#[ they fell off his face and landed on Kuvira's so she has them now

[cold-neon-ocean]

the anti-glasses man angle because he glasses fall off he dang face

[guiltysecretpasttime]

Linzin week day 1: Earthquake

Linzin Week Day 1: Earthquake

Linzin/ semi-AU/ one-shot 

Note: This is very loosely linked to the prompt. Hope you accept this short and humble contribution to Linzin week. 🙇🏽‍♂️

You may read also on A03.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33584422

  ---

Little did he know that the moment they locked eyes on the sky bison, everything was about to change.

---

Feeling the tremors.

 It had crept up to him, unnoticed and maybe a bit unwanted.

The more frequent interactions, brought about by the Avatar’s unwitting adventures, threw him and caught him unawares.

 It had been easy for them to go back to old times where they worked fluidly and effectively. They always did work well at a professional capacity.

Don’t get him wrong, Chief Beifong had always been efficient and unbiased in her work and dealings with the council, whether or not it was in dealing with him and the Air Nation constituents. It was him, Tenzin, that was mortifyingly awkward at best and downright unbearable at his worst. Which was understandable, one of his siblings would quip, since he was the one who brought this upon them anyway.

It became easier as time passed but it was only after Korra’s arrival did any interaction became remotely comfortable.

 It must have been the long late nights they had spent poring over the documents that would help put Equalists and their sympathizers in jail but he could not help himself.

And so he asked, one dinner time at city hall, as they pored over the documents, the rest of the councilmen a couple of tables away, what changed with them.

 Chief Beifong raised an eyebrow. “Well, I figured that once I saw your wife give birth to your son – nothing could be more uncomfortable than that.”

He had laughed at that and offered her his share of spring rolls.

 But deep inside he thought that it was Lin jumping off the airship for his family that changed everything.

As always, airbender that he is, he did not say anything.

 ---

At the epicenter.

 There was a light tapping on his forehead.

Very gentle. Very familiar. And yet…

 Good. It meant he wasn’t dead yet.

Or did it?

 He remembered Zaheer and his henchmen taking turns at him.

He remembered with horror as Asami and Bolin arrived in the trap set by the Red Lotus.

He vaguely recall leaning over on Lin.

 But that’s impossible. Lin couldn’t have been there…

 The tapping on his arrow stopped.

 “Don’t die on me.” A raspy voice whispered. “There are still things unsaid.”

Lin.

He struggled to open his eyes. Everything felt heavy.

Something creaked open. A door maybe.

“Chief,” An unfamiliar voice spoke from that direction. “It’s time for your procedure.”

Procedure? What kind of procedure? He wanted to ask, he wanted to respond but it was so tiring and it was so painful…and he let the sweet unconsciousness come over him.

 The next day (or so he had been informed), he finally got clearance to get up from his bed. And so he did, at the dead of the night to avoid any stares or questions. He gingerly leaned on the staff that Jinora had given him.

He had to see her.

He needed to see she was fine.

He heard the complete story from one of Suyin’s guards, after much prodding and prying. He learned about how Zaheer was subdued, he learned about the demise of the Red Lotus’ waterbender and he learned about how the Beifong sisters tag teamed the combustion bender. Su had dropped by earlier and was mostly unscathed.

What worried him was how he evaded his questions about Lin’s well-being.

And so now, he gently pushed the door to Lin Beifong’s room open.

 Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

He knew Lin was in close contact most of the attacks of the combustion bender. And he knew she had fought with firebenders in all her years at the force but… he supposed the combustion bender was a different kind of intensity.

 Lin was covered in bindings and gauze that he recognized as the type that Kya and his mother would use for burns. How bad would it have to be for the heat to penetrate the metal… would the metal have stuck to her skin?

He could not imagine how much that might have hurt and yet…

He distinctly recalled Lin sitting by his bedside…

 Awkwardly, he hobbled over to the chair beside her.

He groaned in relief as he sat down.

 “Airhead?”

 Tenzin twisted to face the bed, one green eye peering at him from the dark.

 “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, not really, it’s all might unpleasant.” Lin attempted to shake her head then grimaced. “No good sleeping position, unless I ask them to up the anesthesia.”

He simply nodded.

“Is there something you wanted to talk about?” Lin’s soft yet sardonic voice cut through the silence that fell between them.

“Uh,” Tenzin searched his head for anything. “No?”

“Really. I would have thought there was something for you to hop over to my room at the dead of the night. And I’m sure it wasn’t for the same reason you used to do so back in the day.”

“Wha-what-Lin -no!” He sputtered in embarrassment, thankful for the dark so that his reddening countenance does not catch her attention.

Lin started to laugh but was interrupted by a moan of pain.

“Are you alright, Lin?” He leaned forward against the bed, wanting to ease her up if needed.

“I’m fine, I just forgot I’m not all there yet.” She weakly waved up her hand, all white and hidden under the gauze.

Tenzin caught it.

She squeezed back.

I’m thankful you’re alive.

I could have lost you.

 There were many things he could have told her then.

But, he didn’t.

 ----

Riding the aftershocks.

 No one realized there was anything wrong until they needed the Chief of Police to arrest Kuvira.

In the end, they relied on one of her subordinates who was on the scene, and everyone went about their way.

 Nonetheless, the sense of foreboding would not escape Tenzin.

“Su, where did you land?”

“A little way over there.” That was the distracted response as Suyin listened to the police officer tell her about the next steps of Kuvira’s incarceration.

 Tenzin felt his blood turn to ice.

He rushed in the direction that Su pointed out.

It was highly unlike Lin not to join them, not at this momentous situation where her expertise would be needed.

 The gigantic arm of the colossus lay battered and out of place in the wreckage of the park. Wires and twisted metals littered the perimeter. The ground was upturned, the pavement cracked and trees were uprooted.

The airbender thought it would take long to find the missing earthbender when he spotted a figure, still seemingly trapped within the confines of the metal arm.

“No-no-no-no!” His voice came out choked as he inspected Lin Beifong’s unconscious body. “Lin! Lin!”

Both of her arms were useless, both were at odd limp angles that he could only imagine were a result of being tossed about with great force.

The metal brace around her torso had another curvature beside her.

Tenzin surmised Lin might have secured her sister first before herself.

He bit back a scream of frustration.

The woman was too selfless for her own good.

Ignoring the trickle of blood coming from her lip, Tenzin moved swiftly, searching for a pulse.

It was very faint.

Hold on, Lin. Hold on.

“No. Lin, hold on.” He pulled with all his might as he sought to dislodge Lin from beneath the metal brace. A few more air blades and Lin tumbled from fixture.

He ran. He tried to disregard the almost undiscernible breathes from the woman he carried in his arms.

 By some miracle, one of the smaller hospitals in the city remained unscathed by the entire invasion. And by another miracle, Tenzin found himself heading there, possibly by muscle memory alone. When he was younger, he had memorized all routes to all the city’s clinics and hospitals. Having had a girlfriend in the police force made this knowledge very useful.

 ---

“We will take her from here, Master Tenzin.”

It was just that he did not think that this would come to use decades later in their life.

 He would have been hard pressed to tell anyone how much time passed since he was told that the long surgery was completed.

It had not been clear if her arms would go back to normal. All he had cared about that she was alive.

Everything else were just details.

 ---

There was a shudder from the ground and the light fixtures swayed.

 There was an earthquake, possibly brought about by the disturbance that the colossus made. And it was followed by some aftershocks.

The staff of the hospital was mobilized quickly as news came by that some buildings continued to collapse.

The airbender stayed put, sitting in vigil, holding the unconscious earthbender’s hand.

 It soon turned to nightfall.

Tenzin had been away for hours and no one had found them or even come to get them.

One of the healers assigned to them, he recognized as the sister of one of the new airbenders, had helped secure them a semi-private room. He was grateful for that. He could not stand anyone gawking at Lin at her vulnerable state.

He just wished she woke up soon.

  He leaned back on the uncomfortable hospital chair.

And so, the world continued to turn…

Belatedly, he realized that they were expendable.

Their time has passed.

It was a bitter truth that he had struggled to swallow ever since the first airbender unrelated to his blood line popped up.

 To what end were all their fights, the tragedy that was their relationship?

And now, even as the city fell, the city she sought to protect, the city they grew up in – no one cared for her welfare. No one cared to search for her. And, he scoffed, they had all the resources to find her. They just…didn’t.

His hand crept and held her palm, now clean though still scratched and calloused.

He ignored how cold it was. Instead, he focused on her laborious breathing.

“As long as you’re breathing, it’s not over, Lin.”

It’s not over.

We’re not over.

You have to wake up.

 His breath caught as two green eyes blinked at him.

He will not fail her. Not again. Not this time.

 ---

Note: Not my best work but hope it works. Let me know what you think

[not-all-dead]

angstpril day eight: screaming

CW: death (i think that’s kind of it??? unless you count sad???)

fic under the cut

They watched as Asami was projected from the hummingbird mecha suit. She yelled the word dad as she fell, making it out of the suit mere seconds before Kuvira’s giant metal hand came down on it. There was no mistaking that Hiroshi Sato was now dead.

“Hiroshi’s plan worked,” Korra said in a grave voice.

“There’s our opening.”

There was a hole in the platinum robot, perfect for them to slip through. Lin grabbed Kya around the waist and swung them towards it, Su following quickly after them. Korra, Mako and Bolin made their way up as well, all jumping through the hall just before Kuvira’s hand came down on them again. They made their way to a small corridor with a ladder leading up to the torso of the robot in it before Korra gave the orders.

“We need to move fast. Su, Lin, Kya, climb up to the arm and try to disable that weapon. Mako, Bolin, make your way to the engine and see if you can power this thing down. I’m going after Kuvira,” There was a determined look on the avatar’s face as everyone but Su nodded.

“Are you sure? When you fought Kuvira before…” Su said, watching Korra with concern.

“I know. She almost destroyed me. Not this time,” Korra replied, and at that they split to complete their assignments.

Lin grabbed Kya again and fired a cable to the top of the cavern they were in. Su followed their lead and they pulled themselves up, quickly making it out of the leg. The torso was more open, though there were many various mechanical parts down the centre. They spotted the entrance to the arm and launched up to it, landing hard before the door.

They were immediately attacked by a metalbender, thin sheets flying at them and striking the wall. They ducked before turning to face him.

“We’ll deal with this guy, you disable the weapon,” Lin said.

Both Kya and Su nodded, Kya following Lin down to where the metalbender stood. Lin deflected his attacks while Kya sent ice spikes flying at him, pushing him back to the wall. They heard a crash behind them and looked at each other, Kya glancing back to see a purple light coming from where Su had been moments before. Lin sent a sheet of metal towards the man they’d been fighting with enough force to knock him out and they left him pinned against the wall.

“Nice work,” Lin said when they got back up to the platform, raising an eyebrow and smirking at their sister.

“The outside might be platinum, but we can do a lot of damage in here,” Su responded, looking at the contents of the room.

“Kya, can you cover us?” Lin asked, turning to the waterbender.

“Definitely,” Kya grinned at Lin before turning back to the torso, immediately firing more ice at another metalbender down below.

Lin spun back around to the room and smiled mischievously at Su. Su grinned back and they both reached out, taking hold of as much of the metal in the room as they could. They pulled it towards them, crushing it and throwing it down before stepping forward. They kept pulling, crushing, and throwing the contents of the weapons until there was virtually nothing left.

“There is no way this thing is gonna fire again,” Kya said with a laugh, coming up behind them.

She wrapped her arms around Lin’s waist and gave them a kiss on the cheek, earning a blush from the younger woman.

“Oh, get a room, you two,” Su commented, rolling her eyes with a chuckle.

Kya stepped back, eyeing the heaps of metal on the floor.

“Mmm, you’re just jealous,” She said smoothly, picking up a small hunk of green.

Su was about to protest when the arm around them lurched. All three of them lost their footing as the arm was ripped off and tossed to the ground. Su’s eyes widened and she acted quickly, pulling metal from the wall to wrap around her and Kya’s waists to keep them in place.

Lin was already falling.

They’d been standing closest to the joint when it had happened. The second the arm was gone, so were they. They tried to shoot their cable up, to grab onto something, anything, but it was too late.

Time slowed for Kya. She watched as her wife fell backwards, her heart clenching. It felt like the air was sucked out of her lungs, and all she could see was Lin. Her Lin.

Her scream was soul-crushing. Every ounce of her being poured into it, pushing her voice past its limit. She screamed Lin’s name, praying it would somehow reverse time, would somehow bring them back.

It was only seconds before Su’s metal pulled them back to the wall. To Kya, it felt like hours. Lin’s face filled her head, from the fear in her eyes as they’d started falling to the smile they’d forced as Kya screamed. Kya saw every time they’d blushed, every whisper and brushing of fingers. She saw every moment they’d had together, and then she saw nothing at all.

It was many hours later when she woke up. Her head was throbbing from the impact earlier, and the rest of her ached from the hard Air Temple bed she lay on. Her throat was incredibly sore as she opened her eyes, so she coughed a little to clear it. She sat up groggily and rubbed the side of her face before everything came rushing back.

“Oh, get a room, you two.”

“Mmm, you’re just jealous.”

“LIN!”

Silence.

Kya slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. Her eyes were wide open, the shock of it all refreshed. She stared at the wall, moisture rising in her eyes, for a long moment before Tenzin made his way over.

How long has he been here? Kya wondered somewhere in the back of her mind, not really caring to know the answer.

She looked up at him as he neared, noticing a slight redness to his eyes.

So, he knows.

“Kya…” He said softly, eyebrows knitting together.

Kya shook her head.

This isn’t happening, she thought.

It was just a dream.

“It wasn’t a dream, Kya. Lin… they…” Tenzin closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

I said that out loud? Kya thought, causing Tenzin’s eyes to shoot open.

He looked at her with confusion and concern.

“Kya, you need rest. You’re not in a good headspace right now,” He reached out to place his hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her down.

Kya shook her head.

No, she thought.

“NO!” She yelled, wrenching herself away from the bed, from Tenzin.

Her throat burned, the rawness from her earlier scream reignited by her outburst. She spun to look at Tenzin, her expression wild with desperation.

“No,” She said again, shoving past him.

Shock stuck to his face like honey as she broke into a sprint, leaving the room and rushing down the hall. She ran away from the temple, pushing her legs faster and faster as she made her way down the long twisting path. Her lungs were aching, her throat and legs on fire as she reached the pier. She didn’t stop until she stood at the very end, her eyes trained on the ruins of republic city.

Her vision blurred as she watched the buildings in the distance burn and crumble in the aftermath of Kuvira’s invasion.

“Get a room, you two.”

She shook her head and blinked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Mmm, you’re just jealous.”

She felt someone on the pier, slowly walking towards her.

“LIN!”

She let out a loud sob, crumbling to her knees. Tenzin closed the distance between them, fighting to hold back tears of his own. He stood for a moment, hesitating before sitting next to Kya. He rubbed her back as she wept, whispering “I know, I know,” as he did so. By the time Kya quieted, his face was streaked with dampness as well. There was a heartbreaking look of defeat on his face.

“I’m sorry,” Kya mumbled, shifting her legs so they hung over the end of the dock.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Kya,” Tenzin said gently, wrapping his arm around his sister.

She leaned into him, tears still rolling down her cheeks. He rested his head on hers, giving her shoulder a slight squeeze.

“They’re really gone,” Kya breathed, her breathing still uneven.

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together, burrowing her face in Tenzin’s shoulder. Tenzin held her tightly, needing the embrace nearly as much as she did, until the sun began to set. Even then, he only moved to accept blankets from Pema, wrapping them around Kya and his cold bodies. She brought them food as well, though neither sibling felt up to eating. They watched the sky darken over Republic City, each occasionally weeping once again. They fell asleep like that, holding one another on the end of the dock, under the star speckled night sky.

That night, Kya dreamt of Lin. She dreamt of all the time they’d spent apart, the letters they’d exchanged while Kya travelled. She dreamt of the time they’d had together, in Lin’s apartment and around the city. She dreamt of seeing Lin again someday, of going home to them and leaving the others behind. She dreamt of the words they’d exchange upon reuniting, the words she wished she’d said more often.

“I love you,” She’d say, to which Lin would reply; “I love you too, since long before I died.”

[shadowjack12345]

The Path

"Aaagh! Dammit!"

Asami cursed as the chair hit the uneven ground, the remains of a ruined building, beneath her. The parachute had slowed her descent but the landing had still rattled her teeth. She clawed at the harness around her, holding her in her seat, but it wouldn't give. She felt her eyes sting and she bared her teeth as she yanked and snarled at it.

Her father was dead.

She grunted wordlessly, forcing the thought away and fought even harder. She stopped and forced herself to slow down. She knew how to release the harness, and trying to rip it off with brute strength wasn't the way, at least for her. She suspected Korra coud probably do it that way. With that thought, she looked up and imagined she saw a flash of blue, accompanied by several other dark shapes, disappear into the hole she and her father had...

Her father was dead.

Her hands fell limply into her lap and she stared blankly ahead. Her vision blurred as hot tears started to fill her eyes, and her chest ached as her breath came quick and heavy. She wondered if she would scream, but Kuvira's colossus ripped its own arm off and hurled it straight over Asami, landing some blocks away with a deafening crash. The adrenaline surged through her and she managed to get her hands to work again - she was still in the middle of a battlefield, stuck in this damn seat. She found the release and the straps fell slack. She pushed them from her shoulders and started picking her way through the rubble to the street. Before she even made it that far, the colossus drew her attention again as it started to make some worrying noises. She watched it carefully for a long moment, then gasped as its midsection exploded and the whole thing fell to earth in pieces. Her mouth leaped into her throat and her legs shook as she started to make her way to the wreckage.

It seemed to take an age, and by the time she had found her way to a clear road, the way ahead was consumed by an expanding burst of spirit energy. She darted into a nearby stairway and covered her ears as it roared past, yelling uselessly at the cacophony. Quickly, more quickly than seemed possible, the maelstrom ended, and Asami cautiously opened her eyes and turned back to the street. When she stepped out, she was immediately drawn to the green and yellow spiralling light that seemed to be flowing up into the sky. Surely everyone else would be heading that way as well.

The sight of the phenomenon would have been spectacular if she hadn't been beside herself with worry. She had bumped into Tenzin, and they had found Mako and Bolin. They said Korra had chased Kuvira into the Spirit vines, and that was now a crater, the epicentre of the explosion. Tenzin had called it a spirit portal and Asami reminded herself to be amazed later, when they had found Korra. Mako and Bolin checked the remaining wreckage with no luck, and everyone started calling Korra's name, not knowing what else to do. Asami just stood, looking around at the vines but not seeing. She couldn't do this. She couldn't lose her father and then Korra all at once. She couldn't let Korra go without-

"The spirits have returned," Tenzin said, hopefully. Asami turned to face him and then followed his gaze to the portal. Just as Korra stepped through.

"And so has Korra!" Asami cried, barely even realising Kuvira was with her. The adrenaline spiked again when the Earth Empire troops showed up, but Kuvira quickly and conclusively surrendered. And that was that. They had won. Su and Lin took Kuvira away and, on shaking legs, Asami reached out to Korra. Her hand landed on her shoulder and she smiled, and Korra smiled back. She was really okay. Bolin cheered and turned it into a huge group hug that nearly collapsed under everyone's weight. Asami took a deep breath, her hand still on Korra's shoulder, and let herself relax a little - the battle was over. The airbenders and White Lotus guards started to show up to take care of the Earth Empire prisoners, and one of them took Mako away to have his arm looked at, and Bolin followed. Tenzin was giving his airbenders instructions as they came and went, and Korra was with him. Wait... she was looking right at her.

"Asami, are you alright?" she asked. Asami tried to say she was fine, but blackness crept in at the edges of her vision and the ground was rushing up towards her. "Asami!"

/

Meeting Korra had drastically altered the path of Asami's life. In a relatively short time she had gone from being an inventor and minor celebrity to a vigilante patrolling the streets looking to fight the Equalists, but only after Korra had exposed her father as one of them. She was arrested, then broken out, then she fought and defeated her father in a mecha-tank. And Mako left her for Korra. Maybe she should have been mad, but Korra had been genuinely sad to show Hiroshi's true colours. And Mako had made his choice, Korra hadn't made it for him. She remembered at the end of it all, waiting as Master Katara unsuccessfully tried to restore Korra's bending, not knowing what to do next, only for Korra to come back and demonstrate that she'd restored it herself, or Aang had at any rate. She remembered the awe she felt when Korra's eyes shone with white light and she returned Lin's bending as well.

Their next adventure was just as exhausting, her company on the edge of ruin, the dark spirits, Varrick, Mako breaking up with Korra, then breaking up with Asami, then breaking up with Korra again! Their attack on Tarrlok's forces was the worst kind of long shot, and even at the time she couldn't quite believe she had flown a plane with Mako and Bolin strapped to the wings to attack the ground. They had lost that gamble, or would have but for Bumi, and Korra had trusted Asami with her father, who she had taken for healing. It had been wrenching to leave the others to fight, but she knew Korra could spare them even less. And so she had sat and waited with Katara, Jinora and Korra's family while the world turned dark around them. It didn't last too long, but it felt like an age as they just waited. When Jinora blinked and woke up, calm and peaceful, she had told them something, just a few words, that once again shifted Asami's world around her.

"Korra saved the world."

They had stayed in the South Pole a while longer while Korra and her people chose a new path for the Southern Water Tribe, and Asami offered what help she could, though her resources were a fraction of what they had been, thanks to Varrick. She managed to get a first-hand account of Korra's battle from Bolin, rolling her eyes when he described Korra becoming a giant spirit, just as big as Aang's statue back home. She looked to Mako and waited for him to chide Bolin for exaggerating... but he didn't. He only nodded along and shook his head at key moments, clearly just as astonished as his brother. Asami still struggled with their account - it was too much, even for the Avatar. Right? Only when she returned home to Republic City did the reality hit her. Bolin's wish of someone capturing the fight on film hadn't come true, but there were plenty of photographs. There she was, clear as day on every front page, and as tall as a skyscraper.

Asami had cried that night. The sheer immensity of what Korra was, what she could do, was too much to bear. It made her feel insignificant and small, yet she also felt powerful, elevated by her association. Korra was astonishing, and Asami would make sure she knew it. She had found her the next day, back at Air Temple Island. Korra was staring out to sea, and saw as Asami docked her small boat.

"Hey, Asami!" she called, waving. Asami smiled back and made her way to join her.

"Korra. How are you?" she asked. Korra was smiling, but there was a shadow behind it.

"I'm not sure. A lot has happened. Is it weird to mourn now for someone who died the literal moment I was born? It sounds weird, even by my standards," she said. Asami smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, Korra. I wish I could empathise with that," she said. "But I can empathise with breaking up with Mako, at least." For a heartbeat, she though the joke was a huge mistake, badly timed and badly judged. Then Korra laughed, a loud guffaw that had her clutching her stomach.

"You... you are bad, Miss Sato," Korra laughed. Her laughter stopped abruptly when Asami threw her arms around her and pulled her into a fierce hug.

"Thank you," Asami said tightly. "Thank you for saving us." Korra blushed and fidgeted.

"It's okay. That's what Avatars do after-"

"I don't care," Asami interrupted, pulling back to hold Korra at arms length, her hands gripping Korra's shoulders. "You saved us. You saved me, you saved Tenzin, you saved Pema and the kids, you saved your parents, you saved Bolin and Mako, you saved Naga and Pabu. You saved the whole world, Korra, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's grateful, but I wanted to be sure at least one person told you. So here I am." Asami had said alot more than she had planned to, and Korra stared back wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Then she ducked her head and smiled shyly, very atypical for the Avatar, and looked back up at Asami.

"Thanks. Thank you," she said, before drawing Asami in for another embrace. "I'm really glad you hit Mako with your bike." Asami laughed this time.

"I'm glad I met you too."

After that, their friendship only grew stronger. Asami found herself attending most of Korra's public appearances, even if only to soothe her in the face of public disapproval, and only once did she feel she had to stop Korra from airbending Raiko into a tree. Korra took to starting her days in the city at Asami's front door, the pair of them sitting for breakfast before they each went about their business. Asami took to following Korra home in the evenings to share a meal with her and the Air Nomads, who were always glad to have her. Tenzin still remembered Asami's part in his rescue from the Equalists and so treated her with warm respect, and Pema followed suit. Jinora was politely curious while Ikki was... impolitely curious. Meelo was Meelo.

Then came the airbenders. Somehow, Korra's actions had birthed a whole new generation of airbenders, and she resolved to find them and help them. The first person she turned to for help was Asami, hoping to loan an airship. Asami gave them the ship, crewed it out of her own pocket and piloted it herself. That got her one of those hugs where her feet left the ground - she liked those ones. Team Avatar was back together and, slight awkwardness with Mako aside, it was a lot of fun, a grand adventure. Asami was delighted to find out that, as well as being good friends, she and Korra made a good team, whether fighting bandits or the Earth Queen's soldiers or escaping a giant desert creature. It was odd, looking back later on such happy memories, as they led to such an unhappy conclusion.

The Red Lotus. A secret society devoted to killing Korra. Who she was made no difference to them, only that she was the Avatar. Anything they learned about her was only used to manipulate and destroy her, nothing more. On some level, Asami understood it wasn't personal, if that even mattered, but she didn't care. She very quickly learned to hate them, and the moment when Korra said she would give herself up to them only made her hate them more. They expected treachery and even planned for it, but it hadn't been enough. Korra had been taken, poisoned and beaten within an inch of her life before they were able to reach her. The look on Korra's face when she reached up to her father, eyes shining white, just before the poison almost claimed her, would feature in Asami's darkest dreams for some time. She stood there, unable to move, unable to breathe, and watched Korra die.

It was cruel, she would think later, that that was the moment she became certain of what Korra meant to her. Friends, yes. Best friends, even. But there was more. There was so much more. And Korra would die before she could say any of it.

Until Jinora shouted something at Su Yin and then, Korra moved and coughed and spluttered and lived! She was alive! Asami almost fainted on the spot, but she breathed, she moved, and she smiled when Korra reached up to her father and spoke.

Korra's condition was... bad. Asami moved back to Air Temple Island to help care for her, even made sure she had the best wheelchair possible. Korra let Asami see her, really see her, at her lowest. Only her parents were allowed to remain as close, and Asami struggled not to make any assumptions, to let her imagination go wild - it was an inappropriate time to dump her feelings on Korra and inappropriate to speculate on Korra's feelings. She needed help and Asami would provide it, willingly and happily. Even so, their time together became more intimate by necessity, as Korra needed help bathing, dressing even eating at first, and Asami felt herself falling harder.

When Korra left, Asami was torn. Korra said she'd only be gone a few weeks, and Asami had offered more than once to join her, but Korra had politely declined, citing concerns for her company and other things that Asami would gladly burn to the ground to have Korra healthy again. Still, she respected Korra's choice, partly to try and hide the strength of her affection, and partly because Korra might have been right. A break away from the city, back in her childhood home, might do her good. And Asami was of Republic City, a constant reminder. So she let her go. And while she learned to live with it, she would question her decision for three years.

She moved back to the city, and threw herself into her work. People still grumbled about the spirit vines, and so Asami decided to do something about it. If the vines couldn't be moved, the city would need to change around them. She worked furiously for two weeks on her designs, even hoping to have a meeting with Raiko to get things moving so she had some good news for Korra when she came back. But she didn't come back.

Tenzin told her when she visited the temple to hear any news, that Korra's recovery would take longer than they'd hoped, possibly much longer, and Katara was taking personal charge of her treatment. That was good, Asami supposed, but her heart ached all the same.

"Can we... Could I..." she started. Tenzin gave her a sad look and laid his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Asami, but you can't visit yet. I'm told she is reading any letters we send, though, so keep that up if you can," he said, kindly. Asami nodded and pursed her lips, her eyes squeezed shut.

"I miss her, Tenzin," she croaked. He smiled.

"As do I," he said. He watched her struggle for a few more seconds then spoke again: "Why don't you stay here for now?" he asked. Asami blinked up at him.

"I could... no. No, you should keep your rooms for your air nation, who knows how many more you might need," she said. Tenzin stood directly in front of Asami and now held both her shoulders.

"Asami," he said, slowly, a fond look in his eyes. "You helped us find and transport the air benders. You helped them escape the Earth Queen. You fought to rescue them from the Red Lotus, including my children. You may not be an air bender, but you are part of the air nation, if you want to be. And you are welcome here at any time, on as permanent or temporary a basis as you please." That did it. Asami's tears fell and she lurched into Tenzin's arms. She looked down when she felt Jinora, Ikki and Meelo wrapping themselves around her as she had seen them do to their father. She was still heartbroken, but no longer felt alone.

Two years later, she would still often spend the night on the island, dividing her time between there and her apartment in the city. She sat at the small desk in her room, an empty teacup next to her as she tapped her pen on the still mostly blank paper. So far, her letter was exactly two words: Dear Korra. She sighed and sat back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. She had dutifully written, as she had been asked, for two years but having received no reply, she was starting to wonder if it was worth it. Tenzin told her that she was reading them but were they just trying to make her feel better? She didn't know what to do.

"A sign would be nice about now," she muttered.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Asami?"

"Uh.. come in Tenzin," she said. His timing was unsettling. He stepped in and she smirked at him. "When I asked for a sign, I didn't think to get one, and definitely didn't think it'd be you," she chuckled. He stopped dead, his brow knitting.

"Excuse me?" he asked. Asami shook her head.

"Nothing," she said, tossing her pen onto the desk. Tenzin saw the bare beginning of a letter.

"Not sure what to write?" he asked.

"Not sure if to write at all. I can't help but wonder if there's any point any more," she admitted. Understanding dawned across Tenzin's face.

"Ah. Hence your 'sign'. I see," he said. "Well, I may not be the sign you were waiting for... but perhaps this is." Asami looked up as he produced an envelope. She took it carefully and saw a post mark from the Southern Water Tribe. Her eyes widened and she looked up at Tenzin, then back down at the envelope a few times before trembling fingers started to pick it open. Just as she went to take out the folded letter within, she gave Tenzin an uncertain glance. He smiled again and bowed before leaving, closing the door behind him. Asami took a calming breath and began to read. It wasn't a happy letter, and she knew of Korra's progress already thanks to Tenzin, but it was a letter. Korra had finally sent a letter and had chosen to send it to her. She read it a half dozen times, wiping at her eyes the entire time, and then she finally picked up her pen again.

It had taken several drafts before Asami was satisfied with her reply. Frankly, the others made it a little too obvious that Asami's feelings had moved beyond just friendship (in fact she'd spelled it out in very specific terms in her first attempt). She kept writing, and a year after that, she was delighted when Korra was due to return, then crushed when she didn't appear. And when she did finally come back, the old feelings, never far away anyway, rushed right back. After their initial, slightly bumpy reunion, Asami found herself following the Avatar again, and extremely happy to be doing so.

On several occasions, she found herself wondering about confessing: sharing tea on Air Temple Island, sitting alone with Korra in the restaurant waiting for Mako and Wu, the actual literal moment she was finally able to hold Korra again in the lobby... heck, even after they'd jumped off a train after rescuing Wu, she'd wondered how Mako would take it if she asked Korra out during their group hug! It would have been a happy time if not for the ever-present and growing threat from Kuvira. And if not for her father.

She was cautiously happy when Lin had brought him to help with the hummingbird suits, emphasis on cautious. It quickly melted away, though, and they fell back into an old and familiar routine of bouncing around ideas and building them as they spoke. And, it turned out, despite everything that had happened between them, he knew her best after all.

"You should say something," he said, quietly, as they cut and soldered and welded at breakneck speed. She glanced at him.

"Say something?" she asked.

"To Korra," he answered without stopping. Asami's heart skipped a beat and her breath held itself against her will.

"About what?" she asked with unconvincing nonchalance.

"Asami, she's about to lead a team of benders against that platinum terror to buy us time, and then we're going to fly these out there to fight it. If something happens..." he said, not needing to explain further. Asami wanted to tell him he was wrong, but they had learned this lesson before. Zaheer had taught them. She stopped her work and faced her father.

"Dad..."

"Go! I'm done here," he said, indicating his work. "I can finish up for you." Asami smiled, turned, and ran. Korra was directing the airbenders as they went to drop Mako, Lin and Bolin in position, she was about to fly after them, glider staff in hand.

"Korra!" Asami called, and suddenly realised she had no idea what else to say. Korra turned to her, concerned.

"Asami? Is something wrong? The hummingbirds-"

"They're fine, we're just finishing up. It's just..." she said. Why was this so hard?

"It's just what, Asami?" Korra asked, looking over her shoulder to the same exit everyone else had just used. "There isn't much time, can we-"

"You have to come back. You have to survive this. I learned what life is like without you in it and I can't bear it. I don't want that. I want you in my life, Korra," Asami said, stepping forward and taking Korra's hand in both of hers. Korra stared, wide-eyed, but the crash of destruction drew her attention. She looked back again, then to Asami.

"I'll come back to you, Asami. Trust me," she said. Asami nodded.

"I trust you," she answered. Korra grinned that lopsided grin.

"That goes for you too, by the way. I need you to survive too, okay?"

"I will," Asami replied, firmly. She would. Korra grabbed her staff again and leapt into the sky. Asami sprinted back to the workshop. She would fight and survive. For Korra.

/

Asami's eyes opened to the night sky moving above here. She slowly sat up, or tried to anyway, when Korra appeared and gently held her still.

"Hey," she whispered. Asami smiled back, tightly. For a blessed moment, she had forgotten, but it didn't last. Her father had died to save her. Tenzin's face appeared as well.

"Asami, you're awake! Thank goodness," he said, sighing with relief. With Korra's help this time, though she didn't feel it necessary, Asami sat up. She saw they were on Oogi's back, and she thought she saw Jinora at the reins.

"I healed you as well as I could, but I didn't find many injuries. We'll have Kya check you over when she can," Korra said.

"I need to find my father," Asami said, her voice rough. Korra and Tenzin's eyes met.

"Asami," Tenzin started, gently. "Your father didn't-"

"I know!," Asami snapped. "I need to find him, I can't just leave him there."

"We won't. Once we're sure you're okay, we can-"

"No! I won't let someone else, some stranger find him like that. I need to. I need..." Asami said, starting strong but getting shakier as she spoke. Korra's hand took hers and Asami looked up at her, miserable.

"Asami. You trust me, right?" she asked. Asami's lips pursed and her eyes filled with tears and, not trusting her voice, she simply nodded. "I'll bring him to you." With that, Korra leapt from Oogi's back and vanished. The next several minutes were a blur to Asami, but she realised they had landed and she was being helped to the ground. Tenzin took her to a seat that faced the city and sat with her, while Jinora took Oogi and left again. Nothing was said. Tenzin only sat with her. Asami broke the silce first.

"I just... it isn't fair. I just got him back. We were... and now he's gone," she whimpered. Tenzin nodded, but he didn't look away from the city.

"You're right. It isn't fair," he said. Asami blinked up at him - she had been expecting him to remind of her father's noble sacrifice to make his death seem somehow less awful. "When Avatar Aang... when my father died, I felt similarly. Feel angry, Asami. Feel sad about how unfair it all is. He faced his death bravely, but don't let anyone tell you it makes it easier." Asami nodded and silence returned, more comfortable this time.

She wasn't sure exactly sure how long they'd been sitting there when there were shouts from across the water. A point of light appeared in the dark city and moved to the water. A great wave surged up beneath the light and bore it toward them. Tenzin stood and watched as it grew closer, then when it reached the island, a water spout lifted it up. Close up, it was easy to identify: Korra, her eyes blazing. She gently alighted on the ground nearby, eddying winds slowing and controlling her descent. Behind her floated an odd grey box, metal and patchy. Once her feet were on solid ground, her eyes returned to normal, and she gently lowered the metal box beside her. It was flat, only six inches high, but long, about four feet. Asami stood, and Korra, a little paler than usual, looked at her sorrowfully.

"This is... I found him," she said. Asami could see now that the metal patches of the box were parts of the hummingbird that Korra had bent into an impromptu coffin. It was so small, and Asami realised that with the manner of his death, not to mention all of the explosions afterward, this tiny box contained all that was left of her father. It must have been a grim task, and Asami sat back down heavily as her knees weakened. She stared at the box, hardly even blinking. Tenzin wordlessly checked on Korra, all too aware of the difficult task she had taken on, and she nodded back. She was shaken, but alright. He moved back to Asami.

"He can stay here with you if you want, Asami, or I can move him into the temple for now. You can stay here or follow him as you like," he said. Asami took a deep, shaky breath.

"Thank you, Tenzin. The temple would be best for now, I think," she said. Tenzin quickly summoned a pair of white lotus guards and had them carry the small coffin into the temple proper. Asami looked away as they picked it up.

"Hey," Korra said, softly, and Asami was startled to see she had sat next to her without being noticed, trying to give her a smile.

"Hey," Asami replied back, but was unable to answer the smile with one of her own. Korra's mouth worked silently as she struggled for something to say, but eventually gave up and settled for taking hold of Asami's hand and squeezing it. Asami squeezed back and tried to look back at the water, but Korra's gaze held hers. The tears came again, and Korra wrapped herself around Asami as she cried herself to a fitful sleep.

She awoke to see the ceiling of her room on the island. She couldn't quite remember how she had gotten here but didn't much care. There was a hollow ache in her chest and though she didn't sob as she had last night, tears sprang easily. She sat up quickly when she heard a sound between a growl and a whimper. On her bedroom floor lay Naga, who stared at her, and sleeping with her back against Naga was Korra, mouth hanging open. Naga stood heedlessly and Asami winced when Korra's head bonked on the wooden floor, though her loud complaints showed she was largely unhurt. Naga walked to Asami's bedside, sniffed around her face and then promptly lowered the weight of her head into Asami's lap. Asami started to idly pet the animal as Korra slowly stood and stretched out the kinks. Despite everything, Asami found herself staring.

"She knows you're sad," Korra said, turning and indicating. Asami blinked and wiped at the few telltale tears.

"You stayed all night?" Asami asked. Korra shrugged halfheartedly.

"When it came down to it, I couldn't leave you," she admitted. Asami managed a shy smile and ducked her head, returning her attention to Naga. "Did you hear about Varrick and Zhu Li?" Korra asked.

"No. Are they alright?" Asami asked. Korra rolled her eyes.

"They're fantastic. They're getting married and he will not be quiet about it," Korra grumbled.

"To each other?" Asami asked and Korra actually laughed.

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry, Zhu Li's happy about it as well," she said.

"Wow," Asami said. "I don't know whether to offer congratulations or condolences." Korra laughed again, kneeling down next to Naga and scratching her shoulder. Asami sighed deeply. "I need to go out there, don't I? I can't hide in here." she said, wearily.

"That's up to you. The world will still be there tomorrow," Korra said.

"Somehow, I think the world would come looking for me if I tried," Asami said, smiling again. It was always easier to smile when Korra was there.

"They'd have to get through me," Korra said, standing and puffing her chest. Asami shook her head and gently pushed Naga's head from her lap, starting to rise from her bed.

"You're sweet," she said, oblivious to Korra's blush. "But I need to go. I need to make arrangements..." the dull ache flared into a sharp pain and threated to spill from her mouth and eyes, but she took a few calming breaths and it dulled again. "...for my father."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Korra asked.

"Korra," Asami replied. "There must be so many people that need you right now. I shouldn't-"

"Asami. I think you might be one of those people," Korra said with certainty. Asami's eyes stung again. She thought for a moment about the task ahead of her and shivered.

"Maybe. I don't need the Avatar, but maybe I need Korra after all," she said. Korra nodded and smiled.

"Then you have me."

The task itself turned out to be fairly simple. Hiroshi had left instructions when he thought he might not recover his relationship with Asami, and there was a spot already waiting next to his wife, so all she really needed to do was sign a few documents and decide whether to hold a funeral. It was also the most difficult thing Asami had done, signing her name under her father's death. As with so many other things, Korra's presence made it easier. Or did she make Asami stronger? Maybe both. Asami elected to return to Air Temple Island for now: her apartment was currently inaccessible and she couldn't face the mansion. Korra greeted her every morning and spent as much time as she could with her.

Asami chose to have a small, private funeral when her father was buried. In fact she was the only mourner. She didn't want anyone there who would only pretend to have forgiven him, either for her sake or for some political stunt. However, even though Korra's duties as Avatar had started to reclaim her time, she arrived, dressed in sombre black and dark blue, and stood by her. They didn't speak, not even when Asami gestured that Korra should join her in her car as she drove aimlessly around the city, heading back to the ferry as darkness fell. Only when Asami stood outside her bedroom door did she turn and yank Korra into a hug so tight it almost hurt.

"Thank you," she said, tightly.

"I thought you might need me," Korra whispered. Asami almost laughed.

"You were right. How lucky I am to get such special attention from the Avatar," she said. Korra pulled back a little to look Asami in the eye, deadly serious.

"Not the Avatar. Korra," she insisted. For once, Asami flushed under Korra's gaze, looking away and fidgeting as she released the embrace.

"Well..." she cleared her throat. "Goodnight, Korra." Korra smiled widely.

"Night, Asami." She kept smiling even as the door closed.

The following days were hard. The ache was becoming familiar now, but the grief easily rushed forward when something she saw or heard reminded or of her father. Her time with Korra eased her pain a little, but she was more surprised at how much other people were eager to help. Ikki excelled at distracting Asami, her questions rapid-fire and unpredictable. Meelo demonstrated an unexpected artistic talent, and Asami found herself trying her hand, usually so used to rigid diagrams and schematics. Jinora guided her in meditation, helping her sort through her conflicting emotions for her father. They rallied around her as they would a member of their family, and she was grateful beyond words. She stood gazing out to sea with Korra one day, making small talk.

"I think I've forgiven my father," Asami said suddenly. They had been talking about pro bending, and the change in conversation caught Korra unawares.

"Oh. Okay. Great! That's great, right?" Korra said. Asami smiled.

"It is. He was trying to make amends, even before, and I think he proved he was sincere," she said. Korra winced.

"Sorry," she said, slowly. Asami blinked at her. Ah. Korra had expressed suspicion when she first returned.

"It's okay, Korra, I didn't mean it like that. I was suspicious too, at first. I'd actually forgotten," she said. "I shouldn't have bitten your head off like that, I was just... it was a sensitive subject." Korra waved her hand.

"Pff. Water under the bridge. Still, I thought it was a pretty memorable day," Korra laughed.

"No argument here. But some parts were more important than others," Asami said. Korra nodded.

"Right, the Wu thing. I guess that did override everything else," she said. Asami didn't reply straight away. 'Say something' her father had told her. Say. Something.

"No," she said. "Not Wu." Korra looked confused. Asami took Korra's hand in both of hers. "You came back. You came back to me." Korra's face flushed bright red, and she let Asami keep ahold of her hand.

"Yeah," she breathed.

"I hear Varrick is holding his wedding here on the island," Asami said. Korra frowned.

"Huh?"

"Jinora told me. I think I might like to go after all. It'll be good to be part of something positive," Asami said. "I'd need some company, though."

"Uhhhh, sure?" Korra said, uncertainly. Asami took a quick breath and soldiered forward.

"Then you'll be my date?" she asked. Korra stared back, slack-jawed.

"Like... as friends?" she asked in a small voice. Asami's heart clenched.

"No." There was a beat, a long moment when Asami was convinced she'd made a huge mistake. Then Korra's mouth stretched into a wide, relieved smile.

"Oh. Oh yes. That sounds amazing," she said. Asami's smile grew to match Korra's

"It does?" she asked. Korra laughed and laid her free hand atop Asami's.

"It really does," she sighed. They both stood giggling at each other for several long moments.

"KORRA!"

Korra jumped and spun around, releasing Asami's hands, much to her dismay. Ikki waved at her from the temple door.

"What, Ikki?" she asked, testily. Ikki shrugged.

"Dad says he needs you for something. He mentioned Raiko," she called. Korra groaned.

"Fine. See you later?" she said to Asami. Asami grinned and flipped her hair.

"See you later," she said. Korra whined and started walking back to the temple, but Asami chuckled when she looked back at Asami over her shoulder, nearly tripping as she kept walking. Yet that didn't stop her from looking back once, twice, three times more. Asami waved each time. When Korra disappeared from view, Asami turned back to the sea.

"I'm in love with a dork," she muttered to herself. The path of her life had been unpredictable, and there had been pain. But it led her here, to Korra, and she found herself looking forward again, wondering where her path would lead next, more certain than ever that she would walk it with Korra.

END

I watched it again.

Hey, me finally finishing this lines up with Korrasami day. Neat.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Wrought Iron Machine (Part 22)

They are two weeks into the final month before Southern Air Sounds and Azula’s voice is still dreadfully hoarse and she knows that she is pushing herself. Still, she can’t cancel the show, it will only prove to Ozai that he is right, that she doesn’t have what it takes. She can’t imagine that her struggles are going unnoticed; for her last few shows she has done more of their cleaner songs. And for this one she is switching roles with Zuko entirely. Even this is hurting her sensitive throat. She finds it hard to hit and to hold notes. Still she keeps going, if there is one thing her father has done well for her, it is teaching her to carry on until the fight completely leaves her body...and then to push on regardless until the fight leaves her spirit too.

The man isn’t the crowd this time around and she thanks Agni for that. She knows that he can tell when she is having a hard time. She knows that he likes to exploit it almost as much as the tabloids do.

Such news outlets have already taken to addressing certain speculations. They have range from more optimistic theories; that Fire Of Agni is experimenting again, that they will be making an album where Zuko does the screaming and Azula takes the more elegant parts. To dismal ones that touch on the truth; that there is something wrong with Azula. More specifically that something is wrong with her voice. There are even more miserable theories that her voice has already been damaged beyond repair and that she is simply singing until she physically can no more.

She wishes that they would stop the speculation and just see how things unfold.

With every difficult note, Azula knows that her voice is deteriorating a little more. She doesn’t want to skip the encore, but when she places her microphone into its stand, she knows that she won’t be picking it up again to night.

Azula speaks to TyLee if for no other reason than to tester her own vocal strength. There is hardly any power in her words as she asks TyLee if she can sing her parts in the encore song.

TyLee gives a nervous nod and Azula can’t tell if it is attributed to concern for her girlfriend or stagefright grade jitters. She quietly assures TyLee that she will do fine and that, in the brief window wherein the audience is left hanging to build anticipation, that she will have their tech crew fashion TyLee an improvised microphone.

Somewhat anxious Azula speaks to the crowd, thanking them for attending and showing interest in Sun warrior culture. She bids them a good night. It all comes out in a rather unpleasant rasp and she is under the impression that the crowd knows that they won’t be getting a full-scale encore.

She waits behind stage for the rest of her band to continue their encore, filling the time with calling for an appointment with a doctor. Doctor Fing-Sho has an impeccable reputation with fellow musicians. The man has even worked with some of the legends such as the frontman of Wan Shi Tong’s Waltz.

Unfortunately he is booked through the better part of the week. It makes her nervous being so close to Southern Air Sounds. She books herself soonest appointment--a week from now and two weeks from Southern Air Sounds.

That is much too close for comfort. Still, the last thing she needs is to go to a shadier doctor and have her voice truly ravaged. At the very least, from the sound of it, she will be in esteemed hands.

.oOo.

Kuvira is dressed to the nines. She had been anyhow; currently she is slipping out of her heels, Baatar holding her steady as she does so; the baby bump and her altered center of gravity are taking some getting used to. She moves the pair of shoes out of the doorway and begins taking off her jewelry. She slips each piece into her coat pocket starting with the earrings and ending with the bracelet and necklace. She leaves a single ring on her finger.

The ring that Baatar had put there near the end of a rooftop dinner that had gone over well.

It had been a surprisingly sweet ordeal. Kuvira just wanted to talk things over in the loft, but Baatar insisted on a fancier place. She had wanted to question in, but decided against doing so and caved.

She supposes that it would have been lackluster to propose to her--for a second time--in her humble loft.

Mostly they had discussed matters of the band but with a sprinkle of personal issues. She hadn’t realized that she had made him feel insufficient and inadequate, like his ideas weren’t of substance. But Raava did she understand why he had been hurt when he had clarified. As far as Wrought Iron Machine went, directionally, at that point she was pretty open to anything and she guessed that, that alone made making amends less painful. He seemed to have so many ideas and she was willing to hear them out. It helped further that the food had satisfied a craving or two and that Baatar had requested one of her favorite songs to dine to.

All in all, the only hiccup in their night had been the flashing of cameras. She had decided to let it go, under the impression that it was probably a good thing to let the public know that they were working things out.

Kuvira undresses and puts on something more comfortable before joining Baatar on the sofa. The man offers her a glass of wine. It amuses her how painfully oblivious he can be. She denies the glass and notes the look of disappointment on his face. She will clear that up in a moment.

“You said that you had something else to tell me.” Baatar notes once the disappointment subsides.

Kuvira nods. “Yes.” She pauses. “I am glad that you came back.”

“I think that you’ve said that already.” He sips his own wind. “Several times.”

“Yes, well…” She trails off. “It is hard to raise a child and manage a band on your own.”

She is glad that it took him a moment to process what she’d just said, lest he choke on his drink. “Good thing we don’t have a kid.” He laughs awkwardly.

Kuvira raises a brow. “Not yet.” She lifts her pajama top some.

For a relatively short span of time Baatar simply takes to staring at the bump she holds her hand to. After coming to conclude that he isn’t just teasing him he cups his hand over hers and gives her the kind kiss she has missed.

It suddenly seems so ridiculous that she had almost let the man go over a matter so trivial.

She lets him lean against her as they had done so many times before. Much to the annoyance of Gazahn they fell asleep on the sofa, leaving him unable to sit upon it and watch his favorite movers.

.oOo.

Azula rigidly sits in the doctor’s office. Zuko sits across the room with Mai and TyLee is next to her, gripping her hand. Fing-Sho enters with a simple greeting. After introductions are aside he begins with a standard check up. Save for her beaten voice, she is in good condition, not that she had expected any different.

It isn’t until his hands, coated in spirit-vine sap, feel her throat that concern flashes across his face. He is quiet for a moment. “Do you want…”

“I want you to get straight to the point.” Azula cuts in. She doesn’t mean to be rude, yet she needs to know what she is dealing with.

“If the spirit vines have painted the right picture, I believe that you have a cyst on your vocal cords.”

Azula swallows, she can feel tears welling behind her eyes. Logic tells her to ask how it is possible. But she already knows. She knows that she hasn’t quite taken care of her voice. “Can you fix it?” She asks instead.

“I believe so.” He smiles.

It is a relief to hear.

“It will take surgery followed by some vocal therapy.”

“When can you perform the operation?” Zuko asks for her.

Fing-Sho peers at his clipboard and then back up at Azula. “I will place an order for the proper equipment, it should arrive anywhere from two to three weeks from now--most likely three, if you want the best quality equipment--we can begin then.”

The tearful pressure behind her eyes intensifies. Two weeks would land her an appointment during Southern Air Sounds. Three would allow for the competition to pass with her voice still in disrepair. She swallows again.

“Until then, I recommend that you refrain from speaking more than necessary. Don’t put any excess strain on your vocal cords or you might do some permanent damage.”

At this Azula’s throat runs dry.

How can they have come so far only to lose their opportunity at the last minute?

.oOo.

It is a controlled chaos that they have created. A strange blend of brass and classical string instruments with a dash of modern guitars.

They don’t have the luxury of traveling far and wide so they look closer to home. They have happened upon an abandoned and tattered theater and that is strangely perfect for the new, new sound.

It is a jarring blend of orchestra and jazz, sweeping from one genre to the next and sometimes all at once. Hectic and frenzied like the turmoil of having to switch sounds. Such is the nature of their lyrics. The disorientation of trying something new. The fear behind the risk.

The darkness of the theater dusty cobwebbed theater seems to highlight what it means to go in blind. A ray of sunlight filters in through the cracked window. Dust motes sparkle within it, casting an effect that would be pleasant for their music mover.

The sunlight also puts a glimmer on the collar of Kuvira’s dress. She wears a deep green gown that hugs tightly to her figure. She knows that the public will discover her pregnancy on their own so she may as well just make it apparent in her music mover. Next to her, Baatar has himself dressed in a velvet dress coat with copper buttons and a brown top hat. His task is to conduct the orchestra as she sings.

A little over four months along, Kuvira has to take breaks more frequently, with the baby starting to kick and shift with more energy. She seats herself in one of the dusty velvet cushioned chairs. She fixes her gaze to stare out of the window. She is beginning to worry that they still won’t be able to perform at Southern Air Sounds; on occasions the baby will shift in just the wrong way, leaving her short of breath. She supposes that she’ll only have to get through three songs; two old and one new. Even so, by the time Southern Air Sounds rolled around, she will find herself nearly five months pregnant; she can’t imagine that, that will make it any easier.

The rest of her band is mercifully patient as she waits for the ache in her back to pass. Ghazan in particular seems to enjoy being able to take frequent breaks. Baatar ends his conversation with P’Li and comes to stand beside Kuvira. “Orange?” He offers, handing her the fruit. He also hands her a bottle of water. She decides that she will put an end to her break as soon as she is through with the orange. Baatar offers her shoulders a gentle massage.

She is glad to have the man back. Raava knew she couldn’t handle this one on her own. She supposes that she can if she has to, but she certainly doesn’t want to. She stands back up, ready to resume the filming process.

Despite the physical setbacks, filming is easier this time around, more comfortable in a sense. For one, she doesn’t have sand coating every part of her body. For another she feels as though the music and the mover themselves are on par with past works. It gives her a sense of ease to know that Baatar’s vocals are complementing hers once more. That the fandom will enjoy the reunion. That they are looking forward to their redemption music mover.

She still finds it hard to believe that they will manage to finish this video and song in such a timely manner and with almost a whole week to spare.

[not-all-dead]

angstpril day seven: friendly fire

CW: war, bombs, explosions, death, pain (of literally every kind)

fic under the cut

“Newbie, can you check our coordinates? Kuvira’s starting fire soon,” I heard my squadron’s sergeant say in my direction.

“Yes, sir,” I replied, walking the short distance to where our map has been laid out.

“We’re in block F32, sir,” I looked up at him and he nodded, pushing up his sleeve and tapping his watch twice.

“Good, good. We charge forwards the moment we hear the explosives launch, and if all goes to plan, the barrage should provide enough cover for us to get in and sabotage their defences,” I watched as he checked the time again and nodded to another officer behind me.

“But sir,” I asked cautiously, folding the map in front of me.

“What happens if all doesn’t go to plan?” I stood up, folded map in hand.

He looked at me sadly and gave me a quick smile, patting my shoulder with a rough hand.

“We won’t get caught in the fire, kid, don’t worry. After all, they don’t call it friendly for nothing,” He let out a boisterous laugh and walked around me, helping to pack up the last of our supplies from the overnight.

I put the map I held into one of the cases we kept for smaller supplies and we hid all our sacks in a small cave behind some bushes. The plan was to come back to this site after the attack to retrieve it all, so we didn’t have unnecessary clutter on the move. Once everything was set and ready to go, we got into our formation.

The minute the first explosive flew overhead, I knew something was wrong.

“She’s firing too close!” I yelled, turning in horror to our sergeant.

“Does she not know we’re here?” I continued, panic growing in my chest as another bomb launched over us.

Our sergeant gave me a grave smile and nodded.

“She knows we’re here, kid,” He said above the now near constant sound of explosions.

“But you said- you said we’d make it out alright,” I flinched as several shells exploded a little too close for comfort.

“You said the barrage was to provide cover!” I had to fight off tears as the panic climbed up my throat.

How was everyone else so calm about this? Did they not realise she was firing right at us? She swore she would protect us, train us and then keep us safe. And yet here I stood, surrounded by living corpses, all because she lied.

She lied.

And I’d trusted her. But of course I had, my village had been one of the first she’d helped. I’d left with her on the train that same day, pledging my allegiance and going to her first training camp. Most of the officers that I was with now had been in the army before Kuvira had taken over, but I had been top of my unit in training. I’d been sent here early.

If only I hadn’t.

Another shell screeched overhead, exploding mere metres in front of us. I let out a yelp and ducked down, covering my head against the debris that came flying towards us. Several of the others squatted as well, our sergeant not among them. I saw a piece of shrapnel come into contact with his cheek, leaving a mark that would undoubtedly scar.

“We have to get out of here,” I screamed, no longer fighting the tears.

“It’s too late,” The private next to me said in a low and scratchy voice.

I stared at her, tears rushing down my face. I saw that her eyes were watering too, though from emotion or from the dust in the air, I couldn't tell. She pulled her lips into a tight smile and held her hand out to me. I took it gratefully, a sob escaping my lips as she laced our fingers together. I tried not to think about the fact that I was about to die, holding the hand of someone I barely knew, and at the hands of the person who swore to protect me. To protect all of us.

There were several loud booms as more shells were fired. Something felt different this time, though. There was a negative energy suddenly enveloping us, hanging over us like a heavy rain cloud. Time slowed as the bomb gave a high whistle and fell right in the middle of our group. I watched, frozen in place, as its fuse burned down to nothing. The air seemed to pull towards it in the long seconds it took for the reaction within to occur, and there was something in me that longed to reach out and touch it.

I never got the chance.

Those long seconds were over all too quickly, despite how slow time seemed. I felt the energy coming off of it in waves, each one larger and more intense until the casing of the bomb split open. It’s contents flew everywhere, the force of the release sending us all flying backwards. My hand slipped from the kind private’s at some point, her warmth replaced by that of my own blood as shrapnel was thrust into my skin.

I landed hard on my back, a jolt of pain going through my body at the harsh contact. I tried to sit up but gasped and doubled over, clutching my stomach tightly. My head was spinning, a loud ringing in my ears, and I was in the worst pain I’d ever felt. My legs screamed at me as I shifted again and I gritted my teeth, trying not to throw up. My stomach was churning, just about every muscle and organ around it throbbing with pain. I closed my eyes against the spinning of the world, hoping to ease the nausea, but it hardly helped.

My eyes snapped open again, my head lifting quickly, when I heard someone shouting something. I cringed at the webs of pain that renewed throughout my body, but looked around anyway, searching for the source of the voice.

I saw the private who’d held my hand lying not too far from me. She was fighting to keep her eyes open, the leg closest to me blown clean off. Behind her were several other recruits who’d been closer to the bomb when it had exploded. I no longer recognized any of them. I tried to turn my body to look in the other direction, still wondering where the voice had come from, but something above me caught my eye.

It shone in the sun as it flew through the air, it's cold metal almost like a mirror. I didn’t hear the whistle this time, the ringing too loud for any other sounds to break through. The world seemed to still as it landed, bouncing once before rolling to a stop just in front of me. Somehow, at that moment, I felt calm. I reached forwards, ignoring the agony I was in, and picked it up. I ran my thumb over its smooth metal, mesmerized by how it sparkled in the sun. The fuse was burned down to almost nothing now, the burnt end of the rope sticking out the top of the perfect sphere.

This was the end.

There was a sadness about it, perhaps the fact that I had barely lived to twenty, or maybe the tragedy of destroying one’s own people. You might say it was both. That sadness was what brought the idea into my mind, fueling what could only be described as hope. Hope that I might spare the people around me, people who didn’t deserve to die. The logical part of my brain told me that they’d die anyway, whether from injuries from the first bomb or from wounds to come later. The desperate part insisted that that might not be true.

I gave in to the desperate part of me and pulled the bomb into a hug. I curled myself around it, pressing it harshly into my stomach.

It’ll be over before you know it, I thought to myself.

A tear slipped from my eye, carving a path down my dirty cheek.

Soon, I thought.

Soon.

I was right.

It was an odd sensation. At first there was the shock, the build up of energy coursing through my body. Then there was the sickening ripping of limb from limb as the bomb fought to expand. I expected it to hurt more, but was pleasantly surprised when I mostly felt detached, in every sense of the word. There wasn’t much after that point, the world quickly fading around me. I knew I should’ve felt sadder, more scared, but there was a peace to it all that almost made me smile.

I heard the voice again and closed my eyes, listening with everything I had left.

“Come,” It says to me, making me open my eyes again.

Everything around me is gone. I push myself off the ground, staring down at my unwounded body as the voice speaks again.

“Come home to me, child,” I then recognize it as my grandfather’s voice.

I look up to see him standing a few feet in front of me, both of us surrounded by the vast space that is both nothing and everything at the same time. He reaches his hand towards me, taking a slow step forward.

“Come,” He repeats as I place my hand in his.

I suddenly become light-headed at the touch. I close my eyes and let out a breath, trying to steady myself. When I do, the breath doesn’t stop. It pulls the air from my lungs until there’s nothing left. Then, it takes my soul. My eyes stay closed and I feel myself falling, back, back, until there’s nothing. And when at last there is nothing, I know, I feel, I am gone.