Author Notes

HEYYYYYYYY! :D how we all doing? Back at again with the angst, and the very first chapter of BOOK 4: CONVERGENCE

Consider this chapter the first of four prologues, each switching between Asami and Korra's POVs.

Enjoy!

For the first weeks, months even, since Korra's departure, Asami sent her a letter. Weekly. The content of said letter varied each time, whether it be about reconstruction work in the city, complaining about four hour long meetings with President Raiko, or just general updates and observations from Republic City. Mostly about Bolin, who did send Korra letters almost daily in the first month of Korra's absence. Now he barely sends any, if at all. Asami stopped asking well over a year ago.

Never in any of the letters did Asami ask Korra if she was okay. She's knows the truth all too well. Consistently blames it for the rather one sided nature of their communication in the past two and a half years. She tried not to feel resentful about the fact she can count the amount of letters Korra has sent with one hand.

Five.

And each shorter than the last. Not once does Korra reveal the extent of how she's actually doing, only little glimpses. Asami has been getting most of her information regarding Korra's condition from Tenzin, though she has to practically drag it out of him. Last she heard, Korra is walking around again, she's able to bend all four elements. That should've made Asami happy...but it didn't. If Korra was physically well again, then why hadn't she come back home? Why had she stayed in the south all that time?

Asami could probably guess the reason for the total lack of correspondence from Korra in the last ten months. The longest gap between their exchanges.

Korra wasn't ready to come back. Didn't want to. Whatever Korra appeared to have felt for Asami in their final few days together hadn't been as significant an affection as Asami had foolishly allowed herself to believe.

"And what exactly do you call this uppey downey sorta road?" Bolin asked with a wide wave of his arms, gesturing to the concrete and metal structure above them as motor engines roared over head.

"Spirit bypass," Asami said nonchalantly as she examined some of the steel beams supporting the structure, checking off some detailed safety lists from a clipboard she was carrying. So far, it seemed that the raised roads were working perfectly, with no damage to the support beams from spirits or spirit vines. Asami could still vividly remember the glee on Raiko's face when she'd come up with the very first schematics for the new road system after weeks of simply scowling at her from across a desk.

It had been impossible for Asami to wipe the smug expression of her face back then. That had been so long ago now. A year or more. Time didn't exactly fly with Korra's absence, rather it had stopped altogether. The passage of time was irrelevant without the Avatar. Asami's existence was so engrained in the day to day of Future Industries now, it was impossible for her to pluck any semblance of a personal life from her work life. The former had basically become extinct. Especially with Mako and Bolin being gone for the most part. Helping people.

"Good name. Does what it says on the tin," Bolin smiled as he rubbed a hand through his ever ruffled black hair. "You won't believe the way some newspapers in the Earth Republic are reporting it. I swear one of them said that'd you'd basically wiped out the spirit population of Republic City in order to make way for the roads. 'SLAYER SATO' in big letters on the front page." Asami frowned at him. "...I mean, it did have a nice picture of you on the front. Shirt, tie and perfect hair." He pulled at her black tie gently with a sly grin. "Besides, you gotta admit that the eyebrow scar gives you a bit of a slayer thing going on."

Asami tried to smile at him but utterly failed, mind now full of worry as she drummed a finger against the top of her pen.

What if Korra had read that same headline? Believed Asami had murdered all the spirits or something just to clear the way for a new road? Did Korra even bother with newspapers anymore?

She inhaled deeply, not allowing her mind to spiral off into a panic the way it often did these days, ever since the Red Lotus. Logical thinking was always her saviour whenever she tumbled into that particularly dangerous state of mind.

If Korra thought you were going around murdering spirits, I'm pretty sure she would have called. Asami had the darkest notion for a fraction of a second. Destroying spirits would surely Korra back to Republic City to defend them.

Asami pinched the back of her hand as punishment for having such a terrible thought. She would've liked to blame Ghazan's influence for that, or maybe even her father. Neither of whom she'd seen in the last two years. So maybe it was a little unfair to blame them for that darkness...definitely illogical.

Bolin's unusually serious voice interrupted her thoughts. "Thinking about Korra?"

Asami couldn't meet his eyes, now mindlessly drawing a perfect circle on her check list. "When am I not?"

Bolin's expression saddened considerably at the depression radiating in her voice. Asami had missed having him around, someone she could be honest to. He'd been away helping the Air Nation and Opal for so many months now and his absence in particular had really done a number on her emotional well being. He was one of the few people on this earth that was still able to make Asami smile.

However, she was equally relieved that the glider suits were now actively being used by the Air Nation, out in the world, helping those who needed it now that the Avatar was not able to, or perhaps not willing to.

"Do you still feel the same way you did all those years ago?" Bolin asked cautiously.

"I couldn't tell you. My head was such a mess back then. Being tortured and imprisoned will do that to you..." She exhaled heavily in an attempt not to dwell on the painful past. "Maybe I was just seeking comfort from the only person I could in that place, I was at my lowest...I'd never been lower...Korra was like this smiling lighthouse in all the darkness, even when I thought she was someone else."

Even as Asami said the words she knew how little of it was true. Suffering at the hands of the Red Lotus was not why she had fallen for Korra, or even when. It'd been long before that.

Bolin acted as if he hadn't heard a word of it. He could probably see right through her. "You should go and visit her, in the south. I'd come with you if I didn't have to head back out to the Earth Republic with a couple of the air nomads. Words cannot express how much I miss Korra's dorky face, or Mako. With his gruff, no nonsense – the world is on me – face."

Asami smiled a little at that comment. She missed both of those things more than anything else in the world. "I've tried over and over again to arrange a visit, but it's always been via telephone with Tonraq or Senna, and every time they put up a wall. Some excuse on Korra's behalf I guess. It doesn't sound like they want me to stay away, but they'd never go against Korra's wishes. They're good parents like that." Asami couldn't conceal the bitterness in her voice, almost wishing her dad could hear it.

It was as if Hiroshi existed purely to spite her nowadays, sending letter after letter in the last year after no communication whatsoever. He obviously wanted something from her. There could be no other reason for him to reach out now. Worst of all each of his letters ignited a spark of hope when Asami picked them up, fooling her into thinking Korra had finally replied. Yet she hadn't thrown a single one of them out, still piled in a drawer in her office. His hand writing was so much like her own...

"Then go without permission. Parents don't always know what's right for their kids, and Korra definitely doesn't always know what's right for her," Bolin schemed. "Seriously. Just turn up on their door stop, well...palace door stop...or gate, and demand to see her."

Asami nodded slowly, just to stop Bolin asking any more questions or genius suggestions. The boy didn't understand much about social etiquette or...any etiquette.

Asami folded her arms tightly despite the warmth of the Republic City summer.

If Korra didn't want to see her then that's how things would stay. Korra had to be the one to reach out. There was absolutely no point in pursuing something, whatever something there was between them anymore, if Korra didn't want to be a part of it. Asami had been played around with enough in the last twenty two years for a life time.

"Dad says I'll get to lead my own Air Nation relief squad soon," Jinora explained after securing her bun and stretching out her arms into an air bending stance, one unique to her Asami had noticed. Something Jinora had been working on with the assistance of the new glider suits wings. It wasn't exactly how Asami had planned for them to be used, but Jinora seemed to have a good handle on the whole gliding thing already. "I hope it's to Omashu. I've never been there before."

"Sliding down the delivery chutes seems kind of pointless for someone who can glide all over city without a second thought," Asami mused as she changed into a vest much more suitable for sparring. These little sessions with Jinora were probably the only reprieve Asami got these days, and if Tenzin was to be believed, they wouldn't be having much longer.

"Who cares if it's pointless or not. I'm going to do it because it's fun!" Jinora exclaimed before going bright red, clearly trying to suppress her childlike excitement in this instance. When Asami didn't answer, instead punching out at the air, ducking and diving away from an invisible enemy, Jinora huffed loudly. "You still know what fun is, right?"

"Don't think so, if I ever did," Asami muttered too quietly for Jinora to hear before raising her voice. "Sure I do. Just because using delivery chutes – which can sometimes get clogged with items – is a really inefficient, dangerous and illegal way of getting around Omashu," she gestured to Jinora, "especially when certain people can just fly right over the place...doesn't mean you shouldn't do it."

"You know pointing right at me kind of ruins your efforts to be subtle," Jinora spoke smugly before her expression softened. "I don't think you're in the right frame of mind for sparring tonight. Maybe we should just go inside and get dinner, channel all your anger into something that doesn't feel any pain. Like mom's dumplings."

"I'm not angry..." Asami defended, even though she was already pulling her jacket back on and removing the bandages tied round her hands.

"Frustrated then," Jinora tried diplomatically, following Asami back into the main temple building.

"Not even that," Asami lied.

Jinora stared forward. "How about sad?" She kept walking, leaving her companion frozen in place.

Sad? Was she really that obvious? Even to kids like Jinora? Jinora can read your spirit. She has an unfair advantage. A REALLY unfair advantage. Asami followed her into the house regardless, hoping to get a few words with Tenzin at some point.

Dinner went as well as could be expected, with Pema struggling to keep a lid on both Rohan and Meelo. The two seemed to enjoy teasing each other just as much as Ikki and Jinora did when they were a few years younger. Jinora pretended to act like she was above all that childish nonsense these days, but she could still be so easily drawn into an argument if Ikki just used the right words.

Tenzin had given up trying to calm any of them down, staring into his seaweed infused soup and stirring it with a gentle twist of his hand. He looked just as strained and tired as Asami felt. She often wondered how losing his student had actually effected him, because, frankly, Tenzin seemed grumpy and on edge most of the time. Maybe this was just how he was.

Suddenly Tenzin got up from the table without a word, taking his bowl and heading into the kitchen. There was a notable heaviness to his steps. Pema eyed him up with concern but said nothing, returning to the job of trying to get Rohan to stay seated.

"The meal was delicious, Pema," Asami smiled politely as she polished off her portion. "May I be excused?" She asked more to set an example to the kids that because she felt obligated to. Pema treated her as an adult these days, because she was one Asami reminded herself.

"Of course," Pema said sweetly.

Asami entered the kitchen quickly and put down her dish, but Tenzin was no where to be found. He'd obviously sneaked out into the hallway and the rest of the building. Asami followed, sure she knew exactly where the older man was headed, though she couldn't explain why. Gut instinct possibly. Something Korra was accustomed to obeying.

Sure enough, she found Tenzin outside of what had once been Korra's bed room, carrying something inside. Even with so many air nomads living on the island, Korra's former room had remained empty. Like some kind of silent vigil that she'd come back again, and sleep in that same bed. It filled Asami with an unfamiliar warmth, that of family. Tenzin and Pema cared for Korra like she was their own.

"Excuse me, Tenzin," Asami called quietly, trying not to surprise him.

It didn't work. "Oh! - Oh Miss Sato! ...Asami. My apologies, you gave me quite the fright," Tenzin muttered with wide eyes.

"Then I should be the one apologizing," Asami replied sincerely before rubbing the top of her arm. Being around Tenzin always made her a little nervous. Unfortunately, he bore an uncanny resemblance to one of her stricter boarding school teachers. "If you don't mind me asking, what're you doing in Korra's bedroom?"

Tenzin screwed up his face awkwardly. Like he was keeping something from her. Asami felt her heart pounding with worry. Has something happened to Korra?

"I'm just returning this," Tenzin muttered as he placed a blue winged glider down against a desk at the rear of the room.

Asami recognized the object instantly. "That's...that's Korra's glider..." She narrowed her brows and stepped further into the room. "What're you doing with that? Korra took that with her, to the south pole." She'd been the one to pack it afterall. Tenzin shuffled awkwardly in place and suddenly it clicked. He'd visited Korra, without even telling her. "You went to Harbor Town, didn't you?"

"I was going to tell you eventually, I was visiting my mother, and Korra agreed to see me at the White Lotus compound. She'd refused on every other occasion that I'd contacted her," Tenzin flustered before steadying himself. "It wasn't planned. I promise you that."

Asami wanted to rage at him. To take out all of her frustrations and sadness on him. But that would be so pointless…Tenzin hadn't done it with any malicious intent. "How is she?" Asami asked with a sigh, blocking out every other conflicting emotion she was having. "Don't sugar coat it for me. I want the truth. Not some censored version from Tonraq or Pema or whoever. How is Korra really doing?"

"She's...making good progress..."

"But there's still something wrong. She's not okay."

Tenzin nodded reluctantly. "My mother believes Korra is suffering from some psychological issues. I urged her to meditate, to try and reconnect with her Avatar spirit, but I'm not sure if that's going help her fully recover. Mental health is really not an area I am familiar with."

And suddenly the explanation for Korra's lack of communication was clear. Her problems weren't just physical, Asami had been naive to think that at all. After everything Zaheer had done to her, of course Korra's mind would be left with lasting damage. The urge to smash Zaheer in the head again bubbled to the surface in instant. Ghazan had been given the pleasure of ending him.

Asami's breath hitched as she wrapped a hand tightly around Korra's glider. "Did she...did she mention me at all…?"

"She wanted me to give you her regards," Tenzin fumbled. He'd lied. Very poorly. Korra hadn't asked about her at all. Why would she need to? She had all of Asami's letters to get that information. Though the content of those letters were far from the truth. Sugar coated.

"She gave up her glider?" Asami asked, trying to avoid a confrontation when Tenzin was clearly only trying to protect her feelings. He still saw her as the teenager he'd taken in years ago.

"Yes. She felt it would be more useful to the air benders here than for herself," Tenzin explained. "The winds in the south pole are much wilder and unpredictable than that Republic City is accustomed to. My father often complained about it actually...he lost many gliders to the extreme weather of the water tribe."

"That wouldn't happen with the glider suits. They're designed to work in all weathers without tearing or snapping," Asami stated before the two stood in silence for at least a minute.

Tenzin was clearly looking for any good excuse to exit. "Well, perhaps you can create one for Korra when she returns in a few months."

Asami's heart began to race. Why hadn't Tenzin mentioned that Korra was coming until this point in the conversation? They could've avoided all of this tension. "Korra's coming back...?"

"Yes, in a few months. As I have already said."

Asami had heard that one before. A few weeks had turned into a few months, and eventually, into years. She needed something more concrete this time.

"How many months exactly?"

"Two months, Korra felt the rest of her recovery would best be served by returning to Republic City, to her friends" Tenzin replied firmly. There was no hint of hesitation in his voice. Maybe it was the truth this time.

Asami nodded, allowing herself to feel the slightest bit of hope. Two months. You can wait two months. You've already done two and a half years.

If Korra didn't show up this time, she'd go to the south herself. They'd have a proper and long awaited talk.

End Notes

Well wasn't that just a hoot?

Thank you for sticking around. Any questions and feedback would be much appreciated. Seriously. I love hearing from you and it's been a while. Next up is a Korra centric chapter where we will get a proper insight into what the heck Korra's been up to for the past few years.

-You may have picked up on mentionings of the Earth Republic not the Earth Kingdom. That's something that will be touched on in the near future, probably chapter 3 of the prologue.

Anyway, thank you for reading, bookmarking, and just generally being awesome!
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