A/N: This story takes place at the Legend of Korra finale. The first little bit of this story is basically the finale, but instead of Korra seeing Aang and regaining her bending abilities on the snowy cliff something else happens . . .
I do not own The Legend of Korra.
Also, a big thanks to my good friend InsanelyHappy for reading this chapter. It's nice to have another pair of eyes trying to scan for errors. Also, if you have time go check out her stories they are amazing!
CHAPTER 1: BENDING
"It's going to be alright Korra," Tenzin declared solemnly.
"No, it's not," replied the young Avatar. Korra moved towards the exit of the large healing hut, grabbing her coat as she did so.
After a moment of hesitation Mako followed Korra outdoors, not bothering with a coat despite the chilly Southern Water Tribe weather. As he descended the stairs from the main healing hut Mako called out to the girl.
"Korra, wait!"
The girl paused only when Mako had caught up to her and then turned and spoke two harsh words to the fire bender. "Go away!"
Completely un-phased by Korra's words Mako replied, "I will, but I just want you to know I'm here for you."
"No, I mean go away," Korra repeated as she turned to face Mako head on, "back to Republic City. Get on with your life." The girl's face contorted into a pout as she crossed her arms negatively now.
"What are you talking about?" Mako asked, surprise in his voice.
"I'm not the Avatar anymore. You don't need to do me any favours," Korra replied in a matter of fact tone. The water tribe girl turned and began to walk towards Naga again. However, she didn't get more than a few paces before Mako reached out a hand and grabbed her by her shoulder.
"I don't care if you're the Avatar or not!" Mako stated now that he had Korra's attention again. "Listen," he continued softly, "when Tarrlok took you I was losing my mind at the thought of never seeing you again. I realized," he paused momentarily, afraid to continue. However, after only a moment's hesitation he pressed on, "I love you Korra." Those words were spoken with such sincerity that they brought tears to Korra's eyes as Mako reached forward to cup her cheek in the palm of his hand.
"I . . . I can't" Korra finally choked out as she removed Mako's hand from her face and turned again to flee to her polar bear dog.
"Korra!" Mako called as she mounted her faithful companion, Naga, and took off towards the gates of the village.
"We need to be patient with her," Tenzin advised the sullen looking Mako a few moments later as he approached the young fire bender. "It will take time for her to accept what has happened."
"I know," Mako replied, "but I just feel so helpless, so useless!"
"We all do," Tenzin assured him. "But we won't give up. We'll find a way to restore Korra's bending."
"Should we go after her?" Mako asked the older man.
"Let's give her a little space; it won't be dark for a few hours still." Mako nodded as Tenzin led him back inside to the warmth of the healing hut.
Korra hugged her knees tightly to her chest as she sobbed on the snowy cliff overlooking the sea. Her face was buried in her knees to try to quiet her sobs, since she felt as though the wind would carry the pathetic weak sounds to her friends and family back in the Southern Water tribe village not far away.
Soon the young avatar could hear the sound of snow lightly squishing and crunching beneath the feet of someone approaching. The steps were quick, and sure footed. Korra began to wipe her eyes and choke back her sobs. She was pretty sure she knew who was approaching. Only someone familiar with the snowy and icy climate of the Southern Water Tribe could walk so expertly on the harsh landscape. Indeed, Bolin, Mako and even the sophisticated Asami, had slipped and stomped through the snowy terrain of the village like little kids who didn't have their snow legs yet. Yes, Korra knew for certain that it was a fellow Water Tribe member approaching her. Within minutes the sounds of crunching snow quieted. Korra inhaled shakily as she waited for her visitor to speak.
"Korra," came a soft and comforting female voice as she crouched down by Korra's side. The woman wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her to her body fiercely, but yet gently as only a mother could.
"M-mom" Korra sobbed as tears fell again and she hugged her mother back just as ferociously.
"I'm sorry!" Korra finally choked out through the tears. "I'm so sorry!"
"There's nothing to be sorry for!" Senna replied firmly. "Your father and I are so proud of you Korra!"
"How can you be proud of me? I've failed as the Avatar! I'm not even the Avatar anymore! I can't bend!" the teenager wailed hysterically.
"Korra, the day you were born was the happiest day of your father's life and mine. We loved you so much and we didn't even know you were the Avatar at that time! Then you began to show an affinity for water bending and then earth and even fire bending and we knew that you had a great, but difficult path ahead of you." Korra sniffled loudly now and after a short pause Senna continued.
"We watched as you excelled in your academic studies and trained with some amazing and legendary benders. Korra, you mastered three of the four elements by the age of seventeen. I mean, only a handful of benders on this earth can even boast to being a master of one of the elements never mind three of them!" Senna's face softened now.
"Korra, we watched you grow from a stubborn and overly confident child into an independent, courageous and beautiful young woman. You moved to Republic City to take charge of your destiny and learn air bending, which you have learned! Your father and I have never even left the Southern Water Tribe, and you went out there all on your own. Korra, you made friends! Real friends that aren't stuffy old members of the White Lotus, or polar bear dogs. Honey, how can your father and I not be proud of you? You have accomplished more in your seventeen years than most can boast in an entire lifetime."
"But you heard Katara. She can't restore my bending," Korra mumbled as she looked at her hands which rested in her lap now.
"You can still air bend, and being the Avatar is more than just bending Korra. There's the spiritual aspect too."
"But-" Korra began to protest, but was cut off by Senna as she held up a hand for silence.
"You've always been a very physical and active sort of person Korra, and I know you haven't really connected with, or even understand, the spiritual side of being the Avatar, but you will get it Korra! I know you will, because you are determined."
Korra cracked a tiny smile at her mother's words, despite her melancholy mood. She was certain her mother was thinking about one of the many times Korra had driven her crazy over the years with her determination.
"Perhaps we can instead look at Amon's terrible act as a blessing," her mother offered. Korra's head snapped upwards at these words. Her big blue eyes were now staring widely in disbelief into her mother's own.
Senna smiled warmly and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "After all, blocking your use of three of the elements has unlocked your ability to air bend and maybe it will also allow you to connect with your spiritual side and your past lives."
Korra sprang forward hugging her mother tightly again. The two sat in silence as Korra's mother softly rubbed her daughter's back in a comforting pattern. Soon the sound of heavy feet crunching snow greeted the ears of the two women. Again Korra knew that these footsteps belonged to someone used to snow and ice, despite the weight behind them.
"It's getting cold out. Why don't we go back to the village? Katara and Pema are cooking up a small feast," Korra's father suggested once he was close enough to be heard.
"How can I go back there and face them?" Korra asked quietly.
"Korra, they are your friends and you know Katara and her family are like family to us." Senna said soothingly.
"Everyone is worried about you, especially those boys, Mako and Bolin. They're both worried that you're out here freezing to death. I assured them we didn't have any cause to worry about that yet, but you really should come back," her father said, chuckling lightly when he mentioned Mako and Bolin.
Korra and her mother stood now and Naga gave a happy sounding growl as she stood from the spot she had been lying in patiently for the last while. Korra turned to face her father now and as she raised her eyes to meet his she could feel her bottom lip begin to quiver and she buried her face in her hands again, embarrassed at her weakness. Her father hurried the few steps forward needed to close the gap between him and his daughter and embraced Korra.
"Everything is going to be okay Korra. We'll take things one day at a time," her father said. Senna looked on with a heartbroken expression and wiped at her eyes as a few tears escaped them. She then moved towards Naga coaxing the large polar bear dog back towards the village, as Tonraq silently led Korra a few feet behind.
Soon they were back at the gates of the village. Korra's tears had stopped, but her eyes were bloodshot and she kept her gaze downcast.
"Everyone's gathered at Katara's hut," Tonraq said to his wife. Senna nodded.
"I don't want to eat with everyone," Korra said softly and then continued on with more conviction, "I'm not even hungry! I just want to go home!"
"Of course," Senna agreed quickly to appease her distraught daughter. "You and I will go home with Naga."
"I'll just let them know I found you both," Tonraq whispered to his wife as she approached him. Senna nodded as she glanced worriedly at Korra. "I'll be quick," he added as he hurried off in the direction of Katara's hut. Senna then led Korra and Naga outside the gates of the village again, as their hut was located a short distance away from the main village.
Once home Korra stomped the snow from her boots and then pulled them off. She kept on her warm parka and headed to her old bedroom. She fell into her bed and wrapped her warm fur blankets around herself. It felt so comforting to be back in her childhood room. Ever since the White Lotus had discovered she was the Avatar at the age of four she hadn't spent all that much time in their modest hut. She had been moved into the safety of the walls of the main tribe village. Her parents had taken up residence inside the village too, so that they could continue to be near their daughter, but they had still kept up the smaller home outside the walls. Somehow they had known that at times they would need it to escape the clutches of the well-meaning, but sometimes over-bearing, members of the White Lotus. This room still felt safest to Korra, it was her home. Korra then heard the swish of fabric as he mother swept aside the animal hide that hung in front of the entrance to Korra's room as a make-shift door.
Korra didn't acknowledge her mother, but watched as she silently began to stoke the embers in the small fire pit in the centre of the room. She blew on them gently to coax them back to life. Soon a small fire was burning.
MEANWHILE
"Are you absolutely certain there's nothing you can do, mother? Perhaps, if we just research some more in your medical texts-"
"Tenzin, I am positive that there is nothing I can do. I have tried every technique I can think of and there isn't a word of those medical texts that I don't have memorized. I'm afraid there's nothing more for me to try," Katara explained patiently to her youngest son, though they had already had the same conversation over a dozen times already.
"What about a doctor from Republic City? Maybe what we need is a less traditional healing approach and a more scientific one?" Lin Beifong suggested gruffly. Katara smiled, knowing that Toph's daughter meant no disrespect with her suggestion.
"I don't believe a doctor will have much luck with Korra either. After all, haven't numerous doctors in Republic City already examined all those who have fallen victim to Amon's blood bending technique?" Katara asked kindly.
"So, then you do think Amon was somehow just blocking people's bending using a blood bending technique? He wasn't actually taking their bending away?" Asami asked as she brought in the last tray of food from the kitchen. The group was now just waiting for Tonraq to return with Senna and Korra.
"Yes, only the Avatar has the power to truly take away a person's bending. I believe Amon was combing some sort of chi blocking technique with a blood bending one and so has simply blocked a bender's ability to tap into their innate power. I am certain the effect must be a temporary one, in that if we can figure out a way to unclog the blockage Amon has created then a person's bending can be restored," Katara explained.
"The trick is just figuring out how to unblock Amon's technique," Mako said disdainfully. The group collectively nodded.
"I'll have to contact the White Lotus. Let them know what has happened to Korra," Katara finally said.
"Oh, can't that wait a couple of days, at least until Korra has had some time to process all of this?" Pema asked Katara as she gently rocked her new son.
"Yeah, the last thing Korra needs is those old windbags barking at her!" Ikki agreed.
"Old wind bags?" Katara asked smirking, as she raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, Daddy says-"
Tenzin quickly clapped a hand over his middle child's mouth, muffling the rest of her speech.
"Maybe we should begin eating?" Tenzin suggested slightly red-faced.
"Yeah, I'm starved! Where is Tonraq anyway? You don't think Korra got frost bite do you? Maybe I should have sent Pabu with Tonraq to help him track Korra down!" Bolin declared. Then, as if hearing Bolin's words there was a light knock on the door of the hut and a moment later Tonraq entered the hut, alone.
"Did you find them?" Mako asked worriedly, as he got up from the table he had been kneeling in front of moments before.
"Yes, Korra wanted to go home, so Senna went with her. I apologize Katara," Tonraq said as he addressed the elderly woman.
"There's no need to apologize Tonraq! Here, let me wrap some of this up for you to take back with you for your family," Katara offered as she headed to the kitchen to get some containers to put the food in.
"I'll help you," Asami called as she got up and followed Katara to the kitchen.
"Is Korra alright?" Mako asked worriedly as he approached Tonraq.
"She didn't get frost bite, did she?" Bolin asked as he held his own hands out towards the fire in the middle of the room. The cool air that had invaded the hut when Tonraq had entered had obviously chilled the boy.
"No, she's fine. She just wanted some time to be alone, I think, to process things. I know she really appreciates all of you being here and supporting her," Tonraq assured everyone.
"Ew! Meelo!" Ikki screeched.
"Meelo!" Tenzin began as he chased after his son who was now whizzing around the room on an air scooter.
"Meelo sit down and behave!" Pema chastised. Her harsh tone unfortunately woke the baby in her arms and he began to wail loudly.
"Oh grandma, let me help you with those containers!" Jinora called as she rushed to help her grandmother.
"Bolin! Can't you even wait for your host to be seated before you begin stuffing your face?" Asami snapped as she entered the room with a container of food as well.
"I wfashn't eating!" Bolin defended, though his mouth was stuffed with fresh bread.
"You need to learn some manners!" Lin growled as she tapped a fork across Bolin's hands, which were already seeking out another bun.
Katara handed the containers of food to Tonraq, and as Asami approached Tonraq cast a sidelong glance at Mako who still stood nearby, a worried, yet distant expression on his face; the chaos going on in the room around him seemed to be lost on him.
"Mako, why don't you take those last two containers of food from Asami and Jinora. I could use some help carrying them back to my place," Tonraq instructed the younger man. This snapped Mako back to reality instantly.
"Oh, sure." Mako did as he was instructed and the two said their good byes.
"Brr, it sure has gotten chilly fast and it looks like it might snow. Why don't you just stay at our home tonight? I know Senna won't mind and we have plenty of spare blankets. I'd hate for you to have to walk all the way back to Katara's hut," Tonraq offered.
"Uh, thank you sir," Mako replied. Tonraq smiled and gave Mako a playful wink. The younger man blinked a few times in confusion, not sure what to make of the gesture.
Korra gazed at the fire in her room. Her mother still sat patiently tending to the heat source, though it was burning nicely now. It seemed the woman wanted to appear busy, rather than like she was keeping an eye on her daughter.
The orange and red flames flickered and danced wildly for a few moments as the main door to the hut was opened and the cool night air invaded. Senna left her daughter's side to greet her husband. Korra's only response was to just wrap her blankets tighter around herself as she continued to stare blankly at the fire in the small hearth in her room.
"Katara sent some food back with me for you Korra," Tonraq said from Korra's doorway, as Senna held the hide door cover aside for him. He sighed as he entered Korra's room and left it on her night table. "I'll leave it here for a little bit in case you would like to eat."
"It's okay if you aren't hungry Korra. I'll come back and get what's left of it in a bit so it doesn't spoil," her mother assured her. If Korra hadn't felt so miserable she might have rolled her eyes at her mother's comment. It was such a typical motherly-thing to be worried about spoiled food, when there were bigger issues to deal with, like the loss of the Avatar's bending abilities for instance.
"Mako's also come back with me. Things were a little cramped at Katara's, so I offered to let him stay here while he's in the Southern Water Tribe," Tonraq finally offered in the hopes that this might get a response from Korra, but to no avail.
"Hey Korra," Mako greeted her quietly from the doorway. Korra's father moved aside so that Mako could enter Korra's room. "Bolin was starting to worry you'd get frost bite out there. He was on the verge of sending Pabu out to track you when your father came back to let us know you were home safe," Mako explained as he forced a chuckle.
Senna smiled as she took her husband's hand. She then quietly pulled her husband back out into the main area of the hut allowing the hide to fall back into place over the entrance to Korra's room giving Mako and Korra some privacy.
"Korra, you don't have to say anything."
Mako sighed now. "I know you're going through something really difficult and confusing right now. I get that, but I want to be here to help you through it, as a friend. Until you've worked through this . . . I mean . . . you don't have to love me back or anything. I just wanted you to know how I feel. I haven't talked to Asami yet, but I mean, I think it's been pretty obvious that for a while now we haven't been getting along."
Mako sighed as he ran his hands through his hair dark hair. He moved over to Korra's bed and then slid to the floor beside it. His back rested against the lumpy mattress.
"I'm not really good at this. I mean, Asami is probably the last person you want to hear about right now. I just . . ." Mako trailed off. He turned now so that he was staring at Korra. Her eyes were still wide and unfocused, staring through him rather than at him.
"I just want to help you Korra," Mako explained quietly, his voice cracking a little at the end. He reached under Korra's blankets and managed to wrestle one of her hands away from the bit of blanket it had been clutching tightly moments before.
Silent tears now fell from Korra's eyes. Mako closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Korra's.
"I'll help you through this Korra, I promise!"