Abandoned
Summary: Tonraq abandons Senna at the moment of her greatest need.
TW: angst, anxiety
The cave is collapsing.
Senna couldn't move. Boulders as large as cars trapped her legs and torso, pinning her on the rough, hard floor of the cave, facedown.
She felt as if she was crushed by a high-rise building.
Dirt and rocks were falling from the brittle ceiling.
Her husband ran into the cave, his expression determined. He was about ten meters away from her.
"Tonraq!" Senna shrieked, reaching out to him with her free right hand. He turned to her and gasped.
But instead of freeing her from the rubble, he looked to the opposite direction and ran away.
Tonraq abandoned her when she needed him most.
Eighteen years ago, Senna woke up screaming in the middle of the night.
Her heart beat like a drum on adrenaline overdose. She inhaled and exhaled as if she could never breathe again. She was too frozen in fear to notice Tonraq holding her and saying urgently, "Senna! What's wrong?"
"I… I dreamed that I was t-t-trapped in a cave… you were there… but then… but then…" Senna couldn't say it clearly, "You… y-you left me! You didn't rescue me!" Senna replied, stammering.
Tonraq was alarmed, especially when Senna flung herself in his arms and sobbed her heart out. He hugged her tightly for a long time to make her feel secure again. She felt her baby touch her from inside her womb, as if asking her, "Mommy, why are you crying?" She moved her right arm, Tonraq making room for her to rub her enlarged belly in response.
"Senna, it's just a nightmare. It's over. It's not real," Tonraq said comfortingly, wiping her tears.
"What if… what if that h-happens? What if I get trapped for real and you didn't save me?" Senna responded, more tears falling from her eyes, her hands on Tonraq's rock-hard chest.
Tonraq shook his head, as he assured, "I'll never leave you, Senna. I promise," embracing her once more as she clung to him back.
But when that nightmare came true, Tonraq broke his promise.
She helplessly watched him speeding to Zaheer and Ghazan… who was running with an unconscious and severely injured Korra on his shoulder.
She felt a calming relief that comes from understanding, more powerful than anger, hurt, or the crushing pain. Tears fell from her eyes as she gazed at Tonraq escaping Zaheer and Ghazan with her precious daughter in his arms.
Tonraq abandoned her when she needed him most.
But their daughter needed him more.
She closed her eyes and lowered her head and right arm to the ground.
The cave collapsed.
Note: Based on this headcanon.