It had been a day since Korra and Team Natsu had their fight. It was the talk of the entire guild for the rest of the day. Occasionally, Natsu would exclaim that next time he would be ready, though most would insult him by saying he couldn't beat her, which infuriated him.
Even though Korra had ended up tying with Lucy, she received praise and congratulations from most of the guild members. Even Juvia asked her for advice on water techniques, since she was a water mage.
Now, Korra and Lucy found themselves entering the guild for a new day, but then, they noticed that the guild was calmer than usual, which was odd for the long-time member celestial mage.
"How odd. It's all too quiet." said Lucy.
"What do you mean?" asked Korra.
"Usually, every time I come to the guild, there's a lot more commotion. There's even the occasional fight." said Lucy.
"You're a weird guild, did you know that?" asked Korra surprised by Lucy's explanation.
"One gets used to it over time. Surely Natsu and the others are out, which would explain that quiet." said Lucy.
"You got that right." the two girls turned their heads to see Mirajane approaching.
"Do you know where they've gone?" asked Lucy.
"Yes. Natsu, Gray and Erza have gone on a mission, and Wendy went on a date with Sherria." replied Mirajane.
"I see." began Lucy before an idea flashed through her mind. "Hey Korra, what do you say we go on a mission by ourselves?"
"You and me alone on a mission?" asked Korra a little surprised by her friend's suggestion.
"Why not? The others are busy, and with our combined forces, we can complete it successfully. Besides..." began Lucy looking a little nervous. "I need money to pay this month's rent."
"Well, that sounds like a good idea to me." said Korra accepting the offer.
"If it's about money, I think I have the right mission for both of us." said Mirajane before showing a mission pamphlet. "This one just came in. It's about a rich man asking for protection for his daughter and paying a lot."
"That's perfect!" said Lucy at the mention of the big reward.
"Doesn't sound so bad." said Korra accepting the mission. Not for the money, but to help those people.
A short time later, the Avatar and the celestial mage found themselves on the train bound for the place where the man who requested the mission lived.
While Lucy was relaxing, enjoying the ride, she noticed that Korra was gazing nostalgically at the scenery outside the window. She was most likely thinking about her world, her friends, but most of all, her girlfriend.
Lucy didn't want to see her moping around, she promised herself she would cheer her up so she wouldn't feel sad and lonely all the time, so she decided to strike up a conversation.
"You think about Asami, don't you?" asked Lucy catching Korra's attention.
"Yes, I do." said Korra with a sad tone.
"How did you two meet? I'd like to know." said Lucy hoping that talking about the woman she loved might cheer her up a little.
"Well, it may sound weird to you, but when we met, we were in love with the same boy." said Korra.
"What? You mean you weren't...?" asked Lucy surprised by the information.
"No, we weren't. In fact, the boy we fell in love with was Mako." said Korra.
"Mako? You mean that boy that's a friend of yours?" asked Lucy who was a little surprised at the soap opera story she and her friends had.
"Yes. At first, Mako had to choose between us and ended up choosing me, but over time, problems arose around me and his job as a police, so we ended up breaking up." said Korra.
"I'm sorry about that." said Lucy.
"It doesn't matter. We're still good friends." said Korra.
"So what happened with you and Asami?" asked Lucy now feeling very curious about the story.
"Well, after that, we became good friends. During the battle against one of my enemies, she was by my side the whole time. She even saved me when I was in danger." said Korra smiling at the fond memories she had with her.
"What made you realize you were in love with her?" asked Lucy, getting a sweet, nostalgic smile to form on the Avatar's face.
"I think it was when I had to go away for a while due to personal problems. She was the only person I corresponded with on a daily basis. During that time, feelings began to come up for her that made me feel so good. That's what encouraged me to keep going, so I could see her again," said Korra.
Lucy was so moved by such a love story that she felt she could cry from how beautiful it was.
"I'm so glad you two have each other. I'd like to meet her." said Lucy.
"You two would get along great. I'm sure." said Korra.
Thanks to that conversation, Korra spent the rest of the trip more animated than before, much to the joy of the celestial mage.
Korra had to admit that Lucy went out of her way to cheer her up when she looked sad when she remembered how far away she was from her world. Even though they had only known each other for a very short time, she could see that, without a doubt, Lucy was a great friend.
After a while more of traveling, they finally arrived at their stop and after walking for a while, they arrived at a huge mansion which was where the person who requested the mission lived, who was sitting at his desk while reviewing some papers.
He had to interrupt his work when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." said the man giving permission.
The door opened, revealing himself to be a very old man in a butler's suit.
"Sir, some members of the Fairy Tail guild have arrived and are asking for you." said the butler.
"It must be about the application. Send them in." said the man.
With a nod, the butler closed the door and shortly after, opened it again, with the two girls passing inside the room.
"Are you the one who requested the mission?" asked Korra.
"That's right, I'm glad you got here early." said the man.
"What's the problem?" asked Lucy.
"As you may have read in the mission briefing, I need protection for my daughter. You see, tonight will be the party before her engagement tomorrow. The problem is that I have a suspicion that there might be some 'trouble' or other during the party and that's where you come in. I want you to make sure that nothing at all happens to my daughter." said the man.
"Don't worry, sir. We'll do our best to protect your daughter." said Lucy.
"You better. I have a lot riding on this engagement and it would be a shame for it to go bad." said the man.
Korra arched an eyebrow in suspicion. Her experience with Tarrlok and Unalaq had taught her a few things about people's ulterior motives and she could sense that there was more to this affair than just her daughter, but she wasn't sure at the moment, so she could only wait to see what it was about.
At this point, the two girls were being led by the butler through the corridors of the mansion until they stopped in front of a door.
"This will be your room. Here you may rest until nightfall." said the butler.
"Thank you very much." said Lucy.
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to see the lord's daughter first." said Korra surprising the celestial mage a little.
"If that can guarantee her safety, no problem." said the butler before leading the two girls down more of the mansion's hallways until they reached a door much larger and wider than the previous one. The butler knocked a couple of times on the door. "Miss Joshie, there are some people here to see you."
"Who?" asked a female voice from the other side of the door.
"These are the people your father hired to protect you during the party." said the butler expecting an immediate response, but didn't receive one for a few seconds.
"Send them in." said the female voice accepting the visitor.
Doing his duty, the butler opened the door, allowing the two girls to enter the room which, if it were to be described in one word, would be luxurious, for every item was a very expensive and elegant article. They probably must have been whims of the woman or gifts from her father.
Sitting in front of a mirror was Joshie, who was a woman between Lucy and Korra's age combing her long silver hair.
Joshie brushed a couple of times before putting down the comb and turning around, revealing her gray eyes and red lips.
"Leave us alone." said Joshie receiving a nod from the butler before he walked away, leaving the three women alone in the room. "So my father hired you two to protect me, did he?"
"That's right, he hired us to protect you during the party tonight." said Korra.
"So he's come to this." said Joshie ducking her head.
"Well, it's normal for a father to worry about his children." said Lucy trying to cheer the young girl up.
"You're wrong. My father worries more about the engagement than he does with his own daughter." said Joshie.
"What do you mean?" asked Korra.
"The man I'm marrying is the owner of a major company that my father wants to ally with. To him, this engagement is just a procedure to make his business better. He doesn't care if I'm happy or not." said Joshie with a sad smile as tears peeked out of the corners of her eyes.
Korra and Lucy now understood. The reason her father didn't want that engagement to fail was for business, not for his daughter's well-being.
Joshie quickly turned away, not wanting them to see her cry.
"Leave me alone, please." said Joshie.
The Avatar and the celestial mage left the room and headed to their room where they proceeded to rest so they would be prepared for the evening's event.
As they rested, they couldn't help but feel sorry for the young woman who was going to be forced to marry someone she didn't love just for business.
Korra didn't have much experience about arranged marriages other than Katara's stories, but you could tell she didn't like it. No one should be forced to marry someone they didn't love, for whatever reason. She wished she could do something about it, but she couldn't think of anything.
Lucy was going through the same thing. She remembered what happened after the events with Phantom Lord, where she returned home to confront her father, who hired that guild to return her home. There she found out that the reason was because he wanted to marry her to someone she didn't know just for business, but she made things clear to him about what she really wanted. She hoped that this young woman could muster the courage to stand up to her father and oppose the engagement.
Night came and the party had begun.
In the main hall of the mansion, which was very large, there were several elegantly dressed people drinking some wine and chatting with each other. Korra and Lucy stood off to the side, as both weren't at all used to such elegant and formal events. They averted their gaze from the guests and directed it to where Joshie and her father were standing talking to a very handsome young man, who they assumed was the fiancé.
Despite the fact that the father and fiancé were talking with big smiles, they could tell that Joshie had a small smile on her face, but although she pretended to look happy, the two could clearly tell that she wasn't.
"Poor girl." said Korra.
"Yes. Being forced to marry someone is a very hard thing to bear." said Lucy.
"I'd like to do something to help her." said Korra.
"Me too, but her father hired us to protect her. If we ruin the party, he won't pay us and who knows what he might do to his daughter for failing." said Lucy.
Korra clenched her fist in frustration that if they tried, it would only bring more trouble for her. She hoped something would happen that could help her.
Suddenly, as if it was a message from the spirits, there was the sound of a window breaking.
Both they and the guests, the father, fiancé, and Joshie, looked up at the source to see a person covered in a black hooded cloak entering through a high window.
Half the people in the room screamed in horror while the other half ran out in panic.
The father gritted his teeth in anger and frustration.
"You..." he began before turning his gaze to the two girls. "Finish the intruder at once!"
Without hesitation, the two girls stepped in front of the intruder, preparing to fight if necessary.
"Very well. I don't know what you want, but we won't let you go any further." said Korra.
The intruder responded to that by pulling out two sais that were connected with a chain and preparing to fight.
"So you want to fight, huh? Fine, have it your way." began Lucy pulling out a golden key. "Open the Gate of the Goat! Capricorn!" shouted Lucy as the aforementioned spirit appeared from a flash.
"I am at your service, miss." said Capricorn as Lucy drew her whip.
The intruder began to charge towards them. Korra launched several fireballs, but the intruder was able to dodge all of the incoming balls.
Lucy tried to hit her with her whip, but the intruder stepped back to dodge it, leaving it open for Capricorn to go in for a hit, but then for some reason, he missed hitting him, which left the three of them confused.
Moving nimbly, the intruder wrapped the chain around the spirit's arm and then threw him back at them, though he was able to land on his feet.
The intruder charged towards them again. Lucy swung her whip quickly expecting to hit him, but for some reason, it didn't, much to her surprise and confusion. Korra did the same with a water whip, but the same thing happened.
The intruder swung one of his sais forward, intending to strike at them, but Korra quickly erected a stone wall that blocked the attack and forced the intruder back a few steps behind.
"I don't understand. How come our attacks don't do anything to him?" said Korra.
"I've been analyzing him, miss, and it appears that he possesses magic that allows him to pass through things." said Capricorn.
"But when Korra raised the wall he didn't go through it." said Lucy.
"Because at the time, he intended to attack us. Which means we'll only be able to hit him if we catch him off guard or when we exchange blows." said Korra formulating a plan to fight the intruder.
"In that case, we'll need more help. Open the Gate of the Ram! Aries!" said Lucy summoning another spirit.
"Sorry, I'll do what I can." said Aries sheepishly.
"Star Dress! Aries From!" shouted Lucy as her attire changed completely. "Let's all attack together!" said Lucy initiating the attack.
"Wool Shot!" shouted Lucy and Aries in unison as they shot balls of pink wool at the same time Korra threw created and shot icicles of ice.
The intruder began charging towards them. Some of the launched attacks he dodged while using his magic to pierce through the others. Suddenly, Capricorn appeared in front of him to strike him, but the intruder phantom-like passed through him. However, just as he completely pierced him, he deactivated his magic, causing the chain of her weapons to tangle around the spirit and, with a jerk, threw him away.
But suddenly, before he could do anything else, Korra stepped in front of the intruder and, stretching her arms forward, sent a gust of wind that sent him crashing into the wall, but the intruder got up with a small groan of pain.
Quickly, the intruder lunged towards the Avatar and was forced to raise her arms in defense to protect herself from the incoming kick, forcing her back a little.
"Aries, I need cover!" said Korra.
"Sorry. I hope this will do. 100% Fluffy-Fluffy Wool!" shouted Aries throwing a shower of pink wool.
Korra began using airbending to make the wool cover the entire area like a pink smokescreen, thus blinding the intruder, who took to looking at his surroundings, preparing himself in case of any attack from any direction.
It was then that he saw Lucy charging towards him with her fist ready to strike, but the intruder activated his magic, causing the celestial mage to pierce him. When it went all the way through him, he was about to catch her with the chain of his weapons, but then, Lucy disappeared in a cloud of dust, to the intruder's shock, for when he turned his head, he discovered that she wasn't Lucy, but Gemini, who had adopted the appearance of the celestial mage to throw him off the scent.
Before he could understand what was happening, Lucy appeared above him in the star dress of Capricorn and quickly gave him a blow that sent him crashing to the ground.
After that, Korra dispelled the pink smokescreen, letting everyone in the room see what was going on.
The intruder, despite the pain, was struggling to get up.
"I see you're still raring to go. Well, let's get it over with..." began Lucy when suddenly...
"NOOO!" shouted Joshie running towards them and standing in front of the intruder with her arms outstretched protectively. "No! Don't hurt her anymore!"
"Wait, is he a girl?" asked Lucy.
"Joshie, stay out of this! This is my business!" said the intruder getting up, whose voice revealed he was a girl.
"You fucking degenerate! I warned you not to show your face around here again!" said the father.
"I wasn't going to let you use her as if she were an object just for your personal purposes, you selfish old fuck!" replied the intruder.
Suddenly, Korra let out a whistle so loud that it got everyone's attention.
"Okay. Will someone please do me a favor and explain what the hell is going on here?" asked Korra.
"There's something we don't know, isn't there?" asked Lucy.
Joshie and the other woman looked at each other before returning their gaze to the Avatar and the celestial mage. The intruder removed her hood, revealing herself to be a woman Joshie's age with tan skin and short black hair.
"My name is Saria. A couple of years ago, I worked at this mansion as Joshie's personal maid." said Saria beginning the story.
"Despite her maid duty, Saria became my best friend. There was nothing we didn't do together. She was by my side every moment of my life since I was a little girl." said Joshie continuing the story. "It was years ago, when I turned 18, that I realized...that I loved her as something more."
Korra and Lucy stood quietly, listening intently to the love story between the young girl and the maid.
"At first, I couldn't confess to her because I was afraid she would reject, but one night, I got up the courage and told her. Do you know what she said back?" asked Joshie with a sweet smile at the memory.
Before either of them could answer...
"I told her that I loved her too." said Saria with a smile as she and the young woman looked lovingly at each other.
But then, Joshie's smile faded.
"I knew my father wouldn't accept the fact that I fell in love with a maid. So we decided to keep our relationship a secret, but one day, two years ago, he found out. He threatened to kill Saria by accusing her of cajoling me or manipulating my mind. I begged him not to do it, that I would do anything to save her." said Joshie as Saria bowed her head in regret for what happened that day.
"In the end, she was able to convince him and in the end, he just kicked me out of the mansion and told me that, if I ever came back this way or reunited with Joshie, he would kill me." said Saria, making the two girls feel sorry for the couple who were forced to part ways. "But that didn't erase how we felt. During those two years, we were sending letters to each other and while she was going on with her life, I was training with the intention of someday coming back and taking Joshie with me."
"But months ago, my father got me engaged to someone else. Saria told me she would stop him, but I asked her not to for fear of what my father might do." said Joshie.
"You know I'd be willing to take on a dark guild if it meant I could be with you. I love you too much to stand by and do nothing." said Saria taking her lover's hands.
"Oh, Saria." said Joshie with tears of happiness showing at the corners of her eyes.
The Avatar and the celestial mage smiled at the great love they felt for each other despite the circumstances.
"I've had enough!" everyone's attention turned to the father, whose eyes were filled with anger and disappointment. "Joshie, get away from that harlot immediately! You will marry who I say, period!" exclaimed the father before focusing his gaze on the two guild members. "And you two, eliminate that interloper immediately!"
"If you're going to go through with that." said Saria standing in front of Joshie with her two weapons at the ready. "You'll have to go through me, I don't care if I have to face the two of them again! I'll do anything to be with the one I love!"
"Is that so? Listen to me well, my daughter, if you go with her, rest assured that you will be expelled from this family forever! You will lose everything, including me, who raised you for many years!" said the father trying to convince his daughter.
Her father's words seemed to have an effect on the young girl. Even though she could be with the person she loved, she was afraid to leave everything she knew behind. Her father, the people she grew up with at the mansion, the place she called home. All of that would be gone. She wasn't sure what she should do anymore.
"Can I say something?" asked Korra drawing everyone's attention. "An old friend of mine told me that a long time ago, her grandmother was put into an arranged marriage. He loved her, but she didn't love him. Even though she had been in her village all her life, she finally left it and moved to a new one where she met someone she truly loved with whom she started a family."
"I went through something similar myself. A long time ago, my father forced me to move back home to force me to marry someone I didn't know, but I refused and then I left without looking back, so I could be with my new family." said Lucy.
"Where are you going with that?" asked Joshie not understanding their motive for the two of them to tell those stories.
"What we're getting at is that it can be scary to leave a whole life behind, but that's nothing if it means being true to yourself and your heart. It doesn't matter what you stand to lose if what you gain is even greater." said Korra.
Joshie froze at the Avatar's words and stopped to think. Part of her was afraid to leave her whole life behind, her family, but another part of her wanted to get away from there, to go to the one she loved the most, to Saria. During the two years they were separated, the only thing that mattered to her was to be able to be with her again even if it meant running away from home, because she loved her and that was the only thing that mattered.
Now it was clear to her. She had made a decision.
With a serious and determined face, Joshie turned her gaze to her father.
"I love Saria with all my heart! I didn't care how many men you introduced me to, I still loved her above all else! And that's why I'm going with her!" announced Joshie surprising her father, fiancé (ex) and all the guests, while Saria, Korra and Lucy smiled at the young woman's show of bravery. "I don't care if I'm not part of this family anymore! I don't care if I lose everything! As long as I'm with Saria, I'll be happy!"
"Joshie!" exclaimed Saria launching herself towards her lover, sharing a deep kiss on the lips with each other.
While Korra and Lucy were very happy for the two, the father was quite the opposite.
"Why you...! How dare you do this to me after all I've done for you?!" the father asked.
"And I thank you, father, but the moment you kicked Saria out of my life I stopped loving you." said Joshie.
That answer caused the father to growl in pure anger.
"Damn it! I won't stand for this!" said the father.
"I'm sorry, sir, but it's time to go." said Saria pulling out a small ball.
Before anything could be done, Joshie looked towards the two guild girls.
"Thank you so much. I wouldn't have mustered up enough courage if it weren't for you." said Joshie.
"You're welcome. I hope you two will be very happy together." said Korra.
"You will take care of her, won't you?" asked Lucy.
"I swear." said Saria with a smile before throwing the ball, generating a smokescreen and when it dissipated, neither of them could be seen in the room.
"AARRGGHH!" shouted the father in anger and frustration at what had just happened. "You idiots! Why didn't you do anything to stop it?!"
"Technically, you hired us to make sure your daughter was protected." said Lucy.
"And with Saria by her side, she'll be very well protected." said Korra.
The father let out a scream of rage so loud it could be heard from the outside.
Since they didn't do exactly what the man wanted, in the end they didn't get to receive any compensation for the mission, but they left back happy in the knowledge that they had helped a loving couple.
"I'm sorry we didn't get any money." said Korra knowing how much Lucy needed the reward.
"I don't mind. I feel good knowing that Joshie and Saria are happy being together." said Lucy.
"Yes. I'm happy for them too. In fact, they kind of reminded me of me and Asami." said Korra.
"Really?" asked Lucy.
Korra turned her gaze to the stars.
"Despite being separated for two years, their feelings never changed at any time. They stayed true to each other. Asami and I went through it when I was away for three years." explained Korra.
"I see. That means the two of them will have a good life together." said Lucy.
"Right." said Korra.
And so, the two returned home, knowing that wherever Joshie and Saria were, they would be together and very happy.
