This one is short chapter and I am cutting this story short as well. I'll write an epilogue for it at least, to finish it. Sorry about the long wait. I want to focus on finishing 'Dictators and Warlords.'
Katara and Pema jumped from their spots as someone pounded the door. When the familiar pounding pattern started, Katara stood up to answer the door. It was strange that Korra did not just open the door. Normally she would have forced the door open and stormed in with that grin of hers. The old master paused, preparing for the worst. The worst she found was that the Avatar plus three teenagers all looked worn from a fight.
"I will answer that old mind of yours, Master Katara. Just let us in." The Avatar spoke as she forced the door open more to allow Mako to come in.
"What happened?" Katara asked as Korra muttered something about a healing room. The old waterbender led the way as the gangster explained. Pema followed, recognizing Asami. When Korra mentioned that Asami was now bonded with Raava, the two older women stopped.
"So," Pema spoke first, "Asami is now the Avatar?"
"Were you not listening?"
"It's hard to listen to a known murderer!"
"Ladies," Katara interrupted, "Please. We have had enough fighting. Pema, please go set some tea for Asami's friends. Korra, I will need your help continuing to heal the Avatar."
Mako handed Asami over to the former Avatar. The two brothers then gave their friend one last look before following Pema. Katara, by then, had asked Korra to gently lay the younger woman into the pool after aiding her with removing most of Asami's clothing. The older master started to use the water before asking her former student to take over. After a quick refresher lesson, she then went searching for a certain herb.
"I don't think she was spiritually and physically ready to take in the Avatar Spirit." The gangster spoke lowly, "Trust me this last time, if you think that I meant to pass it to some child. It was by accident."
Katara was hesitant to speak at first but comforting word came, if only for herself, "Perhaps it was an accident or it was by chance. Only time will tell if she is able to survive this. What do you know of her?"
With her arms still circulating the water, Korra answered, "She is a non-bender from Republic City. Technologically smart. She, ah, used to own Future Industries before I stole it from her family and forced her to join Pema to leave the city."
"Another victim of your brutality then." The old master commented. Korra did not respond. She only continued to work.
The duo continued through the night to revive Asami. Later, Katara's only daughter, Kya came over to take over for the weary waterbenders. While the rest of the household was asleep, Korra sat alone in a room with a cup of tea. Why she was still awake, she could not tell. She assumed that the actions of the day running through her mind kept her up. The other was a possibility of her former teachers coming for her.
She hummed with amusement. They would not be after her now. She was no longer the Avatar. Korra was free from the bonds of righteous duty. If she could find a place to hide from governments wanting revenge then she could do whatever she pleased. Certainly some ruffians in the Earth Kingdom could use her help and in return, all the drugs and money she wanted could be hers. Plus she could still anger the Earth Queen. Anything to get under that woman's skin was a good thing to Korra. She could even take over an island in the warmer parts of the seas and make a beach home just for her.
Life was just starting again for her.
Out of the corner of her eye, a picture stood out. It was a copy of the one she burned on Air Temple Island. It taunted her once again with its innocence. She began to wonder if Katara placed it in this room for that very reason; to remind her of what she could have been like those that had shown her love wanted for her.
She was just putting on her new red jacket as Tenzin stopped her at the docks. The airbending master was furious. They had just announced that she had completed her airbending training and the world was ready to accept her as their new Avatar, yet she was sneaking off to join her Red Monsoon pals for trouble. And by the looks of her bag, she was leaving for good.
"What are you doing, Korra?"
"I'm leaving. I don't need to be here and I certainly feel like I don't belong anymore." She stated in an angered tone.
"Don't belong?" Tenzin muttered, all flustered from her words, "What makes you think that? I have never tried to make you feel like you don't belong here."
Korra raised a brow at his comment, "Well, you have. Enjoy that non-bender whore of yours."
The airbender held back what he really wanted to say, "So this is what it is about. We already discussed this."
"Yeah, and you can't make me stay. I have friends to meet. Go give your woman some attention. She certainly looks like she needs it."
"Korra!"
She left the island for the triad in waiting. Earlier in the day, she had defended Tenzin's decision to join Republic City's council, arguing that he was actually an airbender and could handle the stress of the city's needs. Now she was turning her back on him and it would not be much longer before she held the city's power.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. It was Kya.
"Reflecting much? Are you at least feeling guilty now?"
Korra did not answer.
Kya smirked, "You really should be feeling guilty. You were a pretty lousy Avatar. Even a non-bender, and a former Equalist, is doing the job for you now."
"She wasn't an Equalist. Her father was."
Kya waved her off, "Whatever she was, I bet she will still be a better Avatar than you were. I have a feeling she won't murder others for fun. You aren't even trying to help us with her."
The two waterbending women started a battle of glaring looks. It seemed like hours before they stopped the petty mental battle. Korra spoke first.
"No use anyways. She has to come out of this on her own." Her gaze returned to the picture. Her younger self and Tenzin had the best smiles in the entire thing. A small smile formed before she continued, "Besides, if she is really worthy of the Avatar Spirit then she has to make it out alive and on her own. If she don't, then she ain't worth the title."
"This isn't some attempt to get out of this, is it?"
Korra looked up with crossed arms, "Look, I may not have been the best Avatar but unlike you, I have been the Avatar. I know personally that she needs to accept what has happened and be strong enough to be what it takes. I ain't going to the Spirit World because she's not there. She's probably stuck in her mind somewhere trying to figure out what just happened."
Shouting was heard from down the hall. It was Mako and Bolin trying to get another healer to come to the healing room.
"Asami's awake!" the earthbender's shouts filled the room. The gangster then gave the older waterbender a smirk as she stood to follow them.
While everyone rushed in to see how she was, Korra lingered back in the doorway. This was not her moment. It was the hugs between the firebender's and the Sato woman's. She should have been jealous that Asami was getting hugs (and kisses on the cheek from the former pro-bender). Instead she felt empty. It was, perhaps, the right time to leave.