11. Insight
He had never felt more alone.
Sitting, strapped again, to the wall. He had begged Suyin and Lin to do it, to keep him away from everyone. Asami and Mako sat with him, they would peek at him from the corner of their eyes every few moments. Wing and Wei stood across from him, both had been oblivious to the entire ordeal with Kai, using their holiday time to explore the game chambers throughout the temple. Huan was keeping the multitudes of the air bender children and various others distracted with an art class in another part of the temple. Bolin had a stare that Kai thought would burn through his forehead, he loved Kai, but he loved Opal too. No one knew that Bú Yi got Opal, they all thought it was Kai. He didn't want to speak, he couldn't tell if he was still possessed, he was sure he was.
He had never been in more emotional or mental pain.
He wondered how Opal had found him, she had ditched the others and pursued Kai alone. Why did she do that? How did she know? He vaguely remembered them talking about their favourite places in and around the temple, Kai thought he must have spoken about crafts. He let out an inaudible sigh of sadness, Bolin's eyes tightened, Kai had never seen him like this.
He didn't blame him.
His fingers her sticky with Jinora's blood, and he was sure he would vomit at any moment. Korra and Kya were behind the doors with Jinora and Opal, they were trying their hardest. Lin could see Kai's internal struggle to place events, she stood before him and spoke softly, "When we arrived, we saw Opal on the ground." Kai looked up from under his matted hair, his vision being interfered with forming tears, "She said she knew where you were and left without telling us, she was too quick. When we found you, she was on the ground, you were swiping at air." Kai looked down briefly, before reconnecting with her steely gaze. "Jinora ran for you, you were getting close to the brink of the plateau. She almost had you, she called out your name, and your thrust the blade into her."
That was it for Kai, Lin released him from the wall as he vomited, he fell to his knees. His arms almost giving out under him, everyone watched him as he tried to recover himself. "Were you possessed when you attacked Opal?" Lin said loudly, Kai wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"N-no-"
"Were you possessed when you stabbed Jinora?" Lin growled.
"You attacked Opal without possession?!" Wei yelled, almost over the top of his aunt, Wing held his arms as his brother thrust himself towards Kai.
"No! I wasn't possessed-"
"You harmed them by your own free will?!" Bolin was shocked, pushing himself from the wall and standing over Kai.
"No-" Kai tried again.
"Why did you choose to harm them?" Lin asked curtly.
"I didn-"
"Why are you trying against your own nation?!" Mako barked.
"WILL YOU LET HIM FINISH A FUCKING SENTENCE?!" Asami suddenly yelled, "He has tried to explain himself multiple times and you all keep cutting him off!"
"You are taking his side? He could have just killed two of your friends!" Wei yelled.
"Let. Him. Finish." She growled, her jaw was set stubbornly, anyone who was looking at her knew it was a habit she must have picked up from Korra. Everyone was silence for a while, glancing at each other and then all turning to Lin.
"Speak, kid." Lin said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Kai drew a shaky breath, he wasn't sure if he would be sick again, he tested himself, "I-" he sighed again, he felt like he would be okay, "I wasn't possessed, because Bú Yi attacked Opal, I tried to harm him, and when he appeared in front of me, I thought I stabbed him, no-not Jin-Jinor-" he was violently sick again. The vomiting had forced the tears from his eyes, he tried to look at Asami, the only person who seemed to care for him at this time, "I thought I got it, it tricked me."
Asami spoke softly, "You weren't trying to hurt anyone?"
"Never." He whispered, "I thought sacrificing myself, would save everyone else." He dug his nails into the stones on the floor, "I just wanted to keep everyone safe." Like Yue.
"Well, you failed at that," Lin said harshly, no one heard the door open, "We'll just have to wait unt-"
"Kai!" Opal's voice cut through the room, having just burst from behind the closed doors, she dropped to her knees and held her partner. He was so relieved she was okay, his arms hesitantly closed around her, "I tried to scream! I-I-" she started sobbing against his shoulder, "I saw the spirit form as Jinora ran towards you. I c-couldn't speak, I sa-saw the whol-whole thing."
"Jin-nora?" he managed to get out, he couldn't explain the emotions that crashed over him, someone is still here for me.
"I d-don't kno-ow." She pulled back, holding him at arm's length. "The p-pain? You have been end-enduring that for how lo-long?" she said, the tears were still rolling down her cheeks. Kai avoided her gaze, she bit into her lip, "There w-was nothing I-I have ever felt like i-it. I thought I had been b-burnt, o-or stabbed. You have been like t-this for days? W-weeks?" Kai still didn't answer her, "We will get them, Kai." She finally whispered, taking a deep breath to steady her shaking voice, "They will pay."
"You saw the spirit?" Suyin asked softly, watching the two interact. She had been in with Opal and Jinora as Kya and Korra worked over them, she left the room to Tenzin, Ikki and Pema. Not wanting to be hanging around while everyone needed to be focusing on Jinora.
"Yes." Opal said, "It was messing with Kai, forcing him towards the cliff!" everyone looked between themselves, "It-it was huge! And ugly! How could you have not seen it?"
Everyone was silent, Kai was confused, Opal saw it. She knows what it looks like, but she didn't see it attack me? "When did you first see it?" he whispered.
"After the pain, when it left my body." She mumbled, the memory was like a scar now.
"Y-you couldn't see it attacking me before?" he said softly. Opal was confused by Kai's analysis on her visual contact with Bú Yi, she thought hard. She remembered seeing Kai's body being thrown across the ground by an invisible force. She remembered the pain that caused her to drop to the ground as she tried to lift Kai, the unfriendly blackness and abruptly being bought back as a strange creature emerged from her chest.
"It was like, it opened my eyes to its own existence." She mumbled back.
Kai understood, "You… You can only see it if it has possessed you."
…
Jinora sighed, feeling her body twitching slightly. She didn't recall much of what had happened, but she remembered rushing forward as a spirit materialized in front of him, she immediately knew who it was. Then there was black and all went cold for a long time, she began to hear voices, frantically telling her not to die, is that what I am doing? Dying? My poor parents, and what about Kai?! I hope they are all okay! She was beginning to upset herself, she took a deep breath, any spirits picking up on her energy would be alarming anyone in the physical world. She thought of her loved ones.
The voices became clearer, and the memories came back to her piece by piece. She remembered the pain in her lower chest, the warmth of her blood, and the coolness of his fingers. She waited for the face to form in her mind, she felt light enter her eyes as they fluttered open, the pain was much worse now and the realisation crashed into her like a bucket of water. "KAI?!" she screamed as she thrust herself into a sitting position, she gasped as she threw her hand over her sternum, putting pressure on the severe pain.
"JINORA?!" came his voice from behind the doors.
She tried to push herself from the table, but Korra and Tenzin held her tightly, Kya still manipulating the water around her hands. "Jinora, sweetie, you can't go out there yet." Kya said gently.
"I have to see him!" she yelled, knocking her aunt's hands, the glowing water fell to the floor, "Kai?!"
She heard something land against the outside of the door, "Jinora! I am sorry! Forgive me, please!"
"Are you okay?!" she yelled, still fighting against her father and Korra as they pushed her back down onto the table to allow Kya to finish healing her, "Please say you are okay!"
From the other side of the door, Kai had his forehead pressed to the solid wood, and his palm against the grain, "I-I am fine. It-it is still in m-me, Jinora." He sniffed as he lowered to his knees, still leaving his head and hand on the door. There was no answer, Kai began to become restless, "Jin-Jinora?" still no answer, "JINORA?! Answer me please!" stood and begin shaking the door knob, "Jinora! I am sorry! Don't go!" Lin and Bumi stepped forward and grabbed his arms, pulling him from the door, "Let me go! Jin-"
"She is fine, Kai!" Kya yelled through the door, "I needed to calm her so I can finish healing her, she will be fine!"
"Tenzin," Kai cried out, "I am sorry! I don't want to harm the airbenders! I love her! I am sor-sorry."
"Hold still, Kai." Bumi said softly, as he placed pressure on the back of his neck, Kai's body slumped as he made him fall unconscious, Lin caught him, "Let's get him cleaned up… Come on, Bolin, help me."
…
Korra concentrated on the sound of the winds, the sounds of the distant storms and the sound of Asami's breathing. She was meditating, and with a dark spirit around, nobody wanted her to be left alone. She had left Kya to Jinora once they agreed that she would be perfectly fine, they were thankful the knife was so fine. It left only the tiniest scar that Kya decided to spend more time on, as well as Jinora's internally injuries. Korra would have been willing to help with that too, but the healers knew that too many hands can create distractions and mistakes.
She had decided that if anyone could tell them more about who or what they are up against, it would be the spirits. Korra sighed as she opened her eyes to the spirit world, the bright purple flowers in the meadow and the blue and yellow sky was clear. Almost immediately, there were hundreds of spirits surrounding her with excitement. She smiled and greeted them all, listening to them bicker and chat about what had happened since they were last visited by Korra and her girlfriend. "It is wonderful to see you all." Korra smiled hesitantly, not wanting the spirits to think she wasn't interested in their stories.
"Is there something on your mind, Avatar?" one of the small spirit chirped.
"Is it something we can help you with?" Another hissed, it was tall and had many legs.
"I hope you and the Lady Asami are well!" one screeched with an expression of worry.
"Ha! She belongs with the firebender anyway!" this one was short and colourful, with lots of sharp teeth and a tuff of pink hair.
A peacock-looking spirit appeared to be outraged by the comment, "What are you chittering about you imbecile! It is obvious that she and the engineer are meant for each other!"
"What did you just call me?!" it shouted.
"An imbecile, you walnut!"
A ladybird crossed with a blue cat purred, "I like the lavabender, he was so sweet."
"The earthbender is the firebender's sibling! That would be outrageous for her to date both brothers!"
"Didn't stop the current Chief Beifong!" a bird-like spirit snickered, a few made noises that Korra thought resembled laughter. She raised an eyebrow at them all.
"I liked the original Beifong and the Fire Lord!" a huge spirit that looked like a red rose with the body of a blue snake spoke loudly, "What was his name? Kanto?"
"No, no, no!" two said in synchrony, the two heads coming from one body, "That was his codename so they could meet without rumours! His real name was Zuko. Firelord Zuko."
Korra smiled widely as she raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Beifong is part Fire Nation?! No wonder she gets so heated…"
"That is old news!" the initial spirit that started the whole debate said loudly, "We are discussing Avatar Korra and Mako or Asami!"
"Why can't she have both?" a tall thin one chuckled, it's deep voice rumbled.
"No, remember the last Avatar to have two love interests?" a tiny spirit peeped, "Can somebody spell 'disaster'?"
"'D', 'I', 'S', 'A'-" one started, thinking really hard.
"I was joking, you dim-witted-"
"Wow, there are no secrets with you guys around…" Korra smirked, they all seemed to have ignored her, still arguing about who they like more. She was growing a little impatient, needing to get down to business.
"I liked Avatar Aang and Master Katara." A purple-tailed spirit said.
"Roku and Ta Min were wonderful together."
"Oh, oh! Warrior Suki and Chief Sokka." Its twin squeaked.
"Mako!"
"Asami!"
"What about General Iroh?!"
"Opal!" everyone looked at the spirit that had just yelled out Opal's name, "What? She is pretty… By human standards." All the spirits sighed and chittered, arguing with each other and trying to make sure their own points were heard.
Korra pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed deeply, "Listen, everyone… As much as I appreciate my love life and the love lives of those before me being discussed by three-quarters of the spirit world, I have something serious to ask." All the spirits looked at each other before nodding for Korra to continue, "What does the name 'Bú Yi' mean to any of you?" it was almost instantly most of the spirits yelped in terror and evaporated, "Wait! Don't go!" Korra said.
Only two remained by the time name settled over the meadow, the rose-headed snake and the two-headed spirit that were discussing Chief Toph and Firelord Zuko, the snake looked hardly phased while the little two-headed bird looked horrified that Korra had even spoken that name. "Bú Yi is the spirit or betrayal and disloyalty, which is what its name means." The snake hissed, "But you knew that."
"W-why did they all leave?" Korra asked, looking around her.
"He is very dangerous, and as equally feared. Once it has had established fulltime possession over a human or spirit once, it will always have a way to regain possession with supreme ease." The two-headed spirit nervously ducked behind the snake, "Of course, we were stunned when he took over a second human being. It creates a weaker hold over both, balancing its power between the victims." It said offhandedly, glancing down at the small spirit as it tripped over his tail. His rose-like face huffed a laugh and helped it back to his feet, the petals moving to reveal a makeshift smile, Korra was caught in what he had just said.
"It was terrible that he attacked Opal, I should have headed back to the temple earlier. I could have been there in time…" A horrible thought came across Korra, what if by attacking her, it now has the same kind of possession over her?! I need to get back and get her and Kai away from everyone!
Both spirits, one with its singular head and the other with its two, exchange a concerned look, Korra could have almost laughed at how they looked so different, yet had similar expressions. "I apologise Avatar, but what name did you say?"
"Opal." She said suddenly very anxious, "Bú Yi took over Kai, then he attacked Opal… Do you think it could be possessing her?! Like Kai…" she looked at the spirits, looking sceptically at the Avatar. She was sounding more and more cautious towards the end of her outburst, "Didn't he?"
"Avatar, Bú Yi only has possession over two human beings, the one he surprised us with by taking over, was the airbending boy, Kai." The rose-headed spirit said slowly, as if Korra hadn't listened to a single thing they had discussed.
"So, Opal is okay?" she sighed in relief, but then her brow furrowed in confusion, "I-if Kai was the second? Who was the first?"
"His name is Mewua." The two-headed spirit said, both beaks moving in synchrony.
"However, since Bú Yi has started to reside within him, answers to 'Master'."
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This is not the last chapter, I have decided to break it into three parts. One tonight, one Thursday and the final on Friday. So, really, the final chapter is still coming this week, just on Friday...