DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Legend of Korra.
Even now, confronted with the spirit portal she had created and with Asami at her side, the Avatar failed to marvel at the power she possessed.
Korra never regretted the path she took, the winding road of forever that led her to the balcony of Air Temple Island. Almost four years ago she had barely been outside of the walls of the compound – and now, she felt like she had seen the entire world, felt the entire world. The pulsing spirit energy she could feel like a heat wave from Republic City, stronger now because of the new portal; the radiant light energy Raava filled her with, bursting at the seams and threatening to tear loose; the soft wind of a cool summer's evening and the sound of gentle peace, of love and happiness from the direction of Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding.
She still couldn't believe it was all over. Zaheer's poison and left her sluggish and weak. The world left her behind as Kuvira took over the mantle of bringing stability – handing the world over from a failure to a dictator. For the first time in three years, the world had paused and allowed her a moment of peace. The truth admist all the pain and loss – that she could be happy, she deserved to be happy.
At the beginning of her journey, all Korra wanted was to explore – to find herself and airbending in this new world Aang had entrusted to her. But she had found a lot more. Friendship and enemies; love and conflict; violence and rare moments of quiet. She had grown from the young woman she used to be, that could not be denied. If she were to look back and see who she used to be, she would not recongnize herself.
Brash, needy and all rough edges, swelling beyond the confines of her home, rebellious, loud, sarcastic. A fighter. Korra doubted the old her would've leapt in front of the mechagiant's superweapon and saved Kuvira. The old her wouldn't hesitate to put the dictator in the way of the superweapon's trail herself. The thought almost made her sick.
If there was one thing she had learned beyond all doubt, it was the world wasn't drawn black and white but painted in shades of grey. The problems she faced with her enemies arose when she attempted to categorise them as good or bad; but the truth was, often their were neither. Korra still remembered the emptyness, the cold thumb pressed down on her forehead to steal away she had taken for herself like she was looking through a mirror. The realisation that she had found what she had been looking for but lost everything else. The invisible scars running across her heart where Raava had been forcibly removed and destroyed into a thousand tiny pieces and dissolved. The knowledge that she was now alone, her past lives finally put to rest. The lead in her veins, weighing her down for three years. The vision of her old enemies taunting her to finally give up, to surrender.
Had she let go? No, she had held on with both hands and ridden the bumpy ride until its inevitable end.
And that adventure had led her here. A new person, a changed person. A woman who would leap ahead of her enemy to save her from her own creation. A woman who would learn from her mistakes and vow to do better. A woman who would live on despite the misfortunes of her past. A woman who would live and strive to protect life, no matter who it belonged to.
Korra was proud of herself.
Silently, she reached out and took Asami's hand, and squeezed lightly. It wasn't a proclamation of love but of appreciation. Maybe it was her way of saying, “Thank you for everything. For being there for me. For believing me. For fighting at my side.” Whatever it was, Asami seemed to understand because she held on tight, like she would never let go.
Together, they marched forward into the light of the portal. For Korra, the transportation was normal; the fading of one world into another. It was entirely different matter for Asami, who gazed in wonder at the swirl of colours surrounding them as they moved into a new world.
Laughing playfully at her reaction, Korra turned Asami to face her. Words she had hoped to say died on her lips and she gazed into her friends eyes. Not as a romantic gesture but as a friendly one, Korra reached for Asami's other hand and held it tightly in her own.
“I can't have done this without you,” was communicated wordlessly between them. Korra smiled, content with the love of her friends at her side.
The world had changed – is changing. Kuvira wasn't the first to take advantage of the shift and she wouldn't be the last. Toph was the one who had finally managed to make Korra see that no matter how hard she tried to restore peace, something would always break the balance and throw the world into chaos.
But that never meant she should stop trying.
Korra had faced the challenges of today. She had learned and grown from them, like any good Avatar should. Now brave and unflinching, she would face the challenges of tomorrow.
The Legend of Korra finale was amazing. I had the urge to write this after watching it (around midnight), mostly because I was so full of feels and I had no idea what to do. This is my way of honouring Korra's journey. If you liked this story, please vote and comment. Thank you.
