Author's note:

Hello everyone! I just wanted to take the time to say a few things before proceeding to the next chapter. I would like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read and review my story. I greatly appreciate all of the wonderful comments and feedback you've given me. Just getting hits and favorites/follows means so much to me. I love you all so so much.

So, I suppose I have some explaining to do. Well, as many of you have noticed, I haven't posted in quite some time (two weeks, to be exact). I would like to be honest and tell you that no, this wasn't due to a writing block of any kind. All in all, the entirety of this installment in the Elements series (Chemistry) has been written and finished since my very first post about 56 days ago. This chapter I'm releasing now has been done since then, as well.

So, why the wait? A few reasons. One: I wanted to get some writing done on the second installment to this series (History). Mostly, though, I really wanted my readers to experience that feeling of separation that Korra and Asami are going through right now. Therefore, I waited two weeks to post the next (and final) chapter to this installment (so all of you who are reading this entire story after the daily posts lucked out!).

I would like to show my gratitude for everyone who has reviewed and messaged me wondering if everything is okay during this two week period. Everything is fine, no worries! I was just being "that person".

I would also like to inform you that the next part of this series, History, will be released in the upcoming weeks, so keep an eye out for it. Once I complete the fic and start posting it, I will also include a link at the end of this chapter so you know where to find it.

Finally, I would like to apologize for all of the feels I have given you, and all of the feels that are about to occur. I completely understand if you hate me after this.

Thank-you for reading and stay tuned for the next installment. ;-)

Chapter 43

Will you be alright?

"Where are you heading off to," he asked over his newspaper.

"I'm going to go have lunch with Korra." She swung the ring with her Satomobile key around her finger as she walked through the room.

Hiroshi lowered his periodical. "It's only been a few weeks, Asami. Don't you think you should give her some space?" He raised his paper once more to flip to another page. "There's a Satomobile in the workshop that could use some work if you –"

"I don't want to work on the Satomobile right now. I want to go see Korra." She leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, and bent her knee upward to rest the ball of her foot on the other side of the entryway. "We are just going to lunch, dad. It won't be long. We planned this ahead of time before I left." She pushed herself from the wall and walked across the kitchen. "Besides," she wrapped her arms around her father, "I want to work on the Satomobile with you, just like we used to when I was growing up. We can go over some of the protoypes and try installing that fuel transfer upgrade." Asami couldn't hide her excitement, given the designs were a result of her own creation. "Then, maybe we can play some Pai Sho? It's been so long since we've played. I'd offer to go to the Park to do it, but it's cold outside."

He chuckled. "That's true. Winter is certainly coming. I'm surprised it hasn't snowed yet."

"So what do you say? Satomobiles and Pai Sho when I get back? I'll make us some tea, too."

Hiroshi smiled. "Sure."

Asami tightened her hug. She motioned to leave when her father stopped her.

"Before you go, Asami, this came in the mail for you." He outstretched his arm. There was an elegant looking letter-sized envelope in his hand. "It's from the University."

She crossed the room once more and took the parcel from him, examining it between her fingers without opening it. There was a small amount of script before the address written on it: 'To Asami Sato, on Behalf of the University of the United Republic of Nations'. She flipped it over to find the seal of the college on the back and nothing more.

"It's probably just my grades for the semester. Thanks, dad."

"Of course. Be careful on your trip, Asami."

She turned towards the exit and grinned. "I'll be fine, dad. No worries. I'll be back soon, okay?"

He nodded and returned to his newspaper. He watched his daughter leave over the top of the page with careful eyes.

(-)

Asami tossed the letter into her glove compartment and drove through the City at illegal speeds. She was excited to see Korra again.

Maybe a little too excited.

Though it had been just two weeks, she found it difficult not to think of the Water Tribe girl at night. Her days were spent under the hoods and bodies of Satomobiles, training in her gym, and working beside her father at the Future Industries facility to get more firsthand experience with the business side of the company. But her nights – her nights were spent in an empty bed in what felt like an even emptier Mansion. She tried to keep her thoughts on the next day's work, but they would always find a way to flow back to Korra. She was as helpless to stop it as she had been over half a semester ago, during the first night that the Southerner had stayed at her university apartment. Even in her dreams, she managed to see the brunette, though the images that had passed through her subconscious for the past few days had been more like nightmares. This was enough to worry her into rushing over to the campus.

She took a deep breath and cracked the window of her vehicle as she cleared another block. The air was cold and crisp. There hadn't been a storm in days. The sky was clear of clouds and held a shade of blue not unlike the Bender's eyes.

Perfect winter driving weather.

The engineer floored the gas and rounded another corner. She passed by Republic City Park on her way to the college campus when a small group of people caught her eye. They were similar to the ones she'd seen in the past, rallying on the edge of the estate. Their banners were the same, but their numbers had increased. They wove their "Equality for Non-Benders" signs in the frigid air around a side-burned man – the exact one that had approached her and Korra a few weeks ago. She got caught at a red light and observed the group from afar. The people seemed peaceful enough. Just before the traffic signal changed color, she saw a trio of red-dressed men approach the group. The onset of an argument broadcasted through her windows, though their specific words were muffled. A burst of flame from one of the thugs sliced through the banner across the podium and the assemblers disbanded, most of which sprinting away in fear.

A honk behind her snapped her back to the road. She realized her hands were tight and quivering in anger around the steering wheel. She shook it off with a sigh and sped away towards the University of the United Republic of Nations.

(-)

Asami parked her Satomobile in the parking garage near her apartment and slid out of the door. A breeze of cold air crawled along her neck, prompting her to bundle the collar of her one-piece black and red coat closer. The half gears on her shoulder pads were prominent whenever she passed a beam of light sneaking into the structure. Her brown and black knee-high boots clicked against the pavement as she bustled through the lot. She dropped her key ring into the side pocket of her loose brown pants and rubbed her gloved hands together for warmth.

The heiress emerged from the garage and shielded her eyes from the sun. By the time her pupils adjusted, it was too late. A mass of white filled her sight and toppled her to the ground. Her back smacked hard upon contact with the concrete. She tried to roll away from whatever was on top of her, unable to open her lids from the onslaught across her cheeks. It took her a moment to realize that it wasn't hands that were holding her arms down, nor was it a fist hitting her face. It felt more like a –

Tongue?

"Naga! Naga, get down!" A deep male voice boomed in her ears.

Naga?

She cracked an eye open, now that the licking stopped, to find a large polar bear dog standing over her body. A tall man with shoulder-length hair and a medium-sized brown beard ran up to the pair. A much shorter woman followed behind him.

"Naga, get off of her! We don't attack strangers!" The man pulled the animal off of Asami and scorned her.

"Are you alright?" The woman bent down next to the engineer. Her eyes pale blue-grey eyes contrasted against her tan skin and dark brown locks, which were contained within thin, criss-crossed blue ties.

Asami blinked several times before rubbing her head with her now-free hand. "Yeah, I'm alright." She sat up and groaned from the sting in her back.

"We're so sorry about this. Naga has never attacked a stranger like that before." The man extended a hand to the raven. She caught his multilayered blue wardrobe, complete with a fur-lined pelt around his waist, before locking onto his eyes.

She took the palm in front of her and allowed the man to pull her to her feet. "It's fine. She didn't really attack me so much as she licked me." Asami rubbed the saliva off of her face with the back of her gloves.

"She licked you?"

The older pair turned to the polar bear dog, who was panting behind them. Her massive tail bounced off of the pavement in excitement.

"That's odd, Tonraq. She's never licked a stranger before."

"This is true. We passed plenty of people on our way here, and she didn't even look in their direction."

"Excuse me," Asami interrupted their verbal contemplation, "are you Korra's parents?"

The couple faced the engineer with confusion in their eyes.

"Yes, we are." Tonraq replied before examining the heiress closer. "Who are you, may I ask?"

"My name's Asami." She offered her hand to the Water Tribe Warrior.

"Ah, Asami! Of course!" He gave her a firm shake. "Korra has told me a lot about you." He released her palm and shifted towards his wife. "Asami, this is my wife, Senna, and Korra's mom."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." The older woman responded with a short bow.

"And if you couldn't already tell, this is Naga, Korra's polar bear dog." Tonraq pointed with his thumb over his shoulder.

Naga barked and wedged between the couple. She licked Asami's cheek once more, earning a giggle from the engineer.

"Hello, Naga." She scratched behind the animal's ear. The polar bear dog closed her eyes and pushed her head into Asami's fingers for more.

This must be where Korra gets it from.

Korra's parents exchanged a look as they observed the two.

"So where's Korra?" Asami asked, pulling their attention away.

"She should be waiting for us in her dorm. At least, that's what we figured, from her last letter."

"We just got into the City today." Senna added, addressing the confusion in the raven's peridots.

"Wow, I didn't realize the Southern Water Tribe was so far away. Korra told me you left weeks ago."

"We had a bit of a late start. We departed about a week later than expected and ran into trouble getting up here from that storm a few days ago. Usually, it only takes a few days if we go by sail and don't Water Bend the boat to go faster. But we took a Fire Nation vessel up, so it should have been even faster with their engines. That nasty storm did quite a bit of damage, though. We had to hold off to help the people in the Southern Water Tribe before we left. Was Republic City hit, too?"

Asami nodded, a bit of disbelief in her expression.

They aren't related, are they?

She shook her internal head, concluding that the possibility of correlation wasn't there, from a logical standpoint. "It was quite the downpour. I'm surprised it hasn't started snowing, though. We usually don't have such a long window between the weather changes." She held her chin in thought before dropping the matter. "Anyways, do you need help getting to Korra's dorm? I was just heading there myself."

"That would be wonderful, Asami. Thank-you." The Water Tribe woman smiled.

"Come on, Naga – " Tonraq reached for the base of the animal's triangular harness only to receive a growl from the polar bear dog. Naga brought her attention back to the engineer and nudged her chest with her nose. "I think she might smell Korra on you. She's missed her a lot." He brushed his hands together. "Come on, Naga. We're going to go see Korra."

The polar bear dog barked and jumped around the trio several times in excitement. She pushed herself next to Asami and refused to leave her side. The Water Tribe pair glanced at each other before trailing behind the raven.

(-)

"This area looks familiar. We must be close." Tonraq murmured to his wife as the group approached the college campus border closest to Korra's dorm. "Naga, you're going to have to wait here with Senna."

Naga whined and dropped her head.

"It'll just be for a few minutes. Asami and Tonraq are going to go get Korra, and you aren't allowed on campus, remember?"

The animal slumped to the ground and huffed. She shot the engineer a begging look.

And that's where Korra gets that look from. They really are polar bear puppy dog eyes.

"Don't worry, Naga. We'll be right back." Asami scratched behind the polar bear dog's ear, a soft spot in her heart. She lifted her head and licked the engineer's glove.

"Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine, Tonraq. Besides, there's a hydrant at the corner if I need it."

Asami raised an eyebrow and glimpsed between the two before putting it together.

Right. Water Benders.

"I'm sure you won't need it. We'll only be a few minutes. I wouldn't be surprised if Korra doesn't run out of her dorm once we get to the walkway. I'm sure she's been expecting us for a while." Tonraq smiled at his wife before addressing the heiress. "Let's go."

(-)

Asami knocked on the Southerner's door several times, already annoyed at the hassle it took to even get there. Though the guards let Tonraq through without question, they had fostered subtle glares towards the engineer. She heard them mention something about an escort in a low voice before finally letting her through. She banged again, somewhat impatient. "Korra? It's Asami. Your dad's here, too. Korra?" She tapped the wood again to no avail. The pair exchanged a worried look.

"Maybe she's sleeping."

She shook her head. "She would have heard us. She's a light sleeper." She pulled two pins from her hair and fiddled with the lock in the door handle.

"What are you –"

The latch clicked upon a twist of her hands and she turned the knob before he could finish his question. She pushed the door open and slipped the metal back into her tress, which was restrained by a blue clip instead of her usual yellow one. "Korra?" Asami asked as she entered the room.

Nothing.

Tonraq followed and shut the door behind him. He scanned the dorm as the raven checked the bathroom.

"Korra?"

Nothing.

She rejoined the Water Tribe man in the main room, hands to her chest.

Korra.

"Maybe she went to the gym." Asami speculated.

Please.

Tonraq stepped forward and bent down to examine the space under Korra's bed.

Her heart raced. She noticed the Bender's gym clothes in a pile on the floor. They were in the same spot as the last time she was here, just before they left for their chemistry final. She took a breath. "Or maybe she went to the library to get some more history books, or the Dining Center for some late breakfast." Her ponderings were turning into mere attempts at fueling her denial and desperation.

Why would she go to the Dining Center when she knows that we were going out to lunch?

Maybe she mixed the dates up. Or maybe she forgot.

No way. She was too excited for me to meet Naga and her parents to forget. It was her idea, after all.

What if something bad happened? What if she never made it back to her dorm when I left two weeks ago?

"I don't think that's the case, Asami." Tonraq was on his hands and knees under Korra's bed. "Some of her things are missing." He rose and riffled through her dresser. "I helped her pack when she came up here for the start of her first semester. We had two large bags with clothes, pelts, a few small weapons…" He shut the drawer and rested his arms on the top, his forehead in his hand.

Why would –

Asami looked around the dorm. Korra's parka had vanished, as well as one of the light blue carriers under her bed. Several of her books and papers remained next to the other empty bag.

No, no, no –

She dropped to her knees and rifled underneath Korra's bed, as if all of her things were actually just hidden behind the others, or stored in some secret compartment on the floor, or somewhere there, just beyond her eye's reach. Her panicked searching resulted in nothing new being found, other than an impressive amount of lint in the corner.

She can't be.

Tonraq slid out of the way when she bolted to the dresser and tore the drawers open, one by one. Each was half empty.

It can't be true.

Her hands were shaking against the furniture.

It can't…

She bit her tongue to hold back the tears at the realization. Unlike the last time this type of thing happened, this blow was much more devastating. She still didn't know what she was going to do at the moment, but she knew exactly how she felt; there was no confusion about it, nothing to ponder the possibilities to and through, not a single thing to consider. She took a deep breath.

Why? Why…

She ran her fingers across the mattress beside her, which was bare without the brunette's light pelt on top of it. That part of the engineer that she was missing, that felt so empty when she lay in her bed at night in her Estate, despite her efforts to push away such loneliness; that piece was actually missing now. It was out of her reach. Her heart ached. Asami didn't want to believe it, but it was staring her right in the face:

Korra was gone.