Together Ahead

Story 3: Compassion

Teaser: What's troubling Korra so much this late at night that she'd give up time in bed with Asami?

X-X-X

Something felt off. Everything had been so nice when Asami had fallen asleep. Korra had dragged her away from her desk, and tempted her into bed with the prospect of some sweet cuddle-time, and Asami had drifted off to sleep with a huge smile on her face. But right now, she felt that... Hmm. Where was Korra?

The first time she'd woken up, Korra had retrieved Asami from piles of paperwork to the comforts of bed and sleep. The second time? Images and visions of past battles, fighting to control her. Korra had to carefully remove herself from Asami, replacing the space she left with her pillow, hoping to return shortly. The Avatar didn't go far. Finding a space on the floor, she took a seat, lightly pressed her fists together, and took a deep breath. If the images and memories wanted to resurface, then it was time to meditate on them once more.

Asami's eyes slowly peeled open. Korra was definitely gone from the bed. Her heart fell just a bit at this, but she pushed any worrisome thoughts from her mind. Korra had a good reason; she was sure of that. The room was still pretty dark, so it wasn't morning yet. Perhaps Korra just had to use the washroom in the middle of the night. Pulling a few blankets up around Korra's pillow to better fill the new void in front of her chest, Asami closed her eyes and decided to give her girlfriend some time to return.

Eventually though, it dawned on Asami that Korra was taking far too long for simply using the washroom. Had she gone back to her own room? It was possible, but it didn't seem likely. It was probably worth Asami checking to see what was up, just in case. Asami untangled herself from the blankets and shifted her legs over the side of the bed, then sat up. As she did, she caught sight of Korra sitting on the floor nearby, meditating.

Focus on what happened. Acknowledge that you couldn't control the outcome. Learn to accept what was lost. Korra paced herself through each memory, feeling the emotions swirl through her and not letting them throw her off balance. She redirected them, channeling her strength by staying calm. A blanket of warmth suddenly washed over her. Korra felt extremely peaceful. The last of those memories began to fade into the distance, azure eyes slowly blinking open, and she became aware of where she was again. Getting to her feet, Korra turned around with intentions of getting back into bed for sleep, when she spotted one Asami Sato sitting up, watching her. "Oh, um, did I wake you?" she said.

Asami shook her head slowly. "Not exactly. Though I think the lack of you might have awoken me. But don't worry about it, Korra." Asami reached a hand out to Korra, beckoning her girlfriend to rejoin her in bed. "May I ask though, what were you meditating on?"

"My past," she said as she took a seat on the bed, taking Asami's hand in her own and giving it a squeeze. "The visions surface sometimes, but I think they're getting less frequent now. I can get through them a lot easier." She offered her girlfriend a small smile.

Asami nodded at this. She gave Korra's hand a soft squeeze. "Do you want to talk about it?" she said. She looked over into Korra's eyes, giving her girlfriend a supportive smile. Korra looked like she was doing alright now, but there did seem to be some barely-concealed vulnerability in her features.

In most situations, Korra probably have turned that offer down. But she knew where she was and who she was with, and it provided a sense of safety and comfort that she couldn't get anywhere else. "I had a dream about Kuvira. About the battle in Republic City, and our confrontation in the Spirit Wilds, leading up to the new Spirit Portal. I began to wonder if punishing her would do more harm than good. Then my past encounters began resurfacing. I couldn't sleep through that. So I meditated on them."

"I see..." Asami said. She took a slow breath, then reached her free hand out to take Korra's other hand in hers. She held both of the Avatar's hands as she looked into Korra's eyes. "You really are a compassionate person, Korra. It's one of the things I love most about you. I honestly doubt I could be nearly as compassionate towards Kuvira if I were in your place."

Her eyes held a hint of sadness underneath the calm demeanor she wore. "It's something I had to learn," Korra said. "If I had been the same person I was when I came to Republic City and fought Kuvira, I wouldn't have overcome all those things that made me into a better person. And I wouldn't have been able to help Kuvira. I don't think it's right that she should be locked away. She was only doing right by her country when no one else would. And in that quest for unity, she became lost in it." Her hands squeezed Asami's. "When we were in the Spirit World, I didn't see Kuvira as the Great Uniter, or even an enemy. I saw a lost little girl who was trying to reunite her family in any way she could."

Asami was silent for a long while. She had to let her gaze drop, looking downward. She took a few deep breaths before she finally spoke. "If Kuvira had stopped with the Earth Kingdom, I might be able to agree with you, Korra. But she didn't. She had to attack Republic City as well, where few people living there now were even alive when it was last Earth Kingdom territory. Do you have any idea how many people died because of that decision?" Asami's eyes closed, tears pushing their way outward at the thought of her father's sacrifice to defend Republic City.

Korra's heart sank at this realization, but also because of who else was lost in that battle. "I do, and I can't ever forget that. I'm sorry Asami." Korra pulled Asami to her, removing her hands from her girlfriend's in order to wrap her arms around the older woman's waist. She rested her chin on Asami's shoulder. "I don't expect you to ever agree with me. I know how much he meant to you."

Asami's body tensed up. Korra's words helped a little, but not enough. "Korra..." she said. She debated for a long while on whether or not to speak her mind. Was this really worth it? ...Yes. Korra was the Avatar. She had to be the champion of all people, not just those she knew. Asami shook her head and pulled back. "I'm sorry, Korra. It's not just about my father. I know you feel compassion for Kuvira, because you know enough about her to understand her... but what about the people who died because of her? You may not know them, but they deserve compassion just as much. And I don't know if it's truly being compassionate toward them if the person responsible for their deaths isn't punished."

This was where things got difficult for Korra. Asami had some very valid points, and Korra had to acknowledge them. But Korra was only one person, even as the Avatar, and so she could only do so much before it started to stretch her ability to offer what she could too thin. Looking Asami directly in the eyes, Korra said, "You're right. I do need to be compassionate to them. But I can't do everything, Asami. Yet I can't discount their lives, because then I would be turning away from who they were." She paused for a moment, contemplating her next approach. Her thoughts were getting pretty muddled, and she wasn't really sure if she was making sense. "When I meditate on my past memories, I try to get to the root cause of each event. It helps me understand. If I don't help the central reason of what happened here, I cannot help everyone else that was affected."

Asami closed her eyes for a minute. "Maybe I can help, then," she said at last. This was going to be tough, but it needed to be said. She opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "At the time he died, Korra, I loved my father, and I forgave him for the ways he wronged me, even including the fact that he once tried to kill me. But it's not my position to forgive him for how he wronged everyone else. Because of his support for the Equalists, they were able to cause many more deaths than they otherwise could. Just like you with Kuvira, I understand him and how he got to where he was. But that understanding doesn't mean he shouldn't be punished for what he did.

"In the end, if he were alive now..." Asami said. She closed her eyes again, but tears still managed to push their way past her closed eyelids as she spoke, "...if he hadn't been asked to help defend Republic City, and didn't die for it... then as much as I hate it, it would be right for him to still be in prison. His crimes weren't just against me, and Kuvira's crimes weren't just against her family."

This time, she understood. Korra sighed softly. "When you put it that way... I guess I just don't know what to do. I feel like helping Kuvira would bring some kind of peace... but maybe that would just be more for myself and not exactly for those she wronged." She groaned in frustration. "I don't really know what to do." One thing was for certain: she absolutely hated seeing Asami cry. Korra brought her hands up and gently wiped those tears away, trying to provide some kind of comfort to her girlfriend.

Asami nodded weakly. "It's... it's alright, Korra. You may be the Avatar, but you're still just one person. No one expects you to have all the answers. The world is too large for even you to solve it all. So..." Asami opened her eyes now, gazing back at Korra. She felt her love's hand cup her cheek, and she leaned into it. "Let's figure it out together. You, me... the rest of the world if needed. It's our problem, not just yours."

A sense of relief washed over Korra. Over the years she'd learned to rely more and more on Asami for things even she didn't understand. Just knowing her girlfriend had her back took some of the weight off her shoulders. A small smile made its way to her lips and, feeling bold, she leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against Asami's. It was comforting, reassuring, and it was loving, all wrapped up in one.

Asami let out a soft whimper as she felt Korra's lips touch hers. Her eyes fell closed again, and she decided to simply let herself melt. With all the complications in the world, it was so amazing to know that one thing was finally, absolutely right.

Asami's arms slipped around Korra's back. She held Korra gently, and she pushed forward into the kiss. Her lips opened up just a bit, moving slowly against Korra's, feeling them, tasting them. Yes. This was right.

A sense of peace washed over Korra as easily as air in her lungs. Never had she felt so happy and complete. And she felt a shared strength through their connected lips, calming the both of them. Korra made a mental note to try this a little more frequently. At last she withdrew, blue eyes meeting green. "I love you, Asami," she said, feeling unbridled warmth fill her chest.

Pure happiness spread across Asami's face as she heard these words. The warmth in her chest was almost unbearable. She reached her hands down to take Korra's. She gave them a soft squeeze as she replied, "I love you too, Korra."

Lacing their fingers together, Korra squeezed Asami's hands back. Unable to tear herself away from her love, her smile grew into a grin, and eventually she started laughing. Seeing that quizzical look on her girlfriend's face, Korra decided to humor her. "That smile of yours is really contagious~"

At this, Asami let out a laugh as well. "As is your laughter," she said once her laughs had calmed down a bit. She gave Korra another smile, and then said, "Would you like to join me in bed once more?"

Korra nodded, right before she let out a yawn. "I think I like that idea." There was no hesitation; Korra wasn't going to even consider leaving now. This was where she was most comfortable.

Asami smiled warmly at her girlfriend. She leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on Korra's cheek, then moved back. She lay back down on the bed, making room for Korra to join, and then reached out a hand to her love.

Korra never lost eye contact with Asami, even as she was getting back under the blanket. She let out a soft hum as Asami wrapped her arms around her and pulled her closer. "Thanks for -yawn- letting me stay here."

Asami couldn't help but smile at this cute display from Korra. "I wouldn't have it any other way," she said. She leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on the tip of Korra's nose. "Goodnight, Korra. Sleep well."