A Legend of Korra Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez (SMTsukishiro)
Author's Notes:
This was supposed to have been uploaded a week ago. Then I decided I would upload it on a Monday. But then we had our national elections and I became so invested in our Vice-Presidential Race that I completely forgot I hadn't uploaded this chapter. So, apologies for that.
To everyone who continues to support this work of mine, leaving kudos/comments/sharing it and what-have-you, I thank you. Every kudos/comment I brightens my day.
I do hope that you enjoy this chapter. Read on! :)
Summary:
A promising engineering student. A mysterious woman capable of controlling the four elements. When their paths cross, the resulting collision not only changes their lives and themselves, but the fate of the entire world as well. [Korrasami AU]
The Legend of Korra:
The Schism
Chapter 35: Mako's Return
"What's going on here?" Avatar Korra had asked, barking the question out. Her eyes blazed with fury as Naga whimpered and moved away from the man currently pinned by the wind she had summoned down on the ground.
Kai scrambled over to the hundred-pound animal's side, ready to tend to Naga as he was able. He spoke gently to the animal, reassuring Naga that she would be well-taken care of. Korra was thankful for the young man's presence and the care he was putting into her Spirit Animal.
It was at that point that Opal finally arrived at the scene. Her mouth dropped at how messy the cargo bay had turned, and was further surprised to see the Kai and Naga's state, as well as the man Korra had restrained.
"Mako?" Disbelief coated her words at seeing the Mercenary. "What are you doing here? And why—" she glanced at Kai and Naga, "—were you fighting against them?"
It was something the Avatar, herself, wanted to know as well.
The Mercenary looked from Korra to Opal and in an annoyed tone replied, "What the hell kind of question is that?"
"A good kind of question," barked the Lady Avatar, "Now, answer it!"
She then pulled her outstretched arm back, causing the man who had been lying, bound by the wind, on the floor to suddenly be lifted upright. He hung a good feet off the ground.
"Korra, I don't think that's necessary…" Opal whispered, but Korra shook her head unwilling to listen. She could not be faulted for it, however, having witnessed what Mako had done to Kai and Naga.
Again, Korra demanded, "Answer. Now!" in a tone that left no argument as to her temperament.
The ferocity by which she had spoken those words did not leave any question nor room for doubt. The Lady Avatar was angry and impatient—a frightening combination, especially on a woman who can command the elements and bend them to her will.
And to prove just how serious she was with the unspoken threat, the deity-turned-human bound her human captive tighter using the wind, squeezing him just enough to make him fear for his life—a tactic, Korra had learned, was useful in loosening someone's tongue.
But with the wind swirling as it did the Avatar's bidding, the literal flames caused by Kai and Mako's battle were fanned, growing larger and spreading further than it had before—an occurrence that the aspiring, young historian did not fail to notice, albeit something Avatar Korra had forgotten all about.
"Avatar Korra," Opal hoped calling Kora that would get her attention. "Maybe you should put your interrogation of Mako on hold for now and instead deal with a more pressing concern?"
Opal then pointed over at the crates that had caught fire, and then to extended her hand to gesture to the rest of the cargo bay that had begun to fill with smoke.
"The Future Industries' airship may be the sturdiest one around, but they're not exactly fire-proof," added the Earth Nation native. "Not to mention the fact that Asami might skin us alive if we let the flames spread any further…"
Opal let her statement hang in the air, knowing she had said enough to make Korra forget about Mako for now. Sure enough, Korra conceded though she not let the Mercenary off the hook that easily. Without warning, the chocolate-haired, young woman released the wind that was keeping Mako aloft without lowering him to the ground first. So, instead of a soft landing, he crashed on the hard metallic ground with a very loud thud. It was only by the sound of his pained groans and explicit cursing that Opal knew the man still lived.
Turning her focus away from the human who had dared harm her spirit animal as well as her steward, the Avatar turned her attention towards the slithering flames. With a frustrated sigh, she took the stance needed to control the water—which she was pleased was raining down from the strange-looking contraptions overhead (the Avatar later learned they were called 'Emergency Sprinklers').
With the fluid movements of both her hands and feet—synchronized as though it was a dance—Korra waterbended her way into putting the flames out, doing a far more effective job than the sprinklers were doing.
The spectacle didn't last for very long and soon the fire had been taken care of. Though that was the case, the young Bei Fong didn't think Asami would be glad to see the outcome, for Korra had gone a tad bit overboard and had ended up soaking everything—and everyone —in the room.
I suppose this is leagues better than the alternative… Opal mused.
She was about to thank the Avatar for her help when one of the radios in the room crackled to life.
At the beginning, they heard nothing but static—though that was enough to have the curious Avatar walk closer to it. But it took only several seconds for Asami's voice to flow out from the rectangular device attached to the wall near the cargo bay's entrance, surprising Korra.
"Korra, Opal, do you read me?"
Asami Sato was as tensed as a strung-out cord, even more so when the explosion occurred and both Korra and Opal left to check out the cause.
She had wanted to follow them—she still did, especially when neither of them returned soon after. But she could not. She needed to fly the airship.
Asami frowned at the airship's dashboard, its gauges telling her anything but good news. It didn't help that she had been feeling uneasy.
As sturdy as a Sato Airship was, the young prodigy didn't want to risk crashing it or damaging it further by pushing it to its limits. She knew she would have to find a place to alight soon, but the terrain before her was not suitable for landing. All around there was nothing but the ocean and the group of islands that she could see were still far. If the airship was going to get damaged further, she didn't know if they could make it to one of those islands.
The images of crash landing into deep blue began to seem more like a distinct possibility than a mere probability when she saw the temperatures in the hallways and rooms close to the cargo bay rise and it became apparent that the sprinkler systems installed on the airship was not enough to douse what she believed were fires that were causing the rise of temperature. Troubling still was that the water reservoir for the sprinklers that was dwindling rapidly.
The Prodigy bit her lip, greatly considering simply jamming something on the airship's wheel to keep it trained at the direction they were heading. But then she thought better at it when she saw nothing to jam the wheel with.
What the heck is going on? Where are they? Again she tried the radio, but no one seemed to be picking up. She shook her head as she tried to push the morbid thoughts that wanted to plague her away.
She only managed to release a sigh of relief when, upon her umpteenth time, someone finally answered back on the radio.
"This is an interesting contrivance," were the first words Asami heard, spoken by Korra. "I can hear Asami from this."
"Well, of course you can. It's a two-way radio. You press that button there and you can answer back," Opal replied, as though neither of them knew they were already being heard on the other end. "It's an efficient way of communicating while we're on this airship."
"I see," Asami could hear the thoughtfulness in Korra's voice. "So, I just press this?" There was a pause, which Asami could imagine was because Opal had just nodded. And then there was a sound of a click. "How do I know if it's working?"
"Well, try saying something. If Asami responds, then we know this thing's not busted."
"Alright," Korra cleared her throat and Asami tried very hard not to make a noise to let the other party know she could already hear them. "That is a strange question to ask, Asami. If I could read you, then I wouldn't have to wonder why you seem so upset with me and are shutting me out. So, no. I would have to say I cannot."
There was a silence as neither Asami nor Opal knew how to process what Korra had just said, nor did they understood why she said those words. Was she making a joke (it would be a first, but neither of the two girls were holding off the possibility that the Avatar could utter something hilarious).
"What?" Korra again spoke and the young Prodigy could only imagine the look Opal must be giving her. "She asked if we could read her, so I told her I can't."
"That's—that's not what that means, Korra!" Opal was trying her hardest not to laugh, but there were cracks in her voice as she spoke.
"It isn't?"
"No," it was Opal's turn to clear her throat and sound as serious-minded as she could. "That was just Asami asking us if we can hear her. She didn't mean the question literally."
"Oh,"
It was only at that moment that Asami decided to speak up saying, "As entertaining as this has gotten, I'm curious to learn what has happened. Are you guys alright?"
"Asami! Wait, were we transmitting already? I hadn't started transmission again," Opal said.
"I had been receiving from your end for a while now, Opal." Asami admitted. "The radio must be busted. So, is everything alright now? Had you found the source of the explosion?"
"Yeah," a healthy pause. "Everything is fine but Kai's a bit beat up. Korra has extinguished the fires as well."
That explains why the room and hallways have gone back to normal temperature, Asami thought to herself as she eyed the gauges once more.
"Kai is hurt? Was he caught in that explosion?"
"No," Korra. "He was attacked."
"Attacked?!" That was a surprise. "An intruder? I suppose Korra dealt with whoever that intruder was, considering how long it took for you guys to respond."
"Something like that," Opal replied. "Anyway, we'll be taking Kai to one of the rooms and patching him up. Same goes for Naga, she looks like she's hurt too."
"Alright," Asami replied. "But I need to check on the damages. Once Kai has been taken care of, can you please get back here to the bridge?"
"Okay, talk to you later, Asami."
Asami closed the radio's connection. She frowned at the news she had just heard, and though she could have asked a bit more, Kai and Naga's care took precedence in her mind…if only to keep Korra from doing something reckless—like destroying a part of the airship out of anger for what had happened to her steward and her animal friend.
The airship really cannot take much more damage.
"You didn't tell her," Korra said—voicing out the obvious—as they locked Mako in one of the empty cabins, making sure he was securely tied and had no way of escaping.
"I figured it would be much better to show her," Opal shrugged, stroking Naga's fur as they helped the animal and Kai to the airship's infirmary. "Had she known right then and there who it was, she might have left the wheel."
Korra cocked her head to the side, her head almost colliding with Kai's whom she was supporting. "Why? It is not like she cares for the loathsome human."
"Asami cares about the airship," Opal explained. "Mako fought with Kai and it was his weapon that caused the explosion and, subsequently, the fire. She's not going to leave her station out of concern for him, but because she would have wanted to berate him and give him a piece of her mind, and maybe even a taste of her fist."
The Avatar grinned, "Then I am really disappointed that we hid it from her at that moment."
Opal snorted, "So you would risk us losing control of the airship, possibly plunging somewhere in the ocean because no one is maneuvering it, just see Mako cower in fear some more? I didn't peg you for a sadistic type of person, Avatar Korra."
The smile faded from the dark-skinned, young woman's face as she growled, "Only when those I care about were hurt or are being threatened. I do not take kindly to anyone who would raise a hand against them."
The young Historian was certain Korra wasn't exaggerating.
Asami only ever felt true relief when Korra and Opal returned to the bridge and showed no signs of having been hurt. The only thing that had her face scrunched up was the soaked state they were in—one Opal explained to her was thanks to the Avatars excessive use of water to douse the flames. To which Korra didn't even looked remotely apologetic or ashamed about.
"You asked me to extinguish the fire, and I did." Korra had huffed.
"And you used up all the water in the airship's reservoir in doing so," Asami shook her head, but quickly added her appreciation for what the Avatar had done. "But thank you, nonetheless."
The Avatar shrugged as if what she had done was not a big deal; as if it was something just about anyone could have done.
Opal broke the flow of the conversation, however. Segueing before Korra could say anything more than shrugging.
"So, before you go and teach me the basics of piloting this airship," Opal began, "there's something Korra and I have to tell you about that intruder."
Asami quirked an eyebrow. Although her long-time friend had uttered the words as casually as she could, the young inventor could note a hint of trepidation in her voice—something that confused the porcelain-skinned, young woman.
"And that would be?" From the corner of her eye she saw Korra cross her arms, leaning back on the edge of one of the airship consoles. Thankfully, there were only gauges there and no levers or switches the shorter girl might end up flipping by accident.
"Well, for starters it was Mako. The mercenary we hired back at Republic City?" Opal spoke carefully as to not surprise Asami too much. But judging from the way Asami's mouth dropped and eyes drew big as saucers, she did a poor job of it.
"Mako?" Asami looked from Opal to Korra—who simply nodded, remaining silent. "Why? What is he doing here?"
"We don't know," Opal replied. "We didn't ask. But I am not going to believe him if he says something—anything—about the money we owe him. For one, he couldn't have possibly known where we would have been."
"That is true," Korra finally spoke up. "The captain of the Town Guard we ran across in Makapu promised us he wouldn't speak of us. I do not think he would lie about that. He was extremely grateful of their city being saved…Of course, we would have known the answers to our questions had I had time to continue my interrogation."
Asami looked over at Opal, hoping she would be able to expound on the other woman's words. And she wasn't disappointed.
"The Lady Avatar literally tried squeezing the answer right out of Mako. Had we had more time, without the threat of the fire, either Mako would have caved in and answered, or we would have had a dead mercenary on the cargo bay."
The heiress to Future Industries wondered if her friend was joking. Korra didn't seem the least bit apologetic, nor concerned, for how she treated the man. She was nonchalant. Completely so. And she couldn't help but air out her own concern about this.
"Should I be worried that you don't seem to care if you had killed him or not?"
"He is not an innocent that you should bother to worry," replied Korra, her eyes were bright—almost as though she was in the middle of going to her Avatar State.
No, that can't be. Why would Korra—? Was Asami's thought, one that soon found an answer in the Avatar's next words.
"I would not be made guilty in doing what I deemed was right to someone who hurt those I care about and had looked to be enjoying themselves in doing so," the Avatar had added. "He had not only harmed Kai and Naga, but he had put both you and Opal in danger as well by causing such an explosion. I had told Opal this, and I say it again, those who hurt the people under my care will receive no mercy."
Even though Opal had heard about it before, even she was stunned by Korra's words and how overtly protective she was for them to the point that she would actually not hesitate to murder someone as a form of revenge.
"I am…flattered that you would go through such lengths and even consider both Opal and I to be that important to you," Asami carefully spoke, choosing her words wisely. She didn't want to offend Korra, or anger her further. Not when she seemed like that was one of the things she held close to now—one of the things that drove her. To go from not caring much about the fragility of the human life, to hold even a handful of them close to care was a big improvement in the books of the young engineer, especially, when it came to Korra. "But what would you have done—or felt—if you found you were mistaken in your judgement? If you had killed someone who we later found to be innocent?"
"I highly doubt that's the case with Mako," Opal butted in, which earned him a glare from Asami.
"That's not the point I'm trying to make here, Opal." Asami had sighed. "My point is: you should never stoop to the level of those who had hurt you, Korra. If you seek revenge on something, at some point in time, revenge will come looking for you too. And besides, if you had killed Mako, we would not be able to get anything from him."
"Then what, pray tell, do you suggest I do?" Korra's eyes returned to normal as she spoke. But even though she uttered those words and phrased them as a question, there was something in it that made Asami believe she was being challenged to give an alternative. "Tell me, what would you do in my place? What would you do in an event where you find yourself looking at a person who could take everything you care about from you? What would you do to a person who hurt you? Would you not desire him to feel the same—if not more—of that hurt that you are feeling?"
Asami gave the question a thought before settling with the answer she gave the inquiring Avatar. "I don't know. Perhaps I would think that way, turning the pain into anger…but I would like to think I would be strong enough not to be pushed to such extremes that I would find it easy to take someone's life. But I honestly hope I—as well as those I care about—would not find themselves in such a situation as well."
"So you are for forgiving whatever wrongs someone may have done you, then?"
Asami nodded, "I try to."
"You are much too kind-hearted, Asami Sato." It was not the first time Asami heard that from Korra, who shook her head as she uttered those words. And there was something, much like there had been before, in the way Korra had said those words that baffled Asami as to whether she was being given a compliment or was being criticized by the Avatar.
It took a while longer than any of them anticipated before Opal finally got the hang of piloting the airship. She was not as adept at it as Asami was, but considering that they were in the middle of the ocean with no obstacle for her to crash on, Opal's piloting skills were good enough for her to be left alone.
The walk towards the cabin where they were holding Mako was not as silent as Korra thought and feared it would. Korra was glad, of course, that Asami had taken to speaking with her again and not in that cold manner by which she had been prior to the explosion Mako had caused.
Of course, the very first thing the Avatar managed to say—which she believed was the cause of Asami's tone and demeanor returning back to normal—was, "I apologize, Asami."
"For what?" Honestly, Asami was uncertain what the shorter girl was apologizing for.
"For justifying what I had almost done to that man," Korra replied. "I realize you and I have a different mindset when it comes to that, however, I cannot promise that I will be able to keep myself from repeating what I had done. I still vehemently feel that my way of doing things is the right way, when it comes to those who try to harm the people I care about, but I respect your stance on it. But more so, I apologize that I put you on the spot by asking you what you would do in my stead. It was not fair of me."
"I suppose…getting you to acknowledge that is a start." There was a small sigh that escaped the Sato heiress' lips.
Korra only hummed in response, though she wondered where exactly it was a start for. The nuances of how humans spoke was still very much lost on her and it still came as a challenge to understand whether they meant their words in a literal sense or not.
"So, may I ask how you plan to interrogate that foolish human considering you deem my methods to be extreme?" Korra threw the question out when they were almost to the line of the ship's cabins.
"We ask him our question and wait for him to answer," Asami responded as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
To which Korra asked right back, "And if he doesn't?" Not believing that Mako would give his answers that easily, not when her methods beforehand had did not seem to faze the man as she thought it would.
"Then we leave the room, wait for another day to ask him the same question again."
The Avatar looked incredulously at the human.
Surely she jests, she thought to herself. But when she was given no punchline and Asami showed no signs that what she had said was a joke of any kind, the disbelief Korra felt doubled.
"You are serious about it." It was not a question, but one that Asami gave an affirmative to before Korra went on to say with her head shaking, "You are far more patient than I first thought."
They got to the cabin a couple of minutes later to find a bored-looking Mako, sitting in the middle of a chair with both hands and feet tightly bound by invisible wires Asami could only assume were actually the wind under Korra's beck and call.
Asami was surprised though. She had been readying herself to see a badly beaten Mako. But the Mercenary before her didn't even have that many scratches or burns or bruises on his face and arms. The ones he did have, she assumed, were from Kai and Naga defending themselves and each other. It was strange, though the young woman supposed it was thanks to the Opal reminding Korra of the fire.
"Well, well, Miss Sato, it's nice to see you again," Mako greeted upon their arrival, smirking as he raised his head to look at them. "Though I had expected our next meeting to be the one where you pay me the money I'm owned."
"You are not the only one who thought that," Asami admitted. She didn't bother getting close to Mako. Not that she could with the way Korra seemed to be boxing her out. "I am as surprised about this as you. What were you doing in the cargo bay, Mako?"
The man shrugged—or, at least, tried to—but the chains of air kept him from doing so. Asami also noticed him wincing a bit, trying to mask it as grinning. "And why should I not be? I was on the job."
"On the job?" Again, it was Asami who asked.
"Future Industries," it was impossible to grin wider, but Mako was managing it. Asami, on the other hand, didn't expect to hear her father's company being blurted out. "I am working for Future Industries right now. They hired me. Didn't you know?"
Asami quickly glanced at Korra, who didn't seem to care about what Mako was implying. Whether she understood his insinuation or not, Asami was not sure. Still, it had caused Asami to hold her breath, wait for a few seconds, thinking that Korra might ask what the Mercenary had meant.
But, she didn't. And the Prodigy didn't know whether to feel relieved or confused at that.
"So, I had every business to be there. You people…on the other hand…" Mako continued to speak when neither woman decided to. He let his words hang in the air. "This really should be the other way around since, the way I see it, you people are the one who stole this airship. But I suppose this is all well and good. It certainly saves me a lot of time now that I don't need to go looking for you, Miss Sato."
Asami raised an eyebrow in question. "You were looking for me? I suppose this has something to do with your fee?"
"I wish that was the only reason." It was only then that his stupid grin disappeared and he looked at her earnestly.
Before she could hear what Mako had to say, however, the radio in the room sputtered to life. It made everyone in the room jump at the suddenness of it.
"Asami?" There is a hesitance in the way Opal's voice was carried over the radio. "Are you there?"
Asami strode quickly to the radio in the room, pressed the button, and responded in the affirmative, following it with a question. "Is there something wrong, Opal? We're still not done here."
"Um, that depends." The young woman on the other end of the line replied.
"Depends on what?"
"On the importance of the little gauge I'm looking at?" There was a pause as Asami waited for Opal to describe which gauge that was. "It's the one on the upper, far left of the middle console."
The emerald-eyed woman close her eyes, her memory going to the way the airship's consoles were designed. She mumbled to herself as she recounted each gauge and when she finally got to the one in question, her eyes immediately snapped open and Korra could see the alarm in them.
"Opal, what about that gauge?" was the quick and panicked question that Asami threw at Opal.
Seeing this, Korra immediately looked at Asami with concern in her eyes. She asked what was wrong, but all Asami gave in reply was a raised finger asking her to wait.
"It's flashing." Opal replied a second later. "And the needle is quickly dropping. I'm not really sure what it's dropping to. The label is a bit smudged…"
"Alright," Asami replied quickly. "I'm heading back there."
She didn't say much more than that. She didn't even excuse herself. Asami bolted out of the room, leaving two very confused people behind.
Post-Author's Notes:
And, that's that...at least for now.
Considering that I will be leaving for a 5-day trip to my father's hometown, I will try to provide you guys with another update before I leave. If not, then it will be the first thing I do after booting up my computer upon my return.
Also, if you're all wondering where Bolin is, don't worry. He's coming. Give me about 2 more chapters. As much as I want to introduce him into the story already, I cannot...at least, without hurting the flow of the story itself.
Again, thank you for the support you're giving this fanfic. To those who are spreading word about it and sharing it, thank you as well. Until the next update, dream on; Fly on!