Chapter 45

Korra felt guilty when she realised her mistakes.

Chen had been right about her; she was a fool.

Having accepted the reality, she decided to kick out her uncle and his troops out of her tribe. She would trust her own judgement. No one would tell her what to do anymore. Not even the first Avatars.

Her uncle was just a manipulative man who didn't allow her room for thinking. Before she's the Avatar, she's a person with feelings and a home to protect. Just because she's the Avatar, she won't stand aside and let people tell her what to do. At least, when her parent and the previous teacher decided for her, they did it to protect her. They didn't say that she was the Avatar. They did it because she was Korra.

But before dealing with her uncle, she had to find Chen first and apologise to him. She thought he would be disappointed in her, and he had d all the right.

Korra lowered her head as she walked down the streets, heading to Asami's yacht.

Thinking again, she remembered that Chen wasn't an emotional man. He wouldn't take her seriously.

The only thing he'd ever done was smile in manners, or stay silent. There were only two times she had seen him showing any emotion.

Once, when an earthbender had ruined Chen's perfect knockout streak. The other time was when he beat up Amon.

The only thing he showed was frustration and revenge.

As for Asami, he only showed love and skill. That is what Asami had told her.

Thinking about it again, she felt jealous. Asami was getting good treatment from the man she liked.

Not to mention, she liked Asami as well. She had realised that when Chen had joked with her.

Whenever she's between them, she would get a few bad images. Well, she was bisexual after all. Chen had helped her realise that with his bad joke. Did he have to make her think about her sexuality?

Korra suddenly crashed against someone. She felt a tickle when two boobs hit above her. When she lifted her head, she saw Asami, looking left and right. The brunette was quite taller, so she had yet to notice Korra. Asami lowered her head and noticed Korra.

"What's wrong, Asami?" Korra said, seeing her friend looking anxious.

"Korra. Thanks to the spirit that I saw you." Asami said, her eyes seemed dry. "Chen! Have you seen him?"

Korra shook her head. "No. Wasn't he in the yacht with you?"

"He was," Asami said. "When I woke up this morning, he wasn't next to me. I asked the staff of the ship, and they didn't see him. Someone said that he flew to the sky. Chen hadn't come back, and I haven't heard from him.

"At first, I thought that he came to you since you two seemed to get on bed term last time. With all of these spirits around, I felt anxious."

"Hold on." Korra blinked twice. "How long has it been?"

When Asami said that Chen left, Korra's heart started beating anxiously. She didn't like how things had ended up between them last time, and she wanted to make things right. But now that he was gone and missing, she didn't know how to feel. She felt that something bad happened to him.

"I don't know. But I know that Chen would never leave without telling me, not without informing me." Asami sniffed, a little tear falling from her left eye. "I feel worried. Something wrong must happen, that's why he left. The only time he got behind my back, he said that he didn't bring me so I wouldn't be exposed to danger. He must be in danger."

Seeing that Asami was holding herself from crying, Korra opened her arms and joined her in a hug.

When they had ambushed the equalists together, Chen didn't want to bring Asami and went behind her back.

That's right, Chen would never leave without telling her, unless he's concerned for Asami's safety.

But this time, he didn't come to her. He went alone. He must be in danger.

"Korra, I've been looking for you." Said a familiar voice. Korra turned her head. Her uncle was walking slowly toward her, breathing heavily. She could feel his energy, and he seemed to be very weak. Unalaq seemed to barely have the power to move.

"Uncle. What's happened to you?" asked Korra.

Breathing heavily, he said. "My soul has been damaged, and I lost most of my power. It would need me a long time to recover my Chi."

"How could this happen?" she asked.

"Chen…" Unalaq said, looking into Korra's face.

Korra opened her eyes widely, and so did Asami.

"Chen! Where is he?"

Taking a deep breath, Unalaq said. "Chen had been sealed by an evil spirit. He'd gone to fight it alone. When I sensed something wrong, I sent my soul to the spirit world. Chen was there, fighting like a hero to stop an ancient evil. However, to do that, he caused himself to be sealed, and he sealed the spirit in the tree of time."

Breathing heavily, Unalaq continued. "Now, Chen is sealed in the second portal. Only the Avatar can retrieve him. I tried to, but I was harmed as you see."

"What? Chen is sealed." Korra put her hands on her mouth, her eyes getting wide open.

For a moment, her mind went blank.

"He only has a few hours to die," Unalaq said with sympathy in his voice.

Memories of her and Chen spending time together flashed, how first they met, how she formed a crush on him, and how then they started teaming up against the equalists. After that, they started hanging out.

The chain of memories ended up with her acting like a jerk toward him, calling him an ass and telling him that he'd brain damage for telling her the truth.

She thought of it. The reason he'd said that to her was that he cared, she believed.

Asami had always said that Chen never tells his emotions. He only shows by action.

Now that she realised that, she felt a huge amount of guilt.

She hugged Asami tighter.

Asami's body lost power. Korra could feel the weight of the bigger girl falling on her.

"No... No. He can't die. We're just about to start a family. My fiancee… can't be dead…" she said, sobbing. "I lost my mother, and I can't lose him too. He's half of my family."

Asami's tears fell on Korra's shoulders.

Korra felt that it was her fault. If she'd reacted better when Chen told her about her weakness, Chen wouldn't have gone alone to seal whatever ancient evil her uncle called.

"The only way to retrieve him is for you to go and open the second portal. Once you get inside the first portal, you would see the evil ancient sealed. You should go to the second portal and open it, only then you can find Chen." Unalaq said.

Korra could suppress her emotions as her uncle gave her hope.

"We can save him."

"Yes…" Unalaq replied, nodding firmly. Korra wouldn't have to trust him after he'd invaded her home. But seeing the pathetic state he was in, she believed him.

"Shouldn't we heal you first?"

"I would appreciate that."

"No, there isn't time." Asami held Korra's shoulders and looked dead into her eyes. She pleaded. "You must save Chen. You hear me. You must save him."

"I promise." Korra held Asami's hand with her hands. She hugged that hand closer, assuring Asami.

Asami nodded firmly. "Thank you, Korra."

"Now, let's get your fiancee free."

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