again, he spoke without giving much away. "I had thought it was of grave importance. Grave enough to force an audience with the Fire Lord."
"W-Well, it's not as big of a deal compared to—" Duo Xing waved her hand at the direction of the pillar, eyes darting between them and it. "—whatever discussion we have disturbed between you two, my lord."
"What are you talking about, Duo Xing?" The young man sounded incredulous. Impassioned, he went on to say (much, it seemed, to his companion's dismay), "We lost our airship! We can't leave! And I have a press conference in Ba Sing Se! I have my Earth Kingdom tour!"
"Bolin!" Again, the Secretary hissed. With gritted teeth, she added, "Now is really not the time."
"What are you talking about? This is the perfect time!" He then pointed at them, as though he had forgotten his standing and petulantly said, "You owe us an airship, or at least, our airship's repair!"
Before she, or his handler, could admonish his lack of respect, her father stepped forward. And instead of looking thoroughly insulted by the young man's impudence, Lord Zuko was chuckling.
"It shall be done," her father said. "We shall have your airship repaired. It may take some time, however. It may take weeks or months."
"We don't have the luxury of waiting that long! My fans—!"
Lord Zuko raised a hand to silence him. "I understand your plight, which is why I am offering you an alternative..."
Opal Bei Fong was not a fan of violence. Prior to her tagging along with the Avatar and her best friend, she had never harmed another. Even when she had been the butt-end of a cruel prank, back when she still lived with her family, she didn't march up to the people behind it to pay them back or even quarrel with them. That was something her brothers did. She was more of a pacifist. Violence was the last course of action for her.
Which was why there really was something to be said when she had opened the door to her room and had, immediately, resorted to fisting her hand, pulling her arm back, and giving the person who had been knocking on the door a good, solid punch that landed on their jaw.
She didn't even feel bad about it. In fact, she felt liberated. She also felt that it was not enough.
"That," she said as she rubbed her sore knuckles, "is for dragging me off and locking me up!"
Appalled by what had happened, Asami could only stare wide-eyed at her best friend and the Fire Nation Prince who was just as surprised (even more so) as she, hands on his jaw as he moved it about to ensure it had not been dislocated.
"Do you think it would it be alright if I have a go at him too?" Kai asked next to the Prodigy. He was the only one amused by what had happened, and he had better things to do than to hide that fact. "I want to pay him back as well. Maybe I should go fetch Naga, too."
Shaking herself from her stupor, she turned to Kai telling him 'no', before addressing the much bigger issue. "Opal! That's the Prince! What happened to 'not causing trouble'...again?"
"T-That's...that's okay," Prince Iroh gave his jaw a few more measured movements before he allowed his hand to fall. "I deserved that."
"Alright, then." Kai sounded giddy. "My turn!"
"No!" Asami had to grab the Avatar's Steward by the collar to keep him from making good his threat.
"I'd say we let Kai have his turn." Opal knew she wasn't being helpful on keeping the peace, but she didn't care at the moment. She was angry.
"Great!" Kai chirped, too gladly. "You should give him a good wallop too, Asami."
"No," Asami said once more. The word was accompanied by a sigh of frustration. "No one is going to go 'walloping' a crowned prince." She then gave said prince a glare, "Even if he does deserve it for all the trouble he has caused us."
"Thank you," the Prince said with a wince that was not entirely due to the soreness of his jaw. "And I do apologize. For all that has happened."
She pretended not to hear what he had just said. Instead, she continued her way to the table littered with her notes that needed updating.
"You have said your piece, your lordship," Kai all but shooed Prince Iroh away. "If there isn't anything else, we're kind of busy so—"
"I actually haven't." The Prince cut him off. "I did not just come to apologize. I am also here to...extend an invitation." Upon saying those words, he pulled an envelope sealed with the Fire Nation's crest. He looked expectantly at Asami, who was the only one civil enough in the room and who didn't want to immediately kick him out. "It is an invitation to a feast my grandfather decided to throw to express our sincere apologies to you." He looked at Opal and added, "Both of you."
Opal snorted and rolled her eyes. It was very undignified, but again, she didn't care. She wasn't the only one who saw the absurdity of throwing some party in hopes of letting bygones be bygones. Even Kai was unimpressed by it, muttering just as much under his breath.
"We're not the only ones you should be apologizing to," the Prodigy crossed her arms, unwilling to accept the sealed invitation without clearing things up. "I assume Korra is invited as well and will be receiving your 'sincere' apologies?"
At the mention of the Avatar's name, Prince Iroh visibly stiffened. His demeanor instantly changed and it was made apparent how displeased he was. Like Opal, he did not bother to hide how he felt.
"She...has also been sent an invite." The words were uttered slowly as if the person uttering it wanted to say otherwise. "I have not heard word of her acceptance of it."
"Then neither shall we accept," Asami was quick to say, taking a stand. "If we attend, we will do so with Avatar Korra. You can tell that to your grandfather, your excellency."
There was such an intense tone of finality to it—an irrevocable sense of dismissal—that all the young prince could do was dumbfoundly retract his hand holding the invite and wonder what he was supposed to do with the piece of sealed envelope. Opal was certain he thought it was a good idea to deliver the invitation himself, and—admittedly—Asami would have accepted it, had he been had the sense not to show such distaste to Korra. It was, after all, becoming more and more obvious that her best friend had begun to grow extremely fond and protective of their deity-turned-human friend just as Korra had also, and it seemed, began to closely feel the same.
"Very well," Prince Iroh said after he got his wits back. He stood in a dignify manner as he added, "Then I shall just leave this here just in case you changed your mind, Miss Sato."
He then turned on his heel, inspected his immediate vicinity, and upon spotting the well-crafted, dark mahogany side table, placed the invitation on top of it.
Nodding to himself, he faced the trio in the room. With a curt nod, he said, "I hope you change your minds about this feast, Miss Sato, Miss Bei Fong," before he finally left the room.
Still frustrated, Opal hurled the closest thing she could grab (which was one of Asami's pocket tools—a screwdriver) at the door, narrowly missing the top of Kai's head and hitting its mark with a thud and a clink.
"Hey, watch it!" The Avatar's Steward growled.
"Opal, really?" Asami asked at the same time, as she went to pick the object up. "This is the last of my screwdrivers. I won't have you go breaking it just because you're annoyed."
"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "I got carried away."
Kai, who had walked up to and picked up the invitation Prince Iroh had left behind, waved it in the air as he asked, "Should we go burn this up in the fireplace? You're both not going to attend, right?"
"I would rather stay here and write if I have to go there and socialize with that...that...arghh!" Opal couldn't even finish her sentence with how riled up he had made her.
"I meant what I said." Asami gave her own take on the matter. "If they are unwilling to treat Korra as the would Opal and I, then we won't have anything to do with this feast of theirs." She sighed, then added upon contemplation, "That being said, we can't really keep on being antagonistic towards them, even if they are at fault."
"Why not?" Kai asked, almost whining. Again.
Opal let out a puff of air. She understood what Asami was saying and where she was going with it.
"Because, if we intend to help Korra—which, we most certainly do," there really was no question about it. None of them had any plans of abandoning the Avatar to her own devices. Especially not now. "—we will also need the Royal Family's help. If we can get them to help us, then we would have no problems moving about."
"That's true. A letter from the Royal Family vouching for us would keep us from using roundabout methods in getting one place to another." Asami nodded, glad she and Opal were on the same page.
"Suppose that is true," Kai didn't really want to be indebted to the people who had, hours ago, tried to kill him and his Lady Avatar. "Why would we even need anything from them when we're already done with the Elemental Core of Fire? Going backwards from the cycle, our next destination would be the Earth Kingdom, and you're a citizen of that place, right, Opal?"
She and Asami exchanged looks, a message passing between them as she uttered an elongated "Well..."
"Spirits..." the young man groaned. "Don't tell me...you're actually some kind of fugitive banished by your own people!"
"What?" The Historian exclaimed, not certain where on earth he had gotten that idea. "No! Of course not! Don't be stupid, Kai."
Chuckling, Asami supplied, "It's nothing that quite notorious, Kai."
"Then, why does it seem like you are both making it look and sound like we will be having problems entering the Earth Kingdom without the Royal Family's seal of approval?"
"It's just...my family is not exactly being well-received by the aristocratic members of society, or anyone within the ruling body of the kingdom, for that matter." She didn't want to elaborate on the reasons behind her vague description of the Bei Fong clan's current standing in society and why they might run into some problems without the backing of the Fire Nation.
"That doesn't sound so reassuring..." Kai admitted.
"Believe me, you're not the only one who feels distressed by the thought." And really, she was feeling the same apprehension in going to the Earth Kingdom, and that included coming face to face with her family.
Especially her mother.
And her brothers.
As much as she missed them dearly, it didn't change the fact that she was afraid to step into her family's abode. She was certain she was in a world of trouble with them and Bei Fongs rarely let undisciplined actions—such as those she was certain they viewed her leaving the Republic as—go uncorrected.
Dejected that things weren't going in his favor, Kai plopped down one of the vacant chairs surrounding the room's lone table and threw the invitation down on its surface, letting it slide on the middle.
"Well, I suppose you better go and ask Korra if she would be willing to go." He said, looking directly at Asami.
For someone who had pride in his duties as the Avatar's Steward, and who ended up being grumpy whenever his responsibilities and duties to his mistress were taken from him, Asami was surprised to hear Kai put this task on her shoulder's instead. He would usually be the one who wanted to jump into the opportunity of informing Korra of something, especially when it concerned their plan and course of action.
"Me? Why me?" She couldn't help asking.
"Why not?" Opal questioned right back, though her attention was now turned more on the scattered papers on the desk and the notebooks that needed transcribing.
At the same time, Kai gave his answer, saying, "Let's face it, Lady Korra would not be pleased with your idea of asking help from these people. If I were to tell her your reasoning, she will not agree to it, no matter how sound it may be."
Asami crossed her arms. Kai still hadn't explained why he was pushing this on her. "Again, I must ask, why me?"
There was a shift in the young man's bearing. His shoulders sagged. His eyes were downcast and he blew a raspberry.
Kai was dejected as he spoke, "Because Korra will not just hear what you have to say, she will listen to you. She was about to go down the deep end before, back at the Audience Chamber. She was willing to push herself into the Avatar State and really harm all of those people, but you managed to stop her. You got the Avatar to calm down with just your words. Even I haven't been able to do that, and I have been in service of the Avatar for a very, very long time. My whole life, in fact."
There was a moment of silence where Opal looked up from her texts and stared at Kai; a heartbeat of stillness where Asami saw the young man in a whole different light.
"Kai..." Asami could only whisper his name, unsure of what else to say.
The Avatar's Steward's laughter was an unamused one. "It's quite frustrating. I have spent my life in her service, but I could never attain the closeness you have with her. Even now that she views me as a friend, it's not the same with how she is with you." He looked at Asami, smiling a small, sad smile. "There's nothing I can do about it now, you are the Avatar's Chosen...or whatever it is the old man called you."
"Kai, that's not...I can't handle Korra by myself." The Prodigy admitted. "How you deal with her is different with how I do it. I can never do what you do either. I can never be the Avatar's Steward. That's your job."
Opal was certain Kai was about to say something to n Asami yet again—something about her being special. She was equally certain her best friend would have something ready to say back to him as well. And the two would just keep going at it until they had exhausted themselves and end up feeling bad about themselves and each other.
Before they could, the Historian slammed her hand onto the surface of the table and said, "Before this gets ridiculous and you both end up making this some sort of competition on who could belittle themselves and what they do while begrudgingly lifting the other up, let us all just agree that you are both equally doing Korra a great deal of service—which she appreciates—and leave it at that."
"Way to ruin the moment, Bei Fong." Kai flicked a small, rolled up piece of paper right at the young woman.
"That is not 'ruining a moment'," Opal retorted. "This is intervening to keep my sanity and keep both of you from acting like idiots." She then turned her gaze at Asami, raised an eyebrow, and then asked, "Well, what are you still doing here, Asami?"
Asami's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"
"Shouldn't you be going to Korra's room?" Opal elaborated with a wave of her hand towards the general direction of where the Avatar's room was. "Time's a-wasting~" she sing-songed.
Kai nodded. "And check if she had eaten anything, or if she's feeling well."
The raven-haired inventor looked from Opal to Kai, then shook her head wondering what had gotten into them. She was about to ask when Kai mimicked Opal, raising his own eyebrow, and saying, "Well? Go on."
Prince Iroh wasn't the only one who was kicked out of that room that day.
Post-Author's Notes:
So, that's that.
With everything that's happening thus far in real life (the danger of getting hospitalized was very, very real for me), I haven't finished the brand new cover for this fanfic. But, hopefully, I will be able to work on it soon(-ish!)!
Also, next chapter will be another 10,000-worded one!
Until then, dream on; fly on!
