This is the final battle! I'm sorry if ya'll expected a bit more, but there will be one more chapter after this one.
I own nothing from Avatar or Fire Force. All OCs belong to me and Fang.
Chapter 24: Day of the Colossus
Back in Republic City, Korra, Taizun, Rokum, Tenzin, Mako, Wu and Raiko were having another meeting at City Hall.
"How's the evacuation coming?" Rokum asked.
"Could be better," Wu answered. "At this point we've evacuated almost..." He took a quick glance at his papers. "Eighteen families."
"Only eighteen?" Korra questioned. "There are millions of people in this city!"
"I said it could be better," Wu replied defensively
"The problem is, it's a voluntary evacuation and there aren't many volunteers," Mako stated. "They just don't feel like they're in any immediate danger."
"Ugh!" Taizun groaned. "What is WITH people?! Do they seriously need to see the city about to be destroyed?!"
The conversation came to an abrupt halt as Bolin burst through the doors of the office.
"Guys! Good, you're all here!" he stated as Suyin, Ayako and Zhu-Li came in as well.
"What's with you interrupting my important meetings all the time?" Raiko exclaimed.
Korra went over to hug Suyin, "Su...you're okay! I'm so sorry about Zaofu. How did you escape?"
"Opal, Ayako, Beifong, and I rescued everyone," Bolin answered. "But we had a run in with Kuvira. We saw her super spirit weapon up close. Like, really close. Way too close."
"Is she going to use it against Republic City?" Tenzin asked.
"Yes," Zhu-Li answered. "I found out she's going to attack in two weeks."
"Oh, well that's just PERFECT," Taizun groaned. "And meanwhile, no one is leaving the city!"
"I knew she wouldn't stop at Zaofu," Raiko muttered, angrily.
"My guess is, she's coming by rail," Lin stated. "It's the only way she can transport that weapon."
"Then we'll cut the rail lines," Korra responded.
"I agree," Raiko said. "But let's get as many citizens evacuated before we do. Put out the announcement. The evacuation is now mandatory."
Mako stood up, "We're on it."
"I spoke to the Fire Force Captains, and they said they're staying to help defend the city," Taizun mentioned.
"Good, we'll need all the help we can get," Raiko responded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pema and Wu helped with the evacuation, getting everyone to the train station.
Mako tried to help with the evacuation, at first, but he unwittingly started a panic, leaving Prince Wu to step up in his stead...and he was surprisingly sincere.
Raiko relocated to Air Temple Island for safety.
"I still don't like having to abandon my office in the city," he stated.
"Air Temple Island is the ideal location for your base of operations and you'll be safe here," Lin told him.
Then, Team Avatar walked in.
"There's something we need to discuss with you," Korra said.
"What is it?" Tenzin asked.
"The seven of us have been talking and...we wanna take out Kuvira's spirit weapon before it gets too close to the city," Taizun stated.
"That sounds like a risk we don't need to take," said Tenzin. "The evacuation is on schedule and General Iroh is getting his army in place."
"I know Iroh can go toe-to-toe with Kuvira's army," said Korra, "But that weapon..."
"It's too powerful!" Bolin exclaimed. "It can destroy the entire city!"
"We CAN'T let it get to our doorstep," said Mako.
"We'll sneak behind enemy lines and disable the weapon," Rokum stated.
"If it works, it'll even the playing field," Asami added.
Tenzin was still apprehensive about it, "But if you get caught..."
"It's worth the risk," Taizun interrupted.
"I agree, and it might be our only shot at preventing an all-out war," Raiko said, then nodded to Korra. "Good luck."
"We'll head out tonight," she said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Team Avatar flew out on Korra's Bison and Timaeus that night. By early morning, they spotted Kuvira's army.
"There they are!" Ayako called out.
Kuvira's tanks were rolling across the landscape.
"She's already crossed into United Republic territory," Korra stated. "She's a week early."
"Fuck me," Taizun muttered.
"This doesn't make sense," Mako said. "There aren't any train tracks this way. How are they transporting that super weapon of theirs?"
They heard thudding sounds, as an enormous mecha suit passed by!
"Apparently on a giant mecha suit!" Asami exclaimed.
"Fuck me sideways!" Taizun commented.
"Did you know Kuvira was building that thing?" Mako questioned Bolin.
"Oh, did I forget to mention it?" he said sarcastically. "No, of course I didn't know!"
"It doesn't matter!" shouted Taizun. "We gotta find a way to stop that thing or else Republic City is toast!"
"Uh...guys?" asked Ayako. "We might have a situation!"
Everyone looked up to see the Mecha Suit raise its arm up and it began to make a mysterious purple glow.
"THAT'S THE CANNON!" Bolin shouted!
Timaeus and Korra's bison swerved in the air to avoid getting hit, but the force from the beam almost knocked them out of the sky!
"HOLY HELL!" Taizun cried.
"Look out! Here comes another one!" Korra shouted as they narrowly avoided another blast, which ended up destroying a nearby mountain!
"Okay, that is bad!" Asami cried.
"It's too dangerous here!" Timaeus shouted. "Everyone, pull back!"
The team flew away from the area, and surprisingly, none of Kuvira's forces pursued them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Team Avatar returned to Air Temple Island, meeting up with Tenzin, Lin, Suyin, Raiko, Pema, Akitaru, Wing and Wei.
"We are so screwed!" Taizun exclaimed.
"Why are you back so soon?" Tenzin asked.
"It's Kuvira," Korra responded. "Our intel was wrong. She must have known Zhu-Li had the information."
"What are you trying to say?" Raiko questioned.
"Kuvira's army is only a few hours away," Rokum answered.
"And that spirit weapon of hers is attached to a giant mecha suit," Ayako added. "It's over twenty-five stories tall!"
"That thing!" Taizun exclaimed. "It can destroy a MOUNTAIN, Tenzin! Imagine what it'll do to the city once it gets here!"
"Get General Iroh on the line and tell him that the attack is happening today," Raiko ordered to Lin. "We need to lock down the city."
"Pema, find Wu and get the remaining citizens to safety, immediately," Tenzin told his wife, then she walked off. "We can't have innocent lives in jeopardy."
"What should we do?" Bolin asked.
"Let's go to my factory," Asami suggested. "Maybe we can get a few of those hummingbird suits up and running."
"We're coming with you," Su decided.
"Taizun and I will head to the front lines and help General Iroh," Korra said.
"Ayako, go find our family and see if they got out, yet," Taizun said.
"They got out," Akitaru told them as he came over. "Ma and Aunt Amai got everyone out, first thing. The only ones left are the three of us."
"Thanks Aki," Ayako said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Korra and Taizun arrived at Varrick's warehouse, where everyone else was waiting.
"Raiko surrendered," Korra told them. "It's down to us now."
"How are we supposed to fight an entire army, a mecha giant, and that crazy weapon?" Bolin questioned, clearly terrified.
"We can't fight it, but maybe we can cripple it," Asami said. "Zhu-Li, when you were spying on Kuvira, did you learn anything about that metal monster?"
"I had no idea they were even building it," she answered.
"Guess Baatar Jr. is a better inventor than I thought," Varrick begrudgingly admitted. "Don't tell him I said that."
"That's it!" Taizun exclaimed. "Baatar Jr. built it, he'll know how to take it down! I say we capture him, and get him to talk."
"Hmmm..." Tenzin hummed, thoughtfully.
"Now, Tenzin, I know it's not something you're used to," Taizun began, "But if we don't do this-"
"I'm in," Tenzin replied, decisively.
"We'll need a stealth team of Airbenders to get in and out of Baatar's airship unnoticed," Korra explained. "Tenzin, Bumi, Jinora, Kai, let's get moving."
"What about me?" Meelo asked, since his name wasn't mentioned.
Korra kneeled down to his level, "Sorry, buddy. This mission counts on everyone being as silent as possible and your farts are just too much of a wild card."
"I can be quiet!" Meelo objected, until he farted loudly again. "Okay, point taken."
"Gross..." Taizun muttered with a wave of his hand.
"Right! Let's move out!" Korra exclaimed as everyone left...but then, Taizun grabbed her by her hand.
"Listen...I believe we can win this," Taizun began, "But...just in case..." He then pulled her close and kissed her on the lips.
She returned it without missing a beat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baatar Jr. now sat, tied to a chair, glaring at the heroes.
Korra removed his gag, then he spoke, "You've made a terrible mistake. Once Kuvira finds out I'm missing, you're all done for."
"That's why, before she finds out, you're going to tell us how to stop that mecha giant, or else," Korra threatened.
"Or else what?" he responded.
Taizun walked over to him, grabbed his left hand, then everyone grimaced as they heard a resounding CRACK!
Baatar screamed in pain over his broken finger, then Taizun said in a dark tone, "I'm gonna count to three, with your fingers. Tell us what we need to know, and the pain stops."
"Do your worst, it doesn't matter," Baatar stated defiantly. "You've lost, only you haven't accepted it yet."
CRACK! Taizun broke another finger.
"You are such a fucking SELLOUT!" he shouted. "You betrayed everyone, your nation and your FAMILY for a madwoman!"
"Taizun, that's enough," Suyin put her hand on his shoulder. "Let me talk to him."
The Firebender released Baatar's hand, "If you think I'm going to spill all my secrets to you, Mother, you're sadly mistaken."
"Why are you doing this?" she questioned. "I know you set out to help better the world, but this is madness!"
"It's madness to let others take what's yours and accept it blindly!" Baatar argued. "The United Republic belongs to us, and we're taking it back."
"But at what cost? How many people have to lose their lives before Kuvira is satisfied?"
"It doesn't have to cost any lives if you would all just surrender! All that Kuvira and I want is a united Earth Empire!"
"I don't know what I did to hurt you, but whatever it was, I'm sorry. When you left Zaofu, it broke my heart and our family has never been the same since. Please, Baatar-stop all this and come home. We want you back with us."
Baatar turned away, "Kuvira is my family now."
Suyin closed her eyes, and tears ran down her cheeks.
Korra realized, "We've been going about his all wrong." She walked over to Baatar as Su moved away. "Maybe Tai physically hurting you if you don't talk isn't enough. But there is something we can do that will be even more painful." She bent over, and looked right into his eyes. "We will take away the one thing you care for the most...Kuvira."
That seemed to get his attention, causing him to look up at her.
"Oh, I get it now," said Taizun. "You're in love with Kuvira, aren't you? That's why you're doing what you're doing. You're so madly in love, you can't even see what she's doing to you and your family and everyone else..." His glare darkened. "But you know what I think? I bet you that she would sooner get rid of you than give up on her precious empire."
"What makes you think she would?!" asked Bataar. "She'd never sell me out like that!"
"Don't believe me?" asked Taizun. "Call her, then. Ask her to surrender."
"Kuvira might win," Korra added. "She might chase us out of the city. But you won't be around to enjoy the victory. Because wherever I run, I'll take you. I am going to make it my life's mission to never let you see the one you love again. Is taking the city worth losing Kuvira forever?"
"No! You can't!" Baatar exclaimed in desperation.
"I will...unless you do what Tai said," Korra told him. "You two will still have the Earth Empire. Just leave the United Republic alone."
Bataar looked at Korra reluctantly before sighing in resignation.
Ayako brought over a radio that he could speak to.
"Kuvira? It's Baatar. I've been captured. My airship was ambushed and I was taken by force. Korra refuses to release me unless we back down and leave the city."
"Are you injured?" Kuvira asked.
"I'm fine, although Taizun broke a couple of my fingers," he said.
"Is the Avatar there with you now?" Kuvira asked.
"Yes, everyone is here," Baatar answered. Taizun looked at the dragons, who were just outside the window. He signaled them to monitor Kuvira's thoughts, if they could.
"Listen to me," Baatar continued. "If you try to take Republic City, the Avatar will never let me see you again...and I refuse to live that way. Forget the United Republic; we have our empire! We have each other! Let's go back home and get married. The only thing that matters is that we're together for the rest of our lives."
There was a pregnant pause before Kuvira spoke.
"You're right," she said. "This city isn't worth sacrificing our life together...I love you, Bataar."
Soon, she hung up.
"As soon as we work out terms with Kuvira, we'll let you out of here," said Korra.
"EVERYONE CLEAR OUT!" Taizun shouted, then the dragons frantically flew away! "Kuvira knows where we are, and she's gonna blast us!"
"Wait, what?!" Bataar asked. "No! She'd never do that!"
"Open your eyes, man!" Mako shouted. "She sees you as expendable, just as everyone else does!"
Thinking quickly, Ayako collapsed the entire floor, making everyone fall underground, then closed up the floor just as the Spirit Cannon's beam hit the warehouse! The ground shook violently from the blast, but everyone managed to survive.
Korra, Mako and Taizun created some flames to light up the dark.
"Ayako, you're a lifesaver!" Bolin exclaimed.
"Hey, that was not easy!" said Ayako. "I had to act fast!"
After a minute, she opened up the ground so they could get out. The warehouse was entirely destroyed; it was a miracle Ayako had acted so fast.
Baatar had been knocked unconscious, not being prepared to fall through the ground.
"...Probably for the best," said Taizun as he looked down at Bataar.
Tenzin did some quick reckon, then returned to the group.
"Kuvira is heading our way, with a platoon of mecha suits!"
"What should we do?" Rokum asked.
"This is my hometown and I hate to say it, but there's no use risking all our lives to fight that giant thing!" Bolin said. "Let her take the city for now! We'll think of some way to come back and beat her!"
"What about all the people who haven't been evacuated yet?" Mako argued. "If Kuvira finds out that Wu is with them, she might fire that spirit cannon at him and take them all out."
"I couldn't stop Kuvira from taking Zaofu," Korra said. "I'm not letting her conquer Republic City. The world isn't safe as long as she has that weapon."
Lin arrived at the scene, standing on top of the rubble,
"I agree. We take down that giant today."
"Well, you benders are going to have to fight her alone," Varrick stated. "She just blew up our factory with all our hummingbird suits."
"Not all of them," Asami refuted. "There are the prototypes back at my office. If we can get those ready to fly, we'll at least be able to offer a little air support."
"Su, you take Baatar Jr. and the rest of the wounded back to Asami's office," Korra ordered. "Get those suits working as soon as you can. The rest of us will just have to face Kuvira on our own."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Varrick, how come your electromagnetic...you know what, let's shorten it to E-M-P," Rokum stated.
"E-M-P…? Hmm...I like it!" Varrick approved. "But, I have no idea why it didn't work on the big one!"
"Because it's powered with spirit vine energy," Baatar Jr. answered. "I'm sorry. I wish I could help you, but it's unstoppable."
Asami's father, Hiroshi walked in, "It's not."
"Dad?"
"I got him out of jail to help," Lin explained. "I figured we need all the geniuses we can get our hands on right now. If the prison's still standing after all this is over, we can throw him back in."
"I know what you all must think of me, but I love Republic City and I would do anything to save her," Hiroshi told everyone.
"You think you know how to defeat this thing?" Korra asked.
"You must act like an infection: break the skin and attack its vital organs, disconnect the heart and the brain and this beast cannot live," Hiroshi explained.
"Basically, we take it apart from the inside out," said Taizun.
"Exactly," Hiroshi replied. "It's our only chance."
"But how are we supposed to get inside?" Ayako questioned.
"Future Industries has plasma saws for cutting platinum," Hiroshi answered. "If we had one on the mecha suit..."
"But the saws are way too big," Asami interrupted. "We'd never get the suits off the ground."
"I think I can add an electrical element to the welding torch on your suit and convert it into a plasma saw," Hiroshi elaborated. "Then we'll just have to land on the giant and cut open a hole big enough for someone to get in."
"Like a metal mosquito," Asami surmised.
"You know what happens to mosquitoes that land on me? I squash 'em!" Varrick stated, pointing out another issue.
"We'll have to attack in a swarm to try to keep you guys safe in the hummingbird suits," Korra said. "It looks like they're our only hope."
"Well, if we're gonna act, we gotta do it now!" Taizun called. "If we wait too long, we might as well kiss Republic City goodbye, along with our asses!"
"But I like my butt!" Bolin cried.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The plan had worked! Team Avatar, Lin and Su managed to get inside the giant mech thanks to the hole Hiroshi had cut into the metal. Sadly, however, Hiroshi got crushed by the mech's hand.
But the heroes were determined to make sure his sacrifice was not in vain.
"We need to move fast," Korra stated. "Su, Lin, Ayako, climb up to the arm and try to disable that weapon. Taizun, Mako, Bolin, Rokum, get to the engine and see if you can power this thing down. I'm going after Kuvira."
"Are you sure?" Suyin asked. "When you fought Kuvira before..."
"I know," Korra said. "She almost destroyed me. Not this time."
"Trust her, Su," said Taizun. "She's got it, this time...I'm sure of it."
She give him a quick kiss before everyone split up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bolin cut open the hatch to the engine room with a lava-disc, then the other three came in.
"Mako and I will get that lever," Taizun pointed at one of the switches. "Rokum, you and Bolin get the other one."
One of the guards threw some metal plates them, but Taizun instantly melted them with Dragon's Flame! As for the other guard, Rokum bended some water from his pouches and froze the guard to the wall.
"No hard feelings, guys, but we're in a bit of a rush here," said Rokum. "Let's go, Taizun!"
Said Firebender rushed the other guard and slammed him to the floor, knocking him out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ayako, Suyin and Lin made to the area of the right arm, where the mechanism for the spirit cannon was. Lin dealt with one guard wile Ayako and Su noticed bullets loaded into metallic holes. They used their bending to bring down the chain of holes and watched them tumble downward. The vine cartridges hit the bottom of the arm and exploded!
The two females moved back as the blast of spirit energy came up!
"Whoa!" Ayako cried in shock as they all ducked toward the entrance to avoid the blast!
"The outside may be platinum, but we can do a shit ton of damage in here," Su stated, just as Lin joined them.
The three ladies began to collapse the gears with their Metalbending.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The weapon's loading mechanism has malfunctioned," the helmsman reported. "We're unable to fire."
"It's no malfunction," Kuvira stated. "I can feel someone Metalbending inside the arm." She tried to move the arm, but it swung lazily at its side; unresponsive. "I've lost the connection! The weapon's useless now."
She made the mech's left arm rip off the right. Inside the arm, the Beifong siblings and Ayako slammed against the wall. Lin Bent some of the metal to strap them down.
Kuvira then threw the useless arm away and it crashed into a building. While the main body of the arm fell straight to the ground, the cannon fractured from it and tumbled onward; falling into the Spirit Wilds, where it vanished from view.
Inside the discarded arm, the Beifongs and Ayako were still strapped in, and unconscious, but thankfully, unharmed.
Back inside the mech's cockpit, Korra burst in from the entrance hatch! She immediately attacked with blasts of fire and air, knocking out the other soldiers, then landed behind Kuvira.
She threw fire at the military leader, who dodged. She fired back with liquefied metal, which Korra manipulated and threw back at her, throwing her into the control panel. Kuvira quickly got back up and charged, but Korra ducked. Kuvira turned and threw some metal plates, but Korra dodged them.
The Metalbender threw one of the radio speakers at the Avatar, who used Airbending to deflect it. She threw an arc of fire at Kuvira, who jumped onto the platform, then made it launch Korra into the air, who hit the roof and got locked in when Kuvira Bent metal around her.
The military leader moved the Avatar around the roof before throwing her into the control panel, smashing it. Just as Kuvira set to attack again, Korra got out of the way before being hit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, down in the engine room, Mako, Bolin, Rokum, and Taizun were still fighting off the guards.
"Guys, we gotta make this quick!" shouted Rokum as he bent some more water from his pouch to pin some more guards to the wall. "I'm running out of water, here!"
"How about this?" Bolin threw his lava-disc around the bend, breaking a steam pipe open. The guards got bombarded by steam, only for Rokum to freeze it, trapping them.
"Good thinking," he complimented Bolin. Mako and Taizun double-teamed the last guard, body slamming him to the floor.
"Guys, this thing is putting out a shit ton of energy," Taizun stated. "I don't think a simple shut down is gonna work."
"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" Mako questioned.
"Bolin, you worked with Varrick and Zhu-Li on this a bit," Rokum said. "Any ideas?"
"All I know is that if you mess around with these vines too much, they'll explode," Bolin explained.
"Then that's what we have to do," Rokum replied. "How are we gonna do this?"
That's when Taizun looked over at Mako, who glanced back at him...then they both nodded their heads.
"Okay, Mako and I will hit the vines with some lightning," Taizun said.
"Are you outta your mind?!" Bolin exclaimed. "I just said if you mess with them, they'll explode!"
"It's only gonna take a little," Mako told him. "You and Rokum get those guards out of here. We'll be right behind you."
"We know what we're doing," said Taizun. "Just get a move on."
Rokum looked at Taizun with a serious expression before he turned to Bolin.
"Come on, Bolin," he said. "We gotta go. Now!"
Bolin quickly hugged his brother, then helped the Avatar's brother carry the guards out.
Taizun and Mako generated some lighting, then fired at the large ball of vines!
Soon after, huge arcs of spirit energy began to explode around the room and the energy conduits started to detonate!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Korra threw a blast of fire with a punch and dodged several Metalbending attacks from Kuvira. Korra retaliated with Airbending before sending a kick at Kuvira, amplified by Firebending. Kuvira dodged it, spun around, and sent multiple fragments of the metal at Korra.
Kuvira blocked a fire attack by reforming a shield with the metal from her orbs, then Korra jumped into the air, Metalbent the shield down and kicked a gust of air at Kuvira, who tumbled backward and slammed into the windows and control panel.
Briefly staggered, she threw the shield at Korra, who easily ducked under it and physically attacked Kuvira, locking her legs around Kuvira's neck and flipping her over, throwing her backward onto the control platform, hitting the platform two times before rolling to a stop.
Korra bent the metal beneath her, tossing her briefly limp form into the air. As Korra jumped into the air to land a crushing blow, Kuvira woke up. The two attacked simultaneously in midair, Korra Airbending at Kuvira, even as she threw a panel of the floor at Korra. The two blows landed at the same time and both ladies got tossed away from each other by the combination of attacks, landing at opposite sides of the mech's cockpit.
Meanwhile, Mako and Taizun were still trying to use their lightning bending to overload the spirit vines. However, by now it was starting to get to the both of them.
"Okay, that's enough!" Taizun exclaimed, and the two ceased the lightning attacks.
Mako was worn out a little, but Taizun helped him up and they got out. They managed to get to the ladder as the engine exploded, dismantling it, but they still fell to relative safety.
Back in the cockpit, Korra and Kuvira were about to attack each other again, but they lost their balance as the mech lurched around!
By now, the beams were growing out of control! They grew in number as the explosions grew even more powerful until finally, the mecha suit couldn't take any more of the suppressed energy...and before too long, the whole thing exploded in a giant burst of spirit energy!
The top of its torso, now severed from its lower half, went soaring through the air as the remaining usable arm, torn away, tumbled in the opposite direction.
Kora and Kuvira desperately held onto the railing around the control platform as the cockpit fell, debris flying past them toward the ceiling. The cockpit section crashed into the street, raising a cloud of dust that suffused the immediate area. As the dust settled, the upper section lay motionless and useless, where it came to rest.
Down below, Taizun, Rokum, Mako, and Bolin all looked up at the wreckage.
"...We did it...!" Bolin whispered. "It's over! We won!"
"No," Taizun answered. "Not yet."
Korra helped Kuvira out of the ruined cockpit, its window shattered and its frames bent, and set her down. Korra sat down, spent, next to her.
"It's over," she stated. "You're gonna call off your army and surrender to President Raiko. Then you and—"
Catching Korra off guard, Kuvira threw a chunk of rock at her, catching her in the face and sending her flying across the pile of debris. She came to a stop face down in the street; with a groan, she lifted her head and saw Kuvira escaping down the street, limping badly.
After a quick glance behind her, Kuvira took off down the street toward the Spirit Wilds in the distance, her arm braced across her body.
"Stop!" Korra called.
"Crazy bitch!" Taizun exclaimed before he and the Avatar went after her.
"Kuvira, stop!" Korra shouted, but Kuvira wouldn't comply. She limped her way toward the Spirit Wilds, even though her body was racked with pain. She momentarily had to stop and rest before she kept trying to get away, even as Korra and Taizun pursued her.
"You've lost, but you just refuse to accept it!" Taizun shouted. "Surrender and we can end this!"
"If you really want to end it, then come and get me!" Kuvira called to them.
The couple took off toward the source of the sound. Ducking under a large, arch-like root and pushing through a clump of bushes, they comes upon a clearing and, looking up, gasped in horror.
The massive spirit weapon was suspended in a cradle of vines where it fell from the discarded arm of the mecha. Its barrel was aimed directly at Korra and Taizun, who stood motionless before it. Kuvira was holding onto the side of the firing mechanism, holding the manual trigger handle in her left hand.
"NOW it's over...!" Kuvira whispered as she prepared to pull the trigger.
"DON'T!" Korra cried, desperately...but it was too late. Kuvira slid the trigger home and the beam began to charge. Realizing what was happening, Taizun grabbed Korra and they both ran for cover, just as the beam came blasting out!
As the weapon continued to fire, the vines around Kuvira began to glow with the same purple light. The force of the firing propelled the cannon backward, away from the ground; twisting around, wildly swinging in its cradle of vines as the beam followed.
The beam sliced through several buildings and blew them up!
"SHUT IT DOWN!" Korra shouted over the noise.
Kuvira slid the trigger back, but the cannon kept firing, "I CAN'T!"
The cannon suddenly shuddered, throwing Kuvira off! She hit the ground hard, raised her head, and gasped, her expression morphing into horror as she saw the barrel of her creation swinging around to aim at her, the beam still firing!
"You see what you've done?!" Taizun asked. "You've messed with something that's beyond your control and now look what happened!"
"I...I didn't mean for this to happen!" Kuvira cried. "I just wanted to unite the world!"
"LOOK OUT!" Korra cried as the beam began to head for Taizun and Kuvira, the latter flinching as she braced herself for the impact...but then, Korra jumped in the way!
"KORRA! NO!" cried Taizun.
Korra extended her hands in front of her, her eyes glowing as she entered the Avatar State. The beam of energy abruptly gave way, and a spherical mass of energy formed around the three, while smaller energy beams spread out in all directions.
Kuvira sat motionless, caught between wonder and terror as the purplish-white light coursed around them. As Korra continued to block the beam, the orb of energy around them began to expand, slowly at first, then exponentially. The three disappeared when the orb glowed bright white and flared into a massive size.
Soon after, a massive explosion occurred, so huge that it swallowed not just the Spirit Wilds, but the central peninsula of Republic City as the orb expanded, drowning out the light of the midday sun as a shockwave radiated toward its base with clouds swirling around its apex! All those that were still in the streets, including Tenzin and his children, quickly took shelter as the threshold of the blast blazed past them, ash and dust pouring through the doorway!
Asami, Mako, Bolin and Rokum saw the incoming blast and took cover as well!
The light and dust suddenly came to a standstill, before reversing its direction and screaming back toward its source. The next event happened very quickly.
A second of silence as the orb began to collapse on itself, leaving circular clouds hanging in the sky and revealing a layer of vines covering the ground. The orb utterly imploded, crushing itself down to microscopic size as it sucked the clouds inward to itself, leaving only a golden pinpoint sitting at the center of a deep crater covered with vines.
A brief flare of golden light flickered out and the world was bathed in a golden glow as a yellowish beam of energy shot skyward, a beacon rising into the sky as Kuvira's army of mecha suits watched from the streets of the city. Within the beam rose two coiled ribbons of green and yellow, two helices spiraling upward into the sky above.
Not too far away...Timaeus gaped in awe and disbelief.
"...She's done it...!" he whispered.
"I did not expect this..." Hamos stated, while Critias was left speechless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Korra, Taizun and Kuvira found themselves in a field of strange flowers.
"What happened?" Kuvira questioned. "Are we...dead?"
"No, we're okay, but we're in the Spirit World," Taizun replied. "All the energy from your weapon tore open a new portal and blasted us in here."
Kuvira lowered her head, then asked Korra, "Why would you save my life, after everything I did to you?"
"I guess...I see a lot of myself in you," Korra answered.
At first, Kuvira seemed surprised, but then she grew angry.
"We are NOTHING alike!" she barked.
"Yes, we are, Kuvira," Korra said. "We're both...fierce and determined to succeed." She looked down, sadly. "Sometimes, without thinking things through."
"This wasn't how I wanted things to end," Kuvira fell to her knees. "If you would have all just surrendered, none of this would have happened."
"Would you pull your head out of your ass already?!" Taizun yelled. "You brought this on yourself! Messing with the spirit vines, acting like a dictator over your people; you had to know what you were doing wasn't right!"
"I was trying to help my people," Kuvira glared at them. "Su turned her back on the Earth Kingdom, you were gone! I had to do something."
Surprisingly, Korra stayed calm, "I think I get it now."
"You don't understand anything about me," Kuvira scoffed.
"Su told me how she took you in when you were younger," Korra explained. "It must have been so hard being an orphan."
"No! Don't you DARE pretend you know what it felt like!" Kuvira shouted while wildly waving her free arm. "The Avatar is adored by millions! I was cast aside by my own parents like I meant nothing to them...how could I just stand by and watch my own nation go through the same thing...when it needed someone to guide it?" She then started to cry.
"You wanted to create a place where you and your people would never be vulnerable again," Korra surmised. "I may not have been an orphan, but believe me, I understand what it feels like to be afraid. After I was poisoned, I would have done anything to feel in control."
Kuvira's face softened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the physical world, the spirits began to reappear on the rim of the crater around the new Spirit Portal, where everyone else was currently gathered.
"The spirits have returned," Tenzin stated.
Everyone turned to the portal, just in time to see Korra and Taizun emerge with Kuvira.
"And so has Korra!" Asami exclaimed.
"TAI!" Ayako cried happily as she and the others ran down to greet them with Rokum pulling his sister tightly into his arms.
"Thank the spirits...!" he whispered, his voice breaking as tears stung his eyes.
"I'm okay, big brother," she said softly.
"Release Kuvira, or we will attack!" One of the soldiers in a mech-suit ordered, and all of them had their weapons aimed at them.
"Stand down," Kuvira ordered. "This battle is over. I owe the Avatar my life. Her power is beyond anything I could ever hope to achieve. I'll accept whatever punishment the world sees fit." The mecha suits all stood down and Lin handcuffed the woman. "And Su, I'm sorry for all the anguish I've caused you and your family."
"You're going to answer for everything you've done," Suyin stated as she and her sister lead the former dictator away.
Everyone joined Korra and Taizun in a group hug.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And though the battle took a severe toll on our beloved city, out of the destruction, love did bloom!" Bolin declared. "So that is why, dearest friends and family, we gather today to celebrate the wondrous, and at time inexplicable bond between Sir Varrick and the Lady Zhu Li!"
That's right: everyone was now at Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding.
"Hey, pal, camera on me!" Varrick whispered loudly to the cameraman. "This is my big day!"
"True love is a fickle creature," Bolin continued, "Difficult to find, nearly impossible to tame...but Varrick and Zhu Li have proven that even the longest of long shots can have a chance at happiness together. Now, for the vows!"
That's when Pabu jumped on his shoulder with a small scroll on his neck.
"Thank you, Master Pabu," Bolin said before he took the scroll. "Do you, Sir Iknik Blackstone Varrick of the Southern Water Tribe, Master of the High Seas, take the Lady Zhu Li Moon to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you promise to treat her not as your assistant, but as your honored and cherished partner?"
"You're darn-tootin', I do!" Varrick exclaimed.
"And do you, Zhu Li, take Varrick, to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Bolin continued. "Do you promise to care for him, in sickness and in health, and-and also scrub his callouses on a bi-weekly basis, which...isn't really that much to ask..." He crumpled up the paper. "Okay, I'm not reading all this."
"I do take Varrick, callouses and all," Zhu-Li answered without hesitation.
"You may now do the thing," Bolin stated.
Zhu-Li dipped Varrick and kissed him, while the crowd applauded. After a few seconds, Varrick began to cry.
"Are you alright?" Zhu-Li asked.
"You just make me so dang happy!" he cried. He wiped his tears away and pulled a remote from his pocket. Pressing the button together, a bunch of fireworks went off.
Later that night, everyone was having a grand party to celebrate both Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding and their victory against Kuvira. To everyone's surprise, the White Falls Wolf-bats were there...providing musical entertainment!
After some chatting with the patrons, Taizun went to find Korra, who'd left the party a minute ago. He found her at the gate entrance to the island, talking to Tenzin. He looked proud and she had a look of tranquility.
"Hey, Tenzin?" he announced his presence. "Varrick is looking for you. Something about wanting to borrow a glider-suit to fly off the tower?"
"That doesn't seem like a good idea!" Tenzin said before he ran off.
"Wanna sit with me for a minute?" Korra asked her boyfriend. "I'm not ready to get back to the party just yet."
"Sure," Taizun said as he sat with her. "I wanted to talk to you, anyway."
"Me first," she said, then her face turned sad. "I don't think I ever really apologized."
"For what?" he asked, a little surprised.
"For being gone all that time," she answered. "For not coming back sooner. For not taking you with me..."
Taizun's eyes softened before he pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead.
"I understand," he said. "I mean...you probably felt so alone and scared and...helpless. You must have felt so trapped."
"I did," Korra replied, "But still...I'm so sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Taizun said as he hugged her tightly. "I'm just...so happy you're here...all that matters to me...is right here, right now, this very moment."
He paused for a minute before continuing, "We've been through so much together, haven't we?"
Korra chuckled, "Yeah. We've been friends forever, you were the first and only guy I've dated, and you were always the first person to give me a pep-talk when I needed one. Throughout all of that, you became the love of my life."
"You became mine when I first met you," he replied, making her blush.
He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a pendant-like necklace with an oval blue apatite gemstone, with the crest of the Water Tribe somehow carved into the gem.
Korra's eyes went wide as she realized what it was.
"What are you doing, right now?" she asked as Taizun kneeled before her.
"Avatar Korra, will you marry me?"
Korra's eyes welled up with tears...before she broke down laughing and sobbing at the same time.
"Yes!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around Taizun. "Yes, I will!"
He hugged her tightly, crying a few tears of his own. He kissed her hair, her forehead, then her cheek.
Then, he carefully clasped the necklace around Korra's neck.
"...I love you, Korra," Taizun whispered.
"I love you too, Tai," she whispered back, still choked up happily. She examined the gemstone, "It reminds me of Katara's."
"I took inspiration from it," he told her. "I bought the gemstone and asked Ayako to carve the pattern into it."
"That's so sweet of her," she replied, but she couldn't stop crying. "Does my Dad know?"
"He at least knows I was planning to ask you. I got his permission three years ago..."
~~~~~~~~Flashback; after Zaheer's Death~~~~~~~~~
"...I'm sorry, Korra," Taizun whispered. "I...I should have protected you better...!"
Tonraq gently put his hand on his shoulder, "You did all you could. She wouldn't blame you."
He turned to the Chief, "Sir, this may seem like a bad time, but I'd like to ask you something..."
Tonraq nodded, then they exited the room so that they wouldn't disturb the sleeping girl.
Soon, they were standing together in a separate room.
"What is it, Taizun?" asked Tonraq while Taizun looked down at the floor, apprehensive...but then he took a deep breath.
"Okay...I want to ask for your permission to marry Korra," he finally said.
Tonraq's eyes went wide at this revelation while Taizun just stared at him, seriously.
"...Is that right?" asked Tonraq.
"I almost lost her today, and it terrified me," Taizun stated. "And if I may speak freely..." Tonraq nodded. "I love your daughter with all my heart and soul. I fell for her when we first met when we were kids, and after what happened today, I realized that I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
Tonraq stood quietly...before he heaved a quiet sigh.
"...I understand how you feel, Taizun," he said, "And...I give you my blessings."
Taizun breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, thank you sir."
"Just take care of my little girl," Tonraq told him.
"With my dying breath," Taizun assured him.
~~~~~~~~~Flashback End~~~~~~~~~
"Wow..." Korra stated.
"Yeah...I'm surprised how well he took it when I asked him," said Taizun.
She grabbed his face and kissed him, passionately.
"Mmm..." Taizun moaned pleasantly in her mouth before he held her tightly.
"I told you they'd be here swapping spit," Ayako's voice announced. The couple separated and turned to see the rest of their friends watching them.
"...You know what?" Korra asked with a grin. "I'm not even mad."
"Me, neither," Taizun said, smugly. "NOTHING could ruin this."
Rokum was surprised that his sister wasn't mad, until he noticed the necklace,
"Dude, did you just propose?!"
"You bet your ass I did!" Taizun exclaimed.
"YES!" Rokum cheered as he ran up and gave him a high-five. "IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!"
"Congratulations!" Asami hugged Korra.
"Thank you!" she cried a bit.
"Ironic, a proposal at a wedding," Bolin commented, smiling.
"Way to go, you guys!" Mako called out.
Ayako hugged both Korra and her brother.
"I'm so happy for you guys!" she said. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks, sis," said Taizun.
"Okay, you two, take a vacation," Rokum told the couple.
"I agree, just the two of you," Asami added.
"...I think I know just the place," Korra said as she looked in the direction of the new spirit portal.
Well SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, you called it! TAIZUN PROPOSED!
So, one more chapter and this is finished! I honestly thought this would be longer, but, oh well; I'm still proud of it.
Read and review, please!