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:
* inhales deeply, then screams * I'm ALIIIIIIIVEEEEE!
There are no words to express how happy I am to finally—finally!—be able to update this story. I was supposed to have updated this at the beginning of the year (Belated Happy New Year, everyone!), but things got a bit hectic. The delays are, in part, due to how busy my beta had been and how busy I had been with my YouTube Channel and on creating a new DeviantArt page.
But, anyways, the chapter is here now...so I won't be prolonging the wait further. I hope you guys enjoy reading as much as I had in writing this chapter. :)
Legend of Korra
The Schism
Chapter 73: Revelations, Part One
Asami took a step closer to the mural Korra had seen. It was impressive how the shorter girl had noticed it in the midst of all the darkness. She needn't ask how, though. She was certain Korra would simply boast about being the Avatar and how her senses were much more attuned than ordinary humans.
The carvings were old. The deep lines were caked with dirt, their colors faded. Despite their age and wear from the elements and having been forgotten by time, hidden away from all but those who were meant to find it, it was still easy to see what the painting was depicting. Understanding it though, was another matter entirely.
The artwork showed a desolate and bleak landscape turning into one lush with greenery. In the middle of it all was a plateau that almost touched the sky. Sitting atop that plateau was the strangest thing Asami could decipher: a gigantic Badgermole, seemingly being worshiped by various animals and what looked like a group of half-naked people. The depiction made it seem like the four-legged creature was biped, with one of its front paws holding a sphere and the other a staff, while rays of light signifying some sort of divine origin was engraved behind its head.
To say that the young Prodigy found the mural hilariously odd would be an understatement, and it was not something she admitted to Korra. Instead, the Avatar's Chosen forced her features to remain impassive and serious, as though she was meticulously and studiously gazing at the fresco before her as she asked instead, "So, Bai Hu is…a Badgermole?"
The Avatar scoffed, "Of course not! Bai Hu is Bai Hu, the Elemental Spirit Lord of the Earth! He is no mere Badgermole!" Korra frowned then, her right hand moving towards her chin as she remembered something, "Although, Bai Hu did once tell me he was regarded by them as their Lord. I suppose, this depicts that…to some extent."
"You're kidding, right?" Asami couldn't help but blurt out, breaking out of that charade of seriousness she had hoped to have for much longer than how she did. She looked at the half-naked people worshiping the so-called 'Lord of the Badgermoles'. It seemed so paganistic a practice, especially when she had come to understand that there was a whole branch of religion that seemed to revolve around the Avatar. "Why?"
"I know little about the humans' way of worship and how you all view your religions, but from my understanding there was a time when animals were worshiped as symbols of deities and representatives of the earth," Korra's face was scrunched up in thought as though what she was saying was a knowledge garnered from somewhere off in the past. "I was never one to pay attention about these things so I cannot recall what it was called. Perhaps Opal would know? That being said, Bai Hu represents not just the earthen elements but also knowledge and growth. Maybe he was being worshiped for his wisdom and knowledge rather than for being a giant animal." The Avatar's lip quirked upward as she added, "I did not know nor could have imagined he enjoyed such depictions of himself, however. He was the least conceited of the Four. This is quite an interesting tidbit to learn about him. Not that I suppose the others would find it as amusing as I do."
"That's such a quick judgment to make, wouldn't you say?"
The deity-turned-human shrugged. "Not in the slightest. If Bai Hu did not want to be worshiped as such—which I honestly thought was the case—this mural would not be standing here whether it was of great importance to the salvation of the Mortal Realm or not. Bai Hu always made a big deal about it whenever Suzaku and Vayu basked in the limelight enjoying the shower of worship and praises from my people."
Asami couldn't help the smile that graced her features watching Korra speak of the Four Great Elemental Spirit Lords. "The more you talk about them, the more I want to meet them myself. They all seem quite the character. Though, Suzaku not so much. He frightened me the first time I saw him back when we released the seal."
Korra laughed. "Again, they said the same thing about you. As for Suzaku, you have nothing to worry about him. He will not harm you. None of the Elemental Spirit Lords will, of that I am certain."
Whether to take that as a compliment or not was something Asami pushed to the back of her mind. Realizing that they had been talking for quite a while longer than was necessary instead of doing what needed to be done, the Avatar's Chosen shook her head and willed herself to focus more on the task at hand than the curiosity on the Four Great Elemental Spirit Lords that had been piqued.
"Well, I suppose we should find where it is we were meant to use this thing…" Asami said, gesturing to the glowing jewel she held in her palm.
Both young women began looking around their surroundings in earnest as much as they could. Darkness or no, there was nothing of interest worth noting around them. Even as they searched the wide-open cavern they had fallen in, high and low, inspecting every nook and cranny, there was nothing they could find that seemed important to their task. The only thing that really stood out, now that they knew of its existence, was Bai Hu's mural.
They found themselves staring at it once again, once they were certain the cavern was completely empty.
"You don't suppose the seal is hidden somewhere in this fresco, do you?" Asami asked as her eyes gazed carefully at the mural before them.
Korra hummed and nodded, eyes focused on the depiction of Bai Hu's Lordship, "I was thinking the same thing." She then turned at Asami and asked, "Should I try to break it?"
With what? The Prodigy wanted to ask aloud. She doubted the Avatar could tap on enough of her powers to be able to destroy the earthen image. But instead of pointing out the glitching nature of her inhuman abilities, the raven-haired, young woman instead asked, "Wouldn't that be considered blasphemous to whatever ancient religion this is supposed to be important to? Besides, I don't think using brute force would work nor do I think unlocking these seals require something complex."
"What do you suggest, then?"
The question really shouldn't have surprised her, what with how their partnership had been evolving as of late, but it still came as something unexpected. Korra did rarely ask for her suggestion, after all. Usually, it was her outspokenness and zeal (Asami would never admit to being hard-headed, not in a million years) that got Korra's attention and got the Avatar to listen to what she had to say.
Korra was really trying. She had known that. Whether it was because she turned out to be 'the Avatar's Chosen', or whether it was out of the Avatar's own growth as a person and whatever it was that was going on between them, Asami couldn't be entirely sure.
She wasn't going to start complaining about it, though.
Shaking those thoughts of Korra that had, once again, invaded her mind (and that which reminded her of the Avatar's own complaint about Asami being a distraction herself), the Prodigy mulled to herself whilst Korra waited patiently for her to speak up.
She had no doubts that the mural held that which they sought and she believed her statement on the lack of complexity when it came to the actual act of unsealing the Elemental Spirit Cores (if one doesn't count the search for the Guardians themselves as part of the act) to be true. It was only a matter of finding where in the mural the gem would fit in to—an easy task if there was any sort of indentation in it to the shape and size of the jewel that rested in her fisted palm. There wasn't, however. And yet Asami felt certain that she was on the right track and that she was only missing something.
"What are you looking for, Asami?" the darker-skinned, young woman couldn't keep her silence much longer.
Absentmindedly, Asami replied, "Do you remember that hollow on the Fire Lord's throne where the Elemental Spirit Core of Fire fitted in?"
"Yes? Where are you going with this?" Korra replied, though it didn't take too long for her to stitch the pieces together and come up with an answer herself. "You think something similar is on this mural?"
Asami nodded, "I just can't find it."
"How certain are you of this?"
How certain am I? Asami stopped what she was doing to ponder on the question presented to her. Taking into account that this whole Avatar-business seems to run on patterns, this is a logical assumption. But, beyond logic?
"It is a logically sound assumption, all things considered. But, beyond that? I can't explain it. It almost feels like…a gut feeling. I feel that I am right in this."
Korra looked at her for a moment and then shrugged. "That is good enough for me." Then, she turned her gaze back on the mural. "So we are searching for a dent in the mural where the gem would fit?" There was a pause with the only noise from Korra her humming in thought. "I do not believe it would be quite as visible as the hollow on the throne. If this is Bai Hu's doing, he would certainly like for us to challenge our minds and would have hidden it quite well. He always did love his puzzles."
The Avatar then plopped herself on the ground, legs crossed as she began to think. From her position, she could still clearly see the mural, and that was enough of a vantage point for her. Asami, for her part, remained standing. She felt she could think better if she was.
"Bai Hu's puzzles and challenges…" Korra mumbled just loud enough for Asami to hear as the taller girl inspected the mural closer. "This would be something quite simple in their intricacy. He would not go for so much trouble as to make use of things he would not believe those undertaking his challenges would not possess. That has always been his way…if so…what is it that we have obtained for this quest?"
The answer to that was simple: the emerald stone.
Raava's human incarnation quickly turned her attention to Asami's enclosed fist as though she could see the jewel through the Prodigy's flesh. She followed Asami's movements, as though the stone would do something—a solution to their dilemma—inconspicuously.
She didn't know for how long she had been doing just that, but she had heard the other girl make disgruntled sounds and mumble softly to herself on several occasions since she had begun. It was rare for Korra to witness Asami's frustration when it was not directed at her, the Avatar couldn't keep her mouth from quirking upwards as the porcelain-skinned girl tried to keep herself from kicking the fresco as though it was offending her.
It was when Asami took a step forward to touch the mural—which Korra honestly thought was Asami going in to punch the earthen wall—that something did happen with Asami's hand and the emerald jewel that she held. The light that was pulsating on the jewel dimmed and vanished.
The Avatar blinked, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her. After all, Asami didn't seem to have noticed. But after rubbing her eyes and blinking several times, the lack of illumination from the stone still remained. And Asami hadn't noticed!
Swiftly, Korra stood up, surprising Asami with her sudden movements especially when the deity-turned-human suddenly—and very quickly—made her way towards the Avatar's Chosen, invading her personal space.
"K-Korra what are you—?"
"The stone!" Korra didn't let her finish. She quickly took Asami's hand—the one that held the stone—and gently pried Asami's grip open. "Look! The light from within has dimmed."
And Asami did look. When she saw that the stone had stopped glowing, she felt mortified thinking it was her fault. She looked at Korra pleadingly and said, "I-I didn't do anything. I don't know why that has happened."
"Relax, Asami." Korra comforted and assured her. "I know. I was keeping watch of it thinking that it might do something." With the confused look on Asami's face, the Avatar expounded. "I think this has something to do with that challenge Bai Hu has left for us."
She then took Asami's hand and guided the Prodigy a step away from the mural. As soon as they were an arm's length away, the light returned to the stone allowing it to pulse brilliantly once more.
"I was observing you and the stone," Korra admitted. "It only stopped glowing when you took a step forward and touched the mural. If I were to guess, what is needed to be done here is to find where the stone glows the brightest. It could be the other way around, but considering that nothing happened when the light did vanish from the stone, I highly doubt it."
The aspiring, young inventor was amazed at Korra's deduction. It was what led her to tease the other girl, saying, "Wow, look at you. And here I thought using your brawn was all you were good at, Korra."
"Hey!" Korra took her hands off Asami to cross her arms and scowl. "I will have you know that I can be smart and clever, too!"
"Oh, I know." Asami agreed before adding, "You just prefer to act now and think later. Brute force over intellect and all that."
Knowing that Korra was going to argue, the Avatar's Chosen quickly diverted their attention back to the task at hand. "Let's give this hypothesis of yours a try, shall we?"
The Avatar consented, but not without grumbling about Asami under her breath.
And so, the pair began to look at the painting with a new light—literally and figuratively. Taking a step closer towards it and holding the gem just as close; watching and waiting to see when and where it glowed the brightest.
They found the spot they were looking for not long after, though it took both the Avatar and her Chosen working together to actually reach it. The site in question stood at the very top of the giant fresco, right in the middle of Bai Hu's forehead. To reach it, Korra had to lift Asami up believing it was impossible for her dainty companion to lift her up.
With arm outstretched, Asami lifted the emerald stone towards Bai Hu's forehead, making its pulsating light glow even more brilliantly. Still, there was no marking or indentation; no slot to put in the gem. There was no sign that there was one to begin with.
"Try feeling for it," was Korra's helpful (though Asami thought otherwise at the time) suggestion. "Like I have mentioned before, Bai Hu could have hidden it very well…or, perhaps, time and erosion have filled up the hollow meant for that stone."
"Easier said than done, Korra," Asami huffed. Though she was not responsible for the literal heavy lifting, her muscles did ache at having to stretch her arms out in ways she had not done so before. "I'm not tall enough to reach it as properly as I would like."
"Would you like to switch places, then?" the Avatar asked.
An eyeroll was the Prodigy's reply, followed by, "You know my answer to that."
The chocolate-haired Avatar chuckled. "Just keep looking, we will find it…eventually. If the stone is glowing that brightly in that spot, then the place where we need to insert that thing is just around there."
Asami wanted to argue but knew it would be futile to do so. She knew Korra understood that they were pressed on time; knew that every second wasted on arguing further would delay their return to Zaofu and their friends who might be in trouble. And so she sucked it all up and did her best feeling for any signs for that hollow.
Eventually, she did manage to find it and it was as Korra had guessed: hidden by dirt that had filled it up. It took a while for the aspiring, young inventor to clear up the hollow for she only was able to do so with her free hand while the other, the one holding the gem, she used to keep herself from losing her balance atop the Avatar's shoulders, or to shield her eyes from the dirt she was clearing away.
"Ready?" Asami peered down at Korra, holding the stone hovering by the depression on the mural.
The Avatar steeled herself. She already had a feeling of what awaited her as soon as the seal was broken and it—though she was loathed to admit—frightened her. And yet, there was nothing she could do but nod her head and utter a lie in saying that she was ready. She wasn't. Far from it, in fact.
Asami could sense that something was bothering Korra, and she wanted to ask; she wanted the shorter girl to tell her what it was. But when seconds passed and the Avatar merely stared at her in askance as to why she was delaying, the Prodigy could only sigh knowing that now was not the time for prying and returned her attention to the task at hand.
The emerald gem fitted snugly on the newly revealed hole. And as soon as it did, a bright flash engulfed the entire cavern, basking it with its light and engulfing Korra and Asami with it. Asami wobbled atop Korra's shoulders and fearing that the other girl would end up falling, Korra immediately set her down. They then closed their eyes for fear of losing their eyesight to the blinding radiance of the seal unlocking that continued to grow in intensity.
When they opened them again, they found themselves at a different place, much like how it had been when they unlocked the seal on the Elemental Core of Fire.
Unlike then, they were not transported to a cave with an island surrounded by lava. Rather, it was a dark and dank one—slightly smaller in space than the cavern they were previously in. The only light came from glowing flowers Asami didn't knew existed and Korra paid little mind to that were scattered in clumps around the vicinity. In the middle of the grotto was a familiar-looking pedestal that both knew they had to interact with in order to complete the process and bring Bai Hu back from his slumber.
Avatar Korra gave a shuddering breath upon seeing it. Instinctively, her hand touched the bandaged shoulder hidden behind her clothing, gripping it as though to make sure she could still feel something from the act. She constantly reminded herself that everything would be alright, yet even turning that into a mantra that she chanted in her head did nothing to calm her frayed nerves.
It felt like a hollow lie, even to herself.
"Korra, is everything alright?" Asami asked, looking at her with worry having noticed that she was being unusual quiet and that she hadn't rushed immediately to the pedestal.
The Avatar felt that her friend wanted to say more, but had opted to keep it at that short question laced with concern.
No, the shorter girl wanted to admit. Nothing is 'alright'. Nothing has been since the Fire Nation...
And, really, those words were at the tip of her tongue trying to push its way past her lips. It took all Korra had not to voice them, fighting the urge to clamp down on her lips knowing that such an act would certainly be telling. Instead, she found herself forcing yet another lie—something that was becoming a normal occurrence yet one she found was also becoming even harder...especially when the lie was directed towards Asami Sato.
"Yes," it was just a single word, and yet she found herself pained to say it to her companion. The rest was not any easier and she wondered why that was. Since when had lying towards a human became difficult? "I was just...lost in my musings. We should probably get this over and done with, huh? The others are still in grave danger."
"If you say so," there was skepticism—Korra was certain—in the young Sato's voice. Then Asami waited for Korra to make the first move.
The Avatar had no choice, then. The choice to do what must be done was truly lost on her. She had to act as the Avatar...consequences be damned.
And so Avatar Korra began to walk towards the pedestal sitting in the middle of the earthen room. Each step felt heavy and was filled with trepidation. And when she and Asami finally reached the destination of their short walk, it took her a much longer time than it initially did the first time around for her to place her hand on one of the two orbs—the one that was designed for her.
She let her hand hover, making Asami do the same, allowing a questioning glance to be thrown her way.
"Asami..." she didn't know why she had spoken or where her words would take her—if even it would amount to anything apart from that three-syllable name.
But the brilliant, young woman beside her merely shook her head, removing any chance for anything else to be said with four, simple words: "It will be okay".
She hated those words when she told them to herself, but coming from the young woman standing beside her, uttered to placate without the knowledge of the internal turmoil that raged within her? It managed to calm the Avatar enough to trust the words of a human and for her to finally allow her hand to sit atop the orb that she knew would siphon a part of her.
Seeing Korra's hand already in contact with half of the device that would cause the Elemental Seal of the Earth to be unlocked, Asami did the same, sucking in a breath as her hands met the cold and coarse surface.
A hum that turned into the sound of churning earth accompanied by the rumbling of the ground was the prelude, and it was all the warning Korra had before she felt a part of her being pulled—sucked in—by the ancient device Lord Zuko had told her was placed there by those that came before with the knowledge that she would arrive and do the task that was asked of her.
It was the very same feeling she had felt back when they unsealed the Elemental Core of Fire, only much worst (and one she suspected will worsen and be felt when the time came for her to do the same to the cores of Water and Air). It was a feeling that made her shiver as though a bucket of frigid water from the coldest part of the Water Tribes was dumped on her head and at the same time made her feel claustrophobic, like she was being sealed six feet under with no hope of escape. Simultaneously, her whole body felt like it was burning up and her breath was beginning to get difficult to catch.
"It is a sacrifice one must make in order to awaken the Elemental Spirit Lords," Zuko had said, voice laced with pity. It made Korra feel nothing but hatred towards those who decided for themselves that this was the best course of action. "It is the only way to bring balance back to a world that is teetering in the brink of darkness."
Yet no matter how much physical and mental pain Avatar Korra was feeling at the time, she did all she could to hide it from Asami who was remained oblivious to it all.
What is she experiencing through all of this? The deity-turned-human wondered, hoping that trail of thought will distract her and dull the effects of the process.
Asami didn't seem like she was having any sort of trouble. If anything, the look on her face was one of awe. And though in the past Korra might have resented the girl for it—might have wished their roles reversed—now, she was glad. Thankful, even. She could never imagine wishing anything of the sort to befall the human next to her.
It was a relief.
Even more so when the device had taken all it needed from the Avatar finally allowed her to be free of it and disappeared back into the earth where it came from.
A heartbeat later and another earthquake, much powerful than the last, rocked the small island-cavern. Then the wall adjacent to them began to crack, the cliff-face peeling as large chunks of it fell into the body of water that turned out to be much deeper than either young women initially thought. In the middle, a large crack began to appear as though the wall was nothing more than a piece of paper and someone unseen was ripping it apart.
As the large gash on the wall began to grow, a loud moaning sound echoed, forcing Korra and Asami to both block the ears to keep their eardrums from exploding. The quake grew in intensity to the point that Asami, swaying from side to side, ended up losing her balance and stumbling over at Korra who did the same.
As the two ended up as tangled limbs on the ground, a large paw suddenly shot out of the large gaping hole in the wall, grabbing at its edges. It was followed by another that did the same. Soon, the being who owned these appendages began to emerge from within, causing more debris to rain down.
All the two, young women could do at the time was gawk. For even when Korra had been with Bai Hu for as long as she existed, she had never come across him in such gargantuan—almost primal—form.
With half of Bai Hu's body visible to the two, the Elemental Spirit Lord of the Earth made a cat-like hiss, throwing his head back, before focusing his attention at the two that had sought to release him.
"So," Bai Hu drawled in that slow way that he has of talking. "The time has finally come." He then turned to Korra and said, "The Lost One," then to Asami, "And the Promised One."
The Lost One? Promised One? The words echoed inside Korra's head as loud as the myriad of questions that accompanied them.
"What is he talking about, Korra?" Asami asked in a small voice, equally baffled by the title they were suddenly bestowed with but too intimidated to ask the Elemental Spirit Lord directly.
Bai Hu lowered himself so that he was at eye-level with Asami, whom his attention had not wavered from ever since seeing her. "Human Child, the path to the prophecy's fulfillment will be plagued with danger. Darkness will soon forego slithering in secret for its pieces are now in place. The only hope for both your realm and mine lies with you...and—"
The Lord of the Badgermoles finally fully acknowledged the Avatar then. His crimson eyes seemed to bore into Korra's soul, making the young woman feel like she was being heavily scrutinized. Perhaps she was.
I wouldn't be surprised.
"It will not be easy, most of all for you, Ilaku." Bai Hu went on. "Even more so from this point onward. Though you are not familiar to me, Simniku, I feel that our paths had crossed in a different lifetime, and for that I give you these words: Nothing great can be without sacrifice. But to live in fear of this sacrifice is to not live at all."
"Is...Is there no other way, Bai Hu?" Korra found herself asking, voice a bit wobbly than she might have liked. She forced herself not to look at Asami whose eyes seemed to—likewise—be boring into her, perhaps already putting the puzzle of her weird interactions and actions into place.
Of all the Elemental Spirit Lords, Bai Hu was always the one Korra had difficulty in reading the emotions of. But, at that moment, when she looked into the Badgermole's face, she could see a flicker of it: a look of pity and sadness that weighed far too heavier even before the gargantuan spirit gave his reply.
"The path laid before you had already been chosen, Kulannak. What lies at the end of the path I cannot say, even with all the knowledge and wisdom I possess. But whatever that path might be, know that at this moment, you exist. However little time there might be, make it count. For this is the battle for not just your existence but of all."
Bai Hu then let Korra contemplate on his words as he pushed himself up to his usual height. The Elemental Spirit Lord of the Earth looked down on the two and added, "And as with time, ours grow short. You have done well to come here and awaken me, but now you are needed elsewhere. The Hand of Darkness had beckoned its army towards Zaofu, a realm I am overseer of. You must make haste, lest the Lineage of Heroes fall."
The Lord of the Badgermole then lifted its right, front paw high up in the air, then slammed it on the ground. Had Korra or Asami already gathered themselves up, they would have surely fallen back down again. But, as it were, both were still on the ground, processing everything that they had been told.
Once more Bai Hu repeated the process. But the following time that his paw hit the ground, what came was a pinging sound, loud and deep. Then again and again, until it wasn't just the repeated pinging that Korra and Asami could hear, but they could also see—from the ground Bai Hu had been slamming his paw on—a beam of light, growing and growing wider, taller, larger, until they found themselves being swallowed by it.
Before they were once again whisked away by the light to be returned to the cavern where Bai Hu's mural was, Asami once again saw that same silhouette she had when they unlocked Suzaku's seal. This time, it was standing by the giant crevice that Bai Hu emerged from. Once more, she felt that familiar feeling—almost like nostalgia and longing. Whether it was being directed to her or was something she was feeling herself, the young Prodigy couldn't say.
Before Bai Hu and the strange silhouette vanished, Asami heard the Lord of the Badgermoles speak to her telepathically, surprising her that she would be the one with whom he would converse with and not Korra who seemed to still be deep in thought and glancing at her right forearm.
"Promised One. You whom the burden of the Avatar is shared..."
Whatever was said next was dissolved into whispers barely audible for Asami Sato to hear, and yet one that ended up flummoxing her further.
A brilliant, golden beam of light shot up into the sky. All across the Earth Kingdom, and very well beyond, those who had the Gift from the Elemental Spirit Lord of the Earth saw it. Those that did were equal parts amazed, baffled, frightened, and worried by its sudden and mystical appearance.
They didn't know what it was but they could feel that something had changed within them. Toph felt it, too.
The old woman knew that her time hiding away in the swamp had come to an end; that she will be needed now once more, just like how it was with Zuko and the people of the Fire Nation who received Suzaku's "gift".
She chuckled to herself with how she had gotten used to calling it as such, even when she was among those who had made fun of the name all those years the laughter soon died as she felt—just like the Light Spirit that had made its home on her shoulder did, and just like the Polar Bear Dog waiting by the entrance of the Cave of Two Lovers—that Korra and Asami were back, and that the Avatar seemed to be in a far worse shape than she had been when she had left.
She and the Light Spirit had made their way to the Cave of Two Lovers, following the path Korra and Asami had made and meeting up with Naga at the end of it. The Polar Bear Dog was pawing at the sealed off entrance to the cave as though it could feel the Avatar's lamentations...and Toph had no doubt that the gigantic, white dog actually could.
"I wonder what Lord Bai Hu had told Korra," the Light Spirit pondered, tilting its head from side to side as though it would help with its musings.
"Knowing that overstuffed rodent, I'm certain he added more to the problem than actually help solve it." Toph replied with a shrug. She could feel Korra wasn't the only one whose energy and spirit had changed.
"Come now, Lady Toph, you don't mean that. After all, Lord Bai Hu is—"
The Lady of the Swamp shushed the Light Spirit. There was a time and place to talk about such things, and at that moment it was neither. The little spirit seemed to have gotten the message and immediately clamped its mouth shut, though not for long as it soon muttered an apology—one that Toph merely shrugged off.
"Alright, you over-sized ball of fluff, there's no need for all that whining. I'm here now." Toph told Naga as she patted the giant beast's head. "Let's get those two out of this cave, shall we?"
Post-Chapter Notes:
And there you guys have it.
"What did Bai Hu whisper to Asami?" That is, probably, one of the things a lot of you are wondering about...and that is one of the things that will be addressed in the next (longer) chapter.
As I have said, I've been pretty busy working overtime in getting my YouTube Channel up to 1000 subscribers (I'm nearly there!) and with my new DeviantArt (which is a brand new slate since I deleted my old one when they asked payment just to change my name there). So, if you guys could spare a moment, I'd appreciate it if you check those two out. I also have a ko-fi profile where I am trying to get enough donations to upgrade my graphics tablet (which is just about ready to give up on its life, I've had it since 2015 though, so it had a long life).
When the next update will be is...well, to be determined, maybe? Again, it depends on my Beta. If we can make it, then probably next week. But it will be released on a Friday, that's for sure.
So, yeah. Thanks for sticking around this story and for those who sent messages to me asking how I was doing (especially those that came when I was experiencing a bout with depression). I really appreciate it a lot, you guys. :)
As for the translation to some of the words used in this chapter, I...well, I can't outright state what they mean (you guys will have to wait for the next chapter) since those will be massive spoilers. So, if you know what those words mean-what they translate to-then please hold off on commenting on that and simply consider yourselves hinted as to where this particular "arc" is going. ;)
And...that's about it. I'll see you guys on the next chapter!
Until then, dream on; fly on!