A/N: This story contains graphic depictions of violence, gory injuries, blood, and has a major character death. I just finished LOK and I am very sad. This is how I deal with the pain of the series being over. Enjoy :P
P.S - check me out at commandmetobewell on AO3! :)
The ringing in her ears is what wakes her up.
Korra pushes off the metal bar from her ribs, gasping as she hears her bones cracking. She closes her eyes and forces back bile as she feels all the knots tightening and snapping in her muscles. She's brought back to the time when she'd been poisoned by Zaheer. Reminding herself that nothing could be as tormenting as shattering both her femurs, a good quarter of her spine, and her pelvis, all during the same time as having mercury poisoning, she draws a deep, pained breath, and forces herself to move. Mustering up whatever strength she has left in her reserves, Korra jerks her eyes open. Spitting out a wad of blood to the dusty earth beside her, she rises stiffly to her wobbly feet. She favours her right side as a screaming pain shoots up her left.
"Definitely broke a few ribs," she mutters under her breath as she straggles forward, her footsteps clumsy and misplaced from the disorientation. She falls to her knees a few times before she rises once more, looking up to the metallic robot that now lay wasted in the middle of the street.
"Where are you, you son of a bitch?" Korra growls through her crimson stained teeth, turning her head around to try and get a look of the wreckage. A small hole in the face of the machine spots her eye and from the ground, she sees a trail of blood leading to the Spirit Wilds near the heart of the city.
"That's it," she hisses as she stumbles in the same direction, "no more hiding."
Korra limps heavily into the Spirit Wilds, leaving a bleeding mess behind her. She's clutching her right side, to which she just discovered has a giant score leading from her hip to the top of her ribs. As long as the cut may be, Korra is grateful it's not too deep. It's a dull, throbbing ache, but her adrenalin takes off much of the fire from the pain. Blood still pools from between her fingertips with the force of a broken faucet as she makes her way deeper into the Spirit Wilds. Using a bit of air-bending, she vaults over a few of the long green weeds before falling roughly onto her injured side.
Letting out a piercing shriek, she holds her torso harder, her vision blurring from the pain. Fire strikes at her veins, her frame trembling with agony. For a moment, she considers giving up right there and then. Maybe Zaheer, Amon, Unaloq, and Kuvira had been right. Maybe the era of the Avatar is over. Maybe she wasn't needed. She'd been fighting so hard this entire time and she was in so much pain. Spirits, her body felt like she was melting in lava. Crimson blood is pouring out of nearly every orifice in her system, and yet she is still alive somehow. Korra remembers the words of Aang and of Raava. She remembers Yuan and the other past Avatars. They hadn't given up, so why should she? Korra lets out another scream as she reaches forward, now resorting to crawling on her hands and knees until she gains some bearing. Her taut abdomen slithers through the dirt and moss as she moves with uncoordinated pushes and stumbles. Raava whispers inside of her to keep strong, to hold on for a few moments longer, and so she does. The Avatar lifts herself up with a pained grunt, her body now leaning on a tree. Her breathing is unsteady and heavy, breaths barely making it through her weary lungs. She feels faint and dizzy, her throat dry and bitter with dried blood. Her eyes fight to stay open and focused, but she feels her life draining slowly.
"Look at you!" Kuvira's voice calls out in a mocking tone, causing the Avatar's head to hazily snap upwards.
Ice blue eyes meet sea green depths as the two nemesis's meet each other's furious gazes. Kuvira is standing atop the gun of the Mech, her hair frazzled and all over the place. Her eyes are wild with anger and anguish. Korra can't help but feel just as infuriated at the very sight of her. When she sees Kuvira, she thinks of Asami and her father. A new strength floods through her as the image of the inventor's broken face as her seat had been ejected burns through her mind. All she can think about is Asami, about the love for the woman that ran unparalleled to any love she'd ever experienced, even for Mako. Korra lets go of her side and stands up straight, her eyes alight with power and determination to bring and end to this, once and for all.
"What about me? What about you?!" Korra shouts back, her fists beginning to burn as fire seeps into her veins, preparing a strike upon the woman that tried to take all of her friends away. Kuvira doesn't flinch as the Avatar growls intimidatingly.
"You created concentration camps! You starved your own people! You manipulated your soldiers into believing you were doing good when they'd been at the hand of causing genocide. You talk so much about helping everyone when so far, from what I saw, you've only helped yourself," Korra snarls back, throwing her hand up in a disapproving gesture, her fingers tightly clenching into fists at the sight of the captain.
"Someone had to take charge," Kuvira howls, gripping onto the gun with a tighter grip. She winces as one of the vines tangles around her ankles, almost tying her to the machine. She kicks at them with a frustrated stomp of her foot, but it's no use, they don't budge. Korra groans as her side aches harder.
"I-It… it doesn't have to be this way, Kuvira," the Avatar wheezes as convincingly as she can, "you can still fix this." The former captain of Zaofu's eyes flash with rage as she shakes her head with malice. Korra straightens her back, refusing to let her physical injuries stand in the way of her battle.
"You imbecile," Kuvira stutters as she coughs out a hack of blood, "you deserted the people when they needed you the most… you, you were nothing but a cripple! You couldn't even wipe your own shit without someone's help, bitch." On any other given occasion, Korra knows she would stiffen and take offence to the statement, but understanding that Kuvira was using her past injuries as a sharpened dagger prevents her from taking the woman seriously.
"I got lost trying to fix myself, you're right," Korra says through gritted teeth, "but I came back and I am putting an end to this." The Avatar winces as her eyes flash around in an effort to find a way to get the machine away from the delirious officer. She tries to think of a plan, but her mind blanks.
"You're a pathetic excuse for an Avatar!" The captain bellows, swinging the mouth of the gun to face Korra. The dark skinned girl looks undeterred as she stands her ground, only jutting her head up dominantly as Kuvira scowls at her, angered tears burning at her eyes.
"You took it all away from me! I was going to bring a new light to these people. I was going to give them hope, to give them what they so rightfully deserved. I was going to show them that they didn't need to rely on a damned shell of a legend to help them. I brought a new change and you took it all away!" Kuvira screams as her hand reaches for the control switch. She powers it on, the purple light accumulating within the mouth of the machine. Korra freezes for a moment before Kuvira cranks the intensity. A loud, foretelling shriek emits from the machine, and Kuvira laughs sinisterly.
"Now, I'm going to put an end to you, Avatar," she spits the words out with pure hostility, her hand pressing down on the switch to fire the gun.
At the exploding sound, Korra manages to break free of her trance and switches the fire in her fists into a large puff of air, sending her careening away from the blasting purple photons. Kuvira screams in frustration as she barely misses her target, instead tearing a fiery path of destruction in the forest. Flames run thickly as the forest catches fire, illuminating Kuvira's rage in those green eyes. Korra lands rather ungracefully, rolling out of the way as she dodges another attack. Her ribs burn and break with her fall, but if this is to be her death, then she will die doing all she can to stop this madness.
No matter her outcome, she will bring peace to Republic City, and to the world.
She has to.
/
Dazzling purple light flashes over the skies of Republic City, drowning the world in brightness.
Asami stumbles into a small side street as dust shoots out from behind her, taking cover by the shelter of a large building that hadn't been destroyed in Kuvira's rampage. Her lungs burn from running to evade the explosion left by the falling machine that Kuvira had piloted. Her ankles are chaffed from the ties of the ejection seat, but other than that and a few scratches and bruises, she is physically fine. The inventor draws shallow breaths as the ringing sound in her head slowly diminishes with the sound of crumbling rubble coming from not too far away. She slumps heavily against the wall, holding a palm over her mouth as she relives the final moments before her seat had ejected from the Hummingbird.
I love you, Asami.
Her father's voice repeats over and over again in her mind as she remembers those final moments before his imminent death. Asami cries, a loud, strangled sob as she struggles to contain her feelings. Everything hurts, and not just the physical cuts and bruises, but the loss of her father, of her friends, of her innocence. So much had changed as a result of the formation of the United Earth Empire and the dictatorship installed by that bastard former captain, Kuvira. So many alliances had been forged, but at the same time, so many ties had been broken. The world had fallen into a state of unrest, and now, as Asami thinks of the giant metal beast that had nearly killed her, she doesn't know if it will ever get better. Suddenly, something in her heart comes to a thudding stop as a single name runs through her mind.
Korra.
Asami stands immediately, wiping her tears as she crawls back to the entrance of the building, only to see more erratically firing lights of purple coming from the Spirit Wilds. She can sense something is wrong, terribly wrong, and not just from the display of fire and purple blasts in the distance. The tropes of flame and spattering of rock seem to be thrown erratically, with no connection to the direction of the purple flares. It's understood immediately by the inventor that the Avatar is not fighting properly, and she deduces it instantly to injury. She had seen the Mech go down. She knows that it would be impossible that anyone in the ship had walked away without a bare blemish.
"Korra," she breathes out as her eyes follow another trail of fire coming from the forest.
Asami heaves herself to her feet, stumbling towards the forest to help her friend. She rubs at the caked blood along her arm from where parts of rope had cut into her skin and bites back the pain. Blood drips down her elbow as she makes her way down the street. As she runs through the now ghosted town of Republic City, she barely makes out the shadow of the fallen machine in the dust that clouds her vision. She coughs and wraps a hand over her mouth at the smell of burnt flesh, motor oil, and charred metal. She wishes for a moment that she had her biking goggles, just so that she'd be able to see through the grain. She makes out the faint signs of the Avatar's battle in the distance, but her heart twists. She knows that Korra would scold her if she'd left their friends to go after her. Reluctantly, the inventor diverts her path and heads to the fallen machine.
"Mako? Bolin? Lin? Suyin? Varrick? Zhu Li?" She calls out, her voice scratchy and raw from screaming out of the ejection. Asami coughs again as she chokes on dust, her lungs burning from exertion. She stumbles blindly through the fog, turning over rusted metal and debris that is small and light enough for her to lift. Her stomach becomes woozy as she grows further away from hearing the sounds of her friends. She can't possibly believe that they're dead, gone like her father. Asami doesn't stop searching, her screaming becoming more erratic as she goes.
"Asami, over here!" Bolin's familiar voice calls out hoarsely. Asami follows the sound of his voice calling out to her as she stumbles over the wreckage. The inventor manages to see two figures in the distance, curled over some scrap metal. She rushes over immediately, watching as her beloved friend's face comes to view. The young lava-bender looks haggard beyond belief, but alive nonetheless.
"Bolin!" Asami breathes a sigh of relief when she sees that Bolin is holding a banged up and unconscious, but still breathing, Mako in his arms. Asami kneels to inspect the burn on her ex-boyfriend's forearm, happy to find that it's nothing too major. The woman goes to say something when suddenly there's a loud explosion in the distance, followed by a piercing shriek of agony from a familiar voice.
"Korra," Asami gasps in shock, turning back to Bolin with panic. The earth-bender looks to his brother before nodding up at the frantic woman. He looks around at the empty street until he finds some suitable shelter in the building adjacent to the fallen machine.
"I'll take care of him. Go to Korra and get out her out of there. When Jinorra and Tenzin show up I'll send them your way. They're bound to be here soon. Korra can't be alone, Asami. Lin and Su had been in the gun compartment when the arm tore off, so they should be closer to her," the calm man instructs quickly. Asami nods without hesitation as she bolts towards the sound of another one of Korra's agonizing cries.
"Hurry," Bolin whispers as he watches Asami's fleeting figure.
/
Fire spreads up and down Korra's right arm as she's violently thrown backwards against the trees. Kuvira had managed to clip her with that last shot, leaving one of her arms useless for bending. The Avatar bites her lips as blood cascades through the charred flesh beneath her shaking palm. She wheezes agonizingly as she clutches the wound in order to still the pain. Sweat beats down her dusty face as Kuvira realigns the gun so that it's facing her directly. The Avatar is huffing and coughing like she's got no air left in her lungs. Her body is mangled and broken beyond recognition, and she's certain there's not a single patch of skin upon her body that isn't covered by her blood or caked in dirt. She looks to Kuvira's manic expression and with a plummeting heart, she realizes that she is losing once more. She can't help but flash back to their first encounter, in which the captain had very nearly killed her had it not been for Ikki and Jinorra to rescue her from the mayhem the seasoned veteran had wreaked upon the Earth Kingdom.
Only this time, no one is here to save her.
"Give up, Avatar," the woman cries deliriously, her grip upon the control switch beginning to falter from fatigue. She has a deep, jagged gash running across her leg from where one of the Spirit Vines had attempted to swat her from the giant mounted gun. The pain doesn't register to her in her fury, for all she can feel is the need to bring an end to the master of all the elements.
"I… I won't," Korra gasps back, blood spilling down her lips as she shakily rises to her feet. She's unsteady instantly, teetering dangerously to one side as she spits out more blood upon the floor, tainting the green a dark crimson instead. Her vision blurs and she feels nauseated once more.
"Then I have no choice than to kill you," Kuvira growls menacingly, reaching for the lever to activate the beam.
The Avatar doesn't - can't - move.
Kuvira goes to hit the switch when suddenly an electric shock zaps through her body. The captain thrashes wildly upon the gun's side, swerving the mouth of it in another direction, laying waste to a few more vines, but sparing the Avatar. The current is so strong that she drops from her hold to collide against the hard floor of the earth. Something in her arm cracks, and just like that, the bones from her ulna to her clavicle snap like a pair of chopsticks. Kuvira bellows out a howl of pain as she rolls around on the ground. She hears footsteps, but before she has the energy to turn away, more electricity courses through her chest, causing her to bite through the soft flesh of her tongue, spilling blood everywhere. Her flesh burns in the misted air, leaving a disgusting stench behind. The green vines beneath her turn crimson with her blood, now glinting in the light of the pale dawn.
"No," Asami's growly voice rings out as her gloved hand stays pressed to the captain's convulsing chest, "not today you won't." Another shocking jolt passes through her as the inventor zaps the military woman relentlessly, vengeance and anger fuelling her actions.
"Asami, stop!" Korra yelps as she watches her friend squeeze the glove tighter to Kuvira's body. There's an animalistic rage in her love's green eyes, a look so foreign Korra doesn't even know if it really is the inventor, or just some replacement.
"A-Asami," Korra gasps as she stumbles off the tree, "s-she's… she's not w-worth it."
Upon hearing the Avatar's strangled voice, Asami freezes. She hesitates to pull her glove away for a moment, but when she looks up to see Korra limp-running towards her, eyes wide with fear and concern, everything in her heart shatters. As if she were a loyal polar bear dog following an order, Asami retracts her hand, leaving Kuvira a whimpering, shuddering mess on the ground. Asami looks down at her with a narrow glare, her insides so tempted to spit at her face, but the inventor holds back her frustration for the sake of the Avatar. She grumbles as she leaves the glove hovering over the older woman's face, warning her silently that she will set it upon her skin should she dare try and test her strength against the heiress.
"We need to turn that gun off," Korra says breathlessly as she nearly collapses beside the taller woman. Asami's eyes flicker over her various wounds, noticing the never-ending trail of gashes and bruises painted upon the darker skinned woman. But before she can say anything about the Avatar's state of disarray, the machine in front of them makes a horrifying noise. Korra winces as she shares a brief glance with Asami, their worried eyes communicating in silence. Kuvira's head nods up from the ground, the fear in her pale green eyes becoming evident as the infamous, malicious grin drops into a horrified expression. Her brows knit together as she shakes her head in complete shock.
"We can't…," Kuvira coughs out as they watch the beams fire sporadically at the vines, "it's not built to be turned off. It's going to combust. The force of the blast will blow up the entire city. It's too late, Avatar. We lost." Korra's eyes widen as Asami grips the captain's shoulder with her bare hand.
"What?!" Asami screams, shaking the broken woman, who is now staring at the Avatar with a blank, desolate gaze. "There are still people on the island that are being evacuated! Government officials, families, soldiers, husbands, wives, children. There are fucking children here!"
"I… I have made a mistake," Kuvira gasps, tears welling in her eyes as she makes eye contact with Korra, who looks torn beyond belief. She glances over the Avatar's shoulder to the gun and feels her heart plummet into her chest, its beating ceasing with defeat.
"No, there has to be another way," Asami says through gritted teeth, glancing back at Korra, who still hasn't moved her eyes off the captain. The heiress frantically looks to the creator of the monster itself, searching desperately for some kind of solution.
Kuvira doesn't say anything else, bare for shaking her head. Instead, a choked cry comes from her mouth as the Avatar continues to stare at her blankly. She hears Asami begin to sob as they all realize that all their efforts had been for nothing. It wouldn't matter if Kuvira would be apprehended. The real weapon cannot be stopped, and soon, Republic City and all those who'd created it will perish in rubble and dust. Korra feels her body begin to numb from her injuries and from the emotional pain as she realizes that she will inevitably fail the one task that she had been given her entire life. She rifles through her scattered thoughts for an answer, but only one comes to her mind, one that she knows she will not like, but one that must be done. The noises and explosions in the background are drowned out as Korra finally tears her gaze away to look to the beam, her eyes watering as she watches the nozzle begin to swerve towards them. Kuvira lets out a muffled cry and Asami shrieks, but for Korra, time passes ever so slowly.
The Avatar mournfully glances between the commander and the woman she'd spent the past three years in an unrequited love with. Asami's face is one of peril and pure fear. In that moment, the young woman wishes she could just pause everything and reach over to apologize for leaving, to apologize for her father's death, to apologize for what she's about to do. Korra looks to Asami and hopes, prays to the Spirits, that she understands in that one look of just how much Asami had meant, and will always mean, to her. The inventor is looking past her, however, to the beam and their impending deaths. Korra sighs deeply, each breath like a stabbing dagger to her weary lungs. She looks down at her useless arm, before glancing back up to see that she is facing the beam directly. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes, clenching her fists tightly as she summons the only resort she has left - the Avatar State.
The beam fires.
Asami shuts her eyes, preparing for the darkness, or the light, or whatever comes after one dies. She waits for an inferno of pain, or maybe the cold numbness of a Spirit stealing her soul. Perhaps, she waits for the glossy kiss of death that would transcend her into the next realm. In her mind, she has so many regrets. Regrets of her father, of her friends, and most of all, of Korra. Things that she'd never said or done with the young Avatar, or had the courage to confess to her. All that repeats in her head is the Avatar's name, and all she sees is the last desolate glance that Korra had sent her.
Suddenly, her hair bristles with a push of cool air, causing her eyes to jerk open. Asami gasps in shock and relief as she watches the purple light surround them, but not touch them. Korra's body stands in front of her, her frame erect and strong with rippling power, alight in bursts of white and blue. The wisps of air roll off her shoulders as she encases the three women in a protective cushion. Asami watches in horror as parts of the beam penetrate through the Avatar's shield, burning into Korra's skin and allowing the flesh underneath to peel away. The younger woman falters slightly at the contact, her shoulders shaking under the pressure and the fire that threatens to wrap around her body and burn her alive. Korra growls out in agony, but pushes back against the violet flames, bellowing out a larger gust of air as she pushes forward, ignoring the incinerating pain flowing through her entire body. Asami attempts to stumble to her feet as she goes to help, but the dark skinned woman's head cocks to the side, eyes white with transcendence.
Usually, Korra looks terrifying with those eyes. All Asami had remembered of them had been from the final battle with Zaheer a few miles out from the temple. Korra had transformed from her goofy and quirky best friend into a driven beast. She'd watched helplessly from the ground as she tore through rocks and the sharp cliffside in order to dual with the newfound air-bender. She can still remember each and every faltering moment Korra had experienced as she struggled against both Zaheer and the poison. The inventor had never seen the Avatar so fixated on something so… violent. She knew that Korra's job had been to protect the air-benders and her friends, hence the State's creation in the first place, but that, that gore and near death from the poison and suffocation, had rattled her. The foul memories had dredged a bottomless void in her heart, but now, it's… filled.
Now, as Asami watches those eyes, she realizes that same fear she'd felt three years ago is no longer there.
If Korra's eyes could soften, Asami would say that they did in that moment. For a second, it seems as though the young Avatar is about to break the State and return to the joyful, carefree Korra she'd come to know for the past four and a half years, but the dark skinned woman refuses the temptation, holding strong into her spiritual drive. Her eyes settle on hers before she nods her head down to Kuvira. The Avatar's sphere is getting smaller as Korra's left knee gives out suddenly when a stroke of purple flame collides with it. A sharp gasp comes from her lips as Asami watches in horror when parts of the beam slash against her exposed chest and torso. Korra screams and pushes back harder, her jaw clenching in torment. Heat blazes around Asami's shoulders as she feels the cover beginning to falter. The inventor watches as the Avatar forces her knee to bend and straighten as she squares her shoulders once more, fighting off the power wielded in the gun's blasts. But, before long, another strong pulse sends her way, bringing her back to that damaged knee with an enraged howl of pain. Asami gasps, tears welling in her eyes as she is powerless to help her weakening friend.
The sphere of air that encase the three women dwindles again. Korra's efforts are steadily draining with the use of the State and the sheer force of the beams, and all three women know that the Avatar doesn't have the power or strength to sustain their protection for much longer. Korra's lips purse as she holds the purple beam back with a powerful gust of air from her left arm. She sucks in a deep breath and reaches out with her fairly damaged right hand, holding it flat in front of the inventor's chest. She's not exactly touching her, but instead only hovering a few inches away, as if she were telling her to stop in midair. For a moment, Asami doesn't understand the gesture and she is confused as to what Korra wants, but then her body automatically begins to work for her. She watches as her own hand lifts and her fingers intertwine around those callused palms of the woman in front of her. Korra's jaw tightens as from those whites of her eyes, a tear rolls down her ashen cheeks. Asami gasps, but before she can do anything, Korra speaks.
"I love you," the Avatar whispers softly, her voice not totally her own. It's such a broken, bittersweet confession; it's a combination of words that came too late. On any other given day, Asami would call the sound of her voice in the State demonic, but right now, it's the most beautiful whisper in the world. She purses her lips to answer, to confirm her own feelings, but Korra's fingers are pulling away. Asami can only watch in shock as those fingers clench into a fist, small wisps of air circulating around the knuckles. So many different things happen at once, all to quick for any of the three women to recognize.
The beam lets loose one final shriek.
Kuvira screams.
Korra closes her eyes.
Asami stops breathing.
The world explodes in a flash of white.
/
"Asami, wake up!"
A familiar rasped voice calls out to her softly. Had death really just taken a matter of minutes? Asami grumbles as she feels sore all over. If she were dead, wouldn't she not be feeling pain at the moment? The woman lets out an irritable sigh.
"Asami!" A harsh slap to her face brings her to the present. The inventor grudgingly opens her eyes to see a blurry, silver-haired woman standing in front of her. It takes a few moments, but she recognizes the older woman almost instantly.
"S-Su?" She gasps roughly, her voice raw and her throat dry. Everything in her body aches like she'd been hit by a steam roller. Her mouth burns with the lack of hydration and her eyes sting. Everything is burning for Spirit's sake. The inventor goes to close her eyes again, but then she jerks them back open when she feels water entering her parted mouth. She sips delicately, feeling relieved as the fire in her throat is put out slowly.
"K-Korra?" She chokes as soon as she is given room to breathe. She blinks her eyes for the source of the water, thinking naively that it'd been the Avatar that had saved her again. Her heart stops beating as she only sees Kya standing before her, a sorrowful expression on her face.
"I-I'm sorry," the older water bender says, looking down as tears lace her eyes. She finds herself unable to say anything further to comfort the CEO. Asami looks around, her shoulders trembling as she soon finds herself caught in a mess of Spirit Vines. Suyin is untangling them from her legs and arms as she takes in more of her surroundings. Suddenly, something bright in the distance catches her eyes, and Asami is forced to look up, only to have the breath ripped straight from her tired and dust-filled lungs.
A… spirit portal?
"Where is she?" Asami tries to ask the question in a demanding tone, but her voice is frail with emotion. Suyin's hand places itself upon her thigh, but Asami shakes her head. "Where is she, dammit?!" The inventor cries in despair, mourning over her lost love as the tears clawing at her bloodshot irises. As she comes around some more, she realizes that she's nowhere near where she'd been when Korra had formed a shield around her and Kuvira's bodies. She remembers holding her friend's hand, Korra telling her that she loved her, and then… and then the air flowing over her bloodied fist.
"No," Asami breathes when she realizes why there was such a dull throbbing in her chest and back.
Korra saved her.
The heiress throws her head down as she begins to sob, repeating quietly, "no, no, no, oh Spirits no."
"She could still be at the portal," another pained voice gasps. Suyin moves her shoulder to allow Asami the view of a pale Lin resting against the tree in front of her, an arm clutched around her bloodied middle. The older woman's eyes are fading and fleeting, but she still looks somewhat hopeful. From beneath the gaps of her crimson fingers, Asami can make out the mess of flesh and muscle that threatens to spill from her hold. Some of her armour has fused into the pale complexion of her skin. Something in the heiress' stomach flops as she watches Lin's face scrunch up in pain as Kya directs the water towards her. The water-bender's eyes are concerned and focused on the slow pulsing rhythms of the cool liquid against her blemished skin.
"Kya and I can go see if she's there," Lin wheezes, stumbling to her feet. Kya keeps her water on the wound, sucking out as much of the metal shrapnel as she can with the waves. Blood filters into the healing water, causing Kya's heart to clench in sorrow and agony. At Lin's proposition, Suyin crosses over a few patch of tangled vines immediately, putting her shaking hands upon Lin's shoulders to steady the older woman as she teeters precariously upon the uneven ground. The stubborn older woman swats weakly at her arm, avoiding her gaze as Suyin's lips purse into a frown.
"No, you're bleeding out from that rupture. You need to stay put," Suyin tries to be strict, but her words are worried and concerned as she places a hand over Lin's own arm. The eldest Beifong coughs before she chuckles haphazardly as she nods her head at her younger sister with a knowing expression, looking over her shoulder to Asami, who's still trying to stay conscious.
"The kid's got it worse, Su. I didn't say you shouldn't come, I'm just saying that it's better if we scout ahead first," Lin gasps, wincing slightly. Suyin doesn't look convinced, and as Lin places her free hand upon her lightly tensed shoulder, the younger sibling begins to understand Lin's reasoning.
"If… if there's something there," Lin hisses, her eyes drooping as she fights her own wounds, "I'm pretty sure the Avatar would kill me before she'd let anything happen to her. I've seen the way Korra looks at her. Wouldn't want to invoke the Avatar State when I'm a puddle like this, now would I?" Suyin's brows furrow at Lin's attempted humour, but the eldest sister shakes her head, pulling her arm around her sibling's shoulders in a tight hug.
"I'll be okay," she murmurs through a heavy breath, nodding her head gently. "I've seen worse days in training, I swear."
Suyin doesn't look convinced as she grips her tightly, crying into her sister's shoulder as she presses their bodies closer together. The youngest Beifong holds onto her sibling for dear life, knowing all too well that Lin isn't telling her the truth. Her wounds are fatal, and as her sister's blood taints her own dusted uniform, she knows that Lin is running out of time. Suyin sobs harder at the realization, and Lin lets out a stifled wheeze when she pulls back, looking over to Kya. The water-bender and the metal-bender exchange a solemn, but loving glance. Asami knows that Korra once mentioned something about the chief of police having taken up an affection for the previous Avatar's other offspring, but she'd always thought that she'd been joking. But, as she watches their interaction now, she can't help but believe the younger woman's assumptions. Kya sighs deeply as she separates herself from Asami. She nods hesitantly before coming up behind them, placing an encouraging hand on the square of Suyin's shoulders.
"I've mended what I can of Asami's ribs, but she's still in rough shape. It'll be an hour or two before she'll be able to move, and when she does, she'll be about as quick as a turtle-duck. Lin's right, she's roughed up pretty bad, but she'll live," Kya instructs the younger Beifong in a soft voice, glancing back at Asami as her head lolls against one of the trees. The woman's complexion is far paler than she'd like, but she's done as much as she could for someone that had been air-bended directly in the square of her chest and had been sent flying across a forest at nearly one hundred miles an hour. If someone asked her, she would tell them that she's simply amazed that Asami isn't scattered into bits and pieces, let alone dead from the force of the impact.
"And Lin?" Suyin asks softly, out of earshot of her older sister, who has now turned her back on the both of them. Kya's expression darkens as she watches Lin's shoulders tense and her body convulse with a shot of pain. Suyin doesn't miss the sorrow in the water-bender's eyes as she turns to face her lover's sister with a grim frown. Suyin's chest tightens as Kya's eyes well with tears and remorse.
"I've… I've done all I can," she breathes softly, "but it… the bleeding won't stop. The only other option is cauterization, but if you haven't noticed, neither of us are fire-benders. If… if I can get her to one, maybe she will have a chance." Suyin hangs her head, the tears flowing down her cheeks faster now.
"I… Thank you," she manages to choke out, swallowing the painful lump in her throat. Kya dips her head, squeezing her shoulder in support.
"No, if you hadn't saved us from the temple three years ago…," Kya stumbles on the words, her throat growing raw as she'd remembered how Lin had picked her up and carried her in her arms to the nearest healing hut. She'd remembered how calm the usually temperamental metal-bender had been with her as she'd laid in the healing pool, screaming as her broken bones had been set. She can still feel the soothing strokes of Lin's fingers upon her cheek as she'd wiped away those tears, leaving light kisses in their wake. Kya folds her hands together and blinks open her eyes to stare at Suyin with a nod.
"You saved my life," she whispers, looking back to Lin with a solemn expression, "you both did."
"Don't let her get carried away," Suyin mumbles back, gazing at her older sister in concern as she watches Lin stumble through the vines towards the portal. Kya nods again and goes to leave, but before she can, Suyin places a hand upon her shoulder, stopping her.
"And if you find her…," Suyin trails off, unsure of whether she's talking about her former protégée or the Avatar. Kya closes her eyes, her hands beginning to shake as her breath hitches. She knows the level of responsibility that will await her should she find either woman.
"I'll try, Su. I promise," she says, but her tone is unconvincing and nervous. A lot of people had been saved today because of the experienced healer's actions, but she wasn't sure if being that close to the beam when it went off… Spirits, Kya doesn't want to think about what she might find.
"Please," Asami whimpers from the ground, drawing the attention of both women as her eyes blur with tears, "bring her back home."
/
It's so… quiet.
Kuvira blinks open her eyes, only to find herself surrounded by ambient greens and soft yellows. Something feels dreadfully odd. It is strangely… peaceful? Kuvira had not felt peace in so long. She sits up, surprised to find the pain in her arm transformed from a firestorm to a gentle throb. She's laying in a meadow, right by a giant beam of light that extends into the sky. Her brows furrow as she whips her head around, trying to look for any kind of remanence of Republic City. There are no buildings, no people, no Spirit Wilds. Just an empty meadow with purple flowers dotting the luscious earth floor… if it could be considered earth at this point. For a moment, she is reminded of the orphanage she'd grown up in, of Suyin's gardens, and of Zaofu.
For a fleeting second, she is truly happy with her memories.
Then, in the corner of her eye, she spots a cloud of transparent… animals? She's not quiet sure what they are, but they're huddled around something. Kuvira stumbles to her feet with a groan, the sound of her heavy footsteps reverberating through the empty air. Her body slumps to one side, but she seems to be able to walk somewhat fluidly. She feels light and airy. A few of the see-through objects fly away as she approaches, and Kuvira instantly notices that they're not animals, but Spirits. The realization hits her like a swift punch to the gut as she stares at her surroundings with fear and anger.
She's in the Spirit World? How?
The answer to her question lies directly in front of her as the remaining Spirits are scared off by her noise. She looks down through a slitted gaze at the body splayed out in a mess of broken limbs and bleeding cuts. Kuvira's lips curl up into a feral snarl as she limps heavily towards the downed Avatar, her fingers twitching in need of revenge. Korra's body remains motionless as the Spirits swim around her in worry, their quiet voices rushing out murmurs of concern and fear at the approaching metal-bender. The atmosphere grows thicker with stress and tension, and Kuvira nearly feels like she's being suffocated. Still, her rage pushes her forwards until she all but collapses at the dark skinned woman's bloodied side.
"You killed me, you bitch," Kuvira hisses sharply, whipping out her hand in an attempt to bend the metal clasps in her shoulder's armour. The motion seems hindered, as if she'd been chi-blocked. Kuvira gasps, turning back to see that the Avatar has begun to stir into consciousness.
"Mm," Korra mumbles thickly, her voice garbled by blood as she parts her mouth, "c-can't bend… not h-here." Kuvira stays silent and fuming as she watches Korra's faded blue eyes blink open halfway. Crimson liquid trickles down the corner of her mouth as she draws a shallow breath.
"Why?" The commander spits, her fingers clenching into shaking fists. The Avatar tilts her head weakly in an attempt to shake it, her eyes drooping shut again. Her chest rises and falls slower now, causing Kuvira to feel a small twinge of regret. Immediately, she furrows her brows. She hates this woman. She'd taken everything away from her - her family, her fiancé, her kingdom, her power and control. But, she can't help but look at the countless burns that line the Avatar's chest and upper arms from the brute force of the beam she had created. In that instant, she realizes faintly that she'd managed to walk away fairly unscathed in comparison to the young adult that lay before her, struggling to stay awake.
"Spirit world," Korra chokes out, blinking open her eyes again as she faintly smiles at the commander.
The look on her face surprises Kuvira as the Avatar turns her glossy eyes to the sky. The shock and faint remorse only lasts a minute before rage swells through Kuvira again. She reaches into her breast pocket for the item she always had kept close to her heart the day her parents had been murdered. She can't bend, fine, but that doesn't mean she still can't kill the Avatar. She's a warrior, a true captain of the guard, not some helpless bender. Kuvira snarls frustratingly as she grabs at the younger woman's tattered shirt and heaves upwards, before slamming her down to the ground with a harsh thud. Korra barely reacts, except for a soft gasp as Kuvira swings her legs over the smaller woman's waist, straddling her and pinning her to the ground. In a quick motion, she pulls out the long dagger, inscribed with her family name on the blade, and holds it to the Avatar's throat.
"Give me one reason not to take your life," Kuvira spits lithely. Korra's eyes are still focused on the sky, the blue in her eyes growing dimmer with each forced breath. Kuvira realizes that her focus is not entirely upon her as the Avatar remains silent. The captain's other hand tightly clutches at the collar of the dark skinned woman's shirt, pulling frantically as she tries to get Korra's dazed attention.
"Huh?! Why should I spare your life?" Kuvira asks again, a little discouraged that the water tribe girl is being so quiet. Is she dead already? No, her chest is still rising and falling. Korra's eyes are hazy and her lips quiver slightly as her brows furrow into a faint mournful expression.
"Y-You don't have to anymore. The job… my purpose… it… it is c-complete," Korra stutters as more blood pools from her mouth, her gaze now slowly fixating on Kuvira's baffled visage. Korra sighs and closes her eyes as she chokes on her own blood, her body growing weaker by the second.
"I… I was created to make peace," Korra murmurs softly, her voice carrying in the faint wind, "and I have done that. As Amon was exposed, benders and non-benders united together. From the destruction of Vaatu, the spirits and the people are connected. The tyranny of the Red Lotus has been abolished with Zaheer's capture. And finally, with the destruction of the bomb and the creation of this portal, your power has been vanquished. The world will live on, and the cycle of war stops for its respite." Kuvira growls at the Avatar's wise words, pressing the blade closer to the girl's neck, faintly nicking the skin. Korra's eyes blink open halfway, tired but somehow understanding. The compassion and empathy in her eyes chills the captain.
"You can still go back, you know," Korra says through a strained wheeze, "but you have to work with them, not against them. You want a peaceful place for your people, and if by killing me gives you the power to do good, then I give you permission to take my life. You have saved many before you, my father and the air-benders, my friends when Zaheer had attempted my capture in Zaofu, and my own life as you'd refused to kill me the day we first fought. I trust you to do good, Kuvira. If my life, my blood, means so much to you, I will let you take it. Only if for the benefit of society and of its peace. Too many have died from internal conflicts like these. The fighting, the death, it… it has to end, now." Kuvira has to blink a few times just to be sure that what she's hearing is real. The Avatar, the master of all four elements, the most powerful human being in existence, is laying down her life for her.
"You'd just give up? Why?" Kuvira asks in a gasp, the grip on the blade faltering. Korra lets out a faint chuckle, much to the older woman's surprise. The Avatar sighs again, her eyes threatening to close once more. Kuvira swallows thickly as she follows a small tear as it leaks out from the girl's eye.
"Because," Korra says hoarsely, "I see myself in you." Kuvira shakes her head.
"We're nothing alike," she growls back viciously, her own strangled emotions coming into play. Korra stares at the older woman blankly, her throat bobbing against the cool blade of the knife as she swallows with a thick, forced push.
"But we are," she murmurs, blinking away tears, "we are both stubborn, but want the best for our people, through whatever means necessary. We take risks, we make mistakes, but our intentions are the same, Kuvira. I know you want peace for your people. You just got lost finding it."
"I… I…," Kuvira tries to refute the claim, but she knows deep down, the Avatar speaks the truth. She'd never intended for so many lives to have been lost at her hands. She'd wanted to give her people what they'd rightfully deserved. Korra licks her lips, tasting the faint tang of copper upon her tongue.
"You can still fix this," Korra murmurs, cocking her head slightly to the glowing beam beside the both of them. It buzzes a low drone in the background, like faint radio static. "You can go back there and rebuild - to help them, to care for them, to lead them through these tough times." The Avatar coughs, spluttering between mouthfuls of blood as she fights to finish her sentence. Her thoughts trace back to Senna, Tonraq, Mako and Bolin, Lin and Suyin, Tenzin and his family, and most of all, to Asami. A faint smile cracks across her chapped lips as she draws a sharp breath.
"And… to love them," Korra breathes, finally finishing her thought as she turns back to Kuvira with a faint nod. She chokes on the word as Asami's face flashes before her, causing her heart to break with each shuddering breath closer to her death. Kuvira sees Bataar Jr, his smile and strong arms reaching for the woman with an always warm embrace. Oh how she longed for that comfort. Korra's eyes glaze as she watches Kuvira's face scrunch into a frown.
"It's not too late, Kuvira," she whispers as she feels her chest tighten with sorrow and remorse, "you can still go back to them. You can start over again, and this time, you can do good. You can save them." Kuvira remains silent for a few moments before she draws a shaky breath.
"And what would become of you?" She asks, looking to the injured Avatar, running her gaze over the multitude of deep scores, burns, and bruises that lace her body. She knows that the Avatar understands the blunt outlook that awaits her. Korra struggles to swallow as a clot of blood catches in her throat. She coughs it out, flecks of the liquid spitting accidentally upon Kuvira's face. The metal-bender frowns at the sight, but doesn't react. Korra's eyes are mournfully apologetic, and Kuvira can't help but feel slightly guilty; the Avatar shouldn't have to apologize for anything. For a moment, she forgets about the symbolism behind all of what Korra is meant to be, and instead focuses on who Korra is. Her face is young, but her eyes are aged beyond their years, blue eyes brimming with wisdom and authenticity. Her body is fit and scarred, but still the complete representation of true strength.
Most of all, Kuvira realizes all at once, Korra is a kid.
Sure, she is maybe more of a young adult, but to Kuvira, a soldier who'd spent Korra's lifetime training and fighting, she's nothing more than a mere child. A child, who'd managed to bring down so much crime and evil in the world while trying to grow up at the same time. A child that had held the world's burdens upon her muscled shoulders even when she hadn't had the physical or mental strength to carry them on her own. A child that hadn't ever received the opportunity to ask for respite without second thoughts from the changing world around them. A child that knows more of sacrifice and loss than any hardened veteran, herself included. Korra is a child that lays beneath her, drawing ever close to her last breath, without ever having experienced the true joys of adolescence, of youth, and most importantly, of innocence and love.
"You know," Korra says softly, breaking the commander from her thoughts as she cuts around answering her question. "I'd always wanted to be the Avatar the minute I'd found out it was me. I'd heard stories of Aang and Master Katara, of their work in rebuilding the nations, of the creation of Republic City and of the White Lotus. He was… is, my hero. I mean, I always thought, if a twelve year old boy who'd spent a hundred years trapped in ice could save the world, maybe, just maybe, I could too." Kuvira stays quiet as Korra chuckles sadly, lost in her memories of reading books on the previous Avatar's adventures, and tearing apart the small place her parents' owned as she'd practiced the three elements in an effort to reenact those events.
"I wanted to change the world, to show them that the Avatar could still bring hope to those who'd felt like he'd disappeared," Korra chokes as tears stream down her face, "but I never knew that it would be so hard… so painful. I didn't understand that there'd be so much loss and destruction, so much sacrifice throughout my service." Korra closes her eyes as she remembers the gruelling rehabilitation she'd been through after being poisoned, the look on Asami's face as her father had been ratted out as an Equalist supporter, and then later the broken glance in her eyes as Kuvira had crushed him. She sees the faces of her loved ones surrounding her as she'd laid broken and bleeding in her father's arms after the dual with Zaheer. She remembers Asami tending to her for a full six months before eventually, the Avatar had worked up the courage to push her away.
Asami, Korra thinks - no, she knows - had given her the greatest sacrifice.
"I thought maybe," Korra whispers distantly as she forces herself to focus on the present, "I… I thought maybe, I could be person that brought peace once again. I thought that it was my job, but finding peace… it's so hard when the world constantly expects more. Sometimes, I wonder if peace even exists. Some part of me did came forward for the right reasons, you know to save society and all, but the other part wanted people to recognize me as what I am, instead of seeing me for who I am. I lost a part of myself trying to figure out what being the Avatar really meant, but then I realized that it's not about bending the elements or being a diplomat." Kuvira shivers at the desolate tone in Korra's voice as the Avatar blinks her eyes open again.
"I realized it late, and I hadn't had a past life to guide me through the rough times," she breathes out as she looks to Kuvira with an empty gaze. "Even today, I still don't know what I'm doing. I… I just hope that whatever choice I make, especially right now, that it's the best one." Kuvira watches as Korra shivers harder beneath her, more tears rolling down her ashen face.
"Perhaps instead," she coughs, chuckling lightly, "the next earth-bender will have a better clue." Korra slumps deeper into the grass, enjoying the calming sensation of the dew upon her charring skin. She swears she can hear a slight sizzle, but she thinks little of the noise in her head.
"I-If you go back," Korra whispers hoarsely, looking back to Kuvira with a pleading gaze, "can you watch over my mother and father for me? Tenzin and the air-benders? My friends, too. Mako, Bolin, Varrick, Zhu Li, Naga…, Asami…, I… I didn't get to tell them goodbye. I love them very much." Korra begins to cry as she closes her eyes, her mind going back to that one specific person that had been there and saved her life beyond her ability to count.
"I love her so much," Korra gasps between hiccuped cries, her heart clenching in her chest. She feels her air grow thin and more spaced out as the darkness flickers in the corners of her eyes. She doesn't know much about death or dying, but she remembers experiencing a similar light and easing feeling from just before when Suyin had bended the poison out from her system three years ago. It's… relaxing, if she can dare use the word. The breeze of the Spirit World calms her, soothing her with gentle whispers of reassurance as the grass starts to curl over her arms, wrapping her in its safe embrace.
"I… I love her," Korra repeats again softly as she trails off, her eyes drooping as she fights to stay awake… just alive for moments longer. Kuvira pauses for a moment, knowing all too well that she should just take the Avatar's life, for it had been her plan along. She could go back down and continue her previous agenda, but something stops her as she looks to Korra. Something halts the blade at the smaller woman's neck from slicing the skin open.
"Take care of them, Kuvira," Korra murmurs in a faint voice as she slips further from reality, "bring them peace."
At those words, Kuvira, the stoic and unwavering captain, finally breaks.
The knife slips from her grip as looks down to see Korra with a slight smile painted upon her lips, her eyes now fully closed. Her chest still rises and falls as the older woman glances around at their surroundings before her eyes fixate upon the spirit portal. Kuvira sucks in a deep breath as she takes a moment to realize that what she is about to do will ruin any progress she'd made so far. The minute she thinks about it, she immediately understands that she had actually made the opposite of progress in Zaofu and across the Earth Kingdom. She glances back at the dying Avatar and sighs deeply. She reaches forward and gently cups the Avatar's cheek in her palm, her thumb grazing over the gaunt cheekbone. Tears well in her eyes as Korra's chest falls in a low, fatigued sigh. The captain bows her head, closing her eyes as she makes her decision.
"I will," Kuvira whispers solemnly as she slips her palm under Korra's neck, "but you're coming with me."
/
"We're here," Suyin says, causing Asami's eyes to flutter open fully. She'd been dozing in and out of consciousness throughout the period in which the leader of Zaofu had half-dragged, half-supported her in their journey towards the portal, and to finding Korra.
Asami nods as she leans heavily upon Suyin's shoulder when they enter the clearing to the giant spirit portal. The inventor lets out a whimper as she remembers Korra's face, those white eyes bearing into hers as she'd confessed her love for the heiress. Asami's chest tightens as she just wished she could have had the time to hold onto Korra longer, to tell her that she feels the same way, and had felt the same way for the past three years. Suyin's grip on her waist shifts as they stumble down into the crater. From across the way, Asami spots Bolin and Mako searching with Tenzin and Jinorra. The brothers spot her first, clambering over smouldering rock and vines to get to her and the older metal bender. Suyin sighs in relief as Bolin takes her from her shoulder, instead resting the inventor's weight against his strong side. Mako looks worried as he gazes at his ex-girlfriend's injuries. Asami sees the fading burn mark, now lessened from Kya's powerful healing, and winces. Mako shrugs it off and shakes his head, assuring her it's nothing.
"What happened to you?" He asks, concern lacing his words as he eyes the bandages that wrap thickly around Asami's midsection. The heiress gulps and chokes on air as she remembers Korra's face once more. Tears burn at her eyes and Mako understands that maybe she's not ready to talk quite yet. Asami shakes her head faintly as she looks to the portal over his shoulder, not bothering to answer his question.
"Korra?" She asks instead, gazing at him pleadingly. Mako looks equally disappointed and saddened as he dips his head. The fire-bender sighs, closing his eyes as he pinches the bridge of his nose with his clean hand. Bolin grimaces from beside her, his shoulders tensing with unease.
"We can't find either of them. The Spirits came down from the portal to help us look, but they're not finding anything either. Kuvira's guard is threatening to open fire on the portal if we can't find them," Bolin explains, his voice serious for once. In that moment, Asami wishes that he'd crack a lame joke or create dynamic story as to how to find Korra. The fact that he's as somber as the rest of them only adds to her worry that maybe she'd never see the love of her life ever again. Asami looks past Bolin to see Suyin knelt in front of a pale Lin, who is resting against an uprooted tree. Blood has tainted her armour completely crimson now. The veins in her neck are dark and prominent, showing just how much of the life has left her body. Kya is working water around her slashed midsection, but she's shaking her head sadly at the younger Beifong as she struggles to mend the damage.
"Please," Suyin begs Kya as she holds onto Lin's hand with a white knuckle grip. Her sister's eyes are fading with the telltale sign of release, the once strong emerald orbs now turning silver with each passing moment. Suyin's ashen face rests in the crook of her sister's neck, her tears staining the skin beneath her face. Lin is humming, her chest rumbling as she murmurs faux assurances to her fragile sister.
"Hey," Lin hushes her in a gurgled tone, "… S-Su, it's okay. We're okay. We're… we're okay." Kya fights back her tears as she bends harder, with as much focus and strength she can, but even with the rushed cauterization, aided by Mako moments earlier, Lin is still too weak.
"I just got you back," Suyin cries, squeezing her sister's hand tightly, "I'm not letting you go again, Lin. You said you'd come back into our lives to stay. You have a family now… you can't leave that behind. You can't leave me, Lin." The eldest Beifong sighs at the words, her head leaning against the rock as her eyes begin to droop with fatigue. Suyin cries harder into her shoulder, pushing her body as close as she can to her older sibling out of comfort. Kya's hands begin to shake as her strength fades and the water dissipates. Lin blinks open her eyes to glance over at the defeated water-bender, a weak but playful expression present in her gentle gaze. The chief of police winces as she reaches her spare hand up and beckons for her lover to sit beside her. Kya nearly collapses at her side, her hand looping over Suyin's to wrap around the bender's damp waist.
"A family for Lin Beifong?" Lin chuckles as she presses a faint kiss to both their foreheads. "Who'd think it'd be possible?" Kya smirks haphazardly as her thumb traces circles over the flesh of Lin's hand, her head drooping to lay upon the chest of the woman she'd spent decades pining after. She reaches up and lightly claps the metallic casings of the metal-bender's shoulder in a mock gesture.
"Maybe if you'd just gotten rid of that stick up your ass and saw which of Aang's kids was really best for you, you'd have had it sooner, dumbass," Kya tries to joke, but her voice is strangled with grief. Lin manages a low chortle at the comment before she tilts her jaw down so that her nose presses into the greying hair of the water-bender. Kya's eyes close as she stifles a cry at the sensation of Lin's soft breaths against her scalp.
"Good things come to those who wait," Lin murmurs, her voice growing weaker, "and I have waited long enough, I'd say." Suyin sighs deeply as she, too, lets her eyes close shut, her nose tucked into the soft skin of her older sister's neck.
"That you have, Lin," she mumbles through her cracking voice, "that you have."
"It's been so long since I've sat down," Lin wheezes, a faint smile playing at her lips, "since I've been at peace, since I've… been in love." She chokes on the last one, her lips quivering as her eyes well with tears from the overwhelming push of emotion. Kya bursts into a low cry, ducking her head further into Lin's neck as she tightens her hold upon the woman that has long since claimed her heart and affection.
"You deserve it, sweetheart," the water-bender whispers shakily, pressing a light kiss to the sharp line of Lin's jaw. Suyin nods her head in an agreement, sighing tiredly as her emotions and grief drain her of any energy she'd been running on. Lin's chest shudders as she feels weaker, but also… lighter.
"Thank you both," Lin murmurs quietly, her voice resonating with love and happiness, "for saving me."
Neither the youngest Beifong nor the water-bender say a word as Lin slips into unconsciousness.
"Lin's a hardass," Mako says distantly as he follows Asami's worried gaze. He tries to act stoic and calm, but he can't help but feel fear course through his veins as he tells her, "Lin won't… this… it won't bring her down. She's going to be okay. So is Korra. We're all gonna make it out." Asami doesn't respond as she turns away from the experienced metal-bender and her family and back to face the glowing green light of the portal. All she can think of is Korra.
Asami is not spiritual, but in that moment, she prays for a miracle.
Lucky for her, the call is answered.
"Over there! The portal!" Tenzin's voice booms, jolting the three friends from their spot. Asami's eyes widen as she watches a blurred figure shadow through the light. Something in her heart snaps as she pushes off of Bolin. The figure begins to clear and Asami nearly cries at the sight.
"Stand down," Kuvira's voice immediately calls out in an authoritative, but slightly remorseful tone as she sees her Mechs and soldiers approaching. She stares down at her officers, who stand shocked at the sight, more specific, the sight of what lays precariously in her arms.
"Korra!" Asami screams as she lunges forward, ignoring the pain in her chest as she sprints towards her friend's limp body dangling in Kuvira's oddly protective embrace. Kuvira stops at the sound, her eyes meeting Asami's burning green gaze as the heiress vaults towards her. She looks down at Korra's head, turned flat against her chest. Her breaths are barely noticeable now, as is the faint rise and fall of her chest. With a heavy heart burdened with guilt and sorrow, she kneels slowly, setting the mortally wounded Avatar down upon the earth with a gentle thud. Before the young woman's head can hit the ground, Kuvira places her palm upon the back of the Avatar's head, lightly laying it down upon a soft patch of moss. Asami's frantic screams grow nearer, as does Suyin's angered shouting. The captain closes her eyes for a moment before she looks up to an enraged Asami.
"I am sorry," Kuvira says in a faint whisper, the words ricocheting off the metal in her chest plate until the sound reaches the inventor's ears. Asami slows down as she looks to Korra, not willing to accept the captain's apology, nor the deeper meaning behind it. Suyin had managed to pry herself off of Lin's broken, resting body and bring herself to face her former protégée with disappointment and fury. Kuvira nods at her, bowing her head in shame.
"I will atone for my charges," she whispers as she feels Suyin's hands grasp her shoulders. "I surrender myself into your custody, Suyin. I know it may not seem so, but I feel remorseful of my actions and the damage I've caused. Anything that I can do to help Republic City, I will gladly do. I'm… sorry."
Suyin scoffs, but part of her does feel a pang of remorse for her former student. Kuvira doesn't dare look at her mentor as she is hoisted up from the ground and placed under arrest. Her eyes find Lin Beifong's slouched body from the other side of the clearing and her green eyes catch Kya's hateful expression in the same time. She spies the blood on the chief's waist and hangs her head with guilt and shame. Suyin mutters to her about how much she has to fix, how much damage she has done, about the damage she'd caused to her family, to her son, and Kuvira only nods, knowing that she will do as she can to make up for her mistakes, even going as far as the length Korra had gone for her; she'd lay down her life if need be.
The once great commander takes one last look at the limp Avatar before she is ushered away to face the consequences of her crimes.
"Korra?" Asami whispers as she reaches the younger girl. She collapses to her knees weakly as she pulls Korra's heavy frame to her lap, not caring about all the blood or dirt staining her clothes. She can only see Korra, beautiful, strong, amazing, Korra laying in her arms. Asami reaches out and wipes some caked blood from Korra's cheek, as if to erase some of the pain, but the Avatar remains still and unmoving.
"Come on," Asami pleads, holding her closer to her chest, pushing Korra's head to the top of her left breast, as if her heartbeat could rid the Avatar of her many fatal wounds. The inventor grips her best friend so tightly, with so much fear and anguish as she feels the love for her bleed through each vein in her body. Korra is everything to her, and now that everything is slipping away and she can't bring her back.
"I can't lose him and you, Korra," Asami cries out, shaking her head as she curls over Korra's limp frame. "I… I can't lose you, Korra. I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet. Please, just hang on, even if for a moment. Kya's here, Korra. She can help you. She… she can fix this… fix you."
At the mention of the water-bender, Asami jerks her head up, looking for support from Aang's second offspring, but the older woman is watching with an aggrieved facial expression, her head tucked into Lin's shoulder as she watches in silence from a few meters away. Rage fills Asami's frame as she glares at the bender, but once she makes out the defeat in those calming blue eyes, eyes so much like Korra, she shockingly realizes that this truly is it. Mako and Bolin reach down and support a barely conscious Lin as she grumbles out that she wants to see the Avatar again. Kya holds her lover steady as everyone begins to draw nearer to the body of the girl who'd saved Republic City, the material world, and the spirit world. Suyin returns to Lin's side, taking her from Bolin's grip. The older woman slumps against them, causing the two women holding her up to buckle under her weight. Her breaths become more spaced apart and her eyes are drooping harder. Suyin murmurs something in her ear, but Lin shakes her head, her gaze fixed on the Avatar. Asami turns her gaze back down to Korra, her eyes burning with mournful tears as she begins to sob.
"Please…, Korra," she begs softly, "please don't leave me. I'm not ready for you to leave. I need you, Korra. I… I'm lost without your smile. Your laugh lights up my world. Your arms are the safest place I know. You are my world, Korra. You… I, I need you, dammit." Korra doesn't respond, bare for a few small, and languidly spaced breaths. Asami watches as the Avatar's face begins to pale even further with her constant blood loss. She shakes her head again, furiously denying that Korra, for the first time in her life, isn't strong enough to recover from her injuries this time.
"You got through the loss of your bending. You survived Vaatu's wrath. You fought the poison. You saved Republic City," Asami tries to reason with her motionless frame, but her calls fall deaf to Korra's ears. "You saved my life. You… you saved me, Korra." Asami bows her head, allowing her lips to brush over Korra's bloodied forehead. Her eyes scrunch up with the threat of new tears as her lips quiver.
"I wish I could have done the same for you," she murmurs into the younger woman's skin. Her grip is tighter, winding the smaller woman further into her grasp. She remembers all the turmoil the Avatar had been through in the past four years and knows that despite her young age, she'd seen through so much, too much, for a woman of her age to fathom. Three years of it, she'd faced on her own, trying to survive nightmares and tainted memories.
And just like that, it all caught up to the woman in one final battle.
"I love you," Asami states strongly, her voice full and low as she begins to cry again. She kisses Korra's forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her jaw, her lips… oh Spirits, her lips. Asami sobs harder when her mouth grazes those gentle petals upon her face.
"I love you so much, Korra," Asami cries out as her body begins to shake from her sobs. Korra's head lolls weakly against her shoulder as her mouth parts. Asami looks down, her world coming to a grinding halt as she gasps at what she sees.
Korra's chest stops rising or falling.
Everything just… stops.
Asami watches as a few of the Spirits that had been circling the portal descend and place themselves around Korra's body, as if they themselves were grieving the loss of the Avatar. They slip past her charred flesh and into her skin. Asami opens her mouth to scream, to shoo them away, but a hand places itself upon her forearm. The inventor turns to see Jinorra watching the event take place with a glazed expression. Her eyes are glossy with unshed tears as she looks at Asami with a knowing expression. The young heiress doesn't understand, but she remains docile as the Spirits enter her love's body. She simply reaches forward and brushes away the stray hair from Korra's face, her eyes softening as she sees how peaceful her friend looks.
She remembers all that pain again, and suddenly, Asami understands.
"Rest, my brave warrior," Asami murmurs in bittersweet defeat, "take your leave in the comfort of those around you, and be free. You fought a good fight, Korra… the best fight. You're the strongest, bravest, most courageous woman I've ever come to know. I…I'm so proud of you, Korra." Asami doesn't need to look up to know that everyone is bowing their heads in solemn farewell as the spirits pass through Korra's body in silence. A single tear strolls down the inventor's face as she sighs remorsefully, still holding her friend tight to her side.
"Thank you, Korra, for everything," she whispers, kissing her friend's parted mouth again with a soft peck. So much pain curls into her heart, but she pushes it away for Korra's sake. If this is how it is to end, then she will see her friend through with a proper goodbye, not one plagued with grief.
"Thank you, for giving me a chance, for confiding in me, for protecting me," she breathes into her almost lover's lips before she takes a breath, "and for loving me, even if I was too late." Asami shudders as she closes her eyes and flashes back to those eyes, that hand gripping hers, and the faint words echoed from Korra's lips as they'd forcefully parted ways. She reaches down, grabbing for the Avatar's hand and loosely intertwining their fingers once more. Only this time, Korra's hands aren't possessive or asserting their place, but limp and frail. Asami squeezes lightly, as if she were made of fine china or something delicate. The heiress almost scoffs at the idea of Korra being delicate, because she knows her friend is anything but soft like a daisy. Asami sighs deeply, her air fatigued by the past month's events. She's so tired and all she wants to do is fall into eternity with Korra, and to forget all this pain.
Suddenly, there's a faint squeeze in the inventor's hand, causing Asami to look down with wide, expectant eyes. She realizes that she must've imagined the sensation, because Korra is just as motionless as she'd been before. Asami goes to bow her head, but before she can close her eyes again, a whisper breaks through to her ears. She glances down at Korra, only to watch in sorrow as the moment she'd been dreading, the moment she knew would come, finally arrives. A small faint burst of yellow light flickers from Korra's lips as the Spirit escapes from her body. Time stops running as everything around the heiress turns to black, leaving just her and the passed body of the Avatar hanging loosely in her arms. She sniffles as she watches the faint light begin to take shape as it leaves Korra's parted mouth. Asami is still for a moment before she realizes what is happening. Her heartbeat picks up the pace nervously and she watches something she hadn't expect, to suddenly happen.
The Spirit breaks into two.
One half transforms into the smaller version of Raava. It turns its head down to face Korra's frame, and though it doesn't have a face, per say, Asami can almost make out a smile upon her tiled visage. They hadn't been joined long, the Spirit and the recent Avatar, but it had been long enough for Korra to have made a deep enough connection with the Light Spirit. Raava's head nods up to the inventor, the checkered surface staring into her emerald eyes before the flecks of yellow dust float off to the sky. Before it disappears completely, Asami makes out a final farewell echoing from its mouth.
Until we meet again, Avatar Korra.
Asami looks down from the sky as Raava finally drifts away to find the next newborn earth-bender. As the heiress looks down, her heart catches in her throat and the numbing ache in her head disappears. Standing before her as a pure spirit glowing beautifully in yellows and whites, is a smiling Korra.
Not Avatar Korra. Not water tribe Korra. Her Korra.
"Korra," she whispers the woman's name in disbelief, and Korra chuckles warmly, a sound Asami never thought she'd ever have the chance of hearing again. She reaches out with her bare hand, but her fingers run through the Spirit's body. Korra's smile dissipates softly as she looks to her love's hand with bittersweet sigh. Korra's lips form a small, half-lipped smile as she gazes deeply into Asami's eyes.
"Not this time, Asami. I'm sorry…," Korra whispers softly, her voice smooth and soft like the babbling brooks outside the Southern Water Tribe. Asami gasps out a choked cry at the sound of her friend's voice. Korra's ghost sighs as it reaches out, placing a pale hand upon the inventor's cheek. Her thumb brushes over a straggling tear and for a moment, Asami allows herself to pretend that she had wiped the tear away.
"I love you," Asami blurts out in amidst a earth-shaking sob, her hand trying to cover Korra's, but only to fail as she touches her own skin. She needs to feel her, to know that she's here with her and not gone like her family, but she can't. The apparition shakes her head sadly, before closing her eyes. Korra takes a minute to breathe, a few flecks of light passing over her lips as she does so. Asami almost wants to tell her to stop, to preserve whatever time with this vision of Korra that she can while it lasts. Korra's eyes blink open again, her gaze clear and pure this time.
"I love you too, Asami," Korra murmurs soothingly as she trails her hand down until she's able to point a finger into the heiress' chest. Asami looks down at the gesture, catching the sight of Korra's limp body, before she nods them back up at those startling icy eyes.
"I'll wait for you," Korra says gently, pulling her hand away as she gives the inventor a faint broken smile. She looks back to the spirit portal before turning towards Asami once more, her lips pulling into a wider, more mischievous grin; it's one that reminds Asami of their good days together.
"But I don't want to see you anytime soon, 'Sami," she hums with a gentle chuckle, her eyes scanning over the rest of the people hovering around their bodies. "Because, you know that I'm going to need someone to watch over them, and I can't think of a better person than you." Asami turns to see that her friends are all frozen, non-existent in the experience she's sharing with the younger woman. She goes to face Korra because she has so many questions, so many needs and desires, some selfish and others altruistic, but Korra is slowly fading from her sight.
"One day, when we meet again, we'll take a vacation, just the two of us, okay?" Korra says softly, her voice growing quieter. Asami stays stuck for a moment before she nods slightly. She looks back to the portal, then down to Korra's motionless body, and then back up to Korra's spirit.
"Sounds perfect," Asami replies in a shaky voice, nodding her head as the tears stream down her face. Korra throws her a signature grin as she musters up the remainder of her spirit energy to reach forward and wrap her arms around her neck in a fierce, protective hug.
"I will always love you," Korra whispers into her ear as she pulls back, eyes flickering down to Asami's quivering lips. "Never forget that, no matter where this leaves you in the time being." Asami takes a deep breath as she swears she can feel Korra's warm breath on her lips.
"I promise to always love you, Korra," she says quietly, leaning her head forward, trying to fool herself into believing that she can feel the love of her life pressing against her. Korra's smile grows wider and her eyes water as she nods, softly murmuring, "I promise, too, Asami."
Just for a moment, Asami puts aside all logic and pretends it's completely real.
The heiress loses herself in the kiss that Korra gives her. She digs deep and Spirits, she can feel Korra's lips on hers. She memorizes every faint swipe of her love's tongue against hers. She wants to close her eyes and absorb the memory, but she can't out of the fear of opening her eyes to see it all become a giant hallucination. Korra's eyes close and Asami decides that she's never seen or felt anything more beautiful in her entire life. The kiss lasts a few more precious moments before Korra begins to pull away, the glow around her body beginning to disappear into the portal. Asami cries out and reaches for her to come back, but Korra extends her hand in the same motion she'd made earlier, just before she'd saved the heiress' life.
This time, Asami doesn't hesitate as she places her hand flat against Korra's own. Their fingers intertwine and the two hands hold each other tightly, even as Korra's body begins to fade away into the portal. Korra's eyes are trained on their hands, as if she were trying to memorize the sight and feel of their intertwined fingers. Asami squeezes them tighter together, trying to keep Korra as close to her as she can. The dying Avatar can only smile and cry at the sight as Asami holds on for as long as she can, fighting away the tears to prevent even the slightest of a blurred vision. If this is the last she will see of Korra for a long time, she will make sure she sees her off down to the last lingering speck of light.
Soon enough, Korra's face begins to fade, but before it can, the former Avatar's eyes flicker upwards to meet hers. The expression they share is one of happiness and love. Soon, however, it fades, keeping just their hands until even that, too, is gone to leave only a few speckles of light. They linger in the air before they drift past Asami. The inventor follows their path, only to watch as they approach Lin's limp body. The heiress holds her breath as she watches the light penetrate through the gaping hole in the metal-bender's stomach. Light pours out from the wound, before Lin's skin begins to glow a bright yellow. She tries to see if anyone else can see what is happening, but they're all frozen. The chief's eyes flicker open halfway, and for a moment, there's a dash of blue that flickers in those green depths, but it's gone before Asami can appreciate it. Lin's lips form a signature Korra smile before the older woman falls back into a state of rest. Asami watches and expects to feel empty, to feel the loss stab at her like a shard of glass, but she doesn't.
There is no void, no sadness, no regret, but peace.
The inventor glances down to Korra's now dead body and a broken smile paints her lips as she remembers the kiss. It takes her a few minutes of silence and remembrance before she nods her head up to see her friends, her new family, staring down at her with sad eyes. The moment of transcendence has passed, and now Korra, the once mighty Avatar and bringer of peace, is dead. Asami takes a deep breath and rises, her pain extinguished as she carries the passed hero in her arms. Mako goes to try and take her, but Asami shakes her head, to which the man curtly bows his head, stepping back respectfully. Bumi and Bolin watch as the woman limps past them, stepping in front of Tenzin, Suyin, Kya, and Lin, who glance down at Korra's body with tears in their eyes. Lin's half-lidded gaze meets the soft one of the inventor as they exchange a knowing expression. Words aren't necessary; Lin had felt the exchange. She knows of the Avatar's final gift and sacrifice that has allowed her to live another day. Lin folds her hands into a wrapped fist as she stumbles forward before bowing. Asami gasps, tears running down her cheeks as Lin winces when she straightens her back, her own gaze glossy.
"Thank you," she whispers softly, looking between her and the motionless body of Korra. Asami clutches her tightly, allowing the sadness and bereavement to fall down her own shoulders now that she has seen Korra off properly. She cries harshly, but even through the force of her sobs, she doesn't dare let go of the one who made all of this possible. Lin's eyes brew with tears as she, too, begins to cry softly. The sobs are universal, wracked through everyone carefully watching the body of the former Avatar when solemn expressions. The oldest air master steps forward after some time, wiping away the lone moisture that streaks down his gaunt cheekbones and into the forest of his beard.
"Asami?" Tenzin asks, his voice a low rasp. Asami sighs as she looks back down at Korra's face, warmth and a faint hint of sadness prodding at her heart.
"It's okay," she whispers softly as nods her head, "she's home now."