And we have finally reached the final full chapter of this story, after what can only be described as a long but rewarding journey. I want to thank Maria Sato, MediaMan18, SaoirseParisa, and Taurus The Dragon for reviewing the previous chapter. Like my previous slice of life fic, I prefer to do a chapter of characters unwinding and recovering from their trauma before ending the story. It gives to story a more realistic feel, as it demonstrates that a recovery process is not as straightforward as it seems. I hope you agree with me on this point, and please enjoy this final full chapter of the story.

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Koneitzko own the Legend of Korra.

Mako reviewed the documents on the extradition of Unalaq and the Northern Water Tribe troops for the past three days now. Iroh reached out to Lin and asked Republic City police to assist the military in transporting the prisoners. They would go from the detention centre to the pier, where an official ship from the Northern Water Tribe would pick them up. "Are they scared that the Northern Water Tribe supporters would break Unalaq out?" Mako wondered aloud.

At the same time, Mako was concerned about the Red Lotus attempting something. From his experience in the Fire Nation, he knew the Red Lotus was unpredictable. While the Red Lotus senior leadership was all dead, with him and his family taking out at least two of them, maybe there were pockets or factions still out there. "I really don't want to zap another person to death," Mako murmured.

"Hey, are you doing okay?" a female voice asked. Mako glanced up and saw Lin approach his desk. Throughout the past week, Lin had been very supportive of Mako. She knew this was the first time Mako had killed someone in the line of duty. She recommended him to go to therapy, even giving him easier assignments for now, just to let him readjust. "We're about to have our staff meeting again, so don't take too long," Lin advised him.

Mako nodded. "Why can't we get Interpol to help us out?" he asked the police chief, "You might think with a political leader escorted back as a prisoner, they should help us."

Lin let out a small smile before shaking her head. "They're busy keeping an eye out for the Red Lotus," she responded, answering Mako's own self-query from earlier, "With their entire leadership killed, there could be someone worse taking the reins."

Mako nodded his head. At least he knew someone was investigating the Red Lotus, letting him focus on domestic issues. "Are we still investigating the Triple Threats?" Mako inquired, "Is there a power vacuum there with their leadership arrested and criminal charged?"

Lin raised a hand to stop Mako. "Don't you think you should focus on your therapy first?" she pointed out, "I know you're dedicated to this case, and you want to stop all those involved in this terrorist attack. But don't neglect your health, particularly your mental health."

Mako pursed his lips. While he didn't want to admit it, he was still having flashbacks of the event. Ming Hua was in her monstrous form with multiple tendrils, and Mako kept freezing up at the last second. Sometimes the flashbacks involved him not killing her, only for Ming Hua to run him through with the tendrils. Sometimes it was Mako firing lightning but missing, which let Ming Hua to slip past him, hurting everyone around him. Those she harmed included Lin and some of the other police officers, but also his own loved ones in Bolin, Toza, Yung, and Kai. It almost felt like Ming Hua taunted Mako in death, claiming he had no guts to shoot her.

Shaking his head a few times, he focused back on Lin. "I'm just worried about what this whole case did to me," the fire bender explained, rubbing his forehead anxiously, "I know I did the right thing, but I kept doubting myself right now. I know it's probably the worst time to request this, but maybe some time away from the police station may be best for me?"

Lin stayed emotionless, but Mako knew from her expression that the gears were turning. "Let's have our meeting first, okay?" she suggested, "I've been thinking about this for a while, but consider my proposal as a way for you to cope with this as well."

Mako tilted an eyebrow, following Lin into the briefing room. Saikhan took his spot in the front, where he and Lin were usually positioned when addressing the team. Lu and Gang were at the back, sneaking jokes to each other and being indecent, as usual. Surprisingly, there was no outburst from Lin to those two, despite her threat to demote them after their big mistake allowed the invasion at the nomination party to occur. Whatever the case, Mako knew he had to focus twice as hard, as the last thing he wanted was them needling his current state.

"Ladies and gentlemen, attention up front, please," Saikhan called out. Mako snapped to attention as the captain described their upcoming assignment. "As you know, the military and national security personnel asked us to assist with the extradition of Unalaq and the Northern Water Tribe troops. This is where we have to be on high alert…"

Mako took notes on Saikhan's explanation and tried to picture the route in his head. But the loose ends in the terrorist attach really distracted him, and he really wanted to finish his investigation into them. Plus, there was still the issue of Tarrlok, who was also detained and was a blood bender. What security would the police offer should Tarrlok try an escape via blood bending? There was just too much at risk, and Mako felt he would fail the force, just like what happened in the nightmares after defeating Ming Hua.

"Mako, are you listening to us?" Lin's voice called. That snapped Mako back to the front, where Lin's famous scowl was directed straight at him. "Saikhan and I were saying you will have a very important role in all this. You might want to stay awake when we announce it."

Mako cleared his throat, clearly unnerved by the snickers from the back. He did not have to turn his head around to know that Lu and Gang were part of it. Given their poor performance at the convention centre, Mako was shocked they would not show a bit more humility. "What role will I have, Chief?" Mako asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"You will have the role of lead officer in this operation, coordinating the entire team as the prisoners are transferred to the pier," Lin declared. That got Mako's eyes to widen, while his pen dropped out of his hand. Did Lin just promote him on the fly and without warning?

Luckily, Saikhan's comments would confirm Mako's pleasant surprise. "Out of all the junior officers in our force, you contributed the most to these last few events. Once the Northern Water Tribe troops are all sent back, we will have a brand new detective opening ready for you."

Mako sputtered, pressing a shaking hand to his forehead. Never did he expect his dream to come true, and now he would be a true detective. Why wasn't he told there was a detective position open? "Chief, are you sure about that? There aren't any openings," Gang pointed out.

"Actually, there are two," Lin retorted, narrowing her eyes at Mako's rivals, "Once the Northern Water Tribe troops are sent back, you and Lu will report to the traffic department."

While Lu and Gang stared incredulously at the front, Mako took several deep breaths. "Guys, this is really too much," he stammered, rubbing his cheeks tensely, "I'm really honoured that you chose me, but I want some time to think about it first. Can I confirm with you later?"

"Chief, if May-ko chooses not to take the position, will you give it back to us?" Lu chimed in, raising a tentative hand, "We do have seniority in the department, at least."

This time, Lin did not even hold back. "No, you're not getting the position back. After that stunt you two pulled at the nomination event, I'm surprised you even have the audacity to ask!" she roared, her voice echoing off the walls of the wide room. That got everyone in the front row to flinch, all the while the colour drained from the faces of Lu and Gang. "And if you ask one more time, you'll be lucky if you get a receptionist role, you hear?"

Bolin and Opal stood at the entrance of the convention centre where the first presidential nomination event took place, trying to dodge the cleanup crew removing the debris from within. Even though it was only two weeks since the terrorist attack, orders were already given to begin the cleanup process. Coincidentally, Bolin's warehouse was in charge of receiving and delivering repair materials. "I'm just surprised how quickly the police gathered all the evidence from the crime scene," Bolin commented, "Are you sure your aunt approved this move?"

Opal chuckled while brushing some hair away from her eyes. "Don't tell me you don't give Aunt Lin credit, because that's like you not giving Mako credit," the air bender reminded her boyfriend, "You realize they work in the same department, right?"

"They do, and I'm glad your aunt is really supportive of Mako," Bolin replied. He knew Mako was given a supervisory role in the shipping of political prisoners, and a promotion to detective would follow. However, Mako was still feeling the aftereffects of the Red Lotus event, to the point where he had to think about it. "I guess all this killing and terrorism stuff got to him, to the point where he had to pause even when he's offered his dream job," Bolin remarked.

Opal craned her head just in time to see the last few cleanup crew members leave the premises, which gave them the opportunity to unload the goods. She immediately waved over the repair crew, directing them to the back of Bolin's delivery van. Usually it was Toza who drove, but Yung took time off due to Kai's injuries, meaning Toza had to stay at the warehouse. As the repair crew pulled items out of the van, Opal turned back to Bolin. "And how have your therapy sessions been going?" she asked, "Did you make any progress after your incident with Ghazan?"

Bolin tilted his head from side to side, similar to what Korra did whenever she was perplexed. "Both Mako and I have trouble coming to terms with our specialized bending skills killing someone," he murmured, his eyes tilting away from Opal, "I mean, I was surprised that I picked up lava bending, especially at a time when failing to pick it up meant death. But to use that skill, which Ghazan was so proficient at, to kill him? That's just really hard to come to terms with, even though he would have killed us all if I didn't do it."

Opal put an arm around Bolin's shoulder. "I think I know how you feel. It's similar to when I escaped the Triple Threats with my air bending skills. I didn't get killed, but the sequence kept replaying, showing what would happen if I failed," Opal explained, placing her opposite hand on Bolin's upper arm, "I think you're scared that you would fail, but you can't help but wonder if you could have saved us if you didn't kill Ghazan. Am I right in saying that?"

Bolin pursed his lips. By now, the van was already half empty, with only a few more items to go before they had to make another round of deliveries. But Opal persisted, prodding Bolin to walk with her into the convention centre. "We just have to do what we always do best, which is support and encourage each other," she declared, "It wasn't an easy ride for us, with a period of breakup and working to get back together, but I think we're at a point where we are definitely going steady again. So with you like this, the least I can do is to support you all the way. That's what boyfriends and girlfriends do for each other, right?"

Bolin turned to Opal and cracked a smile. Even though they both knew that things were better between them, it was the first time Opal mentioned boyfriend and girlfriend since she broke up with him the first time. Hearing that alone was enough to rejuvenate Bolin, but he knew there was still some way to go in terms of healing. But as long as they supported and encouraged each other, who was Bolin to say that things would for sure head for the worse?

Just then, Bolin's cellphone sounded off. He wiggled out of Opal's arm and pulled the ringing object out of his pants pocket. One look at the caller ID and Bolin's smile faded. "Opal, why don't you help out the repair team for now? I have to take this," Bolin insisted.

Opal gave him a strange look, but Bolin was adamant about taking the call. Shrugging her shoulders, Opal trotted inside the convention centre, having full faith that Bolin could handle whatever this was. Turning back to his phone, Bolin took a huge breath and pressed the green button. "What are you up to, Ginger?" he greeted the caller with a scowl.

"Bolin, I can't tell you where I am or what I'm doing right now," Ginger informed Bolin in a whisper-like tone, forcing Bolin to press the cellphone extra hard against his ear. He even had to trot to a quieter area away from the road and sidewalk just to better hear the call. "I can't come back to Future Industries for a while, and I really want you to help me."

Bolin bit his lower lip and exhaled deeply. He knew Ginger had gone missing since the terrorist attack, with no one from Future Industries having seen or heard from her. "Last time I helped you, it nearly destroyed my family's business and my relationship with Opal," Bolin snapped, "I really want to wash my hands of that incident. So what are you playing at now?"

"Now that Tarrlok is arrested and his department is being investigated, I have to make sure I don't get connected to it," Ginger described, her tone frantic and jittery. It was a stark contrast to when she dragged Bolin to those meetings, where Ginger was haughty and arrogant, wasting no time in belittling Bolin. "I plan to lay low for a while, but I want you to keep an eye on Future Industries for me. I want my connections from Future Industries to save me later on."

Bolin sighed and pinched his nose. "Ginger, let me correct you on some things," Bolin lectured the former actress, "First of all, we never reached out to Tarrlok. You had that idea and insisted I followed along, claiming my family's business would fail if I didn't. Second, you are subject to administrative sanctions from Future Industries, with Varrick supervising your every move. I can't just hide you from Varrick if he asks me about you. Finally, you've already landed us both in hot water, so don't you think you should stop before you get hurt even more?"

It was Ginger's turn to sigh. "I can't possibly let anyone know about my connection with Tarrlok," she insisted exasperatedly, "I will lose my entire career, and the last thing I want is to be investigated as well. Bolin, at least I tried to save your family when Raiko was out cold. If you want to return the favour, then you have to help me now."

But by now, Bolin had heard enough. "Tarrlok never wanted to work with us. He hurt us way more by having Toza arrested and accusing Korra of tampering with military goods," he retorted with a venomous tone, "By reaching out to him, we'd be stuck in his corruption, just like what you fear right now. I should have never gotten involved, and I sure won't get involved now. I'm sorry, Ginger, but you made your bed with Tarrlok, now you have to sleep in it."

With that, Bolin pressed the red button hard and slipped the cellphone back into his pocket. Bolin could feel his heart pounding at his sternum, wondering if telling off Ginger was the right thing to do. While he hoped things would be clearer in the future, Bolin could only focus on the present. "One more thing to talk about with my therapist," he muttered to himself, "I hope Mako's police coverage subsidizes family members for these visits, or I might go broke."

"Thanks for meeting with me again, Yihua," Korra declared, bounding up to the armchair across from the therapist and plopping herself down, "You can't believe how much it means to me. I know I've been a bit demanding with scheduling, but I'm glad we can work it out."

"Not a problem, Korra," Yihua, the elderly psychologist replied. The grey-haired woman took the armchair across from Korra, pulling out her own pen and notepad. Despite being in her mid-seventies, this tri-racial air bender still had a part-time practice in counselling. "It doesn't hurt you are friends with Katara and her family, so helping you is like helping my family."

Korra nodded, all the while pulling out her own pen and notepad. Yihua's mother was a nurse who worked with both Katara and Kya in their physician careers. Aang and Katara also babysat both Yihua and her older sister Hana, and in turn Hana and Yihua both befriended Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin. "Well, my family is doing better now. My dad is the presidential candidate, and my foster mom is the running mate," Korra reported, giving a quick rundown of the election campaign so far, "I'm just helping them out whenever I can, which is about twice a week."

Yihua scribbled some notes before turning to look at Korra. Despite being an air bender, Yihua had blue eyes, thanks to her Water Tribe heritage. Both she and Hana had biracial parents, with an air bending mother of Air Nomad and Water Tribe descent and a non-bending father of Water Tribe and United Earth States descent. Korra felt a sense of warmth when staring into Yihua's blue eyes, similar to how she felt whenever she stared into her own family's eyes.

"So you feel this is a positive, in that you're getting back into your usual routine?" Yihua remarked, flipping through her file for notes she took during previous meetings, "You indicated that you had trouble getting back to normal after the first nomination event. The battle with the Red Lotus leader, Zaheer, got you really worked up, even though you prevented further harm."

Korra's eyes tilted away again, her gaze now falling to the floor. The topic of Zaheer still got a reaction out of her, even though it had been more than a month since it happened. "The nightmares are getting less frequent, but they still happen sometimes," Korra added, "I keep thinking that I shouldn't have killed him, and just let Lin or Iroh take him. But then I think about what would have happened if I didn't do it, and that ends with him suffocating me."

Yihua flipped through her notes again. In previous visits, Korra mentioned having nightmares of Zaheer trying to suffocate her and not able to save everyone, including herself. It indicated that she suffered from a mix of PTSD and survivor's guilt. Turning back to her current notes, Yihua asked, "Do you feel that way because of who died, or what you did to survive?"

Korra hissed through her teeth, all the while rubbing her temples. "In a way, I think it's both," she responded. She explained again how she escaped the brunt of the original attack by being in the bathroom, and then hiding in the kitchen after she texted Asami and Opal. While they were in the kitchen preparing a counterstrike, two hostages ended up being killed.

"I want to focus on Zaheer's death, because you were directly involved," Yihua stated, trying to have Korra discuss the source of her nightmares, "I'm no criminal expert, but I feel you won't be criminally charged. Either you kill him or let him suffocate you, so it's self-defence."

Korra nodded robotically. "Everyone, from Varrick, Mako, Lin, and even Dad, all told me the same thing," she stuttered, feeling like the same iceberg she dropped on Zaheer was now dropped onto her own face, "But I keep thinking if I could have stopped him without killing him. I mean, Lin and Bumi were right there, so I could have turned to either the police or the military, even though Bumi is ex-military. Maybe I did go overboard by killing Zaheer?"

Yihua reviewed her notes again, tapping her pen at a certain line Korra uttered before. "You indicated before that you felt the world is better off without Zaheer, given he tried to kill you, both your biological parents, the president and the First Lady, and was involved in other deaths," Yihua stated, "But yet you were the one who carried out this exact wish. Are you now suggesting that you don't want Zaheer dead, or maybe you want someone else to do it?"

Korra didn't reply, but that didn't stop Yihua. "Not everyone is a killing machine. That includes those in the military or the police. I'm sure your friends, including Mako, have the same thoughts as you," Yihua described. Even though she did not treat Mako's family, she was aware from previous discussions that Mako, Bolin, Toza, and Yung were all in counselling as a result.

Korra tilted her head up, once again catching Yihua's serene blue eyes. "If you put it that way, then that makes sense," she stuttered, struggling to pen her next thought onto her notepad, "With Asami, Opal, the president, and the First Lady nearby, maybe I did do the right thing."

"Let me give you some of my mother's own wisdom," Yihua suggested, putting down her pen and notepad, "My mother abides by the Yang Chen school of thought in air bending. Yang Chen is another great air bender who preceded Aang by several centuries. Like Aang and Tenzin and the rest of their family, she cares for life unconditionally. But she also believes that, no matter how hard an Air Nomad tries, there can never be a full disconnection from the world. Instead, we should use our compassion to cherish and protect all life."

Korra lifted her head again, but Yihua continued her tale uninterrupted. "Yang Chen's belief is that if you want to protect the sacredness of life, sometimes you have to take a life. If someone is doing something dangerous to harm society, even if they claim to abide by Air Nomad philosophy like Zaheer did, then shouldn't we do something to stop the harm? I'm not advocating for the death penalty, but there has to be a line drawn if things go haywire. So if you know Zaheer would harm others if you keep him alive, and you're the only person who could stop him at that time, then maybe killing him was the right thing to do, according to Yang Chen."

Korra's eyes widened at that comment. While she had heard of Yang Chen, she never would have thought that an Air Nomad master would openly advocate for taking a life. It seemed to go against everything Air Nomads believed in. But at the same time, it also made sense when put in Korra's position. With so many people, including one that she harboured feelings for, in harm's way, what would happen if Korra didn't kill Zaheer? Likewise, even if it was just Korra and Zaheer alone, would Zaheer suffocate Korra by bending all the air out of her lungs? Given the same almost happened to Tonraq and Senna, Korra was definitely concerned.

Flipping a page, Yihua focused on the other aspect of Korra's PTSD. "You indicated that you believe you only survived because you took a bathroom break at the right place and time. You also believe you could have done something to save that hostage from being shot by a combustion bender," Yihua proposed, stopping her writing and staring at Korra again, "But if you were in the ballroom during the hostage-taking, what would you have done differently?"

Korra tensed rigidly at Yihua's comment. "Would I be able to do anything at the time? Was there even a source of water for me?" Korra stated with a hitch in her voice, "They only set off the sprinklers after I texted Mako. So maybe there wasn't a water source for me to use?"

"Doesn't that partially answer your own question? You had to deal with four specialized benders without any water. Would it not be challenging?" Yihua suggested. Despite pushing against Korra's train of thought, there was no malice in her voice, with only gentleness and positivity. It only emphasized why, despite being blue-eyed, air was the right element for Yihua.

Before Korra could think of an answer, Yihua added on an extra point. "You also said the police turned on the sprinklers after you told Mako. If you were in the main ballroom, with Red Lotus people holding guns at you, would you have gotten the chance to send a text? Based on your words about Asami and Opal when they used their phones, that might be challenging too."

Korra alternated between looking at her notepad and Yihua. Yihua really pushed Korra to change how she felt about her actions, which would potentially get rid of the nightmares Korra had about her inability to save everyone. "I guess that's true," Korra murmured, rubbing the lower part of her face, "But the deaths of those hostages still shock me, even though like you said, more would have died had I not escaped to send those texts."

"What you suggested is a 'what if' scenario, and ultimately it didn't happen. And even if it did happen, more damage would have occurred," the psychologist explained, "So I wouldn't feel guilty about killing Zaheer, because that's not your fault. And while it's natural to feel some survivor's guilt, you did the best you could and stopped more lives from being lost."

Scribbling in her notepad again, Korra felt clarity for the first time in a month. "Thanks, Yihua. I have some idea how to proceed now," she declared, her eyes focused entirely on the page, "I just have to keep thinking about those I love, including one that I still haven't really discussed. I left Asami hanging a bit when she wanted to know if I feel the same way about her, so I'm still trying to find the right way to tell her. Can we talk about that next time?"

"That's really great, Kai," Jinora complimented from her seated position on the park bench. Kai still had some mobility issues in his upper body due to his burns, meaning advanced air bending was out of the question. But Jinora kept training him on basic forms, and today was the examination for those. "You really worked hard on them, despite being out of commission."

Kai released his stance and took a normal stand again. Turning to Jinora, he flashed a lopsided grin while marching back towards her. "Thanks, Jinora," he replied, reaching into his bag and grabbing a towel, "I feel like if my body cooperates, I can still do the exam with Ikki."

Jinora chuckled, giving Kai a sly look. "I don't know if your body will cooperate with you, but I can definitely say it's not cooperating with me. Did you seriously have to train with me while shirtless?" she pointed out, gesturing at Kai's torso.

Kai removed the towel from his head and glanced down. Kai had his shirt off due to the warmer weather, but there were still bandages around his upper torso. It covered nothing below his ribcage, and Jinora was surprised how toned he was, despite his history. "But it's hot today. Besides, it's not the first time you've seen me shirtless," Kai responded while flexing his body.

Jinora playfully slapped Kai's shoulder, turning around to avoid letting him see the slight pink on her cheeks. It was too bad that his torso was still partially bandaged, and pulling them off might reveal some serious scarring. "That was when we were at the beach. Now that you're training with us, what will my dad think of this?" Jinora retorted.

"Oh, so you do have a crush on Kai!" Ikki's distinctive energetic voice chimed in. Jinora could only groan at Ikki's grinning face positioned uncomfortably close to hers. "I knew early on that there was something between you guys, but you should have just told me ahead of time."

"Stop it, Ikki! Quit trying to embarrass me!" Jinora exclaimed, now completely covering her face. By now, her face heated up so much that the spring sunshine was no match for her. She only wanted to test Kai's skills, and never did she expect her crush to be aired out in the open.

"Hey, who said you can date my sister?" Meelo demanded, pouting his puffy cheeks while planting his balled fists onto his hips. The younger boy now stomped his way to Kai and glared at him with narrowing eyes. "As your drill sergeant, I order you to give me an update!"

Kai's eyes widened at the confrontation, not sure if he found it intimidating or comical that Jinora's younger siblings would try to create misery for him. Kai was more convinced if Tenzin did that, but to see Ikki and Meelo go at it with him was unusual. Rubbing the back of his head nervously, Kai could only tilt his eyes between the two younger siblings. "Hey, it's not a big deal! We're both over the age of eighteen," he pointed out, feeling the chills throughout his body, "Besides, it's not like we're 'dating' dating."

"Aha, so you're not denying it!" Meelo exclaimed, jabbing a pudgy finger into Kai's face. In his mind, Kai wondered if Meelo did this because it was his personality, or if Meelo just wanted to see Kai squirm. "Just wait until I tell Mom and Dad about this!"

In a desperate move, Kai reached up and covered Meelo's mouth with his hand. But it could not silence Ikki, who only grew bolder with Jinora. "So, when will the first date be? And do you think you guys will kiss?" Ikki asked, making kissing motions with her lips.

Jinora groaned again. Still with her face covered, she instructed Ikki and Meelo to do another set of advanced techniques. "You two are still a bit rough on those, so get refining or you'll never get your tattoos!" she exclaimed, tilting an elbow in the direction away from her.

Ikki and Meelo finally backed off, but not before flashing huge grins at Jinora and Kai. As they trotted off to the other side of the park to do their techniques, Kai approached Jinora. "Hey, relax," he gently soothed, sitting next to her, "They're just talking nonsense, so don't worry about them. They don't mean any harm, and we shouldn't let what they said get to us."

Jinora lifted her hands away from her face. The redness on her cheeks had faded somewhat, but it still didn't mean Jinora was flushed. "I know, I know," Jinora responded, giving Kai an exasperated look, "But what they said isn't exactly too far off base. Have you actually thought about how things have been going between us?"

Now it was Kai's turn to stutter. Throughout the nearly one year that he had known Jinora, he could feel them develop their relationship. Things got off to a rocky start after they first met at the pier, when Kai saved Jinora from a runaway forklift. Jinora found Kai beating the living daylights out of Skoochy, and in turn some unkind words were exchanged. Even when they offered to patch things up afterwards, there was some friction, as Kai didn't want Jinora to buy his coffee. For a while, both wondered if the relationship would get anywhere.

But once the ice was broken, things went smoothly. Kai accepted that Jinora only wanted to help, and Jinora accepted that Kai didn't see the world she did, which forced Jinora to open her own eyes. Whether it was preparing for postsecondary, training for air bending, or even saving the world together, both believed they were better off with each other. Certainly what they had at this point was a strong friendship, but maybe there was something more to it?

Looking into Jinora's brown eyes, Kai took a deep breath to calm his nerves. By the time he exhaled, he had the words in mind for a proper answer. "I'm happy you're always there for me, especially when I've had so many downs in my life," Kai explained, gently lipping his lips to moisten them, "I want to give you back what you gave to me, and be the Air Nomad master you want to see. And I'm not just doing this to please you either. I truly believe I can master air bending and learn Air Nomad culture, and I'm just glad you're the one to teach it to me."

Jinora smiled at Kai's comment. "I assure you I didn't reach out because of pity. I truly believe you can be a master, but I also believe you can be a good person," Jinora replied, "I also want to thank you for making me see things that I normally wouldn't have seen, which let me broaden my horizons even more. It also made me a better Air Nomad and person."

For a minute or so, there was nothing but silence between them. Before Kai and Jinora knew it, their fingers were entangled and their faces edged that much closer to each other. But before their lips to touch, Ikki's holler from afar interrupted them. Glancing at her sister, Jinora groaned again before lifting herself up. "Let's check up on them," she proposed, "And just to avoid any further embarrassment, I strongly urge you to put your shirt back on."

"Congratulations, Tonraq and Zhu Li, or should I say, President Arnook and Vice President Moon," Asami stated, shaking the hands of the just-sworn-in political leaders, "My parents and I are so happy for you guys, but especially for Korra."

Tonraq, who still had an arm around Senna, grinned from ear-to-ear. As per tradition, the swearing-in ceremony was in the afternoon, held outdoors before the public, before moving into the government buildings for the evening reception and dinner. "Well, it was a hard-fought campaign, and things did get nasty for a bit, but I'm glad we managed to pull through," Tonraq stated, his eyes alternating between his wife and his daughter's best friend.

"Yes, and we kept Korra away from the negativity for both rounds of the election," Zhu Li added from behind Tonraq, holding hands with Varrick the whole time. The United Republic elected a president only when a candidate had more than half the votes. If no candidate reached that mark after the first round, the top two had to do a second round. Tonraq was in the top two and came through in the end, which meant him and Zhu Li could now take office. "I can't imagine how Korra would feel if our opponents kept painting her as a crazy girl," Zhu Li spat.

Hiroshi and Yasuko both smiled proudly at Korra's efforts. They, along with Asami, mainly focused on their own company, but kept tabs on Korra through the campaign. Knowing Korra helped Tonraq and Zhu Li during the election, they gave her tips and suggestions. From dealing with difficult voters, to responding against rivals attacking her father, they made sure Korra was in good shape to handle the challenges, all the while giving her space to unwind. "So do we get to hear your speech now, President Arnook? The inaugural address is given right before dinner is served," Hiroshi pointed out.

Tonraq nodded. "Of course, but my speech won't be that much different than what I said in my nomination speech," the large man responded, "The United Republic is facing challenges, and we have to set aside our difference and work together to face them. But the United Republic has succeeded because of our diverse views, and that should not change."

"But we have something special in mind after the presidential speech," Zhu Li remarked, eyeing the tables behind the group, "Korra told us that she wanted to say something as well, and we agreed to let her do it. It'll be her first public speech, so she's very nervous. But she said this is something she has to do, and since she's the First Daughter and the Second Daughter, Tonraq and I spoke with the organizers and they agreed to allow it."

The Sato family had their eyes grow wide. When they last spoke with Korra, she never mentioned it to them. In fact, they were helping her with her therapy, given she took longer to return to her routine, by virtue of her autism. "We've all gotten counselling, but all three of us finished earlier," Yasuko commented, "Since Korra is taking longer, does she want extra help?"

All four individuals before them shook their heads. "Hey, I've observed Korra at home as well, and I can tell you she's doing fine," Varrick assured the Satos, "After all, Korra has her own ways to cope, and once she gets back into her routine, nobody can stop her!"

The entire group chuckled, but were soon ushered to their seats by the attendants. Asami and her family were at a front table, right next to the presidential table. Tonraq, Senna, Varrick, and Zhu Li all took that table, where Korra was already situated. Asami could see Korra give each person a big hug before plopping back down. There were only five people at Korra's table, which Asami figured was because both families were quite small.

"Hey, are we too late?" another voice called. Asami's entire family glanced up to see Toza, Mako, Bolin, Yung, and Kai approach them. Earlier that week, Korra told Asami that she extended invitations to all five of them, and they would sit with Asami's family. "It's a great gesture that Korra is seating all her friends together in one table," Toza continued, taking a seat next to Hiroshi, "And I'm glad she values us so much that we should be considered VIP's."

Asami smiled back at Toza. She knew that it was Korra's nature to include as many of her friends as possible. She always had trouble making friends when she was a kid, but seeing her break out of her shell was fantastic. "You realize you're amongst other VIP's, right?" Asami pointed out, "The entire Bei Fong family is here. The former president and vice president are both here, along with their families. Heck, I even see Lin and Iroh, along with some members of the police and military, being VIP's. Who wants to bet that's Korra's doing?"

"So I heard Korra will give a speech after her father does. Will President Raiko or Vice President Anil give a speech as well?" Yung inquired, taking a gander to the right side of the room. Indeed, that was where the previous administration sat, and Yung had gotten to know Tenzin well thanks to Kai and Jinora spending time together. "I don't ever recall past presidents giving a speech at the inauguration reception," Yung remarked.

Yasuko shook her head. "Usually, the outgoing administration doesn't give a speech. This is the 'passing of the torch' to the next administration," the dark-haired woman described.

Before another word could be said, Tonraq was asked to take the stage to give his speech. The large man, now the president, confidently strode on while silence descended onto the entire room. Shuffling the papers before him, Tonraq stared into the crowd and made his speech.

The content of the speech was nothing unexpected, focusing on goals of unity and facing future challenges. While Asami knew that Future Industries would not be favoured to get bids for projects, she knew there were opportunities available. She was particularly interested in Tonraq's comments about Zhu Li, who wanted to push housing initiatives. By the time the speech was done in fifteen minutes, Asami knew there was a new direction in this country.

But then, the moment everyone waited for had arrived. Tonraq called on Korra to take the stage, and the autistic water bender did exactly that. She was in her midnight blue dress, putting her right in place with these VIP's, but the way Korra avoided all eyes as she took the stage was clearly visible. Even when Korra glanced into the crowd, her body was stiff and her body swayed slightly. And with how Korra gripped the lectern, Asami knew Korra was fighting her instinct.

"Good evening, everyone," Korra began. Despite masking it well, Asami could hear some unsteadiness in her tone. "I know it's weird to hear from me, but I want to thank my father for letting me speak. I especially want to do this because we renewed ties only a few months ago. And after what we went through, at the last event, I feel I have to say a few words here."

Korra took a deep breath. Luckily, the lighting and her elevated position made it difficult for anyone to stare her in the eye. It calmed Korra a bit, but it didn't make speaking any easier. "When I was young, I was diagnosed with autism. It was like I'm always lost and confused, and it's hard for me to interact with people," Korra explained, "Other than water bending and organizing numbers, opening myself up to people isn't really on my radar."

Korra turned her eyes to the front table, where both sets of her parents sat. "Through some unexpected events, I went from living with foster parents to reuniting with my biological parents. I went from a limited circle of friends to meeting people from different backgrounds. I expanded my network but still stayed loyal to my original group. And in the process, I learned to open my heart and love all those around me," Korra described.

By now, Asami could feel tears forming in her eyes. She glanced around her table and saw everyone else with similar reactions. "On the Day of Humanity, when the first nomination event took place, I saw firsthand how all these different people came together," Korra continued. Her eyes constantly darted from one table to another, sometimes even staring upward to avoid the looks coming back her way. "We fought together to defend our country and our loved ones, and we weren't worried about who was different from whom. And even though we're still living the aftereffects, with some of us attending counselling just to get better, I now know what it means to be human. This is what humanity is all about, and I'm so proud of it."

That got a spontaneous round of applause from the audience, which got Korra to slightly flinch. Even though she expected that type of spontaneity in the political campaign, she was still adjusting to this. Regaining her composure as the applause died down, Korra focused back on the crowd again. "But through it all, I learned from both my counsellor and my loved ones that I have to take a risk sometimes. It means meeting new people and telling those already around me, especially a very special person that I truly cherish, how much I care about them," Korra stated.

Then, in the most unpredictable move of the night, Korra turned her eyes straight to Asami's table. Her blue eyes were directly at Asami, and Korra showed no signs of shifting her eyes away. "We may have had our ups and downs, but we've been best friends throughout our lives," Korra declared, "And I think she did the most to restore my faith in people. If I don't at least let her know how much I care about her, then I'll miss this chance for the rest of my life."

Korra kept her look on Asami for a few more seconds before exiting the stage, returning to her table to thunderous applause. As she entered into a four-way embrace with Tonraq, Senna, Varrick, and Zhu Li, Asami could only look on in silence. Could this be the start of something more in their relationship?

Throughout most of dinner service, Asami kept her eyes to her own table, interacting with Toza, Yung, and their families. Even though Future Industries and Boar-Q-Pine Logistics collaborated all this time, they never truly had a chance to dine together. But how surprising, yet somewhat appropriate, that they would dine together for the first time at the inauguration banquet, where their common friend Korra took centre stage.

When dessert was served, Asami turned her eyes to Korra's direction. When she was on stage, Korra mentioned that she wanted to show Asami how much she cared about her, but didn't say more. Asami guessed it was due to concerns that Korra's speech might not be appropriate for an inauguration event, so the water bender probably kept it to themes consistent with her father's campaign. But given it was a question that Asami asked but Korra failed to answer due to the latter being not ready, Asami really hoped Korra would clarify more for her.

Asami gently cut into the chocolate mousse with her spoon and slid it into her mouth, allowing the richness of the flavour dance on her tongue. It reminded the engineer that once the desserts were finished, the dance portion of the event would commence. The president and vice president would get the first dance with their families, and they would also choose the first song. Asami heard that Korra would join her parents and foster parents, even though she would dance alone while the two couples danced with each other. Could Asami reach out to Korra just before then to get Korra to clarify what she was trying to do?

Unfortunately for Asami, she had no further time to mull on her course of action. The host once again took the microphone and announced the dance portion of the event would start soon. Asami snapped her head back at Korra's table, where Tonraq now escorted Senna to the floor. They were followed by Zhu Li and Varrick, with Korra being the last one at the table. Taking a deep breath, Asami excused herself from her table and trotted towards Korra.

Luckily, the water bender noticed Asami approach her. "Hey, are you planning to dance with anyone tonight?" Korra asked with a smile, "You should let the DJ know what song you want, and they can play it after my parents and my foster parents are done."

Asami gently moistened her lips. "Actually, Korra, I was hoping you can answer a question before you run off," Asami queried softly, "When you were on stage and you said you wanted to let that person know how much you care about her, were you talking about me?"

Instead of Korra's usual reaction of tilting her eyes away, Korra stood up straight and directly answered Asami. "Who else would I be talking about?" she replied, the grin not leaving her face, "Besides, doesn't this answer your question of if I was ready to accept dating you?"

Asami recalled that day very clearly. They were on Korra's back porch having breakfast, and Korra first revealed that she forgave Asami for reading her journal and terminating her. But at that time, Korra indicated she didn't know if she was ready to start dating Asami. "So does that mean you believe we should take our relationship to the next level?" Asami inquired.

Korra didn't say a word, but her reaction was all Asami required. She pulled Asami into a tight hug, even giving her a small kiss on the cheek. As Korra released her embrace, Asami could still feel the warmth of Korra's touch. "Now let's hit the dance floor," Korra declared, "All five of us agreed on this song. With all the different things, positive and negative, we're still here living in this world we created. That's why this is the most appropriate song for the first dance."

When Korra hit the dance floor, joining the two couples already positioned there, a very familiar guitar riff sounded off. The first bars alone allowed Asami to recognize the song, which was one that she enjoyed a lot. Thinking about the lyrics, she only realized how right Korra was.

You got me wide open, wide open,
Now I'm yours.
You found me heartbroken, heartbroken,
On the floor.

Became my salvation, salvation,
Through the war, yeah.
You got me wide open, wide open,
Now I'm sure.

Due to the faster beat of the song, the couples were not doing slow dance or ballroom dance. There were some swing dance moves in there as well, with Korra complementing them all by dancing alone but between them. Asami knew that Korra could have been heartbroken by all the negatives in her life, but it was cleared that she had salvation in the form of her support system. Both these couples had a hand in providing for Korra to give her a well-adjusted life, and Asami could not be happier that Korra was where she was today.

In a world like this, where some back down,
I, I know we're going to make it.
In a time like this, where love comes around,
I, I know we're going to take it.

In a world like this, where people fall apart,
In a time like this, where nothing comes from the heart,
In a world like this, I got you.

As the chorus sounded off, Asami looked around the people at her own table. With the exception of her family, whom Korra had known since she was a child, the other five people all became acquainted with Korra in the last year. And most importantly, Korra only met them due to a new assignment Asami gave her. Korra could have backed down or fallen apart, but she took it in stride and challenged herself to do better. Asami was truly amazed at Korra's progress, and truly happy that Korra made these people all a part of her life.

And now I'm freefalling, freefalling,
In your eyes.
You got me still calling, still calling,
No surprise.

I never knew I could, love until the,
End of time, yeah.
And now I'm freefalling, freefalling,
By your side.

Thinking about her table, Asami also realized how they had all grown, and in the process supported each other along the way. Mako went from an overly serious police officer obsessed with pleasing his superiors to a caring brother that placed his family before himself. Bolin went from lacking confidence and letting Ginger boss him around to standing on his own, supporting his family and girlfriend along the way. Kai found acceptance in the Air Nomad community, while challenging other air benders to amend their mindset to better face future challenges. If any of them fell, they had each other by their side, showing a love that lasted until the end of time.

In a world like this, where some back down,
I, I know we're going to make it.
In a time like this, where love comes around,
I, I know we're going to take it.

In a world like this, where people fall apart,
In a time like this, where nothing comes from the heart,
In a world like this, I got you.

Korra was definitely getting into the groove of the song, bobbing and weaving along like she was a natural. Asami wondered how much of that was her enjoyment of the song, and how much of that was the big reveal from earlier. Korra's words truly came from the heart, and it made Asami realize how much Korra inspired her. Whether it was running Future Industries when her father was imprisoned, or it was rebuilding their name after Hiroshi's release, Asami knew Korra was a part of her own support system. In this sense, they fed off of each other's energies, and they truly got each other's backs.

You got me wide open, wide open, yeah.
And now I'm freefalling, freefalling…

In a world like, in a world like…I got you!
In a world like this!

As the music slowed down before reaching a new crescendo, Asami glanced around the entire room of VIP's, all of whom joined together on the Day of Humanity. At the Bei Fong table, Asami could see Opal laughing with her family, and she recalled how Opal was trapped in that kitchen with Asami and Korra. Suyin and Kuvira fought off the Red Lotus together, while Lin coordinated the police efforts. At Tenzin's table, Tenzin's family, including Bumi, Kya, and Katara, all cheered Korra on. Asami knew Jinora was part of the invasion team as well, and she played a major role in rescuing hostages. And without Tenzin's pressure on the Northern Water Tribe, Iroh would have never arrested Unalaq before he entered international waters. If this did not showcase the best of humanity, then Asami didn't know what did.

In a world like this, where some back down,
I, I know we're going to make it.
In a time like this, where love comes around,
I, I know we're going to take it.

In a world like this, where people fall apart,
In a time like this, where nothing comes from the heart,
In a world like this, I got you.

As the song ended, the entire audience burst into applause. Asami could not help but get to her feet, cheering on Korra and the two couples. It was as Korra had said, where coming together for the sake of bettering each other was the true meaning of humanity. Asami was so glad that they were able to do so throughout their friendship, and as they continued on to bigger things, Asami hoped their relationship could follow suit in the years to come.

A lot of acknowledgements to make in this final chapter, so let's get through them and recognized the wonderful people behind this chapter:

1.) The scene with Korra seeing her therapist is a shout-out to my good friend and fellow Avatar/Korra writer Kelev, who advised heavily on the way Korra dealt with the matters of being involved in a terrorist attack. Kelev doesn't have a psychology or counselling background (she has a nursing background), but her personal experiences were crucial in assisting me. As for the other part of the scene, which is counselling an autistic person, I have SaoirseParisa to thank on this matter. Both of you did me a huge favour by looking over the scene, and I couldn't have done it without you.

2.) The therapist scene is also special for a second reason, in that this is the first cameo appearance of Kelev's second daughter in my Avatar/Korra series. Her second daughter is named Eva, and her name is Asianized to Yihua (translated to one/first in China). Eva's older sister Hannah (known as Hana in my stories) appeared twice before and was mentioned once in this story, but Eva never got her day in the spotlight. This is my best chance to include her, and I thank Kelev for giving me permission to use her. Eva's personality is one of calmness and positivity, which Kelev described as a mix of Aang and Jinora. As such, making Eva Korra's counsellor was the best role I could think of for her.

3.) The presidential convention after inauguration is modelled after what American presidents go through after they are inaugurated. There is usually a presidential reception after inauguration where the incoming president celebrates with family and friends over the achievement. Like in this chapter, the previous president may attend, but usually won't give a speech, as this is a "passing of the torch" moment. The only change I made is that, unlike the American inauguration, which takes place in the morning, the United Republic's president is inaugurated closer to the evening. But otherwise, most of the details I included here are similar to what actually happens on inauguration day.

4.) As you may have probably guessed, the Backstreet Boys made yet another appearance in my stories. I have, once again, used "In a World Like This" from their 2013 album in my story. This is the third time this song is used, the third story that this song is used in, and the second story in the Korra fandom. I know it's a bit overkill, but I just feel it's really accurate and reflective of this story and what's happening at this point. I hope you don't mind seeing this song again.

5.) Korra's end speech is based on a speech given by one of my favourite autistic characters of all time, Gil Grissom from CSI: Las Vegas. The wording, structure, and even content are based on Gil's speech in the CSI series finale, where he reflects upon his life's changes. I figure it's only right that, being the final chapter and Korra realizing the meaning of humanity, she would self-reflect the same way Gil did. Gil is such a favourite of mine, I even named one of my OC's from my Tales of Symphonia series after him (Gil Irving). How's that for a shout-out?

6.) Mako getting promoted to detective and Lu and Gang getting demoted is from "Night of a Thousand Stars" in Book 2 when Lin did the same thing after they failed their mission and Mako was proven innocent. Korra getting PTSD and survivor's guilt after the battle with Zaheer is from "Korra Alone" in Book 4, where she felt the same thing after her near-death experience. And Korra's comment about living in the world we created, even with all the positive and negative things, is from "A Breath of Fresh Air" in Book 3, when Tenzin told Korra that whether change is good or bad is dependent on one's viewpoint.

Thank you so much for an amazing journey. I really couldn't have done it without you all. I still want to write the epilogue before ending this story, but I feel it's only right I get some acknowledgements out of the way first. It's truly been a blessing and an honour to have made so much progress. I hope you can join me next time as we finally wrap up this wonderful experience.