A/N: Here we go again with chapter 26. As always I want to thank everyone who goes that extra mile to post a comment, review, or constructive criticism. Whether you do it on the first day I update, or a week after they all help, and mean a lot to me so thank you all. What you guys think always makes my day, and helps keep me going. All you readers are awesome so i'll stop babbling and let you read the chapter. As always I own nothing but plot, and OC's. enjoy.
26: Influence
"Asssami," a cold voice echoed, and Asami clenched her fist as pain flared through her palm.
"Asssami," the unknown voice eerily called again, and the CEO's green eyes snapped open.
Asami bolted up right in bed and quickly looked around to find her room dark and empty. "Hello?" she called out before glancing at the clock on her nightstand.
It was a quarter to three, and the mansion should be empty besides her. The cleaning staff always left around eleven, and with Korra in the hospital she was home alone. Thinking of the injured Avatar brought a scowl to her beautiful face.
She remembered waiting and worrying at Korra's beside while Katara finished another healing session. Then after talking with the old water bender she got her hand healed except for the strange mark apparently burned into her palm. She remembered the dull ache in her hand as she closed her eyes for just a few minutes. What she didn't remember was coming home and going to bed.
As quietly as she could Asami got out of bed, and after donning her night robe she silently made her way to the door. Listening closely for the voice to call again all she heard was an eerie silence. Carefully she opened her door and cautiously peaked out into the dark hall.
Finding it empty she moved silently into the hallway, and began creeping towards the stairway. The hall was dark, but she easily made her way down the corridor, and having lived in the house all her life she easily maneuvered over and around the squeaky floorboards.
Without making a sound she reached the landing and peaked down over the balcony. To her immediate shock she saw several police officers gathered in the foyer whispering among themselves.
"What the hell is going on here?" Asami demanded loudly as she flicked a switch on a nearby wall. The lights in the chandelier immediately came to life illuminating the spacious foyer below.
Despite the lights being turned on and calling out to them the metal benders didn't respond, or even so much as glance up at her. They just continued to talk quietly.
"I said what the hell is going on?" Asami demanded again with a scowl. When they seemingly ignored her again she growled in frustration and stormed down the stairs. Between everything that had happened in the last few days and the fact that it was two in the morning she was not in the mood for trespassers; burglar or cop.
Coming to the ground floor Asami marched over to the metal benders with a heated glare. "What are you doing here? Did something happen?"
"How does something like this happen?" one of the cops asked quietly, and Asami froze. Had something happened to Korra? Was that why they were here? These questions and others suddenly flooded the heiress's mind.
"Usually tragedies like this happen at the wrong place and wrong time." Another cop answered solemnly. "Do we have any clue what happened?"
The third officer sighed. "The chief seems to have things figured out. This was no run of the mill burglary. One of the triads did this, and judging by the mark burned into the front door it was the Agni Kais."
Asami frowned at what she was hearing. With everything that had happened recently the triads had been keeping a low profile, and even then the only one brazen enough to break into her home of all places was the Triple Threat triad. Spirits knows they were dumb enough to break into her company headquarters in broad daylight.
"Damn it," the first cop swore under his breath. "She was practically the heart of Republic City; why would anyone even the triads do something like this?"
"I don't know," replied the second officer. "But Chief Beifong seems pretty determined to find out. She nearly tore Genju's head off for a wise crack."
The third cop scoffed. "Genju needs to learn there is a time and place for everything, and that in front of Lin Beifong at an active murder scene is definitely not it."
"This is a pretty big case too," continued the second cop. "Lin will probably take this one personally. Solving something like this could finally get her out of her mother's shadow."
"The ambulance has left already, and the crime scene's been processed five times now. How much longer are we going to be here?" asked the first cop.
"The Chief should be finishing up any moment. The husbands not taking it well; I can't imagine anyone would." answered the third officer.
Asami was quickly losing her patients as they continued to talk like she wasn't there. They hadn't even glanced at her. Finally she was fed up with it. "What the hell is going on?" She screamed.
"Once again I'm very sorry for your loss Mr. Sato."
Asami froze upon hearing that name. Quickly spinning around she was shocked to see her father Hiroshi Sato, and Chief Lin Beifong. The metal bender appeared slightly younger than the seasoned investigator she knew. Her hair was slightly darker than the silver grey it was now, but she still had her slandered stern expression. There was no apparent emotion on her face, but Asami could see there was genuine sadness in her eyes.
Seeing the metal bender like this was very strange, but what truly left the heiress dumbstruck was her father standing alongside Lin. "Dad?" Asami whispered in disbelief. As impossible as it was it really was him the real him. Not the withered old man he had become. He was as she remembered him to be before he had allowed himself to be consumed by hatred and joined Amon's equalist revolution.
Almost anyway; right now the man before her was broken. His shoulders were slumped in defeat and his eyes were red from crying.
"Please just find the monster that did this, and bring my wife peace and justice." Hiroshi said sounding hollow.
"We will do everything we can Mr. Sato. You have my word." Lin said as she left through the front door closely followed by the three other officers.
This was impossible. That was the thought that kept racing through Asami's mind as she stood there in shock. Her father was dead. He had given his life to help stop Kuvira's reign of terror. She had watched helplessly as the metal bending tyrant crushed him like an insect.
"What is going on?" Asami asked aloud as her father sat tiredly on the bottom step. With each passing moment everything became more familiar, and she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"What is this?" She screamed, but Hiroshi didn't react. He merely sat there with his face held in his hands, and pitiful sobs racking his body.
"Yasuko; my innocent Yasuko what have they done to you?" he cried.
Asami's mind was racing almost as fast as her heart beat. This had to be a dream, no a nightmare, because she remembered this now, being awoken in the dead of night by the hushed voices of police officers, finding her father sobbing at the bottom of the stairs. This all happened the night her mother died.
"Dad?"
As if on cue Asami looked up to find her six year old self staring down in confusion. Her black hair was ruffled from sleeping and she was still in her pajamas, but seeing her father cry for the first time in her young life eliminated any traces of sleep.
"Daddy what's going on?" the little girl asked as she walked carefully down the stairs with a small hand holding tight to the railing.
Asami watched with tears in her eyes as Hiroshi pulled her into his lap and held on to her as if she would disappear at any moment. Like a monster would come and take her away too. This was the single worst moment of her entire life, and she was about to relive it all over again.
Tears falling freely now Asami shut her eyes, held herself tight, and braced for what came next. "Daddy what's wrong? Where's mom?"
That question ripped a sob from both her and her father, but he however was able to slowly face his young daughter. "I'm so sorry Asami but," he paused to choke back a sob before continuing. "Mommy is gone."
Asami forced her eyes open to see the look of incomprehension on her young face. Seeing that his daughter didn't understand he quickly thought of the best way to answer that inevitable why. "A monster took her away Asami. I'm so sorry."
Unable to take anymore Asami turned away from the heart breaking memory, and bolted for the front door. She opened it and rushed outside where she collapsed to her knees and cried.
She could feel it all confusion, shock, rage, and soul crushing sorrow. Every painful emotion she had felt all those years ago as a child had returned a hundred fold. Asami tried her hardest to bury them again. To just forget the pain, but it continued to build more and more until finally she just screamed her sorrow into the surrounding darkness. Her scream echoed long and loud until finally it faded into silence that was only broken by her sobbing.
"She didn't keep her promise did she Asami?" a familiar voice asked gently from in front her.
The weeping heiress took a deep shaky breath to try to calm herself, but her tears continued to fall no matter how tight she shut her eyes.
"They never did find the monster that took me away; did they?"
Watery green eyes shot open and Asami stared up in shock.
"Mom?" she whispered in disbelief. It was impossible, but there standing before her was her mother Yasuko Sato.
For a moment Asami was taken aback. It was had been so long since she had even glanced at an old picture of Yasuko. Her father had always said she looked just like her mother, and spirits he was right. They had the same fair skin, similar builds, and same long dark hair only in different styles.
Everything about her mother was as Asami remembered except for her eyes. Where they had once shared the same jade green eyes Yasuko's now glowed with an almost sickly green glow.
"Oh Asami," Yasuko said as she knelt down, and gently cupped her daughter's tear streaked face. "My little princess."
"Mom," Asami said closing her eyes, and nuzzling into her mother's gentle touch. The contact was warm, and all her turmoil seemed to drain away. "How is this possible?"
"Oh my dear child," Yasuko said pulling Asami into a warm embrace. "It breaks my heart to tell you this is a dream."
Asami tightened her grip as memories flashed before her tearful eyes. She saw and felt every moment, every laugh, every warm hug, and all the love that was ended in the dead of night by a fire wielding monster. She felt the love and happiness end suddenly, and be replaced with sorrow and hatred that had been suppressed for years.
The night her mother died hatred had taken root in both Asami and her father, but where his had grown to encompass all benders. Asami's was reserved only for the one who had taken her mother from her.
"How long until I wake up?" Asami asked fearfully. To be with her mother again was something she had always longed for.
Yasuko sighed and leaned back to look her daughter in the eyes. "I'm afraid we don't have long dear one. You must listen to me the end is coming. He must be stopped at all costs."
"What?" Asami asked trying to understand as she met her mother's gaze.
"Vaatu," Yasuko said with pure malice as he flowing green eyes flared briefly. "A monster took me from you Asami. Another claimed your father as well."
With each word memories flashed before Asami's eyes closely followed by the sorrow and heart break that came with them; waking up to find her father mourning, then watching helplessly as he was crushed like a bug by Kuvira's colossus.
"Now the father of all monsters is free to roam once more, and this time Korra cannot stop him."
As Yasuko spoke the world around them began to shift and change until they were kneeling in the streets of Republic City. Asami's eyes widened in horror as the city burned all around them. Once towering buildings had been reduced to ruble as flames danced, and smoke billowed hundreds of miles into the dark skies above.
"10,000 years of darkness will fall, and everything you've built, the very world as you know it will be reduced to nothing but ash and glass." Yasuko said as Asami stood, and took in the devastation.
"Asami," someone called weakly over the crackling of the surrounding fires.
Turning around the CEO gasped as she saw someone lying beaten and broken in the street. "Asami," the voice called out again, and this time she recognized them.
"Korra!" Asami screamed as rushed over, and knelt at the Avatar's side.
She was covered in scrapes and cuts, her clothes were torn and scorched, and blood was leaking from the corner of her mouth and from a gash over her right eye. Carefully Asami pulled Korra into her arms as fear flooded through her, and tears ran anew.
"Sami," Korra said weekly as her dazed blue eyes met green.
"It's me Korra; I'm here. Everything is going to be alright." Asami chocked out as she struggled to remain calm.
"He's strong; he's just too strong." Korra began before ragged coughing wracked her body. When it finally stopped she looked into Asami's eyes. To her devastation the heiress could see the light slowly fading from her blue eyes. "Why didn't you help me? Why didn't you stop him? Why? Why? Why?"
Slowly Korra's voice tapered off, her body stilled, and her blue eyes closed forever. Asami shut her eyes tight, and held the woman she loved closely as that one question echoed all around her. Why, why, why; she could hear that one damn question asked by Jinora, Raiko, Bolin, Opal, and Lin, everyone she knew and cared about.
Asami screamed her anguish once again as fear, anger, and guilt surged through her. She screamed until it hurt, and finally broke down to crying. She knelt there sobbing as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. A moment later she felt two slender arms wrap her in a hug from behind.
"You can stop this from happening Asami." Yasuko whispered in her daughter's ear. "As long as the Dark Avatar draws breath this is the inevitable fate the world faces. Kill him Asami, and you can save everyone. You will save Korra."
"How?" Asami whispered completely unaware of the sadistic smile on her mother's face, and the malice in her glowing green eyes.
"You're a clever girl Asami. I'm sure you'll find a way."
"I love you mom." Asmai said tearfully as she felt Yasuko gently comb her fingers through her hair like when she was a little girl.
"I love you too princess; with all my heart. Now it's time to wake up Asami. Wake up. Wake up.
"Asami wake up." Senna said gently while shaking her daughter's girlfriend.
She and her husband Tonraq had arrived to find the heiress passed out in a chair pulled next to the bed where Korra lay. Asami had looked completely exhausted so they had allowed her to sleep a while longer. After checking with the doctors and spending an hour at their daughter's bedside Tonraq had to leave for the world council meeting. As chief he represented the southern water tribe in major events such as this. A half hour after he left Asami's sleep became fitful, and when tears began to fall Senna became worried and decided to wake her up.
"Asami wake up." Senna said again and the heiress suddenly bolted awake.
Her breathing was rapid and her green eyes looked around in terror. When she spotted Korra she seemed to realize where she was, and calmed down slightly.
"Asami are you alright?" the water bender asked as she placed a calming hand on the young woman's shoulder.
Asami relaxed a little more, and looked up to meet Senna's concerned blue eyes. "Yes I'm fine now. When did you get here, is Tonraq with you?"
"We got here a few hours ago. Tonraq had to leave for Raiko's meeting; are you sure you are alright Asami? You look exhausted."
"I'm fine Senna; Korra needs your worry more than I do." Asami said shrugging the woman off, and standing up.
She moved over to stand over Korra, and looked down at her with love and fear in her green eyes. "How long will you be here?"
"However long it takes for Korra to recover." Senna said joining her at the Avatar's bedside. "Asami who did this to my baby?"
"Vaatu is the one who did this. He escaped and merged with Mako to become a Dark Avatar again." Asami answered coldly as she turned to leave. "Please contact me if anything changes with Korra."
"Where are you going?" Senna asked in surprise as the CEO opened the door and glanced back.
"To stop him from finishing what he started." She replied before closing the door behind her.
"So what exactly are we doing here?" Pema asked curiously as she walked alongside Lin Beifong.
"There is no 'we' Pema," the metal bender said with annoyance. "I'm here on urgent business; what are you doing here? The meeting starts in a half hour; shouldn't you be with Tenzin or your kids?""
"Katara and grandma Yin are watching Rohan, Meelo is with Bumi, Kya is watching over Jinora with Kai, and hopefully you are right and Mako is looking after Ikki." Pema answered succinctly. "As for Tenzin he figured that you would have some kind of plan for something so he sent me to help you while he tries to coordinate Wu, and his established earth republic delegates."
Lin just sighed and continued walking. Since Raiko had ordered her to attend the meeting she had little time to follow through with her plan. She knew that Raiko would do everything he could to rally the other nations together to hunt down and eliminate the Dark Avatar. Since she couldn't help Mako directly right now she would do what she could to buy him time.
That was why she was currently walking through the decorative halls of the Grand Republic Hotel with an air acolyte on her heels. She couldn't openly oppose Raiko, and defend Mako. Doing so would most result in major repercussions from the president.
If it meant saving her detective she would happily tell Raiko to go to hell, but she had a better chance of helping Mako if she were the chief of police rather than being locked up for treason. While she couldn't oppose Raiko in the meeting perhaps someone else could.
"You know I would probably be more helpful if I knew what we were doing." Pema said with a huff as they entered an elevator, and Lin hit the button for the top floor.
Lin sighed as she turned to face the mother of four, and leaned against the wall when the elevator began to move slowly upwards. "Raiko is going to do everything he can to demonize Mako, and since nobody else knows what happened, or what's going on so all the other leaders will probably agree that he is an eminent threat that needs to be stopped at all costs.
I can't oppose Raiko directly, but another world leader can. Fire lord Izumi and I go all the way back to diapers; with any luck she can convince the other world leaders not to execute Mako for crimes he 'could' commit, but hasn't had the chance to yet."
"You would go behind Raiko's back to help Mako?" Pema asked somewhat surprised.
Lin smirked as the elevator stopped, and the doors opened to the top floor. "I'd make Raiko eat my badge if it meant saving my detective."
Pema smiled brightly at her response, and followed the police chief into the hall. They quickly made their way to the room at the end of the hall only to be stopped by two fire nation guards on either side of the door.
"State your names." Said the tall guard with a short goatee on the left. Everything about the man screamed veteran. His silver hair indicated many years of service, and his amber eyes seemed to hold years of experience seemingly proven by the vertical scar coming down from the middle of his left eyebrow over his eye and ending mid cheek.
"Chief Lin Beifong and Pema." Lin answered firmly.
"This floor is off limits to civilians; what are you doing here?" The guard asked suspiciously.
"We're here for the slumber party cant you tell?" Lin asked sarcastically with her signature glare. "Now announce us."
"Fire lord Izumi is due to attend the world meeting in a half hour. She doesn't have time to chit chat." The guard replied with a glare of his own.
Both Pema and the other much younger royal guard took a nervous step back as Lin and the first guard looked like they were about to tear into each other. Before the police chief and the royal guard could tear into each other the door opened and a tall thin woman with long grey hair and red robes stepped out. "That's enough Kahn she's an old friend."
The guard now known as Kahn relaxed and stepped aside. "As you wish fire lord Izumi." He said with a respectful bow.
The fire lord nodded in turn and opened her door wider. "Come in you two; I was about to start the pillow fight without you."
Lin just smirked and followed Izumi into her VIP suite followed closely by a confused Pema.
The Grand Republic Hotel was both the largest and most renowned hotel in the United Republic of Nations. It had been designed and built during the three years Korra had been away on recovery. The Grand Republic had fifty floors and boasted hundreds of rooms but it's true pride lay in the five VIP suites that took up the entire fiftieth floor. Each one was designed and decorated to reflect one of the four nations as well with the largest a mixture of all four to represent the united republic. These rooms were only ever used by visiting dignitaries, world leaders, and of course the ridiculously wealthy.
Rather than staying in the fire suite; fire lord Izumi had decided that the air nation suite would be a nice change of pace. While the room was still huge the furnishings were more basic with a color theme of orange, yellow, and light blue. One foot inside and Pema almost felt right at home.
"I was about to have some tea would you two like any?" Izumi asked as she set a steaming pot and several cups down on a low table in the greeting room.
"Yes please." Pema said respectfully.
"Sure why not." Lin said with considerably less reverence. "Who the hell is the new guard dog out there?"
"Kahn is actually an old guard dog Lin," Izumi said as she sat down, and began to fill the cups. "His father served in the royal guard so he grew up in the palace alongside me. He was like a big brother to me; always so protective so it came as no surprise when he joined the royal guard himself. He is loyal, clever, strong, and single if you're interested Lin."
"I'm not." Lin said coldly as she and Pema sat down. "And if you even think about trying to set me up on blind dates again I will kick your ass again princess."
Pema was about to scold Lin for being so disrespectful when to her surprise Izumi laughed. "You know Lin I miss our little talks. Compared to the smooth indirectness of the royal court you are a refreshing rock to the head."
When Lin smiled in return Pema remembered than Lin, Izumi, and her husband Tenzin were the respective children of Toph Beifong, fire lord Zuko, and Avatar Aang. They had all practically grown up together, and were as good as family. Compared to the other two older women present she was the outsider.
"You know me Izumi; I was never one to pander to a princess." Lin said accepting a fresh cup of jasmine tea.
"Thank you fire lord Izumi." Pema said accepting her own cup.
"Oh come now Pema there is no need for honorifics here," Izumi said lightly as she adjusted her spectacles. "You are as good as family so relax, and see if you can help me set two 'sticks in the mud' up on a date."
"Izumi," Lin growled warningly while Pema smiled and nodded.
"Alright then Lin I've got thirty minutes before the meeting starts. What would you like to talk about?" Izumi asked before sipping her tea.
Lin sighed and set her cup down before locking emerald eyes with gold. "We need to talk about Mako."
Izumi arched a brow in surprise, and gently set her tea down. "Mako; he is that fire bender detective you are always bragging about right?"
Pema glanced curiously at Lin to see her frowning. "I do not brag about him." She asserted.
The fire lord smirked knowingly in a way she knew irritated the metal bender immensely. "Oh come on Lin; Tenzin, Kya, Bumi, and Suyin send friendly letters often enough. I only ever get one letter from you every other month so I pay close attention. You've mentioned him at one point or another in every letter for the last five years. You're about as emotionally expressive as a rock consistent mentioning from you counts as bragging."
Pema chuckled, but quickly covered it with a cough when Lin glared at her. When the air acolyte went back to sipping her tea she continued. "Izumi I need your help."
The fire benders relaxed expression turned serious and she looked from Pema to Lin; seeing that she had Izumi's attention Lin continued.
"How much do you already know about what's going on Izumi?"
"I only know what Iroh included in his message. Vaatu has returned, Korra was hurt, and due to the world wide threat Vaatu posses Raiko has called an emergency world meeting." Izumi answered. "Is Korra alright?"
"She's currently in a coma, but she is recovering quickly, and could wake up any time now." Pema answered.
"Korra is strong, and very lucky, but it's not her I'm worried about." Lin cut back in. "Not only is Vaatu back, but he found a way to merge with a human without harmonic convergence. He's become a Dark Avatar again."
"This is indeed very serious Lin," Izumi said with a frown. "But I still don't understand how or why you need me help."
"Izumi president Raiko intends to rally the nations together to hunt down, and destroy Vaatu and his host." Pema said.
"Considering the potential threat that actually sounds like the most logical course of action." Izumi said factually. "Allowing a monster like that to run loose is unacceptable."
"He's not a monster!" Lin suddenly yelled slamming her fist on the tea table hard enough to nearly spill the cups. "He is not a threat, and what's unacceptable is hunting down and killing an innocent man just because you're afraid of what he's 'capable' of."
Izumi was taken aback by the unexpected burst of ferocity from her old friend. The metal bender she had grown up with had always been calm, cool, and focused. Sure she had the fabled Beifong stubbornness and temper, but this was something else. Her green eyes held a fury only found in the eyes of a protective mother.
Pema was surprised by the outburst as well, but she quickly recovered, and put a calming hand on Lin's shoulder. "Izumi Mako is the new Dark Avatar; we need your help to save him."
Izumi glanced at the two women before her and sighed. "Normally when it comes to family I wouldn't hesitate but this is serious. I'm well aware of what happened with the last Dark Avatar, so I find it a little hard to believe he poses no threat, and how do you know he can be saved?"
With a tired sigh Lin relaxed and looked Izumi in the eyes. "I know my detective isn't a threat, because if he was this city would be ruble, and you would be burying your son right now."
Izumi's golden eyes narrowed dangerously with a maternal fury of her own. "Explain. Now and in detail."
Lin nodded. "By the time we realized what was happening, and who we were dealing with it was too late. At least that's what I told myself when Raiko ordered Iroh and I to put Mako down like a rabid animal. When we confronted them at the hospital I had a squad of metal benders, and Iroh had brought a whole platoon of his very best. Vaatu just laughed in our faces, and taunted Iroh and ten other fire benders into throwing lightning bolts at him."
Lin closed her eyes and thought back to one of the worst nights of her life. The shock of hearing Jinora's revelation, the absolute sense of dread upon seeing her detective's amber eyes glowing crimson, and the fear of seeing nearly a dozen bolts of lightning aimed at the young man who had become like a son to her. "He caught every one of them, built the energy up further, and aimed it right at your son."
Fear entered Izumi's eyes, and even Pema looked stunned. The air acolyte had seen the aftermath, but everyone that had been there preferred not to talk about the event.
"I'm not sure about everyone else, but I know Iroh and I saw the look on Vaatu's face. He had a predatory grin that said your life is in the palm of my hand and we both know it. He could have easily killed Iroh, but instead he spared him and discharged the blast into the sky. After that Vaatu set an army of dark spirits loose, and clashed with Korra elsewhere. A moment of mercy from Vaatu was strange enough, but then there was fighting the spirits under his command. They were strong, and had plenty of chances, but they didn't claim a single human life. When the fighting ended all that was left was bumps, bruises, and property damage; no casualties. After that I managed to catch up with Vaatu. Korra was unconscious, near death, and the only thing standing between her and Vaatu was Jinora, Pema and Tenzin's oldest. I talked to her after he had escaped, and she told me that Vaatu hand really wanted to kill Korra; the fact that she and Asami were in the crossfire didn't bother him any. He was going to kill them but somehow Mako held him back, and even threatened to put a lightning bolt through his own heart if Vaatu didn't stop. From what Jinora could tell Vaatu backed down and Mako regained full control. That's when I showed up, and while Asami and Jinora rushed Korra to the hospital I did something I'll regret for the rest of my life."
Lin took a deep breath as her hand brushed over the hand print burned into the belly of her armor. "I kept telling myself it was Vaatu; that he needed to be stopped at all costs. Just like everyone else I was afraid of what he could do, and I used that fear to justify following orders I didn't believe in. Mako didn't want to fight me; he didn't want to hurt me or anyone else. I still tried to kill him. No it's worse than that; I turned my back on him when he needed me the most.
Izumi and Pema remained silent for a moment as Lin paused and smiled. "You already know I had a hand in his training, and looking back now I couldn't be prouder. He was weak, wounded, and practically the entire city was trying to kill him, and he still managed to take escape without killing anyone. We fought one on one, and while it was close he still kicked my ass. I lost consciousness after the fight, and by the time I woke up the portal was closed, and he was gone along with my spare armor, and that bottle of fire whisky you sent me. Now while he's in the spirit world we are all here trying to decide what to do next. Raiko is afraid of him, and rightly so, but to me that's not a good enough excuse to hunt him down and kill him. I can't speak up for Mako, but you can. Will you help us?"
With the story told Lin and Pema sat in silence as Izumi thought things over. Lin could tell her friend was in very deep and serious thought, because she was twirling a strand of her long grey hair. It was an old habit going back all the way to childhood. "Izumi I don't know if Mako can be saved, or not, but I will die before I stop trying. I won't turn my back on him again."
"This boy means a lot to you doesn't he Lin?" Izumi asked seriously.
"Everybody calls them mom-boss and detective-son behind their backs." Pema said receiving a glare from the metal bender.
Izumi nodded and smiled sadly. "This is very serious Lin; he's like a son to you, and I want to help you, but there is a lot at stake here. You say he is not a threat, and judging by your story he probably won't be a threat unless threatened himself. If you are wrong however we could wind up wasting the only time we have to stop him before Vaatu becomes unstoppable. If that happens we could lose everything; our families, our homes, our very world could be lost. Do you believe that Mako can hold Vaatu in check?"
Lin locked her green eyes seriously with Izumi's golden gaze. "I do."
"So do Tenzin and I." Pema said resolutely. "He saved our daughter, and we believe he is even now protecting our missing daughter Ikki."
"Alright then I will help you," Izumi decided with a nod. "I believe you two, but it will take more than your word to sway them. Desna and Eska's father was the first Dark Avatar. The earth kingdom is in a very delicate political state, and is ill equipped let alone competent enough to handle a crisis of this magnitude wisely. Vaatu just put Korra; Tonraq's daughter in a coma, and Tenzin."
"Is on our side." Pema interrupted. "He should be able to keep Wu and the other earth republic delegates from falling to pieces. Desna and Eska have always been more logical than emotional."
"Most likely Tonraq will be angry, and wanting to go after the one responsible." Lin began. "Rather than allowing Raiko to aim him at Mako our best bet will be to aim him at Raiko instead. Let them rip into each other for a while."
"Most of this I can work with," Izumi began. "But how do I turn Tonraq on Raiko?"
Pema and Lin glanced at each other for a moment before the metal bender faced the fire lord with a satisfied smirk. "Just ask Raiko how Vaatu got loose in the first place."
"Please forgive me my Lord; I didn't know it was you I was challenging." Arctos pleaded as he sat back with his head held high and his throat exposed submissively.
Vaatu stood before the weakened Rhino bear spirit with arms crossed, a pleased smirk, and his eyes glowing crimson. Kuvira stood on his right, and Ikki and Ayeon watched from the side off to his left.
"Does anyone have any objections?" Vaatu asked casually as he glanced over to the air nomad and aye-aye spirit.
"I have none my lord," Ayeon said. "He's not the first to mistake you for a human, and I doubt he'll be the last. After explaining to him the situation he desires to aid us in our journey to atone for his transgressions."
Vaatu nodded. "And you child?" he asked as he saw fear enter Arctos's blue eyes.
"He forgave us for trespassing, and stealing his berries. It's only fair that we forgive him too master Vaatu. Besides he apologized, and let us keep some berries for the trip." Ikki said with a bright smile, and Arctos relaxed a little.
Vaatu nodded again and glanced to his right. "Any objections Captain?"
Kuvira looked from the repentant spirit to the Dark Avatar. "No objections here. I've got more reasons to be pissed at you than him."
"So you do," Vaatu said with a chuckle and turned back to the rhino bear. "Your anger was justified, and you've helped prove both my host and his mate capable in combat, and the child is relatively unharmed. All is forgiven youngling."
With a sigh of relief Arctos lowered his head and smiled as Vaatu closed his eyes and relinquished control to Mako.
The lightning bender then opened his amber eyes and looked up at the large minor spirit. "I'm sorry for everything that happened, and I'd hate to impose on you further, but could you guide us to Wan Shi Tong's library?" he asked hopefully.
Arctos hesitated for a moment and glanced over at Ayeon who just nodded imperceptibly. Turning back to the lightning bender Arctos nodded as well. "It would be my honor lord Mako."
Another chapter down, and God only knows how many more to go, because I sure as hell don't. Once again please leave a comment, constructive criticism, or a review. I look forward to what you guys think like you guys look forward to an update. Until next time then stay tuned.