Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Korra or Avatar the Last Airbender. I only own my own characters and ideas

Chapter Fifteen: The Affects

A few weeks after Khari and Suyin had been poisoned. Suyin could tell the two were handling the situation very differently. Suyin had slowly started to accept what had happened to her. Khari on the other hand tried to deny it happened or when she did try to talk about it, she got angry. Izumi had made good on her word and had Yun and Zhen out of Zaofu quickly. Suyin sat at her desk finishing her paperwork, thinking about what she could possibly do to help Khari deal with being poisoned. There was a knock at her door, making her look up to see Jia standing there. She smiled at the women as she invited her in her office. Suyin could already tell Jia had something on her mind. She had the same look of concern Suyin saw in the mirror every morning. She gestured at the woman, letting her know that she was free to let her concerns be known.

"Suyin, I'm concerned about your niece. I think the poison may have caused more harm to her than I originally thought. Physically she is great but psychologically I think we have a problem. Some of the guards, your family, some of the citizens and even you can tell she isn't quite right. I have a few ideas for what we can try but I'd like a few guards in case she does act out. You and Baatar are free to join," Jia smiled.

Suyin smiled at her as the two women got up from their seats. They soon went to search for Khari, only to find her with her staff in a training area. She began to spin the staff as quick as could before she struck the air. She spun the staff around her body, catching it with one hand. She jumped in the air, moving to the side and holding her staff close to her leg. Jia and Suyin stared at Khari for a bit as she continued to push herself before they looked at each other. The two women slowly approached her to make sure they didn't catch her off guard. When Khari turned around, she saw the two women standing there. She already knew what they were going to say. They have been saying the same thing for weeks. There is something wrong with her but there wasn't and she felt fine. Khari tried to walk around them but Suyin grabbed her. Khari flashed back to the day she was poisoned then to the day she was attacked. In one quick movement Khari pulled her arm out, kicked Suyin's legs from under her, and slammed her to the ground. Khari had one of Suyin's arms pinned against her back as she pushed her into the ground even harder. Suyin started to move under Khari, making her snap back into reality. She looked around before she looked down at her aunt. She pulled back before she got up and ran as far away from the two as she could. Suyin looked up from the ground to see Khari running away. Khari managed to find a spot where she didn't see anyone. She sat down and began to cry as she thought about what happened. About a half hour later she heard her name. She looked up when she felt someone touch her arm to see Shen Tao smiling at her. She wiped her eyes as he sat down next to her. She tried to smile at him but she just couldn't seem to form one. She only looked down at the ground and thought about what she did. Shen Tao made Khari look at him.

"Everyone is really concerned about you. Suyin doesn't even care about you shoving her. She doesn't care about her getting poisoned. She cares about what Yun and Zhen did to YOU. I think you should talk to her. Let us try and help you. Maybe write some of those people back. Your letters stack up by the day so I'm sure those people miss you," he smiled.

Khari finally smiled a bit before she nodded. Khari stood then tried to help Shen Tao stand but the two fell. Khari landed on Shen Tao, making him groan a bit. The two looked at each other but looked up when they heard laughing. They saw Kuvira and Baatar Jr. standing near them. They looked at each other again for a moment before Khari rolled off of him. Shen Tao stood before he helped Khari off of the ground. Khari smiled again before she made her way for her room. When she got there, she noticed that her stack of letters really was getting high. She didn't write to anyone since before she had gotten to Zaofu. She has been here for weeks now and she didn't even open some of the letters. She went to look through some of the letters to see there were more from her parents. She also noticed most of the stack was from her Uncle Bumi and Iroh. She did see a few from Kimiko and two or three from Lord Zuko. She grabbed a stack of paper and a pencil. Suyin was walking down the hall when she saw Khari writing quickly. Khari looked up briefly but instantly looked down to the paper. Khari sat in her room for an hour writing letter to the people who wrote to her. She heard a knock at the door to see Jia, Shen Tao and her Aunt Suyin standing there. She grabbed her letters and shoved them at Shen Tao. He looked down at the letters then back at Khari.

"Could you send these for me please? I just need this one to show no trace of me being in Zaofu," Khari said as she held one of the letters up.

Shen Tao looked over to Suyin who nodded at him. He grabbed the letters and rushed to Ling to have him send the letters. He quickly made his way back to Khari's room. When he got there Khari was back against the wall while Jia and Suyin were trying to get her to come with them. Khari bent her desk into Jia which threw her into the wall. Suyin tried to get a bit closer but Khari picked her bed up and trapped Suyin against the wall. As Shen Tao walked in the room Khari grabbed her staff. Suyin looked up as Shen Tao made his way for Khari. Khari tried to hit Shen Tao with her staff but he stuck his arm out to block it. She swung it to the other side but he blocked it again. She threw her staff on the ground before she tried to punch him. He grabbed her arm, making her kick him. Shen Tao tackled her and shoved her into the wall. Suyin pushed the bedframe out of her way as Khari squirmed out of Shen Tao's grip. Jia finally got up to see Shen Tao fighting with Khari. She knew this wouldn't be good for her. Shen Tao went to grab Khari but she fell to her knees. Everyone ran over to her as she fell to the ground completely. Khari slowly closed her eyes as she looked at Suyin but she tried to keep her eyes open.

"Mom?"

"I told you she needs more help. We have to try other things or this will happen every time she fights. Suyin I wouldn't lie to you about this. I am extremely concerned for Khari," Jia voiced her concern.

Suyin knew Jia was right but she didn't know how they would get through to Khari. She knew they needed to give her a bit more space. Khari was young and went through so much. Suyin knew she would come to them when she was ready. She was too much like her mother at times. Khari was going to put those walls up and stay guarded until someone showed her, she didn't need to be. Suyin started to bend everything back into place as Shen Tao picked Khari off the ground. When her bed was back in place Shen Tao placed her down before he left. Jia and Suyin looked at Khari's bedroom entrance. The two sighed before they both agreed they should come back when she woke up. They knew she would be asleep for a few hours so they went to do some things in their offices. They would check on Khari every half hour until she woke up. Suyin groaned as she walked to her office. She thought about how maybe she should contact Lin or Tenzin and tell them what was going on. She knew Lin would probably destroy half her city but Khari was more important. She thought maybe it would be best to wait until she woke up to make the decision. After a few hours Khari still didn't wake but Suyin knew that she had to make a decision. She thought about how she would feel if she would be Khari's mother. Would she want to know? Before she could leave the room, Khari started to move around and make some noises.

Republic City

Lin and Tenzin were finally getting home from another crazy day at work. They felt like the days just kept getting longer and longer. The two felt like there were days they hardly got a chance to eat lunch. Meelo and Mica ran over to them like every day but today the parents didn't say too much. The two boys looked at each other before they looked at their parents who were now walking into the temple. They were soon stopped by an air acolyte who handed them a letter. The two looked at each other before they looked down at the letter. They hoped each letter that came across their desk would be something from Khari over the years but nothing. They haven't even heard anything these last few weeks after writing her. Tenzin ran his hand over the back of the envelope before he opened it. The two stared at it for a moment before they started to read it.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I have been having so much fun traveling. I wish you guys could see some of the things I have seen. I have gotten better at bending since I have been traveling on my own. I know you guys have said things in Republic City aren't going well but I know you two can fix it. Just like my grandparents you two can fix anything. I miss you both. Maybe I'll visit Republic City. I love you and tell the boys I love them. I'll write again soon.

Love, Khari

"Something's wrong. I know it is," Lin voiced.

"Lin, she seems like she is doing just fine. What makes you think there is something wrong?" Tenzin asked, trying to give her a smile.

"Tenzin, look at that letter. Does that sound anything like Khari? Our Khari. The girl that caused a scene at your father's funeral. The girl who fought triads with Iroh. The one who beat on Hikarri because she said Khari might not be your daughter. There is something wrong Tenzin and I can feel it," Lin tried to convince him. "I'm going to look for her."

"Lin, I think you are thinking about this too much. I mean Khari is fifteen. Do you remember what you were like at fifteen? For spirits sake I hope so because I do. We had moments where we didn't want to talk to our parents and when we did, we just went yea everything is great. We haven't seen her in years so we don't know what she is like. Someone would let us know if something wrong. She talks with them more frequently. Give her time," Tenzin tried to reassure her.

Lin looked at him for a moment before she looked down at the letter again. She couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. She has felt it for weeks but Khari never wrote back. Lin knows Tenzin is hiding something from her but she doesn't know what. Tenzin watched as Lin walked towards their bedroom. He was concerned about Khari but if he told Lin she was in Zaofu who knows what would happen. He walked into his office and grabbed his picture of Khari off of his desk. He smiled and thought about how long it had been since he saw her. He thought about how she would always be his little girl.

Southern Water Tribe

Iroh and Bumi were leaving Katara's hut in hopes to get some training in for the day. The two sighed as they thought about Khari again. They have sent numerous letters but they still haven't gotten one back. Katara and Kya still haven't told them what happened when they left for Zaofu. Iroh screamed as he shot a large fire blast in the air. He hated not knowing if something was wrong with Khari. She rarely blocked him out like this so something is making her not write him. He knew something had to be wrong. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked to see Bumi giving him a sympathetic smile. Iroh sighed as he thought about the advice Aang gave him once when it came to Khari. She is a Beifong woman and like most Beifong women she will be difficult but with a little time, patience, and love she will come around no matter what. A few minutes later a soldier ran up to the two with a letter in his hand. The two looked at each other and wondered who the letter could be for. The two decided they would read the letter together if it was from Khari. They opened the letter and to their surprise that was exactly who sent the letter. They were a tad concerned that she sent one letter for the both of them instead of separate letters.

Dear Iroh and Uncle Bumi,

I have all your letters and I have been doing so much around Zaofu I haven't had the time. I'm sorry it took so long. I miss you both. Aunt Suyin and I have been training. You should see how much my bending has improved since I've been in Zaofu. I bet you guys have been pressuring Gran-Gran and Aunt Kya for information about their trip. Don't worry I'm fine. I know you guys worry and I love you for that. I miss you both. I hope to see you soon. I love you both.

Khari

"Is it me or does it sound like something is wrong?" Iroh asked.

"You noticed that too, huh?" Bumi responded.

Prison in the mountains of the Fire Nation

Jia made her way to the prison entrance. She was going to visit her brothers and it wasn't going to be a happy visit. She wasn't going to pretend to miss them. They made life hard in Zaofu for her and LiMei. She knew that her brothers wouldn't care that they had caused problems for her and her sister. The Beifongs may not blame the sisters or treat them different but the citizens seem as if they don't trust them. All because of her brothers. All because of Yun. Yun was different after their father's arrest. When she finally arrived, she stood at the entrance for a few minutes before she took a deep breath and entered. She was met by a few White Lotus members who would escort her to meet her brothers. When she entered the room, she saw the smirk on her Yun's face. Zhen stared at her for a moment before he looked down at the ground. Jia could tell that the guilt was eating at least one of her brothers. When Jia finally sat down, she saw the tears in Zhen's eyes. In that instant she knew Zhen had been dragged into Yun's stupid idea. She wasn't going to be able to get Zhen out of this mess. He would have to convince the others of his innocence. Yun still had the same smug look on his face that he had when he poisoned the Beifong women. She could tell he felt no remorse for what he had done.

"Why? Suyin took us into her city, trusted us, gave us everything we needed. Zhen, she saw your potential and put you on her guard. Yun, she trusted you to take care of her family. Whatever LiMei and I needed anything she provided. Why would you do this? How could you both be so stupid and selfish? Suyin has a family that loves her. Khari is only a teenager. She is only fifteen and you almost took the rest of her life away from her. You two disgust me. Mom would be so disappointed in you!" Jia yelled.

"You really think you could pull the mom would be disappointed in you card on me and think I'd cry. Jia, you think you'd know me by now. I am not easily intimidated and that is why the little Beifong girl failed so easily and was such a perfect target. Speaking of the girl, how is she?" Yun started to laugh.

"Jia, I d-didn't mean to hurt anyone. Yun didn't tell me anyone would get hurt. He just said he wanted help to get out. Can you talk to S-Suyin for me? Please, I really didn't mean it and I don't want to be here. I'd do it for you. I'm scared," Zhen tried to plead his case.

"You should have thought about that before you helped Yun. You knew what he was arrested for. I won't help you. I can't help you. My loyalty still lies with the Beifong family and Zaofu. Suyin won't be able to forgive you for what you did, Zhen. You not only helped poison her but her niece. You are both getting what you deserve. Goodbye brothers," Jia criticized.

Zaofu

Khari felt someone's hand on her face which made her smile. She slowly opened her eyes to see her Aunt Suyin sitting next to her bed with a smile on her face. Khari rolled on her back as she tried to prop herself up. Suyin put her hand on Khari's shoulder to gently ease her back. Khari sighed before she tried to push herself up again. Suyin shook her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Khari could tell her aunt had something on her mind so she plopped on the pillow. Khari turned her head and stared at Suyin as she waited for her to say something.

"You know Khari you really need to stop pushing yourself," Suyin finally said.

"I have to push myself. I need to make sure I'm strong. No room for weakness. I have to remember that exact thing. No one wants someone who is weak. No room for weakness, Khari," Khari responded.

"Khari, you're not weak. You were ruthlessly beaten and poisoned. You are so strong and you can't even imagine how scared I was that we could have lost you both times. You should never feel weak because you are one of the strongest people I know. No one is weak here or unloved. Now rest Khari. I love you," Suyin told her.

Khari smiled as Suyin hugged her before she left the room. Khari screamed into her pillow. Khari couldn't get over what happened to her. She felt so scared. She threw her pillow across the room before she tried to sit up again. When she finally managed to sit up, she searched for her staff. When she found it next to her night stand, she started to reach for it but she fell to the ground. When she managed to get her staff, she pushed herself up and began to walk with the assistance of the staff. As she walked down the hall, she saw Shen Tao talking with Ling. She made her way over to the two and waited for them to finish but Ling cleared his throat and nodded in her direction. Shen Tao turned around and she gave him a slight smile and a small wave. He walked closer to her to see if she needed anything. As Khari walked closer to him, she tripped but Shen Tao caught her and her staff. The two looked at each other for a moment.

"Umm, thanks for catching me. I eh I umm... do you have plans tonight?" she asked him.

"Are you asking me out?" he asked her.

"No, what? I... all I did was ask if you had plans later. I didn't think that meant I was asking you out. What is wrong with you? Can't a girl be interested in someone's plans without someone thinking it is for dating purposes?" Khari began to get defensive.

"Okay, sorry. Don't need to get so defensive. I actually have patrol until about three in the morning," he told her.

"Want to get breakfast when you are done? I can always eat. Plus, you'll be hungry by then. Aunt Suyin doesn't have to know. I'm just trying to get back to something normal. Something that doesn't involve my family. I know it will be late but what do you say?" she asked.

He placed her foot back of the ground as he smiled at her. He thought about it for a moment and what would happen if Suyin caught them together. He looked back up at Khari and nodded. She looked at the staff that he still held in his hand which he soon handed over. The two men went to continue their patrol as Kuvira walked towards Khari. Khari looked down at the young girl before she nodded for her to follow. The two made it to a small area where Khari turned to Kuvira. The two smiled at each other before they faced each other. Khari dragged her staff across the ground before she pulled it up. The earth in front of her started to pop up until it hit Kuvira. Kuvira sent her cables towards Khari but she was able to jump out of the way. Khari sent her cables at Kuvira but missed. Kuvira sent metal strips at Khari, cutting her face and arm. Khari ran towards Kuvira, ducking under cables as Kuvira swung them. When Khari got close enough, she swung her staff, knocking Kuvira to the ground. Kuvira shifted the earth under Khari, making her fall next to her. The two girls looked at each other before they started to laugh. Suyin and Baatar walked out to see the girls on the ground laughing. Kuvira helped Khari off up and Khari gave Kuvira a look. The two girls ran past Baatar and Suyin towards the kitchen as they continued to laugh. Baatar and Suyin looked at each other before they looked at the girls. They shook their heads before they continued on. Kuvira and Khari stood outside the kitchen door to see the chefs preparing the food but the one thing that caught their eye was the cake. The two girls looked at each other before Khari snuck in slowly and easily avoiding everyone. Khari was about to grab the cake when the head chef stepped in front of her. She put her hand behind her head and laughed nervously as she tried to think of an excuse to why she was in the kitchen. He turned for a moment before he turned back to her with a piece of cake. She gave him a shocked look.

"You aren't the first Beifong to break into my kitchen but you are the first to get this close to my food without anyone noticing," he said.

Khari eagerly took the piece of cake before she ran towards Kuvira. The two girls went to her room and sat on her bed. Khari tried to cut the cake as evenly as possible but one piece ended up slightly bigger. She smiled as she handed the bigger piece to Kuvira. Khari started to tell Kuvira about Republic City. The young girl listened to all the amazing things that the city had to offer. They looked up when they heard a knock at the door, making them look up. The girls saw Suyin standing in the doorway telling them to get ready for bed. The two girls nodded before they did as they were told. Suyin walked into the room sitting on Khari's bed as Khari grabbed her things. When Khari turned around, she saw her aunt was still sitting in her room.

"You two seem to be getting along much better. The children really love having you here. I want you to train with Kuvira and I. I know you didn't train very much with Lin and maybe it will help you try to forget what happened," Suyin tried to persuade her.

Khari held her pajamas close, staring at the ground before she looked up. She gave Suyin a brief smile before she nodded. Suyin smiled as she stood. She kissed the top of Khari's head before she left her room for the night. Khari placed her pajamas on her side table and picked up a book. She started to read until she heard a soft knock at her door. She looked up to see Shen Tao standing in the doorway. She looked at her clock to see it was already three in the morning. Khari slowly got out of bed and followed Shen Tao. The two quietly snuck out of the Beifong home until they got to a smaller home not far from the Beifong home. Shen Tao opened the door, gesturing for Khari to enter. When Khari entered, she saw pictures of Shen Tao with what she assumed was his parents. She picked up the picture of Shen Tao when he was brought into Zaofu's guard. She put the photo down when she heard the clicking of dishes. Khari walked over to see that he started to cook their breakfast awhile. Khari continued to look around the house but stopped when she saw a book about her grandfather. She picked it up, slowly running her hand over the cover with a smile. Shen Tao looked up at Khari for a moment with a smile before he turned his attention back to the food. When the food was done Shen Tao got Khari's attention to come to the table. When she sat down, she saw rice, eggs, a small dish of fruit, two sugar cookies and a cup of tea. She smiled at him as they both sat down. The two laughed and talked about different things. Life in Zaofu, life in Republic City, Khari's family, and Shen Tao's family. When they were done eating Shen Tao and Khari made their way for the couch to continue the conversation. Khari soon fell asleep which made things a bit difficult for Shen Tao. When he moved his arm, she almost woke up so he picked her up and started to walk towards his room. After placing Khari in his bed and covering her, he grabbed the spare pillow and blanket from his closet. He laid on the floor to make sure nothing happened to Khari. An hour later he woke up to hear Khari whimpering in her sleep. He sat up and ran his hand over her face until she stopped. Not long after he fell asleep Khari sat up and looked around. When she heard slight snoring from the floor, she looked down to see Shen Tao asleep. She got off of the bed, quietly lying next to him. Not long after she closed her eyes, she felt his arms around her. The two continued to sleep peacefully through the morning. Later in the morning the Beifong family stared at Khari's empty seat at the table before Baatar and Suyin stared at each other. It wasn't like Khari to miss breakfast. The two stood and made their way for Khari's room to find it empty. They became concerned and went to look for guards. As they exited their home, they saw Ling making his way towards Shen Tao's house. When the two approached Ling they told him, what was going on and that Shen Tao was needed. The three continued to Shen Tao's house but when they knocked no one answered. Suyin knocked even harder but there was still no answer. Baatar and Suyin looked over at Ling as he took a bite out of his apple. He shook his head as he got the spare key and unlocked the front door. The first thing Ling saw were the dishes that Khari and Shen Tao had left.

"Shen Tao, what did you do?" he whispered to himself.

Shen Tao heard his name but he was so exhausted he didn't move. He felt Khari stir but he kept his eyes shut. He only opened his eyes when he felt someone nudge him aggressively. He rubbed his eyes and looked up to see who nudged him. When he saw Baatar and Suyin he froze before started to nudge Khari a bit. She buried her face in his chest a bit which made Suyin give him a look.

"Khari, you seriously need to wake up," he urged.

Khari groaned as she looked at him. He moved his eyes in the direction of Baatar and Suyin which made Khari look over. Khari only stared at the two as they gave her a displeased look. Khari stood, looking at the ground. She didn't know what to say or if they would give her the chance to say anything. Suyin grabbed Khari's arm and started to pull her towards the door.

"I can't... I don't know... you are going to your room. Shen Tao... I don't ...just stay here until we talk," Suyin tried to get the words out.

"No! I'm not one of your children that you will order around. I'm fifteen and I did nothing wrong. My parents kept me on a short leash and I'll die before I let you do the same. I will do as I please!" Khari shouted as she yanked her arm away from Suyin.

"You shall do no such thing. You will listen to our rules. I will not have you whoring around my city. MY CITY! MY HOUSE! MY RULES! END OF STORY!" Suyin yelled at Khari.

"Suyin I thi-" Shen Tao was cut off by the loud crack of Khari smacking Suyin.

Before anyone could say or do anything Khari sprinted out of Shen Tao's house. Khari ran right by the Beifong children with tears in her eyes. They all looked at her before they looked at each other. Khari continued to run until she felt she couldn't run anymore. She stood and cried for a bit before she collapsed on the ground. She hugged herself as she thought about what her Aunt Suyin said to her. She never heard anyone walk up to her until they spoke.

"I thought when I saw you there would be a smile on your face," a voice said.

"I've missed you so much. Am I making you proud?" Khari asked.

(Author's note: Sorry for the extremely long wait. I had writers block then I got sick then got busy with work. Anyway, we are seeing what the aftermath of everything is doing to the Beifong family as a whole. I also had more Shen Tao! So, I cut off like that to let you guys kinda guess who Khari is meeting. Also, Beifong Drama is always the best. I also wanted Khari to write back but do it in a way that concerned people. Also, the meeting with Jia and her brothers. Okay so hope you liked the chapter leave a review.)