My absolute favorite type of Avatar based fanfiction is a betrothal fiction, and as I have not seen one yet for Korra, I shall do the honors. I do not own Avatar the Last Air Bender, nor its spin of Legend of Korra. All of the original characters also belong to the original creators.

-Chapter 1-

It's all over. And she has failed. She failed her bending masters: Katara. Tenzin. She failed the previous Avatars: Aang. Roku. Kyoshi. She failed Republic City and all the people who have lost their bending to the hands of Amon and his so called Equalists: Chief Lin Be Fong. Her men. Even the triad leaders. She failed, and there was nothing left that she could do. This is why Korra sits in the bowel of a passenger boat, no longer escorted by the White Lotus Guards. She is no longer the Avatar, and she has failed the world. The thought brings new tears to her eyes and Naga nudges her elbow with her wet nose while letting out a sad whimper. She can feel her master's despair.

"There, there, girl," Korra whispers to her best friend as she hugs her muzzle and gently pets her head. "We are on our way home. Back to where we belong. We will see mom and dad again, and you can roll in the snow and chase otter penguins, just like old times."Naga laid down now with her large head nestled in Korra's lap. Again, she let out a long whine. "I know girl, it'll never be like old times again."

For the remaining two hours of the trip, Korra absently stroked Naga's head, determined not to cry any more as she felt the waves below the boat. The push and pull she was forever separated from.

"Excuse me, Avatar Korra," a young sailor called from the stairs leading up to the deck.

She gave him a destitute look, "It's just Korra, now."

He looked away, unable to meet the watery aqua eyes any longer. "We…we have docked now, ma'am. Your family is waiting for you on the shore." With those few words, he left quickly.

Korra sat for a moment longer. What would she do now? What was left in this world for her?

Eventually she emerged from the bowels of the small wooden passenger ship with Naga in tow. Her village looked so small to her now, compared to the splendor of Republic City. Among what would be considered "bustle": ships being loaded with wares to trade and unloaded with supplies, a little boy running with a large fish over his head chasing after a group of screaming little girls, passengers exiting the ship, and the few curious onlookers—stood Tonraq and Senna. Korra slowly descended the ramp from ship and approached her parents.

At once, her mother engulfed her in a warm hug, "My dear daughter. I'm so sorry."

Korra held her mother tightly and sobbed into her parka. She wished with all her heart that a hug would be enough to fix this, but it wasn't like the time she fell off Naga for the first time, or even when she wasn't allowed to play with the other children because she had to focus on her bending. Her bending was stolen from her, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Not even her mother. She soon found her father's arms around her as well. The tears came harder. Her parents never had a son, so she always thought of herself as the warrior her father always wanted. All the months training together, practicing their bending. They could never bond like that again. She cried all the way home and her parents put her straight to bed. The pile of furs muffled the sobs slightly as she cried herself to sleep.

Korra awoke in the middle of the night, startled. She had the same dream again. Amon placing his cold fingers upon her forehead and then the emptiness. Senna rushed to her daughter's side, enveloping her in another hug as she cooed sweetly to settle her and stroked her hair. It had been a long time since she's had the chance to do this, as the Spirits only blessed her with one child and a young Avatar was more than enough, but some things are never forgotten. Korra settled and fell back to sleep.

As Senna left her daughter's room, moving the pelt curtain so only a little light would enter and linger on her daughter's slumbering face, Tonraq placed a hand gently on her small shoulder.

Senna turned to her husband not at all startled. She was never scared in her own home because he was always there to protect her. A strong, gentle, kind man who left her without want. She thought briefly of the time when they were younger. She had always hoped he would propose to her, though she never knew him and only admired his strength from afar. "Is it so wrong that I am happy to have my daughter back?" Senna asked finally releasing the pelt to let it fall into place, covering the opening to the room and turning to her dear husband. "I never asked to be the mother of the Avatar, and now I feel that I can finally have the daughter I always wanted." Tonraq frowned slightly as he led his wife to their own room. He was a man of few words. "I only mean that now I get to be the one to teach her what she needs to know for her future. I was never a bender, so I always had to watch you practice with her while I cleaned up the mess you two left behind. Does this really make me such a bad person?"

Tonraq held his wife to his strong chest and ran his fingers through her velvety hair. "We will talk to her in the morning."

-THE NEXT DAY-

Korra awoke the next morning to the familiar smells of home. She wished that she could enjoy the smell of seal meat boiling in the kitchen and the sound of bowls clinking against the table as they were placed in their proper settings, but instead she could only concentrate on the emptiness inside her. When she glanced out the window, the rising sun glaring against the snow blinded her momentarily. She had been away from the South Pole for much too long. She squinted and turned her head to see her mother standing in the door way.

"Good morning, sweet heart." Korra smiled weakly for her mother. "You should get ready for the day. Your father and I have some very important news for you."

Korra could only stare questioningly at the pelts that fell back into place. Important news?

When she finally cleaned up, Korra went to the dining room to sit with her family for their morning meal. She blew at her out of place hair as she sat down. "Mom, do you know where my hair spools are?"

Senna nodded her head, "Yes, I threw them away."

Korra gave her mother a wide eyed stare. "You…what?" she asked unbelieving.

"You are no longer a warrior, therefore have no reason to wear your hear in a warrior wolf tail. I will teach you a more sophisticated way to plait and style your hair after breakfast."

As much as Korra wanted to protest, she could only sit dejectedly. Her mother was right, after all. She was no longer a warrior. A tear threatened to slide down her cheek as her mother served the stewed seal meat . Being a warrior-being the avatar was all she knew how to do. How would she find her place among her people now?

Tonraq placed his large hand over his daughter's as if he knew exactly what was going through her mind. He always seemed to know. "Korra, now it is time for you to open yourself to other options. Your life is taking a different path than we all expected."

Korra's heart dropped. Somehow, she knew what was coming next.

"It is time you learn to become a proper Water Tribe lady…and a proper wife," Senna finished with a proud smile on her face.

Korra, however, did not reflect these same emotions. She stands abruptly, knocking the table and turning over her untouched meal before walking back to her room silently.

Her mother follows close behind with another bowl of seal stew in her hand and places it on the bed side table, "Korra dear, the announcement has already been made. We will begin your lessons tomorrow."