Little Korra gazed admirably at her new ball. It was a bright orange that seemed to glow in the artic snow. Her chubby hands fiddled with it and hesitantly rolled it across the ground. This was the first time Mommy and Daddy had let her play by herself, let alone with a new ball, and she was a bit nervous. The hesitation, though prominent at first, quickly disappeared.
She clumsily stood, placed the ball on the ice, and kicked it with all the strength her four year old limbs could muster. The force of her kick sent her reeling backwards on the cold and wet surface in a shower of loose snow. Thankfully her blue coat kept her warm. But the child cared little for that fact, barely even noticed the snow covering her clothing, and pushed herself back up to chase after the ball.
She could just see her toy in the distance but falling snow obstructed her view even as she drew closer, it crunched under her boots deliciously. The sound delighted her but she couldn't be distracted from her goal that easily. Giggling the little girl leapt into a sprint.
Suddenly, the ice gave way. Her little heart stuttered uncertainly when her foot only found air under it. The world spun around her and she landed several feet later in a pile of snow. The powdery substance protected her from seriously harming herself but the event still frightened her and the pure terror she had felt burst from her mouth in powerful sobs. Tears welled up and fell down her cheeks in two steady streams while she helplessly searched for a way back up. Her eyes met only sharp ice and steep walls.
Korra pulled her hood up and over her eyes in a vain attempt to hide her tears from the world. Her sobs slowly quieted over time and her huddled form went by unnoticed by any passerby from the village. She sniffled.
"There, there," a kind voice called down gently to the young girl. "How did you get stuck down here?"
Korra watched as a strange pair of light and brown shoes touched down in front of her. Her brows furrowed in confusion. They were not the shoes of a water tribe person. She rubbed at her eyes and looked up into the face of the new comer but scowled, the sun shown down in just a way that it shadowed the façade of the man.
"I fell," she finally mumbled in answer.
"Oh, I see, so this must be yours," he held out the orange ball.
Korra reached for it happily, glad to see her long lost toy. She stood and the man crouched in front of her to hand it to her. She snatched it from him excitedly and hugged it to her. Glad to be reunited she turned back to the mysterious man to thank him and blinked in awe.
"You're covered in tattoos!" she exclaimed.
The man laughed. It was a kind laugh that spoke of years of joy.
"I am," he agreed.
"And you're bald," she observed warily.
"Just a little," he said.
"And you match my ball," she held up the mentioned object to the orange robes that covered the stranger.
"I do indeed." He stood and offered a hand to her, "Do you need help getting out of here? I'm afraid I don't have much time left."
Korra nodded mutely and grasped at the man's hand. He pulled her up into his arms and she looked into his face, smooth of any wrinkles and decidedly open and friendly, and felt a sudden sadness swell within her small frame. She didn't understand where it came from, but it still caused several more tears to fall.
The man effortlessly jumped into the air and landed on the ice outside of the hole as gracefully as a cat. He lowered the girl to the ground and paused when she refused to let go. He looked into her tearful face and smiled gently.
"Don't worry Korra, I'll see you later," he spoke kindly and ruffled her dark hair.
Korra didn't speak; she only nodded with a trembling lip.
He stood.
"Korra!"
She turned to see the familiar figure of her father, racing across the ice with a relieved look on his face.
"Daddy!" She squealed with glee.
She was scooped up into a tight embrace and carried home, but while her father trudged through the snow she looked at the figure of the strange man waving at her cheerily before disappearing into thin air. Belatedly she waved back.
"Bye, bye," she whispered.