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Korra lounged comfortably on the sofa in Asami’s office. She bit back a grin, watching Asami’s brow crinkle in concentration as she focused on the paperwork in front of her. Sometimes it was hard to believe all of this was real. From rivals to friends to this. They’d come a long way, hadn’t they? Korra had made some snap judgements about Asami when they’d first met, and she was thrilled that she’d been proven wrong.
Korra’s smile fell as Asami let out a despondent sigh.
“What’s wrong?” Korra asked gently.
“I’m going to have to make some hard cuts if I want to avoid layoffs,” Asami said as she leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. She had an organized mess of papers scattered atop her desk, with a ledgerbook in the center.
Korra winced. Budgeting was not something Korra had any experience with. She hated not being able to help Asami beyond words of encouragement or offers of distraction from her troubles. It was the middle of the workday and Asami’s assistant had been in and out all morning, so a nooner to give Asami something to distract her from her stress was out of the question. Words of encouragement would have to do.
“You’ll figure it out,” Korra offered up, and it didn’t sound very helpful once she had said it out loud, but Asami smiled all the same.
Korra relaxed on the sofa as she waited for Asami to finish balancing her books. They were due for a lunch date about, oh, forty-five minutes ago. It was fine, though. Korra was used to this. Asami’s schedules could be a little erratic and change with little to no notice. And Asami always made it up to her…
“Miss Sato?” Asami’s assistant poked her head in. “I'm so sorry, I know you have lunch on your calendar, but I’ve got today's mail.”
“It’s alright, just put it in my inbox.” Asami gestured toward the tray on her desk for incoming mail. “I just can’t walk away from these numbers. Maybe we ought to order in?”
Korra grinned and nodded eagerly. “Sounds perfect!”
Her assistant took their orders and left them to handle lunch. Asami sighed and hunched over, trying to find money in her budget that wouldn’t result in people losing their jobs. Asami was a shrewd businesswoman, but what set her apart from the other industrialists in the city was her kind heart. Eliminating jobs was a last resort, especially after the war.
Korra noticed something sticking out from the pile of mail. Something green with a trim of gold. And not gold as in golden-yellow, but gold as in a shimmering, sparkling, glitter gold. Funny. She’d seen an envelope like that last week, in Mako’s hand…
“Well, like I said. He’s stopped asking me to set him up with you,” Mako said with an awkward shrug. His arm hung in his sling and Korra tried not to stare as he rubbed at it with his other hand. “What are the chances I’ll get him to stop sending me these song lyrics?”
“Are they good?” Korra asked with a laugh.
“No,” Mako said flatly. “I wrote him back after the last letter telling him they were bad. And he just sent me another with revised lyrics, thanking me for my ‘helpful critique’.”
Korra peered over his desk at the precinct—the same one she threw across a room in a fit of rage three years ago—and tried to sneak a peek at the lyrics Wu had written in his letter to Mako. They were silly and lymerical, and Wu had scribbled some sheet music along with them. Neither Mako nor Korra knew how to read music, so it meant nothing, but Wu had certainly put some effort into them.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Korra shrugged. “If you hate him so much, don’t write him back. He’ll figure it out on his own to stop bothering you. Eventually.”
“I don’t hate him,” Mako said as he shifted in his seat. “He just thinks I’m like, his best friend or something. I worked for him, that’s all. I just don’t know what to do with this.” Mako waved the letter, which consisted of multiple pages of flawless penmanship, sheet music, and doodles of badgermoles, in the air frantically.
“Set it on fire?” Korra offered helpfully.
“I’m not gonna do that ,” Mako said with a huff.
“Okay, then put it on your fridge at home.”
“I’m not gonna do that, either!” He looked horrified at the suggestion.
“You sure? It looks like fridge art. He did a really good job on that one, right there…” Korra leaned over and pointed to a particularly detailed badgermole.
“You’re really annoying sometimes.” Mako rolled his eyes and awkwardly folded the pages with his free hand, then tucked it away in the green and gold envelope.
“More annoying than Wu?” she asked teasingly.
“Right now, yes .”
“Looks like you’ve got a letter from the Earth King.” Korra meandered over to the inbox and tugged the green envelope free.
“Great,” Asami said sarcastically. “Put that one on the bottom.”
“Probably ought to read mail from heads of state,” Korra said with a raised eyebrow.
“I will. I just have to steel myself first.”
Korra let out a laugh and turned the envelope over. Her heart skipped a beat when she glanced at the face. It was addressed to “Asami Sato and Avatar Korra”. That was new… Shared mail? Was that a relationship milestone? Korra wasn’t sure.
“Oh, actually it’s addressed to both of us!” Korra said excitedly.
“Hmm?” Asami glanced up in curiosity. “I guess that means you can deal with it!” There was a teasing sparkle in Asami’s eyes. She winked and returned to her work. Korra sat back down on the sofa, carefully peeled the seal open, and pulled out the papers inside.
It was long. Six pages. Sheesh. Wu was more verbose than Bolin.
Korra started reading. The first five pages were much more dull than she expected it to be. Wu was basically outlining his ideas for hiring Future Industries to complete contracts on infrastructure projects that had been destroyed or abandoned in the chaos following Kuvira’s defeat. It sounded like a win-win, to Korra’s not-business-savvy mind. Future Industries had the resources, the Earth Kingdom’s royal coffers had the money, and the regions in need of infrastructure repair didn’t have either. The proposal looked good to Korra. Asami was just complaining of financial struggles—an influx of cash would probably be good?
“You should read this,” Korra said as she finished reading the fifth page. “I don’t know if it makes business sense, but he wants to contract with you for repairs in the Earth Kingdom.”
“Really.” Asami lifted her head. “Well. Maybe it should go to the top of the pile after all. I had half-expected it to be full of pickup lines,” she deadpanned.
“Well, I’ve still got another page to read,” Korra said wryly. “There’s time for that yet!” Asami shook her head and laughed.
Korra moved on to the next page and… Wow.
She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting. Maybe some bad pickup lines like Asami said, or more song lyrics, or boasts about how super human he was. But not… This.
I’m terribly sorry for the pages and pages of business talk. Had to get all that out of the way, you know! Anyhoo. I just wanted to congratulate both of you. The papers here are abuzz with the news: Avatar Korra and Asami Sato, together! When I read the headline I could scarcely believe it! I can’t wait until I get a chance to congratulate you in person, but until then, I hope you’ll accept my written blessings for your happiness.
As an Earth Kingdom native and having grown up in Ba Sing Se, I’m well aware of some of the challenges your relationship may face when encountering the more regressive parts of the world. I want to make it abundantly clear: you both have my full support, and I intend to publicly show that support at every opportunity. Please know that, though Ba Sing Se has a tragic history of bigotry, the two of you are always welcome in the palace.
In addition to my plans to transition the states to democratically elected leadership, I also hope to introduce legislation that will decriminalize homosexual relationships in the more regressive states and legalize same-sex marriage across the whole Earth Kingdom. You wouldn’t believe some of the backwards laws on the books in some of the states—I’ll work tirelessly to correct it along with all the other reforms I hope to implement. Your support would go a long way in achieving this, and I hope that we can discuss more details along with some of these infrastructure contract proposals.
Looking forward to catching up and hammering out the details of those contracts. And again, congratulations. Wishing the both of you a bright and happy future!
Yours truly,
King Wu Hou-Ting
54th Sovereign of the Earth Kingdom
Tears pricked at the corner of Korra’s eyes.
“Korra, are you okay?” Asami had looked up and noticed Korra rapidly blinking back her tears.
“Yeah. Just. The last part of his letter…” Korra held it out, though Asami couldn't see it from where she was sitting. Asami abandoned her work to sit beside Korra, and took the last page of Wu’s letter in hand.
Korra watched as Asami’s eyes darted across the page, noting how her expression softened with each second. She finished the letter with a smile on her face.
“Wow,” Asami said softly, and Korra noted that her eyes were glistening just a bit. Tears were threatening her as well, it seemed. “I can’t believe he wrote this. Wait—”
Asami suddenly flipped the letter over, back and forth, and raked her eyes over the other pages, flipping them over and over again as well.
“Uh, what are you looking for…?” Korra asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Making sure there’s not a postscript asking us for a threesome,” Asami said, deadly serious.
Korra devolved into laughter at Asami’s sharp focus as she thoroughly examined the letter for hints of ulterior motives. Not that Korra could blame her. Mako had once told Korra that all of Wu’s good deeds were to impress ‘the ladies’. And he’d made known his interest in both of them. Multiple times. Considering there were plenty of men out there who were staunch advocates for equal rights when it meant women got to be together, Asami’s skepticism was entirely warranted. It was hard to say if Wu’s motives were innocent or not based on his written word alone.
“Find anything?” Korra asked teasingly.
“No, but I wouldn’t put it past him to proposition us the next time we see him in person,” Asami said with an eyeroll. “But I’ll definitely need to look over the details of the infrastructure work he wants to contract with me—looks good at a glance, though.”
Korra tucked herself close into Asami’s side, grateful she had abandoned her work.
“You know…” Korra said softly. “Your assistant probably won’t be back with the food for at least another twenty minutes…”
Asami dropped the letter to the floor. She smirked and leaned in toward Korra, peppering kisses across her lips, chin and jaw. Korra leaned back and laughed in delight, letting Asami climb on top of her. Maybe she could help Asami with a distraction after all…
“Korra!” Wu said excitedly as he emerged from the Earth Army airship. Asami was going to meet them at City Hall later, but Korra had agreed to tag along with Mako to escort Wu to see Zhu Li—President Moon, Korra mentally corrected herself—before Wu’s speech announcing his formal plans for the elections.
“Hey, King Wu,’ she said, with a half-sarcastic emphasis on the ‘king’. “How’s Ba Sing Se?”
“Oh it’s great! It’s nothing like I remember , though that probably has to do with the fact that my late Great Aunt is no longer stalking the grounds. Funny how much more enjoyable things are around the palace in her absence! Not to speak ill of the dead, of course, it’s just—”
Korra smiled sympathetically. “Don’t worry about me, it’s not exactly a secret that the queen and I did not get along.”
Wu laughed lightly. “Right. That whole thing where she declared you a wanted criminal. And that’s not even getting into the human rights violations—Oh! That reminds me, I think I need your help, I had an idea for reparations to the airbenders from Ba Sing Se and their families, I think I’ll need to discuss it with Tenzin before I try to write out a proposal to the cabinet, any chance you would be interested in helping with that?”
“Wu, that’s a great idea!” she said with a smile. “Yeah, absolutely, we’ll work with Tenzin on a plan for that. Oh, um… Hey, listen. I wanted to say…”
Wu met her eyeline again and quirked an eyebrow at her hesitation. “Wanted to say what?”
“Thank you,” she said lamely. She was unsure, for a moment, if Wu’s letter really was genuine in his letter. Oh well. If her thanking him led to an unsavory proposition, she wasn’t worried. He probably weighed a hundred and forty pounds soaking wet. She’d hoisted up and intimidated men twice his size.
“For what?” Wu cocked his head to the side.
“Your letter. To me and Asami. I mean, it was mostly boring business-politics stuff that went a little over my head, but the last page. I just… I wanted to thank you. It was sweet.”
Wu’s eyes lit up. That could be good, or it could be—
“Really? It wasn’t too much? Too cliche? I agonized over the phrasing.”
“No, it wasn’t too much,” Korra said with a smile. “It meant a lot. Really! I mean, most people have been really supportive, but there’s been a couple of… hiccups.”
“Oh no!” Wu placed a hand over his chest dramatically. “I hope you put them in their place, whoever caused those ‘hiccups’.”
Korra laughed at his outrage. “Well. I yelled at my parents, so—”
“Your parents?” Wu’s outrage fell into despair. “Oh, no, Korra, I’m so sorry—”
“Oh, no, it’s not that dramatic. Water Tribe, you know? They were happy for us, but thought we should keep it quiet.” Korra shrugged sadly. “I got really upset, but they came around eventually.”
“Your parents thought you should keep your relationship a secret?” Wu blinked as his eyes drew up in concern and curiosity.
“Yeah, it’s how things are in the Water Tribe. There are no laws against it, but it’s not something you go announcing to the world.” Korra rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Wouldn’t want to disgrace or embarrass your family.”
Wu’s lips pulled down into a tight frown. “I’m so sorry your parents suggested that to you.”
“Doesn’t matter what they said. I wasn’t gonna hide.” Korra shrugged. “I’m glad they came around, though.”
“Yeah, that’s good…” Wu’s gaze flitted over Korra’s shoulder. Mako was behind her in the distance, sitting in the driver’s seat of his satomobile, waiting for them. “Uh… What about…?” He nodded his head in that direction. Korra glanced over her shoulder. Mako had his arms folded, but she noticed he was rubbing at his scars with the opposite hand.
“Mako?” She clarified quietly as Wu nodded his head. “Oh, he’s been great. Once he got over the initial shock. We kinda didn't give him any warning, just kissed in front of him. We might have temporarily broken his brain.” Korra chuckled as she remembered Mako’s face and how he had stammered over his words after realizing she and Asami were together.
Wu wasn't laughing, though. His frown grew tighter. “But he… came around too?”
“Yeah! Not ‘came around’ as in came around the idea of us being together as two women. But he came around to the idea that his exes are together.”
Wu’s tight frown relaxed. “Right. Yeah, I guess that would be strange, for him. But he hasn't had a problem with…?”
“No way. I think he would electrocute anyone who dared to say something to us,” Korra said jokingly.
Wu frowned. “Can he lightning bend again?” Wu asked, and Korra realized a moment too late that her joke was in poor taste, because, no, Mako had not been able to lightning bend yet, not since he’d nearly gotten himself killed taking out the spirit vine weapon.
“Uh, no. Sorry. Bad joke. His firebending's still kind of weak on his scarred arm, too.” Korra rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “He can still punch someone in the face just fine, though,” Korra added with a wry smile. That earned a laugh from Wu.
“Right. I’d hate to see someone try to say something in front of him! I’m glad he’s not…” Wu trailed off, but Korra could infer what he was saying.
“Nah. Republic City people, you know? They’re less weird about it.” Korra shrugged and shot him a lopsided smile. “Glad you aren’t being weird about it.”
“Of course not! I would never!! I mean, I think it’s wonderful, and I think that everyone should be free to be with whomever they want, and… Well, you know. I said it in my letter. Truly, the only upsetting part of all of this is that it’s devastating to know I truly don’t have a shot with either of you!” He laughed awkwardly and Korra raised an eyebrow. He covered his laugh with a cough and continued. “Anyway, all things considered, I was hoping that we could be… Friends? Maybe?” Wu bit his lip and Korra knew for sure he had no ulterior motives, with the nervous, earnest way he was asking to be friends.
“Yeah, of course,” Korra flashed him a grin. “Friends. C’mon. Let’s get to City Hall. I’m not even looking behind me but I can feel Mako seething impatiently back there.” That earned a chuckle from Wu and Korra liked the sound of it. Wu hadn’t made the greatest first impression, but he was making up for it now. Korra wouldn’t turn away a friendship with someone who genuinely seemed to accept her and her relationship, no strings attached.
“So, you’re sure you’ll be able to convince Toph to run?” Bolin bit his thumbnail nervously. “I mean, I would never doubt your uh. You know. Diplomatic skills. But…”
Korra smirked confidently. “I’m sure of it! Once she hears what’s at stake, I know Wu and I can convince her.”
“Right,” Asami said, lowering her voice. “Maybe you should bring… Someone else.”
“It’ll be fine,” Korra said, bumping her shoulder into Asami’s playfully. “Give him some credit! I can’t explain why, maybe it’s just my Avatar senses or whatever, but I have a feeling Wu and Toph will get along just fine.”
“If you say so,” Asami said with a smile and a raised eyebrow. “You’re the one who has to travel with him, so I guess it’s your call.”
“Okay! I’m ready to go!” Wu abruptly emerged from the airship’s dressing chamber with his hands on his hips and a confident stance.
“Uh. Did you just… happen to have that…?” Asami asked incredulously as she eyed his clothes. The khaki expedition outfit reminded Korra of a mover poster featuring a hero going on an exotic adventure, or a magazine advertisement. It was certainly more practical than his regalia, but still over the top compared to everyone else’s every-day clothes.
“Of course!” Wu said without missing a beat. “I wanted to be prepared for anything during this election! It’s why I brought you guys here. I also brought a diving suit, a parasol, a poncho, my winter furs and snow goggles—”
“Wu, it was just the autumn equinox. Why would you need snow goggles?” Mako asked, tightly crossing his arms across his chest.
“I don’t know!” Wu said frantically, throwing his hands in the air. “There’s mountains nearby. And the South Pole isn’t that far away. Like I said, I wanted to be ready for anything!” To demonstrate, Wu grabbed a large backpack that looked like it carried a whole damn camping set.
“Well. I guess it’s a good thing. Probably don’t want to be trekking out into the swamp in regalia,” Korra said with a shrug.
“Exactly! Avatar Korra appreciates my forethought. Come on, Toph Beifong awaits!” Wu donned his wide brimmed hat, threw his backpack on, and scurried out the door. Korra huffed in amusement and started heading down behind Asami and Bolin.
“Hey,” Mako caught her by the shoulder before she followed Wu and the others outside. “Your healing training… Are you capable of treating anaphylaxis?”
“What?” Korra blinked at him slowly, trying to process the non sequitur. She’d trained with Katara, the greatest waterbending master of her time. Katara was a prodigy with healing, and an excellent teacher to boot. Korra had learned how to heal almost any condition that spirit healing was capable of treating. “Uh, anaphylaxis? Yeah, why?”
“Wu’s allergic to bee stings. And spider-wasp stings. And cricket-hornet stings. Any stinging insect, really.”
Korra stared at him incredulously. He stared back impassively. “Uh. Okay. How allergic are we talking?”
Mako rolled his eyes. “Severe, obviously. I literally just asked you about anaphylaxis—”
“Okay okay! Severe allergy to stings. Got it. Sheesh, this guy is a walking accident waiting to happen. How do you know what he’s allergic to?”
“It’s in his medical files.”
“His medical files…?” Korra raised an eyebrow.
“It’s standard security procedure for a bodyguard to be briefed on a client's medical history,” Mako explained as though it were obvious. “I had to memorize it. Are you sure you can reverse an allergic reaction?”
“Okay. Yeah. I can handle anaphylaxis. I trained with the best, remember? Remove the allergen—the venom—and redirect the body’s chi to prevent or reverse inflammation at the sting site, the airway and the heart,” she recited for his peace of mind. “Don’t worry. I won’t let him die on my watch,” she added, intending it to be a joke. Mako just stared at her, deadly serious.
“Okay… Good.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Uh. You be careful too,” he added as though it were an afterthought. It almost made her laugh. He was stiff and awkward, crossing his arms and frowning so deep it was almost a scowl.
“Don’t worry about me.” She gave him a playful pat on the back, not strong enough to knock him over, but strong enough to knock some wind out of him. Just to remind him that she was tougher than him. He rolled his eyes at her and walked away, following the others out of the airship.
Korra huffed a silent laugh as she watched him walk away. He acted annoyed with her, but she knew Mako better than that. She was glad that she and Mako were good friends, despite everything. And she was glad Mako warned her about the bee stings, that was definitely important information.
Still, she had a good feeling about bringing Wu along to convince Toph—she really couldn’t articulate why, but her gut told her it was the right choice. She had learned by now she should trust her instincts.
Besides, Wu wasn’t that bad. He was even kind of fun. Bee sting concerns aside, Korra was weirdly looking forward to this little adventure.
Korra’s blood ran cold.
She could smack herself.
No, she could smack Wu. She had told him not to wander out of sight!
She shook her head and forced herself to remain calm. He couldn't be far. She could use the spirit vines to help her find him. The energy in the swamp was strong, it would be much easier than finding him after he'd been kidnapped by Kuvira's lackeys—
“That's not true, that's not true…”
Oh. Well maybe she didn't need the swamp's help after all. She rushed forward, following the sound of Wu's voice. Spirits, where had he run off to?
She found him, after a few heart-racing seconds, and she felt a pit in her stomach. He was crouched down, hands in his face, repeating himself, “That’s not true, that’s not true.” His voice was cracking, as if he were crying.
“Wu—” She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, slowly. He flinched away, frightened. “Wu, it's me. You're alright,” Korra said as gently as possible.
Wu lifted his head and his eyes glistened with tears
“I…” He paused, blinking quickly. “I saw Auntie.” His voice was quiet and full of fear. Korra’s heart sank. Seeing Queen Hou-Ting was probably not fun for him, at all.
“It wasn't her,” Korra said in a calm voice. “I should have warned you. The swamp shows you visions. Messes with your head. C’mon. You can tell me about it on the way to Toph's”
Korra hoisted Wu back up onto Naga, pausing before she herself climbed on. Wu’s forehead had creases of worry and his eyes darted back and forth, no doubt searching for signs of the vision that had plagued him moments before.
“So…” She said as gently as she could manage. “You saw your Great Aunt?”
“Yeah…” Wu’s lips pursed and she saw him gulp. “She looked just as mean and angry and scary as I remember…” Wu hung his head and heaved out a sigh.
“When was the last time you saw her? The real her, I mean.” Korra tilted her head and crossed her arms as she looked up at him from where she stood next to Naga. She realized she knew almost nothing about Wu’s relationship to the late Queen. It must have been meaningful if the swamp showed him a vision of her.
“When I was seventeen…” Wu looked up at the sky, and Korra got the impression he was intentionally avoiding eye contact with her. “When she saw me off to go to Republic City University. That was about two years before, uh… you know…” He threw his hands around his neck in mock strangulation.
“You didn’t go home to Ba Sing Se during those two years?”
Wu barked a laugh that almost startled her. He shook his head at her, a sardonic grin on his face. “Avatar Korra, you met my aunt, didn’t you? Tell me, would you have gone to Ba Sing Se to see her?” Korra chuckled along with him.
“Guess not. But if the swamp showed you a vision of her…,” Korra said carefully. “The swamp is strange. It sort of shows you what you need to see. The visions aren’t always right , but whatever the swamp showed you probably has some deeper meaning…” Korra wasn’t sure what the Earth Queen might have done or said to Wu, but whatever it was, it had really rattled him.
Not that that was saying much. Wu wasn’t exactly the most cool and collected person she had ever met. He was kind of dramatic. Still, Korra got the sense that whatever Wu had seen was intense.
“What I need to see…” Wu said thoughtfully. “I… I don’t know. The things she—I mean, the things the vision said to me…”
“What did she say in the vision?”
Wu’s posture became uneasy and his eyes darted away for a moment. He was being cagey, which wasn’t like Wu at all. Normally he was over eager to share. The vision must have really freaked him out, if he didn’t want to talk about it.
Korra heaved in a deep breath. “Do you want to hear about the vision the swamp showed me, the first time I was here?” Wu bit his lip and nodded minutely.
“I saw… myself. ” Korra reached her hand over and scratched Naga behind her ear. “Did anyone ever tell you what happened to me, with Zaheer?” She locked eyes with Wu, who was fervently staring at the mention of Zaheer.
“I know the Red Lotus had poisoned you. Something about stopping the Avatar cycle…? And I know it took you a long time to recover.” Wu looked jittery as he nervously tapped his fingers on Naga’s saddle.
“ Years ,” Korra told him firmly. “They used a liquid metal poison. It was the most pain I’ve ever been in, it was excruciating. It was like my insides were on fire. I broke away from the restraints and tried to take out Zaheer, but I almost died. Suyin used her metalbending to get the poison out, but it did so much damage. I couldn’t even walk. So I went home to the South Pole. I was in such a dark place, I couldn’t sleep, I barely ate. My mom and dad took care of me, and I finally agreed to see Master Katara for regular healing sessions, but I was in a wheelchair for months …
“It was so frustrating. The whole time, I was told that I wasn’t healing because of my own mind. Like it was all in my head, and if I just believed I’d get better, then I would. And if I didn’t, it was my own weak will. I didn’t understand what had happened to me, why it had happened. My whole life, my strength, my fighting skills, my bending abilities, they were everything to me. I went from being the Avatar, to not being able to dress myself. It was awful.” The pain, the injustice, the grief, all of it washed over her. She took a deep breath and exhaled to let it all go.
“Korra…” Wu’s voice was soft and timid, he clearly had no idea how to react to Korra’s sob story. “I didn’t know it was that bad.”
“That’s because I don’t tell just anyone. At first, Asami was the only one I could tell… Eventually, I did start getting better. Walking, then running, then fighting, then bending… But I felt like a shadow of myself. And I had nightmares. After two and a half years, I just felt like I hit a wall. I thought maybe I needed to get back to my old life, so I was going to go to Republic City, but when I sailed into Yue Bay, I just… couldn’t. I turned around and sailed away. I wandered the Earth Kingdom for months, I still felt weak, I couldn’t go into the Avatar state, I was aimless, and I was haunted by these nightmares. Until… A spirit led me to the swamp.” Korra gestured around at the roots and vines and mud around them.
“And you saw a vision… of yourself?” Wu added uncertainly.
“Yep. From when I was poisoned, when I was fighting Zaheer, stuck in the avatar state as my body desperately tried anything to keep me alive. The vision kicked my ass, too. It pulled me into a pool of poison—well, mud, but it looked like the poison—and I passed out. Toph found me unconscious in the mud.”
“That’s… horrible,” Wu said cautiously. “I had no idea about any of that…”
“Yeah, I know. I don’t tell everyone about it. Only the people I trust.” She tipped her head at Wu, hoping her extension of trust would coax him to feeling comfortable sharing his own vision. “The thing is, I needed to see that vision. Because it was telling me something about myself. There was still some poison in me. Toph noticed it, and as soon as she said that I was still carrying the metal, it was like everything made sense. I wasn’t crazy, I wasn’t weak willed, it wasn’t all in my head. I was still sick. And once I got it out, I could finally go into the Avatar state again. I still had a ways to go before I was back to myself, and I did need to overcome some of the mental trauma by facing Zaheer. But the swamp took all that and showed me what was really happening to me, beneath it all.” Korra folded her arms and concluded her speech, patiently waiting for Wu to respond.
“I… I’m sorry. The first time we met, I asked you if you could show me the Avatar State. I had no idea you had been through all that…” Wu responded sheepishly.
Korra actually laughed, remembering the awkward lunch when she met Wu for the first time. “Yeah, well. It wasn’t the worst part of that lunch,” she said, remembering the tension between her, Mako and Asami. Then she felt a little bad, because that lunch was also when Kuvira’s people had almost kidnapped Wu, which he probably didn’t want to think about right now.
Instead, Wu laughed along with her. “Hindsight, eh? All that awkwardness between the three of you…”
“Yeah. I didn’t realize what was really happening between me and Asami. And poor Mako, he was pouting the entire time.”
“I don’t know, I think that’s just what he always looks like,” Wu teased. The two of them chuckled together for a moment. “Though, the three of you pulled it together when you saved my life,” he added seriously.
“Yeah, thanks to some tricks I learned from Toph.” Korra smirked. “It will be interesting for you to meet her. She’s grouchier than her mom.”
Wu laughed. “I’ll do my best to make a good impression.”
Korra paused for a moment and pursed her lips. She didn’t want to push Wu into sharing about his vision, but if the swamp showed him something, it was important. If Korra knew what it was, maybe she could help… “Look, Wu. If it was really upsetting, I understand not wanting to talk about it. But the vision happened for a reason. You shouldn’t ignore it.”
Wu’s brows furrowed and he gave Korra a long, hard look. She saw his chest puff out as he took a deep breath, exhaled, then spoke. “She told me… That I was pushing towards democracy because I was selfish. Because I don't want to be king. Because I’m scared. She said I’m doing the wrong thing, because people don’t want change…”
Korra got the impression that Wu was holding back some details, because even though that information might make Wu doubt himself, the way he looked when she found him, cowering, crying, muttering to himself… Something much more insidious must have happened.
But… Maybe that was between Wu and the swamp. Korra thought about what he said. “‘People don’t want change’, huh?” she repeated. “You know, she wasn’t wrong. Some people really don’t want change.”
Wu’s eyes bugged out of his head. “What? So, what, Auntie is right? I should give up? Quit trying to reform the government? Leave things exactly the way they are?”
“No. Change can be good or bad, depending on your point of view,” She said, remembering Tenzin’s words of wisdom to her years ago. “But change is necessary to bring the world into balance. Some people will be unhappy with change, but I think your plan to reform the government is an important step toward balance. We can’t resist change just to stay safe and secure in our comfort zones.”
“So… You’re saying… I shouldn’t doubt myself? I should press forward with the elections?” Wu asked cautiously.
“Well, maybe, after we get Toph on board and back to Gaoling, we can talk more about how the reforms should happen. Think about what the vision told you. Think about if there is any wisdom you can take from it. And if you want to talk about it more, you can tell me. That’s what friends are for, right?”
Wu’s face, normally so expressive, turned imperceptible. He nodded slowly, and his lips slowly spread into a smile. “Thanks, Korra. Oooohh you’re such a wise avatar!” His expressiveness was back in full force. “Any chance I’ll get to see the Avatar State while we’re out and about here?”
Korra rolled her eyes and didn’t grace that with a response. She climbed aboard Naga, aided by a small twist of air, and urged her onward.
Deprogramming the citizens was taking all day but it was nearing the end, finally. And Korra had been weighed down by guilt the whole time. So as soon as she and Wu had a moment alone, she felt like she needed to apologize.
“I'm sorry, Wu,” Korra said gently.
“Sorry for what?” Wu asked, genuinely confused.
“For leaving you behind. I promised I'd look out for you and keep you safe, but when they got you, I just—”
“You had to get Asami out of there,” Wu interrupted. “It's okay. I get it. I would have done the same for—I mean, not for Asami, necessarily, but if I could have—” Wu cut himself off with a sharp breath before rambling more.
“If you could have what…?” Korra asked, tilting her head in curiosity, waiting for him to finish his sentence.
“I just mean. If I had someone. My own Asami. Not Asami -Asami, not like… your Asami. Just if I had a pretty dame of my own! Not just any pretty dame—uh. I'm just saying…”
“If you had someone you loved?” Korra offered.
“Yes…” Wu said slowly. “Right. If I had someone I loved, and I'd been able to get, uh, her out. I’d have done the same thing. Even if I would have had to leave others behind…”
Wu seemed different. Careful. Thoughtful. It wasn't the brainwashing, Korra didn't think. It was just everything. The first election had been a disaster, and the Earth Kingdom had nearly been taken over by the Empire. Again. Korra could see Wu was grappling with it all.
And after his speech announcing a more careful approach to election timetables, Korra felt a strange swell of pride. Not that she was proud of Wu, that would be weird. More like she was proud of herself for supporting him, for giving him a second chance. He'd made a really shitty first impression on her, but he wasn't too bad. He was a good person, and he was trying his best.
Korra had learned not to trust first impressions. How annoyed had she been by Mako when she first met him? He'd been a total ass, but now he was her best friend. And spirits she had been so annoyed with Asami when she first saw her (even though Asami had been nothing but polite and cordial). And look at her and Asami now.
She had given Wu another chance, and now she guessed he was her friend. Weirder things have happened, she supposed.
The morning they left Gaoling, Wu was bright and happy. He had a big weight on his shoulders, but he was taking it in stride. He doted on Naga and Pabu before they all left him in Gaoling to board the airship.
“You're a very good girl and I'll miss you very much!” Wu said as he scratched behind Naga’s ear. “Korra is so lucky to have such a good and loyal friend! Hey, Korra, do you know if they make saddles like Naga’s, but for badgermoles?”
Korra didn't even get a chance to answer before Wu was rubbing noses with Pabu and making unintelligible noises of affection, which Pabu returned in kind with chittering of his own. Wu said a reluctant goodbye to Pabu and Bolin as he handed Pabu back.
With almost no warning, Wu rushed over to Korra and Asami and threw his arms around both of them. It almost knocked the wind out of Korra, and she heard Asami wheeze at the sudden embrace. Korra hugged him back and she felt Asami gently pat his back good-naturedly, if a little reluctantly.
“Thank you both, so much,” Wu said quietly as he hugged them tightly. Korra wasn't sure exactly what he was thanking them for. Figuring out how to undo Guan’s work, Korra guessed.
The whole ordeal had been horrifying, and poor Asami had woken up a couple of times last night in a panic, plagued by nightmares of the things she had done under Guan’s control. They were all glad it was over.
When he finally let go, he flashed a wide smile at them before turning toward Mako, who stood at the base of the ramp to the airship, arms crossed as he impatiently tapped his foot. Wu strode over to Mako, and clapped his hand onto Mako’s shoulder.
“See you around, sport!” Wu said happily.
Mako’s lips pulled down into a tight frown as his eyes darted to where Wu’s had made contact with his shoulder. He paused, then awkwardly pushed Wu’s hand away. “Uh. Yeah. See you around, I guess.”
Korra stifled a laugh. Poor Mako. He had made friends with Wu too, even if he hadn’t wanted to.
The airship lifted into the sky and they watched as Gaoling grew smaller and smaller through the window. Korra leaned into Asami, relishing the feeling of Asami’s arm around her, holding her close. Bolin and Mako sat at the table in the center of the passenger area; Bolin fed Pabu more treats, babbling on about what a good buddy he was, while Mako looked on quietly, absentmindedly rubbing at his scars.
Korra smiled. They’d all come a long way from when they first met, hadn't they? It felt good to be accepted, to have so many good friends.