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Korra
The distinctive skyline of Republic City began to appear over the horizon a couple of hours before the airship reached it, with the statue of Avatar Aang rising protectively over the city he had done so much to build. His successor stood in the cockpit and watched the Republic come into view. The pilot paid no attention to her, focussed as he was on flying. The craft was a special mail airship, one built to get messages, passengers and small amounts of cargo from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Time was of the essence, and the Avatar was needed back in Republic City, after all.
The Kyoshi Islanders and Katara were sat towards the rear of the craft. Nobody else was there.
Korra sighed and stepped into the corridor, closing the door behind her and leaning against the wall. Now she was alone.
The journey south could have gone better. The Southern tribe had rejected her call for aid to the Republic, and all she had to show for her efforts were four new passengers. True, two of them were companions of Avatar Aang, but it still hadn't been an overwhelming success.
Still, all that was behind her now. She was coming to the city that had been her home for the past five years; back to Mako, if he had returned, and back to Asami.
The thought of Asami brought a sudden warm feeling to Korra. She had been the one to come looking for her and bring her home, not for any political reason, but because she was her friend and she needed her.
She wasn't the only one though. The entire city needed her, apparently, all because of Kuvira and her ambitions. Korra still didn't know how serious Kuvira truly was in her ambitions to claim the United Republic, but from what she had seen she didn't think the Great Uniter was one to make idle threats. And she definitely didn't think Kuvira was one to stop before a job was done.
There was a noise in the corridor. Korra opened her eyes to find the Kyoshi Warrior,Bulan, standing there, looking surprised.
"Sorry," she apologised. "I was just going to the..."
She shook her head. "Too much information. Got lost, anyway."
And she turned to leave. Something seized Korra.
"Wait!" She called. Bulan stiffened, relaxed again, and turned around.
"What happened?" Korra asked. "With my father, that is. Why does Suki hate him?"
Bulan shook her head. "I'm afraid I wasn't there," she pointed out. "I don't know any more than you do, really. Something went down on a mission twenty years ago."
Korra noticed the look in her eyes, and suddenly realised that discussing the violent death of this woman's father might not be the greatest conversation opener.
"It's alright!" She said. "You don't have to talk about it. Sorry for bringing it up."
"It's fine," Bulan waved the apology away. "It was a long time ago. I haven't been back to Republic City since, as it happens."
"Did you leave... because of it?" Korra asked tentatively. Bulan nodded.
"There was nothing left here for mum after it happened, and she needed us. So we went back to Kyoshi Island."
She paused. "Has it changed much?"
"I don't know," Korra pointed out. "I wasn't here twenty years ago."
"Well, I suppose we'll find out in a few hours then," Bulan nodded.
"And then you'll go to see Raiko?"
"That's the idea," Bulan replied. "Do you think he'll be receptive?"
Korra considered. Raiko had never been her biggest ally, but...
"He took in the refugees from Zaofu," she said. "And I don't think he needs to worry about annoying Kuvira any more. That ship has very much sailed."
"In more ways than one," a new voice entered the conversation. They both whirled to find Suki standing there. The elderly warrior regarded them both.
"Where's Katara?" Korra asked.
"Asleep," Suki replied. "It's a long journey. And it's been such a long time since I've made it."
Her eyes misted up.
"I expected never to have to leave that island again," she confessed. And then she looked angry, suddenly.
"Do you think you can do it?" She asked. "Beat Kuvira."
Korra paused. "I... don't know," she admitted.
Suki's expression softened, and she came a little closer.
"It's normal to feel unsure," she said. "I'd say it's healthy. Keeps you on your toes, stops you from feeling complacent. You're not going in underestimating her."
"It's not just that," Korra explained. "I've already fought her twice, and lost twice."
There was a pause.
"Maybe I can't do it any more?" Korra exploded, giving voice to some deep and private fears. "I'm the Avatar, but I haven't been Avatar-ing very well! Not since-"
She cut herself off. Realisation dawned on the faces of the others. She didn't need to say it for them to know what she was talking about.
The old warrior's face took on a look of concern.
"During the Hundred Years' War, I fought against a girl who used a fighting technique I had never seen before," Suki explained. "She could block your chi with just a few punches."
"Like the Equalists?" Korra exclaimed.
Suki nodded. "Apparently so. She's probably where they got the technique from. She was a lackey of Fire Princess Azula. The first time, she carved through my warriors easily. She took us prisoner, stole our uniforms, and used them to take Ba Sing Se."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I'm telling you because we lost. We lost badly. We lost so badly it nearly messed up the entire anti-Fire Nation war effort. But we came back, and so can you!"
"How?" Korra asked. She didn't see how old war stories could be of much use, but she suspected Suki had her reasons for suggesting it.
"I faced the women who had beaten me," Suki declared. We fought the chi-blocker to a standstill, escaped from prison under their noses, and eventually she became a Kyoshi Warrior herself! She taught me how to do it, and many others over the years. She became a close friend."
"So what are you saying?"
"Maybe in order to heal, you need to face the one who beat you as well," Suki suggested.
Korra paled.
"No," she whispered. And then louder, "No!"
"Why not?" Suki looked confused.
"Do you know what he did to me? He tried to suffocate me! He poisoned me! He-"
"Failed," Suki cut her off. "You're still here, aren't you? And where's he?"
"Prison," Korra replied miserably.
"Precisely," Suki said. "I'm not suggesting you go because you owe that man anything. You don't. But maybe you need to face him again for your own sake."
But Korra shook her head.
"I don't think it's a good idea," she explained. "I know he can't hurt me any more. But I don't see what he has to offer me. Closure- if he even gives it to me- won't help me save the Republic."
"Maybe it will?" Suki tried. "It can't hurt."
"I'm sure it can," Korra replied. "Can we please drop this? I don't want to see him."
Suki held up her hands.
"Very well," she said. "I'll drop it. Just know that we have faith in you, Avatar, even if you don't."
Korra managed a grateful smile.
"Right!" The old Kyoshi Warrior grinned. "I was just on my way to the cockpit to see the city again. Care to join me?"
