ruler of her heart, KORRA

𝟬𝟬𝟰 So Close Yet So Far

── 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕.

[ 004 ] SO CLOSE YET SO FAR
❝Ugh, you reek of nicotine. You smoke?❞

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

 AFTER LEARNING THEIR NEXT DESTINATION, Sanyu took to the skies, her glider catching the cool night breeze as she soared above the bustling streets of Republic City. Below her, Naga was carrying Mako and Korra on her back through the avenues. The city was alive with its usual hum──signs flickering, steam vents hissing, and the occasional call of a street vendor still hawking their wares.

 Sanyu grinned to herself, enjoying the sensation of flight. If only every mission could feel this freeing. But her moment of peace was cut short when Naga suddenly surged forward, her nose catching a new scent.

 "Whoa! Naga, slow down!" Korra's voice carried up to Sanyu, but the polar bear dog wasn't listening. She barreled around a corner, nearly sending a food cart flying, her sights locked on a darting blur of red fur ahead.

 From above, Sanyu squinted to get a better look. The blur stopped for a brief moment──perching on a streetlight──and then she heard Mako yell, "That's Pabu!"

 Pabu? Sanyu had heard of Bolin's infamous fire ferret but had never seen the little guy up close. Intrigued, she dove closer, her glider folding neatly as she landed on the street just in time to see Naga skid to a halt. The giant bear dog sniffed curiously at the ferret, who slid down the pole and fearlessly touched noses with her. Pabu, as if claiming his victory, then scrambled onto Mako's shoulder, where he perched smugly.

 "Cute," Sanyu muttered, though her amusement was short-lived.

 "We gotta hurry," Mako said with urgency in his tone. He adjusted Pabu on his shoulder as his eyes scanned the streets.

 The night sky stretched above them, foggy and muted, with the bright moon partially obscured by wispy clouds. Sanyu cast one last, longing glance upward. For a fleeting moment, she wished things weren't so dangerous. She'd have loved to sit atop a skyscraper, watching the sunrise with the wind howling in her ears and the city sprawled out below her.

 But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. Adjusting her glider, she soared toward their next destination, and landed lightly in front of the Triple Threat Triad headquarters. Her boots touched the pavement with a soft thud before folding her glider in one smooth motion, gripping it like a staff at her side.