Another update! Whomp!

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Chapter 26

Overwhelmed

She lost track of time.

Not that Asami cared, to be honest.

She was in no rush to head back to Tonraq's home and socialize. While she did want to get out to those stalled snowmobiles to see if they were broken, she wasn't a fool; she could hear the wind getting worse as it slammed into the garage. Even with the clinking of her tools, the sound of the snow flurries pounding against the dinged up metal door of this little building in Harbor City radiated into her ears.

Asami had gotten through two snowmobiles already, using the salvaged parts from the half-missing vehicle to restore the machines the best she could. While one of them was a bit rickety as it ran, it was running, and that's all she needed for now; she could work on improving their basic functions once she repaired as many as she could.

She was working on her fourth now, having skipped the third because she couldn't quite figure out what was wrong with it. She needed a different problem, a simpler problem, to ease her mind and work her way up to the larger mystery.

More integral to her: she needed a distraction.

She needed to be busy, to keep her cold, shaking hands moving, to keep her mind occupied and her clothes dirty with old oil and grease. So she took her time. She ran over every damn inch of these vehicles to make sure they were up to her initial standard. She even took one of them apart just to see all of the pieces inside and how they worked in unison. And, of course, she put it back together without a bolt out of place.

What worried her was that she was running out of things to fix.

There were only a few more snowmobiles waiting to be repaired, and she knew that once they were done, she'd be left alone with her thoughts again.

This was something she didn't want.

A pipe in the wall creaked as she worked. The room seemed to get colder as it sucked away her body heat. She wished, just for a moment, that she hadn't woken up this morning, that she was right back under that wolf pelt, lying next to Korra in a comfortable slumber.

Korra.

Her stomach turned and it felt as though her heart flipped in a somersault.

I hope she's okay and not in this storm.

Like she was the last time she ran away?

She tightened another screw, though the rotation lost a bit of steam.

You don't think she'd run away again, do you?

No. She's finally home, and she seemed pretty happy about it.

Yeah. She did…

There was a pause.

Are you going to stay in the Southern Water Tribe forever?

Her hand stopped.

What do you mean?

Are you going to stay with Korra's family here forever?

I've only been here for a day.

I know that. That wasn't the question.

I – I don't know.

Will you ever go back to Republic City again?

I don't know. I – I don't want to think about Republic City right now.

She returned to her twisting, trying to push the thoughts away.

You'll go wherever she goes, won't you?

Asami stopped again.

I – I'm not sure. I don't know. Why are you asking?

Because what if she never wants to leave the Southern Water Tribe? Are you going to stay here forever with her?

I told you already; I don't know. She went back to her work. So you can stop asking.

What if she went back to the Fire Nation? Would you go with her then?

She grumbled and exchanged her tools. I don't know what I'm doing, okay? I just want to work on these snowmobiles in peace.

Fine.

The silence between the perspectives in her head didn't last for long.

What if she's out there, looking for you? What if she got back home and started worrying about you after Tonraq told her where you were and she was trying to get through the storm to reach you?

Then I'll just have to wait for her to get here, won't I?

What if she doesn't make it?

Asami stopped working and sat up. She wiped the cold sweat from her brow and stared at the wall, fighting to keep her heart afloat. She closed her eyes and inhaled to calm herself. "Korra's fine," she whispered to herself. When her lids separated, her exhaustion became apparent. She shook her head to wake herself and returned to the snowmobile, eager to silence the turmoil within.

(-)

The tempest raged on in the background. She switched the ignition of the final snowmobile and it hummed to life. A smile of satisfaction crossed her lips.

There. Done. All of them are fixed except –

She glanced over her shoulder at the disassembled half-snowmobile in the corner. Most of its pieces were missing, either from her use in the other vehicles or their mysterious disappearance from whatever caused the second half of the machine to vanish. Asami shut the engine off and plopped onto the seat. She cracked her knuckles and rubbed her eyes with the back of her dirty gloves.

Well, now what?

I could always –

You don't get a say. At all. She shut that part of herself down right away before it could start more fights inside of her.

Asami crawled off of the vehicle and meandered over to the window, yawning as she did so.

All she could see was white.

Snow swirled in front of her, the sky hidden behind the storm clouds above. The wind was ferocious enough to force a small amount of cold through the sealed pane.

Looks like I'm staying here for the night.

Asami wasn't a fool; this was uncharted territory for her. She wasn't about to go wandering around in a blizzard, trying to make her way back to Korra's house – even if she did take a snowmobile to do so. On a clear day, she would probably have trouble getting to where she needed to go. It wasn't like her travels through the storms in Republic City: the terrain was different, for one, as was the weather and her intentions. Not to mention she knew where to go in the great metropolis.

Still, the final destination had always been the same: Korra.

She sighed and put her head against the glass. Her lids touched as the fatigued crept in. A faint shiver crawled up her skin. Asami removed herself from the window and scanned the room. There were no pelts or anything of the sort she could use to keep herself warm. The cabinets held only old tools and a few drawings. She dragged her feet to Korra's parka and stared at it. As much as she didn't want to dirty it with her greasy clothes, she was cold. Cold and tired.

Asami apologized to the absent Southerner under her breath and slipped the coat on. She found the warmest corner – the one furthest away from the door and the window – and huddled up on the ground for warmth. She eyed the pieces of the destroyed snowmobile with curiosity.

Maybe I can make a contained fire. I have some fuel oil left.

That won't last long. And without a vent, you'll poison yourself with carbon monoxide. Come on, Asami; you took chemistry, you know these things.

Chemistry…

She exhaled and thought of her time at the University with Korra, when things were simple… for the short amount of time that they had been. She recalled the meals they shared as her stomach growled, and the warmth of Korra on her back when she held her at night. Her heat dropped into a sea of nostalgia.

But remember what happened after those times? Korra got hurt. Really hurt.

I know. It doesn't mean I don't miss the good moments. Now, with everything that's going on…

So? You'll get through this. Both of you will. You're too strong and stubborn not to.

I suppose you're right.

Besides, you can make new good times. You're here, in the same general area as Korra. You have just as much opportunity to make those good times happen as you did before. You just have to take the time to try.

Not with this storm.

After the storm, Asami. Spirits, you need sleep.

Yeah, sleep sounds nice…

Though she was a bit hesitant about slumbering when she was this cold, her fatigue didn't give her much of a choice in the matter. She slipped her gloved hands into the sleeves of the coat to keep them warm. Her lids shut and she huddled into herself, the hood of Korra's parka pulled over her head.

I hope she's not looking for me.

Why? Her opposing side held a large amount of confusion in its question.

Asami cracked her eyes opened and stared across the dim room to the blowing wind outside.

I don't want her to be out in this.

She sighed and rested her face against the wall.

I hope she's okay.

(-)

"Are you willing to try again, Korra?"

She rubbed her head and closed her eyes; everything around her swirled when she opened them. "Do you think you'll be able to get this to stop?"

"I can't guarantee anything," Katara stepped forward and sat beside the keeled-over Korra on the bench, "but Kya and I can at least try."

Korra took a deep, determined breath. "Let's do this." She tried to get up but the blood rush was too much.

Lucky for her, Kya was there to catch her.

"I've got you," she hauled the younger woman up to her shoulder. "Come on; let's get you back to the pool." She guided Korra to the center of the room and helped her into the water.

Katara Bent some of the water from the large tub until Korra's back touched the bottom. "Close your eyes and relax again. Let your head sink into as much water as you can without blocking your airway."

She nodded and did as she was told.

Katara started swirling the liquid around, making it glow in the process. "Let's start with some of your physical ailments. Your cuts and bruises. Your fatigue."

Her face was calm with the gentler wounds. But the deeper Katara got, the worse the pain became. She didn't feel like her exhaustion was being relieved at all. Pulses shot into her mind, but she fought the urge to curl up in retreat. She did, however, flinch and grimace. Her limbs tightened and her fists clenched.

Kya observed with a curious expression. "What do you see, Korra?"

She gritted her teeth. "Images. They're… fuzzy. But I recognize them. I've seen them. In my – my dreams, before."

"Kya." Katara called her daughter over and motioned towards the pool.

Kya exchanged some of the liquid in the basin with fresh water from the vases nearby.

"I'm going to focus on a very small part of your energy, Korra. I'm going to try to soothe it. I need you to do your best to keep still and open up to me."

Korra bobbed her head, too focused on handling her pain to formulate words.

Both of the Healers moved together, each of them outstretching themselves and aligning their chi not only with each other, but with Korra. Their faces scrunched as they focused, trying to do everything they could to grab onto the small amount of swirling chi in Korra's chest.

"Easy, Kya. Be wary of the heart."

Her daughter narrowed her focus, shifting her arms in unison with her mother's.

It took every ounce of Korra's strength not to fight the Bending.

The memories hurt.

The pain hurt.

Everything hurt.

Just – hang – in – there. They're – it's going to – get – better.

Korra. The voice called to her.

She started to back away and close up out of natural instinct – fearful instinct.

"Stay with us, Korra. Just a moment more."

Sweat poured out of Korra. It dripped off the faces of the Water Benders outside of the pool as well.

Hang in there.

I can't.

You can. Just hang in there.

It was becoming too much for her. She found herself in the dark room with the broken glass, watching the images of different people reflect back at her. A piece of a man with a brown beard. The face paint of a Kyoshi Warrior. The white beard of an older Fire Bender.

Just hang – on –

I can't.

She crawled over to the shards, bleeding and broken. She matched her eyes up to an image that was just as damaged as she was.

The pain overwhelmed her.

Korra screamed and curled into a ball, forcing her back to the Water Benders above her. The water crashed around her. The glow disappeared. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she held her head, the rest of her limbs shaking. "I can't do it." She whispered to herself. "I can't do it."

Katara and Kya shared a look as they panted from the exertion. Kya took a step towards Korra and crouched at the edge of the pool.

Korra.

"Go away!" She hollered, shooting herself upright and punching the empty air in front of her. She aimed at nothing in particular, but hoped at that moment that her Fire Bending would just fly out of her knuckles and hit whatever kept making the voice call her in her head. When she collapsed onto the cement shelf – still facing away from the women behind her – she buried her face in her arms and whimpered. "Just leave me alone. Stop calling me. Stop talking to me. Stop saying my name. Just leave me alone!" She slammed her fist into the stone, crying out from the pain shooting up her arm.

Kya was in the water in an instant.

She walked over to the Korra and held her shoulder with one palm, the other rubbing her back. "It's going to be okay, Korra."

Korra buried herself into Kya and shook. "Why does this keep happening?"

"What keeps happening?" Katara joined her other side, offering a similar embrace.

"The voice."

Katara and Kya glanced at each other.

"A voice, Korra?" Katara was a bit hesitant in her question.

She nodded. "Just one voice. There's only one. I'm not crazy. I'm not."

"No one is saying you are. Come on; let's get you out of this pool." Kya helped Korra to her feet as gentle as she could.

She swayed and used Kya as a support.

Katara Bent their clothes dry and helped Korra to the common room. They placed her in front of the fire place and wrapped a fur around her torso. "Kya, would you go warm up our tea again? Korra needs fluids and warmth."

"Of course." She gathered the mugs and scurried out to reheat the beverages, eager to get back to the pair and help in whatever way she could.

Katara put a hand on Korra's back and rubbed it.

"I can't do it. It hurts. It hurts so much."

"Shhhh. Relax, Korra. It's okay. You'll get through this."

"No, I won't. I've been trying, Master Katara. Nothing is working. I've been trying so much."

"And I don't doubt that you won't keep trying. You're stubborn that way, just like your father, and just like me."

She shook her head. "That's not going to help. My head… it hurts."

A horrid gust slammed into the side of the house, shaking the entire room.

Korra cringed to another pulse of pain and rubbed her temples. "What am I supposed to do? I can't even remember what I – I –"

Kya returned with the steaming mugs and placed them on a table nearby. She joined Korra's other side and massaged her back in a similar manner as her mother.

"How long have you been hearing the voice for, Korra?"

She froze in her spot. Her heart dropped.

Just tell them the truth, Korra. Just… tell them.

"The first time I heard it was last semester, after I –"

Tell them. Tell them about your Bending, and how you first remembered the voices during your healing. Just tell them.

"After I – I got into a fight. These guys jumped me. I got hurt really bad. I heard it then, after the fight."

Korra…

Katara opened her mouth to speak, but Korra interrupted her.

"But that's not the first time. Not the actual first time." She pushed herself to her unsteady feet and walked over to the window. The sky was filled with dark, snow heavy clouds that blocked out the sun. They leaked their contents in a torrential blast, making everything that she could see white. Visibility was non-existent. Gusts bashed into the abode, forcing even the house to sway under its mercy. "It's just the first time I remember when it happened." She put her fingertips on the pane and took in the cold against her skin. The flurries worsened. Her mind flashed back to the blizzard she travelled through when she ran away as a younger teen. She shut her eyes and gritted her teeth, angling her face against the glass. "The first time the voice spoke to me was when I was unconscious in that snow bank. It called to me. Called my name as it always does. But I didn't remember it until recently, until I got attacked. It hasn't stopped since then."

Katara joined her at the window and put a hand on her shoulder.

Korra turned to her, sadness in her oceans.

"Why don't you stay here for the night? This storm doesn't look like it's going to get any better."

She nodded in silence and wrapped the fur tighter around her torso. "Can I lie down for a while? I just… I'm so tired."

"Of course you can. Kya, can you help her to the guest room?"

She bobbed her head and slipped her arm under Korra's shoulder. "Let's get you some rest, kiddo."

They left the common room and meandered down the hallway nearby. Kya pushed the door open and led Korra to the small bed in the corner of the quarters.

Korra collapsed onto the mattress, not even bothering to get her entire body onto the bed. In an instant, she was fast asleep.

Kya adjusted her limbs until she was slumbering in a safe position. She wrapped the pelt around her and took a few steps back, observing her work.

Katara joined her side and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Their eyes met, each one laced with a different level of concern.

"This shouldn't be happening, mom. I've never seen anything like this. It's so…severe."

"I know."

"We have to help her."

"I don't know if we can. But we'll try." Katara turned to Korra. "We have to."

They glanced at the unconscious woman once more. The storm raged outside, whistling songs of its appearance to keep its victims company. After a minute or two, they departed, heaviness in their hearts.

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