OKAAAAAY, school starts on Monday, so updates are gonna be sketchy for the first couple of weeks. For all you people following ACIBW, PLEASE don't give up on me. I love writing but the annoying thing is , my muse is flighty, so I'll have too many ideas to count one minute, and absolutely none the next. I hope you can bear with me during my period of school-induced writers block. I promise, once my muse comes back, that that story will be a piece of art. Now onto the story.
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Tonraq and Senna led the band of teens into their moderately large igloo. "Don't be shy, come on in, kids." Senna ushered the three city teens into their dwelling. "Mum, we're not kids" Korra argued. Senna rolled her eyes and smirked at her daughter. "You're children as long as you're in my house, now make yourselves comfy." Senna pointed to the three small doors as she announced where each of them led. "That's the kitchen, that's Korra's room, where you'll be staying-" "HEY!" Tonraq snapped, before quickly being shut up by Senna' s death glare. " As I was saying, you all will be staying in there, and that's Tonraq and I' s bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, revealing the mattress laden with animal furs, but did little to disguise the large, dark brown stain on some of the thinner sheets and at the foot of the bed. Bolin' s eyes widened to saucers as he pointed to the mattress, "WHOA! Did someone die on that bed or something!?" Korra's eyes became wide while Mako slapped a hand on his forehead, sliding it down to pinch the bridge of his nose before berating his brother through ground teeth. "You CANNOT just ask people that, Bo!"
Senna just giggled. "There's no trouble at all. The sheets look like that because I gave birth to Korra on that very bed , seventeen years ago." That proclamation made Korra go red in the face and Bolin promptly shut up, while Mako and Asami looked off to the side awkwardly. Senna laughed loudly as she rubbed Bolin on the shoulder reassuringly. "Really honey, I don't mind saying so, although it's not something I usually talk about a lot." Asami snuck a glance through the door and her eyes went wide. "I don't think that's natural." She said hesitantly. Senna gave a humorless chuckle. "Believe me sweetheart, it wasn't, and I would never wish it on either of you girls." Asami looked down somewhat ashamed and embarrassed of her question. "But, the pain was worth something I would never trade for all the riches in the world," She walked over to the Avatar and placed a hand on her head, combing through her daughter's thick wolftail. "My Korra." Asami took a chance and spoke up again. "Um, I know that this might be a really weird question, and you really don't have to answer it if you don't want to, but was it really bad?" Senna stopped dead in her tracks and turned to the Sato girl with an unreadable expression. "It was probably the worst and most painful thing I've ever gone through or will go through in all my years. I could tell the story, but I don't think these," she pointed to the brothers with her chin, "would want to hear it." Bolin quickly interjected, not even giving his brother time to speak. "We don't mind! Neither of us are squeamish, right bro?" Mako could only sigh and mutter a dejected 'yes'. Tonraq looked skeptical. "Senna, my dear, dear wife, are you really gonna tell them the story?" The housewife looked at her husband with a small smirk. "But of course. They asked, and I'll answer." She turned to the four teenagers and sat down cross-legged on the floor, becoming eye level with them. "It all started when my water broke two and a half months early…"
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Senna keened as another contraction slammed into her, knocking the breath out of the pregnant woman's lungs. She had been in labor for three days, and yet the baby she so wished for stayed nestled deep in her womb. Tonraq was on pins and needles, ready to call for his mother in law every time his wife cried out in pain. Their nervousness was to be expected, as Senna had lost three babies prior to this one. By this time , they were desperate and aching to hold a tiny life that they could call their own in their arms. Senna had given up and said to her husband one night while rubbing her barely swollen stomach. "Tonraq," she said " I'm at my wits end. If we lose this one, I won't be able to go on." Her husband drew her into his strong arms and stroked her thick and tangled hair, telling her that it would be alright, and that this baby would survive. All the while, he was trying to convince himself of the same thing, praying to Yue and La that the baby in his wife's womb would be born safe and sound.
Now, here they were, three days after her water broke two months early, and no sign of the baby to come, until, finally, a monumental contraction ravaged Senna's weak body, leaving her panting, screaming, crying, and convulsing all at once. Her thrashing was so wild that Tonraq had to hold her down while her mother checked to see how dilated she was. Deeming her all ten centimeters, the soon-to-be grandmother told her aching daughter that it was time to push. The experience was unholy. Animalistic and inhuman shrieks and groans ripped through the cold winter air, making the very blizzard outside their igloo seem to cower in fear and the people of the village hang their heads in sympathy and sorrow, anguished that a member of their tribe, their own family, had to endure this type of pain. This carried on for the next two hours, until finally, just when she was about to give up for good, Senna's eyes rolled back into her head as she gave one last almighty push, and the tiny, bloody infant slipped from between her legs and into the waiting hands of her grandmother.
And then nothing.
When Senna' s pain-addled mind only barely registered that there was no squealing, no high- pitched cries of a new-born baby,her eyes snapped open, glazing over with pure, undiluted sorrow as she began hyperventilating. Tonraq held on to her shoulders, trying to mask the pure horror on his face as he thought back to what his wife had said as she went through her episode, during which time, the first words she had said in three days tumbled past her lips, whispered and heartbroken. "My…baby?" When the grieved older woman shook her head, Senna trembled for a moment, before screaming herself hoarse. "NO!" She buried her head in Tonraq' s parka, screaming and wailing for yet another lost child.
Or so she thought.
Amidst the grieved mother's cries, another wail sparked up. The squeal of a newborn baby. Senna, after taking a few hiccuping breaths, stopped her crying completely and, in awe, turned to see her mother crying and laughing over an obviously alive, albeit weak and tiny, but still wonderfully alive, baby girl. Senna simply stared in amazement as the baby was cleaned off and held out to her. With slow, reverent movements, she took the tiny baby out of her mother's arms and held the infant to her chest. She looked at Tonraq with wide doe eyes as a wide smile slowly stretched across her tanned features, while the large man could only stare down in awe at the cooing baby in his wife's arms."Tonraq…our own daughter. Our very own paipiuraq (baby)." Tonraq could only smile before asking. "What'll we name her?" Senna took a deep breath before answering. "Well, I wanted to name her Ahnah, but that can't do anymore. She's our little miracle." Tonraq thought for a moment, skimming over words in the native tongue of the Water Tribe, before coming to an epiphany. "Korra . Tiny Blessing. She's tiny, and she's definitely a blessing ." Senna seemed to think for a moment, before smiling. "She looks like a Korra. Welcome to the world, paniin Korra (my dear daughter, Korra)." Ataksak, Senna' s mother, spoke up. "The spirits smile down on you two today. There is something very special about my new grand-baby. She will move mountains and tame seas. She will be great." The new parents beamed at her prediction, as the infant opened her eyes for the first time, revealing a shocking blue, not unlike her mother's own. Tonraq spoke. "Our Korra. She will be great."
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"And the rest is history." Said the Water Tribe woman as she got up to prepare dinner. Bolin spoke up. "Wait, so Korra was technically stillborn?" Senna stopped to turn and look at him, while Mako facepalmed again. The woman spoke. "Yes. But it seemed the Spirits had bigger plans for her life, and decided to give it back." The teens were gaping, awed at what had just been regaled to them. Korra was at the verge of tears. "Mum went through all of that? FOR ME?" She thought. Korra sprang up and placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. She would be grateful. "Mum, can we talk for a while?" Senna softened and smiled at her daughter. "Of course, Abnauraq (Little woman). Korra smiled at the pet name and led her mother outside. With a whistle and a sharp call of her name, Naga came bounding through the snow, ready to be ridden wherever her master wanted to go. Korra and Senna mounted the large animal and took off into the night.
Later
They came to a stop that was very familiar to both women. For Korra, it was where her bending was restored. For Senna, it was where Tonraq had proposed to her on her 17th birthday. They took a seat on the edge of the cliff, their booted feet hanging over the edge, and Korra began to speak. "Mum…did you really go through all that?" Senna did not hesitate to answer. "Yes I did, paniin, and I don't regret any moment of it." Korra wasted no time in shooting back. "But you went through all of that pain and misery. Why?" "Because you're my daughter, Korra. Understand that. There is no pain too great to bring you happiness." Korra was almost in tears. "I guess I don't quite understand that type of love yet, huh?" Senna gave a benevolent smile. "Oh don't worry. You'll know very soon. I see a beautiful baby , with your gorgeous and exotic dark skin, and warm, amber eyes. " Korra's entire face darkened a shade in the moonlight, signifying an intense blush. "I've seen the way you two look at each other. He's a fine man, Korra. A keeper." The Avatar smiled as she pulled her mother in for a hug. "You're the best, Mom. I love you." "I love you too, sweetheart." Senna swung her legs over and stood up, brushing off her clothes and offering her daughter a hand. "Now, I know that both your earthbending friend AND your father are famished by now, so let's get back before they cannibalize each other. Korra laughed as she and Senna mounted Naga and rode off. She had the best Mom in the world, and she was proud of it.
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(A/N) And that is the end of , yet another LoK fanfic, by the one and only Musical Tomboy613. I need criticism on this one. How was the birth scene? Alright? It's a weird fic , I know, but it's been bouncing around in my head for a while, so I finally decided to write it down. Need as many comments as you can muster on this one. But, once again, no flames. None. Bye bye , lovelies!