Another day, another update! Though this day was much more spaced out than the last; illness is a horrible thing that has been consuming my life. But alas, here is the latest chapter. I hope you enjoy it. We are winding down to the close here. *cue suspenseful music*
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Chapter 40
Promise
Naga growled from behind Korra, acting on the distress she felt from her human companion. Though she was the furthest from the strangers, she was the most protective.
Except, perhaps, for the engineer who was already on her feet, her instincts in sync with Naga's. "Why would you be coming to see Korra this late at night?"
Two of the men took a step back while the third – the pale man in front – stood his ground. "We wanted to check on Chief Tonraq after the reports we received concerning the Striker attack. That… and he also came through the village earlier quite upset about something. He went to several places, checking on the injured people with the taaktis and those imprisoned from the battle, before heading to the pub nearby, from what we heard. We wanted to make sure he got home safely once we – learned what happened."
"That still doesn't explain why you want to see Korra." Asami shifted a bit, allowing her body language to better display her defensive aggression.
The man raised an eyebrow in both thought and confusion. Once he remembered his words, he added onto his argument. "Well, Korra does live with Tonraq, doesn't she? We heard she sustained quite a bit of stress from the battle earlier." He locked his pale-yellow irises onto the squinting oceans in front of him. "We also heard about something else."
Korra struggled to her feet, ignoring the concerned looks from the women around her. She tried her best to maintain an intimidating pose. "And what would that be."
"That you, a child of two Water Benders in the Southern Water Tribe, exhibited Fire Bending."
Her eyes widened for just a moment in disbelief.
So they know.
Those White Lotus guys that were rushing towards the boat – they must have seen me Fire Bend when I was fighting off the Strikers.
"What do you want with me?" There was no use in denying it and Korra knew that.
"The White Lotus has been searching for you for eighteen years. Well, not you specifically, but for the Avatar."
Korra took a step back while the others remained steadfast. "What makes you think I'm the one you want?"
"You Fire Bended when you're a child of the Southern Water Tribe. It's pretty obvious to us that you're the Avatar." The pale man left it at that, opting not to disclose their knowledge of Katara's affections towards the younger woman.
"And what if I am? What does it have to do with you?" Korra folded her arms over her chest, her stamina returning to her in slow waves of her breath.
"Our organization is built upon serving the Avatar and the world. And right now, the world needs its Avatar." He moved towards Korra, unafraid of the growling polar bear dog behind her. "We've come to bring you to the White Lotus compound to begin your Avatar training. The sooner we start, the sooner you will be of use."
Of use?! Asami snarled inside to the man's words.
"That is not for you to decide." Katara moved closer, acting a split second before Asami could. "I understand the reason for your work and your desperation in performing your duties, but you can't force Korra into the compound against her will."
"Wait, I recognize you." Korra spoke up, a click of her mind echoing in her ears as she put some of the pieces together. "You three are the White Lotus people that came to my house the other day," her face morphed into a half-scowl, half-pout, "the ones that were rude to my mother."
"We are still heavily sorry about that, Avatar Korra." One of the other men stepped forward, the same one who had apologized beforehand for the incident. "But if you would come with us to the compound –"
"Look, Korra has just had a very traumatic experience," Katara attempted to reason with the men, "she needs to rest. She can give you her decision in the morning once she's had time to think about it and discuss it with her family."
"Katara, you know just as well as I do that she needs to begin her training immediately –"
"And what is it that you are going to do at this time of night? Have her do kata? Spar? Bury her in scrolls?"
"Bring her into safety, that's what we are going to do. Or did you forget about what caused the compound to be built in the first place fourteen years ago after the attack on the Southern Water Tribe," he moved closer to Katara, intimidating pale-yellow eyes locked onto her blue ones.
Something in Korra stirred. She didn't like these men from the first day she met them; no one talks to her mother the way they had. And the same went for Master Katara, if she had a damn thing to say about it. Her hot-headedness and her protective instincts took over. She wedged herself between Piku and Katara, fire in her oceans. "Back. Away. From. Katara." She spoke with malice, her words not exactly her own.
Calm down, Korra.
"We're wasting time! You're coming with us to the compound." He reached out and latched onto Korra's right wrist, yanking her towards him in one smooth pull.
"Get off of her!" Asami reacted in an instant. She grabbed Piku's free arm and tried to force his hand behind his back in a painful lock.
He responded by extending his arm with all of his power. His elbow collided with her side, sending Asami crashing into the snow with a painful grunt.
Korra's sight turned red.
"How dare you!" She twisted in a circle until her back was facing him. In the same motion, she rotated her wrist so that she was gripping him instead. Using her momentum, she followed through with a spinning back kick, her eyes in shock when she saw flames radiating from her sole as she did so. There were no white flames boiling inside of her, no mighty force that she pulled on. It was simply her, her own energy, her own power, her own defense of her beloved sun.
It was enough to break her free of Piku and for him to recoil.
"I'm not going with you. Fuck your –"
Piku grabbed onto her again with the other two lunging forward to follow him, one bringing earth under his feet while the other brought a wave.
"Get off of me!" Korra growled, yanking herself out of the man's hold a split second before he could tighten.
Naga barreled herself at the men, forcing her massive body between the Piku and Korra. She tackled him and growled as he rolled through the snow.
Shan and Natchik halted, the earth and water dying under their release. They stared at the massive polar bear dog, glancing between the three aggressive-looking women to formulate a plan.
She didn't know what it was – whether it was her 'Avatar Spirit' or her gut instinct or whatever else, but something told her to get as far away from these men as she could.
And so she did.
Korra spun around and booked it, sprinting down the slippery eastern slope of the glacier.
Asami was on her feet by the time Korra started running. She made split-second eye contact with Katara and knew exactly what the elder wanted. She wasted no time in running after the Avatar.
Naga stayed next to Katara, knowing that Korra was in good hands with Asami. She intensified her snarl and bared her teeth at the three men.
Piku rose to his feet and met the ferocious irises of the old woman standing before him.
"I would suggest you leave now, or else you won't be leaving for a long time." Her hands were at the ready, her voice menacing as she threatened them.
They stood their ground, though their stubbornness didn't escape a mild amount of hesitation. Before Piku could even lift his hand to attempt Fire Bending at Katara, he was frozen in his place. He flinched and looked down at his body, which was covered in ice up to his neck. He craned his head to find his companions in the same state.
Katara put her hands behind her back and approached Piku. She stopped once they were just a foot apart and his pale-yellow eyes were level with hers. "I don't know what's going on with you, but this is unacceptable behavior from the White Lotus. I want the Avatar back into the world just as much as you do, if not moreso. But this is not the way to go about it. The rest of the Order will be hearing about this come sunrise. And if I see you lay a single finger on Korra ever again, you won't have any fingers left to Bend with. Do you understand me?"
A mixture of hidden rebellious fire telling him not to agree and fear begging him to surrender pulsed through him. He nodded with a stern face.
"Good." She turned from him and approached the still-snarling polar bear dog. "Come, Naga. We've got to go find Korra and Asami and make sure they're okay." She walked to the eastern edge of the glacier and waited at the ledge for Naga to join her side.
Naga sent another dark bark their way, as if making the same threat Katara had. She left the frozen White Lotus members and caught up to Katara.
They surveyed the area for Korra's foot trail. Once they locked onto it, they began their descent down the mountainside, leaving the three men to freeze in their ice prisons.
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Korra was running faster than she thought she would be able to after having a seizure.
Perhaps a little too fast.
It didn't take her long for her legs to give out halfway down the mountain. She slipped and tumbled all the way to its base, earning new bruises and a few scrapes from the hard terrain and the occasional rock that collided with her bare skin. Once her rolling was complete at the bottom of the glacier, she pushed herself up and kept sprinting.
Asami wasn't far behind. She elected not to slide down the hill in the same manner as Korra had, though, but still managed to reach the flatter ground when Korra was only a few yards away. "Korra," she called to her, reaching her hand out in vain.
She didn't hear Asami's voice. All she could hear was her thudding heart in her ears. She kept sprinting across the ice field until her toes were too cold to function. She tripped over her own feet and crashed into the snow with a groan-full thud.
"Korra!" Asami sped up and crouched beside Korra once she had caught up. "Are you okay?"
Korra shook her head, burying her face into the snow to hide her tears. She struggled for breath. This was all too new for her, all too much. Just a few months ago, she was a teenager excited to see Republic City for the first time and to get an education. One semester, one friendship, one rivalry later and she was shooting fire from her fist. One decision, one heart wrenching longing, one runaway later and she was in the Fire Nation, learning how to actually Fire Bend. One week, one attack, one trip to the Spirit World later, and she was the Avatar. Her. The Non-Bender from the Southern Water Tribe who couldn't manage to Water Bend to save her life. Her. The girl who was just looking to make her dad proud. Her. The woman who was growing up much too fast for her liking.
She was the Avatar.
Her.
The Avatar.
"How did this all happen?" She mumbled, her thoughts rampant as her body recovered from the running.
Asami put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort the sobbing woman. It was a mixture of good and bad news that Korra was the Avatar: it was amazing because she's the fucking Avatar, but it was also awful because she was the fucking Avatar. If she had been afraid of Korra being targeted before, it was even worse now. "Korra –"
She pushed herself up and collapsed into Asami's torso.
Asami held her tight, not knowing what else to do or say or think at the moment.
"I – I'm the – all this time, I –"
Asami buried one of her hands into Korra's brown hair, stroking it to calm the Southerner in her arms. "It's going to be okay."
"How can you be so sure?" She broke away and stared into the peridots before her, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I – I don't know what I'm going to do. This – this is all happening so fast – I –" She rejoined Asami and buried her nose into her sweet arctic-lily smelling hair. "Tell me what to do, Asami."
"I can't make your decisions for you, Korra." She fought back a small knot in her throat; she hated seeing Korra this way. "But I can make a recommendation."
This got Korra's attention. She separated once more and sniffle. She met Asami's eyes. "What is it?"
Asami slid her hands to the front of Korra's head to hold her cheeks with her pale palms. She wiped stray tears away with her thumbs. She was aware of when Korra needed to be pushed into the solution, and when she just needed an escape. For this situation, it was the latter. "How about we go back to your place, change into some warm clothes, heat up some tea, start a fire, and just snuggle up under your wolf pelt?"
"That… that's not going to help my situation. I – I'm –"
"You're stressed. And tired. You need rest, just like Katara said, so your body and mind can recover. You just had a seizure, Korra, and it knocked you out for well over half an hour. You'll be safer in your house than out here in the open and you can get the rest you deserve."
"She's right, you know." Katara added as her and Naga approached them, their footsteps unheard in the heat of the moment. "You need to relax, clear your mind, and restore your body before you –"
"You all act like it's such a simple thing to do." Korra pulled away and threw her hands up into the air in frustration. "You're not the ones who are going through all this – this craziness right now." She turned away and folded her arms over her chest in a pout.
"You're right, Korra. We're not." Asami crawled over to Korra's side and wrapped her arm around her shoulders, their backs to the pair behind them. "We aren't in your head or your shoes and we will never truly understand what you're going through, but that doesn't mean we don't want to try. We want to understand the best we can, and we want to help the best we can. But we can't do it alone. We need you, too."
Korra sighed and allowed her arms to drop to her sides. She rested her head in the nook of Asami's neck, nestling until she was comfortable. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Asami shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Good." She melted more into Asami and reached for her free hand. When their fingers interlocked, a soft smile formed on her face – if just for a second. The thoughts of everything before her took that grin right off. "This is – this is all so crazy. Everything is happening so fast. One minute, I'm meeting you in chem lab and gawking at how beautiful you are and the next minute I've got guys trying to drag me to a compound because I can Fire Bend. When did everything get so… so – I don't even know."
It took Asami a moment to respond due to her blushing cheeks from Korra's hidden compliment. She shook herself free and caressed Korra's bare shoulder. "I know it's not going to be easy, but you'll get through this. I know you will. You're amazing. And even if I don't always understand what happens, I'll be here to do whatever I can for you. I promise."
She straightened and stared into the peridots beside her, sincerity in each of their expressions. "Thank-you," she smiled, feeling weirdly pleasant as she got lost in Asami's eyes.
A strong chill moved between them, reminding them both of just how cold it was outside and how freezing they were in their very limited clothing.
"We should – uh – probably get back to my place. I don't want you to –" she blushed at the thought, though she caught herself before she could say –
"What? Turn into an Asamisicle?" Asami replied with a smirk.
Korra grinned back, some of the tension washing off of her skin with the comment. "You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"
"Nope," she responded with a wink and departed just to stand on her feet. She offered her hand to Korra and helped her to do the same.
She pulled Asami closer to her without a second thought, her natural instincts to keep the woman warm flowing through her despite everything she had just endured. Korra moved with shaky feet over to Master Katara and her trusty polar bear dog. "Thank-you for everything back there."
Katara couldn't help but smile. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around Korra and Asami. "You are going to do great things, Korra, I know it. You both are." She ended the embrace but kept a hand on each of their shoulders.
Naga nudged her way into the circle and licked Korra's cheek.
"Thank-you, too, Naga, for protecting me."
She barked and wagged her tail in response, prompting a chuckle from her human companion.
"Come on; let's go home. Do you mind if we hop a ride, Naga?"
She shook her head and kneeled down to allow the trio to climb onto her back.
Korra took the front with Asami placing her hands on Korra's waist and Katara holding onto Asami's shoulders. By the time they reached the joining of the Aakaga to the Igniga and Paniga, Korra was slumping over the side of the polar bear dog.
"Easy," Asami called, pulling Korra's torso against hers.
She responded with an incoherent mumble and a slight twitch.
She's tired. She's been through so much today and it's all catching up to her.
"Naga, we've got to get her home."
Naga howled and plunged into the river, eager to get Korra to safety.
Once they were out of the water, Katara Bent the cold liquid from their clothing and they zipped to Tonraq's home at break-neck speed. It took all of Asami's strength to keep Korra from falling off.
"Naga, I want you to take Katara home. I need to get Korra inside as soon as I can, but I don't want Katara travelling alone with everything that's been happening."
She nodded and stood before Katara could protest.
Katara simply bobbed her head and smiled at Asami. "Thank-you. And take good care of Korra."
"Of course," Asami returned the gentle expression as she forced the door open, a groggy Avatar half-leaning on her side. She waited until the pair was out of sight before sealing the main entrance. The common room was dark and the familiar sounds of Tonraq's snoring still echoed from the training room.
Good. They're still asleep.
Asami crept down the hallway, guiding Korra into the bedroom. She lowered her onto the mattress as smooth as possible and retrieved the wolf pelt that was abandoned to the floor earlier in the night. She wrapped Korra in the fur and turned to leave for warm tea when a muffled call stopped her. Asami spun back around and stared at the woman on the bed.
Korra's half-open ocean eyes stared at Asami's. Exhaustion radiated from her entire essence. Korra lifted her arms towards Asami the best she could and murmured "Asami".
Asami smiled and crawled back onto the mattress. She allowed Korra to pull her into a hug, even going so far as to let Korra toss half of the pelt on her.
She pulled Asami closer, wanting nothing more than her soothing embrace. She muttered her name again and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry you got dragged into all of this," she whispered, using her last bit of energy to form an intelligible sentence.
Asami departed until their irises locked. "Korra, I will be here for you in whatever way I can, whether it's dealing with the campus or the Strikers or whoever else might get in our way. I love you and it's my decision to stay by your side through all of this. So don't apologize, okay?"
Korra nodded and smiled. "Okay. I – I love you, too," she sighed, lifting her head to place a gentle kiss on Asami's lips.
She reciprocated the brief moment of tenderness until fatigue consumed Korra.
Korra collapsed onto the mattress. Asami lay beside her and stared at the sleeping woman that she held so dear. She contemplated everything that she was feeling. The fear from before had intensified; no, she wasn't afraid of Korra's Bending, but she did fear for her life. At the same time, sentiments of excitement pulsed through her; she knew the Avatar, and not only that, she was holding her in her arms as she spoke these words in her head. She knew Korra could do anything she wanted to and Asami would make sure she did everything she could to keep her safe. She tousled a piece of her brown hair as her own enervation set in. Her last thought before she, too, drifted into slumber was a simple one that needed no explanation, no further accent or amplification with other superfluous words:
Korra.
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