Chapter Fourteen

Aimi

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"Run!" Bolin yelled. I ran as fast as I could. "You're going to die!"

"Well I'm sorry for not mastering flying!" I yelled back at him.

"Careful!" Mako yelled, grabbing my hand as I skid past them, trying to stop.

"Forget them!" Bolin yelled. "They have Korra!"

'I can see that!" I yelled back. "Chief Beifong is on it!"

"Lin is not on it! Lin is about to jump off the ceiling!" Bolin said.

"My bad! Chief, no go!" I yelled into the radio.

"Go? Got it!"  She said back.

"No! I yelled. "No go! "No go!" I whipped around, shaking Bolin. "Get a shot at Combustion Woman's third eye! It'll stun her for a few minutes."

"I can't do this!" Bolin gripped his hair. "I can't get a shot at her head!"

"We're screwed," I groaned. Mako pointed at the dome above.

"They've jumped."

"They've jumped," I smacked Bolin's head. "They've jumped. You can do this, or you'll never see Lin and Suyin again!"

An explosion rattled our bones closeby. I ducked as lava started pooling around us.

"Get back!" I pushed against their chests with a gust of wind as the lava almost skimmed our ankles. "Now, Bolin, now!"

Bolin aimed and I prayed to the Lord above.

Please, let it hit the mark.

And then Combustion woman looked up and saw Suyin and Lin, coming down towards them.

Twenty-four hours earlier. . .

"Practice makes perfect," Tenzin said, patting my shoulder. I flinched away from his touch.

"I'm done practicing. I think it's perfect enough."

"Stop being such a lamebrain!" Meelo shouted from the side. "You gotta practice even if it's perfect."

Out of nowhere, I saw Opal approach us. There was a panicked look on her face. "Tenzin, Korra's in trouble."

I watched as Tenzin's face turned white. "What's wrong?"

"Mom wants you to bring her to Zaofu as soon as you can."

"But what is it?"

"Zaheer has been plotting to kidnap Korra. He keeps blocking her spiritual connection. There's something wrong."

"Get the next ship ready. If she can keep her safe, then that's where she's going to have to go. I'm going to send Lin a message," Tenzin said, walking away from me, taking long strides.

"Can I come, too?" I asked. Zaofu was a powerful place and I'd always wanted to go there. It was so protected, it was almost impossible to break in. "I can help."

Opal nodded. "Come on. We have to tell Korra."

Tenzin stayed behind. Korra met us outside, Lin Beifong coming to meet us as soon as Tenzin called. Mako was right behind her, Raiden next to him. Rai was working with Mako now, down at the police station for a change while I mastered airbending. In my mind, it was already mastered; but obviously not in Tenzin's. Airbending was getting too easy.

But I just couldn't airbend the way air nomads had done their whole life.

"I came as soon as I heard," a voice I recognized as Asami's said. "Suyin's right. Zaofu is the safest place Korra can be right now."

But wasn't the Avatar running?

She was escaping. Why wouldn't she fight back if Zaheer ever attacked?

"He's different. I can feel it."

Maybe he was different. Maybe this time, Korra couldn't face him head on.

We boarded the airship, and then we were off towards Zaofu.

~

"You'll be safe here," Suyin said to Korra.

"I know," Korra looked away with a frown. "I just can't help but feel like I'm running."

"You're not running, Korra," Suyin assured her. "The world needs you right now. Zaheer, on the other hand, wants to destroy you and take your life. That's why our duty is to protect you until we find a way to take him down together."

"He wants to end the Avatar cycle," Mako explained to me. "He's been trying to get at Korra for the past few weeks, now, and it's sad to say that he's gotten very close."

I nodded, but I still didn't understand. She was the master of all four elements. Why couldn't she take him down if he was just an airbender?

"He has these strange rituals," Mako said. "He stole an artifact from the Temple when he came last time. It must've been really important, because he made sure he took it with him when he left. And, just like you," Mako said with a smile, "he was very, very strong. Unlike you; very balanced."

"Hey!" I nudged him. "I'm balanced now."

"I'm talking about when he first got here. You can't just show up as a new airbender and be perfect at everything."

I shrugged, crossing my hands over my chest, shifting my weight onto one leg. "I like Suyin."

"Who doesn't," Mako said, mimicking my posture.

"Huan, show our guests their rooms," Suyin smiled. Huan, her son, the one with the long dark hair shaved off one side of his scalp and a gloomy aura, rolled his eyes. "Follow me," he gestured. "Don't touch my art."

"You mean the scraps of metal?" I raised an eyebrow.

He scowled at me. "I mean art."

As the walked away, Opal introduced me to her lovely mother. "This is Aimi," she said as I bowed. "She's my roommate."

"You're an airbender too?" Suyin smiled. "You don't know how proud I was of my daughter when I found out. I mean, I was before, too," she laughed. "You've met Huan, right?"

"The artist?" I said. "Yeah."

"These are Wing and Wei, the twins of the family." Wing and Wei smiled from behind her, giving me a wave. They were literally perfect. I mean their smiles, their hair, shape, eyes, face . . . Perfect earth benders. I actually smiled back at them.

"Four?" I whistled. "How did you handle them? I mean, Opal's already a handful," I grinned. Opal raised her eyebrows.

"Hey!"

Suyin and I laughed. "Actually, we've got a fifth. Bataar Junior. He was named after my husband. Unfortunately, he's not here. He's always knee deep in 'important stuff'." She rolled her eyes. Seemed like they weren't very close.

"We were just about to eat," Wing said.

"Would you like to join us?" Wei asked.

I nodded. "That would be great."

I realized that maybe the whole 'eat healthy' thing ran in airbender families, because I got spinach and a few other plants in my plate that I couldn't identify.

"This is delicious," I lied.

"Mom know when you're lying," Opal whispered, and Suyin laughed. Mako and Raiden joined us, leaving an empty spot for Bolin.

"I don't think he's going to show up," Opal said. "He'll probably be eating junk food from the stash undercuts bed."

"He's got a stash under his bed?" Mako asked surprised.

"How would you know if he had a stash under his bed?" I said. "Didn't he just get here?"

Her face turned pink.

"Unless you helped him with it when you disappeared, leaving me alone with Suyin. No offense," I smiled sweetly.

"None taken," she shrugged it off.

"Stop showing off your deductive skills right now, Aimi," Raiden smirked. "You haven't even taken a bite."

"Neither have you," I shot.

"Children, settle down," Suyin clicked a fork against her thin glass. "Are you all two years old?"

"Nineteen," Mako and Raiden corrected in unison.

"Seventeen," I said a little too late.

"You're seventeen?" They asked at the same time.

"What's so bad about seventeen?"

"I'm seventeen," Opal interjected. "Stop picking on her."

"You're so young," Raiden teased.

"It's only two years!" I leaned over the table. A smile still played on his lips, almost reflecting off Mako's.

"Sure. That's a super small gap."

♤♤♤

"Close all the domes," Suyin instructed. "Make sure the guards are all in position for the night. We need people on the lookout everywhere." She turned to Korra. "Rest. You need it."

She did. Korra had bags under her eyes that I'd just noticed, but looked like they'd been there for days. She yawned. "I do need it." She said goodnight and retreated to her room.

"Night, Opal," I said.

She smiled. "Good night. If you need anything, I'm next door. And Mako and Bolin are on the other side."

I nodded. "Thanks."

I curled up under the sheets, stretching. The pillows were as soft as clouds,and I literally sank into the sheets. I probably dozed off immediately because the next thing I heard was shouting. Loud shouting.

"They've got Korra!"

I threw my covers off, running in my shift towards the door and throwing it open. There, in their undershirts and short pants stood Mako and Bolin. They started to run. Asami's door flew open and, for a second, dazed, she stopped, looking around. She looked so elegant even in the middle of the night with a long purple night dress on. I felt oddly self conscious as I looked down at my loose, white shift. The feeling only last a second when Asami pointed towards Mako and Bolin's disappearing figures.

"They've got Korra?"

"No idea," I said. "Follow them."

We started to run full speed towards doors that lead outside, zigzagging through the hallways.

Mako burst through the doors as Raiden joined us. Lin and Suyin appeared, rubbing their eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"They've taken Korra," Mako said, disappearing. Lin followed him.

"But. . . But that's impossible," Suyin said softly, her green eyes worried.

"Nothing is," I raised my eyebrows. "Come on."

Her kidnappers turned out to be a waterbender, firebender, and earthbender. There was no sign of Zaheer.

"He's here," I said under my breath. I could feel my stomach churn. "I can feel the spiritual energy."

Mako pushed my head down as a rock flew over me. "Be careful."

I swiped my leg, knocking the earthbender with long, oily hair over. He was the one holding Korra. "Careful!" Mako stood up, and was whipped across the cheek with water. Wing and Wei hid behind a metal plate that Suyin bended in front of us.

"You okay?" I asked, peering at the wound, his hand pressed over his face.

"Fine." Mako turned to Lin. "There's no way we can get her from here."

Suyin approached as, ducking, as pieces of metal started to fly as our metalbenders fought against them. "Zaheer is here. He's holding a few of our soldiers off."

Asami and Raiden appeared behind us, hiding behind the plate too.

"Are you two okay?" Mako furrowed his eyebrows. I was beginning to think I misunderstood Mako. He didn't specially care for anyone; he cared for everyone. That was just his personality. He was just 'mommy Mako'. Something must've led him to be like this.

"We're okay," Asami said, a little breathless.

"There's nowhere safe right now," Raiden said, his hands over his head. He got to his feet, punching fire masterfully, and then crouched low again.

Mako turned back to the scene as Bolin bended a protective layer of rock we could hide behind. I got up, thrusting my palm out and slamming them with a gust of heavy air. The waterbender with water whips for arms coughed. They started to run, but they were surrounded.

"Drop the Avatar!" Suyin ordered, twisting her arms and electrically jerking them as she bended large, metal plates to cover them from either side. Korra seemed lifeless, hanging limp on the earthbender's shoulder.

Everything quieted down.

"We got them?" I whispered. Suddenly, something hot began creeping out from beneath the plates. I felt it before I saw it.

"He's lavabending?" Bolin gushed. "That's awesome!" Mako shot him a look, "-ly not good for us."

A guard, one I heard Suyin call 'Kuvira', bended a metal bridge across to the little island they'd formed amidst the lava moat.

"Don't speak to soon," Lin said to me. "Now we're screwed."

The plates burst apart and Kuvira shielded her face as scraps flew everywhere. A new person stood in the middle of the island.

The bald guy. Zaheer.

"I'll form cover," Zaheer said, raising his staff. He started to spin it, but Kuvira thrust her arm out and a cable wrapped around his hands, stopping him from hiding himself.

"There's one way to do this," Suyin said. "If you can distract them long enough, Lin and I can come down from that dome," she pointed at the high, high ceiling, "and take Korra back." She handed us a small radio. "Give us the go when you're ready."

Mako nodded as Lin and Suyin turned around, making their way up the dome. Wing and Wei grabbed cables, following them, leaving me, Asami, Raiden, Mako, and Bolin to defend.

"I'm going to distract them," I said bravely, getting to my feet. I started running, waving my arms and calling out names as all eyes turned towards me. Oh, shoot. 

"Run!" Bolin yelled. I ran as fast as I could. "You're going to die!"

"Well I'm sorry for not mastering flying!" I yelled back at him.

"Careful!" Mako yelled, grabbing my hand as I skid past them, trying to stop.

"Forget them!" Bolin yelled. "They have Korra!"

'I can see that!" I yelled back. "Chief Beifong is on it!"

"Lin is not on it! Lin is about to jump off the ceiling!" Bolin said.

"My bad! Chief, no go!" I yelled into the radio.

"Go? Got it!"  She said back.

"No! I yelled. "No go! "No go!" I whipped around, shaking Bolin. "Get a shot at Combustion Woman's third eye! It'll stun her for a few minutes."

"I can't do this!" Bolin gripped his hair. "I can't get a shot at her head!"

"We're screwed," I groaned. Mako pointed at the dome above.

"They've jumped."

"They've jumped," I smacked Bolin's head. "They've jumped. You can do this, or you'll never see Lin and Suyin again!"

An explosion rattled our bones closeby. I ducked as lava started pooling around us.

"Get back!" I pushed against their chests with a gust of wind as the lava almost skimmed our ankles. "Now, Bolin, now!"

Bolin aimed and I prayed to the Lord above.

"Come on, Bolin," Raiden whispered, cringing.

Please, let it hit the mark.

And then Combustion woman looked up and saw Suyin and Lin, coming down towards them.

And it hit her right in the third eye. She fell back, stunned. Lin grabbed Korra as Suyin punched the lights out of Combustion Woman and the earth and waterbender. Zaheer whipped out his staff and started to soar upwards towards Lin, who was retreating with Suyin, Korra in hand. She dodged him, barely making it as his fingers brushed her ankle. I grabbed Mako's arm.

Suyin bended metal spikes, aiming them towards Zaheer's staff. They ripped through the cloth and he went hurtling donward. He let out a frustrated yell as he reached the ground.

"We have failed," he said. Then he created a twister of air around them, mixed with flecks of dust and dirt that made it impossible to see anything. I pressed my eyes to Mako's coat to shield them, and he covered his with the back of his gloved hand. My hair whipped around, clothes rippling. And then all fell silent.

We looked up. They were gone.

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Long chapter, huh? :) You're welcome. Be sure to comment and vote! Please, it really helps.

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