Hello everyone! I apologize for the delay in posting this story and updating the Korrasami Month fic; I've been consumed with final exams, thesis work, and the holidays the past few weeks. But now that the semester is officially over (as of this morning) and I'm not working over break, I'll be updating more often. I plan on writing the new chapter for the final Korrasami Month prompt (Hands) tomorrow to update that. Then, that fic will sit until the next Korrasami week. History will continue to update, and once it's done, the first chapter of The Arts will be filled in. Hopefully by then, I'll have finished the first part of The Arts, but alas, only time will tell.
I would like to thank everyone for their continual patience as I try to get my life together.
In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter! It's a good one, if I must say so myself. ^_^
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Chapter 33
Choose
Korra and Asami were overwhelmed, to say the least. They played off of each other in defense alone, dipping and dodging in unison to avoid their attackers. Any Striker that Asami flipped or threw got right back up. Korra couldn't manage to land a single punch or kick on them.
With precise movements, the Strikers drew the pair away from each other under Ruby's guidance. Before they knew it, they had their own little circles of Strikers enveloping them.
Perhaps it was better this way – at least, for Korra.
It seemed as though they still underestimated her, even after everything she had managed to do to them in Republic City. She blamed it on the female Striker; she wasn't there when Korra took the Strikers down, so of course she wouldn't expect much of her. Any thoughts that she may have had faded away, consumed by the fire growing and burning inside of her. She slipped and parried with ease as her mind moved more and more into concentration. The flames raged, intensifying with each dodge.
Soon, she started landing her hits.
One punch to the face brought a Striker down and left a bit of bruising on her knuckles.
Another worsened the bruising but bettered her odds.
She was sending Striker after Striker to the ground and she had no idea how that was even possible. Besides her mother, perhaps, she was the worst fighter of them all; they've all been trained in advanced forms of combat, while her Non-Bending skills were maybe above average.
Or so it seemed.
Maybe she was wrong about herself this whole time. Maybe there was something more to her – scratch that. Maybe there is something more to her.
She clung onto this notion and let the fires well up in her. Whatever they were doing, whatever force was controlling her, it was helping her. And at this moment, she didn't give a single flying fuck what force that was.
If only Asami and Katara were having similar luck.
These Strikers were much, much more skilled than the ones Asami fought back in Republic City. They were quicker, more precise, and more in sync than the others had been. Ruby was giving her the most trouble, coming in at opportune moments and changing any sort of parry she managed with a deflection of her own. Despite Ruby's many attempts to throw Asami off balance by redirecting her energy, Asami kept on her feet and maintained her center of gravity. She wasn't about to go down that easy; she was Asami fucking Sato.
As if on cue to her thoughts, the attacks against her became sharper, each one missing by less than a few inches.
Asami changed her mentality and dodged and dipped, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to do this forever. But that was okay, because she picked up on their little scheme and alternating flow. Attention to detail was on her side, as it was for most of the things she did.
Even if I can manage just one blow to throw them off –
One Striker exposed his core after she stepped out of the way, though the revealing wasn't intentional on his part.
She sent a powerful knee right up into his ribs, feeling them crack under her force. Asami grabbed onto his shoulders and spun on her feet, using the injured man as a shield for the jabs that were meant for her back. He grunted as he took the hits. She pushed him forward with a front kick, his weight alone enough to bring that Striker down. She didn't have time to celebrate; hell, she almost didn't have time to get her footing back before another enemy barreled her way. She rolled out of his path and, fortunate for her, his glove collided with another foe that was trying to grab a hold of her. He shocked him just enough to render him unconscious. She rotated from another set of shots, parrying the man's forearms with her own to avoid the pointed fingers. While she didn't understand it in its entirety, she knew one thing for sure: she did not want to get chi blocked again. Ever.
Katara had long lost the wave she had been riding on, though she did manage to take a fair number of Strikers out before she landed back on the ground. She had her water tentacles around her, using them to try and fend off the incoming attackers. When this didn't prove to be a match to their speed, she rotated her body and spun her arms around until she created a vortex of water around herself. Several foes got stuck in the cyclone while the rest just waited on the outside for her attack to stop. She pushed the twister out, sending most of the aggressors far away while knocking others over with the blast. There were some still on their feet that charged her the moment they could penetrate the barrier.
Katara lifted her hands above her head, generating a large amount of water from the icy ground itself. While this took care of the Strikers in front of her, the ones behind her closed in on her flanks. She lowered her hands to her hips and brought them up at a diagonal as she turned to face them, catching the close ones and freezing them in place. She was panting as more fluttered in, and to be honest, she was getting tired. It had been a long, long time since she had fought like this. And while she liked to keep her skills sharp and her body in shape, age was not her friend in this battle.
Regardless, she refused to surrender.
The village needed her. Kya needed her. Korra needed her. And she took a vow to Sokka a long time ago that she would never turn her back on someone that needed her. She shot icicles from the frozen chunk of Strikers to the ones pursuing her to give herself a chance to scope out the situation. There were fallen members of the Southern Water Tribe everywhere – Benders and Non-Benders alike. She noticed the Chief and his wife down for the count, as well as Kya. Korra – much to everyone's surprise but her own – was doing the best of them all. Asami was in a bit of trouble, much like herself. Her face narrowed in determination. She prepared to lift herself over her pursuers to reach them when one Striker – one man in particular, stepped in her way.
Katara just barely avoided the tip of the baton that whizzed by her face.
"You don't know how long I've been waiting for this day." Warship grinned, baton at the ready. "Ever since you and your disgusting, snow savage brother took my father and sister away from me, I've been dying for the chance to get revenge."
Katara gathered herself, though she kept a rather aggressive stance. Confusion was on her wrinkled face. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course you don't." His voice grew angry, his own old skin scrunched up from his snarl. "Why would you remember? It wasn't your family that was ripped away from you!" He hollered, electric stick whipped down to his side.
The other Strikers strengthened their circle but refrained from attacking.
"I think you have me mistaken for someone else. I don't even know you."
"No, you don't." He took a step to the side, urging Katara to match it. "But I know you." They continued to walk in a circle, the embodiment of rage from Warship met with befuddlement from Katara. "Sixty-five years ago, you and your brother helped the Avatar disband my family. You all took my father and sister away to prison. I never got to see them again. It broke my mother's heart, and it broke mine, too. And now, I'll break yours."
"Sixty-five years ago?" She muddled to herself. Her eyes widened when the realization hit her. "Your family was part of the Mokin-Rui, weren't they? The people who supported Ozai and tried to assassinate us time and time again? What other choice did I have but help my brother investigate? They were killing innocent people and killing Earth Benders, all in support of Fire Nation control over the colonies."
"The Earth Kingdom had been resisting the Fire Nation for decades when it was clear that people of the Fire Nation were far superior to those dirt throwers, and far superior to the snow savages down south."
Katara gritted her teeth, an old fire sparking inside of her. "Sokka and I saved lives by what we did. Maguma and the rest of the Mokin-Rui were only causing problems."
"We were trying to get back to our families, trying to get back the land that we had grown up on."
"Is that what you tell yourself at night to justify your family killing people?"
"Why not justify myself with the truth? My father was out at sea in the Fire Nation Navy. He just wanted to come home, but you and your brother and the Fire Lord Zuko," he said in a mocking tone, "and the Avatar wouldn't let him. He didn't attack until he was provoked. The same with my sister. They were taken away when all they wanted to do was return from the war."
"And perpetuate the violence of Ozai's followers against the new Fire Lord. The people we detained were a threat to the safety of others, some of which were captured for severe war crimes against the Nations. Or did you just forget about the atrocities the Fire Nation committed during its assault on the globe? Genocide, segregation, destruction, murder, raping, pillaging… how do you justify and ignore those actions done during the war by saying 'they just wanted to go home' at the end of it? We all did, but some of us didn't have homes to go back to after what the Fire Nation soldiers did. Besides, how can you possibly know what your family was doing without seeing it firsthand like I did? Were you there when everything happened or did someone just spew these lies to you and you ate them up like candy?"
"Are you calling my mother a liar?" He growled, stepping closer to Katara in their slow circle. "My mother got the report. It was all she needed to know that you were to blame. It wasn't long until she died of a broken heart and I got shipped away as an orphan because of it. So I set on a quest to find you and to kill you and Sokka and everyone else who was involved in my family's demise." Warship lifted his baton and pointed it at Katara. "You were my original target all those years ago, and I was sure that attacking Kyoshi Island would draw you and Sokka out. Instead, we just got him and the Avatar. It was no matter, though; we still managed to destroy that bitch of a Kyoshi Warrior that he called his wife."
Her face fell into shock. "You? You were with the Shinote when they attacked the Island?"
"Who do you think orchestrated it? I might have been young, but it didn't stop me and Maguma from doing what we had to do."
Katara stopped circling, staring at the Striker in disbelief.
He halted as well, baton resting on his shoulder. "It's a shame, though, that I wasn't the one who got to kill Sokka instead of those Bending terrorists fourteen years ago. It would have been a much sweeter victory if it had been him instead of Suki."
Her hands were shaking. Red was creeping into her eyes. "How dare you."
"How dare I? How dare I?" He chuckled, warranting the concerned glances between his Striker comrades. "I'm only speaking the truth. Fuck Suki. Fuck Sokka. And fuck you for what you've done to my family. I've waited decades for this opportunity, and while I wasn't the one who killed Sokka, I will at least get to kill you!" He charged at Katara, hate burning in his heart. The others in his circle followed suit, though they didn't do so without a pause of mild concern.
Katara dodged them the best she could, a new form of energy washing over her. This had gone from mere self-defense and protection to something verypersonal. She Bent her water like the Master that she was, ensnarling some of the Strikers in custom ice pillars while blasting others away from her. She tried to keep a distance between herself and Warship, but this was proving to be more and more difficult. He was faster than she could have ever imagined, and his close range of striking made it harder for her to keep him away. Soon, the other adversaries became a distant worry as she tried to avoid the buzzing blade of his baton.
The Strikers around Korra were starting to thin out, though she didn't notice this all that much; she was much too 'in the zone' to care how many people came her way. Parry after parry. Dodge after dodge. Blocks and kicks and punches and rolls. She felt unstoppable. The flames were burning through every inch of her, its orange tint touching the corners of her eyes as she battled. It was when she tossed one Striker into another that the sight hit her eyes.
Asami was in trouble. Deep trouble. While she was managing to keep the Strikers at bay, she was getting exhausted, and Korra could see it in her eyes. Ruby was narrowing in on Asami, getting inches and inches closer to her person. She had to be fighting almost double what Korra had taken down, with the addition of what appeared to be one of the best fighters in their entire group.
Korra wanted to sprint over there to protect her, to help in some way – any way – that she could. Her heart pounded and ached to be by her side, pulling some of the attention and brunt of the battle away from the engineer. But she knew it would be of no use. There were still too many people around her. There was no way she could get to Asami in time. She flicked over to Master Katara, one of her two allies who were still standing that she could see. Sentai was on the prowl, moving in on her while the other Strikers were mere pawns in his game. While she was a great Water Bender – probably the greatest Water Bender of all time, in Korra's eyes – this was getting to be overwhelming. The electric baton, with its little blade sticking out, was getting much too close to the woman's chest.
Her own core throbbed and buzzed at the memory of the electrified feeling from his weapon. She looked over at Asami in what seemed to be slower and slower motion, as if time was freezing just to prolong her suffering. Each simmering moment brought the female Striker closer to nailing a debilitating blow on Asami. She switched back to Master Katara, realizing she was facing the same fate. Korra made short work of the men attacking her, rotating and flipping them without a second thought. They slammed into the ground, some with broken noses and ribs from her punches and kicks, others just bouncing right back up to continue the onslaught. Every spin, every pivot brought her to a different sight of someone close to her nearing defeat.
Asami took the brunt of a punch to the stomach and staggered. She kept on her feet and continued to fight with as much force as she could.
Katara got a slit on her right arm as she tried to dodge the baton, though her rotation did allow her to push more Strikers away with her Water Bending.
It was getting too close. Korra felt helpless as she watched it all unfurl. She cleared the Strikers around her, finally able to get herself free and help one of her friends.
But who?
How could she possibly choose between them? The woman who supported her as a child or the woman who supported her as a teen? The woman she grew up with or the woman she fell in love with? Her best friend or her other best friend? Her mentor or her lover?
It tore her from the inside out, time slowing down as the battle raged inside of her. The flames breached her control, flicking red into her sight as she watched each of them take another hit.
You have to do something.
But what?
You can't just stand there.
But how?
Move, Korra. You're wasting time.
But who?
They're both going to die if you don't do something.
Move.
Move.
Move!
What are you waiting for?
Who's it going to be?
Katara? Or Asami?
Asami takes another hit.
Katara? Or Asami?
Katara takes another hit.
Katara or Asami?
I can't. I can't choose. How can I only save one of them? I love them both too much.
You'd better choose.
If you don't act, then you'll lose them both.
Choose.
The female Striker closed in on Asami, arm curled over her shoulder to land an incapacitating blow to Asami's neck.
Choose.
Sentai stepped around Katara's stream, baton poised to stab her in the throat.
Choose.
What can I even do from here? I can't save either of them. I waited too long. It's too late. I'm too late.
No, you're not.
The flames consumed her, shifting from a light orange to a burning, blinding white flash of heat. The red in the corners of her eyes was replaced by sparks. She took in a deep breath and planted her feet into the ground to steady her stance. Time slowed further. Her fists joined at her abdomen, the energy within herself pooling from her toes and her head into her stomach. She glanced between the two of her friends. The turmoil roared inside of her. She lifted her hands up her center, her arms moving at a subconscious level.
Her enemies inched closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Korra shut her lids, shut her entire mind off, everything breaking down in her body and reforming into something new – some pure form of instinct and adrenaline and rage and ire and sun.
And it was exactly what she needed.
Her hands separated by a few inches at her chest until her thumbs were in line with her shoulders. She drew from the flames, drew from the power within her. Her inner sun burned with the need to protect the people she loved. She opened her eyes and shot each arm out from her chest, aiming at the Strikers attacking Asami and Katara. Two large, strong streams of massive fire left her knuckles as she shifted her energy, letting it all extend from her limbs out to the enemies in her sights.
Every jaw in the village dropped. The Strikers that were hauling the Benders away froze in their steps. Tonraq, Senna, and Kya watched on from different distances, baffled at what just crossed their eyes.
Korra was in a similar state; she had never Fire Bended something this powerful before, her rage accented with a touch of power from her internal sun. Her blast at Kuru was like a flick of flame compared to this, her sparking fist against the stone pole a mere blink of heat. She took a step back, staring at her fists as the frustration and sun she pulled from faltered. She had done it; she shot Fire from her fists, something she had been trying to do for days – though the flames were, once again, based more on rage instead of control.
Although…
She tried to convince herself otherwise, claiming that this burst had more control, more drive over it than her last. But considering her last real flames were also her first, she tossed the defense away. Korra could tell, just by how drained she felt afterwards, that this still wasn't the right way to Fire Bend. Though she was closer to her sun than before, the ratio of ire was still too high. Regardless, her head started to spin from her efforts.
Focus. You don't need this right now. Think about it later. Shut it off, shut it down.
She did as she was told, bringing her attention back to the battle at hand. Her authority, her power flowed back into her veins, back to the place where it belonged – part of her decided.
Korra watched the flames charge at the aggressors. The force of them was enough to push most of the Strikers – Sentai and Ruby included – right out of attacking range. They plummeted and rolled away, giving Asami and Katara the chance they needed to recover.
They took up arms against the Strikers.
Katara washed her assailants away with massive sweeps of water, freezing them on contact to rid them of their chance at standing back up.
Asami rolled and ducked and dodged and parried every single attack thrown her way, her newfound strength and drive allowing her to counter each of these into a stunning or debilitating move and power through her conflicting insides.
Ruby rose to her feet, disbelief in her posture. Part of her mask was burned – some of it charred into dust while the edges stuck to her skin – but it made no difference to her. She examined the situation, watching Katara and her target all along rise up to power in the fight. While they had taken out and captured many more Water Benders than she ever would have thought possible in this desolate part of the Southern Water Tribe, it wasn't enough. A good leader knows when to fall back and when to press on, and she knew in that moment, with the native girl that just Fire Bended glaring at her, preparing to head her way, that this was a time to do the former. This was a stupid mission anyway, she concluded.
Go to the home of the Water Benders, fight through them, bring back my daughter, Ruby mocked Hiroshi in her head, frustrated at the turn of events. This isn't what we're about. We deal with Benders in Republic City, not around the world. That's our domain, not the Southern Water Tribe. What are we even doing here? I never should have let him talk me into this. I – I shouldn't even be here, not like this...
She eyed her fallen comrades and those struggling to stand up.
If I don't do something, they're all going to die. The Strikers are going to die.
She glanced at Katara one last time, an ache in her heart. As much as she didn't want to flee, she sent a signal up into the air with a loud call of "retreat".
Every other Striker that was attacking fulfilled their role as a pawn and charged in on Katara and Asami, just enough to distract them while the others fled.
Korra noticed this in an instant. She traced their path to the Aakaga, where several Water Tribe boats were docked. Strikers were carrying fallen Benders away, her parents and Master Kya included.
Oh no, you don't!
Korra sprinted towards the shore, adrenaline leading her to immediate action. She sent a loud, sharp whistle through her fingers. The shrill pitch of it was enough to get everyone's attention.
But that didn't matter to her; she only needed it to grab onto one person's focus.
Or, one polar bear dog.
Naga came barreling in towards her human companion, having taken refuge to nurse her numbing limbs during the battle. Lucky for her, the Strikers had managed to hit just two minor points. While her running was jagged and she couldn't quite fight, it was better than anything Korra could muster speed-wise.
Korra jumped onto Naga and crawled onto her back while in motion. She tackled through some of the Strikers that were running towards Katara, given that they stood in her path west to the boats. "Help Asami," she called over her shoulder, riding her rickety polar bear dog to the shores. Korra sped towards the pair of Strikers holding her mother up and forced Naga to plow right through one of them to free Senna from their grip. She ignored the rest of the stragglers and went right for the ship furthest to her; it was the one she saw the Strikers load her father and Master Kya on.
And it was the one that was taking off.
"Come on, Naga! We have to catch up to them!" She flattened herself against Naga's neck, urging her into a sprint. She kept her eyes on the boat as it sailed up the Paniga.
Big mistake.
Korra directed Naga to the edge of the Aakaga, following the shoreline until it split between the two children rivers. They sprinted along the coast of the Paniga, gaining small amounts of elevation as they climbed.
Come on, just a little more, just a little more…
Perfect.
They had caught up to the fleeing ship. Korra was at just the right height and just the right distance ahead of the boat to make her move. "Jump, Naga!" She led her polar bear dog right over the edge of the cliff. They soared through the air in an arc, getting closer with each passing second. They were almost at the edge when Korra realized it wasn't enough.
So she made another move.
She flattened her feet against Naga's back and pushed off, reaching out to grab the side of the boat.
What she wasn't aware of was the flames that shot out of her feet and hands before she made her stretch for the deck, her subconscious knowing that a single jump wouldn't suffice.
Naga dove into the water short of the ship, staying afloat and ready for Korra to return.
The second of extra propulsion gave Korra just enough height to clear the edge of the ship. She rolled onto the deck and made it to her feet, white flames radiating from her core. Lucky for her, Kya and Tonraq were still on the deck.
Unlucky for her, so were the Strikers.
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