Katara watches as Korra bounces around on the bow of the ship. They were to begin their first water bending lesson today and she was excited.
"What are you going to teach me first, Master Katara? Are you going to teach me how to make one of those whirlwinds out of water? Oh! Or how about a giant wave!"
Katara can't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. It reminded her of a some other Avatar she knew.
"No. Today we are going to work on the basic water bending forms. Please shift into your water bending stance that I showed you."
Korra thrusts out her bottom lip into a pout but obeys. Korra shifts the water around her body mimicking her sifu. She quickly grows impatient, though. She stares into the deep blue of the ocean and knows she is ready to do so much more. Abandoning the stance, she lets the water drop from her fingers. She raises her hands high over head, summoning a huge wave of water.
"Look, Katara! Look what I can do!"
"Korra be careful!" Before she can get the words out of her mouth, the wave had swept Korra over the side of the boat and into the water below. She felt herself sinking and panicked. She thrashed her arms wildly forgetting entirely about water bending. She sank lower and lower until the water began to grow darker and her vision hazier. Suddenly she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her. With half-lidded eyes, she glanced up into the most beautiful golden orbs she had ever seen. A mouth smiled at her and part of her brain that was still useful wondered who could possibly be down this far below. A small flickering form of light was pressed to her chest and she could feel her lungs slowly filling up with air. The pair of arms carried her up to the surface where she could here Sifu Katara still calling her name. They broke through to the surface and before she could get a closer look, Katara had pulled her from the water and into her arms.
"Korra! Are you alright?"
She coughs and looks around for those beautiful eyes, but they are long gone.
"I saw something down there. It saved me."
Katara gives her a strange look, and then just shakes her head. "Well whatever it was, I'm glad it did. I think that's enough water bending practice for today."
Korra didn't see those eyes again for a very long time. Not until she was seventeen and in a very foreign place.
The fight with Amon was intense. Korra rose out of the water in a huge whirlwind of water. The plane that he was in was heading straight for her. She threw a flame of fire and set one of the wings on fire. It went spiraling out of control, crashing into the sea below. But then here comes Amon rising up out of the water, propelling himself with two very powerful water blasts.
"I knew who you really were Noatak! Now come here and face me like a man!"
"As you wish, Avatar Korra."
Icy daggers come flying her way. She barely avoids the first two, while the rest rip her to shreds. She can feel the ice slashing at her skin. She bends the liquid to her will and melts them. But then Amon has her in his powerful blood bending grip and she can't move nor defend herself.
"It's over, Avatar."
He sends her falling to the waves down below. She crashes into them and the impact is the same as hitting hard ground. She struggles to keep consciousness but she is slipping away quickly. Two arms wrap around her and envelope her in their warm embrace. She looks up and sees the same eyes she remembered as a child. A tiny flame of fire appears, but this time from that devilish smile. Then that same smile is kissing her and she can feel her strength returning. She runs her hands through his hair and pulls him closer. They stay like this for what seem like forever with the deafening sounds of battle going on above; they have their safe cocoon down here below.
"I knew it was you all along." She whispers into Mako's ear.