Chapter 16

Korra looked at her friend in shock. She couldn't possibly have heard that right. "W-what...?" she eventually managed to stutter.

Axis grinned and stroke the leather bound book gently before she put it back on the desk. "We will replace Noatak's essence, with yours."

Asami stepped forward, her brain seemed to be in a state of shock as well but not nearly as bad as Korra's. "That... that means I'll carry Korra's child?" her voice was hopeful.

Axis turned her gaze towards the vixen and she nodded. "Yes..."

Asami's face lid up and her eyes grew wide from pure happiness. "I... I don't.. h-have to carry h-his child? Really? That's amazing! I... c-can't believe it!"

Korra's brain had finally reset itself and she managed to pull herself from the state of shock that she was in. "Are you sure? Is it safe? Are...-"

"It's a safe thing to do yes, the problem is." Axis looked from Korra to Asami. "We need to get you, to the South."

"Why's that?" Korra asked confused.

"The Mother can only be summoned at the Spirit Well. Which, as you well know, is located in the middle of our capital city."

Korra nodded, clearly satisfied with the answer. She looked at Asami and smiled. "So, you up for it? Going to the South and meet our people?"

Asami could only smile and without warning, wrapped her arms around Korra's neck in pure happiness. She was about to give Korra her answer when she was cut short by another voice.

"Absolutely not! She's not going anywhere!" Hiroshi stepped into the Library, fuming.

"What? Why not?!" She asked, surprised and in shock.

"You're pregnant of my future heir. You're my only child! You will inherit all of this!" he said, spread his arms and motioned to the entire room. "I will not have you run off with... with..."

Both Korra and Axis frowned at Hiroshi's words. "Yes Lord Sato, please continue..." Korra said, she gently pulled back from Asami's warmth and walked towards Asami's father. Both Southerners now stood before Hiroshi Sato. The man gulped and did a step backwards.

"She... she can't leave. I will not endanger the future of my family name because... because of some fairy tale."

Axis's face turned into a hateful scowl. "You dare to say that I'm lying?!" she roared.

Korra quickly put a hand on her friend's chest to keep her in check and to keep her from planting one of her fists in the middle of Hiroshi's face.

"She is pregnant! This is a delicate matter! She could loose the child! She...-"

"The child of a rapist!" Korra added.

Hiroshi straightened his clothes and took a deep breath. "As unfortunate as that may be..." he started. "This is my own chance of an heir... since..."

"Spit it out! Say it!" Axis yelled and her voice echoed throughout the Mansion.

"There's no way on earth any man would wish to marry her now. Not after..." he stopped and cleared his throat. "And now this..."

Both Korra and Axis stood there, frozen in place. Shocked. Asami stood not far behind them, equally shocked. The hurt of her father's words clear on her face. She couldn't believe it. "Father... please... I..."

He shook his head. "No Asami, you're my daughter and I say you remain here." He slowly started to head back to the door when Korra suddenly spoke up.

"What if... what if someone's to marry her?" she asked, her heart started to pound in her chest.

"she would be her partners responsibility from that moment on." He said matter-of-factly.

Korra nodded and frowned. She looked over her shoulder to Asami and her mother. She smiled reassuringly at them both before she looked at Axis. She smiled at her too before she took a deep breath. "Very well... I'll marry her..."

Four pairs of eyes grew wide and looked at her at the same time. "You what?!" Hiroshi asked with venom in his voice.

"Yeah... you will do what now?" Axis asked, this time she was as equally shocked as Hiroshi.

"If I marry her, she will become my responsibility. All she has to do," she turned around to look at the vixen before she continued. "is say yes..." she smiled nervously and it seemed like her heart was about to explode.

"This is absurd! I will not have my daughter marry another woman! It's not right! It's...-"

"Yes..." she said, calm, preserved. Asami smiled and her eyes seemed to sparkle with pure happiness.

Hiroshi was stunned and looked at his daughter, mouth half open. "Asami...-"

"Yes! I will marry her!" she rushed over to Korra and once again, she wrapped her arms around the Avatar's neck.

"This is outrageous! Have you all lost your mind!? Two women shouldn't be together! It's unnatural!"

"Hiroshi Sato..." it was Yasuko this time, her voice was calm but he knew that was mostly the calm before the storm. His wife never used his full name, unless he was in deep trouble. "I watched with sore eyes how you picked a husband for her, after all she's been through! You picked. A -man- to... what was it...? Ah... 'protect' her!" she walked over to her husband, fuming and ready to erupt. "Men did nothing what so ever to keep her from harm! These brave young women set her free after she was captured! She was raped! Beaten! Humiliated!" with every word, she poked his chest with her index finger. "And yet you find it necessary to sell her off like cattle! To a man you hardly know even! And guess what happened?" she crossed her arms over her chest like she was actually expecting an answer.

Hiroshi seemed to shrink with every word that came from his wife's mouth. It was true, all of it. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off before he could even utter a single sound.

"No! You don't get to speak! I will no longer idly stand by and watch! She's as much my daughter as she's yours! You said she needed to get married? So she'd be the responsibility of someone else? Korra wants to marry her. Why? Does it matter? I will give them my blessing. And you gotta deal with it!" she turned around to Asami and Korra who just stared at her, lost for words.

Yasuko walked over to the two women and took hold onto their wrists. Dragging them out of the Library and to who knows where. Axis followed, a wide grin on her face. "Well, remember me never to piss her off..." she mumbled mostly to herself.

They were dragged to Asami's chambers and once they were inside, Yasuko let go of their wrists. Axis leaned with her back against the door once she closed it.

Yasuko turned around to face her daughter and her soon to be daughter in law. She smiled warmly at the two. "So... tell me. What's the plan?"

"I'll marry Asami. We get to the South and do what needs to be done to replace Noatak's essence from her unborn child..." Korra turned her gaze towards Axis.

Axis smiled and continued. "And we will replace his with yours. A child cannot be born with just one essence..." she nodded at her own words while explaining.

"When will the Blood Moon occur...?" Asami asked, she sat down on her bed. A gentle hand cradled her stomach.

"Within two months. So we still have time to get to the South. We can stay here for a while, or we can leave as soon as you two." Axis pointed to Asami and then to Korra. "are married. The journey back to the South will take us a week, maybe two, depending on the weather."

"I'll find a priest today, to marry you two. The sooner that Asami is out from under her father's influence, the better. I can actually see it happen that he finds another man to marry her with. I will not have it. Not anymore." Yasuko said with determination in her voice. "Axis, will you help me?"

Axis pushed herself off of the door and nodded. "Count me in."

"Excellent... let's go." She said and hurried to the door, took Axis by the wrist and practically dragged the Southerner outside. "It won't be for very long until we return but still. I'm sure you two have much to discuss..." Yasuko said and winked at her daughter who showed a faint pink on her otherwise, pale cheeks.

Korra smiled sheepishly after the door closed and rubbed her neck nervously. She looked over to Asami who still had a blush on her cheek. "I'm... sorry..." she mumbled softly.

"What for...?" the heiress asked surprised.

"I... I don't know. I kinda... didn't think things through...? Heh..." she walked over to her soon to be wife and sat down next her on the bed. "I just... I just want to help and... I figured this was the best way."

"Korra..."

"I mean, I could've just punch your father in the face and kidnap you to the South to do whatever we need to do but this seemed more like a legit way to get this done and...-"

"Korra!"

Korra was snapped back to reality and stopped ranting. "Y-yeah...?" she looked at her friend nervously but Asami did nothing but smile.

"I'm happy you did this... really..." she placed her hand on Korra's and squeezed gently. She rested her head on the Southerner's shoulder. "Thank you... really... I mean it. I just wish..." she stopped and bit her lower lip.

"You... you wished that, what?"

"I-it's nothing... I... was just thinking... out loud..." she let out a shuddering breath.

Korra moved her shoulder, she cupped Asami's face with her free hand and made the vixen look at her. "Please tell me..."

Emeralds locked with Sapphires and Asami's breath hitched in her throat. Those eyes, those beautiful blue orbs. They showed nothing but kindness. She took a deep breath before she gave Korra her answer. "I just wish... we'd marry... you know." She gulped, her heart raced a mile a minute. It felt like it wanted to escape her chest. "That we'd marry out of love... not... because... I just... I'm an idiot." She said, stopped talking and averted her eyes to look anywhere but the woman who was sitting right next her.

She felt Korra's hand pull away. I knew it... she doesn't feel the same... why would she? She has Axis after all... Asami thought and she felt the tears burn behind her eyes. She wanted to run. To hide. Hide away after she opened her heart just to have it crushed. She expected Korra to pull away completely but instead, two hands cupped her face and forced her to look up. To look into those beautiful ocean blue eyes that she had missed so much. The ocean blue she loved so much. The woman who had not just saved her from that ship but who also stole her heart. Something she had never thought possible.

Tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks but Korra's thumbs wiped them away. Their faces came closer and Asami felt Korra's warm breath on her lips. She started to breath faster, realizing what was about to happen but she didn't struggle. She wanted to embrace it.

Time seemed to have stopped. Inch by inch they got closer to one another until their lips brushed against each other. They both gasped from the soft touch and Asami looked straight in Korra's eyes. The Avatar, the most powerful being in the world, was waiting for permission. Asami's breath was caught in her throat. she brought her own two hands up to Korra's neck and closed the gap between them.

Korra took a deep breath through her nose. Her heart pounding in her chest when their lips met in this kiss and it was so much more than their 'practice kiss' had ever been. It was full of love. It was warm. Gentle. Slow and so, so sweet. Both their eyes closed while their lips seemed to move on their own. It was an innocent kiss and far to short. When the Avatar pulled back first, she took a deep shuddering breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. She just stared at the heiress for a moment before she found her voice again and broke the silence.

"What... what on earth makes you think I do not love you...?"