Chapter Text
“Okay, class, that wraps us up for the day. Have a good weekend!”
Asami packed away her textbooks, leaving out only her ‘recreational’ reading book. It seemed stretched to refer to it as recreational, seeing as she’d been forced to choose between three books, but at least it seemed interesting. Printed gold letter across the binding read: Accounts of the Centuries - Soulmate of the Avatar. The particular series Accounts of the Centuries was an interesting (albeit cheesy) series of historical nonfiction novels aimed towards a younger demographic. They were complete with sections of facts, typically followed up with a short story or charming illustration.
As she left the room and followed her classmates into the hallway, Asami flipped to a random page near the beginning, finding a black and white picture of a beautiful woman she’d never seen before, donned in what appeared to be the outfit of a warrior. On the page beside it, Asami read:
“I didn’t meet Avatar Kyoshi until she was in her late hundreds, but when I saw her fight, it all made sense. All these years I’d thought my soulmate was nonexistent until I realized what I’d been feeling wasn’t my imagination - my soulmate was the Avatar.
“Of course, I couldn’t simply tell her, so instead I joined the Kyoshi Warriors and became one of her loyal helpers. When Kyoshi finally found out, she was grateful. I knew she would never be the person I would settle down with, but our connection made us a lethal team. It was an honor to serve side-by-side as an equal with the woman I loved.”
Asami grimaced, narrowly avoiding running into another student. She had newfound respect for the Avatar’s soulmate - they had a hefty burden to bear - but she couldn’t imagine her soulmate not feeling the same towards her. Curious as to see if this was a common case, she flipped ahead in the book.
“-up until his death. And though I mourn his passing still, I cannot claim Roku did not live a full life. He may have been the Avatar, but the titles he carried to me - husband, father, friend - will always hold a place dear in my heart and on his grave.” ~ Ta Min, 12 BG.
So apparently not. Asami sighed. By now she was seated outside, waiting for her father to pick her up. Bored with all the angst, she chose to flip ahead one more time until she saw a face she recognized - Avatar Aang. He’d died when she was little less than a year old, but she was familiar with the picture. She’d seen it numerous times, as it was the official picture that had been taken upon his founding of Republic City.
He couldn’t have been older than 20, a short beard creeping it’s way down his jawline, formal airbender robes, and, of course, standing beside the others who had helped him create the city: Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko. His old friends.
Beside it, however, was a picture Asami had never seen. Aang was crouched over, beaming, airbending a small coin in his hands while Toph and Sokka laughed, Zuko stared, and Katara tried to block the camera. Below the picture read, Avatar Aang directly after founding Republic City - Photo provided by his wife and soulmate, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe.
Asami couldn’t help but smile as she continued reading.
“-when he performed Firebending was when I usually noticed the biggest difference. Airbending and waterbending flowed naturally through him and earth, while more difficult, was taxing, but otherwise simple. Firebending, however, was fast and sharp. Even days away, I always knew when he was firebending. I could feel the heat in my fingers.
“Of course, it may have been my natural avoidance of firebending. Waterbending is much smoother, even if just as fast. The energy flows instead of jolts. I could just never get used to the suddenness of that sort of bending.”
Asami felt a chill run down her spine. I’ve felt both of those before. Her mind started racing. My soulmate isn’t… it couldn’t be…
Her father’s Satomobile pulled up, as if on cue. Hiroshi Sato - while quite loving - was not always a patient man, especially when pulled away from his job. Asami hopped right in, having to fumble with the seatbelt for her disarray.
“How was school?” her father asked. Behind his facial hair, Asami could see the beginnings of a warm smile that he always wore when speaking with her.
“Good,” she said, a little too quickly, but he didn’t notice.
“You got a new book!”
“Class reading.”
He laughed heartily. “You’ve never been a fan of those.” He pulled onto the highway. “What is it? A picture book? You know, when I was in secondary school-”
The story dulled to Asami’s ears. She gently ran her finger over the neatly stacked pages, choosing a random page to open to. Of course, there was nothing interesting, so she started flipping through until she found an article labeled What does bending feel like? in bold, goofy letters.
“Earthbending is surprisingly weightless. You feel a rush of energy to your muscles preparing for a heavy load, but the final effect is a mimic to the feeling when you lift large, empty boxes. It takes a lot of sturdy energy to move the earth - and thus must be provided by the bender.”
Even as she read, Asami could feel it. From somewhere far away, her soulmate was earthbending. The energy built in her limbs, tugs of motion that seemed to be shifting and throwing and tugging the very ground in which they stood. She was positive her soulmate was an earthbender. And a waterbender. And a firebender. Because her soulmate was the Avatar.
Asami flipped to the back of the book where two full pages bore paintings of Kyoshi and Roku. The next page displayed a photograph of Aang - smiling beside his wife and three young children. And finally, the current Avatar: Korra. The book was published about ten years previous and showed what must’ve been a four-year-old girl, dressed formally and giving the camera an enormous smile through squinted eyes and wild hair.
Avatar Korra.
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The longer Asami knew Korra, the more positive she became. During her Pro-bending tournaments, she watched the Avatar’s every move; every swipe and dodge and attack. While none of the attacks demonstrated the unaltered strength Asami was used to feeling, she was able to record each swipe with a flow of energy that she’d long-ago learned was the careful manipulation of waterbending. When they fought the equalists, she recognized the draining yet soothing glow of healing; the hot, fast strikes of fire; the robust, if not stubborn, hold of rock. Then, the day she faced her father, she felt something new: a freedom she’d never experienced before that seemed to emanate from her chest and raced down her arm, even faster than a strike of firebending.
Korra can airbend!
And, after a hurried trip back to Harbor City, as she sat worriedly in the living room of Katara’s home, she felt it; a burst of something that resembled adrenaline that pumped through her, straight from her feet to the top of her head and then outward. She felt the trademarks of all the elements racing through her. Earth grumbled, water redirected, fire obliged, and air… air seemed to tingle.
But Asami was not the Avatar. Asami was a normal human, not prepared for the surge that was the Avatar state, for no more than a few seconds could have passed before she felt herself reeling, burning from the inside out. She blinked and she was on her feet; took a breath and she was in the bathroom, gasping against the sink.
She didn’t hear the door open or close, but suddenly Katara was beside her, helping Asami find a seat on the ground against the wall. A blue glow encompassed her vision, followed by a soft chuckle from the elderly woman.
“The Avatar state is a natural defense mechanism and should not be toyed with. I stand to believe you agree?”
Asami nodded through quickly blurring vision. “H-How long?” she panted. “How long does it - does she-”
Katara shook her head. “I’m sure not much longer. She’s probably connecting to her Avatar Spirit. Can you feel anything else?”
“She has her bending back.”
A sigh of relief. “Thank the spirits.”
As the rush began to subside, Asami agreed with that statement. Almost as suddenly as it had happened, it was gone. She realized that she was lying limp on the freezing bathroom floor, sounds of concerned mumbling coming from the other room.
“I had a sneaking suspicion that Korra would meet her soulmate in Republic City.” Katara spoke softly as she continued to press water to Asami’s forehead, taking another bubble to rest over her chest. She wasn’t sure exactly what the healer was doing, but it seemed to be ebbing the rush and cooling her insides. “We always figured it would be a non-bender, because she never felt much. At least not the kind of shifts needed for bending.”
Asami tried to sit up but couldn’t force her arms to move. “She doesn’t know.” The sentence was a mere whisper, part exhausted, part afraid. “I don’t know when or how I’ll tell her, but she doesn’t know. And no one else does either.”
Katara allowed the water to return to the sink, helping Asami into a sitting position. “How long have you known?”
“I got the idea when I was 15.”
Silence ensued. Asami, starting to gain her strength, put her legs beneath her and stood up, with only the aid of the sink. She was about to exit when Katara’s gentle hand rested on her shoulder, urging her to address the aged waterbender. When she looked into her eyes, Asami saw the pure blue compassion that she’d read so many stories about - the stories about a woman who saved a village from drought, hunger, and plague, who defended Avatar Aang so many times, who always fought for the little guys. And in that moment, Katara gave Asami her first piece of advice.
“When you tell her, be direct. Korra has never been the patient riddler that everyone has wanted her to be.”
______________________________________________________________________________
When they found Korra, Asami was so relieved she cried. Of course, she hadn’t let anyone see it - especially when Korra ran straight to Mako’s arms - but she had been scared sick. As soon as Korra had gone missing after Mako had broken up with her, Asami had picked up some weird energy shifts from her. There was the moment when she was in a meeting where, in hindsight, she realized Korra was being attacked by a literal spirit. It’d been very fun explaining to her associates that she needed a moment to catch her breath because her fucking soulmate couldn’t get her life together. Then there were the several consecutive hours of a constant ache winding it’s way up Asami’s spine to settle in her forehead, leaving her praying for Katara’s healing touch. And when it all ended, of course it was with the flash of the Avatar state. Asami had literally not slept for two days.
Maybe that’s part of the reason she cried?
After reuniting with Mako and Bolin, Korra noticed Asami. As if by switch, her face fell. “You look terrible. What’s wrong?”
She met Korra’s eyes - her beautiful blue eyes that could put the very sky to shame in their vastness, even when etched with concern as they were. Knowing she didn’t want to complicate this more than it already was, Asami shook her head. “Nothing. My… my soulmate. They’re a bender, and for some reason, the last day has been nonstop.”
Korra’s frown turned to a grin as she wrapped an arm around Asami. “I like the sounds of this guy: a tireless, devoted bender! What kind?”
Wanting to avoid anyone getting the wrong idea, she blurted, “Water!”
“A waterbender! Perfect!” Korra squeezed her. “You two will be perfect! I’ve always thought that if you were a bender, it would be water. Now, I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out-”
Listening to Korra was like listening to a good song for the first time: you can’t tell heads from tails what the person is saying but spirits is it nice to listen to. So, nodding encouragingly, Asami allowed Korra to lead her away from the crowd and the excitement and back to her bed - where she could finally sleep, because Korra was finally safe and no longer fucking around with the Avatar state.
Asami began to drift off as soon as her head hit the pillow. However, a genius mind has it’s ways of conjuring one final thought before it’s owner falls fully unconscious. Being the Avatar’s soulmate isn’t nearly as cool as people make it out to be.
______________________________________________________________________________
If she’d had the energy, Asami would have laughed, because she remembered that night like she remembered the night of her first kiss, or how she remembered her father teaching her about Satomobiles. She remembered every action, every thought, every motivation and, less than a year later, she couldn’t believe she’d been stupid enough to think that that would be the worst it would get.
Because now, as she lay in total darkness, Asami could only pick up bits and pieces of the last few days. It came back to her in flashes: the Red Lotus was there, the strength was simultaneously rushing and draining from her limbs, her legs were heavy, and then it had started. She knew Korra was trying to resist for some reason, but the Avatar state took her by force and it didn’t stop. After only a minute Asami was rendered helpless, gasping on the floor. She couldn’t remember when she passed out but, from the sound of it, it was somewhere in the ten minutes that Korra had been fighting.
Beside her, Asami could Korra’s silhouette. They were sharing a room at Air Temple island for convenience - because it was easier to watch two terrible injuries at the same time, even if that was a lie. Asami wasn’t terribly injured - she was just experiencing a side effect. Korra was the unfortunate exception.
From her brief lapses of consciousness, Asami knew it wasn’t good. Korra couldn’t eat. Korra couldn’t use the bathroom. Korra couldn’t sit up. Korra could barely speak. She was paralyzed and it didn’t look like it was going to be able to be fixed in a few weeks or months.
Korra is lucky to be alive.
And the memory traced itself into Asami’s mind - another moment she would remember for the rest of her life; like how she remembered the night her mother died or the moment her dad betrayed her. Because she would never forget the moment she realized that she nearly lost her soulmate and best friend forever.
Her head was heavy and achy, her limbs made of lead, and this was the longest she’d been awake for three days. Asami felt the tears build in her throat and couldn’t contain a small sob in her despair.
“Asami?”
The voice was so weak and unrecognizable that Asami wouldn’t have registered it if it had been any other name.
“Korra,” she rasped, not sounding much better off. “Do you need someone?”
“No.” Asami felt Korra trying to move her arms. Normally, this wasn’t the case, but now, it seemed to take that much energy.
“Korra don’t move. You don’t have the strength.”
Korra sighed. “Asami, you haven’t moved. Why are you here? Did they… did they hurt you too?”
The lump in her throat condensed. “Korra, do you know what the Avatar state is?”
Weak, humorless laughter echoed off the walls. “I think so.”
Even now, Asami could hear her voice fading. She would need to be quick. “The Avatar state is when you take all the energy and experience from your past lives and use it to survive. That’s why we are both here now.”
Tension filled the air as Korra’s breathing hitched. “Asami I didn’t… while I was fighting… you didn’t get… I didn’t hurt…”
Asami felt the tightness in her own chest and quickly interfered. “Korra, stop. You didn’t hurt me. Let me finish talking. Take a few deep breaths and let me talk.” She didn’t hear Korra breath but the panic ebbed, so Asami continued. “The science behind bending the elements is much more detailed than I could ever understand, but in it’s most basic form, bending involves a good deal of energy. That is why people who are soulmates to benders have an easier time finding their soulmates than non-benders.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “In the Avatar state, you experience a powerful surge of energy that you, as a person who is fused with Raava, can thrive off of. But when you do this, your soulmate…” - she heard Katara’s advice in her head - “... me, your soulmate, experiences some of the consequences.” She paused, but Korra said nothing. “It was too much, so here I am.”
In the pitch black of the room, Asami had no way of measuring time. Once upon a time she could have counted fireflies or inhales, but the only thing that met her senses was silence. An eon could have passed and she would have had no way of knowing, yet somehow, her anxiety about the situation remained stagnant as she waited for Korra’s response, knowing it would someday come.
“You’re my soulmate?”
Asami nodded, realized Korra couldn’t see her, and spoke. “I’ve known for a long time. You’re too powerful of a bender for me not to. And if that’s not the icing on the cake, this kind of proves it. How long were you in the Avatar state?”
Korra’s answer seemed reluctant. “The entire time.”
And Asami laughed. “That about explains it. A minute knocks me out.”
“What does it feel like?”
Asami remembered. “At first, it’s the biggest rush you’ll ever have. Then it burns, and it only gets worse until it’s over.”
“I’m so sorry Asami.” Her voice was tight, merely an echo carried by the draft.
“Korra, I don’t care if you spend the rest of your life in the Avatar state, so long as you have that life to live.” She didn’t remember when she started crying. “We almost lost you. I have been waiting to tell you this for years and now here it is, at the crappiest part of our lives, because right now you are so damn lucky to be alive, and you can’t even argue with me. I can feel it, Korra. Your limbs are heavy, it hurts to breathe. Every last chakra and chi and whatever energy mumbo jumbo you want to call it has been touched, and here you are, still alive.”
Two beats - Asami was able to count it on her own rasping sobs.
“Well, if it makes you feel better, I bet I’ll mistake this all for a dream, so you can tell me again if I ever recover.”
Asami laughed as loud as she could - it wasn’t very loud. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that. I’ll tell you when you recover.”
“I’ll act surprised.”
“Thank you.”
______________________________________________________________________________
Three years - two and a half of recovery, six months of wandering, and a few extra months of general chaos. If given a calendar, Asami probably could have pinpointed the day the attack had happened, followed by the day she’d talked to Korra. Because in the last three years, that’s all her life seemed to be: counting days.
It was once every five days she sent Korra a letter, and once every three to seven letters that she got a response. It was once a day she felt Korra trying to walk at first, then it was twice a day. Then, finally, after two full years, it was feeling Korra fighting again - the greatest challenge being earthbending. It was the great relief that she knew, somewhere out there, Korra was coming back.
It was once a week she met with her CEO’s, once a day she tried to make time for her garage, at least three times a week that she ended up sleeping on the couch in her garage, and two times a day she would eat, if she was lucky.
The spirit world was a nice break - she wasn’t even sure time existed there, let alone responsibilities or distractions. Here it was only her and Korra - her soulmate. Sure, they hadn’t discussed it since that night three years ago, but the fact was undeniable, and even if Korra didn’t remember, Asami was positive the blue-eyed girl was crushing on her.
But now wasn’t the time to linger on that. Korra was circling her, stretching her well-muscled arms in a tactic Asami was sure was meant to distract her. She didn’t buy into it, focusing strapping the black glove properly on her wrist (it wasn’t her actual glove - it was just a mimic, but it would do the job just fine).
“You ready for the fight of a century?” Korra hollered.
Asami followed Korra’s movements, adding a grace she knew her beloved friend didn’t possess. She held out her glove. “Trust me, Avatar, by the end of this, you’re going to think the giant robot was child’s play!”
“How about you put some money where your mouth is and bet on it with me?” Korra basically howled.
Asami beamed. “Alright. What do you want if you win?”
Korra thought for a moment. “I want the famous pancake recipe you never stop talking about - the ones your mother used to make and the ones you make. They’re delicious and it’s not fair that you keep it a secret from all the rest of us.”
“Alright,” Asami agreed, flexing her gloved hand. “But if I win….” She paused, wondering what she could milk from this. “I will talk to you about engineering for three straight hours.”
“That’s a deal I can make.”
Without much warning, Korra shot a small gust of air at Asami. Of course, Asami felt the tingle in her fingers before the wind even left Korra’s. “Give me all you’ve got Avatar, I can take it!”
A long time ago, Korra would have immediately gone on the offensive. Now… well, she did the exact same thing. Some things just don’t change much, but Korra in real battle had learned a lot about defensive strategies. Now, however, Asami knew Korra would have to be as offensively on-point as possible, because she wasn’t training with just anyone.
A chill ran up Asami’s right arm; she dodged just in time to miss being caught in ice. Heat flared in her opposite hand; she easily missed the column of flames. All her limbs suddenly went tense; as Asami saw Korra aim for the ground, she danced to safety out of the way of the earthbending attack.
And, just like that, she was in front of Korra, her black glove resting over Korra’s heart. She smirked. “Fight of the century, you said?”
Korra glared at her suspiciously. “Okay, but how did you do that? It’s as if you knew all my attacks before I’d even executed them!”
“That’s the beauty, isn’t it? Of training with your soulmate?”
“Well, yeah,” Korra muttered, blush staining her cheeks. Asami’s heart fluttered. So she didn’t forget. “But I can’t do that! I get barely anything from you!”
She lifted Korra’s chin, feeling the need to rub it in her face, in every sense of the phrase. “I’d imagine it’s a bit easier to interpret sudden shifts through bending than normal movements, Korra. Besides, I’ve spent years recognizing your moves and how they feel. Give me some credit!”
Korra stared up at her, blue eyes playful but defiant. “I think I can win.”
Asami raised her brow, feeling a bit cocky. “How do you intend to do that, Ms. Avatar?”
And Asami felt the rush of energy to Korra’s chest right as Korra leaned up and, without hesitation, pressed a soft, lingering kiss to Asami’s cheek. Asami was shocked - partly because Korra was taking initiative, partly because since when was Korra so damn smooth?
Still red in the cheeks and gleaming in the eyes, Korra puffed her chest. “Good luck, Ms. Sato.”
Asami leaned down, cupping one side of Korra’s face as to make sure her aim was true. She met her lips to Korra’s in a way she knew to be intoxicating and lingering (from experience). “To you as well,” she whispered as she pulled away. She winked, turned, and prayed Korra was watching her hips as she strode away. By the little bit of drool on the girl’s mouth, Asami would assume that it had worked. So, flexing her glove-hand once more, she stretched her refreshed muscles and shouted, “Your move!”