"was there one you saw too clearly?
did they seem too real to you?
they were kids that I once knew
they were kids that I once knew"
-dead hearts, stars
:-:
She's not sure why she feels such a pull.
It's not like she's surprised by it, really – she's never heard anyone say a bad word about Katara: She's kind, she's open, she's the kind of person you automatically tend to like, and for Korra, that's kind of saying something. And of course, for her, this isn't just Katara, she's Master Katara, who taught her everything she knows, and not just about waterbending but about life, too.
But somehow Korra feels like this goes deeper than the mutual bond they share through their element (because she may be the Avatar but she will always be, first and foremost, a waterbender); deeper, even, than the kind of always-been-there, grandmotherly figure Katara's taken the shape of. If it came down to it, Korra would trust Katara with her life, no questions asked.
She tells her this once, when Katara's healing a burn she earned from a reckless move early in her firebending training. Katara's blue eyes, full of youth in her wrinkled face, are bright, wise, and piercing.
"I know," she says, averting her gaze then, smiling like it's a secret between them.
It's always this same response when Korra says something like this and for a long time, she's puzzled by it, stays up nights thinking about it, and it's driving her up the wall.
She doesn't really understand until she's fastening Naga's saddle as quietly as possible and Katara's amused voice comes from behind her. Korra whirls around, her heart sinking. She doesn't want to say goodbye. She's so bad at goodbye.
She finds herself trying to justify her actions, words falling from her mouth as her breath, horribly, begins to quicken, and Korra's never been a crier (according to her dad anyway), but she feels like she's about to leave a vital part of her behind. The worst part is she doesn't know why.
"I know you do," Katara says softly. Again with the smile, again with the glint in her eyes, and her hug is warm and firm and familiar, and somehow Korra's been dreading this parting more than the one from her own parents.
As Naga trots away through the snow, Korra looks back over her shoulder. Katara has one hand raised in farewell; the other is wrapped around the betrothal necklace at her throat. Korra's seen the design about a million times, even asked about it once: three Air Nomad swirls above three Water Tribe waves. Separate, but forever connected.
And Korra knows now, too.
The moon hanging in the sky gives her the strength to wave back before turning forward, urging Naga on – but in the back of her head, the bottom of her heart, the center of a soul that has never been and will never be wholly her own, she hates that Katara has to say goodbye to him again.
a/n: "him" being... y'know, Aang. makes me sad that we're not gonna get to see him, but i think he might appear to Korra like Roku did to him - i'm hoping, anyway.
so. first ATLA/LoK fic, but i definitely have some fic experience - and because so much of this is Korra, i don't know if i can ask for IC-ness because we've only seen two episodes worth of her. but based off of that... you think i got her down?
any other questions, comments, concerns can go into a review - they're always really really appreciated. :) even without them, though, thanks so much for reading, and you can expect more from me in the future, i think.
~whispered touches
disclaimer: i don't own Katara or Korra or the ATLA universe. i've never claimed to and never will claim to - no copyright infringement is intended.