Aftermath

With shaking hands, Korra searched through the wreckage of the Air Temple. Many people were in the water and she waterbent them to dry ground or pulled people from rubble. She restored breath to the lungs of those she could save and closed the eyes of those she couldn't, remembering their faces, if she didn't know their names.

She feared for Asami, but there were so many here, far too many. Airbenders and the wounded they'd tried to protect and if she'd just been one second faster she might have saved more of them. Even one weighed heavy on her heart, but she forced herself to keep going.

When she found Tenzin she nearly burst into tears. Her mentor was alive, but barely, and when he opened his eyes to look at her she was overjoyed. She laid him with the rest of the people she'd found, and continued to help.

Bit by bit, moment by moment, with Korra's help the airbenders came together again to aid their own. She dried blankets and towels so that people could be laid out comfortably. She had someone go to the mainland to get more help and to find out if Asami was okay. Korra wouldn't be able to rest until she knew, and on top of that worry, they'd need more healer to help with the injured. There were a lot of people who'd been hurt by debris and Korra couldn't heal them all on her own, not without exhausting herself to the point of being useless.

It at least let her focus. With so many people suffering, Korra couldn't let herself dwell on her own pains. Grief, and guilt. The guilt over killing Amaya. The guilt over being unable to see that the Red Lotus had remained under her nose all along. Or the grief for Zuko, for the airbenders, for Ty Lee and so many others. People whose names she hardly knew or didn't know. She was alone in her thoughts. Mako and Bolin were busy helping out other nations. Asami was… fine. Asami had to be fine. For one brief moment Korra felt herself start to lose it, but she looked out over the wreckage of Air Temple Island and steeled herself.

In the coming weeks and months there'd be so much to do. More than new elections in Republic City. They would have to root out the rest of the Red Lotus before they melted back into the people. Find Amaya's son, Masaru while he was still young enough to maybe break Amaya's brainwashing. There was so much to rebuild, perhaps the most rebuilding since the end of the Hundred Year War. All the nations had suffered together, and together they'd rebuild and come out of this stronger for it. Korra knew that if it could be done with a body and with a mind, it could be done with nations and cities. She would have to lead, before people decided to give up their freedom in exchange for too much security. She thought about that, and what she'd say and do while she helped. It was better than dwelling on the state of her friends and family.

By the time the search was called off for the missing, the sun had set. They were left with six Airbenders unaccounted for, a dozen dead and another two dozen injured. It was devastating. The numbers might be few compared to Republic City or the world as a whole but as a proportion of the Airbender population it was staggering.

Among the non airbenders who'd been on the island, they'd lost another five. Two others were missing, including Kuvira and they were presumed dead as well. Korra felt an odd sense of guilt over Kuvira. For all the troubles that Kuvira had caused, she didn't deserve to die, not like this.

I'm sorry, Aang. I couldn't protect them. She silenced that thought almost as soon as it had intruded. Tenzin would blame himself even more and she'd need to convince him he'd done everything he could. She couldn't do that if she was blaming herself, as tempting or true as that might be.

"Korra!"

The sound of Jinora's voice made her lunge to her feet. She was lifting the younger woman up in the air before she'd registered she wasn't alone. Her siblings were there as well. They all looked as haggard as she felt, and Meelo shouldn't even be standing at the moment, but she didn't care. She enveloped all of them into her arms, hugging as tightly as she dared, just trying to reassure herself that they were here and they were alive. She hadn't realized how much she'd been worrying about them until they were safe and sound. But they were safe. They were her family and they were safe.

"You're okay. You're all okay. I'm so relieved. Your dad is probably worried sick about you. Rohan is with him. They're both okay."

"Have you seen our mom," Ikki asked, squeezing out of Korra's grip. She stayed close though, her body tense and just so slightly shaking.

"Yes. She was on the other side of the island moving some of the wounded when the wave came down." Another person that Korra had hugged the stuffing out of until Pema had made her put her down. Pema had been such a steady presence in her life for so long now that the thought of losing her had been gut wrenching.

"Have you…" She wet her lips, setting the rest of them down but keeping a steady hand on Meelo. "Heard from Asami, or anyone else?" She promised herself she could take it, whatever answer they gave her.

"I was with Jia in the hospital when they brought her in," Ikki answered. "She didn't look too good but she was breathing."

Korra exhaled sharply. Asami was okay. At least for the time being. It was more than she'd feared but for now it would have to do. "Jia was hurt?"

Ikki nodded. "One of the airship cannons hit our headquarters. Like really bad. A lot of people there were hurt. Aunt Kya and Lin were moved before that though. They had to…" Ikki trailed off.

"They had to remove Lin's leg," Jinora finished for her, her voice rough.

Stunned, Korra just nodded her head. The Chief was hurt. The invincible woman that Korra once thought was made of literal platinum. The one two three punch of Asami, the airbenders and now Jia and Lin was making her dizzy. All she needed now was someone to tell her Mako and Bolin were hurt too and she'd lay down and not want to get up.

"Oh. I should…check on them." She put her hands on Jinora and Ikki's shoulders, squaring her own and forcing her feelings down. "Your dad needs you. Your people need you. Take care of them."

She pointed at Meelo, who grinned sheepishly at her. "And you. Get some rest. Those burns aren't going to heal themselves."

"Ladies like 'em right?"

"Yes Meelo, the ladies will love them."

Power was out in most of the city as Korra made her way through it. She'd landed at the docks and then cut through side streets towards the hospital. It was a lonely walk, but it gave her time to prepare herself for what she was going to find there. While a half-dozen healers had come to Air Temple Island after Korra had sent for help, the rest were at the hospital or spread throughout the city helping everyone else.

More guilt gripped Korra's heart. She'd chosen to stay and help in one place. She'd had to hope that there'd be enough help everywhere else. She could have gone anywhere and she'll never know if she'd made the right choice. But her city had suffered and her wife could be dying and Lin had lost her leg. Korra just couldn't be everywhere at once. Days like this, she wished there were a dozen Avatars. One for each nation and each tribe and a few to spare for bad days like this.

There was power at least, at the hospital. Someone, Varrick maybe, had done a great job of rerouting power to the one building that needed it more than any other. When Korra stepped inside, she was struck by how many people there were, yet how orderly it was. She'd probably missed the chaos. The halls were filled with hurt people and Korra was delayed further, helping where she could. She got a lot of smiles and hopeful looks and she hoped Asami wouldn't mind the wait.

She found Jia propped against a wall in a hallway near the stairs. Her head was bandaged and her clothing was bloody and torn. Korra felt around until she was sure that Jia would be okay, then gently poked her in the nose. "So I hear you got blown up."

"Ikki shielded a bunch of us," Jia said, a tired ache in her voice. "A big bubble of air. We'd all be dead if it wasn't for her. Never seen anything like it." She focused her eyes on Korra, and the Avatar's disheveled state. "You look terrible.

"You can be pretty for all of us right now." Funny, Ikki had neglected to mention that part. "Good." She kissed Jia's forehead. "I'm glad you're okay, you're family, you know that right?"

Jia felt tears unexpectedly well up in her eyes. Hearing that, right now of all times, was something she hadn't known she'd needed. She didn't have blood family that would accept her anymore and she suddenly realized she didn't have to face tomorrow alone. But for now, she knew Korra needed to be elsewhere. "Go to your wife, she needs you. I'll be fine."

"Okay. Just rest. You can stay with us while you recover." Or Ikki, but the Airbenders had enough problems and Korra knew Jia wouldn't want to impose.

"You'll need to stay with me," Jia said. She smiled sadly. "Your condo burned down."

She looked at Jia with a blank face as the words weren't quite registering. "...what?"

"Asami and Naga were there when Amaya attacked. They got away but the whole building went up in smoke. Naga found us at the headquarters. She's okay too. She's up with Asami right now." Jia squeezed Korra's hand. "They're both okay, but they need you right now."

"What about the puppies?" This time, it was Korra who felt pricks at her eyes. She was exhausted, emotionally drained, and apparently now homeless. But the relief she felt at knowing Naga was okay, and Asami and Jia and the kids (she'll always call them the kids) and Tenzin…

"They're still with Zhu Li, last I heard."

Korra felt her shoulders start to shake. It was all beginning to add up to a breakdown. "They're really okay? Naga and Asami?"

"I haven't heard anything different." Jia shook her head. "So I'm going to sit here in blissful ignorance until I know either way."

"I'll let you know." Korra pushed herself up, then tiredly ascended the stairs to the second floor. The more seriously injured were up here, some of whom wouldn't live through the night. Korra was wounded too, a puncture in her stomach and gashes all over, but she'd been ignoring them all day and she was going to continue to ignore them until she saw with her own eyes that Asami was alive.

She checked every room she passed. Many of the faces were people she knew, and she gave them a thumbs up or a smile. Anything that gave them a little peace of mind and in term she felt a little more at peace.

Lin and Kya were sharing a room half way down the hall. Kya was asleep this time, but Lin was awake. She didn't smile, she didn't even scowl. She just looked at Korra with blank, exhausted eyes.

"Asami will build you a new leg," Korra promised. Lin simply shrugged, and looked away, out the window. Korra frowned, but further attempts to cheer her up were answered with silence.

She finally found Asami another door down. Asami was laying on her stomach, asleep or unconscious it was hard to tell. Her torso was wrapped in bandages, and there was a little seepage but not enough to call for a nurse or change them herself. Naga lifted her head, but lacked the energy to bowl Korra over.

Korra's chest tightened, and she moved slowly in, sinking into a chair between Naga and Asami. One hand fell onto Naga's head, fingers digging into her fur. The other brushed hair out of Asami's face. Asami didn't stir, though her head moved a little in Korra's direction and she made a murmuring sound.

Flopping her head over the back of the chair, Korra swallowed hard, blinking her eyes as they started to run over. She needed to sleep, she wanted to, but two things stopped her. She needed to see Asami's eyes. Needed to assure herself that her wife was still here and wasn't going anywhere and for some reason she thought that if she could see her eyes just once that would be proof. Besides that, she knew that if she closed her eyes for long enough she'd see Amaya die again, she'd feel the metal move and know it was by her hand. She wasn't ready for that yet.

So much destruction, so many grieving families, and there was no telling if the cycle of violence had ended with Amaya.

"Avatar Korra?"

Korra lifted her head to see a nurse. She smiled at him. "Yeah?"

"Anything I can get you?"

"Some water actually. And there's a woman down the stairs, named Jia. Can you move her in here?"

"I'll see what I can do." He nodded at her.

"Thank you." Korra said, but he was already gone.

Asami murmured something again, and Korra turned her head. She looked into green eyes and only then did the tears finally start to fall. "You're okay, you're going to be okay. I love you, sweetheart." Korra whispered the words over and over again, stroking Asami's hair until Asami murmured her name and closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep.

Adrift

At first, Kuvira had drifted, kept afloat by pieces of debris washed off of Air Temple Island. But no one had come for her and by daylight the shore was nowhere to be seen. But Kuvira was nothing if not stubborn and for three days she'd paddled, until finally she'd found land. It was an unfamiliar area, no part of the Earth Republic she'd ever been and probably not the Fire Nation. Past the trees on the coast was dry brushland. But at least she was home on the ground, again. She looked to mountains in the distance, and decided that that was as good a direction as any.

She crossed miles of the brushland, stubborn as a mule-ox. The mountains seemed to be so far away as to be unreachable, but she kept walking, mile after mile, until she reached the foothills and her first fresh water in days. Resting in the shade of a tree and careful to not drink too much too quickly, Kuvira stared back the way she'd came. Would Korra think she'd ran away? Or that she'd died in the wave as some act of repentance. She didn't feel particularly repetent.

It was a long, winding trail up the mountain and Kuvira had lost count of her footsteps ages ago. Her feet ached, but something kept her moving, something drew her, and she forced her feet to move one step after the other. Guard. Soldier. Uniter. Prisoner. Defender. And now Wanderer. She'd been all of those things and she didn't know who Kuvira was any more. It was as though the sea had washed away her past, and the future before her was uncertain. She supposed her request for Korra to speak for her no longer mattered. She was free, and she intended to stay that way. If everyone thought she was dead, then she'd take advantage of that.

Nestled in a part of the mountain shielded from the wind was some kind of shack. It had been built out of metal and wood, and there were all sorts of contraptions. She recognized weathervanes, and even what looked like a miniature toy airship. But others made no sense, and looked like strange collections of springs and coils. She leaned against a stone wall, and it was then that her energy gave out. As her vision went black, she saw someone approach.

When she came to, she was laying in a bed. The window was open and she could see stars twinkling in the sky. Kuvira tried to sit up, but a woman's voice tch'd her. "Don't try to sit up, lady. You're dehydrated and you can't walk anyway, not on those feet."

Kuvira craned her head, searching for the sound of the voice. She spotted a figure sitting on a stool at a work bench. The woman turned to look at her. She was a few years younger than Korra, with piercing brown eyes set into a dark face. She wore some kind of goggles on top of her forehead. They appeared to be spring loaded with multiple lenses. Her face was smudged with grease in places. Her clothing was simple worker leathers, a sort of overalls with no shirt.

She swallowed. "Thank you for helping me."

"I'm Shai. What's your name?" Shai hopped off of the stool and came over to the bed with a water skin.

"...Ela," Kuvira answered. "My name is Ela."

She didn't know who Ela was either. But maybe she could find out.

Farewells

It took more than three weeks to oust the Red Lotus from the Earth Republic, with some of the fighting growing more and more desperate as the Red Lotus realized they were losing. But with the list from Lihua and aid from General Iroh and the United Forces, Korra was able to round up most of the most powerful supporters and members. Amaya's son was among those unaccounted for and Korra knew that he'd resurface sooner or later. She just hoped the circle of violence could still be ended. But the Earth Republic was freed once again, and that was a victory she was willing to celebrate once she'd reunited with Bolin in Ba Sing Se. Prince Wu had survived, as well as most of the council, so at least there wouldn't be any more changes of power until the next scheduled elections. She and Bolin spent most of that first night's reunion drunk as skunk-dogs and the hangover was nearly unbearable.

Korra received word about Tonraq and Senna after Opal returned through the Spirit Portal. Her father had been badly injured but the Red Lotus terrorists had all been killed or captured. Like they'd suspected, all lines of communication had been utterly destroyed before the Red Lotus had been stopped and Opal relayed the news that it would be weeks or even months before reliable contact could be re-established. But her father would live, and that helped her rest easier at night. She'd later find out that Opal had been instrumental in saving her father's life from a second attack.

Korra was ready for a month-long nap by the end of it all. Maybe even a two month nap. She wasn't plagued with nightmares, though on more than one occasion she'd dream about killing Amaya. She'd promised Asami that she would talk about it eventually, but there was too much to do to focus on it, and there was something important she needed to do in the Fire Nation. She still desperately wanted to see that her parents were okay with her own eyes, too. Sorting through her feelings would have to wait. She'd done the right thing, the only option she'd had at the time. She just needed to accept the truth of that.

The Capitol was in nearly as bad shape as Republic City. Wreckage and burned out buildings everywhere, tent cities cropping up to help give more shelter for those who'd become homeless and the hospitals were fit to bursting. But there'd been time set aside for a proper farewell to Lords Zuko and Izumi, and the hero named Ty Lee. It wasn't the first service Korra had attended in the wake of the war. The lost Airbenders. Her cousin and the people in the North. Those lost in the Earth Kingdom. It wouldn't be the last either, she still had to check on her own Tribe, a thought that made a cold weight settle in her stomach.

A distraction to be sure, but the people of the Fire Nation needed one as badly as the citizens of the other states, and from the mood in the city Korra thought they might have rioted if the memorial hadn't been a public one. Lord Zuko had been much beloved in life, and in death his deeds were already becoming legendary.

Korra hadn't come alone. Kya and Lin had insisted. They'd been close to Izumi and Zuko had been like an Uncle to both of them. They weren't really fit for travel, but even with Lin injured it was impossible to not wilt before the Beifong Stare.

And Asami had come to say good bye to Ty Lee. With Korra on one side of her and Malina on the other, they walked towards the memorial. Most of the crowd had dispersed, many leaving flowers or charms or good wishes for the next life. But with less people around now was a good time to say good bye.

All three had been cremated, their remains placed inside elaborate urns. Zuko's was decorated with dragons and Korra wondered what Druk would do without his old friend. She made a mental note to find out.

Izumi's had more intricate designs, reminiscent of flowers in fan-like designs. And Ty Lee's had been painted in the colors of the Kyoshi Warriors, a painted face in their style on the front.

Candles had been placed on several surfaces, and Korra lit some incense under a picture of Zuko. It was mostly for Aang that Korra had come. Zuko's last wish had been to protect her. His best friend had been her past life, and he'd done so much for her personally too.

The memorial service itself had been brief, but Korra had gone through it on autopilot. She was pretty sure she'd said something profound about Zuko, but she couldn't quite recall what it was at the moment. It had been important for her to speak. Here, and elsewhere as she'd done already. For the lost and for the living so that fear didn't rule the day.

While Asami paid her respects to Ty Lee, Korra glanced around. There was a gathering of Kyoshi Warriors in full armor. They'd come all this way to say good bye to one of their own and to honor the man many of them had guarded for so many years. Korra nodded at them. They were going to take Ty Lee's ashes back to Kyoshi Island, where they'd perform their own ceremonies. Ty Lee may have been of the Fire Nation, but she'd become a Kyoshi Warrior through and through.

"You old bastard!" A familiar old voice said. Korra turned to see Toph slowly approach the memorial. The old Earthbender seemed to look right at Zuko's urn, an accusing look on her face. "You old bastard. We had a deal. I was supposed to go first. Now I'm the only one left!"

"Excuse me." A Kyoshi Warrior older than Toph came over, leaning heavily on a cane. Her voice was shakey but annoyed. "You're not the only one left."

Toph glanced in the direction of her voice and tilted her head. "Huh. I thought you were dead, Suki. They told me you were dead. I had cake in your honor."

"Why does everyone forget about me?"

"Maybe it's because you blend into the crowd. It was good cake, too."

Korra stepped up to intervene, unsure of their dynamic or if they might resort to violence. This was Toph, after all. "Suki! It's nice to finally meet you!"

"Avatar Korra!" Suki's smile was brilliant, even if most of her teeth were clearly false. She shook the Avatar's hand. Despite her advanced age, her eyes were sharp and her paint had been applied with care. "I'm glad I get to meet you."

"I met her first," Toph muttered. But she grunted, as though she didn't really mean it. Though it was hard to tell what Toph's grumps usually meant.

Korra turned back to Zuko's picture. "He gave me advice when I was lost and really needed it, and he was always there with an ear or a helping hand."

"He was a gigantic dufus," Toph declared. "But he was our gigantic dufus." Her voice started to waver and she blinked her eyes. "I'm.. going to miss him. It's not easy watching everyone pass. I should have been there, I should have come to help. I didn't think… I didn't think." It was an uncharacteristic display of emotion and Korra shifted uncomfortably.

Suki put her hand on Toph's shoulder. "You couldn't have known. It's their fight anyway now. The grandkids and their kids. Us old soldiers, we have to fade away."

Toph snorted. "Tell that to Ty Lee."

"Ty Lee always did have romantic notions," Suki pointed out. "This was how she chose her death. She wanted to go out a hero."

"I think I'm going to try to lift a mountain."

"...before you do that," Korra said. "You need to go see Lin. She was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. She lost her leg."

Toph's face dropped into a frown. "Huh. She did, did she."

"She was hurt defending the city and saving Kya."

"All right, all right. I'll go." Toph threw up her hands. "Just shut up about it already. Where is she?"

Korra gestured. "She and Kya were over there last I saw. They're both in wheelchairs."

"You just told me she lost her leg, of course she's in a wheelchair, I'm not a dummy!"

"I'm working on fixing that," Asami said, resting her hand on Korra's shoulder. "She'll be up and walking before she has a chance to get cabin fever."

Toph smiled. "Never underestimate a Beifong's ability to chafe when they feel trapped or restrained."

All of us

An interim government was put in place to oversee the recovery of the United Republic. Taking a page from the Earth Republic, the people would eventually vote on both a president, and an elected council that would act as a check on each other. Korra thought there would be future revisions to the concept over time, but she liked the idea of not having any one person wielding all the power. It was too easy to be corrupted or to have one group seize power.

One of the first steps to restoring peace and order was the police forces. Korra got to her feet as Mako stepped up to the podium to accept his promotion to Chief.

"The office of police chief is not hereditary," Lin said. "It is one earned through hard work and dedication. Our new Chief, Mako, has shown more than anyone else his dedication to this city and to this Republic. I am proud to have worked with him, and I would be proud to work under him."

Retirement didn't come easy to Lin. Even as she shook his hand, a part of her didn't want to retire. She stood unsteadily on a simple metal leg designed by Asami but even that wouldn't have prevented her from working. Despite that, it would take her some getting used to. Korra thought that the mental hang-ups would be the longer part of the recovery and she hoped Lin and Kya did try their world trip soon.

Standing at the podium, Mako looked at the crowd. There were his friends and his family, and all the police, new and old. There was a line of promotions waiting for him to approve. Yuki and Malina had both distinguished themselves, but they weren't the only ones and he was pretty happy that his first official act would be to apply the stamp of approval.

"We've all come a long way. Not just me, but all of you who've been with me since I joined the force, and after. Thanks to all of you, and our former Chief, we're a better Police force than we've ever been. And one day, when it's my turn to pass the torch, I only hope we're at least half as good as Beifong made us."

There was supposed to be a party after Mako accepted the promotion. It wasn't much of a party with cheap food and cheaper beer - too much resources were being directed to the recovery effort - but it was still a party. It took up most of the police station. Asami greeted Mako with a hug, and he returned the gesture gently. She was still recovering from her injuries, and had complained more than once when Bolin hugged her.

"How are you feeling?"

"My hand's feeling a little stiff. If we get a storm I might literally scream." She smiled lightly, resting the offending hand on his arm. "Otherwise I've been dealing with the mess my company is in."

"Isn't the case on hold?"

"On hold yes, dismissed, no." Asami wrinkled her nose. "I can guess where it'll go eventually, and it'll cost both me and the City more money that it's worth. I'm going to break Future Industries up, and then the politicians can figure out how they want to prevent that sort of thing from happening again."

"You should run for office sometime," Mako suggested. "I think you'd be a good politician. Maybe even a great one."

"President Asami Sato?" Asami joked. "I might as well aim high, right? But no, I think I'll be happier where I can get my hands dirty and really work at new technology."

Mako nodded. He wanted to see Asami happy more than he wanted to see her in office. "How will you divide Future Industries?"

"I'm still working on some of the details. The main Future Industries will be reorganized towards technology advancements and aeronautics. I know that I'm going to spin off the Satomobile division and probably the appliances division as well. I'm going to put Jia in charge of one of them." Asami laughed. "But I'll keep most of the fun toys for myself." She poked his arm. "Congratulations, by the way. I'm so proud of you, Mako."

"Thanks." He smiled a little bashfully. "Do I look okay without the mustache?"

"You look amazing, please never disgrace your lip with that monstrosity again?"

"Boss face!" Yuki threaded through the crowd, heading towards Mako and dragging Malina behind her. She was in full dress uniform, complete with shiny new bars signifying her new rank. "We've been looking all over for you. Malina has something she wants to ask you."

"Yuki!"

Yuki elbowed Malina, then continued. "You're free the night after tomorrow aren't you?"

"Yes but-"

"Malina is free that night too, and you've already got a reservation. I mean nothing better to show stability than the new Chief out on a date, right?"

Mako looked confused, Malina looked mortified, Yuki looked smug, and Asami hid a smile behind her hand.

"Right," Yuki finished. "Okay! So it's settled then. I better get a dance in." She grabbed Malina's hand and dragged her off.

"What just happened?" Mako turned to Asami, hoping she had some answers.

"Looks like you've got a date."

"Yeah I guess but she's one of my officers, that's really inappropriate."

"Not in the slightest, I've already hired her on for after the company split. She's a genius with radio and communications. You're covered."

He narrowed his eyes at his old friend. "You hired away one of my best dispatchers and you're completely innocent and unaware of Yuki's stunt?"

Asami smiled at him, an amused glint in her eyes. "I'll leave that a mystery."

As Yuki dragged her friend to the dance floor, Bolin was already there, his arms wrapped around Opal. When they weren't dealing with their respective recovery efforts he was pretty much wrapped around her. As much as Opal had worried about him, he'd worried twice as much about her.

Opal didn't mind it as long as he wasn't being overbearing. She'd monopolized him for the dance floor, except for the one dance she'd been unable to resist with Korra. There'd been a few things she wanted to talk to him about, but had yet to find the right time or place. She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music. They'd earned this, she decided. All of them. All the fighting and rebuilding and they'd earned a chance to celebrate.

She wondered if it would become a tradition. Every time they beat an enemy, celebrate something good as soon as possible. Remember all the reasons that they'd fought so hard. She could live with that. The Airbenders were still recovering and something to wash away the grief was welcome. They needed happy things, again.

"Everything okay?"

She pulled her head back to look up at her husband. "Everything's fine. I've just been thinking."

"I've been thinking about things too. Like uhm I know it's kind of soon we've only been married like eight years but maybe I kind of wouldn't mind we should talk about kids. I mean only if you want any because you'd have to do all the work at first but I'd help after they're born!"

Opal laughed, then planted a big kiss on his lips. "It's good you want to talk about that, because I'm pregnant." She was an airbending master, she could be a mom. She could totally be a mom, and maybe a better mother than hers had been at times. She hoped Bolin really was okay with the idea. She'd have to make sure.

Maybe once he was done fainting.

Korra caught Mako's arm when he started to move for his brother. "I'm sure he's okay. I think Opal just told him she's pregnant."

"Wait, what?"

She smiled. "Mmhm. You're going to be an uncle."

"...I'm not ready for that responsibility."

Elbowing him, Korra admonished, "Of course you are and you know it."

"What about you, thinking of kids?"

"Not even a little." Korra leaned against him, feeling suddenly weary. "If I can't even protect Republic City how am I going to be able to protect a child? Asami and I are too busy anyway."

Mako nodded. "You protected Republic City just fine. It's still standing and it'll be better than ever. As for kids, I think you need to ask yourself, if you set the rest of that aside, do you actually want one. Maybe you'll say no, maybe you'll say yes, but after that you can figure out the rest of it."

"There are a lot of orphans out there," Korra admitted. "And I loved watching Jinora and the others grow up." She straightened. "It's not like I won't be around for Bolin and Opal, and any others of our friends who have any."

"You're probably the most awesome auntie that ever existed," Mako pointed out.

"Damn right." She'd just been so tired lately. The fight had made her weary and she still felt an intense guilt over how everything had turned out. She glanced around. Korra spotted Ikki with Jia, but other than her and Opal there weren't many Airbenders present. She made a mental note to check in on Tenzin for about the fifth time that week, but her thoughts were getting cluttered and it was hard to breathe. "...I think I need some air. Congrats, Mako. You're going to be the best Chief ever." She kissed his cheek, then quickly left the room.

There was an office nearby, and she let herself in and opened the window. The cool breeze helped center her, and she closed her eyes as she tried to meditate away her thoughts.

Asami followed her, and remained silent for awhile, letting Korra center herself. She approached slowly, waiting for Korra to accept her presence, then sat next to her at the window and took her hand. "Want to talk about it?"

"Just...the same thing it's been since the fight."

Asami brought Korra's hand to her cheek and nuzzled it. She said nothing, waiting for her wife to continue.

"I keep asking myself if it was worth if. The way I had to win. And if I had to win that way, why didn't I do it sooner, before more people died? Maybe Ty Lee would still be alive and you'd have someone to talk to about that whole Azula thing. Maybe Tenzin wouldn't have to rebuild his people all over again. Maybe Lin wouldn't have lost her leg."

"You can't keep second guessing yourself. I don't know if there was another way, but I do know you didn't do it because you wanted revenge, or because you were angry. You did it to stop someone who was completely lost." She shifted closer, taking Korra's face between her hands and staring into her eyes. "I wanted to get through to her too, but she wouldn't listen. But what kind of person would you be if killing was the first resort instead of the last one?"

"I can still... I can still feel it. The metal moving inside her." Korra closed her eyes, then inhaled slowly and opened them again. Asami was still there, her eyes kind and her face unjudging. "What if I have to do it again. What do we do then? What kind of person does that make me?"

"The sun always comes out and chases away the shadows, Korra. That makes you the Avatar. Make every decision to the best of your knowledge and abilities. We'll face the future together, you and me, all of us."

Actions had consequences, Korra thought. Everything led to something else and you didn't always know where you'd end up. She leaned in, kissing Asami lightly.

Asami was her heart, and she could draw strength from that when she needed it. And unlike Amaya, that strength was freely given, with Korra's strength given back in equal measure. To Asami, to Mako and Bolin, the Airbenders and Republic City. The whole of the world, everyone who needed her, they'd always have her strength. "Okay. We'll face it together. All of us."

(I'm really bad at responses and at expressing gratitude, but I wanted to thank you for reading and coming along on this journey with me. It really means a lot to me.)