A Legend of Korra Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez (aka SMTsukishiro)
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]
Author's Notes:
How I wished I could have made true the promise of publishing this a week ago. Alas, my beta was not yet done by then and so I had to wait for him to correct a couple of mistakes here and there and ensure that the story was still on-point to how I perceived it.
Anyways, the chapter is here now...much longer than what I had in mind but not as long as I still wanted it to. Honestly, I didn't want to divide the entire 'In the Nick Of Time' chapter into several chapters but, with this first part alone being a good 11,000-something words...weeell, you can see why I had to.
I won't elongate this pre-chapter note. I know you guys have waited enough. I'll just continue on in the post-chapter note with everything else I want to say.
Enjoy reading! :)
Legend of Korra
The Schism
Chapter 65: In The Nick of Time, Part 1
She would have thought—considering that it had been quite clear her charge was smitten with the young Bei Fong girl—that whatever theatrics he was used to (and, quite frankly, he seemed to enjoy doing) would be toned down for even a little bit in the midst of Opal's family; that he would not be as rambunctious as a child on a sugar rush.
Of course, in the span of the few months since she had been ordered by Councilman Tarrlok to keep watch over Bolin and impersonate his secretary, she should have learned to expect the unexpected when it came to him; to throw whatever expectations in normalcy with regards to how he behaved himself.
Truthfully, had it not been for self-preservation, she would have dropped the act upon learning what had happened to her previous employer. But, as it was, she was much safer in the employ of the Fire Lord compared to returning to the life of a freelance mercenary. Amon, after all, was still hunting down the remnants of those who had worked for the Councilman.
Sure, it was much more crazier and stranger to be around Bolin and these new-found friends of his, but it was much better than constantly having to watch her back and fear for her life. At least, if she ended up being targeted, she had others—namely, the so-called 'Avatar'—to ensure her safety. Or so she hoped.
Though, for the moment, she wished she would have just allowed the Fire Lord to have thrown her into prison with the second-hand embarrassment she was feeling.
They had already been reunited with the others for more than an hour now. The night continued to move on into the late hours. Who had yet to move on, however, was Bolin. He was still crying foul—literally crying—and lamenting how he had been forgotten by the others and had been left behind to everyone who was present.
Duo Xing didn't know if the Bei Fongs were simply that accommodating...and kind...to let Bolin go on and on, or if they were simply a strange family. It was that or they were really good actors. Although, she did hear the long-haired Huan comment under his breath (much to the dismay of his parents) how much of a 'weirdo' Bolin was and his sister's uncanny ability to draw in unusual people.
But, despite the Mover Star's theatrics, the feast was as normal as one that was prepared for the return of someone considered 'missing'. The food wasn't as lofty and pomp as she would have guessed when they had heard dinner was ready and waiting for them. It was just simple. There was beetle-worm soup as an appetizer, cooked rice and roasted duck for the main course, and hibiscus root salad as a side. To satiate their thirst, they had green tea. The conversation—whenever anyone had the chance to squeeze it in—was relaxing...which made the secretary lose her footing on the whole situation.
But all that relaxing atmosphere changed when Asami Sato and Opal Bei Fong decided to open their mouths and ask a question—a question that she had been hoping would not be brought up any time soon, for fear of being pointed out as a conspirator.
"Excuse me, Lady Suyin," It was right when everything was winding down (and that included Bolin's passionate expressions, thank the Maker) and everyone was getting ready to call it a night, when the young Sato Heiress spoke. Of course, being proper hosts, the Bei Fong matriarch turned her attention to Asami.
"What is it, Asami?" Lady Suyin asked, curiously...maybe even cautiously. Perhaps she had a premonition of some sort regarding what the Prodigy wanted.
There was a frown on her face when the young inventor spoke once more. "I'm sorry, something has been bothering me; something about what you had said before."
It was the older woman's turn to frown as she racked her brain for what might be the cause of concern for Asami. "What I have said before?"
"Yes," Asami looked at Opal, who nodded at her. Again, Duo Xing couldn't help but take notice at how easily they could communicate with each other; how easily they understood things without having to actually vocalize their thoughts. Even the Avatar, whom she had noticed was not as quick to pick up on things, looked as though she was at the same wavelength as the two. It was...interesting to observe.
"I apologize, Asami, I have said quite a lot of things this evening. I am not certain what it is you are pertaining to." Suyin took a sip of her tea afterwards, awaiting for Asami to elaborate.
Surprisingly (or, perhaps, not at all that unexpected) was that it was the young Bei Fong girl who took the responsibility to expound on it.
"She was talking about when I first introduced you to Korra, Mother." Opal had said. "You thanked Korra for taking me out of Republic City." There was a pause as she waited for her mother to remember. When her eyes told Opal that she had recollected what had happened earlier, Opal dropped the actual question: "Why?"
Whatever chattering was going on suddenly seemed to subside. And though she knew nothing of the older Bei Fong woman, it was not difficult to tell that she was not expecting the question to be brought up...though if those were truly the words uttered by Lady Suyin, she should have realized such a query would come up sooner rather than later. It was so poorly worded, after all, and would definitely arouse suspicion.
Duo Xing kept her mouth shut about it, though. She wasn't ready for whatever would come up next if the truth regarding her identity were to surface.
"Did I really say that?" Opal's mother asked aloud, feigning ignorance. When that didn't work, she waved her hand as though to shoo whatever thoughts Opal and the others had of the matter away. "I was merely being thankful that you and Asami have managed to escape the turmoil in the city. As I was told, both of you had a lot of harrowing encounters with unscrupulous men. I was led to believe that Korra had a hand in rescuing you both."
The answer placated the curious, young women, who nodded in acceptance to the explanation.
"That makes sense," Opal conceded. "Aunt Lin must have told you all about that, right, Mother?"
It was subtle—subdued—not something that could easily be perceived by those whose profession didn't require them to be conscious of how a person acted or carried themselves; to make use of those nuances to gain the upper hand, but not so for the Secretary.
There was a moment, after the mention of the Republic City Chief of Police's name that Suyin Bei Fong stiffened, eyes growing wide a fraction for a quick moment. Her hands shook as she gripped the chopsticks tighter for a very short while before she relaxed her grip, having caught herself.
Something is definitely up.
"Yes," it was a surprise to Duo Xing that the older woman didn't choke on her words. She played with the tea cup, swinging the contents around inside, before adding, "Lin called me after what happened, though she didn't explain much."
It was at that point that Lord Bataar cleared his throat, "Perhaps we should speak of these later? I am sure Opal and her friends would like to retire for the night."
"Yes, you are right." Suyin recomposed herself so quickly it impressed the Secretary.
"Then, please, allow me, Mother." Bataar, Jr. stood. "You need as much rest as they do." Then, without waiting for a reply from his mother, the oldest of the Bei Fong sons, looked at each of their visitors and said, "If you're all finished, then please, follow me."
Again, he moved without actually waiting for a response from any of them. There was no question of whether or not they were finished eating—not that any of them had any leftovers—Bataar, Jr. expected them to follow him.
Before they went and followed him, each thanked their hosts for the wonderful meal. Duo Xing, for her part, couldn't wait to get to her guest room. She had, after all, much to tell Fire Lord Izumi.
The walk to where the guest rooms were located was a quiet one. Though Opal never really expected his older brother to show much affection, she could tell something was wrong with how much more aloof he had been acting with her and her friends. She wished she could just blame it on how much of a military man he was, but he was never like this before...not even after what had happened with—
She shook her head. It was not the time to dwell on how her brother (well, the rest of her family, really) has been acting. It was time to get to the bottom of the reason why.
Opal knew, however, asking right then and there what was really going on would only get Bataar, Jr. to keep his silence even more. And so all she could do, at that moment, was wait. Wait for everyone to have their designated rooms; wait for everyone to bid each other a good night; wait until it was only her and her brother.
The young Historian glanced at her companions—her friends. She didn't think she would have the need to tell them to be careful, not when they were in her home, but it would seem even in the place she thought was safest trouble was still brewing.
Despite her conscience telling her to warn them, another voice in the back of her mind told her to hold back. Perhaps it was the desire to give them, her friends and companions, a sense of safety and respite...even if it was just a mirage.
Whatever it was, Opal made a decision to keep her friends from worrying, if only for the night.
As her older brother had finished dividing their guests into their appropriate rooms, Opal stayed behind. And when everyone had retired for the night, she followed Bataar, Jr. until they were well out of earshot—particularly, Korra's—before she assaulted him with her questions.
"Alright, brother, what's really going on?" Was the first one she threw, tailing after the oldest Bei Fong child. "I may not have been around much recently, but I know when mom is lying. And that answer she gave me and Asami was definitely a lie."
Bataar, Jr. glanced at her briefly, his face devoid of the fondness he had showed her upon their earlier reunion. It didn't faze Opal, though. She was used to him being all grumpy. It was something she had grown accustomed to ever since the events a decade prior.
Normally, receiving such a look from him would cause the young, aspiring Historian to back off and leave him be. But normalcy had long left Opal's life. It had walked out of the door the same day that Asami had brought Korra back to their dorms with her.
"You're not going to scare me off with that," she crossed her arms in-front of her chest. "I'm not a child anymore, brother."
"So you say," Junior shrugged. "What may or may not be happening, however, does not concern you, Opal."
"Now that's just a load of crap and you know it!" she tried not to exclaim too loudly, which proved to be difficult.
Her words caused Bataar, Jr.'s eyebrows to raise to his hairline. He chuckled, however, upon regaining his composure.
Teasing, he said, "My, my...You disappeared for months and return with such a ribald mouth? Color me surprised. What happened to my demure, little sister?"
"I think you're mistaking me for Huan," she rolled her eyes at him. "He's the shy one."
His mouth quirked upwards in a small smile. "You're going to hurt his feelings if he hears you saying that."
"But he's not here now, is he? And stop changing the subject!" Opal pointed an accusatory finger at him, as though such an act would get him to open up.
Bataar, Jr. merely swatted her finger away. "The current state of affairs does not concern you," he repeated. "It has stopped concerning you the moment you chose to study abroad and leave behind your responsibilities for a silly, little dream."
That got Opal to back down, stunned. All she could do was mutter, "My dream isn't silly or little," as though she was back in the shoes of her six-year-old self.
"Perhaps," he shrugged again in nonchalance. "I have nothing against you, Opal, but you made your choice. You left the family business. Unless mother deems it necessary, it is none of your concern. So, why don't you just run along back to your room and go to bed."
It had been a long time since Opal felt seething with anger. She had so many words she could say—so many things he could call his older brother—but she clamp it down and push those as far away from her tongue as was possible. It wasn't going to do her any favors to antagonize Junior, even if he (regardless of what he had said) still felt betrayed by her decision to study at the Great Republic University.
"Fine," she turned around, spitting the words out. "Don't tell me, then."
Much as she wanted to stomp her way back to her room like a child throwing a tantrum, Opal did not. It wasn't like she couldn't find out what it was she wanted to know. Bataar, Jr. was just one of the many others she could ask.
She knew her older brother was watching her intently, however, as she made her way back to her room. She could feel her eyes boring at the back of her skull and knew he could probably guess what she was thinking too.
Once she was in her room,she counted down to a hundred to make sure that Junior had moved on to wherever it was he was originally going before she sneaked out to find the twins.
It was quiet, but not a peaceful sort.
At least, not for her.
There was something lingering underneath—something that was sending a wave of anxiousness that even the Light Spirit could feel, if one were to judge the twitching of the twin leaves on its head and the way it does not seem to be able to stay still as indications of such.
Korra wondered, though, if it was just her.
Whatever suspicions the others had upon hearing Lady Suyin's earlier words of gratitude to the Avatar was wiped away by the explanation given to them after their meal. The only other person, aside from her who had not been completely sold by what she said was Iroh.
The Avatar sighed, already laying on the bed she had claimed for herself in the guest room she were to share with Asami and Duo Xing.. The day had been a long one, and the night was about to get longer still. She had, after all, decided to investigate the strange fog.
That is, as soon as sleep finally claimed her roommates who were still very much awake and doing their evening rituals. At least, she was certain that was what Asami was doing. What the older woman in their group was busying herself with, however, was not something Korra could attest to.
"You can feel it too, can't you, Korra?" the Light Spirit asked, plopping—unceremoniously—down on her pillow. Its bottom missing her by a hair's width. "Something strange is afoot."
"Yes," she muttered under her breath. She had already looked like a madwoman to the others, who had caught her—on different occasions—speaking to the little spirit and had thought she was merely speaking with herself. "And I intend to get to the bottom of it."
"How?" A tilt of the spirit's head accompanied the question. "I can't even tell where it's coming from."
She couldn't help but feel insulted by the spirit's words. Scoffing as she glowered at the Light Spirit, she said a bit louder than she would have liked, "I am the Avatar. I am quite certain I could do much more than you can."
The Light Spirit's leaves drooped down a bit, and it looked like it had something to say, but it was at that moment, soon after Korra had uttered those words that the bathroom door opened, its occupant having finished her bath.
She stopped walking, after having just taken a single step out of the bathroom, and looked oddly and worriedly at Korra. "Korra, are you really alright? You've been acting weird all afternoon."
"No, I have not." She was petulant, the Light Spirit having soured her mood. She took her gaze from the Spirit and glared at the ceiling as though that would chase away her annoyance.
The Prodigy moved from the doorway to her own bed, the sound of the mattress's springs and fabric moving were the only indication Korra had that the taller girl had taken a seat there. The Avatar heard her sighing as well before she spoke once more, "Yes, you have. You've been muttering to yourself a lot since we got here and you've been restless, too. I'm not blind, Korra, and I'm pretty sure everyone else noticed how strange—well, stranger—you have been acting as well. What happened to 'no more secrets between us'?"
"Maybe you should just tell her, Korra," the Light Spirit found courage to speak once more as it once again stood up and, waddling, made its way to where Asami was. "She is the Avatar's Chosen."
The darker-skinned, young woman groaned. She pushed herself to a sitting position, turned around to pull the Light Spirit to stop it from doing what it intended to do, but then she stopped, her hand caught hanging in the air at the motion, for it was then that she noticed Asami. Really noticed her.
In retrospect, perhaps she should not have been all that surprised. But at that moment she was, so much so that she found her mouth hung open and her eyes wide as saucers. And though it should not have mattered at all, suddenly it did matter to Korra. Very much so.
It mattered that Asami was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her body. Her hair, drenched from her bath, cascaded down her shoulders. Her porcelain skin glistened with the droplets that remained on them and made her look far more than just a normal human being. She sat, cross-legged, on her bed, another towel in hand as she dried her hair.
Before Korra knew it she had found herself frozen...like a bowl of water left outside during the frigid winters in Nia Bayou. Yet, she didn't feel cold at all. The complete opposite, in fact. She felt hot. All over. Most notably her face. She was quite certain her breath even hitched at the sight, before she forgot to breathe completely.
"Korra, are you okay?" The deity-turned-human had not felt more relieved to have been spoken to by the Light Spirit as she did at that moment, allowing her to snap from whatever strangeness had suddenly gotten hold of her.
Perhaps I have turned unusual as Asami and the others thought? She shook herself and took her eyes away from the other girl's form.
And she did so just in the nick of time as the young woman in question turned her eyes on her and caught her with her arms still outstretched, hand as though about to pluck something off the ground. Quickly, Korra retracted her hand and turned her body around so that, instead of facing the other girl, she sat facing the wall.
A wall she forced herself to think was more interesting than the other person in the room. She could imagine (among other things), one of Asami's eyebrow rising upwards; she could almost hear what the Chosen was about to say even before she actually vocalized it.
And because she didn't want to add another explanation atop the one that was already asked of her, Korra decided to just speak out.
"I have not been acting strange," she said. But finding that her voice was a bit higher than usual, she cleared her throat and tried again, repeating her earlier phrase. Then she added, "It only seemed that way to you and the others because your senses are not attuned to it."
"Attuned to what?"
Korra heard more rustling fabric and fervently prayed that it was the sound of Asami finally getting dressed to something more decent. Then she berated herself for focusing on that and finding it quite so important to bother silently praying for it.
"To the Spirits. To the Spirit Realm, in general." The Avatar shrugged. She glanced at the Light Spirit, who had stayed put near the foot of her bed and hadn't move since she started speaking. Korra wondered if she could ask the Light Spirit if Asami had dressed herself already.
Feeling her looking at itself, the Light Spirit looked up at Korra and nodded, urging her on. She tried, at that moment, to pass the question to it just by using—what she hoped she has—the connection between them. But, it was a lost cause. If she could speak to the spirits using her thoughts before, that ability was lost to her now.
Korra cleared her throat again and wondered why it was so difficult to talk at that moment; why her mouth had run dry. "We, uh, we are not really alone in this room. And it is not because of Bolin's Secretary."
The rustling of fabrics stopped. "What do you mean by that?" she could sense the edge on Asami's voice. It wasn't really panic, though it was close enough to it that it might as well be called that.
"There is a spirit with us. With me." She pointed at the spot where the Light Spirit was, its leaves moving sideways in a show of happiness? Elation? Korra wasn't certain what the emotion was, but it was a positive one. "It is the Light Spirit I first met when I was meditating back at the monastery and then at Makapu. The one who told me about Jinora."
There was silence, which Korra took as Asami accepting her answer before something smacked the back of her head. Asami Sato, her 'Chosen', had thrown a pillow at her head.
"What was that for?!" Korra whirled around, momentarily forgetting why she had turned her back to the other girl. Thankfully, Asami had changed into her sleepwear.
Korra caressed the back of her head, frowning at the other girl. Even though it wasn't as dangerous a projectile as a vase, or Asami's boots, the impact still hurt somewhat.
"We weren't alone and you didn't tell me?" huffed the displeased, raven-haired, young woman. "Really, if I had my hairbrush close, or my shoe, I would have thrown that at you."
"What? I am the Avatar, woman, have some respect!" It was uttered halfheartedly, making it impossible to say that she was truly angered by the act to actually retaliate. "B-Besides, why does that matter? Its a spirit. Something you are not even aware of until I told you about it."
"I was wearing nothing but a towel," Asami pointed out, as though that would explain everything.
"What does that—?" The frown on the Avatar's face only creased some more. "How is that any different? I was here and you did not seem at all bothered by my presence."
"That's because it's you." Again, the answer should have sufficed, but whatever that answer meant flew over Korra's head. It was just another mystery to her, one she didn't feel like she was equipped to understanding. "You're the girl who isn't bothered by undressing herself in public and we're basically the same. Meanwhile, I know nothing about this Light Spirit of yours. For all I know, it's a pervert."
"Please calm down, Lady Asami," The Light Spirit tried to help, waddling towards the Avatar's Chosen once more. But Asami couldn't see it. She couldn't hear it either.
"You're wasting your time," Korra spoke without thinking.
Understandably so, her words annoyed Asami even more who thought they were directed at her. "Excuse me?"
Quickly, to amend her mistake, Korra said, "That was not directed at you. I was talking to it," Again she pointed to the direction of where the spirit was. Then focusing her attention towards it, said, "This is getting ridiculous. Is there not a way that you can show yourself to her so that I would not have to deal with...this—whatever this is?"
She saw Asami looking at the direction she was staring at from her peripheral vision and could imagine how strange everything must be for the human. Returning her attention to the little spirit in her midst, she saw the Light Spirit overcome with a thoughtful expression, one of its stump of a hand under its chin, the other scratching its leafy head, while the remaining pair were on its waist—or what Korra assumed was the equivalent of such. Its eyes were downcast in concentration, wracking its brain for an answer to Korra's question and request.
"Well…" it spoke slowly, uncertainty evident in the tone of its voice. "There is a way: the Avatar's Gift."
The Avatar's Gift? It was the first Korra has heard of it. Similar with the Avatar's Chosen, the cerulean-eyed Avatar did not know what that was. For the sake of saving face and not looking uneducated, Korra pretended that was not the case. She kept her silent, even as she was itching to ask.
Thankfully, the Light Spirit was so deep in thought that it had not noticed Korra's befuddled look. It didn't even look up at her as it continued speaking, "But, with how things stand now, I don't think you might be able to impart that gift." It quickly looked at her then, worried that it might have spoken out of turn again. She just shrugged, even if she could do it she didn't know how. Relieved that the Avatar was not offended, the Light Spirit went on, "I could act as a mediator of sorts, a conduit, if you wish, Korra?"
The Avatar, still lost, did not know what that would entail. She glanced at Asami, who looked impatient but curious—if not as lost as she was. Korra knew she was wasting precious time; she knew she had to decide sooner rather than later if she wanted (and she did) to be able to sneak out and investigate. But, ultimately, she began to realize, it was not something she could resolve alone.
"Would you like to be able to see it?" she asked, facing Asami. For the first time, Korra understood the consequences and the effects of the choice, without someone goading her into it. "We could open your eyes to them but…it is not something we could take back if you change your mind."
When the Light Spirit nodded, Korra knew she had said the right thing. And though it was not oblivious to the fact that it could not be heard—not yet—the little spirit excitedly added, "It's a big decision to make!"
Which was something Korra decided to share with Asami as well.
The Prodigy thought for a while before she asked, "Will it be painful?"
"Not at all!" The Light Spirit vigorously shook its head. It was a strange to behold a spirit of the light so excitable instead of their usual serene self. "It will only be like a light touch of the wind."
Again, the Avatar repeated what the spirit said.
Asami bit her lower lip in deep thought. The Avatar, for her part, felt relieved that the taller girl was thinking it through. Getting such an ability could—no, would—change a person. And though the Light Spirit had answered as truthfully as it could, Korra wondered if that was the right answer to give. There might be a time that this gift could prove to be painful for Asami.
After much internal deliberations, the Avatar's Chosen nodded. "Alright, let's do this."
"Are you certain?" the darker-skinned, young woman wanted to give the other girl a chance to change her mind.
The Heiress shrugged. "It could prove useful and I might be able to help you out more if I could see and hear them."
"Asami…" there was whine in Korra's voice. Though she was happy that the Prodigy would think of her as she made a decision, she was equally conflicted by it. "I implore you not to decide based on something like that. Like I have mentioned, this is not something you can just shut your mind to…"
"I understand that," she looked at peace with her decision, as though there was no changing her mind from it. Suddenly, Asami was holding her hand, as though she needed comforting by the fact that this decision was life-altering…even though it was not her life, but Asami's whose it would change. "And I understand what you mean, Korra. It's fine. I promise. I won't regret it. It might actually be interesting and fascinating."
Sapphire orbs searched emerald ones, as though Korra had obtained the ability to read a person through their eyes. She couldn't tell what it was she saw, but it was not hesitation. There was not a semblance of it in Asami's eyes, nor on how she carried herself.
The Avatar sighed. "Very well," then she turned to the Light Spirit and instructed it, "Do what you must." Her eyes did flare when she added, "But if you end up harming her…"
The Light Spirit had begun clambering up Korra's shoulders. When it had successfully perched itself on Korra's shoulder, it paused and looked the Avatar straight in the eye. "Don't worry, Korra. Hurting her is the last thing I would do." It then grinned and added, "I wouldn't want the wrath of the Avatar to fall on me, after all."
Korra sighed. She was not certain, but that felt like the Light Spirit was making fun of her. What happened to fearing and respecting the Avatar? She wondered, bitterly.
"Alright, let's begin then," the spirit chirped, snapping Korra from her thoughts. "First, Korra, tell Lady Asami to close her eyes."
And now I'm taking orders from a spirit. Another sigh escaped the deity-turned-human's lips before she repeated the instruction to Asami, who did as she was asked to do.
Korra made a mental note of what the Light Spirit was doing—which, from her perspective, did not seem a lot during the first few moments. As soon as Asami had closed her eyes, the spirit had asked Korra to sit close to—and facing—the human. She had obliged, and carefully sat herself, cross-legged, on Asami's bed, their knees touching.
The Light Spirit then sat itself on the Avatar's kneecap, clasped its stubby hands together and closed its eyes in meditation. The posture was familiar to Korra, it was one she takes upon whenever she, herself, goes through meditation. A few ticks of the clock and the spirit's body began to glow in ethereal, blue light. The air surrounding the Light Spirit grew warm and familiar, like the Avatar should know from whence it came from.
"Korra?" Asami's voice cut through the silence and had the shorter girl looking away from the little spirit and towards the owner of the voice.
"It's alright, Asami," Korra assured her, looking back at the spirit and wondering if they were allowed to communicate with one another during such a ritual. When the Light Spirit didn't move nor scold them, she shrugged away the worries of messing it up. "I am right here still."
Even with her eyes closed and hidden behind her eyelids, the movement of them told the young Avatar her Chosen had rolled her eyes as she responded, "I know."
It wasn't who Opal had expected to run into when she was searching for her twin brothers. But, all the same, she was glad to have run into her mother.
"Opal, what are you doing loitering around?" Her mother had asked, surprising her. She hadn't noticed she was no longer alone in the hallway until Suyin had called out to her. "I thought you would be asleep by now."
"I—"
"No matter, I suppose this is for the best." Suyin didn't give her much time to reply, cutting her off. "Perhaps we should get this done before morning."
"Mother, I don't understand." The young, aspiring Historian admitted, she stood rooted at the spot even as her mother had begun walking further down the hall expecting her to follow suit. "What are you talking about?"
Curious though as she was, Opal wanted nothing more—at that moment—than to be able to free herself from her mother. She had missed her, truly, and her words ignited that inquisitive spirit in her, but the young Bei Fong had more important matters that needed to be done—more important things to uncover—than to be held up by whatever her mother had wanted from her. Which, if she was going to guess, was cleaning up the library—a place she mostly frequented and had requested the use of for her friends.
When Suyin noticed she was not following, the older woman stopped and turned to her direction. With a raised eyebrow, she asked, "What are you doing dilly-dallying, Opal? Come. We don't have much time to waste."
With a defeated groan, the Literature and History Major looked longingly towards the other direction of the hall—the one that led to the twin's bedroom—before she resigned herself to her mother's whims.
The entire Bei Fong mansion was quiet, the only sound that could be heard was their footsteps echoing down the hall. It was not surprising, however, given they were deep into the night. Still, it was a bit eerie how quiet her home was or how devoid of people it seemed. They had maidservants and servants, and she recalled how there would always be a couple of them still working even when morning was but a few hours away. She also knew that there were a couple of people working under her parents' business who were staying in their compound that night.
Opal tried to shake those thoughts away, I have gotten way too paranoid. Stop trying to find trouble where there is none, Opal.
It was only belatedly when Opal realized the reason behind the quietness and the lack of people. They had taken a different turn from the direction of the library and were making their way towards the eastern wing of their mansion—a place that Opal knew she was not allowed to enter, not since she had made known her decision to stray from the family business. It was understandable, therefore, that the young woman's confusion returned, if not intensified at that recognition.
"Mother? Isn't this—?"
A warning look from her mother—one that told her to keep silent—cut the question from spilling out. Silence descended upon the pair, one that Opal did not wish for nor appreciated. Her heart pounded strongly inside her rib cage and her thoughts were assaulted with various 'what ifs' that unsettled her more and more.
Minutes of walking through hallways and rooms, descending stairways that seem to lead deeper and deeper underground eventually led Opal to a secretive part of her house—one she didn't even know existed until then.
"This goes against what our family has done for generations," Suyin spoke softly as they faced a double door made of mahogany. She didn't look at Opal as she spoke, her eyes were set on the doors that Opal could only guess contained all the answers to the questions she had as a child. "You were never meant to know what lies behind these doors, Opal, not since you chose to pursue your studies."
"Then what am I doing here, mom?" She had sounded small in asking that question, both feeling excited to finally see what lay behind the door, and terrified at the same time.
Though she never really thought of there being an actual door that separated them, Opal had always seen it as a figurative one—something that kept her away from her own family; something she had given up to be a part of, to keep closed forever.
"Something has...come up," her mother responded, hands pressed on the door's wooden surface. "Your...assistance is something we need."
"My...assistance?" It was a strange way to put it. Especially coming from her mother. She couldn't even fathom what she could possibly be able to help with. "Mom, you're starting to weird me out."
That earned her a chuckle—a reaction Opal did not anticipated, at that time. "I suppose I am," Suyin had said before she turned serious again. "It is difficult to explain. Now, come. We have dallied long enough."
And with that, Suyin pushed open the doors. It didn't groan as Opal thought it would—with how old it looked. It merely opened without much force and without much sound. Inside was a much bigger and wider room that was divided into even more smaller rooms. Some rooms had doors on them, others had none and gave those passing by a good look inside without care for privacy.
In the middle of the very back wall was a flag with an emblem Opal could scarcely remember being discussed in one of her history books. It was something she had only read about and saw pictures of in her books; a relic of the ancient past. The flag itself was green, with two, golden-yellow, triangles drawn on each of the four corner edges. In the middle was a golden-yellow circle as well, and each cardinal direction within that circle had smaller, green-colored squares that enclosed the animal depicted at its very center: a flying boar—the Ancient Bei Fong family crest.
Tearing her eyes away from the hanged flag, Opal directed her gaze at the people—so many of them—who littered about, doing all sorts of things. Some were looking over a table, placed at the center of the room. Various diagrams and maps, as far and as quickly as Opal could see—covered its entire surface. There were people huddled together, cleaning weapons and armor, laughing as though they were not holding, in their hands, on something that could end another person's life.
In one room, she saw her twin brothers conversing with some of the guards that had accompanied Bolin and Duo Xing. What they were discussing, Opal couldn't even guess. In another, much larger one, she saw her father and her brother tinkering on one of the many sand cruisers that were parked.
There were so many things to see—so many things to look at—that it would be quite easy to get lost in the maze of rooms and people. It was all the young, aspiring Historian could do to keep her eyes from bulging and her mouth from dropping open.
"Come along, Opal," her mother placed a hand around her shoulders and began to guide her through the throngs of people. "Time is of the essence."
They continued walking. Those who saw her mother, nodded their greetings at her. Those who saw Opal, herself, looked as confused as she did; some were even surprised.
Before long, Opal and Suyin reached the farthest end of the southern hallway were there were several closed doors. Many people were coming and going in these rooms, save for the one at the very end where Huan stood sentry.
"Oh, Mom, you're finally back," Huan sounded bored as he greeted his mother first before turning to face Opal. "Where'd you run off to, Opal?"
It was such a weird question. "What?" was the only thing Opal could reply to it.
"Not the time, Huan," Their mother chided. "You can speak with Opal later."
Huan just stared at them and nodded. He took a step back and allowed his mother access to the door he was guarding.
Strange as it was to have someone like Huan—who didn't at all like fighting or manual labor—being stationed to stand guard over a door, Opal could only guess what could be inside, but if it required someone guarding it, it must be important.
As the door slowly creaked open, the first thing Opal saw was a small coffee table surrounded by three chairs and the pale, yellow paint of the wall. A framed painting of cascading waterfalls decorated the wall to the right of the table and the chairs. On the left was an archway where a door should be. She could see from where she stood a small kitchen beyond that archway. Adjacent to the kitchen was another door, one that Opal could only surmise led to a bedroom.
It was quiet. A stark contrast to the noise she could still hear coming from the hallways they had passed. As her mother entered the room, there was something like trepidation in her eyes. Before she followed after the older woman, Opal chanced a look back the way they came and saw Huan looking at her with an apologetic gaze before he closed the door gently.
When Opal looked forward, her mother was gone and had entered further inside the small living quarter. Suddenly feeling like she would rather be anywhere else than where she was at the moment, but having no choice, the young Bei Fong coaxed her feet to move and carry her forward.
The simple arrangement continued as she looked around the bare kitchen. A vase with freshly picked flowers was the only décor to the otherwise nondescript room. A small ventilation shaft whirred in the ceiling, a reminder that they were somewhere underground.
Beyond the soft hum of the ventilation, Opal heard an unfamiliar voice speaking beyond the only other door in the room.
"…Nothing has changed in the past eight hours," it was a man's voice, old and weary, muffled by walls. "Not that I had expected it to."
"I had hoped for a miracle," her mother responded, disappointment mingling with the tone of her voice. "I suppose that was too much to ask."
"We could all use a bit of a miracle," the man agreed.
Her mother sighed. "And we still do not know what caused this?"
There was a heartbeat of silence, as though the person her mother was conversing with hesitated before giving his answer.
"No. Whatever sickness had befallen her—if that is what it even is—is something entirely new…and possibly without cure as of this moment." Another pause, followed by, "I am sorry, Suyin. But no matter how many times you ask, that prognosis will not change in the near future."
Silence followed after that, much longer and denser than before. Propelled by her curiosity—which she was certain, at some point, would bring her into trouble (If it hasn't already)—Opal carefully made her way to the door.
She wavered for a moment, wondering if she should enter, but then remembered it was her own mother that brought her into that small, underground apartment. Whatever lay behind the door was something her mother had wanted her to see…and had wanted her help with.
With much care, Opal slowly pushed the door open.
She saw her mother then, and the man she was talking to—a stranger to Opal's eyes. He was as old as he sounded, with greying, long hair, tied loosely behind his back. He wore a business suit, though the apparatus that hung around his neck dispelled the question of his profession. And though their backs were turned from her at the moment of her entrance, they turned their heads around when she closed the door behind her. It was then she saw the half-moon glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose and the stubble that dotted his chin.
"Ah, Opal," her mother nodded towards the man, "This is Yisheng Hao, a physician."
The man—Yisheng—gave her a respectful smile before bowing his head. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I hope you can provide us with the help we need, as your mother seems to think."
"Hao works for us," Suyin added, as though that should be explanation enough; as though that would answer all the questions that Opal had at the moment.
"I don't follow," she said, when they looked at her expectantly. "How am I supposed to be of help to a doctor? I'm studying literature and history, mother. Not medicine."
"Perhaps," it was Yisheng who answered. "But your mother believes you to be the only hope Lin has."
Before Opal's brain could register what the old man had said, he had taken a step backwards, revealing what it was—or, rather, who it was—he and her mother hand been standing over.
There, on the bed, was her aunt, Lin Bei Fong. But, she was not the Lin Opal remembered seeing. There was no vibrancy in her. Her skin was pale and papery; her hair even greyer than before. She was thinner, reduced to nothing but skin and bones. Her mouth was hung open, saliva dripping out. Her eyes that had once looked so full of life now stared blankly on the ceiling—devoid of any semblance of life in them.
It took a while for Opal to completely process what she was seeing, and by the time that she had the tiniest sliver of understanding, she had found her legs had buckled up from under her and her mother hand rushed to her side.
"Aunt Lin," her voice sounded small, breathless. She glanced at her mother and asked, "What's wrong with her? What happened to her?"
Suyin shook her head, eyes clouding over. "We don't know, but that is something we had hoped you would be able to provide us answers to."
She had been afraid when it started, though she showed a brave front. It didn't help her—though she appreciated it all the same—that Korra had been so insistent on her thinking things through. And though she sounded so certain with her choice, it was difficult not to wonder about what that decision would ultimately bring.
It's too late to back down now. She took a deep breath, steadying herself.
And then she felt it. It was tepid, at first, but then turned into that warmth that had become so familiar to her.
"Korra?" She had asked aloud even when she was certain of it, despite the fact she had felt and seen her in that strange, goddess-like state only twice. The first time was when they had just met, and then when the Avatar had saved Makapu.
Korra had affirmed her presence, continuing on to say something so obvious—that she was still there—as though Asami had thought she had left her alone. The Prodigy couldn't help but roll her eyes then. She had only managed to say "I know" before she felt that strange sensation again—the warmth pouring itself in her.
First it had started on her forehead, at that precise spot in the middle, before spreading to her temples. And then at the center of her closed eyelids—first on the left, then on the right—which seeped into her eyes. Asami wasn't worried about it because she knew who that warmth was. She trusted the entire process, even when she had no knowledge of it.
The thing that broke her concentration, however, and got her eyes to fly open without Korra's instructions, was when that warmth touched her lips. Although, this time, it just wasn't an incorporeal warmth. It was a warmth that carried something in it—something tangible; something soft.
Did Korra just—!
The moment her eyes had adjusted past the blurry images one sees whenever they had closed their eyes for too long, she witnessed something her brain had no idea how to process.
Korra was close—too close—that her earlier understanding of what the Avatar had done didn't seem so farfetched, her face flushed. The shorter girl's right arm was outstretched just to the side of Asami's head. If her bed had been positioned close to the wall, the Chosen would have thought Korra had braced herself on the wall with her arm as support. But, as it was, she had been given the middle of the three beds. The only thing behind her was an empty space.
And before Asami could ask what Korra had just done, the Avatar beat her to it.
"What was that?" Korra had asked, which was—quite frankly—a stupid thing for the Avatar to ask her. It was Korra who initiated it, after all. Asami had no idea what was to happen and had been doing but sitting still.
Porcelain-skin began to be tinged with a blush. Her mouth opened, ready for whatever words her brain could come up at that instant. Her fingers twitched, and she was about to raise her hand to give the Avatar a piece of her mind after what she believed had just happened, when someone suddenly spoke close to hear left ear, right where Korra's hands were supposed to be.
"Ow, Korra, that hurts!" A little, child-like voice said. "Let go of me, please!"
Quickly, Asami turned to look at who had made that sound. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw, dangling in Korra's grip like a pup being snatched up by its mother, was what she assumed to be a spirit.
It had a small, round body and stubby arms and legs. It didn't have any fingers nor toes, as far as Asami could see, all four appendages merely ended in stumps for hands. Attached on its head were two, large leaves that looked as though it was used as ears. Its eyes were round and button-like. Its whole body glowed, faintly, in golden light.
Seeing the spirit made Asami forget what she was about to say and kept her from slapping Korra's face again.
Korra retracted her arm, but didn't let go of the struggling, little spirit in her grasp. She pulled the spirit close and raised it to eye level before she spoke again. "You did not tell me that was a part of the ritual!"
"It had to be done, Korra." The spirit had closed its eyes yet continued to put much effort in struggling against Korra's grip. "How else would she be able to speak to us?"
"She could speak to you without any problems before!" Korra pointed out.
"That's because I'm a Light Spirit," the spirit said as a reminder, grunting as its short arms tried in vain to reach Korra's fingers and pry them open. "We're not exactly that difficult to converse with. But I will not be the only spirit she would be coming across to, am I?"
The spirit must have given a sound argument because Korra sighed and finally let go of it, letting it fall to the bed with an "oof". The Avatar looked away, however, crossed her arms and muttered, "You didn't have to press your lips on her, though."
The Light Spirit, having heard the Avatar's mumblings, replied as it soothed its sore neck, "Because you told me to be a mediator. I just did what you would have to do if you were the one bestowing Asami the Avatar's Gift."
The subject of their discussion had remained quiet up to that point, uncertain whether she was supposed to have heard the exchange or if both had forgotten that their whole 'ritual' had gone according to plan and that she could see and hear the spirit.
It was strange—though she wondered if that was the right word to even describe it—to know that it wasn't Korra who had kissed her but the spirit and it was something else entirely to know that Korra would have been the one to do it had she not recused herself. Her blush receded but did not disappear completely at the thought.
"You weren't lying," was the first thing Asami did say.
The Avatar and the Light Spirit turned their attention towards her in unison. The light that pulsed around the spirit's body brightened as it smiled happily at her.
"You can see me!" It had said as it began to make its way towards her.
Another sigh escaped the darker-skinned girl's lips, "It worked, at least."
The Spirit then began to pull itself up her knee, struggling as it did so. It had its tongue sticking out of its mouth in concentrated effort as it tried to get on top of her knee. And before Asami could come to a decision on whether to help it up or not, it had managed to do so by itself. The Light Spirit was light-weight, its body was soft and flabby.
"Hello," Lost for words, it was all Asami could say as the spirit looked expectantly at her.
She tried not to squeal, though, with the look of weapons-grade adorableness that it was giving her, the Light Spirit simply looked too cute. In all honesty, Asami wanted to pet it or cuddle it, but she wasn't sure if it was a proper thing to do to an otherworldly creature.
That simple greeting, however, was enough to get the spirit to brighten up even more—literally and figuratively.
"I'm glad I can finally speak to you, Lady Asami!" The Chosen had never heard anyone sound so excited to speak to her. "I'm also glad you can see me, too, now Korra won't have to worry about looking and acting crazy."
"I don't know…" she found herself saying, lips quirking upwards. The spirit's mood was infectious. She glanced at Korra, who looked at her curiously, before turning her attention back to the Light Spirit. "Korra has been known to act crazy sometimes."
"Hey, now! There is nothing true about that statement!" The Avatar huffed, glaring at the two of them.
"I know what you mean, Lady Asami," the spirit nodded sagely, knowing that the look Korra was giving them held no weight and they weren't really in trouble. Not yet, at least.
She couldn't help but laugh at that and the spirit followed suit, leaving Avatar Korra grumbling to herself.
When their laughter had died down, Korra pushed herself off Asami's bed. "Alright, that's enough. We have wasted enough time already. The night's hours are dwindling."
"You sound like there's somewhere else you have to be," Asami couldn't help chuckling, thinking that it was only just that.
"That's because Korra is planning to go somewhere." The Light Spirit informed her while it was busying itself looking for a way down. "Korra wants to go check on that swamp place we passed by earlier."
"Is she now?" She turned to face Korra again, giving her a raised eyebrow. Korra, for her part, at least looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "She didn't tell me that."
The Avatar flinched, then gave the Light Spirit a stern look. "It wasn't supposed to tell you that either." The look was lost on the spirit, however, as it was still focused on trying to get down, having thought the best option was to just jump from Asami's knee.
"And why is that?" The Prodigy asked the Avatar. "Why were you planning to sneak away?"
"I was not planning to 'sneak away'," Korra was petulant once more.
"I bet you were going to wait until all of us were asleep before you head out," It really was not difficult to guess. She mimicked the Avatar's posture, crossing her arms as well. "That's called 'sneaking away', Korra. I thought we've moved past that."
"That was what Korra was planning to do," the spirit once again spoke, outing Korra who looked just about ready to strangle it. Or maybe toss the spirit out of the window. Still, the Light Spirit failed to notice the way Korra was looking at it, it had begun waving its arms, readying to jump. It turned for a moment towards Asami and grinned, "Wow, you really do know Korra a lot more than others."
"I do not view it as such," As always, the Avatar didn't want to lose in an argument…even when she was, in fact, losing. "I would call it being considerate of you and the others."
"Considerate?" Now she really would like to know Korra's reasoning in this.
"Yes," Exasperation oozed from the Avatar, as though she couldn't believe she would actually need to explain her actions. "I was being considerate of you. I did not want you getting yourself hurt, or losing a much-needed rest for something I, myself, am not even sure the dangers of."
"I think, at this point, I have proven that I am capable of defending myself, Korra." And she had been able to do that.
"And if we were to be pitted against the Dark Spirits again?" She shuddered at the mention of those creatures. "Even I don't know how to fight them off even after getting lessons from old-man Zuko."
"And how is that different from taking me along? You're just putting yourself in danger going by yourself."
"At least I would only have to worry about myself. I wouldn't be distracted then."
There was a beat of silence as those words sank in. When it did, Asami didn't know whether to feel angry at being thought of as a 'distraction' or distraught that that was what Korra thought of her now.
Meekly, even when she wanted it to come out more of an accusation, she asked, without bothering to look at the person she was conversing with, "So now I'm a distraction?"
If she had hoped that would have given the Avatar some pause, or even get the Avatar to choose her words carefully, she was wrong. As though propelled by something unseen, Korra began what Asami could only describe was a word-vomit.
"Yes! Yes you are." Korra had started to pace around foot of her bed, not bothering to look at how her words have affected the human. The words tumbled out vehemently. "You have been distracting me a lot lately. I could not even get through a single moment when I do not wonder about you. Even when I least expect it, there you are filling my thoughts. Even when you are not with me—no, even more so then—I wonder about you.
"When you were with Iroh, I kept questioning whether you are enjoying yourself more with him than with me, and that frustrated me to no end. Whenever I hear you talking about me, I wonder if what you are saying is really what you think of me. It is vexing that such a thing would even bother me and I do not even know why.
"Why is it that out of everyone here—every human I have met—I always find myself fixated on you? Even before I knew who you were, before Iroh told us about you being the 'Avatar's Chosen'. Why is it that even when I should be focused more on my duties as the Avatar, I find myself thinking more of your desires, of what would make you happy? Why is it that I am more worried about what you think? Why do I let myself be talked the way I allow you—a mere human—to talk to me? Why do I not care about being the Avatar—something I have cherished for as long as I can remember—whenever I am with you? Why do I even care more about you than I do about myself?
"There are so many questions running in my mind—so many—and all of them, one way or another, brings me back to you. Most of the time I do not understand any of it. Sometimes, I feel as though the answer is within my grasp, only for it to flutter away, keeping itself out of reach. I keep thinking and thinking, hoping that the answer to those questions is somewhere in my mind, but that only makes you more of a distraction to me and you don't even realize it!"
Korra expelled a shuddering breath, her shoulders sagging as she allowed herself to plop right back down on Asami's bed. Her hand quickly ran through her face, as though the entire thing had drained her energy. She groaned and added, as if the things she had said weren't enough, "What am I even saying?" though it was more to herself than Asami.
The young heiress was stunned even more by Korra's long-winded spiel than outright bring called a 'distraction'. Words failed her as she struggled to find them. What was she to say to that heartfelt and passionate—albeit somewhat manic—way the Avatar had spilled her guts?
There were so many things the conversation could have gone, but the reality of where they had found themselves at the end of it was so far out there the possibility of it happening didn't even occur to Asami.
"Well?" Korra spoke once more, though her face remained buried in her hand. "Say something."
Instead of doing as Korra had asked, Asami instead turned and threw her arms around the shorter girl. It did not only surprise the deity-turned-human, but had caught the Light Spirit unawares that instead of managing to make the jump it had been trying to make, it ended up falling face-down, flat on the mattress.
"It's not your fault, Korra," Asami said, which caused the other girl to hug her back and bury her head on the crook of Asami's neck.
"It is not yours, either. I apologize. I know that." Korra admitted. "You have not done anything wrong. You have not actually done anything, and yet...I do not understand what is going on in my head. This is all so difficult to process. I do not think I can even justify my words and actions, at this point."
The Light Spirit took that time to speak as it rubbed the place where its nose would be, "Korra's not really good with her emotions."
The Avatar groaned again, saying, "Quiet, Spirit. You have babbled enough.", and Asami chuckled.
"Don't worry," she told Korra, "You'll get there, Korra."
They remained in that position for a while longer, and would have done so even longer had they not heard someone clearing their throat.
Not expecting that they had company, the two quickly disentangled themselves and looked towards the direction of the voice. There, standing by the side of the room that led to the balcony, was Duo Xing.
She had a hand on her waist and an expression that made Asami feel embarrassed even though it shouldn't have. They weren't, after all, doing anything that should warrant the blush that was creeping on her face.
"As sickeningly and tooth-achingly charming as this is," she gestured with her free hand at them, "aren't you supposed to be doing your Avatar duties, Korra?"
"You told her what you were planning to do tonight?" Asami couldn't help the incredulity that accompanied her question. The outburst caused Bolin's Secretary to give her a raised eyebrow.
"What?" Korra looked surprised, first at her then at Duo Xing. "No! Why would I even do that?"
"Then how did—?"
Before the Avatar's Chosen could jump into further conclusions and possibly embarrass herself more, Duo Xing spoke, "You do realize, for as long as we are staying here, that I am your roommate as well, correct? It is not even that difficult to overhear your conversation when I was just making a call at the balcony."
"No, you were not. I would have noticed that!" Korra was abruptly pointing at the older woman and accusing her of lying.
It was as though Duo Xing anticipated such a thing from Korra, for she smirked and cheekily replied, "How could you? You were distracted."
The room was plunged in quietness one could hear a pin drop. And then, Asami's shoulders began to shake with laughter as she tried hard—but failed miserably—to contain. Her reaction only cemented the self-satisfied smirk on Duo Xing's face.
"You humans are insufferable," Korra huffed and looked away, again her words held no bite in them.
"As entertaining as this is, your opportunity to investigate whatever is going on in that swamp is dwindling." Duo Xing pointed out once more. "Unless you have changed your mind."
Korra glanced at Asami with uncertainty in her eyes. The Prodigy knew she was at fault for this change in the Avatar's demeanor. She had made a scene out of Korra leaving for the swamp and leaving her behind, after all. She was the root of it. And though she would rather accompany Korra, provide companionship and a little back-up should the Avatar need it, she knew she had to give in to—ultimately—what Korra wanted.
"It's fine, Korra," Asami said with a small smile, hoping it would alleviate whatever anxiety the other girl was feeling at the moment. "Go do your Avatar-thing. I'll wait here."
Korra stared at her for a long while, giving her a look Asami didn't know how to interpret. The Avatar then glanced at the Light Spirit, who had began looking hopefully at her; as though pouting. Korra blinked, sighed, looked up at the ceiling, and sighed again, before looking right back at her.
"Spirits, I feel like this is some sort of test," the Avatar grumbled under her breath. Then, in a much louder voice, spoke as she stood right back up, "Fine then. Let us go."
And with that invitation, Korra offered her a hand.
End Notes:
Okay, first some little fun fact-slash-knowledge-sharing.
The Doctor's name, "Yisheng Hao" literally translates to: Good Doctor. Or, at least, that is what my linguistic-related research has told me.
Second, the Bei Fong Family Crest's current family crest is slightly different from the ones in the series (which was what I used for their 'ancient' family crest). Reasons for that being...something that will be tackled in future installments/chapters.
Third, I had fun writing this chapter because of the Light Spirit.
Lastly, Korra and Asami's scene. I had so many ideas on how to get that ball rolling down a steep hill but ultimately decided that this was the best way to go. I actually had to take several pauses in writing their parts because I had to sit back and read and reflect. Several times I had to redo a couple of the scenes because it didn't feel right in the way that I had molded each character in this alternate universe. I'm not sure how you guys feel about how I did, but personally, I liked how this ended up being.
Now, for when the next chapter is going to be...I have to say sometime next week or the week after. This week has me pretty swamped with preparations for my mom's 60th birthday so I will be focusing on that...so, I hope you guys understand.
Anyways, thank you for reading this work of mine. I hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it (even if, at times, I wanted to throw my keyboard right at my monitor, XD). Again, comments and reviews are very much appreciated. They feed my muse and puts a smile to my face every time I read them.
Until the next chapter, dream on; fly on! :)