A/N: Here's the latest chapter folks. Thank BG-13! Read and Review!
Katara watched as her student moved her hands inside the bucket of water, trying to make it glow. The elder had to admit that the military woman was very talented despite never having Bended before. Usually her students were young and it would take years for them to master it but for Korra it seemed almost instinctual, like she'd been doing it for years. The master watched her student try to smother a yawn and hummed thoughtfully to herself.
"Have you been sleeping?" Katara asked curiously as she watched the younger woman practice.
The Colonel stopped momentarily before continuing. "What do you mean?" she answered, as she kept at the task.
But of course, she knew exactly what the elder meant.
Although her new sleeping arrangements had been helping with her sleepwalking, it really didn't do much for her insomnia. Most nights she'd sleep fine but sometimes, like last night, she'd pretend to be asleep as to not disturb her friend. The Water Tribe woman would lay awake thinking about what she had seen at the diner.
"Sleepiness nights, hallucinations, being on edge," the elder continued carefully. "They are symptoms soldiers experience after traumatic events."
Korra didn't reply, trying to focus on making the water glow. This was something she did not like to discuss.
"What you went through was not a light experience. Perhaps you should-"
"I didn't ask for your opinion!" the Colonel finally snapped.
Katara didn't say anything but her student's demeanor quickly turned apologetic. That was not what she had meant to do. "I-I'm sorry," Korra apologized as she bowed her head in respect. "That was out of line."
"It's a difficult subject," the elder continued. "The mind can be a powerful ally, or a dangerous enemy." She looked up to her student. "It's really up to you."
The military woman didn't reply to that, focusing her attention on the bucket in front of her. "So I just have to focus my energy into my hands?"
There needed to be a change in subject. Katara allowed it.
"Yes, now make the water glow." Katara watched as a dim light began to radiate around the military woman's hands and slowly spread out, causing her to smile. "Good."
The military woman sighed as she turned on her side. Tonight was Mako's turn to stand guard over her while she slept, though she hadn't done much of that for the past two nights. She felt the bed move and turned her head only to be bathed in kisses by Naga. The dog wagged her tail furiously as her owner scratched behind her ears.
Korra chuckled, looking up when the door opened, surprised when the heiress walked inside instead of the Firebender. The engineer laughed at her confusion before sitting down on the bed.
"Aren't you surprised."
"Isn't it Mako's turn?" the tan woman asked.
"It is," her friend agreed. "But I've noticed that you haven't been sleeping."
The Colonel gave her a sheepish smile. Of course the heiress would know better.
"If you're so smart, tell me, how long can a person go without sleep?" Korra teased.
"Hallucinations begin by day four, followed by slurred speech, short attention span and then death."
The Water Tribe woman blinked. When she put it that way... "Well then...let's get some sleep, shall we?"
Asami smiled and instead of taking her usual spot in the chair next to the bed, she laid down next to the military woman. Her friend said nothing, simply scooted over and turned so she was facing her green eyed best friend. It reminded her of the million or so sleepovers they'd had over the years.
"Are we having a sleepover or is this your way of saying you're attracted to me?" the Waterbender teased playfully, a glint in her eyes.
A chuckle was her only reply. "Go to sleep, Korra."
The Water Tribe woman smirked and nodded, her eyes closing. Asami reached over and grabbed Korra's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, letting her know she was there for her.
Where else would she be?
Korra shifted nervously as she finished packing her suit case. Graduation had been last month but her parents had allowed her to go on a vacation with her best friend and spend half the summer in the city before heading back home. They'd had loads of fun, going sightseeing and even doing some skinny dipping in the middle of the night.
Right before graduation, the Water Tribe teen had come out to her parents about her sexuality. Of course, Asami had been the first to know and she had taken it rather well, hugging her and relaxing the teen who had been freaking out a little. One heard so many horror stories about friends and family abandoning them when they came out.
At first Senna seemed confused, seeing as she had caught her daughter and her boyfriend making out several times. Korra explained that she had been trying to sort it out at first and the Firebender had agreed to be her boyfriend until she'd straightened things out. All and all both parents had taken if a lot easier than Korra had anticipated.
But now there was a more pressing matter: how to tell her best friend she was enlisting. Her father was the General of the Southern Tribe, her home, and she had always found the military a fascinating and effective form of discipline, plus there was no denying she was a natural born leader.
She sighed and took a deep breath as the ravenette walked in the room, the two sharing a smile. "All set?" the young inventor asked.
"Yeah."
The heiress raised a brow at her hesitance. "Are you sure?"
Korra took a deep breath. "'Sami, there's something I have to tell you..."
"You finally found a girlfriend?" her friend replied with a smirk. "I mean, Mako has to get tired of being your cover story."
The younger teen managed a laugh. "He doesn't mind. He's a good friend."
"Didn't say he wasn't." Korra sighed. Asami furrowed her brow. "Hey, you know you can tell me anything."
"I'm enlisting in the Southern Water Tribe's military," Korra blurted.
The ravenette didn't say anything for a moment. "You can't. You're seventeen."
"I can if I get my parent's permission," the teen replied. "Boot camp starts in two weeks. I'm telling my parents when I get home."
Asami crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "You know you can be killed, right? Even by your own troops? You can lose a leg."
"Yeah, you can die anywhere. People die everyday," the shorter girl defended. "I mean, my dad had to deliver me because the local midwife couldn't get through the storm."
"That's different. There's statistics-"
"There's statistics for everything and anything! I mean, you're an engineer, do you know how likely you are to get injured trying out your inventions?"
"I'm in a controlled environment, you won't be."
"Look, I just need my parents approval." Korra shook her head. "I thought I could have your support on this too." The Southern heir was hurt that her oldest friend was being so resistant to the idea.
Asami sighed and shook her head, sitting down next to your friend. After a moment, she spoke. "You do. You always will." A pause. "Doesn't mean I have to like it or I won't try to talk you out of it."
The Water Tribe teen chuckled and threw an arm around the older girl. "Thank you, 'Sami."
The Firebender watched as his friend tossed and turned on the bed. He raised a brow, putting down his book as whimpers escaped the Waterbender. Hesitantly, Mako put a hand on her shoulder and her eyes snapped open, sitting up as she took in deep breaths of air.
"Rough dream?" he asked.
She sighed but nodded her head, rubbing her face. "You weren't asleep, were you?"
He raised a brow. "That would defeat the whole purpose of watching you, wouldn't it?"
Korra laughed and lay back down, looking thoughtfully at the Firebender. Just last week Asami had slept on the bed with her and it had helped. Maybe if she...
Without warning the Colonel grabbed the Firebender's arm and pulled him into the bed, laughing at the confused expression on his face. It had been a few years since he'd been in this position with the Southerner.
"Well, I definitely did not see this coming."
"Relax, it just makes me more comfortable having someone next to me," the military woman answered with a laugh.
He smirked in response before picking his book up again and continuing where he left off. The pair sat in comfortable silence until the younger of the two sighed loudly, shifting his attention to her.
"What's wrong?"
The Waterbender wouldn't meet his gaze before speaking, "Rhodey, you think that...I have PTSD?"
Mako shifted at the question, closing the book to give the brunette his full attention. "Why do you ask?"
"Master Katara, she sort of pointed out that I...may have it."
He hummed in response. "What do you think?"
"I don't know. I've been in the military for five years." She sighed, shaking her head. "But I know I'm not myself. Get me?"
"Actually, I do." The Colonel looked up at him. "I had PTSD a couple of years back," Mako revealed. "Still do sometimes."
"Really?"
"My platoon and I were sent to the Swamp in the Earth Kingdom to help out in a village suffering an epidemic," the Firebender began. "There were these two brothers, about the same age as Bo and I, the younger one wasn't looking too good." He stopped for a moment, bracing himself as he recalled the memory with unwanted clarity. It was a day he would never forget. "He kept collapsing as we made our way to the Swamp and the older one finally had enough, grabbed my comrade's gun and shot the boy before turning the gun on himself." Mako sighed. "I had nightmares for weeks, even saw the kid around, though I knew he was dead."
"How'd you get past it?"
"I accepted that it wasn't my fault, that it could have happened to any other person in the platoon." He gave her hand a squeeze. "I forgave myself."
"I don't remember much after the first grenade," Korra admitted quietly. "Just little flashes, and Ben pressing his hands against my chest, probably trying to stop the bleeding." She lowered her gaze. "They all died and I lived. How do I forgive myself for that?"
Mako gave her a soft smile. "You will, eventually." He lifted her chin. "They wanted you to live. Don't ever think otherwise."
She managed a smile and he wrapped an arm around her as the military woman nuzzled her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her arm soothingly as she drifted off once more. Mako knew how inner demons could affect even the healthiest of minds and he wasn't about to let his friend go through it alone.
Korra let out a sigh of relief as she stepped into the shower, liking the feeling of the cold water hitting her and relaxing her muscles. She had finally passed Katara's test and was officially proficient at Waterbending. The military woman knew she should spend more time practicing, knowing it was only a matter of time before war broke out and it would help her to at least be able to control her abilities.
Her mind raced to and from a thousand different thoughts as she showered, from her latest lay to her upcoming meeting with the Chief of Police. Lin Beifong was not an easy going woman and far less patient than the elder had been with her. However, the Colonel was confident she'd convince the woman to train her.
The door opened and the heiress barged in, unconcerned with her friends state of undress. Korra didn't even bat an eye at the intrusion. They'd both seen everything the other had to offer. It was a perk of being friends since birth, numerous sparring sessions and skinny dipping endeavors had made them immune.
"I thought the arc reactor would be enough but I still feel like I'm missing something," Asami said almost to herself, pacing the length of the extravagant en suite bathroom. "Now it's almost as if the suit has too much energy."
"You know, one day you're gonna barge in here and I'll have another woman with me."
"When you finally decide to date someone, let me know. Until then, suck it up."
The Colonel chuckled before turning off the water and grabbing her towel, walking out of the shower to head back to her room, the ravenette following. mind still racing a mile per second.
"Maybe I need to adjust it a little more or use the extra energy as some sort of weapon." Her hand rolled in the air in an flippant gesture, like she was physically rolling the idea around.
"Ooh, I like that," the brunette replied with one sided smirk. "Would definitely make the suit more fun."
"You would know," the older girl shot back with a raised brow and slight curl of her lips.
The Waterbender smiled, removing the towel to dry herself off more before putting on her underwear. Asami furrowed her brow as she noticed something on the brunette's back stepping forward to get a closer look. The heiress realized they were tattoos and moved the hair away so she can read the names, nodding her head slightly.
"I like it."
Korra glanced at her before shrugging, putting her sports bra on. "Thanks."
"You need a haircut," Asami noted offhandedly.
The military woman sighed and nodded. "I know, I've been meaning to get it cut but haven't had time. I'm going later with Rhodey."
"I'm not invited?" Asami teased, walking over picking up her friend's shirt before tossing it at her.
The cobalt eyed woman smirked, catching the article of clothing with little effort. "Your hair is perfect the way it is. Besides you have you hands full with that suit."
Asami's eyes suddenly sparked in that way that Korra knew only happened when the woman had an idea she knew would absolutely, without a doubt work. "That's it!" She hugged her friend, kissing her cheek before taking off down the hall. "Say hi to Mako for me!"
Korra blinked, her hand reaching up to touch her cheek. She stood there for a moment before shaking her head with a slight smile and pulling on her pants.