CHAPTER 5: Sadness, faith and the great river.

"ASAMI!" Korra fell, her strength failing her. Her eyes stopped glowing as she reached out helplessly on her knees. She grunted through the pain, not giving a damn as she got up and jumped out after Asami. She landed, using her air bending to soften her fall. She ran to Asami on the sidewalk, she's landed across the street. Korra stopped, her eyes brimming as she saw her love…in a pool of blood, her eyes sightless, her hair matted with her drying blood. Korra heard people running up behind her, but she didn't care. She dropped to her knees and held Asami. "Asami….my Asami…." Korra broke down as she held her, feeling arms coming around them both as Bolin and Mako and Kya embraced Korra and cried with her. Behind them, Varrick and Zhu Li held each other as they watched, crying too.

"I'm sorry…Korra, I didn't mean for this to happen…" Zaheer looked on from the nearby alley, cloaked in the shadows. Ghazan, partially burned along his arms from his escape during the final battle, where he had made it seem as though he self-perished, clapped his friend on his shoulder. "We have to go, Zaheer, now…" Zaheer paused and he brought his right fist into his left angled palm in an air bender salute, a show of respect, bowing his head and closing his eyes before he ran off with Ghazan into the city, still so quiet as a mist was felt, making the rays of the morning sun so beautiful as it shone on a day of great revelations…a day of sadness.

"No, I'm not letting it end like this! Kya, come here, please!" Korra stood, gently setting Asami down and she quickly directed the older woman to begin her healing bending. Kya just nodded and knelt next to Asami, using water from her water pouch which encapsulated her hands as they glowed. Kya blinked against her tears, feeling so much sorrow. She too knew what it felt like to lose a love…a girlfriend. Still, she placed her faith in the Avatar.

Korra entered the Avatar state, her eyes glowing. Korra of the Southern water tribe, latest in a long line of Avatars, had done what seemed to be impossible before, and she would now do so again. She swayed, gesturing broadly with her hands, wide arching patterns as she summoned a great stream of water from the river. The stream flowed through the air as it began to glow with golden spiritual energy.

She stumbled, her glow fading, sputtering but she grunted through the pain of her limbs, her resolve unshakeable.

Combining her spiritual power with Kya's mastery of healing…Asami opened her eyes.

Kya sat back quickly in shock and awe as Korra lowered her hands, the water around them evaporating into steam that was carried away on the cool breeze. Nearby, Mako, Bolin, Varrick and Zhu Li stood, dumbfounded. Not even Bolin or Varrick could say anything, expressive as they usually were.

Naga whined, having been nearby and she bounded up to Korra, nuzzling and licking her hand lovingly. She whined more as she saw the changes of Korra's arms and no doubt her legs under her dark blue water tribe pants.

"It's okay girl…I'll be okay…" she said even as she started to fall but Mako and Bolin each caught her under her arms, trying to be very gentle with her. "Oh my g-" Bolin started, seeing Korra's arms, they felt…cold, swollen and they could both see her veins and arteries…blackened as they crisscrossed along her arms. Mako silenced his brother with a sharp look, tearing up all over again. Bolin sniffled as they laid Korra down beside Asami, who's head rested in the older woman's lap even as Mako cradled Korra's head in his.

"Asami…" Korra muttered weakly, reaching one of her hands as she held her love's hand…her warm, alive hand. Asami couldn't even begin to speak, shocked, thankful, sad and so many other things…all she could do was squeeze Korra's hand.

"Varrick….Zhu Li….." Korra turned to talk to them as they came up and knelt next to the pair.

"We're here, Korra…" Zhu Li spoke softly, wiping her eyes. "I need you to both go up and get the bodies of the doctor and the nurse…Amon killed….not too late…can still…save them…."

Korra struggled to stay conscious, so drained and so hurt, but she would be damned if she didn't try to help the good doctor and the nurse who tried to help the girl she loved so much.

"You're darn tootin'!" Varrick said as he helped Zhu Li to stand and they took off into the hospital, dragging Bolin along, they'd need his help. "Hey, no, let me go, I hate hospitals! Mako! Kya! Nagaaahhhh-!" he shouted comically as his cries were cut off by the closing main doors.

Several minutes later, Kya having used her water healing to try to aid Korra's arms and legs to recover, was dismayed to see that it wasn't going very well. Hurry, brother… she thought to herself. Only Katara could heal Korra now.

Mako ran to the great river to refill Kya's water pouch and soon he came back to find Korra being helped to her feet by Varrick and Bolin as Zhu Li laid the bodies of Doctor Fa Mulan and nurse Ming Na as gently as she could on top of some thin sheets they had gotten from the room they were in upstairs.

"Korra…please…don't…." Asami reached up, tugging Korra's pant leg gently. Mako laid Asami's head on his lap, urging her softly not to move. "Please Asami…I know it hurts more to watch Korra risk her life, but we're Team Avatar, right…we risked our lives a lot over the years." "That's right!" Bolin chimed in, earning a bemused eye roll from Asami as Naga barked once in support.

Korra smiled down at her love, turning as she raise her arms, wincing through the pain as she, along with Kya, worked to resurrect the two ladies. Korra gestured in patterns, once again summoning water from the river which glowed with the golden light which enhanced Kya's healing bending. Kya struggled not to show how strained she was, barely trembling as she held each hand over one of the ladies. She felt as though she were stopping the flow of the ocean itself.

Fa Mulan and Ming Na opened their eyes as they gasped for breath, sitting up and they noticed the Avatar and several others nearby. "A-avatar?" Doctor Fa said, feeling her chest as she remembered feeling a pain there and then…nothing.

"It's okay now…you'll be….." Korra fell, Varrick too slow to catch her but thankfully she landed her head on Asami's tummy. "I don't get it," the young nurse said as Zhu Liu helped them to stand.

"A miracle happened…twice…" was all she said to them.

Again, a few minutes later, the nurse had gone inside for two gurneys and Korra was placed on one and Asami on the other…and Mako, Bolin, Kya, Zhu Li and Varrick followed them inside as they were wheeled in through the wide main entrance…Asami holding Korra's limp hand in hers, more tears falling, in sorrow but mostly in thanks…in thanks to the lineage of the Avatars… whose actions had culminated in bring Korra into their lives and into the lives of so many people, after all….

Only the Avatar can master all four elements, and bring balance to the world.

To be continued…