Darkness. Emptiness. Crushing space, the weight of anxiety. A pale green glow directly ahead. The view changed; she saw herself. The glow came from her eyes, wide with panic. Everything was black but her, illuminated by her green eyes. Space rushed in, the weight crippling. She saw through her eyes again as a figure started to appear in the glow. She couldn't move; the weight was too heavy. Anxiety, fear, panic. The face started to resolve. She couldn't close her eyes to end the light. Amber eyes. Grey hair. Glaring, piercing, accusing. The man reached toward her, his face contorted in rage. Vision rushed out and she saw herself again. As his fingers reached toward her face, her eyes changed into glowing green goggles as her face was enveloped in a mask. The man laughed coldly as she felt the terror of her silent scream in the crushing darkness...

Asami woke with a start, her eyes sore and her body in a cold sweat. Her eyelids had trouble separating; crusted mucus glued her eyelashes in place. The woman raised a shaking hand to rub her stubbornly lidded eyes and felt the dried trails of salt down her cheeks, feeling them crack slightly when she turned her neck. The vision of her father was still burned into her eyelids. This was not the first nightmare the heiress had suffered since the... incident. A cold shiver crept its way up the woman's spine. When will it end? Asami sighed and rested her head on her knees with her eyes closed, her arms wrapped protectively around her head. She concentrated on breathing, trying to block everything bad from her world for just a bit longer...
"-don't care if she's having a hard time with anything, I'm going to talk to her now!" Electrified, Asami's entire body jolted backwards away from the abrasive voice that crashed through her self-created barrier. Oh no, please, Spirits, no no no no no...

"Come on, Korra, please. Let me talk to her. Or at least- Ah come on, Korra! Wait up! You- Korra, she's just-" Bolin's flustered pleading was drowned out by the sudden loud slams of Korra's fist against her door. Asami stared at the door with wide eyes, unable to respond. Her door was still locked from the night before, though she knew that wouldn't keep the Avatar out for long.

"Hey, Asami! Let me in! You've got a lot of explaining to do!" shouted the Avatar. Asami's heart sunk lower with each word, hearing the anger and aggression grow more and more obvious.

"Bolin, go away! Asami! Open the door or I'll bash it down!"

"Korra, just give her some spa-"

"Go away, Bolin, or so help me-" Korra was cut off as Asami wordlessly opened the door the slightest amount, only strong enough to unlock the door and let it creep an inch or two away from the wall before retreating back into her room. The heiress leaned against her bed, looking down at her feet and holding her elbows tightly across her chest to control her shivering. A crushing weight fell on Asami's chest as she felt the Avatar barge into the room, closely followed by a panicked Bolin.

"Asami, I'm sorry, I couldn't get her to-"

"Bolin! If you don't leave right now I'm going to hit you so hard with a fire blast that you won't be able to move for a month! Get out!" Korra was fuming. The ice at her feet weakened from the intense heat the furious woman was emitting, which was easily noticed by the downcast eyes of the heiress.

"But I just-"

"It's okay, Bo. I'll find you later." Asami's voice was as soft as a whisper, but held all the power of Korra's shouts. Bolin looked at her with concern, then slowly backed out of the room. Asami made no move to address Korra, her eyes still staring at the ground as she breathed. From one nightmare to the next...

"Who do you think you are, Miss Sato?" accused Korra, her words exploding through the silent room. "Where do you get off, thinking you have the right to mess with my life like that?! Has anything happened in the past forty-eight hours that you didn't plan?" Hiroshi's eyes flashed in Asami's mind. She think I wanted this to happen? "Is this all revenge on Mako for leaving you for me? Or is it revenge on me for kissing your boyfriend? What is it, already? Because I swear, you're just as manipulative as your father!" Asami was numb. Did I want it to happen? I'm... so lost... All she heard was her father's cold laugh ringing in her ears. The weight of the room was crushing her chest so hard she could barely breathe. Breathless and numb, she stared at the floor, unmoving. She could feel Korra getting more and more angered by her silence, but all she felt was weight. After a few minutes, Korra's explosive breath broke the silence again. "I was right about you. You're spoiled and hate that I have what you want. Well too bad, Miss Rich Girl. You are nowhere near as noble as you pretend to be!" Korra strode out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Asami still stood alone, unmoving and unfeeling. She pushed herself back onto her bed and stared at the wall, feeling fresh moisture cut through the salty trails on her cheeks.

The numbness had finally taken over Asami. There had always been a part of her that was constantly numb since her mother was taken from her, and that numbness grew substantially with each new loss she suffered. She had always had one or two bright lights in her life that broke through the pain and made her life worth it, things like her stable home, the security of her daily routine, her father, racing, and her friends. These were her whole life, her whole identity. Now there was nothing. Nothing but crushing emptiness, the weight of utter worthlessness. She didn't even have herself as a friend or an ally. All she saw was blackness, even with her eyes wide open. Nothingness. Her father's voice echoed in her mind, forcing her to relive the last words she ever heard him speak. Everything she had lost finally broke out of the cage previously created by her strength, taking hold of her in her weakness. She didn't know hunger or thirst, happiness or sadness, hope or desperation. All she knew was numbness, the crushing weight of her own failure.

The day passed by, but Asmai remained secluded. She was vaguely aware that Bolin and an older man, she assumed Tenzin, had come by to see her. She had said nothing, only stared at the wall and felt nothing. Korra's face entered her numb musings, and a fresh ache pulsed through her body. Her heart felt weakened and insufficient. All she could think of was Korra's anger, her voice letting out the apparent hate and distrust she now felt towards Asami. Crushing numbness with aching pain. Nothing had ever felt so hopeless, so excruciatingly abysmal. Darkness fell in the South Pole, leaving Asami to slowly drift into an uneasy sleep by the time the moon had made her way to the top of the night sky.

The darkness spun; she was falling. Falling further into emptiness. Parts of her being torn away from the force of her spin, the speed of her fall. She spun and fell in the oppressive spiral of despair until she landed on a field of the deepest crimson. The floor beneath her shook, the entirety of the expanse of crimson undulating in its unrest. Her very bones were vibrating so violently she felt she would explode-

Outside, the sky was becoming blanketed in an approaching expanse of grey storm clouds. Winds rushed through the snowy tundra, sweeping toward the Water Tribe complex and leading the charge for a powerful snowstorm. The bright blue eyes of the Avatar reflected the coming downfall of snow, though she remained unfazed. The solitary woman lowered her gaze and continued to drudge through the small village, her mind unable to make sense of her own turbulent emotions.

-Asmai began to sink into the shaking ground. She realized the ground was liquid, a sea of blood. She couldn't swim. She sunk further and further down, unable to breathe or move as the world dimmed-

Korra was unbalanced. Everything felt wrong. She could not train, meditate, or calm her heart. She was angry, but she could not figure out why. Every attempt to talk to someone all day ended in her exploding in fury, and none of it made her feel better. Everything was just so wrong...

-The dark waters twisted and contorted around Asami as she sunk into nothingness. She felt a wave of heat wash over her as though the ocean of blood around her were on fire. Boiling, crippling heat. A scream broke the crushing silence, a scream she had heard before. More heat. Her mother. Jumping in front of a little girl clutching her toy Satomobile her father had made for her. A wave of blistering, unbearable heat as piercing screams echoed through the waters-

Korra felt the cold winds of the storm hit her before the snow entered the village. She closed her eyes and felt the air move around her, letting herself feel the patterns of the air and listening to the element. This calmed her mind, finally allowing her to release most of her anger. "What am I angry at?" she mused to the air around her. Not Mako, nor Asami, nor Bolin... The wind swirled around her body and lifted her locks of hair off her face. "No... I'm angry at... myself?" Korra sighed and stood still, her face lifted to the sky as the wind slowed. She breathed in and out, calming her mind.

The wind whispered past her ears, bring the softest voice out of the void, "... the greatest change." Korra opened her eyes as the first wall of snow hit her. Aang's voice was swept away by the violent raging of the storm, and Korra forced her head down as she trotted down the street. The wind swept towards her again, now carrying a desperate scream instead of a soft whisper.

"Asami...?" Korra wondered for a moment. Then it all clicked. Everything fell into place, shocking Korra into action. "Asami!" The young Avatar sprinted towards the women's dormitories, bending the snow and wind out of her way without breaking her sprint.

-The darkness of the waters closed on her, the heat disappearing. She was no longer drowning. Alone again, surrounded by blackness and crushing emptiness. The void rang with fear and prophecy. Amber eyes glowed in the darkness ahead. Gears turned and steam vented-

Korra flew down the hallways, closing the distance to Asami's room without regard to her noise level. She slammed into a wall as she took a corner too fast. In that instant, she heard the defeated sobbing echoing from the room at the end of the hall. The Avatar pushed off the wall and raced to the room, letting herself in without a knock. "Asami..."

-A mechanical arm emerged from the darkness. The figure had no face. Amber eyes surrounded by grey materialized from the darkness, still mostly in shadow. The sound of gears turning filled the stifling darkness with more stress and anxiety-

Korra shook the heiress gently, no longer sure of what to do. "Asami? Asami, wake up," pleaded the Avatar desperately. Asami let out another choked sob, her body starting to shake uncontrollably. "No, Asami, please wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up, please." Korra felt useless being this close to what she needed to fix yet not knowing how to do so. Asami's shaking increased and Korra noticed the woman's forehead glimmer with sweat. Acting on instinct, Korra climbed onto Asami's bed and pushed her up just enough to climb behind her and slide her hips under the sleeping woman, pulling her trembling body into her arms and holding her as securely as she could. "Wake up, Asami. It's okay, I'm here. I'm here, I promise you. Please wake up, Asami. Please..."

-The glowing light resolved. The man stared at her again, hate in his eyes. Asami couldn't move. The man raised his mechanical arm, gears hissing maliciously through the nothingness.

"I now see that there is no chance to save you!"-

Asami screamed as she woke from her familiar Hell, her whole body rebelling against what her mind believed was real only a moment ago. Her eyes ached through the constant stream flowing from their corners and spilling over their edges. Her arms threw themselves out instinctively, attempting to fend off the pain of her father's actions, but were unsuccessful. Her arms searched to find her restraints and felt warm, soft skin over hard muscle wrapped around her body. She tried to rip them off, but they would not budge. Asami heaved out heavy, painful sobs between forced breaths and turned to huddle herself into this support, instinctively knowing that these arms were protective and secure. She buried her tear-soaked face in the neck of the woman behind her and cried as the arms tightened protectively around her. Asami's hands reached up and touched the woman's face, pulling herself closer until her sobbing calmed and subsided. She felt warm lips on her forehead as the woman placed kiss after kiss on the top of her head to her brow and down the side of her cheek. Asami's eyes opened slightly, just enough to confirm with her eyes what she felt in her heart. Korra? The woman's kisses moved farther down her tear-streaked face with their own desperation. There was an urgency in these kisses that Asami did not fully understand, but she felt her heart surge unpleasantly when they suddenly stopped. "No, please," she heard herself beg weakly. She did not know what she wanted, but neither did she want it to stop. Korra rested her forehead against Asami's for a moment, her face hard with her own inner conflict, before slowly bringing her steady lips to Asami's trembling ones. As soon as she felt Korra's lips touch her own, Asami latched herself to the woman holding her as though she were her lifeline, her grip on sanity. A small light burst to life in her pervading darkness, and she sprinted towards it. She needed her like she needed air. With her kiss, the waterbender began to pull the drowning woman out of the ocean. Asami needed her. She needed to feel herself entirely consumed by Korra. She needed to lose herself in this woman, and she communicated all of her need with the urgency and passion of her kisses.

As Korra's hands began to remove Asami's nightshirt, it was clear that she got the message. One more tear slid down the heiress' face as Korra's lips burned a trail down Asami's abdomen and down to the hollow created by her shaking thighs.

Bright rays of sun reflected off the fresh snow, illuminating Asami's face as she laid in her bed. She had woken from her shallow sleep when the storm stopped, but she had not moved from her position inside Korra's bare arms. Flashes of the night before played behind her emerald eyes, filling her with a mixture of pain, guilt... and fear. In the big picture, what had happened between herself and the woman who laid naked against her bare back was morally wrong... but in Asami's own personal world, it was the only thing that had the power to pull her out of her numb despair. It probably meant nothing to her... but what if...? The feeling of urgency in Korra's kisses could not be faked. The look of sadness and desperation in her eyes seemed to be begging Asami for a way to let her help end the pain. Stop it, Asami. If you let her in again, you'll never recover. Asami squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her body tense as she retreated into herself. Korra unconsciously tightened her grip on the heiress, pulling her body closer into the protective shield of her embrace. Asami's hastily constructed defenses wavered and melted as Korra's touch triggered a string of memories from their night together. Her mind filled with the memory of Korra's touch sending warmth throughout Asami's cold body, her tender kisses caressing her neck and her lips constantly when not otherwise occupied, and her strong arms always holding her securely. Asami felt her heartbeat kick at the memories, trying desperately to relive that which she had been desiring above all else.

Korra groaned as she started to rise out of her sleep. Asami felt the muscles up and down the woman's entire body tense as she yawned, smiling despite herself when Korra's nose nuzzled its way through her waves of black hair and into her neck. "Mmmm... Good morning, beautiful," purred the woman as she pressed her lips to the back of Asami's neck. The point where Korra's warm, delicate lips caressed her skin sent a shock of confused emotions through her body. As Asami struggled to identify them all, she thought, Does she do this on purpose, or am I just hypersensitive to this girl? The emotion she managed to isolate as the most powerful was, to her slight surprise, vulnerability. She felt exposed, for more reasons than her physical state. Korra had found her in her weakest, lowest point and, instead of turning her back and abandoning her, did what she could to pull Asami out of her Hell. Which means, the heiress determined, she knows how much power she has over my state of being, moreso even than I do. Basically, I'm becoming just another element to master.

Korra propped herself up onto her elbow, playfully tracing her fingers across the skin by Asami's ear and down to her neck. The heiress fought back a shiver as she tried not to respond. Korra grinned as she ran her hand over Asami's bare shoulder, down to the porcelain surface of her abdomen. Asami's thoughts were halted abruptly as she felt the trail of warmth meet resistance a few inches below her belly button, causing her brain the dissolve into static. Korra's menacing lips met Asami's neck again, her sultry voice perfectly clear even as she spoke in between kisses. "We could go to breakfast," the woman purred, brushing her lips up Asami's neck to her ear. Her wandering hand brushed seductively across the dip between Asami's thigh and her pubic bone. "Or," the Avatar continued, taking Asami's earlobe between her wolf-like teeth, "we could stay in bed," her fingers reached down and brushed Asami's clit, "and-"

"Uhm, I have to go." The heiress swiftly maneuvered herself into a sitting position, breaking Korra's hold on her ear and preventing her from weakening her defenses further. Asami swung her legs over the side of the bed, keeping her back to the woman she wanted so desperately. It took all of Asami's willpower to resist Korra's advances. Even though she wanted to let her continue, her mind told her that this was the wrong way for it to happen. "I have to go find Tenzin. And I've fallen way behind on my work for Future Industries."

"Oh. Okay." Asami could hear the disappointment in the Avatar's voice, but she also identified a touch of insecurity. Korra was not used to being denied what she wanted, and it was unlikely that she knew how to react to it. "Do you want me to come by later or...?" The question hung in the air, searching for a response. Asami hesitated, then proceeded to rise from her bed and retrieve her crimson silk robe from the other side of the room. She felt Korra's eyes on her exposed body as she donned the garment.

Her face still turned away from Korra, the heiress finally replied, "I have a lot to do. I'll let you know when I'm caught up."

"Asami, we should really talk-"

"You should go." For what felt like an eternity, neither woman moved nor spoke. Asami studied the black-stenciled lines of the complex pattern of roses across the hem of her robe, which her father had given to her as a present from a business trip to Ba Sing Se the year before. She felt Korra's eyes boring into her back.

"If that's what you want." Asami had expected anger or frustration, so she was surprised by Korra's acceptance of her words. She's grown since Republic City. The heiress finally turned her body to face the Avatar, who was recovering her tribal wraps from within the sheets of the bed, but kept her eyes downcast and leaned against the wall by the door. She watched Korra slowly dress herself, pulling on her snow pants with her muscled back to Asami, and kept her arms wrapped securely across her chest. Korra pulled on her fur-lined winter coat last, then made her way to the door and pulled it open about an inch before Asami laid her hand on Korra's forearm, halting her. Korra eyes searched Asami's downcast face cautiously, their eyes level for once due to Asami's stance. The heiress straightened herself and placed a silent peck on Korra's cheek, then released her arm once again. Korra watched her for a second longer, then departed through the doorway without a word. Asami took a deep, steadying breath and made her way to her desk. The heiress took out two pieces of parchment and started to write.

Snow crunched under her animal-skin boots as she made her way through the streets to the arena. She did not have to look where she was going; she knew these streets better than the fur behind Naga's ears. What was I thinking? What was she thinking? What does any of this mean? Korra's ears buzzed incessantly, her mind working furiously. She had never had this much complexity to deal with before. Usually she just went after what she wanted and eventually ended up with it. Simple. She would go with her instincts and they would serve her well. This, on the other hand, was complicated. Ugh! I suck at this! What does she even want! Orange and yellow robes suddenly intruded on her vision, marking her arrival at the arena. "Sorry I'm late, Tenzin. Let's get started." Korra grasped the edge of her pullover fur-lined coast and began lifting it over her head to prepare for her warmup airbending drills before meditation.

"Honestly, I thought you could tell us apart by now." Korra's arms stopped halfway through removing her jacket. The voice was unmistakable, as familiar and comforting as only a previous incarnation could be. "And you might want to keep that jacket on. It's cold in the air above the South Pole." Korra heard Aang laugh to himself as she struggled to reverse her efforts with her coat.

Korra finally got her jacket down to its original position and smiled up at her mentor. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Graceful as ever, I see," Aang laughed in response. "Kyoshi was adamant about me letting you figure this out on your own, but someone else was quite hard to ignore."

"About what? Who?" Korra saw a flicker of movement behind Aang, who was scratching the back of his head with an air of guilt, and was able to decipher Katara's smiling face at the end of the street by her home. For the second time in her life, Korra saw the master give her an encouraging wink. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" asked Korra tentatively, though she was starting to suspect the subject. Without further explanation, Aang placed his palm on the waterbender's forehead and closed his eyes, taking Korra with him the rest of the way into the Spirit World. As Korra's eyes reopened, she saw the flying bison she assumed was Appa descend from the clouds and land before herself and his lifetime friend.

"Korra, I'd like to introduce you to my best friend, Appa." Appa huffed a greeting in Korra's direction. "Now, climb aboard. Don't be sh-" Korra cut off the airbender with an excited whoop as she ran forward to climb up one of the bison's front legs. By the time she had stationed herself in the saddle, Aang had taken his place on Appa's neck with the reins firmly in his hands. The past Avatar leaned forward slightly, placed his hand by Appa's ear, and, as though exchanging a thought with a best friend, communicated his wishes to his guide. Within a couple brief seconds, all three of them were in the air flying away from the Water Tribe settlement.
Korra pulled her head back inside the confines of the saddle after watching her home shrink to a point below them. One bonus of flying in the Spirit World was that there was no lack of oxygen or heat up in the glacial sky. She was perfectly comfortable this high up in the clouds. The young Avatar climbed to the front of the saddle in order to be able to speak with her mentor.

"You gonna tell me why you have me up here, Master Arrowhead?"

"Katara and I thought you could use some... experienced advice. Since you, uhm, haven't been around too many kids your age. Until recently, that is. And, well," Aang stammered. His back was entirely rigid, adding even more awkwardness to his fragmented mumbling. It was remarkable how much the legendarily carefree Aang resembled his son in this moment.

"This is about Asami, isn't it," blurted Korra. She was never good at being subtle or patient, and she wanted to get this out in the open before Aang hurt himself.

"Yes, it is. But not just her, it's also about Mako," sighed Aang as he steered the bison around a cloud out of habit. "But let's start with her, anyways. Things got a little out of hand with you two recently."

"Do you watch everything I do?" Korra accused her mentor indignantly. She knew that if she could feel heat in her spiritual form, it would all be in her face right now.

"All of your past lives are linked with you, Korra. Even if we tried not to pay attention, the strongest of your living emotions would still be impossible to ignore, as they are felt by all of us. There's no need to be embarrassed; we've all made similar mistakes in our pasts. We are all the same spirit, after all."

"Fine." Korra crossed her arms in defiance and glared at the back of Aang's bald, blue striped skull. "What about her, then?"

"That's a good question. What about her, indeed? What does she make you feel, and how is it different from Mako?" Aang's voice was polite and even as he maneuvered the ten-ton flying bison through the air with the grace of a Royal Dancer in the theatres of the Fire Nation.

"Well... I don't know. I mean, I've always felt a strange pull towards her, even in Republic City. It felt weird, though, and I had no idea what it was, so I just avoided her. Then we all got back here and we started hanging out a bit more and," Korra shrugged and looked down at the saddle. "I'd never had any friends that weren't guys before, I didn't realize that what I felt for her wasn't normal for friends. Until she, you know, came to talk to me a few nights ago. Then everything just kinda, clicked." Korra stared at the clouds shrinking behind them. It was surprisingly easy talking to her past life, even if she was basically talking to herself. Actually saying these things was a bigger relief than she would have thought.

"And what about Mako?"

"Well, he's cute and he cares about me a lot. I don't know, I think I just went after him because that's what I thought I was supposed to do. That's what everyone else did, that's what you did. I like him, but he just doesn't..."

"He doesn't make you feel like Asami does."

"Exactly. And by the time I figured that out," Korra's mind filled with memories from the previous night, now with a different perspective. "Well, it was bad timing." Both Avatars flew in silence for a minute, watching the clouds.

"Asami is afraid of you, you know," stated Aang flatly. He still did not turn to face Korra.

"Afraid of me? Why would she be afraid of me? We're friends!"

"The way you function is the opposite of how she does. She thinks things through to the end before making her first move, and you just dive in head first without a plan or stopping to think what the consequences could be. That, and you hurt her enough indirectly in the past that she fears how much you could hurt her directly if she decides to trust you. Think of how much the girl has lost, especially recently. To her, you're dangerous." Korra absorbed Aang's words with a sense of guilt and dread. If she can't trust me, then why did last night happen? Does that mean she won't actually be with me? Is that what I want? Aang added nothing else, and the two Avatars flew in silence.

"So, Aang. Has any Avatar ever been, well, like me?" Korra nervously tugged on her armband before hugging one of her knees. "You know, liking people even if they're a girl and I'm a girl?"

"What many people don't know is that most Avatars have been attracted to both genders. Some have developed a strong preference for one over the other, but most of us have been attracted to both. The Avatar is the spirit of the Earth, as you know, so we are all one. We all have separate personalities, but at our core we are the same spirit. Since there are both male and female Avatars, it makes sense that our romantic preferences are balanced in the middle. Many Avatars have reached the conclusion that humanity's perception of romance is far more limited than is natural or healthy, and that instead of only allowing yourself to be open to a specific sex we should be open to love in general." Korra was lost in thought. She closed her eyes, focusing her energy on how she felt with Mako compared to how she felt around Asami. The more she thought, the more she realized how aware she had been of Asami without realizing the meaning behind it. Even back in Republic City, what she thought was jealousy over Mako was something else entirely. Wow, I'm such an idiot. Then the memory of that morning assaulted her mind, and Aang's words about Asami's fear of her were suddenly obvious. She wouldn't even look at me...

"Aang? Can you take me back?"

"Of course, Korra. We're almost there, actually." Aang glanced at the sky and narrowed his eyes at the sun. "And you should probably head right to the dining hall before doing anything else."

"Why? I'm not hungry at all, there are more important things than food right now. I usually sleep past breakfast anyways, I'll be fine until lunch." Aang laughed without offering an explanation and shook his head. Korra was about to ask why he was laughing, but she was abruptly thrown to the back of the saddle as Appa dove the rest of the way through the sky to the same street where they had taken off. Korra saw her physical body sitting on the deck of a nearby building. She jumped down and noted the sets of footprints leading to her body from the middle of the street. Apparently my body just stayed in the middle of the street. I wonder who moved me? She looked up at Aang quickly and bowed her head slightly before rushing back to her body. She heard Appa take off behind her, flying North towards the distant Patola Mountains. While watching the bison disappear into the sky, a strange pulling sensation grasped behind her navel and pulled her backwards. The waterbender started to panic slightly as her vision blurred, but when she opened her eyes again she was back in her physical body. She had not noticed the absence of wind while in the Spirit World, but it was comforting to feel it return. Korra went to rise out of her sitting position and felt the muscles in her legs cramp up. How long have I been sitting here? She looked up at the sky and stretched. I should find Asa- When did the sun get that high?! As the time registered in her head, her stomach lurched uncomfortably. "Right, dining hall it is. Thanks a lot, Aang." With that, the bender marched up the street, stretching her arms over her head as she went.

Korra charged into the dining hall and headed straight for the blubbered seal jerky and sea prunes. She piled her plate to her normal amount, which was about twice as much food as the most of the others got and more than three times as much as most of the girls, and went to find a seat. Her eyes scanned the cafeteria and her heart sank. If the girl she was searching for was anywhere in the large room, she would have seen her in an instant. With her head hanging slightly, the Avatar went to find an empty table.

"Hey, Korra!" The Avatar jumped slightly and turned in the direction of the call. "Kooooooooooooorra! Over here, come on!" Korra's gaze rested on the incorrigibly friendly face of Bolin, who showed no animosity about their previous meeting. Korra grimaced with guilt as she recalled the scene before making her way over to the earthbender's table.

"Hey, Bo," Korra started uncertainly. For once, Bolin was not surrounded by his usual fangirls, for which she was grateful. She had a lot on her mind, and those out-of-compound tourists were definitely not her favorite company. "I'm, uh... I'm sorry about, about yesterday."

"No worries," stated the boy immediately, "already forgotten. Too bad you guys couldn't make up before she had to leave, though. I mean obviously I thought you guys would be cute together, but friendship is more important. Tenzin wasn't very happy either, since he…"

The earthbender continued his report, but Korra wasn't able to hear any more of his words before his comment could completely sink in. She left? I don't understand… It had never occurred to the Water Tribe girl that, once back home in the South Pole, anything could change. She realized now how foolish that was; the Southern Water Tribe wasn't home to all of them. She stared into her sea prunes, feeling too empty to react to anything.

"… I didn't even know she had a ship from Future Industries here. It's huge! I was just on it actually, since it isn't leaving until tomorrow. Hey! You should totally go see-"

"Wait, what?" Korra jumped to her feet as though Bolin's words, which had just paralyzed her, had shocked her back to life. "She's leaving, but she hasn't left yet? She's still here?"

"What? Uh, yeah. I think she's packing now, as a matter of fact. I left Pabu with her- Hey wait, where are you-"

"Thanks, Bo!" Korra yelled over her shoulder as she plowed her way to the door. She set her eyes back on the door a second too late, sending one of the dining hall's patrons spiraling to the ground. The Avatar barreled through the door and sprinted down the street, sending powdered snow flying behind her.

Korra reached the girls dormitories slightly winded and found herself frozen in the doorway, suddenly aware of the fact that she had no idea what she would say. Deep breath, Korra. The waterbender steeled herself and did her best to walk calmly through the corridors to Asami's room.

"Hey, Asami? It's Korra." The Avatar opened the door slightly and poked her head through the opening, looking around for a sign of the heiress. To her dismay, she noticed immediately that the room way empty and Asami was nowhere in sight. Korra felt her heart drop once again and slumped against the wall, entirely exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster the past couple days had been. If she isn't here, then where is she? The Avatar meandered in Asami's room for another minute, running her hands absently over every surface until she reached the bed. She rested both her hands on the comforter, remembering the exact texture from the night before. A wave of sorrow crashed over the waterbender at the thought of losing this woman, especially now that she had finally sorted out her confused emotions she had been feeling towards her. Korra pulled herself onto the bed and sat on top of the covers. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to clear her mind, but as soon as she inhaled her mind was filled with the lingering scent of the heiress still clinging to the sheets. Korra opened her eyes and looked down at the pillow, noting the slight blotches on the pillow which marked where Asami's tears had fallen. She hasn't washed her sheets. Asami is far too polite to leave without… She's still here! Korra jumped off the bed and made her way to the gates of the compound, heading in the direction of the shipping bay.

"Yes, Captain. I appreciate you delaying your departure for another night to accommodate me. I'm very grateful for your assistance on such short notice."

"It is my pleasure, ma'am. We have been anxiously awaiting your return to the company, and I consider it an honor to be the captain responsible for your journey home. Would you reconsider your decision to use a passenger's chamber for the journey? It would only serve to shame me if you did not take the captain's quarters."

"Captain, you'd be much more useful on hand should there be an emergency than me. I wouldn't put the safety of the crew in jeopardy just to have a bigger bed."

"As you wish, ma'am." The captain saluted the heiress, who curtsied politely in reply before making her way out of the cabin. As she walked down the gangplank and through the yard, she saw a figure running down the path that led down the large ice wall and into the harbor. Asami recognized the figure as Korra, causing her heart to jump into her throat. What does she want? Is she looking for me? Asami's eyes widened in sudden panic at the thought of having to face this woman, and she turned on her heels and took the longer path through the cargo yard to avoid her. Korra came barreling through the yard and stopped in front of a worker not far from Asami's location.

"Hey, you! Which ship is owned by Future Industries?" Asami was confused by the frantic tone in her voice.

"Uh, I think it's one of those two," replied the worker lazily, pointing out the only two large ships in the dock.

"What, you can't remember which ship you're supposed to be loading? Do I need to knock your head around for you to remember?" Asami sighed at Korra's persistent impatience. While she may have grown in her understanding of other people, she had not progressed at all in dealing with civilians and getting information diplomatically.

"Hey, kid, who do you think you're talkin' to? I oughta knock you into the bay!" Asami peaked around the edge of the crate she was standing behind and saw the worker draw himself up to his full height, which was at least a foot taller than Korra. In response, Korra took her hands from her hips and, bringing her leg up above her head and swinging it straight down to the ground below, propelled the dockworker straight up into the air with an earthbending strike.

"YOU WANNA TALK NOW, TOUGH GUY?!" Asami sighed and used this distraction to cover her retreat from the area, making her way to her dormitory to finish cleaning the room before heading to Master Katara's house for the night.

Asami laid in Katara's spare room, staring at the ceiling once more. This cabin was made of wood, allowing the rooms to be much warmer without the need of the specially formed ice needed to create insulated living quarters with waterbending (Asami had asked the specifics from Katara over diner). Korra had been searching the entire compound all afternoon and even made her way to Katara's house a few hours before, though the master sent her away on Asami's request. She feared that Korra might say something to try to change her mind, and she couldn't handle that right now. She knew where she belonged, and she would not risk another piece of herself when that was the last piece she had left. The heiress turned over on her cot to face the window, allowing her to stare up at the stars that had risen hours ago when the sun was still shining. The Aurora Patolis danced among the stars tonight, adding playful splashes of green and red to the black sky.

"Are you going to say goodbye to her?" Asami started at the sound of the old waterbending master, who now stood in the doorway to her room. She looked exactly the same as any other time she had seen her, with her arms crossed in their sleeves and her strands of hair pulled back in loops, though without her warm smile.

"Uhm, no. I wasn't actually planning on it," stated the heiress weakly as she pulled herself into a more polite position. She assumed Katara understood that the quarrel the two women were having was not a normal squabble between friends.

"I understand," replied the old master after a slight pause. "And is this a decision you will be at peace with when you return to Republic City?" Asami stared at Katara with shaky eyes and opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by Katara's raised hand. "Do not answer the question for me, but for yourself. The door will not be locked tonight, if you were to take a walk." The warm smile returned to Master Katara's face as she turned away, leaving the door open slightly with her implied advice. Asami sighed to herself and forced herself to acknowledge the truth in Katara's words; she had known not explaining to Korra why she was leaving would haunt her, no matter how much distance she put in between them. With a grunt of reluctance, she pushed herself off her cot and searched for her coat and boots.

The walk to the girls' dormitories was tedious and frigid from the newest sheet of snow covering the road. While uncomfortable and drastically different from the warm, rowdy streets of the city that were her home, the heiress appreciated the environment; it allowed her to clear her head and figure out exactly what she wanted to say. When she reached the building that was her destination, she stopped in the doorway. Do I have the strength for this? Asami felt her chest shudder with chills that had nothing to do with the cold. She closed her eyes and took one last, steadying breath before taking a hesitant step over the threshold.

Asami made her way to Korra's room and knocked quietly, without otherwise announcing herself. She paused, waiting, for a response that didn't come. She knocked again, this time slightly louder. "Go away," replied Korra halfheartedly. Asami ignored this order and pushed the door open quietly, letting herself in. She closed the door behind her without a word and took a step into the room. "Look, I told you all to just leave-" Korra turned from her position on her bed from which she had been looking out the window, stopping midsentence at the sight of Asami. "Asami! Where have you been?" Korra jumped up from the bed and moved to rush to Asami with her arms opening, but stopped at the look on Asami's face. The heiress felt the muscles in her chest tighten over her heart at the look of relief on the Water Tribe woman's face, knowing she would only be hurting her with what she had to say.

"Korra, you should sit down," Asami ordered softly. Korra stared back defiantly, but still with tenderness in her cerulean gaze.

"I'll sit down if you will," the Avatar responded. Asami hesitated, then complied. Both women sat on the edge of Korra's bed, with Asami's body squared towards the exit and Korra's turned directly towards the other woman. Korra seemed restless, shifting her weight constantly and inching towards the heiress. "Asami, I'm sorry," blurted the Avatar, breaking the silence. She shifted down the bed, closing the remaining distance between herself and the heiress without further delay, and pushed the wavy locks of Asami's hair behind her ear without seeming to think about it. "I didn't mean to- ugh, I was so stupid. I don't want you to not trust me and I know I've hurt you before and I'm so sorry, I just-"

"Korra, stop. Please," insisted the heiress, interrupting Korra's bumbling apology. Asami grasped Korra's hand, which had lingered in her hair, and held it in her own with their joined hands resting on her thigh. "I have something to say, and I need to say it now." Korra's eyes burned into the side of her skull, not knowing what to do but too stubborn to move away from the girl on whom they focused. Asami gathered herself in preparation, then let herself go. "Everyone I've let in in my life has taken pieces of me. My mother took huge pieces from every part of me when she died, and that will never finish healing. My father, my protector, ripped my identity and my trust into shreds when he-" Asami's strength wavered for a moment as she once again went to Hell and back in her mind. Keep going, Asami. Stay strong. The heiress took a steadying breath as one tear slid down her cheek. "I'll never be the same after what he did to me. And then Mako took even more of me when he proved that I'd never be good enough, for anyone or anything. So, as important to me as you are, I need to leave. I can't let another piece of me be taken away when I only have so much left. I feel so empty, all the time. It hardly hurts anymore. After my mother died, it hurt just to wake up in the morning. It hurt to keep living without her. And now, after losing even more... I'm numb. The only time I can feel anything anymore is when I look at you. You have the last piece of my heart, and you probably always will," admitted Asami, causing her voice to waver the slightest amount. Korra's eyes shimmered slightly as she watched the vulnerable woman struggle before her. Korra squeezed Asami's hand and reached her head up instinctively, wanting only to comfort Asami the only way she knew how. Asami's shaking hands caught the Avatar's cheeks and held her at bay, forcing herself to resist the shining concern in Korra's eyes. The heiress smiled weakly, feeling the relentless tears gather strength along the battle lines of her eyelids before charging mercilessly into the mess of war. Shoulders shaking, the city girl let the walls guarding her emotions crumble and fall at the feet of the warrior in front of her, giving Korra a clear window into her pain and struggle. The small amount of spirit behind the concern in Korra's eyes faded as she started to understand. Tell her. Tell her now, before you change your mind. Asami swallowed. "Which is why I have to go. I have to go back to Republic City, I have to save my family's company, and I have to try to get you out of my system. Because if I stay here any longer seeing you with Mako, knowing now what it's like to be held in your arms and kiss your lips and feel your skin... I'll lose that last piece of myself, and I know that I won't be able to stay strong through that. I won't be able to smile through the pain. And if there's one thing I've learned from all of this mess, it's that I'm the only person I'll always have. I can't lose any more of myself," Asami stated flatly. The woman breathed slowly, then looked down and whispered so softly it was almost inaudible, "and I know in my heart that you will take that last piece of me, and you will break me." The final foundations of Asami's defenses crumbled and shook, making her feel exposed and weak.The heiress stood slowly, drawing herself up to her full height. Her emerald irises steadied as the hydraulic invaders retreated. Asami walked to the door, pausing in the doorway just long enough to get one last glimpse of the woman she was leaving behind. The young Avatar hadn't moved an inch from where she had been previously linked with Asami's own body. Go. Now.

"Goodbye, Korra. I will always love you."