A/N: I haven't written fanfiction in a long time, so I appreciate helpful feedback if something doesn't seem right or if I have information incorrect. I won't mind going back to fix errors. Really. But if you don't like where I'm going with this, you can always opt out and discontinue reading. Insults are shunned.
The Legend of Korra isn't mine.
Enjoy :)
A single tear managed to escape Korra's dried out eyes. She watched as Jinora was annointed an air bending master, knowing that she made this possible. The happiness she felt inside, however, could only be displayed in one tear.
Master Tenzin finished up the age old tradition as the attendees applauded for the second air bending master in the world. He approached Korra sitting dispassionately in her wheel chair, Asami by her side as usual. He paused as he recalled his conversation with President Raiko outside about an hour earlier. Korra looked up at him expecting him to say something.
"I'm so happy for you and Jinora. We're all very proud of her!" Asami tried to speak optimistically in Korra's place due to her ongoing depression. Ever since Korra was restrained to a wheelchair, Asami had been the one pushing her places and catering her needs. She was a good friend, and very supportive, but low self-esteem and stage one depression got the better of the Avatar, and nothing Asami did could lighten her spirit. So the least she could do was brighten the mood around Korra so the impact of her heavy heart wouldn't affect those that came around her.
"Thank you, Asami." Tenzin replied directly, "I am very proud, to say the least, of both my daughter and you, Avatar Korra. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save me, my family, the entire Air Nation, many other world leaders, and the rest of the world from chaos and destruction. You've come a long way since you first arrived here in Republic CIty, and I know you'll be as wonderful as many avatars before you once were." Tenzin looked to Asami, "Could you give us a minute alone, please?"
"Of course." Asami walked over to where Jinora, Kai, Mako, and Bolin were talking.
Korra watched her leave then turned her attention back to Tenzin. She wasn't sure why he would ask to speak with her in private. She began to feel heavier and her stomach churned at the thought of returning to her avatar duties so soon. "So... What's this about?" She asked hesitantly.
Tenzin closed his eyes and sighed, "You are aware of where we left off here in Republic City. The world is still dealing with these changes and since you've been out handling the Red Lotus, no one has been here handling the situations." Tenzin rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed again. "I hate that you have to deal with so much, but the world will always need it's avatar."
Korra sat hearing his words, but not listening to what he was saying. She has been through too much only to be bound to a wheel chair. She wasn't ready yet. She couldn't return to her job so soon, but she knew she couldn't just tell her world she wasn't strong enough. She sat allowing Tenzin to be a stick in the mud, but she wasn't going to follow through with what was asked of her. She knew she wasn't ready, so she decided to take the time she needed to regain her strength. Her gaze began to shift as Tenzin went on about the future. She noticed how much Jinora looked just like Aang and how happy she was among the many faces seen in this over-sized room. She looked around at everybody she knew and loved. Seeing everybody together at once enjoying a wonderful day made Korra feel 'missing' in a sense.
"Korra?... Korra! Are you listening to me?" Tenzin's slightly agitated voice could finally be heard through Korra's thoughts. Korra placed both her hands on her wheels as she turned towards the door. She didn't want to be a 'party pooper', so she decided to get some fresh air outside on a balcony. Tenzin watched dismally as she left, but decided not to stop her. Korra rolled up beside a tree as she arrived at a large stone hand rail. She watched the bright, flaring sun beaming behind a cloudy horizon, as a small flock of birds made their way across the water. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply allowing nothing to enter her mind.
On the inside, an after party was held in Jinora's honor. Korra decided to stay outside in the same unchanged place until nightfall. The moon sat still in the sky, but its glowing reflection shimmered in the black water. There was a gentle breeze brushing lightly under her hair. A noise could be heard behind her as the sound of heels clamping on the stone ground became louder. A light, yet firm, hand rested on Korra's unflinching shoulder. Asami bent down to eye level with Korra.
"Hey, almost everyone is gone. What do you say we head back in to say goodbye to whoever is left?" Asami tried to say cheerfully, knowing her attempts were futile.
"I didn't want to impose," Korra reasoned, "I think all I really need is to be alone." She continued her gaze at the night time scenery.
Asami stood back up, "No, you need to be around the people you saved, which means you need to be around everybody. The effects of the poison isn't permanent, Korra. Things will get better in time. You just need to be patient." She stated as she pulled the wheelchair back to push forward. "Come on. I think we should call it a night." The two headed inside the building as the night time breeze carried off with a few fallen leaves.
The following weeks dragged on as Korra's friends tried to help her get better. It was becoming increasingly difficult due to the Air benders becoming nomadic once more. Tenzin still had to help her master air, and while she was very good at it, she wasn't yet a master. She hated the idea of frequent traveling, but knew she didn't have a choice in the matter. After over 4 months in recovery, Korra could walk on her own and move freely without the need of a wheelchair. However, she still needed frequent breaks to sit down and rest. While she was resting outside, Ikki and Meelo jumped beside her to keep her company.
"Are you feeling hurt? Worn out? Do you need assistance? What about water? Do you need that? I'll go get you some!" Ikki chirped bouncing at her side. Korra said nothing as she watched the small girl scoot off to retrieve a glass of water. She looked back to Meelo smiling, rocking his tiny legs back and forth in a chair. Korra smiled back warmly.
"I'm back, Avatar Korra!" Ikki's loud voice was heard entering the room, "I got you plenty of water!"
"Thanks, Ikki, but I'm just exhausted. I don't n-" Korra halted in the middle of her sentence when she saw Ikki returned with a water hose. Korra instinctively shot her arms up ready to water bend when Ikki turned the hose on. "Ahh!" Korra was hit with the ridiculous scream of water, but was able to bend the water off her and catch the rest in mid air. Ikki giggled at the scene as Meelo jumped onto Korra's back and tugged on the sides of her hair in and attempt to cause her to drop the water. The avatar was far more stronger than the child, but she began to feel stressed out none the less. Korra became fully aware that the two siblings had a plan, and she grinned thinking of a solution. "So, you want to play?" Korra water bent the water above her and started sprinting in the young girl's direction with it. Ikki dropped the hose gasping at the approaching teenager and attempted to flee. Korra, with her arms in the air and Meelo still on her back, ran after her to try and soak her with the water. The small child took to the walls and on rooftops hoping to escape the short-fused avatar. Korra stopped to try and figure out how to catch up to her. She was already exhausted from earlier, but was determined to have her vengeance. Looking around, she grinned and continued the chase.
Ikki made her way past all the other buildings at the temple, leaping from roof to roof. She came to the edge of the furthest and last rooftop near a cliff and prepared her glider to take to the sky. She stepped forward off the ledge and leaped onto the air. Suddenly, a heavy rush of water splashed upwards, soaking the young girl. Korra appeared, with Meelo still clinging onto her back, aboard a flying bison heading up from below. Raising her arms, she shifted the water up and around to see where the girl had gone. Ikki's glider had become soaked as well, so it was useless to try to get it to work. She fell a few yards down, but used her air scooter to shoot back up the side of the cliff and cart-wheeled over to safety. She landed on her foot and knee inches away from the edge. She peered over the edge as Korra landed the bison behind her. Ikki stood up, drenched from head to toe, and tried to air bend herself dry. It only ruined her hair and made her clothes wrinkled. She stood with a poor stance, defeated.
"Haha! That's what you get for messing with the avatar!" Korra playfully remarked as Meelo finally released his grip on Korra's back and jumped down and skipped towards Ikki.
"You look funny!" The small boy laughed at his sister.
Ikki angrily pointed at him, "You were supposed to keep her away!" She yelled. Meelo ran as Ikki began yet another incredible chase.
Korra watched them both leave with her arms crossed and a wide smile across her face. Tenzin walked up from behind her and noticed her sudden change of feeling.
"Korra? You look a lot better today." He smiled.
"Well, I feel a lot better." She sighed and stretched her arms. Her eyes widened as a pain shot through her back. She quickly leaned forward and placed a hand on the right side of her back, "Aghh! Uhh, emotionally, that is." she half laughed back.
"You should get some more rest," he insisted.
"I've spent months resting," she inquired without looking at him.
"You... Think you're ready to begin again?" he asked, puzzled by her response.
"I don't know," she sighed, "I just... I feel like I'm not doing what I need to."
"Korra, it's okay to heal at your own time," he reasoned.
"I have been taking my time and nothing is happening. I should just get back to being the avatar." She turned to walk away.
"I don't want you to feel like you have to," He continued.
"But I do have to, whether I like it or not. And it's not making the world any better if I don't. I don't know if I'm ready or not, but I want to finish my air bending training so I can go back out there and do what I need to do," she finished.
"Are you certain that is what you want to do? Because if you're not we-"
"Tenzin!" she yelled, cutting him off, "I'm sure," she replied softly.
"Well then," he said after briefly thinking it over, "shall we begin again?" he turned to lead her to the air pillars used for training.
"I think we shall," she smiled, following him.
The building was coming down fast. It was only a matter of time before it and everything in it hit the ground. All around it was a giant spirit's very many limbs tightening its grip. Chief Beifong had many officers stationed on top of surrounding buildings, as well as in an airship hovering above the scene. The officers used metal chords to hold the building up as long as possible as several other officers, including the police chief herself, ran inside to escort everyone to safety. Lin stayed behind every person to make sure they all got out safe. As the people ran for their lives, the building gave in and quickly crumbled to rocks. Once the dirt and dust cleared, the people stood around the building's remains. A noise was heard as Lin earth bent the pile of rocks that landed on her outward. She stood up and began to walk away from the rubble unharmed. Approaching the residents of the collapsed building, she loudly called out to them.
"Is everyone alright? No one is missing? Injured? Dead?" She bluntly shouted. The people in the crowd all shook their heads and mumbled to each other. The chief of police stressfully sighed to herself as she made her way back to the station.
Once there, she sloped into a chair seated next to a radio transmitter. She leaned forward and fiddled with a few buttons until she found who she wanted to talk to.
"Hello?" She asked into the microphone, "This is Chief Beifong of Republic City. To whom am I speaking to?"
"Oh stop it, Lin. You don't have to be so head on. You're talking to me." A calm and collected voice could be heard through the speaker.
"Su? What's the status?" Lin asked.
"Still no word on any other members of the Red Lotus. We've had rumors called in, but none were proven to be true. We're doing everything we can, Lin." Su Yin reported.
After Zaheer was placed in a heavily guarded prison, the Metal Clan was in charge of hunting down the remaining members of the Red Lotus. Su was the head of the search. She had been searching for months, but was only able to find two or three, and that was only because they were grouped together and made themselves known to the public. The work fatigued her. To her, it was a wild goose chase. She knew she was never going to find every last member in the world, but she did promise her sister, and the avatar, that she would not stop searching. The thing is that she wasn't giving it her all. She and her officers would look for a little for a bit, then return home empty handed. She just had to keep giving her sister a different answer each time she had to report her findings.
"This is ridiculous! How have we not found any yet?!" Lin shouted angrily on her end. She placed her fingers on her temples and leaned against the table.
"Lin, we are searching the world here. Finding every last member isn't going to be an easy task. " Su reasoned with her stressed out sister. "However, we did find something else.
Lin looked up from her hands at the radio as if she were looking at her sister's actual face. "What?" She asked interested.
"I was speaking with Fire Lord Zuko about and findings in the Fire Nation, and he told me that there were reports of airbenders. Tenzin only searched the Earth Kingdom, right? It may not be what we were looking for, but it is something."
Lin was quiet. 'How could they not think to look for new airbenders in the Fire Nation,' she thought to herself. "Thank you, Su. I will notify Tenzin at once," she finally spoke.
"I will notify Tenzin at once," Su mimicked in a weird, stern voice. "You sound like a drill sergeant!" She laughed.
Lin rolled her eyes and switched the radio to communicate with the Southern Air Temple to try to get in touch with Tenzin.
"This is Chief Beifong of Republic City. To whom am I speaking to?" She spoke into the microphone once again.
There was a moment of silence, that Tenpin's voice suddenly broke. "Lin? Is that you? Why are you shouting? You sound like a drill sergeant."
Lin frowned. "How are things going with Korra?" She asked.
"It's going great!" he said, "She is beginning to air bend again and train with the rest of the students. And she's feeling a lot better. She's made such an improvement."
"Great, great," she mumbled uninterested in Korra's advancements. "The reason I called was to inform you that there were reports of airbenders in the Fire Nation."
Tenzin was taken back, both shocked and happy to hear of even more airbenders. "What?" he asked, "That's wonderful! I'll bring a few people to help look for them!" Tenzin was clearly excited about the news. "Of course I'll have to leave Korra here so she can continue healing, but that shouldn't be a problem."
"Good luck," Lin said, ending the conversation.
Tenzin turned the radio off and headed outside to gather a group. The majority of the temple's current inhabitants were already present outside the temple doors, including Korra and Tenzin's family.
Noticing Tenzin's unusual bliss, Korra asked, "What's going on?"
"Lin just told me there were airbenders showing up in the Fire Nation." He replied. Excited gasps were heard as everyone suddenly became more lively.
"What? That's great! When do we go?" Korra asked joyfully.
"We," Tenzin gestured to himself, "leave tomorrow. You," he gestured to Korra, "are staying here to maintain the airbenders and defend them if needed." He said the last part quickly and quietly.
"What?! That's not fair!" Korra shouted angrily.
"I'm sorry, Korra, but you're in no shape to travel." Tenzin said calmly.
"I'm perfectly fine to travel!" She huffed.
"I said no, Korra. I'm bringing Jinora, Ikki, Kai, and Bumi, and a few others from this temple. No one else." Tenzin stated firmly, too used to putting up with Korra's fits. "There's a limited amount of space on my bison."
"What? Why do they get to go? They're kids!" Korra argued pointing at Tenzin's daughters and Kai.
"Not all of us!" Bumi playfully inquired, then looked down at himself, "Well, physically that is." Korra sighed slumping over as Ikki began jumping up and down clapping her hands excitedly.
"Yay! I get to go with everyone on an adventure!" she chirped happily next to her father.
"Only if you stay with me and not run off." Tenzin nodded to her as he turned to get supplies ready for the venture. Kai and Jinora walked away to get their stuff ready as well.
"Cool." Kai noted to Jinora as the two headed inside, "I've never been to the Fire Nation. I wonder what it's like!"
"I heard Fire Lord Zuko rediscovered a new breed of dragons, kind of like the way my grandfather rediscovered the flying bison and monkey lemurs." Jinora replied.
Korra stood with her back turned and arms folded.
"Cheer up, sport! We'll only be gone for about a week. I bet you won't be missing anything. Well, except for the scenery of course, and the culture, and the people, and the-"
"Okay I get it!" Korra cut him off.
Inside the temple, Tenzin finished packing for the trip. It was night outside, so Tenzin knew he needed to get some rest. But before he left the room, he walked over to a table with a picture framed and neatly positioned in a circle of beads with the symbol of the Air Nomads. Tenzin lifted the picture and gently smiled at his father's face, imagining how proud of him he would be.
"Dear? Are you still in there? Come to bed. It's late." Pema called from the room across from the one he was in. Tenzin turned at the sound of his wife's voice.
"Coming!" he replied. He turned back to the picture looking at it once more. He gently placed it back down in the beaded necklace and shut the door behind him.
