Chapter 1
When Korra suffered the invading poison that was inflicted onto her by Zaheer it came with many of her worst enemies, her inner turmoil. To be weakened by someone who possessed a greater will power, having to rely on the aid of others she vowed to protect, and to be stripped of the reliability of the avatar state that was passed down from generations…A promise. Korra felt so weakened beyond the pain in her bones or bloodstream, she almost felt completely drained from life both mentally and emotionally. Almost dead…But there was one glimmer of hope for her and she had seen this glimmer of hope almost every day. From the time she would lay in her bed looking up at the ceiling at 5:30 a.m. to the moment that the doors would open to her bedroom at that same hour, Asami would open her door and close it softly trying not to wake the young avatar. Korra at first in fear and embarrassment would shut her eyes so she could pretend to sleep.
“Korra ?”
She could hear the soft whisper in the air from the entrance, she tried to calm her breathing but each time she closed her eyes she could see Zaheer and feel the weight of the chains around her wrists and ankles. With fear she took a sharp breath of air and opened her eyes, panting as she sat up straight looking at her lap as a cold sweat started to cover her skin.
“Korra it’s me Asami…I’m sorry for waking you up.”
Korra looked over at Asami for a brief moment to see if she was real, her vision blurred at first but as she slowly started to focus on the person in the room, relief and a sinking pain in her stomach caused her to lay back in bed. Placing the heavyweight she still felt around her wrists against her forehead.
“It’s okay…I was already awake.”
Asami walked over to her bedside and sat on the side of her bed.
“So you were pretending to sleep when I walked in?”
Asami could sense that her friend was in a state of fear so she tried to make light of the conversation knowing Korra was better at being distracted than having to face her fears abruptly. Asami raised her eyebrow with amusement in her features. Korra blushed profusely for being caught as she looked over at Asami sitting up in bed again.
“N-no I was just…okay fine you caught me.”
For some reason that small moment made her wrists feel lighter, the only difference was that they felt more like small needles in her bloodstream along her wrists rather than the heaviness.
Asami analyzed her friend’s features, seeing how her head hung low rather than the confidence she always displayed, how her eyes seemed to glaze over as memories started to suck her back into the darkness. She could tell that, by all of this, just by how one twitch or movement showered her features with pain and loss. Carefully she reached out to Korra’s hand that held strongly to her bed sheets.
“Korra?”
The young avatar felt the warmth of Asamis hand over her own knuckles and the warmth of her palm, the softness of her skin seemed to calm her down gradually. She stopped gripping the sheets, but she made no other movement aside from looking outside her bedroom window noticing the very faint lights of republic city. She started to lose herself again speaking out loud and not realizing her words as if she was shifted to an unfiltered thought.
“ I wonder what Avatar Aang would say right now; knowing that I lost the chain of the Avatar state. How I let his dream die in uniting the city he dreamed about.”
Though Korra was in her own set of mind it didn’t go unnoticed to her dear friend that held her hand. With careful thought to Korra’s words she took a small moment to breath before she spoke and shifted her hand up to her friends shoulder bringing her attention back to reality.
With a soft smile she helped ground Korra in the quiet dimly lite room, and softly rubbed her shoulder in commiseration.
“Korra from the moment we met and I heard your stories and seen you act on behalf of Republic City. You have done more than, and you have pushed yourself past your limitations…Avatar Aang would have acknowledged all that you have done for his dream.”
Korra feeling dejected grit her teeth.
“I failed as the Avatar. I failed his dream…”
Korra felt the tears stinging at the corner of her eyes, she tried to rub them away but Asami stopped her and held her wrist lightly.
“Did Avatar Aang ever ask you to be a successor to his dream?”
She tilted her head slightly at Korra and with an almost bewildered expression she could tell the words she chose started to sink in for her friend’s understanding.
“What? N-no he didn’t have to tell me, it was my job.”
“Yes it is your job to be the Avatar and I get that, but hear me out for just a moment.”
Korra was too weak to even argue and she could tell Asami would always tell her the truth no matter what so she just softly nodded her head in agreement. Asami smiled at her friend’s understanding and held her hands in her own.
“Even throughout history each Avatar had their own dreams, their own goals and people that they loved and lost to protect, but none of them decided to stay on one path and neither should you.”
Korra felt the weight of her own thoughts flooding her even more.
“But I-I’m not the avatar anymore. My connection to the rest of them are gone, I don’t even feel Raava with me anymore. So how can I be the avatar now?”
Korra let the tears flood down her cheeks as the words she had been holding on started to flood out of her.
Asami quickly sprung into action and held Korra closely she could feel her friend’s energy run out of her.
“It’s okay Korra I’m here. I’m here.”
That night changed the shift in korra’s mind and she was reluctant to get the help but slowly little by little almost every day Asami was by her side to share a laugh or a smile, even if it was fleeting. It became clear for the white lotus to take her back to the southern water tribe. Even though Korra wanted Asami to go with her the white lotus was against it especially after the fact her father had committed a crime.
“I’m sorry you can’t go with me.”
Korra sat in her wheelchair holding back her disappointment but Asami held her hand and kneeled down to capture her friend’s eyes with her own.
“Hey it’s going to be okay, I hold no offense to the white lotus for protection you. I would do the same.”
Asami blushed softly catching her slip up.
“I mean it is their job and as your friend it’s also my job to not disturb your recovery.”
Korra looked back at her with a sad smile.
“You wouldn’t have disturbed me, probably would recover faster if you were coming.”
Korra glared at one of the white lotus guards he looked away out of guilt.
Asami laughed softly seeing how the guard squirmed with unease.
“It’s not his fault that had to do with the higher ups, but this is a good time for you to get to know yourself again as Korra the legendary water bender.”
Korra blushed by her friend’s statement knowing she wanted to leave her with a good note in mind.
“Plus I’ll make sure to write to you everyday and that was we both don’t feel so far apart.”
Asami stood up as she looked down at Korra and seeing the light of her cheeks cover the bridge of her nose. They had become very close throughout their time at the air temple but without a spoken word they never admitted to the big question between them.
“Avatar Korra we have to depart.”
The guard disrupted the soft flow of unspoken love.
“I’ll talk to you soon Korra.”
Asami squeezed her friend’s hand softly once more. Korra nodded her head, if only she could stand to give her a hug she would have but it only reminded her more of her lack of strength and right now Asami needed her to be strong. She knew all the hard work she put into their friendship how she helped her eat, bathed, spend time outside and reading old literature or poems even at times placing her on top of Naga when they wanted to have an adventure. Before she knew it she was on the boat and they had docked out of the port.
“I’ll miss you.”
Was all either could whisper underneath the covering of the wind as they both looked on until they couldn’t see each other anymore.