Chapter 25: Follow You Anywhere

"This was the last way I thought I'd be ending my day, sitting here with you, eating food like...like...there's nothing wrong..." Korra mumbled as she guiltily ate away at the noodles Asami had bought. She couldn't bring herself to make much eye contact, from fear of blushing like crazy or reigniting that pit of guilt the scars on Asami's otherwise pristine skin brought.

Asami leaned back slightly from the wall they were perched on and stared out at the sea in front of them, boats and ships of all sizes were docking for the day as night closed in. "You took me by surprise too..." she sighed. "Not just you being here, in the Fire Nation of all places...but the way you look now." Korra glanced up at her hesitantly. "Katara did a great job with the scars on your face...I can only see a few now, and they're all so faded..."

"I'll take you to see her – if you want – maybe she can help you -"

Asami smiled a little, placing a hand on Korra's shoulder. "I don't need her help. The scars are something I've come to accept, a reminder I guess...that I can survive anything this world throws at me."

"That's a really good way to look at it," Korra replied with awe. She'd done everything she could to not be reminded of the Red Lotus, growing her hair out, changing her clothes. Anything to distance herself from that dark time where she'd stepped on everything the Avatar was supposed to stand for. "You always were good at seeing the best in things. In people. I mean, you even put up with Ghazan without smacking him across the face..."

"I have a lot of patience," Asami stated firmly before turning to face Korra, her expression becoming deadly serious. "But three years is a bit of a stretch. Your few months turned into years, Korra…years...I felt like I was losing my mind at times with the lack of communication. You basically shut me out."

"I shut everyone out," Korra pointed out before waving her hand at Asami's suddenly furious expression. "...That came out wrong. I'm sorry...I don't expect you to forgive me or anything like that. If you don't want to talk to me again after this, then I understand completely. It's what I deserve." She clenched her fists tightly, unable to look Asami in the eye. "I didn't mean for it to go on so long...I swear. It was never my intention to hurt you."

"But you did. Your absence hurt more than anything that happened in those caves. The Red Lotus broke me...broke both of us...we needed each other. Putting myself back together took a really long time without you, and I'm still not okay, not really..." The cracks in Asami's voice as she spoke made it very hard for Korra not to wrap an arm around her, pull her in tightly, but it didn't exactly seem like the right time.

"Me neither..." Korra sighed before looking around anxiously for any of signs of Rei. That monster showing up now would be the worst possible timing, but the only people around them were just regular Fire Nation citizens enjoying a walk along the harbour side. Couples on dates she couldn't help but notice before swallowing heavily. "I wanted to come back – more than anything – but things...things always got in the way..."

"Things?" Asami practically hissed. She didn't often sound this angry. Or maybe she did nowadays. Maybe Asami had changed in ways that Korra hadn't even considered. There was no way she'd only changed physically in the past few years.

"A lot more than that," Korra said quickly, daring to look Asami in the eye this time. "It's not the easiest thing to explain..." You're going to think I've gone totally nutty. Korra could feel her bandage wrapped hands trembling furiously in her lap, trying to keep her fear at bay somehow. That was stopped abruptly, by another hand on top of hers. Asami's. So she doesn't hate me completely...that's got to be a start.

"Then tell me," Asami assured softly. "A lot of things may have changed in the last few years, but I'm always going to listen to what you have to say if something is troubling you. You can tell me anything." She tightened her grip on Korra's hands.

That was enough for Korra's fear to fade a little. Asami's presence, despite the considerable and understandable tension between them currently, was still incredibly calming. It grounded her. Maybe that would be enough to keep Rei's interference at bay for the moment, since she tended to appear in moments of distress more than anything else.

"...Ever since everything went down with Zaheer and the Red Lotus I've been...haunted...haunted by these visions of myself from back then. It never goes away..." Korra explained with short breaths, trying not to let her mind descend into panic. To scare Asami off after finally seeing her again all these years later.

"Nightmares…?" Asami asked with wide eyes. It wasn't hard to imagine that Asami was plagued with them. The trauma she'd endured...Korra couldn't be sure that she even knew the true extent of everything her best friend had suffered.

"More than that," Korra almost whispered. She shuffled more into her shoulder then, a small gesture to at least acknowledge Asami's lingering pain. It couldn't be of much comfort though, and had come very, very late. Korra wasn't much good at consoling people, but she had to try for Asami's sake. It didn't ease her own guilt regardless. "It's more than that. This vision, she's more than just a hallucination, a reflection of myself. I'm sure of it." When Korra turned her head to look at Asami she expected to see a sceptical expression, but all she saw was interest and concern. "I might not be connected to the Avatar spirit just now, in fact I'm probably the least spiritual I've ever been – which is really saying something – but I'm sure there's more to it than just me...just me being broken..."

"You think your visions are related to the Spirit World somehow…?"

Korra nodded reluctantly. "Yeah...the things I've seen, the person..." Asami's brows raised considerably at that, but she stayed silent. "They're effected by conditions in the physical world, just like you and me. It's like they're all their own being now, getting snappy with me, threatening me. Leeching off all of my negative thoughts and fears, using all that junk against me." Korra chuckled bitterly before continuing. "I don't think my own consciousness is capable of coming up with so many ways to torment me." She stared hard at her reflection in the water below them. "Psychological warfare isn't really my thing..."

"I wish you'd told me all this sooner. I could have helped..." Asami rasped heavily, sounding more frustrated with herself than Korra. "You should have told someone."

"Everyone already thinks I'm nuts, I'd just be boosting their argument," Korra explained as she got to her feet, now compelled with the need to pace up and down the top of the wall. Asami watched her every movement intensely, almost as though her long lost friend might vanish into thin air if they were no longer physically touching. "Besides...this problem isn't something anyone but I can fix. It has to be me."

"It doesn't have to be you alone," Asami stated firmly. "It's never had to be that way. Mako, Bolin and I. All you had to do was give the word, and we'd have followed you any where."

"Team Avatar huh?" Korra said wistfully as she stared at the now blood red horizon. "Those were the days..." She glanced back at Asami, each time she did took the wind out of her slightly. That girl just had to go and get even hotter over their time apart, didn't she? It wouldn't be Asami if she didn't put her back into everything she did, even growing up. "But things have changed. You guys, you all have your own lives now. Helping the world, making it a better place. You don't need somebody as unstable as me bringing down everything you are trying to build."

"You're the Avatar, our friend. We're always going to need you."

"I'm barely an Avatar at all," Korra pointed out. "I'm a danger to all of you, the way I am right now. That thing that's been following me. I can't let it hurt any of you."

"But you're happy to let it chip away at you, day after day until it drives everyone away from you," Asami said with a hint of anger. "That's absolutely not okay. You shouldn't be alone."

"Then what do you suggest?" Korra asked, a small, actually, a rather large part of her, hoping that her genius friend had all the answers. Then there was the other chunk, the more logical, less selfish part of her brain, who wanted to send Asami away right now, back to Republic City and out of harms way. Away from this mess.

"We fix it, as best we can," Asami said resolutely, getting up from the wall and walking to stand in front of her, purpose evident in every step.

It wasn't often that Korra had to look down to converse with Asami. She was definitely a little bit jealous that she hadn't managed to out grow her in the last three years. Always playing catch up. Though she was extremely glad to be done chasing Mako. That all felt like so long ago now.

"We...?"

"Yes. We." Asami smiled a little as she offered Korra a hand to help her down off the wall, surely knowing full well that Korra didn't need it. "Things aren't the same between us, it'll take a while for me to trust you completely again. But I've got your back. Always." Korra took her hand hesitantly, but stayed on top of the wall. "We'll undo what Zaheer did, together. He doesn't get to beat us."

The fire in Asami's voice was enough for Korra to hop down beside her. This was what she'd missed, what she'd needed. Everybody had been so sensitive and cautious around her all this time, thinking any raised voices, any stern words, would make Korra fall to pieces. Asami's determination was reigniting her own. It felt so good to feel that spark again.

"Glad you're on my team," Korra smiled before gasping a little when she realized she was still gripping Asami's hand like a vice. "Ummm...but don't you have a company to run?"

"They can handle themselves without me for a little while. I didn't just build up Republic City over the last three years, I made sure Future Industries could cope without me being there every hour of every day, there's more depth of talent in the company than ever," Asami explained, unable to hide the pride in her voice, or the smirk she'd given Korra at just how flustered she was getting over a damn hand hold.

"Right – good to hear," Korra stuttered as she folded her arms behind her head, trying to act as casually as possible.

"So what's the plan?" Asami asked as they walked side by side.

"I've got to enter the Spirit World physically. It's my best chance to reconnect with Raava and get rid of whatever thing managed to infect my own spirit. The closest portal from here is the north, but you don't want to fly there at this time of year. My dad said the weather gets crazy in the winter," Korra advised.

"I'll buy a boat then," Asami said quickly, already eyeing up a few rather luxurious looking boats in the harbour.

Sometimes Korra forgot how rich Asami was, able to buy something that expensive without even thinking about it. Most of the time Korra hadn't had to think too much about money either, until she'd came here. "We don't need a big one," Korra groaned as Asami examined one of the largest docked. "Seriously. No need to show off here. Just something quick and durable, with space for the two of us."

"Just us?" Asami said with what could only be described as a flirtatious tone.

Korra screamed internally. Be the leaf. Be the leaf. Had Asami always been this flirty? Was this just how she was naturally? Or I was just really dim all that time...

Maybe a big boat was a better idea. Then there'd be ample space between herself and Asami, and Korra's face wouldn't feel like it was on fire every time she looked at her. Every time they spoke. No amount of bending would allow her to properly regulate her body temperature now. Not with eyes like that, which just kept looking right at her.

"Unless you've got Mako and Bolin hiding in your bag," Korra tried to joke with a cool expression.

Asami laughed loudly at that before pulling out a familiar looking device. "Afraid not, just my shock glove. And make up. Lots of that."

Korra inspected the device slowly. The glove was smaller than before, more streamlined? Yeah. That was the word. And it seemed to be wired up differently to boot. "You color coordinated it..." Korra teased with false exasperation.

Asami slapped her lightly on the shoulder. "That's not all I did to it! I'm not that obsessed with aesthetic design!"

Korra wiggled her brows sceptically whilst gesturing to Asami's tailored and precisely organized outfit. That earned another playful slap on the shoulder. "It has way more power settings now! Not to mention it's much less bulky and more energy efficient!"

Korra grabbed the top of Asami's shoulders firmly before she inevitably started flailing her arms. "Okay! Okay! I get it tech head! You're not all about the aesthetic!"

"And how is that Fire Nation aesthetic working out for you?" Asami asked softly as she leaned forward a little.

"You tell me," Korra replied calmly before realizing she was unconsciously flirting right back. So much for staying cool. Keeping things civil between them at least. Oh she hated just how much she was thinking like Tenzin right now. She backed away before Asami had the chance to reply, and couldn't help but feel a little alarmed at how close their faces had just been.

She couldn't let herself get close to Asami again. Not right now. Not when she was like this. It would only end in more heartbreak, and the last thing she wanted to do now that Asami was finally back in her life was hurt her all over again. Being friends would have to do for now. They'd been friends before, and that had been great. Things could still be good between them.

"Never mind," Korra said abruptly, noting the confusion on Asami's face. "We better get a boat before the harbour closes for the night, it's getting late."

"Right," Asami stuttered softly before walking ahead of Korra. "Let's get moving."

"It's time we prepared. The physical world is finally able to support us through more than just meditation," a white haired man spoke from his lotus position. He glanced at his lower arm, the symbol of the white lotus which had been tattooed there almost 100 years ago was barely visible now against the deep red skin which covered most of his body.

The spirit this strange skin belonged to had been feared by some of the most powerful beings in this realm. It belonged to Fujin, the so called 'god of wind' in this world. Now this ancient spirit was part of him. Both human and spirit combined successfully, though Fujin hadn't exactly been a consenting party in the affair, the red skinned creature had been far too naive to do anything to stop it. He'd boasted about being able to strike fear into spirits that could barely feel any emotion, spirits like Koh.

"You're sure Xai Bau?" his second in commanded questioned with wide eyes. Kneeling down beside him when her leader nodded firmly. He was sure, this time. Meditating into the Spirit World all those years ago with metal bending deputy had seemed foolish to the rest of the Red Lotus's inner circle, but they hadn't dared speak out against the one who founded their cause in the first place.

"Yes. That boy Zaheer may have been full of himself, but he saved many of our order, and sent them here to salvation. You and I alone couldn't have torn down the leadership of the Four Nations, even in our current states," Xai Bau explained as he looked out to the bizarre mixture of comrades that had fled here after whatever leadership remained of the Red Lotus in the physical world had collapsed. Apparently, the current Avatar had a great deal to do with it. Xai Bau wouldn't make the same mistakes Zaheer had apparently made with that other ancient spirit. There would be no negotiating with the Avatar's most recent incarnation.

"We could've had a good go," his deputy grinned slightly. He couldn't quite recall what Sota had looked like before they'd came here. Nor could he quite remember the name of the spirit she'd fused with. They hadn't bothered to ask when Xai Bau had bent both of their spirits together not long after he'd done the same to himself. It'd been easier doing it to another person's spirit, but no less terrifying.

The same fate had befallen those brothers and sisters of the Red Lotus who had served under Zaheer, and had survived his downfall. Only a few of those that had come refused to combine their own life force with that of whatever spirit Xai Bau had entrapped. Those few had been executed without hesitation. For those that had accepted such great power, there had been a cost. Combining physical bodies, rather than just pure human spirits, with creatures of this realm, had proved to be far more difficult. In the end his spirit bending had a 30% success rate, the rest had been at such conflict internally they'd torn themselves apart. Quite literally.

The few that remained, eight of them, had to be the most dedicated and loyal members of the order, Xai Bau was sure. Their spirits were too strong to be overpowered by the creatures of this realm. They would make excellent comrades in the conflict ahead.

"There has been a great shift in the physical world in recent years, I can feel it. Our current forms should be stable there. Our bending and abilities intact," Xai Bau assured, now addressing the entire group. "The Red Lotus has always relied on a small number of members to carry out the most difficult of operations. It is when we have doubted the morality of our ideology, or underestimated those who stand in our way, that we have suffered. Well, no longer. I don't expect any of you to take on the challenges we face lightly. There is no margin for error. Our order will rise or fall in the next few weeks. It is up to all of us to burn down the world order, without hesitation."

The group of eight bowed deeply, the red and black of their robes fluttering gently in the breeze. Most of them would probably die in the war to come, but the chaos they could cause in that time, the damage, was considerable. The Red Lotus had never wielded such power before.

"Sota, I want you to take four of them with you to the southern portal. From there you'll take down the leadership of the south, and then head to the Earth Kingdom," Xai Bau commanded. "My group will destroy the monarchy of the Northern Water Tribe, and establish a command point there. The North is where we will rendezvous, since its adherence to tradition most benefits our current forms. Once we are reunited as a force again, we will make our way to the Fire Nation and eliminate the royal family. That will be our most difficult task." Sota nodded firmly.

"What about the Avatar?" one of the group questioned firmly, usually the quietest amongst them. His skin was badly burned, and had only become more disfigured with the spirit he had fused with.

"The Avatar has not been here for some time, she has clearly been weakened from her time with you. The Avatar is not our priority," Xai Bau stated resolutely. He could definitely thank Zaheer for taking that ancient spirit out of the picture for the moment, giving them the perfect opportunity to up turn the physical world without that being's interference. "She'll be dealt with eventually. If she's anything like the Avatars of old, she'll come to confront us. We don't have to waste time and resources seeking her out."

"Understood."

The Red Lotus prepared themselves before departing, tying cloth masks to their faces from pieces of their red and black robes. They would maintain the element of surprise for as long as they could. Besides, Xai Bau was certain that covering their faces with such distinctive colors would be a good symbol for the people to rally behind once they realized that their lifelong oppressors were vulnerable. On top of that, keeping their identities hidden would cause mass panic in the upper ranks of the elite, unable to know exactly who was after them, and how many there even were.

Confusion would be just as useful a weapon as the unique abilities the spirits they were tethered to had granted them.

A firm hand on Xai's Bau shoulder made him spin around. "Sota. Is everything okay?"

"Just try not to die, again," Sota teased.

"I'll do my best," Xai Bau smiled humbly as he snapped his reddened fingers together rapidly, a surge of air rippling forth from the simple movement. It was more powerful than anything he'd seen Avatar Aang produce in all the years he'd followed him.

"So, what do you think?" Asami asked as she wandered down the stairs to the front deck where Korra was perched on the rails, staring up at a jet black sky that was full of stars. It probably made her feel at home. She'd let her hair down too, the longest it'd been for a while, but still kept her Fire Nation designed clothing on. That was part of the reason why Asami had tried to keep Korra talking. She looked so different to when they'd last met, but her voice was the same, maybe even slightly more up beat.

"I think maybe you should be at the controls?" Korra teased, though there was a hint of panic in there as she spun around and hopped off the rail gracefully. Her piercing blue eyes hadn't changed one bit though, their radiance was particularly highlighted in this darkness. "It's a nice ship, it floats. That's good enough for me."

It was a cheap and cheerful boat with a powerful engine, but not a whole lot of space. A two bed cabin and a microscopic kitchen were the only places on board a person could actually shelter from the elements. Once they hit the border of the north pole, she was seriously going to have to wrap up.

"You Avatars and your high standards," Asami chuckled. "Besides, there's nothing to crash into for miles. Just a whole lot of ocean. We'll be lucky if we run into any boats before we get near the Northern Water Tribe. They don't do much in the way of trade, relying on home grown products more than anything else."

"Unalaq probably outlawed it," Korra decided nonchalantly before taking a seat on the solitary wooden bench that was nailed to the deck. Asami couldn't help but notice how Korra didn't refer to him as her uncle anymore, in the same way that Asami could barely bring herself to call Hiroshi, dad, despite his increased persistence in trying to communicate with her. "You doing okay?"

Asami took a seat beside Korra, but not too close. The Avatar seemed pretty content in having her own space at the moment. "I'm just glad I found you. It's nice being around you again."

Korra smiled bashfully at that. "You too. I just wish our reunion hadn't involved me nearly getting you ran over."

"It wouldn't have be us if we'd met under normal circumstances," Asami laughed lightly, her skin growing warmer when Korra chuckled heartily next to her. It was odd to think Korra probably hadn't laughed much over the past few years, when she could be made to laugh so easily back in Republic City. Bolin especially managed to get tears streaming from her eyes before the mighty Avatar begged him to stop before her lungs exploded. "Plus you came off the worst by far. You hit your head so hard you were insulting Tenzin's airbending gates."

"Was I?" Korra questioned whilst running a hand through her hair. "I'd have insulted them anyways. Concussion or no concussion."

Asami found herself smiling uncontrollably, but decided to stay silent. Just enjoying being in Korra's presence again, having her sitting right there. Able to actually talk to her without Korra instantly putting up a wall and trying to shoo her away. The fact that she'd let Asami in so quickly, told her what she was dealing with, was a real sign that Korra had grown a great deal in her recovery.

"So…Asami..." Korra hummed a few minutes later. "Did you ever, you know, date people whilst I was gone? Have any boyfriends, girlfriends? Still have them?"

"Just Mako," Asami said plainly, and nearly keeled over at the sudden horror on Korra's face.

"MAKO?!"

Asami put Korra out of her misery before she ended up exploding. "I'm just teasing. I've barely seen Mako in the past few years. So no, is the answer. I'm trying to be a proper CEO now. Can't be getting involved in the messy dating scene of Republic City. The press would have a field day."

"Okay – good..." Korra said almost inaudibly quiet.

"Good?"

"Well I – I wouldn't want the press to try and smear you, or anything like that," Korra flustered. "The press in Republic City can be horrible sometimes."

"They can," Asami agreed, remembering the extent of coverage she got after her father's arrest. The implication that she too was an Equalist wasn't exactly subtle. Bolin had smashed a few cameras on her behalf for that. He was the only one who'd paid her much attention during that whole affair.

Probably sensing the tension in Asami's voice, Korra changed the subject. "So there's some things I've got to tell you about the Spirit World before you go, since you've never been before it's best I prepare you-"

"I've been before," Asami interjected.

"You have…?" Korra asked with a crooked brow. "Am I forgetting something or?"

"I never told you, there wasn't exactly a good time," Asami explained. "Things were a little hectic, but I basically meditated in there whilst we were prisoners of the Red Lotus. At first I thought it was a nightmare, but I met Jinora there. It was the real deal."

Korra was staring at her with wide eyes. "A nightmare? Did something bad happen there?"

"I bumped into a pretty nasty spirit, who was…who looked so much like my mom..." Asami said, trying desperately to not relive the moment. She looked up from her slightly trembling knees to find that Korra had slid to sit right beside her, and had draped a strong arm around her back. Her other hand was occupied with holding Asami's.

Asami couldn't do anything but lean into Korra's shoulder, despite her lingering reservations. She'd learn to trust her completely again. She would. This was still Korra. Her Korra. And she was still a whole lot in love with her, no matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise. "She – it – it attacked me, tried to kill me. Jinora said that spirit got its kicks from messing with people, and it did a pretty good job with me. It made me feel so guilty for giving up my mom's ring, that only ended when I saw through the illusion. And that's when it tried to end me. I wasn't playing its game anymore."

"You mean this?" Korra said softly, pulling a glimmering object from the inside pocket of her maroon and gold trimmed jacket.

She passed it into Asami's hand gently, allowing her to examine it. Now Asami really thought she was imagining things. This had to be a dream. Korra wasn't really here. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't logical. Impossible.

"Korra...where did you...how did you…" Asami muttered in total awe as she felt moisture building in her eyes.

"I bought it off this guy back in the Fire Nation, he was the brother of my boss. They were from the water tribe," Korra explained with a relieved smile. "I burned all my wages on it because I knew I'd seen it before. You probably wore it a few times when you were dating Mako, which is not something I try to remember much, but I guess the ring stood out. That and all the cutesy putesy kisses."

"I thought I'd lost it for good," Asami gasped in disbelief, holding the ring tightly between her fingers.

"Guess the world isn't quite so unforgiving as it sometimes seems, we might actually have a bit of luck on our side," Korra grinned happily. "You can have it back by the way, it's not really my style. Just don't lose it again."

"I won't," Asami managed to laugh breathlessly before hugging Korra tightly. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Anytime, Sato."

End Notes

So ummm, basically, this chapter is like 80% Korrasami trash, 20% wtf is going onnnnn

For those who don't know, Xai Bau was the founder of the Red Lotus, a former member of the White Lotus, who was deeply spiritual, and basically passed all that onto Zaheer. He did feature in a previous chapter briefly, chapter 10 I believe. He and his deputy basically pulled an Uncle Iroh, with their spirits living on in the Spirit World. But good old Xai Bau didn't waste his time in there, learning to bend spirits, which isn't too dissimilar to energy bending.

And from what we saw in book 2, spirits and humans could be fused together physically. So why couldn't the same thing happen for someone who is already a spirit? Surely that's even easier, as long as you have stronger will than the other. And we know that since opening the portals, Korra's world can absolutely support spirit life. So it could certainly support Xai Bau.

I'll go into more depth about that in time. But it opens up a lot of doors for some crazy new abilities and bending!

Please leave your feedback at thoughts below. Oh and any questions! And thank you for reading! Appreciate yah!

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