New Era New opritunity chap 17

Chap 17

Katara scowled. “After so many years all you ever spit is poison.”

“So many years!?” Azula questioned with Korra still slumped on her shoulder.
“Maybe for you, I lost that time remember!”

Azula could see her enemies’ eye’s rolling from the light of the full moon that was out. It was odd looking at her, time had apparently not been kind if the stooped back and wrinkles had anything to say.
“Stop it, you know you did not come close to paying for your crimes!”

“My crimes!?” Azula said angered seeming to forget Korra was there and not noticing her pained mumbling.

“I never did any more then…” She stopped herself and took a breath. “you really can hold a grudge cant you? I am not wasting my time with you, no more then I have already wasted because of you.”

“I didn’t mean for to be woken up.” Katara admitted. “I thought you would be frozen forever.”

Azula smirked. “You know now one is watching now. You can just say you wanted me dead.” She mocked.  “Speaking of with where is your normal mob, those White Lotus guards seem to be useful.”

“They are where they need to be to stay safe.” Katara shot back

Azula smirked again. “Oh you mean you could not explain to them what was going without them thinking you finally succumbed to your age, or you don’t want to see what you’re going to do?” Azula accused.

Katara got into a ready stance her baggy blue water tribe similar to one she had before. “I am not a killer, unlike you!”

Azula actually laughed. “Is that what you have told yourself!? You still are quite pathetic. You want me dead and yet you refuse to say that you killed me well that’s quite the challenge isn’t it?”

“I am willing to try.” Katara said sternly bring her hands up, Azula could see that they where lightly shaking.
“Hmp” Azula noted as she took in her surroundings. They where on a grassy slop between the beach about 50 yards aback and the edge of the temple about 50 yards behind Katara. She could see no pools of water for the peasant to draw from but she knew it would not matter with a full moon out. She would have to think carefully.

‘I need to move quickly so she does not pin me down, and I will-‘

“Azula…” Korra pleaded finally getting through. Azula broke from her battle plans and looked to see the fearful gaze of Korra looking back at her.
“Can we just go inside…” Korra pleaded. Azula stared at her shocked, not seeming to understand what she was saying.
“You…want me to just…walk away?” Azula questioned astonished.

Korra nodded. “Just for the night please, we can sort it out tomorrow.”

Azula looked at her for another moment dumb struck but then the memory of the terrified pained scream that Korra let out not even an hour ago came back and she was filled with concern before closing her eye’s and nodding.

Korra let out a sigh of relief as Azula gave one more defiant stare to her old foe, before turning to walk along the side of the hill and around Katara.

“Where are you taking her?!” Katara demanded.

“As much As I would like to finish where we left off…” Azula shouted with out looking back. “ you know when you where not old, but I have to get Korra to where she can lie down, she has had a rough night.”

“What did you do to her!” Katara accused.

“I-“ Azula paused a terribly brilliant idea coimg to mind. She glanced briefly over  to Korra and buried the bad feeling that she had about her idea. She may not be able to physically attack the peasant tonight, but she could still hurt her
“I didn’t do anything to my Girlfriend.” Azula said boldly. “Nor would I Because I love her.”

She turned away just as Katara, and Korra gave a loud gasp.. “Hey, it is true.” Azula said quietly. She saw Korra frown out of the corner of her eye but ignored it. ‘She will not control everything I do just by looking at me sadly.’

She pulled out of her thoughts as she tried and failed to lift up her right foot. The action nearly sent her falling over but she managed to catch herself before she fell. Looking down she saw her boot and leg up to her knee was frozen solid.

“Is there no limit to what you will say to get what you want!” Korra said disgusted.

Azula patience thinned and Korra could tell from the way she pleaded again to just walk away. Finally Azula relented and she made a ball of fire with her free had and slammed down other leg.
“usually not.” Azula smugly. The ice broke easily, as always, and after a deep breath she kept walking.  “But I’m not lying this time.”

“Azula always lies.” Katara jabbed.
Korra gasped. “hmp, what you thought I was kidding when I told you about that.” Azula countered.
“No its just I thought… I don’t know, can we pleases just get to our room.” Korra begged. Azula nodded and kept walking
‘Fine Korra  we will talk about it tomorrow, and I will wait until tomorrow. A nice bright sun will be out and I can finish the peasant off even easier.’

Her plan was broken when a whip of water grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her to the ground dragging her back. She worriedly looked up and saw Korra being caught by a cushion of water. Relieved she dealt with the whip with a kick and a twist and was on her feet.

Azula quickly glanced around looking for a source but found nothing. A quick glance to her foe revealed that she did not even have her water skin. Azula knew this was familiar but could not think of when she had been in this situation before.
She watched the peasant wave her arms and suddenly there was a block of ice flying from seeming nowhere right in front of her. It hit her in the chest and sent her back to the ground, the wind knocked out of her.

‘she is desperate.’ Azula thought to her self. Now remembering that when the peasant was desperate she could take water from nearly anything. Jumping back to her feet she looked around at the grass hill slope she was standing on and braced for impact.

Katara kept up her attacks from all direction with a surprising amount of strength and a few new tricks that Azula had not seen before. She was put on the defensive and had to constantly stop the attacks there coming from all angles. On onlooker would sense desperation in her as they watched blue fire vaporize water, just to have reform again into a sold block of ice.

An onlooker would be wrong. Even as she was knocked off her feet for the second time, Azula knew she was wining. She knew she was winning even before this battle started.
Katara was old, Azula was not, and Azula could tell. The attacks, though some new, where slower then she remembered and getting slower. Azula knew all she had to do was wait just a little longer.

Barely three minutes into the fight, Katara’s attacks stopped for the briefest moment and Azula saw her opening and sent a wave of fire waist height in arch towards the peasant. Katara blocked what would have hit her but it was to late as Azula continued her attack with balls of fire. Katara was forced to step backwards as the ground around her became brown with the dead plants she was forced to find more.

Finally Azula grinned wickedly as she saw Katara stumble and fall and letting out a brief cry of pain. She paused briefly waiting to see if Katara would get back up but after a feeble attempt it seemed unlikely.

It seemed to be too easy a victory as Azula slowly approached her hurt foe. She was cautions and was waiting for any trick that could be unleashed. But there was nothing. Until she was in arms reach and Katara attempted one last attack and made a spike of ice come out of grass. Azula twisted around in and with one hand melted trough it as she lashed out with her leg and hit Katara in the shoulder. Katara cringed and held her shoulder.

Azula stood right over the peasants and took amount to look around. “it sure was a good idea of you to come alone against me.” She mocked.

“I have to keep them safe.” Katara answered bitterly..”

Azula looked down and shot her a malice grin. “How did that work you?”
Katara scowled, not giving an answer.

“I have been waiting a long time for this.” Azula said raising her arm and creating a ball of blue fire. “Though technically not as long as you.”

Azula felt the elation that came only to prey that had finally decided to fight its hunter, and had won. Memories of months of starvation, running,  hiding, and fighting for her life fueled her fire. Before she had always held back the finale blow out of a vain hope that it would all end if she played nice. But that was decades ago and forgotten as she stood over her foe.

The weight of a full body falling on her back, nearly made her fall on said foe and she felt a strong hand grab the wrist that was raised high in the air. The familiarity of the body pressed against her stopped her natural reaction to throw it off.

“Azula…” Korra pleaded her warm breath washing of Azulas ear getting her full attention. “This will not keep you out of a cell.”

Azula struggled against the hand hiding her wrist, as she watched the shocked expression of her foes face.
“How dare you!” Azula shouted angrily. Korra did not let go as Azula struggled though. “You have no Idea what this peasant put me through!”
“Yes I do, you told me remember!” Korra shot back. “I cant help you if you do this.” She even leaned lower and kissed Azula neck “Please…for me.”

Azula closed her eyes and finally relented, she refused to ackonlge the possibility that Korr was right even as she let Korra pull her arm to her side. Though she did hate every second of it. She turned so when she opened her eye’s she was looking away from the peasant. Unwilling to look again at how close she had gotten.

 She felt Korra kiss the side of her neck again and heard a ‘thank you’, she ignored both and simply readjusted Korra to carry her again. She left without saying anything or looking back, to the dumbstruck Katara.

They went quietly to their room encountering no one, and hearing nothing until they reached the bed an Azula let Korra down with a mix of a sigh and groan. Korra squired on the bed for a moment trying to get comfortable as Azula sat on the side lost in her thoughts.

‘I had her…I HAD HER!’ She thought bitterly. ‘Korra should have just stayed out of the way she had no idea what he was doing!’ As she thought more she became more angry until finally an idea took hold of her.

‘Its just as I feared, she is a hindrance…a weakness.’ She thought, putting aside the regret she was feeling about it. ‘If she is going to hold me back then she has to go.’ She told herself sternly.

Deciding on what had to be done she took a deep breath, but still could bring herself to look at Korra as she spoke. “Korra we need to talk about-“

For the second time that night she was interrupted by a body falling down on her, this time though Korra simply wrapped her arms around her neck and shoulders and held her tight.

“I’m sorry.” Korra said surprising her. “I know it was cruel to bring up your cell, but I knew it would get through to you.” She said Kissing her neck again.

Azula’s certainly left her as Korra pressed against her back. “I suppose it did work.” She said dropping her head in defeat to rest on Korra’s arm. “But why did you stop me?” she asked bitterly. “You even said you knew what she did.”

She felt Korra frown against her neck. “Because I grew up with Katara, and even though it hurt me to hear so…so hateful. I knew what you where going to do would mean I would lose you both.”

She picked her head of Azula’s neck and used one hand to turn Azula’s head directly towards her, They close enough so Azula could feel Korra’s breath on her and see the resolve in her eye’s. “But I will not regret or take back what I did, no matter what you or Katara tell me, got it.” Korra said definitely.

Azula always loved Korra’s defiant nature and even this situation was no exception. “Ok.” She muttered, before closing the distance and kissing her. Korra returned it, and they both stayed like that for a few moments before Korra broke off with a wince and went back to resting on Azula back, her arms around Azula neck.

“Are you ok?” Azula asked remembering just how bad the night had been for Korra.

Korra sighed. “Everything still hurts.” she gowned. “But that’s not what I want to talk about.”
“What is?” Azula asked turning her head so that she could see Korra’s face concerned.
“Its what you said…that you loved me.” Korra said bring her arms more around Azula neck.
“I thought you knew that already.” Azula questioned.

“Well yeah. but you’ve never said it, you just kinda Azulaed your way around it.” She said her arms getting tighter.

“Azulaed?” Azula questioned.

Korra laughed lightly. “Yeah you know more actions, les word, and denying it as you kiss me.”
“Yeah well…I find actions to be better in some situations.” Azula defended. “Where you happy to hear it then?”

“I was…” Korra said in a way that made a red flag go up. It was just how Azula had talked when she wanted to sound unthreatening but was actually planning something. It was an odd feeling to be on the receiving end of it.
“But…”
Azula suddenly found that Korra’s arms around her neck where getting to tight and where starting to make it hard to breath.
“I know you just said it just to stab at Katara.”

Azula immediately brought her hands up to try and pull Korra’s arms away but found she could not break Korra strong hold. She thought briefly about burning her way free but held back, part of her new that she probably deserved this.
“You have never scared me before.” Korra said angrily. “Even after I learned who you really where I was never afraid of you until tonight.”
“Korra…” Azula gasped.
“You scared me because of the way you talked to her, and the words you used. But let me make this clear I get that you hate her, but you will NOT use what we have together in attacks against her. Got it!”
Azula would have nodded but Korra’s held hr back.      
“We… can talk…about…this.” Azula gasped as Korra squeezed tighter.

“"There is no talking about that." Korra said sternly. "For everything else we will talk about, tomorrow." She let go and laided down as Azula gasped for breath.
"Right...tomorrow." Azula said laying down.