Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

CHAPTER SEVEN: PERSUASIONS

Korra leaned against a tree, gasping for breath. She had run quite the long distance once she had reached land, sure that the guards were still after her. Curiously, they weren't.

Only now did she realize the full extent of what she had done. A jailbreak—what had she been thinking? No, she hadn't been thinking. She lived in the now, and didn't worry about consequences until they came. Because of that, she would probably never be able to go back to Republic City without being behind bars for the rest of her life, or worse—did they use the death penalty?

But nevertheless, she probably wouldn't be able to see her friends again, too. Mako, Bolin, Asami—

Asami. Korra had never stopped to think about her, what she was going through. Of course, she was most definitely angry at Korra, for she didn't know about Raava. But still, Korra couldn't get over the fact that this whole time, she hadn't given a single thought about the woman. She was probably in a situation as rough as Korra's.

Korra turned around and stared at the skyline of Republic City. Going from being its hero to not even being able to step foot in it was quite the undesirable change.

#####

"What do you mean, she escaped?"

President Raiko stood up from behind his desk, facing Beifong.

"She caught us by surprise," the woman confessed. "We were taking her back to her cell, and she melted her handcuffs and hit her escorts against the wall with gusts of wind."

"And where did she go?"

"We don't know. We stopped chasing her once we reached the water."

"What?" Raiko snarled. "You just let her go?"

Beifong didn't quail under his gaze. Instead, she said, "Her coming back is quite unlikely. I—"

"Unlikely?" the president thundered. "Do you forget who we're dealing with? Korra is the epitome of unpredictable, Beifong. She even caught you by surprise!"

"I acknowledge that," Beifong replied. "But it seems rash, even for her, to show her face here again."

"She burned down a factory, Beifong! And she attacked one of her friends in broad daylight on the streets! Is coming back rash compared to that?"

Beifong remained silent.

Raiko stood up and began, "Beifong, I want—"

And he froze, mouth open. Outside, guards were paused in midstride. Beifong blinked.

White fog accumulated in the corner of the room. After a while, it took the shape of a glowing white squid-like spirit.

"Raava," Beifong said, lacking any emotion.

Beifong. I have come to tell you, Korra did not do those crimes.

Beifong's eyes narrowed. "Then who did?"

Me, the spirit said simply.

"Oh, I see what it is," Beifong snipped. "Korra told you to come and persuade me that she was right, that you did it. I've never seen a spirit of light corrupted so easily."

Beifong, don't be foolish. Would I really do that for a criminal? Raava said.

"Well, it certainly seems like you are," Beifong replied.

I'm not. Look around you, at the people frozen in time. I did the same trick with Korra while you were interrogating her and confessed to her what I had done.

"Why should I believe you?"

Did Korra make any movements that happened in the blink of an eye?

"Why..." A memory of Korra, instantaneously going from standing to sitting, swam up from the depths of Beifong's thoughts. "Why, yes, she did."

Now do you believe me?

Beifong wasn't sure if she should believe Raava. "Not entirely," she admitted. "I saw Korra attack the factory, not you. Is what she said true, about you...'using' her?

Yes.

"But why would you do such a thing?"

Through Korra, I saw the river running by that woman's factory that was extremely polluted. I rather lost control of myself. I wasn't aware that Korra didn't know about me doing these things until the interrogation. Raava sunk lower to the ground.

"You are aware that you will have to pay the consequences, spirit or no?" Beifong asked.

Yes, Raava repeated after a moment's silence.

#####

"—you to track her down! I don't feel that this city is safe with her on the loose."

"No," Beifong said.

"What?" Raiko asked, shocked.

"Korra didn't do it."

"What makes you say that, especially after you were saying for so long that she's guilty?"

"I had a chat with Raava," Beifong explained. "She cleared everything up."

"What—but—how—?" Raiko spluttered, dumbfounded. "You can't have had a chat in the space of a second!"

"The point is," Beifong continued, "she's not guilty."

"You saw her destroy that factory!" Raiko exclaimed. "How can she not be responsible?"

"Raava was using her."

"You know full well that this is nonsense!" Raiko said. "Has it occurred to you that Korra may have sent her?"

"It has."

"Then how do you know she told the truth?"

"She provided me with sufficient reasons to believe her," Beifong snapped.

Raiko's mind was in turmoil. Surely Beifong would not lie to him; she was one of his most trusted advisors. But still, how could she talk to Raava in the space of a second? Never mind that, Raava was a spirit, she could probably do such things.

"So be it," he said. "I shall remove Korra of her criminal status."

Beifong nodded and turned to walk away. She only took reached the doorway when Raiko called, "Oh, and Beifong, I just want to tell you..."

"Yes?" Beifong whipped her head around.

Your services have been very much appreciated. The date is fast approaching"—Raiko motioned to the calendar hanging on the wall—"where I leave office."

Beifong's lips twitched in a brief smile. "It's been a pleasure serving you." And with that, she strode out the door.