This is it. The final battle. We've come a long way, haven't we? I always get so emotional when it comes to reading and writing the endings of great stories *fake tearbends*. Still, let us not cry because it's over. Let us smile because it happened!

I love you all, and thank you for giving this story a fighting chance :)

...

~Asami~

We stepped back at the sight. There was literally a row of Equalists and one big robot mecha suit standing behind them.

"I don't think this is the way out." Bolin whispered.

"Ya think?" Kuvira said, glancing at him.

"Well, well, well..." It was my father speaking. His voice was coming from the mecha suit. "I guess I underestimated you, Avatar. And you, Asami. You get that from your mother."

"Dad, stop this!" I said angrily. "You're not doing anything but hurting yourself!"

"That's where you're wrong, Asami." Dad said. "I'm doing so much for people like us." The claw of the robot gestured over the Equalists in front of it. "For people like your mother-"

"Why do you keep bringing it back to Mom?" I yelled, my voice cracking. "She's dead! Nothing you do now is ever going to change that!" Korra grabbed me gently by my arm and I looked back at her. I didn't realize I was crying until she wiped away a stray tear on my cheek with the pad of her thumb.

"It's over, Hiroshi!" Kuvira said, pointing at him. "You're up against three benders, the Avatar, and your own daughter!"

"Avatar?" Bolin and Mako said, turning to Korra.

She flustered briefly under their gaze. "Not the time, guys." she muttered, then cleared her throat. She looked at my father's mecha suit. "Hiroshi, I know you believe that all of this is justified but it's not. Everything you've done is hurting people, Asami especially." She slipped her hand into mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"What would you understand about loss?" My father said. "You're born with expected greatness because you're the Avatar. You get everything you could possibly ask for and more. Everyone loves you."

"No one even knows who I am." Korra argued, though her voice stayed level. "I've been here for five years and no one knows who I really am. I can't be loved by people who don't know me. As far as everyone knows, The White Lotus either haven't found the Avatar yet or they aren't born." Korra took a breath. "So, no. I wasn't born with greatness. I don't get everything I want."

"Regardless!" Dad yelled. "You think you can just interfere with my family and get away with it!"

"The only thing I've done is my best to protect Asami from you." Korra said.

"That was your mistake." Dad said.

There was a brief moment of silence and the other arm of the suit aimed in our direction, a whip coming from its palm. There was a moment hesitation and Korra pulled me against her and out of the way while the others rolled to the side. The whip dug into the spot that we had been standing before being retracted back into the suit. The Equalists disbanded then, rushing towards us. Mako, Bolin and Kuvira ran forward to them. Korra started to follow but I grabbed her by her hand, catching her attention.

"What's the matter?" she said.

"I-I..." I was failing at coming up with words and bit my lip. Korra smiled softly.

"Don't worry." she said, stepping close to me and brushing a kiss to my forehead. "Nothing can take me away from you. Just stay back, okay?"

My mouth opened, but again nothing came out. It snapped shut and I nodded. Her fingers slipped from my hand as she ran to join the fight. Mako was was sending fire blasts at the two taking him on, Kuvira had captured one in rock and was metalbending the material of a nearby machine, using it as a shield to deflect bolas and electric charges. Bolin was hiding behind a wall of rock, sending out small ones at a group of Equalists. He caught one in the stomach and another across the face. Korra, on the other hand, was going for my father's mecha suit. She was using firebending to hover above the ground and dodge Equalists. A bola caught around her stomach, throwing her off and she crashed onto the floor. She hissed through her pain and stuck up two of her fingers, burning the rope and knocking it away from her. She sent a blast of water at the one that sent the bola. It covered his face and she encased it in ice, tossing him to the side.

"Is that all you got?!" she challenged eagerly, grinning.

I took a step back, watching the scene play out. Kuvira had successfully restrained two Equalists with a pipe, bending it around their arms and torsos. Mako sent a strand of lighting at the one he was going hand to hand with. Bolin sent a shockwave through the ground, knocking most of them back. Korra continued her way to my father, who was sending the whip out repeatedly but she cleanly dodged it. She sent a strong blast of fire at the center of the suit and it stumbled backwards. I happened to look up and saw five more dropping from the ceiling. They landed behind each of my friends and me. I was grabbed by my wrists and they were pinned to my back. The same thing happened to my friends and they were struck in their legs, forced to their knees. Korra glanced back in time to send a rock at the one trying to apprehend her and kept running for my father. Mid-run, I saw her starting to go into her wolf form.

"What the..." I heard Kuvira say, while Mako and Bolin just glanced at each other before they all looked at me. I met their gazed and nodded slightly, confirming that I had already known.

By the time Korra was full wolf, she was only a few feet away from my father. I saw her paws flex and her nails dig into the earth below her.

My father's voice came from the mecha suit. "You know," he said, his tone full of regret and slight sarcasm. "I think the worst thing of all this is knowing that my daughter was eloping around with the worst example of a bender."

Korra snarled and broke out into a run. She rammed into the suit, forcing it back. The feet of the suit made a terrible scraping sound as my father tried to push against her. His claw rose and hit her in her side. Korra fell back, whining. She bared her teeth and looked back up at him. I heard her growl and she opened her muzzle, fire erupting from it. Dad raised the arms of the suit to block the fire. He drew one of the claws back. It shot out and grabbed Korra. It slammed her into the wall. Her back arched and her eyes widened. Korra yelped in surprise, crumpling to the ground and whimpering in pain. She didn't move.

"NO!" I cried.

I elbowed and tore myself away from the Equalist holding me, running towards Korra. Tears flew behind me, falling from my eyes. I hit the ground hard on my knees when I finally reached Korra, but I didn't bother to register the pain. I sobbed quietly, my hand reaching out, shaking, and just barely skimming Korra's fur.

"Take them out." my father said, talking about my friends. "Load them up in the trucks."

The Equalists did as they were told and I watched as they each went lifeless in their hold. That's when I felt Korra's breathing pick up suddenly and she began to stir. I jumped and backed away, watching as Korra picked herself up without any hint of struggle and shake out her pelt. Her head lifted up and her eyes...they were glowing white. Her back was illuminating with a strange figure. Korra growled, her teeth baring. The air grew frighteningly colder around her.

"Korra..." I said, standing up.

Korra lifted her head and howled, sounding like multiple howls at once. She lowered her head, her focus fixating on Hiroshi's mecha suit. She steadied herself, spreading out her paws.

"Korra!" I said louder, trying to get through to her.

Korra didn't even look my way. She arched herself and leapt forward. I jumped out of the way just in time, covering my head with my arms as I did so. I looked behind me, watching as Korra barreled into my father's mecha suit, ramming it into the wall. The Equalists apprehending Kuvira, Mako, and Bolin looked at each other in confusion before letting them go. They fell to the ground, softy grunting on impact.

My father's claw swung around and hit Korra in the head, knocking her off of it. She slid back on her paws and shook her head. She roared, planting her feet firmly onto the ground. Her left paw twitched and fire rose from a furnace in the far corner. The fire swept along the Equalists heading in her direction, forcing them one into the other. In a panic, they fell to the ground and frantically rolled around, trying to put their clothes out.

I watched as Korra's head looked back, spotting more Equalists. She stomped her hind leg, raising a wall of earth in front of them. Her paw slid back, causing the wall to slide back, practically crushing them against the wall. Three more came from her right side and her tail whipped around, causing a blast of air to throw them against a machine. Lastly, she raised her front paw, lifting enough water from a puddle on the floor to freeze two more Equalists to the ground.

Korra turned her attention back to Dad's mecha suit, her eyes still a bright white. Dad straightened the suit up.

"You think you're strong because you can go in the Avatar state while in your wolf form." he said through the microphone, making Korra huff in annoyance. The arm of the suit swung forward. "That's the only reason you could stop them without barely doing anything. Your Avatar state does it all. I'm not afraid of you, Avatar. So come and get me."

Korra lifted her head up, a sign of accepting the challenge. She tensed her muscles and ran forward. She pushed herself off the ground with her hind legs, heading straight for the suit. As she closed in on it, I saw the claw of the machine come to life with electricity and my eyes widened in horror.

"Korra!" I cried. I felt like a broken record, like I couldn't comprehend anything but her name.

It was too late. The claw caught Korra around her midsection, barely under her chest. Korra body erupted in electricity and she let out a painful howl that pierced my ears. I felt the imprint burn at the base of my neck and gasped, my hand flying to it. It ached and throbbed the more Korra's howls went on. It felt like someone had set fire to my skin.

"You never should've met my daughter." my father said, his voice low and full of hatred. I saw the claw visibly tighten around Korra, causing Korra's cries to heighten in pitch. I could've sworn I'd heard a crack or two. There was a sharp pain in my own chest. Slowly, Korra changed back to her human form. The electricity intensified over her left shoulder, crawling up her figure. Her cries started to become quieter and her eyes flashed between white and normal. I couldn't do anything but watch. My heart felt like my father had stuck a rusty, serrated knife in it and twisted it hard. Tears spilled effortlessly down my cheeks.

I'm so sorry, Korra... I thought, my hand curling into a fist on the ground.

At that moment, there was a loud yell and someone came flying through the air, two rods in hand. It was Josou. He landed on top of my father's suit and raised the rods, turning on the electricity and sticking them to the metal. Almost instantly, the suit shut down and the claw opened, letting Korra fall through. She hit the ground hard and I found myself running to her before I'd even processed the thought.

I got on my knees beside her and cupped her face tenderly, tears still slipping from my eyes as I leaned over her. "Korra..." I whispered, my voice cracking. A tear hit her cheek. "Please...wake up..."

I lowered myself down and placed a hard, forceful kiss on her lips, shutting my eyes tight. I broke down into another sob, my last shred of hope starting to break, when I felt her kiss back ever so slightly. She sucked in a shaky breath and I pulled back. Her eyes were open a slit and she smiled through her pain.

"H-Hey...'Sami..." she breathed.

"Oh, god..." I muttered, trying to smile. "You're alive...thank the spirits..."

With her undamaged hand, she reached up and brushed away a stray tear. "I...told you...before... Nothing will ever...take me away...from...you..."

I laughed through another heavy sob and overlapped her hand with mine. "You're such a spazz..."

I heard feet hit the ground and looked up. Josou had jumped down from the suit, putting the rods away. He walked up to us.

"Why...?" I asked. "Why did you help her?"

"I signed up for equality, not murder." Josou said.

"What about my father?" I said. "You didn't...did you?"

"No, I had the setting on stun." he answered. "By the time he wakes up, the police will be here."

"You called the police too?"

He nodded. "Hurry up and get her out of here. And wake up your friends." He looked towards the exit hallway. "You can get back to the outside through there."

"Thank you.." I said.

"Don't mention it." Josou said, giving me a half smile. "Just be lucky the electricity didn't go through her heart."

I did had he had instructed and woke up Mako, Bolin and Kuvira. It took them a few minutes to be able to feel their legs again. Kuvira helped me lift Korra up and I carried her up and out of the underground factory. She was heavy but manageable, and oh, so delicate. She winced at every wrong move I made with her and I ended up whispering apologies every five seconds until she eventually dozed off again. I made sure to watch her breathing as we continued on.

Once we reached the inside of my father's workshop, Korra reanimated again, her gaze falling on me.

"Asami..." she said, and I shushed her.

"Don't worry, we're almost out." I said. "Just rest. Before you know it, you'll be all bandaged up."

She smiled a little and breathed. "You...sure do know...how to...surprise me..."

I smiled as Kuvira placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her, then at Mako, then Bolin.

"Who knows what we'll be stepping into when we open that door." Kuvira said.

"Are you ready?" Bolin asked.

"After watching my father nearly kill Korra and finding out that he was the one behind all the ambushes trying to get me on his side, I think police and a possible few news reporters are the least I could ask for." I said, forcing a laugh.

"Here we go." Mako said, his hand on the door knob.

He pushed it open, and we were enveloped in flashing lights.

...

And that's the end of the story, besides the epilogue coming out in a few minutes or so. Thank you guys so much for joining me on this crazy ride, and I hope you'll continue to join me on the next one :) I hope to have the first chapter of the sequel up by next month, but I'll have to cram season two into my memory so wish me luck!

Thanks for reading!