Reunion Pt. 1
Pema's knife dug into Korra's flesh ignoring Korra's tired fingers that tried to pry the her off.
'Futile.' Korra thought. 'It's all so futile.'
Suddenly Pema stiffened and the knife inching across her throat halted. Korra's eyes trailed upward curiously. Pema's head had jerked back powerfully with a hard snap. A long arrow now sat extended from her throat like a birds perch on a cuckoo clock.
The clamor of approaching horse hooves filtered to Korra's ears as Pema raised her dagger, the pungent call of death not able to overpower her will to protect her children.
Kai nock a second arrow, aligned his shot and released the string. He winced as the string ricocheted backwards and skinned some of his soft flesh.
His arrow sailed true gently spiraling as it arched and embed itself in Pema's chest. The weight and velocity took her off her feet and lay her out on her back.
Pema coughed, sputtering as if she were trying to swallow the heavy flow of blood rushing out of her body. Hiccupping to a halt her gurgling ceased and her heart gave its hand to death. Korra knew the clock was still ticking. She'd simply fallen unconscious. Her brain would go on, dividing itself like a submarine as a last stitch effort to retain oxygen. It wouldn't be enough though.
Once that organ died she'd turn and become an undead.
Korra moved across the dirt on her stomach, her body too injured for her to even stand. Sloppily, feeling dizziness settle in, she stole the dagger from Pema's hand.
"I'm sorry." She whispered to the woman's wide eyes. Korra mustered her strength and jammed the blade into Pema's body. Her precision severed the bundle of nerves connecting the spinal cord to the skull and eradicated the possibility that Pema would become a mindless undead.
Again, she whispered to the woman her own consciousness fading, "I'm so sorry."
Korra jerked awake, her eyes hurriedly surveyed the room for danger.
She lay in a bed. Her fingers folded around the linen sheets that were so crisp to the touch. Looking down she wore a black shirt with a red gear, Sato Industries. In the corner was a rocking chair, and above her was a television. The first thing she checked was her arms.
Instead of metal cuffs she found an I.V. needle. She followed the connecting cord to the IV bag above her.
Looking outside she could see the sun was high.
What was going on? She pulled her legs over the side of the bed. Her body protested more from her legs feeling like noodles rather than her shoulder feeling like someone was driving a hot iron through it. Though there was undeniable pain in her shoulder it was nothing like before. Compared to that day in the cage - which had felt like a hot iron was being burned in her body - this was heavenly.
Wincing, she ripped the I.V. from her arm and threw the blankets aside. Looking down she could feel the bandages under her shirt. She wore black jeans and equally black socks.
Where was she?
She searched for the last memory she had and couldn't help but smile:
It was of Asami cradling her body. She could remember hearing horse hooves and the sound of guns firing rapidly. She could remember chunks of wood splintering from a tree as a bullet ripped through loose bark. She could see Asami jerking her head around to see the men chasing them before snapping her neck back around and urging the horse faster.
Then there was nothing.
She rose from the bed with difficulty. The angry burn of her lower abdomen was familiar, bruised ribs. Holding them tightly, she edged up to the door. Placing her hand on the handle she asked herself a question, "They didn't cuff me. Would they be stupid enough not to lock this door too?'
They were. Morons.
Quickly, she moved back into the room and flipped the chair on its side. It felt sturdy and hard to bend. Good wood. Looking around she took the sheet off her bed. Ripping away a good piece of fabric she wrapped her fist. In seconds she'd powered her fist through the wooden chair breaking off jagged and sharp chunks of wood. She wound a foot long sharp piece of wood with the cloth to avoid splinters and slowly edged back up to the door.
Tenderly, she opened the door, slowly poking her head around the metal frame. She peered down the hall one direction then the other. The soft carpet and warm colored walls were covered in a musky smell. Like someone had attempted to mask the odor of Clorox with air freshener. Glancing behind her a moment more she stepped into the hall her feet moving with careful curiosity.
She could hear voices to her right so she moved to her left. She needed to find her way out before someone found her. She needed to find her crew.
Kai. He'd be dead soon if he wasn't already. She needed to find him first.
And Asami. What if something happened to Asami?
She pushed away the thought and moved down the short hall faster than before. She turned the corner quickly taking in the doors lining both sides. A dead end to her left, she went right. Only a few doors were open but most were closed, and as she walked she peeked in each. They were empty. Neat and made up like the one she had just left.
When the door to her right opened and a figure began to emerge Korra didn't hesitate.
She grabbed the person by the collar of their shirt and dragged them up against the wall. Before they could even muster a call for help Korra had the sharp edge of the wooden leg to their throat and a deranged look in her eyes.
They spoke in unison.
"Where's my crew?"
"Korra?"
A smile broke out over the woman's face. It took Korra moment but she recognized the woman, "Suyin?"
Relief spread through her body. For only a moment before she remembered Pema.
"So what? You're working with Amon now?" Korra accused.
"What?" Suyin asked, "Korra don't be paranoid. We're against Amon same as you." Korra searched the woman's eyes for dishonesty. For a reason to consider her a threat.
After a long moment, she found no reason and released the woman though never loosening her grip on the jagged wood. She'd trust Suyin at arms length for now.
"Spirits, Korra," Suyin pulled away and took the young woman in, "I haven't seen you in a year. You're," she studied Korra's face, "So grown now. Beautiful." Korra kept her expression neutral. When people stab you in the back they tend to play on endeared emotions. Korra would give her none of those. She'd learned that from Pema at least.
Suyin could read her distrust and it brought a smile to her lips, "Come with me. I know someone who will want to see you."
With that Suyin began leading her back down the hall towards the voices she'd heard before.
Korra passed the room she'd left.
The hall emptied into a large recreation room with an old fashioned box television sitting on a long table, pictures of faculty and staff and a banner over a far wall reading, "Oasis Retirement Village."
They passed another hall and were brought to a large fancily carved door. Suyin opened the door and stepped aside for Korra to pass her.
With a curious look Korra entered the room. First she saw Asami sitting on a desk, her legs folded over one another neatly as she leaned down pointing her finger at a map. Relief flooded her as she looked at the beautiful woman. Safe. Unharmed.
Then she saw the man sitting beside her who had long tails of hair, some braided, others slipped into a pony tail. His broad shoulders and firm features so familiar that Korra needn't another moment of convincing that she was safe.
Both of them had looked up when Korra had entered and it was a moment before Tonraq fully accepted what was in front of him, "Korra?"
Though the room was large they closed the distance in fractions of a second and pulled one another into a tight embrace.
She inhaled his earthy scent of Hickory wood and a trace of sweat. She'd missed this, his firm embrace. The safety she found only in his arms. He leaned into the hug as she whispered the word into his chest a tear escaping down her cheek, "Dad."
"I'm here now." He replied.
She'd convinced herself she was an orphan. She hadn't realized how much that had weighed on her until this moment.
When they pulled apart she looked at Asami. She had fresh cuts on one cheek and a large greenish yellow bruise healed on the other. Her busted lip had scabbed over and closed. She wore a black shirt with a red Sato Industries gear. Looking down at herself she realized she was wearing Asami's clothes. This detail added a personal touch that made Korra want to blush.
Asami looked back at her with an appraising smile on her lips. Asami unfolded her legs and moved from the desk. Stepping closer Asami slightly bit her lip nervously.
Something strange had happened to her emerald eyes since she'd last been awake.
Iroh.
Korra's heart sunk to her stomach as Asami finished closing the distance and though Korra could think of nothing she wanted more than to hug the other woman she simply reached out and touched her forearm.
"I'm glad you're awake." Asami said crossing her opposite hand to touch Korra's hand with her cool fingers, "I was worried."
"You saved my life."
"You saved mine."
They smiled politely at one another and tried not to suffocate from the awkward encounter. Korra turned back to Suyin and her father.
And just like that she remembered Opal.
Korra's heart skipped a beat. How could she tell Suyin what had happened? Korra didn't even really know what happened, it had all happened so fast. They'd been attacked late at night. She'd been beaten over the shoulder with a metal crowbar and had a firm foot hit her in the face. The crew had managed to drive them off but when they did a head count Opal had been gone.
"Suyin, Opal-,"
"I know." Suyin cut her off.
"You-You know? How?" Korra asked.
"Come with me." Suyin nodded over her shoulder. This time there was only curiosity instead of mistrust. She followed Suyin.
Tonraq followed his daughter not ready to leave her presence.
"One month ago we found Lin in a cave. She said she'd gone there looking for you after you'd left her and Tenzin."
"Only Lin?" Korra asked, "What about Ten-,"
"He didn't survive winter."
Korra's feet stopped moving. He'd lost everything, even his mind, and now he was gone.
What had she done? She'd left him there. She'd left him knowing they would not survive winter. She'd basically killed him herself. And now Pema was dead too.
Jinora. Ikki. Meelo. Rohan. They were orphans because of her.
She outstretched a hand and stabled herself with a nearby counter, her legs felt weak beneath her.
Oh, Spirits, what had she done?
"I killed his wife." Korra admitted to her father, "I killed her."
Tonraq shook his head, "No, sweetheart. You were doing what you needed to do for your crew."
"That doesn't justify anything." Korra responded.
"You didn't shoot that arrow, Korra." Asami gently reminded her.
"After Tenzin realized his family wasn't coming back he didn't want to live anymore." Suyin frowned, "Hopelessness killed him faster than winter did."
In a few minutes they moved towards what appeared to be a greenhouse. Outside the greenhouse were several crops of corn. Korra eyed it hungrily.
A question came to mind then, "How long was I out?"
"Five days," Asami answered. Korra's eyes widened and Asami's expression softened, "You had me - us worried." She stared at Korra a little too long and the silence carried loudly, "I'm going to pull some weeds for the garden." She turned and walked away without another word.
As they entered the green house Suyin called, "Hello? I thought you said you would be out here..?"
An old woman shuffled forward from between rows of potted plants. The woman had short purposeful steps; her eyes were dulled in a way that told Korra she was blind. Over her shoulder stood another woman who looked just as ancient, except rather than housing deep frown lines like the former, this woman had kind eyes and softer wrinkles.
Korra looked between the women, "This is my mother, Toph Beifong and her old colleague Katara. Katara is a world renowned cardiologist. She's the one that brought you back from the brink of death."
Korra smiled appreciatively at the woman, "Wow. World renowned? Thank you."
"The pleasure was mine," Katara said with unwavering grace.
Suyin continued, "Katara was Tenzin's mother."
Korra's mouth went dry. She struggled to speak, "I'm so sorry for your loss."
Katara nodded angelically and smiled softly at the young woman, "He spoke so fondly of you. He told me you'd been drafted for the WNBA. The way he boasted about your accomplishments you'd think he was the one drafted." Guilt consumed her. Katara must have read this in her eyes, "His death is not your fault, Korra. I don't blame you."
"I left him to die," her voice cracked.
"He died the moment he lost his wife and children." Katara allowed a tortured smile, "There was nothing you could have done differently that would have changed that outcome. But there is a life we still do have a chance to save."
"Whose?" Korra asked, "My crew?"
"Yes," Toph nodded, "And my granddaughter's."
Korra's eyebrows furrowed, "Opal? Opal is alive?"
"Yes," Suyin said then darkly continued, "But not for long."
"She was taken by the same man that took your friends." Tonraq added.
Korra grit her teeth and spat his name, "Amon."
"He's taking them back to the Walls." Tonraq said.
"The Walls?"
Suyin nodded, "Ba Sing Se. The last inhabitable city."