the legend of khione || korra

venom of the red lotus

KHIONE

A shout from above broke her from her thoughts, and the ground around her shook. Bolin. Khione raised her arms, and water surged around her, propelling her upwards again. That unnatural power still filtered through her blood, and Khione, for the first time, took advantage of the sickening high, allowing herself to control as much water as she could, sending a huge tidal wave at Ghazan. It flattened him, sending him sprawling and coughing up water.

"Give it up, Ghazan! You can't win!" Bolin yelled as Khione stepped besides him, their hands raised. Ghazan glared up at them, water dripping across his face.

"I'm never going back to prison. If I'm going down today, you're coming with me!" He snarled, punching the ground, the walls of the cavern splintering and cracking. He spread out his hands, and lava seeped from the spider-webbing cracks, before exploding outwards, pouring down on him.

"Khione, hang on!" Bolin yelled as he shifted a slab of the stone under their feet, forcing it up until they reached the tunnel they'd entered from. Khione steadied herself, watching mutely as the cavern crumbled before her eyes, the symbol of the Red Lotus caved in two.
She turned around as chunks of rock fell from the ceiling, Bolin at her side, and they hurried back the way they came. Khione gritted her teeth, ignoring the grinding of her knee, focused entirely on Korra.

They emerged from the tunnel, both panting and out of breath. Khione's hair whipped around her, and she narrowed her eyes at the sight before her. The airbenders stood in a circle, their arms moving in harmony as a huge tornado spiralled above them. The winds stung her eyes, but Khione could make out two figures in the centre of the tornado.

Korra's chain wrapped around Zaheer's leg, and she hurtled down to the earth, dragging him down with her. She slammed the chain down, the impact of her landing causing the earth beneath her to crumple, and Zaheer hit the ground hard.
For a moment, there was nothing but the dissipating winds, before Korra cried out, falling to the ground. Su and Lin encased Zaheer in stone, preventing him from moving. Tonraq was the first to snap out of his shock, running towards his daughter. Khione felt fear stabbing at her as she and her friends followed, stopping as Tonraq held Korra's limp body. Her eyes were still bright white as Tonraq gently cupped her face.

"Korra, sweetheart, it's me. Dad. Please hang on," He said softly, and Khione froze. "Please hang on." Korra reached up for her dad, her fingers trembling, before her arm fell, and her eyes closed.

"Khione?" He looked up at her, and Khione's heart shattered at the look on his face. Fear and grief, swirling together.

Khione knelt down beside Korra, and laid her hands over Korra's body, glowing water encircling them. Khione felt the water moving in Korra's body, the slowing of her heart, and the foreign poison in her veins. Tears fell from her eyes, but she didn't dare spare a second to wipe them. Instead, they slid down her cheeks, and joined the glowing water on Korra's skin. She poured everything into her healing, trying desperately to keep Korra's body alive, but Korra's skin remained ashen, her eyes closed. 

"Why isn't it working?" Khione flinched at the sound of her own voice, cracking and so fearful as she closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at Tonraq's grieving face, or at Korra's stillness.

Behind them, Zaheer began to laugh.

"You're too late! The poison's been in her system too long. The Red Lotus has won!"

"You can still save her!" Jinora said, an idea suddenly popping into her head. "The poison is metallic."

Understanding her words, Su rushed forward, and Khione backed away, the hollowness in her chest overwhelming. She clasped her hands over her mouth as Asami stood beside her, watching as Su began to pull the poison from her body. Korra's eyes opened, and metallic silvery liquid lept from her throat, before splashing harmlessly on the ground, far away from them.