the legend of khione || korra

fights on a glass roof

KHIONE

Khione watched with detached horror as electricity burst from their fingertips, and Tenzin and Chief Beifong collapsed, their bodies jerking.

Khione's eyes searched the exits, looking for some way to get to Korra and the brothers as equalists held back the panicked crowd, gloves raised threateningly, electricity hissing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the pool below crackling as electricity danced on its surface.

Khione took a steady breath. Thankfully, she'd been sitting near one of the exits. She side-eyed the equalist standing guard, her hands casually drifting to her water pouch.

The panic and confusion magnified as the elevator lifted again, revealing Amon and his equalists.

Thankful for the distraction, she slashed her hand downward, and water enveloped his body, freezing on impact. She rushed past him and into the empty hallway. She cautiously made her way down the flights of stairs, avoiding the equalists patrolling the hallway. She rounded the corner, quietly descending the staircase to the water below the arena. 

She dove into the water, letting it propel her forward. She raised the water to the level of the platform, stepping casually onto it. Korra, Mako and Bolin were tied up against one of the pillars, Pabu trying to chew through them.

An explosion suddenly rocked the building, as huge chunks of the arena began to collapse around them. Khione hurried her friends, pointedly ignoring the screaming chaos erupting above.

"Khione!" Korra cried out in relief.

She easily slashed through their ropes, and helped Korra to her feet. Korra sprinted to the side, freezing the ice beneath her as she looked upwards at the floating airship.

"I'm going after Amon!" Korra said determinedly.

"Let me come with you," Khione responded, and Korra nodded. She took Khione's hand, and they dove into the water. For a brief moment, Khione let the water around her envelop her in its familiarity. Then they shot up together, a huge spiralling spout of water taking them upwards. The tugging Khione's gut intensified to a roar as they rose higher, rapidly cutting the distance between them and the airship, when the spout faltered. 

Khione thrust one hand up, the other clutched around Korra's wrist, and water climbed up her arms and found purchase on the jagged glass roof. She propelled them up and through the hole, launching Korra as high as she could. Khione landed on the glass roof, her knee spiking with pain. She ignored it as Korra threw an equalist from his ascending platform, several more following.

Khione let the water flow around her protectively as one of the equalists advanced with an electrified glove. She struck fast, sending a rapid succession of ice spikes at him. He jumped out of the way, rolling and weaving gracefully, before racing forward again. He was targeting her right side, she realised with a grim jolt. He must've seen how her body weight shifted to her left when she fought, and assumed her right side was her weakness.

She slashed her hands diagonally, and water, thin as a blade, cut the air before him. He jumped back, and she slashed her hands again, and again. He dove at the last one, before jumping overhead in an attempt to catch her unaware. His finger had brushed against her side when she swung her fist, feeling it connect with his masked face. He staggered back, hand automatically cupping his cheek. She thrust out her hands, and ice spires jutted out from the ground, freezing the equalist in place.

Then, she heard Korra scream. Khione whipped around as the glass beneath Korra's feet shattered. Their eyes met for a moment before Khione was diving after Korra. Their hands met, clutching each other like a vice. Khione's other hand gripped the jagged glass as they dangled above the smoking ruins of the arena. She wouldn't have enough time to command the water to cushion their fall, before they splattered on the arena.

Time seemed to stop, and it was just Khione and Korra, hanging for their lives from the glass dome. Her fingers began to slip, growing slippery from blood.

"I can't hold on." Then she wanted to laugh. Even in such a terrifying situation, Khione's voice was still flat.

Then they were in free fall.

Khione couldn't help but contemplate what would happen next. She was still too far away from the water, and Korra seemed just as helpless. Some distant, morbid part of her wondered whether she would die from the impact. Would her bones shatter from the fall?

Then, she was jerked roughly by the shoulder, nearly crying in pain as it nearly popped out of its joint. A metal wire had wrapped around Korra's waist, stopping the fall. Chief Beifong swung them to the side of the arena, roughly depositing them on the ground. Khione collapsed, sending a shooting pain up her knee and starbursts in her vision.

Immediately, Teznin was by her side, holding her gently.

"You two alright?" Beifong asked brusquely, helping Korra up.

"I'm fine. Thanks to you." Korra replied.

"I've been better, but thank you," Khione managed to respond, gingerly testing out her shoulder.

"Don't mention it." Chief Beifong looked to the sky, watching the airship as it flew away.

"Looks like we lost this one."

"We're so glad you two are okay," Mako rushed up down the stands, followed by Bolin.

Korra turned, carefully hugging Khione. Mako hugged Korra, and Bolin threw his arms around them all.

"I can't believe Amon did this."

Chief Beifong stared at the gaping hole in the roof.

"I played right into his hand," She added, dismayed.

"He played us all," Tenzin said grimly, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Republic City is at war."