Playing Airbender (Legend of Korra SI)

Chapter 128 128

"Well, look who's hiding something or two," Lin asked the floating Akashi while sitting atop a flying bison behind Korra.

Akashi smiled and waved his hand at Lin.

"Yeah, I know. I've never flown around so no one would know," Akashi replied.

"That's something I just learned about," Lin replied calmly. "I'm talking about the whole rebellion thing. I had a hunch all along that you were planning something, ever since that day in Ba Sing Se. When I asked Korra about you, that clumsy girl couldn't lie to me, and I made her tell me the whole thing."

"Hey, I'm here!" Korra interjected.

Lin ignored her, as if asking Akashi for answers.

He scratched the back of his head.

"Didn't mean to hide it from you. It would have been trouble that you shouldn't have concerned yourself with," he said.

"How could I not concern myself when the man I love is throwing himself into a war he planned out of pettiness… and he could have died at any given moment?" Lin said.

Akashi looked at her, as if offended. "I'm not that petty."

"Yes, you are," Korra added.

Akashi gave her a side-eye but then turned to Lin and flew to her, sitting on the bison's back behind her.

"And you could have gotten yourself killed," Lin put her hands on his shoulders and sighed in long relief. "All the way here, I was so afraid that you could get hit by a stray rock or buried deep under the ground. Only when I saw you alive, I'm relieved."

She then slowly turned and looked deeply into his face.

As the older woman who had gotten him to the police and bossed him ever since, she had been very anxious, like a mother looking after a missing child.

And for now, she thought about punishing him, like usual, with a metal armor hug. She had always done it whenever Akashi worried her about him. And it had been effective so far. But sometimes, he needed a reminder.

Lin opened her arms widely and hugged him.

Akashi took some time to process her words.

Instead of thinking of him as a monster for starting a war, Lin was here concerned for his safety and afraid that he might accidentally die. She didn't care if he participated, killed, and conquered. Just simply being alive was enough for her.

He felt emotional for a while. No words were needed, and he hugged her back.

Lin suddenly opened her eyes in surprise.

Akashi, not only didn't seem to be bothered by the armor, but he suddenly overpowered her. Her armor was working against her.

It came to her as a surprise since she had been physically stronger than him, considering that she was a metalbender and trained her whole life.

"I'm so sorry for making you worried, Lin," Akashi said, giving her neck a kiss.

Lin's green eyes stretched wide open. "It's fine… you can let me go."

Lin, for a second, moved her lats, forcing her armor to slip back, only then did her flesh hit against Akashi's chest.

"No. I'm just happy to have you around," he said. "Lin, if you are so worried about me, why don't we get married?"

Lin looked at him, stunned. She said, "I thought you were going to marry only Korra."

"Is it illegal?" Akashi asked her.

Lin paused for some time, and then she shook her head.

"And I think Korra doesn't mind," Akashi said, before turning to Korra. "Do you?"

Korra shook her head.

Akashi knew how Korra would think.

She'd think that if Akashi married her and Lin, Asami would pull away.

Lin stared, stunned at Akashi, with a blush on her face.

She checked on his body before touching his shoulder. "Never thought you would grow and ask me that."

"Well… what do you say?" Akashi asked.

Unlike Korra, here, he didn't have to make her a necklace or something.

Just a few words were all required to deal with Lin—that, and a lot of action.

For the first time, Akashi saw Lin giggling like a young girl.

"Of course, I will. But you better prepare to take care of me in 30 years or something," she said, seeming insecure about the age gap.

"Don't worry, I may end up dying before you," Akashi replied, before leaning in, kissing on the lip.

As they pulled out, Lin said, "And if we got married, I could get you back to the police force. You'll be the dubiety chief."

"I'll consider it," said Akashi. "But for now, let's celebrate."

"Already this fast," Korra interjected, "we haven't even celebrated when you asked my father for my hand."

"Oh… I meant the celebration. You know, the rebels won, and they are about to announce the new ruler. Noatak will make a speech," Akashi replied.

"Noatak?" Korra paused for some time.

"He means Amon," Lin tightened her gaze.

The girls didn't forget that Amon had kidnapped Akashi in the past.

"You are calling him by his name, in a friendly way. Aren't you supposed to resent him?" Lin asked, suspicious.

"A lot happened ever since then. We're good friends for now," Akashi replied. At his current level, even fighting Noatak held no good reward. It's more like a waste of time.

And besides, Akashi had won a bet. He'd not cash it out for now. But when the time comes, when he's bored, he'd shave Noatak's head.

As for Tarrlok, he was nothing in Akashi's eyes anymore. Just a guy trying to get fat.

And his main enemy—the queen and her agencies—had been dealt with.

Akashi had no more hatred or resentment.

"Wow," Lin opened her eyes widely. "Never knew that you don't hold grudges."

"Hahaha," Akashi laughed.

Lin had no idea how wrong she was.

For now, he had something against someone, and that's for knocking Korra out—his name was Zaheer.

Akashi had already initiated a research for him. It seemed that having a lot of money meant having access to a good info networks.

-x-X-x-

"And after many decades of tyranny, this country is about to have a new dawn of justice and chance," Noatak stood in front of the balcony of the palace. Under it, many citizens had gathered to hear his speech.

He had started by talking about the suffering of the people of this country, how they were underpaid, and how inflation was eating them up. But now, they would have a republic era, and he promised them that Ba Sing Se deserves to be better than Republic City.

At the same time, he made a promise that he would go after every tyrant in the world and take him down.

The reaction of the people was very amicable, cheering up for him.

Unlike in the canon, when Zaheer killed the earth queen, the people didn't start with civil war. The earthbenders didn't create groups to abuse the weak and steal their food.

At the same time, Akashi had gotten many lands, and he promised to sell some of the potatoes to the people. Though, with him starting with that corpse, he could farm enough to feed the whole continent in three months or so.

He had also gotten workers—previously known as rebels—to farm.

At least they got jobs.

"So, you're not going to announce yourself?" Korra asked, as Akashi watched from the sky.

He shook his head. "No. I prefer that they forget about me. The tales about my strength will be only legends that no one would believe. Everyone enjoys peace, and life continues."

Lin gave him a side-eye. "You really want people to believe that you have a legendary strength."

Right. She had only seen him fight a metalbender once, when he hadn't even used 1% of his power—at that time. Because this time, his previous 100% was more like 5%, and he was being humble.

-x-X-x-

At the same time, somewhere near the South of the Earth Kingdom.

Zaheer, with a shaved head, stood across from a well-built black-haired woman.

"My allies in the South Pole got what you asked for," he said, handing her a herb. "Will you be holding your word?"

She smiled and said, "We all want the same thing. So, what are you going to do for now?"

"To make something whole," he replied.

The woman just tilted her head and pretended to understand him by nodding.