Author's Notes

I've been so busy! I got a new job with the government and with the new job came so many background checks and clearances. It took a lot of time and effort to finish. I haven't really gotten a lot of time to write, but this is a story that I've been dabbling with. I hope you enjoy.

EM ;)

Beyond Repair Part 1

Prologue

Long ago, there were four nations that lived in harmony. The capabilities of each nation thrived, and the technology they developed rendered their bending useless. But, even at the peak of knowledge and technological advances, they lacked the wisdom to control their greed.

No one remembers who struck first, but what was passed down the generations was that both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom came into possession of a great weapon. A weapon created from the power of the spirit world and in their conquest to rule the other, they nearly destroyed each other.

Millions were killed in a blink of an eye. Cities were left in ruins, and some even pulverized. Nothing was left, but the few people that managed to hide and escape the destruction.

After the Great War, the technology the Nations had in the past had been forgotten. Each nation had to revert back to their roots and rekindle the element inside themselves, but this, too, led to more chaos.

As each nation suffered massive causalities from the war, one nation became a target.

The Water Tribes.

The world no longer had doctor or medicine and found the Water Tribes guilty of hoarding their healers. The cruel leaders of the remaining nations used fear to control the masses and launched an attack on the Water Tribes.

The tribes were overwhelmed by the remaining armies of the other nations, and their people were slaughtered, only leaving the children and a selected few to become slaves to the elite.

Even after a hundred years, the world still only lives in the shadow of what it used to be. There are only a few places that could be called cities Ba Sing Se, Capital City, and Republic City, and even in their ruined state, these cities held what was left of humanity's knowledge.

Present

"Asami!"

My eyes slowly flickered open to the sound of my name from downstairs.

I groaned as I slowly moved my legs over the edge of the cot. The room I shared with my father was fairly small and barely held the two cots we slept in.

I looked at the cracks of light coming from the walls and reminded myself that I needed to patch them up before the winter set in.

Like most of the buildings in Republic City, the one we lived in was from the time before the Great War. Father and I had repaired the majority of it to accommodate for us, but either way, it was very old.

Downstairs was the small shop my father and I ran. We repaired things and gadgets that survived the war, and on occasion, we managed to create other useful items our patrons needed.

The task that had allowed us to receive residency in Republic City was fixing and updating an irrigation pump for the city's food supplies. Without it, the city would have been at risk of starvation, especially since there were no other pumps or even means to make one.

Not many had the opportunity to live in the city since it took a lot of manpower to guard its resources. However, if you could contribute to the society, you were welcomed, but that usually meant you were a bender.

My father and I were only a few of the nonbenders accepted into the city since we were skilled in a trade.

I finally stood out of bed and stretched my sore muscles. I pulled an old pair of pants that had belonged to my mother and a leather jacket my father traded in exchange for motorizing a bike.

My father wasn't the first with the idea, but his way of building it lasted longer, so many would come to him to modify their bikes. The bikes led to him becoming infatuated with building vehicles and even managed to make a motorcycle after a few years. On occasion, he would show me his most prized possession the blueprints to a four-wheeled vehicle he had found in the ruins of an old building.

"One day, Asami, we will be able to build these again."

I could still remember the warm feeling of wanting to accomplish something that hadn't been done in centuries. Things you can only imagine in your dreams. It was what drove my father and I to push ourselves to learn, to invent, and hopefully, one day, help recreate a better world from 100 years ago.

After zipping up the jacket, I hurried downstairs where my father had already started the morning.

I walked to the small table that was usually covered by tools but was now pushed aside and held a freshly baked sweet bun.

My eyes lit up, and I couldn't help but look at my father in disbelief.

"Father… this must have cost a fortune."

"Hush, it's your seventeenth birthday."

I wanted to ask what he had to trade for such a delicacy, but I couldn't as the smell wafted towards me.

I walked to the table and took the small knife that was next to the plate and cut the bun in half.

"At least take half."

He was about to protest, but I cut him off.

"It's my birthday, so you can't object."

He smiled as he accepted his half of the sweet bun, and for a few moments, we stood there in glee as we ate.

Usually, birthdays were an exciting time for us, but this birthday would be the mark of me coming to age.

In any other nonbender family, things usually didn't change, and it allowed couples to find a husband or wife they preferred or even loved.

If some were lucky, a bender would take a liking to them, and the nonbender could possibly have a chance to marry into a better family income.

However, in my case, there was no one I liked, and I would be happier just staying here and taking care of my father, but that would not be possible.

No matter how hard my father and I tried to hide my appearance, eventually, the rumors spread of the engineer's not only beautiful daughter but talented and intelligent.

Men proposition my father for my hand since I was fifteen in hopes to be the first to claim me, but my father refused and said he would continue to refuse until I was of age.

Now the day is here, and I am of age and will no longer be able to hide.

I had asked my father why I had to marry someone I didn't love.

"After the Great War, laws were placed to repopulate and rebuild our cities. Each woman, after she comes of age, must marry within five years. If her husband dies and she is still of age to have children, she will be eligible to remarry within her husband's family and so on."

What I understood from it was that women were meant to be married and pregnant at all times.

The idea drove me insane, and my father agreed, but even if he planned to take me away so that I could avoid this fate, sooner or later, someone would detain us.

I could be forced to be with a horrendous man from the outside, or I could take my chances within the city and at least be able to help my father as he aged.

There was a knock at the door, and I immediately saw my father's face harden.

"It's not even midday, and letters for your hand had been coming in nonstop."

As he walked to the door grumbling, I walked towards the back of the shop to work on an old windmill when I heard a small gasp of surprise.

I set down the tool I had picked up as my father moved from the door.

President Raiko.

My insides shuddered in disgust. This man was my father's age, and even though he goes by President, he was by no means elected to his position.

"Asami, President Raiko is here to speak with us."

I nodded without allowing my internal feeling to slip through the cracks and show on my face.

"Good morning, Asami," he said as he extended his hand.

"Good morning, President Raiko," I replied dryly.

As I grasped his hand to return the greeting, he took mine and brought it to his lips. I did everything in my power not to recoil. And as I looked towards my father, I could see the same distaste in his eyes.

We both had absolutely no idea that the President had been interested in me. He was widowed and had grown children, so we had never suspected he would want to remarry.

The worst we expected was the overweight earthbending merchant, but at least he was closer to my age and seemed like a kind man.

President Raiko was not a kind man. He kept the city safe but was ruthless with anyone who broke the law no matter the reason. If anyone rose up to oppose him, they always seemed to disappear. He was also the only man in the city that owned healers.

I personally had never seen a healer and only heard rumors of their water-like eyes.

"I heard you have come to age and that your father is seeking a husband for you."

In his eyes, I saw a stern look. I knew no matter how pleasantly he spoke or how he made it sound like it was a choice, I would not be able to say no.

"Yes, Mr. President."

He smiled a serpent-like smile as he turned towards my father.

"I know I am much older, but I can provide for Asami what no other man in this city can. I can also fulfill our law and give her children. I promise to not only take care of her but you as well."

I could see the bit of panic in my father's eyes, but like me, he knew he could not say no.

"I humbly accept your proposal for my daughter's hand. Thank you for taking us into your care."

He turned towards me with a triumphant smile.

"Pack your things, Asami, and I will escort you home."

I was shocked at the revelation. Proposals were usually accepted at seventeen, and the engagement lasted a year in case of illness.

Even if my father had accepted his proposal, I still had a whole year before I was officially his wife.

I saw my father's same shocked expression.

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but she is not eighteen yet. She is still under my care until the time is completed."

The president's eyes harden.

"I need to prepare her for having my children. I will not wait another year after we marry for her to be healthy enough to bare."

There was nothing my father could say, nor could I. We could only afford to feed ourselves just enough to survive. Had the President been another man or family of high status, they would have done the same.

Children were the goal and a show of status, and I knew I would have to go, so I slowly went to the stairs as my father followed silently.

Grabbing one of my bags and began to fill it, but he stopped me.

"No reason to take clothes, sweetheart."

He grabbed a few of my items and little trinkets I made and placed them in the bag.

I realized there wasn't much I even owned, and it scared me to think that my whole life hardly filled a bag.

As I turned to head back downstairs, my father took my hand gently and pulled me into a hug.

"I love you, Asami. You will always be my little girl."

He pulled away and began to pull at something around his neck, and as he unclasped it, I realized it was a necklace.

"This was your mother's."

He handed it to me, and I looked carefully at the heart-shaped metal pendant. He helped me place it around my neck and gave me a kiss on my forehead before he finally let me go.

I felt a pit in my stomach as I made my way back down the stairs where President Raiko was waiting. So many emotions crossed my heart as the man who was going to be my husband took my hand and began to lead me out.

I managed to look back one final time before I entered the carriage, trying to convey all the feelings of love I had to my father with that last look.

The carriage ride had been quiet as we moved through the city, and it wasn't long before we were entering the vast property that held the home of the President.

Well, my home now.

Unlike the city, his home was not in ruin. It was beautifully carved by earthbenders, and the gardens surrounding it were filled with so many colors I hadn't seen in the city.

"Welcome home, Asami," he said with a smirk as he leaned over and wiped a strand of hair out of my face.

"Thank you, Mr. President."

"Please, Asami, call me Raiko. We will be very acquainted with each other in time."

I kept another shudder of disgust from coursing through my body. I had to try my best to like this man even if everything inside was screaming not to.

As we exited the carriage, a man was standing in front of the home, and behind him were three tall, long-haired men chained together.

The first thing that caught my attention was their clear blue eyes.

Waterbenders.

As if not noticing I was there, the man began to talk.

"President Raiko! I am so happy to have caught you. As you ordered, I have brought three of the finest waterbenders from the Fire Nation. You said you had a young female am I correct?"

President Raiko walked over to the men, eyeing them as if they were a horse he was about to buy.

"Yes, my older Healer, Katara, has been training her since she was a child, and the girl has turned into one of the best healers I've seen. She is seventeen, and I wanted to see if I could breed her. I'm sure, with her skills, nobles from the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom would pay quite a bit for one of her offspring."

I was mortified as I heard him talk about another human being with such indifference.

"Ah, well, you should consider this young man. His frame isn't the largest, but if this is her first breeding, you don't want complications with her birthing a larger child. Usually, you give her bigger males once she been bred a few times."

Raiko looked over the medium-sized man a few times and finally nodded.

"I'm not exactly sure. My healer deserves the best money can buy…"

As if at that moment he remembered I was there, Raiko turned around with a smile.

"I'm sorry, Asami. I get caught up with business sometimes. If you don't mind, please follow Jin to your quarters."

I turned towards the door to see a servant step forward, inclining his head.

"Ms. Sato, if you would please follow me."

Jin was a tall and thin man. He was better kept than the men I was used to seeing, but even as well-kept he was, he bared the mark of a servant on his neck. It wasn't a slave marking, but a small Raiko family crest. If he were to enter a shop, they would immediately recognize him as a representative of the President.

I followed Jin through the large house, but as we rounded the corner to what looked like bedrooms, I saw an elderly woman with white hair and a younger girl. Their blue eyes told me these were the women Raiko had been talking about.

The older woman quickly downcast her gaze as we walked by, but the younger girl never looked away.

I could see a whirlpool of emotions in her azure eyes. She didn't break the stare till the woman lightly yanked on her arm as they passed.

"Those are the healers?" I asked Jin.

"Yes, Ma'am, the master inherited the older one, Katara, and bought the younger one, Korra, when she was three. They will be passing by your room shortly to give you a healing bath."

I just nodded as he reached a door and opened it quietly. The room was quite spacious and beautifully decorated.

It gave me a gut-wrenching feeling to think this was how Raiko was living when so many in the city had hardly anything to sleep on.

My thoughts went to my father and how upset he must be. What would he do now that I wasn't with him?

Worry was beginning to set in when I heard a light knock on the door, and both women enter the room with a basket of jars.

Jin bowed and left as soon as the women entered entirely into the room.

"Hello," I whispered.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was supposed to say or do.

Katara looked at me with a motherly love that made my heart ache.

"Hello, dearie, I am Katara. I'm sorry for not introducing ourselves earlier; we hadn't realized our new mistress would be so…"

I looked away but finished the sentence for her in a saddened tone, "Young?"

I felt her eyes on me, and instead of a sense of judgment, I felt her empathy. It gave me the feeling Katara knew Riako had forced his will on my family.

"How you came to be here does not matter anymore, so do not let it sadden you. Korra and I are here to make sure you are healthy and have many healthy children."

I looked at Katara as she said the word children with sadness. I wondered if she had children, and if she had, were they sold off like Riako was planning to do to Korra's?

My gaze went to Korra, who stood there almost as if she was irritated by me.

"Ok, let's get these old clothes off of you and get a look at what we are working with."

I slowly began to remove each article of clothing until I was left completely naked in front of the two women.

I hugged myself, trying to cover what I could, but I knew there was no point. These women were healers, and they had become accustomed to the naked form.

Katara hummed as she looked around my body, checking my hips and touching my ribs.

When I glanced at Korra again, I noticed she was looking away with a tint of pink on her cheeks.

I found it weird that she would be embarrassed to look at me, or maybe I really did look as bad and unhealthy as Riako had made it seem.

"Well, it seems, for the most part, you are healthy, but on the thinner side. Your hips do look wide enough, so I don't think you will have many problems bearing children."

I don't know why I sighed in relief. It wasn't that I wanted to be in this situation, but deep down, the idea of being able to have children flutter my heart.

They would be MY children and my father's grandchildren. I had to keep reminding myself of that. No matter who my husband was, my children were a part of me as well.

Korra stepped forward, taking my hand lightly.

"Mistress, the healing bath is this way."

Her voice seemed to crack a little, but I didn't pay any attention to it as I followed her to a door that led to a large bath already filled with water.

"The door on the other side is to the master bedroom. When you are married, you will be staying in there, but as the children come, the next room will be where you and the infant will stay."

Korra helped me into the bath and picked up a washcloth with soap and began to wipe my body.

Katara, on the other hand, stood in front of the bath and, with fluid motion, moved the water to and fro.

I watched mystified as the water slowly began to glow, and the warmth of the bath soothed me. I hadn't realized that I had fallen asleep until I felt the damp cloth slowly wipe my face.

I opened my eyes a little surprised, not precisely remembering where I was till I saw her blue eyes.

Again, I saw the waves of emotion in them, but I couldn't decipher what they meant. I looked around and saw that Katara was gone and that we were alone.

"Everyone falls asleep the first time don't worry," her husky voice said.

It was the first time I heard it, and it had a slight edge to it.

"Umm, did I anger you?" I asked as she wrung out the washcloth and set it on the side of the tub.

I could see she was trying to hold back.

"Seriously, you can talk freely."

"I have nothing to say, Mistress."

Korra turned and grabbed a warm towel prompting me to stand. She lightly patted me dry before she reached out for a clean dress. Her fingers slightly grazed my shoulders as she clasped the top of the dress. I was somewhat alarmed by the warmth that single touch radiated through my body.

As I looked up, I saw the full-length mirror in front of me.

I had never owned a mirror, but as I looked at myself, I saw how beautifully the dress was decorated in reds. It was an elegant look and created for a woman of status.

I saw Korra looking at me through the mirror, and for a moment, we just stared into each other eyes.

The door opening broke our concentration as Katara reentered the bathroom carrying two small boxes.

"The master wanted me to give you these," she said as she set the boxes down and opened them.

In one box was a set of combs and brushes, and in the other was a box of makeup.

It wasn't very often I saw makeup, but I knew they were extremely valuable.

"The Master wants to have lunch with you once you are done preparing yourself."

I looked at them a little concerned, but Katara just smiled.

"Try a little, to begin with, dearie."

I nodded as both women left the restroom.

As Katara had advised, I place lightly what I thought would look nice, and when I looked in the mirror, it was as if I was someone else.

I stepped out of the restroom where Jin was waiting.

"You look spectacular, Ms. Sato," he said with a smile and led me out of my room.

This was the start of a new life. A life I knew wouldn't bring me the happiness I desired, but a life I would live for of my father's sake, and I was ready to resign myself to the pain and emptiness that came to fulfill that goal.

End of Chapter Notes

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