"Losing someone we love, or the fear of losing someone we love one day is a difficult experience and we can all relate to it. None of us are an exception to this reality."

― Aamir Khan

Chapter 9 – Reflection

The young Avatar rested almost lifelessly against a slanted part of the glowing rock that was keeping her from sinking deeper into Mo Ce Sea and to the ocean floor. She wasn't sure what happened, but she must've been knocked out momentarily. Her eyes slowly cracked open, taking in the lively fish swimming by.

Some sort of explosion in the distance caused huge ripples to move across her vision. Through the ripples, she saw some sort of large, dark mass that went almost to the surface not too far away. Water was being disrupted, an explosion going off, but everything was muffled to the Avatar.

Response time severely lagged, salty sea water tinged with the taste of uncooked fish rushed into the Avatar's esophagus and lungs, needing to occupy the empty space and unintentionally suffocating the most powerful being in the world. Eyes widening, the Avatar State activated itself, propelling her out of the water and into a water vortex above the sea.

Fulfilling its purpose, the white light faded from her eyes, revealing partially unsettled icy blue eyes. She coughed, naturally expelling the invasive water from her organs then bent the rest out, coughing again at the unusual feeling. The world was beginning to spin, leading her to believe she was whacked in the back of the head hard.

Dazed, but coherent enough to bend, she firebent herself back to the airship, falling on her knees loudly on the metal floor before her friends.

"Korra!" Asami cried again, falling to her knees and wrapping her arms around her. It was less than a minute from the time the explosion was first heard to her returning, but it was the longest minute of her life. She'd nearly lost her once when she didn't even realize the feelings she had for her were more than friendship. She wasn't prepared to face that with her heart on her sleeve.

Korra's head had a growing bump on her head and bled fresh blood from a small cut. More concerning was the ugly wound covering her lower right side.

After no response from the injured woman, Asami asked in a panic, "Korra, what happened?" All she received was a squinted look and a shake of the head.

Shaking her head was the wrong move. Initially, the pain in her body wasn't intense, but the high of adrenaline wore off, bringing the pain to the forefront. She tried to fight it off, but it was too much even for her.

The Avatar's eyes closed and her body slumped over Asami's shoulder.

Asami stood in the shadows of the doorway of the sleeping Water Tribe woman. If she didn't know any better, she'd appear to be sleeping. If she pulled the blanket back though, she'd see the bandages covering her lower right side. No one was exactly sure how she acquired it, but knew it was some sort of bomb, likely a similar one that blew up the station.

"Don't worry, she's going to be fine. Nothing's permanent. In a few days, she'll be good as new and hearing perfectly fine," Kya reiterated from behind, squeezing her right shoulder. "Go be with her. She'll feel your presence."

Kya's retreating footsteps echoed in the hall, leaving Asami alone. She was about to step over the threshold when a small hand tugged the bottom of her jacket from behind. He was absent when they all barged in with Korra and waited patiently for her diagnosis.

"Is she…dead?" Hisakata asked with a quivering lip, looking at her with those big, innocent eyes. That look, that vulnerability was what convinced Asami that he had nothing to do with the criminals voluntarily.

"No." She bent down on one knee to make them closer to equals. "Korra's just a little banged up. She's strong, resilient. She just needs some rest."

"I heard everything. It's all my fault. Everything's always my fault," he whimpered, biting his lip and closing his eyes.

"Nothing is your fault. These people, they're the ones at fault. Not you, not Korra, and not anyone else who's been a victim of their crimes."

He opened his eyes, sneaking a peek at Asami. "Are you going to find Mimi? And everyone else?"

"We are," she confirmed with a nod. "Would you like to see Korra and see that she's okay?"

He looked anywhere, but Asami. "Can I?"

Asami smile at him and offered a hand to him which he hesitantly took.

The two of them stood by her peaceful, sleeping form. Hisakata slowly slipped his hand from Asami's and moved closer to Korra's head, but made no move to touch her. The worry on his face was evident for the Avatar that he barely knew, but also something else. Asami couldn't place it, but it was better than attacking like the previous night.

"She kind of looks like my mom did the last time I saw her." The admission made his whole-body quiver. Those words hit her like a train what she couldn't place.

"Your mom passed away and your dad abandoned you." He nodded his head, looking the other way at the floor. She knew all too well of losing a parent and terrified of losing a loved one. "I lost my mom when I was six and my dad last year."

"Yo-you're an orphan too?" Shakily, he turned to face her with misty eyes.

Orphan.

That was a funny word for Asami. Asami pulled over two chairs for the two of them to sit in by Korra's side before she answered.

"Technically, but I've never considered myself an orphan. There've been times when I've felt alone, but I've never really been alone. I have Mako, Bolin, and Korra. We have each other's back no matter the distance, blood or no blood. Midori may not physically be here with you, but I know she's just as worried about you as you are about her."

"I miss her," he whispered, twiddling his fingers in his lap, head down with his hair falling into his face. "It's felt like an eternity since I've seen her, been with her."

Asami knew it wasn't intentional, but it reminded her of those three years. Though it was very personal and something that only Korra, their close friends and the airbending family was aware of, something compelled her to sympathize with the boy about it.

"I've been in a similar situation. I wasn't on the streets, but it did feel like a part of my heart was ripped out, part of me was missing, a vital connection to my being. Korra returned home for three years to recover from almost dying. It was only supposed to be a few weeks. A few weeks turned to months. Months turned to years. It felt like an eternity.

"That entire time I had my feelings for her bottled up, and sometimes they became so intense, I'd have an emotional breakdown in my home." She shook her head and sighed a little. "I wasn't sure I'd ever have the chance to tell her or that she'd even return them. It was over three years before I saw her again and several more months until I laid it all out on the line."

"Three years?"

Asami nodded, lips in a thin line. "Yes, but those three years have made her into the woman I love, and I know with her assistance on this case, she will not rest until everyone is found."

Something in his eyes changed that Asami couldn't detected. She wondered if that was what she looked like during those three years.

"She's really the Avatar? She doesn't look like the most powerful human being in the world." That had Asami bursting out with laughter so loud she was surprised Korra didn't wake up.

"Hisakata, let me tell you a few stories about her."

Asami spoke fondly about the woman she loved, telling stories of grandeur and comical adventures. He asked questions, fascinated with every detail about their adventures. Asami needed no book with words or guides to remember them. They would forever reside in her heart.

It was refreshing for Asami to tell their stories to someone completely out of their circle and not being subjected to ridicules for actions and decisions. She could say whatever she wanted. She spoke freely, and the entire time, she kept herself connected to Korra through touch.

"I can't tell you how many times I've seen her grab someone's body or haul them up by their clothing to intimidate them since I've met her." Asami squeezed Korra's limp hand, smiling at the sleeping form. "Most of the time it's harmless, but that's Korra for you. Korra's a little protective of me, but I know she does it out of love. If someone tries to threaten my girlfriend, I'd be the same way. We will always have each other's backs in life and battle no matter what."

"How do you know?"

Asami's eyebrows furrowed, taking her eyes away from Korra and looking at him. "How do I know what?"

An innocent, almost naïve look on his face, he elaborated, "That you're willing to lay your life down on the line for each other? That you really love each other?"

It was a completely innocent question. It slipped by her mind that he likely only found out they were a couple an hour ago unless he kept up with the news, but Asami had a feeling he had more pressing issues to deal with than the latest gossip. He probably wasn't even very familiar with the concept of same-sex couples.

"You'd do the same thing for Midori right?" He nodded enthusiastically. "It's like that, it's just a different kind of love. Honestly, it's difficult to explain the love between Korra and I. Not everyone accepts it or even understands it. We're distinguished figures in the world, but the fact that we can be completely vulnerable and exposed with one another when we can't with the rest of the world lest we be deemed as incompetent, is one thing that makes ours special and rare. We can laugh, we can joke, we can sob, we have no boundaries with one another. There are no limits to what we can and will do for one another."

The child nodded slowly, but Asami had a feeling he didn't grasp her explanation completely. It was a peculiar question for a seven-year-old in the first place, turning the wheels in her head of why he asked.

Asami held her hand out for him, figuring it was getting late for him and that was a good place to stop. They walked silently together back to the room he was taking temporary residence in. Like it was second instinct, she helped him get situated in the bed, tucking the blankets around him to keep him warm.

For the time being, it seemed he was going to take residence on Air Temple Island, but afterwards, then what? Others were still skeptical about him and until the criminals revealed themselves, it seemed his destiny was unknown.

"Get some sleep. Don't let Meelo bully you into airbending training." Some messy brown hair fell over his eyes. She reached up to sweep the hair away from his eyes much like she often did with Korra.

"No promises," he murmured, lolling his head to the side with a tiny smile and closing his eyes. Asami caressed his small cheek for a second then turned on her heel, quietly shutting the door behind her.

She walked the corridors back to Korra's room alone. Night fell upon them a long time ago, leaving the island dark once again with only tiny specks of light from the twinkling stars. The others had left a while ago, wanting to give Asami and Korra privacy and plan their next course of action.

Korra was exactly where she was left. The entire time she and Hisakata were talking, she hadn't stirred in the slightest which was unusual for her. Korra was definitely a jostler when sleeping alone.

She was overreacting. Korra was here alive and well. A few bombs weren't going to take her down if she had anything to do it, but that's what love did to a person.

Sleeping in a chair wasn't going to be kind to her body, but the alternatives of squeezing into the twin bed or finding an empty bed weren't suitable. Unfortunately, Korra wasn't in her old room, but one of the rooms designated for the ill.

Intertwining their fingers together, she left a loving kiss on the back of Korra's hand, hoping that despite her unconsciousness, Korra felt it and knew she was by her side.

One minute she was chatting about all the recent news and gossip at work with Korra like she was awake. The next minute green, troubled eyes shot open, body snapping up from its slumped over position on the bed, heart pounding against her chest. She pushed aside her hair that blocked her vision to find Korra fast asleep, chest rising and falling regularly. The sight did nothing to calm herself.

Once again, her mind conjured nightmares terrifying enough to rouse her. Korra never emerged from the water.

One minute turned to five. Five turned to ten. By then, they'd dove in the water themselves, but none of them could hold their breath long enough to locate her or even get a visual on her. It took several hours and several calls to find the best waterbenders to locate her mangled, lifeless body. As she cried for the love of her life, a nefarious laugh echoed in the background.

"Fuck." Asami slide her hands over her face, trying to wipe the nightmare out of her mind. Almost every time she closed her eyes at night, her mind was plagued with nightmares. Couldn't she be blessed with a pleasant dream for once? Or even a dreamless night? Was that too much to ask for?

Releasing a deep breath, Asami leaned her elbows on her thighs with her head hung low.

"You really scared all of us, Korra. You know, we're getting older and you have to stop giving us all heart attacks." She chuckled humorlessly, closing her eyes momentarily. When she opened them again, they were glassy as she looked at her fondly and placed a hand over hers again. "I know I can't ask for that considering you're the all-mighty Avatar. The world can't lose you. I can't lose you again. I'm going to be by your side. For the rest of our lives."

Piercing sunlight burst into her room. Signs of daylights were not welcome in Korra's eyes. Birds tweeted outside the windows like all was good in the world, but a sharp sting in her lower right abdomen thumped. Her fingers were met with fresh, clean bandages. Reluctantly, she pried her eyes open against the evil light to find she was on Air Temple Island. Beside her bedside was two empty seats.

Pushing through the pain, she sat up and swung her legs over the left side of the bed, clutching at her side. It wasn't the worse pain she ever felt, but it was slowing her down. She needed water to soothe the pain.

Her legs nearly collapsed under her from lack of use when she attempted to stand like she was a newborn ostrich horse. How long was she out? She took a moment to recompose herself and stretch her legs out before opening the door and walking down the hall.

The movement helped to circulate the blood in her body, waking it up. Except a dull ringing in her ears was cause for concern. She tried slapping her ear and even waterbending, believing one or the other would return her hearing.

A hand on her shoulder from behind scared her. "Shit!" she screamed loudly, almost punching Kya who'd approached her from behind.

Kya's words were blending together. The frustration was clear on the younger woman's face. The master healer guided Korra back to bed and began a healing session.

First, with her abdomen wound. All the tension seemed to vanish from her body with a soft sigh as Kya healed the wound. Her whole body melted, surrendering to the sensation and letting her chi freely flow to where it was needed most to heal.

Kya moved her hands to focus on her ears. It wasn't as relieving as her wound, but she could sense the water was helping restore her hearing. Unfortunately, her full hearing wasn't repaired yet, but Kya was able to restore a generous amount.

The two waterbenders walked alongside each other to the dining room where Asami was with Tenzin and his family, lacking Hisakata. Asami was in the middle of conversing with Jinora when she spotted Korra. Relieved, she jumped from her seat and grabbed her face in her hands, crashing her lips against hers without any regard for the audience.

"You don't know how terrified I was last night," she murmured against her lips, pressing her forehead against hers. "How are you feeling? Can you even hear me right now?"

"I'm fine, 'Sami. Maybe I should get hurt more often if that's the welcome I get when I enter the room." The judgmental look she received told her otherwise, but she tried to erase it with her best winning grin. "Too soon for a joke like that?"

"You're lucky I love you." She shook her head, but couldn't stay mad at her. Too overcome with her emotions, she took her lips in hers again, much gentler this time.

"I love you too. Like I said yesterday, I'm in it for the long haul. If you want to get rid of me, you'll have to get a restraining order against me and a security team to guard you at all times. I'll sneak into your work office if I have to to convince you to be with me."

Asami couldn't stifle a smile as she imagined that scene. She reached up to caress her cheek. "Don't worry, I don't intend to ever get rid of you. You're stuck with me too."

Over breakfast, Korra's health was the initial topic of discussion before shifting to what was going on in Tenzin's life and continuous training of the airbenders. Korra was the one who steered the conversation that way, silently telling them she didn't want to discuss what happened the previous night right away.

Pema blocked the entrance to the kitchen to the couple, ordering them to get some fresh air in a motherly tone.

"Do you have to go into work?" Korra asked as they walked outside.

"I made some calls this morning while you were asleep. Work will be okay for a few hours. I should go in for a little bit later, but right now, I'm making sure you're okay. What happened down there?"

Korra paused midway down the pair of steps they were descending. She removed her hand from Asami and pulled at her hair. "I never saw anyone so I'm thinking those waterbenders were down there, bent a remote underwater bomb towards me and set it off and someone struck me upside the back of my head beforehand. If we had all went down there, we'd all be injured." While Kya was healing her, that's all she thought about and guilt crept in.

"But we aren't. You are though. You need to take it easy for the day. How about a game of Pai Sho?"

Getting her ass kicked by her girlfriend at Pai Sho and forgetting about the case for a few hours was just what Korra needed.

She'd be ready and fresh for a new day to solve this case.

Posted: February 4, 2021

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