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Prologue – Part 2
Hundreds of miles away, at the very moment that Aang's heart ceased to beat, a baby was brought into the world in a gush of blood and with a healthy scream.
The sounds of the screaming infant became somewhat muted as the baby was cleaned and rubbed gently to both clean and stimulate blood-flow, but once the ministrations ceased, the screams came back with a vengeance.
The air was cold and frigid outside, typical of the South Pole, but the interior of the ice structure was kept warm by the fire crackling in the center of the room. The walls were made of gracefully shaped ice and snow – a feat attributed to the Waterbender of that household – and there were bone shelves lining the walls, filled with all sorts of weapons, eating implements, and warm fur clothing. Multiple thick leather skins were sewn together to provide a dry, warm ground as opposed to the ice that served as the original floor.
A young non-bender was gasping and panting on a thick bed of furs, her long, dark hair tied back with a thong of leather, stubborn strands sticking to her sweat-ridden face and getting in her eyes. A young Waterbender with dark hair was shaking uncontrollably as he took deep breaths, his pale blue eyes locked on the kicking bundle in the healer's arms.
The new mother cracked an eye open, and sat up hurriedly at the sight of the squalling baby, groaning as exhaustion made her fall back. Her husband leaned over her; his hands smoothing her hair back as he let out a relieved laugh.
"It's all over, Shiya, it's done!" he exclaimed, grasping one of her hands in both of his, his voice full of relief. The woman smiled tiredly; silently amused by the way her husband's eyes flickered toward the bundle longingly, his hands tightening around her own. The man – his name was Len – was usually so fearless and confident, and seeing him so nervous in the face of meeting his first child…it was entertaining to say the least.
The old healer – Gana, her name was – had finished cleaning and wrapping the babe in a soft blanket, and she shuffled over to the happy couple, her smiling face surrounded by neatly coiled hair that was as white as the outside snow. The bundle in her leathery arms had not ceased its howl, and Shiya let out a relieved laugh as she stared into her husband's eyes, willing him to read her mind and understand that she was both ecstatic and terrified to behold the creature that was now theirs to care for.
"It's a girl," Gana proclaimed, and Len let out a startled breath as the babe was unceremoniously placed into his arms. The babe was crying and kicking strongly, so unused to the new sensation of being outside her mother's womb, and Len's eyes scanned the child's squirming limbs, trying in vain to find what was making her so miserable. His elbow moved instinctively to support the girl's unsteady head, and his gaze softened as he held her closer.
"She's so tiny, Shiya…" Len whispered, voice cracking, and the healer's quiet chuckle made him look up. The older woman waved her hand dismissively, a distant look of fond remembrance in her clear eyes as she watched Len lean down to examine his newborn daughter.
The baby girl was perfect and healthy, with powerful lungs and petite features. Dark hair faintly dusted her slightly misshapen head – a temporary mark of her difficult journey through her mother's passageway. Her skin was blotchy and wrinkled, but it would fade into the customary smooth tan of the Water Tribe after a few days. Her impossibly tiny fingers were clenched into discontented fists as she cried, and Len carefully shifted so the girl was closer to her mother.
Shiya sat up once more, her eyes eager and her hands reaching out, stubbornly rebelling against her tiredness. Gana moved to prop the woman up with thick, feather stuffed pads, and Shiya thanked her with a smile before enveloping her daughter in her trembling arms. Gana leaned down to whisper a reminder into Shiya's ear – the new mother would need to begin breastfeeding shortly, in order to encourage milk flow and to allow both child and mother to grow accustomed to the process. Then, with a nod to Len and a final smile to both of them, the old healer left the tent to relay the news of a successful delivery to the Southern Water Tribe leader, Chief Jyokin.
The young woman stared down at her daughter, tears of wonder and awe filling her eyes – a much more vivid shade of blue than was customary for Southern Water Tribe members, the color of the deepest glacier wells in summer – as she cuddled the babe close to her chest.
"Oh Len…I cant believe that this," she exclaimed, nodding to her still wailing child, "came out of me! She's so loud…that's a good thing, right?" Shiya looked to her husband, who had started laughing at the desperate lilt to her question.
"I sure hope so, Shi. Either way, she's here to stay," Len stated dryly, leaning forward to touch the little baby hesitantly on the nose, watching as she snuffled in confusion, her closed eyes scrunching as her face turned toward the direction of the contact.
"Oh, I know that," Shiya muttered impatiently, rolling her eyes at her husband's teasing tone. "It's just…this tiny, pretty little baby…it's our baby. And…" she trailed off, her shoulders shrugging in hopeless confusion.
Len moved forward to rub noses with his wife, smiling as a shaky breath escaped her chest. "Here I thought that I was the only one who was completely clueless at how to deal with having a baby…"
"Len!" Shiya cuddled her baby protectively toward her, hissing, "Not so loud! She might hear you, and we don't want her first thoughts of us to be how unprepared we are!"
Len stared at the indignant Shiya for several moments before bursting out in a roar of laughter. Shiya flushed in embarrassment, and busied herself with lifting her shirt and attempting to encourage her child to begin feeding. Luckily for Shiya, Len was too busy trying to control his laughter to see her fumble and experiment awkwardly until the baby finally latched on. There was silence in the room as she sucked, and Shiya winced at the surprisingly strong sucking sensation. Len rolled up, and grinned at his wife, who scowled at him.
"Aw, Shi, don't be mad, it was funny! We're new at this; so what?"
"I just…" Shiya watched her daughter for a moment, her scowl fading as her eyes took on a much more sorrowful look. "I just don't want this baby to grow up without parents, or even worse, with parents who are too concerned with the village to really be there for them. You never met my parents, Len, but…" Shiya's eyes filled anew with tears. "I don't want…I won't let us be like them. I loved my parents, but…they didn't raise me. They put a roof over my head and clothed me. Nothing more, nothing less."
Shiya's words halted abruptly, and she seemed to consider whether she should continue. But she then shook her head, and her mouth trembled as she clamped it shut.
Len's mood was somber as he moved closer, putting a strong arm around his trembling wife and leaning to place his face close to hers. He tenderly tucked a strand of Shiya's long – it fell to just below her waist – dark brown hair behind her ear, and sighed. Len pale blue eyes gazed steadily into her face until she finally looked up. His wife's eyes glimmering with tears. The Waterbender was serious as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, hugging both Shiya and the baby close to him.
"Listen to me, Shi. You have nothing to worry about; no, no, I'm serious," he insisted when Shiya looked down in embarrassment. "I love this village, but understand this: You and our daughter come first, our family comes first. I will not abandon either of you, not for anything or anyone. Understand?"
Shiya looked into Len's eyes, and her lips turned upward in a small smile as she nodded. Len leaned forward to kiss her chastely, and then he sighed, leaning his chin against her shoulder so he could look down at their daughter – beaming at the soft, contented grunts the baby was emitting as she suckled.
"So…what's her name?"
Shiya gaped at him, her regretful mood thoughtlessly pushed aside. "Wait, so suddenly it's on me to name her?"
"Yep."
"You aren't even going to suggest anything?"
"Nuh uh. I'm sure that with your astounding beauty and creativity, you'll choose the best name in the history of names."
"You're just being lazy, aren't you?"
"Call it what you like."
"…I hate you."
"I love you too, Shi."
Shi pursed her lips at him, her eyes narrowing at cheeky grin he gave her to combat her furious glare. Len closed her eyes, ready to hear the names Shiya had in mind, and the young woman huffed, turning away from her husband – had he always been this immature? – and focusing on her newborn child. It had to be something perfect, something feminine, yet strong and powerful.
A name that would be remembered.
Shiya was quiet for so long that Len peered over at her in an attempt to get her attention. She ignored him, her vivid eyes staring at the baby in her arms, who had finally finished her first meal, and was murmuring delicate sounds under her breath as she shifted ceaselessly for a more comfortable position.
Shiya felt a deep surge of adoration as she reached out to gently cup her daughter's face in her hand. Len was watching her, this she knew, but she couldn't find it in her to tear her gaze away from her child.
A name. A title. Something to call this beautiful creature that she and Len had created. A series of sounds that the girl would recognize as her own.
There were so many ways to classify the thing that Shiya was about to bestow.
"Korra," Shiya said, her eyes flickering to Len's with firm resolve. "Her name's Korra."
Len stared at Shiya for a long moment, and a flicker of doubt flared within Shiya's heart. Did he approve? Was it too short? Too long, maybe? Not the right sounds?
Her worries dissipated instantly when Len nodded approvingly.
"I like it. Hear that, Korra?" he whispered to their daughter, who was still contentedly feeding. "You've got a name!"
Shiya smiled warmly at Len, who grinned back, in that exuberant way of his that made her throat tighten. Shiya felt love welling up in her chest, not just for her newborn daughter but also for the man beside her. She took a moment to really look at him.
Len was ruggedly handsome, with strong, masculine features and the brightest smile in the world – in Shiya's opinion, of course. That was what really drew her to him in the first place. It wasn't so much his tall, muscled physique, or even his exciting and inviting personality. It was his smile. It was so genuine and happy, but he also had a way of just…touching her with that smile.
They had known each other all their lives, but had only been placed in close contact three, when the two had been sent on a fishing trip. He had been nineteen at the time, and she had been seventeen. She had commented on his exponential skill in Waterbending – she wasn't a bender herself, but she had always been fascinated with the idea of it – and he had flushed modestly, sending her a smile so perfect and bright that the moment she recovered, she made a silent promise.
This, she vowed, would be the man she married.
Shiya was never one to break promises, even ones made to herself, and so she immediately began placing herself in his path. Like accidentally forgetting her hair-tie in her igloo dwelling and having to walk through the area in which Len helped teach Waterbending to the young children to fetch it. Or just happening to walk past him during a feast, giving him a small smile and then coyly looking away when he gave her a smile in return.
Ah, those had been wonderful times.
It wasn't surprising to anyone – considering Shiya's dedicated character when it came to such things – when Len began to take more notice in the quiet young woman, pulled in by her mysteriousness and snagged by her kindness and loyalty. Shiya couldn't have been happier when Len presented her with an engagement necklace a year after beginig his courtship. They were married a month after this event, and Shiya became pregnant three months after that.
They were so well matched – Len with his playful, courageous nature and Shiya with her serious and responsible one. Shiya knew that she brought out the more serious side of Len, but also knew that his enthusiasm brought out a playful side of her that balanced out the seriousness she usually exuded. It wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but it worked. And the two of them were happy with each other, and there was enough trust and love to last a lifetime.
Len smiled at her as he moved his chin back to her shoulder, both of them going silent as they watched their daughter sleep. Shiya leaned her head on her husband's shoulder, smiling contentedly when Len's hand tightened around her waist. The new mother stroked her daughter's cheek, and her whisper was so soft that it meshed nicely with the silence of the igloo.
"Welcome to the world, Korra."
It was two years later that the Fire Nation was sighted off shore, heading toward the Southern Water Tribe. The ships were dark and unnatural against the surrounding ice, approaching like a pestilence. The scouts scrambled to sound the alarm, sticks pounding against the war drums.
Shiya was holding a rambunctious Korra down when the alarm sounded, trying to gently and yet firmly pull a comb through the girl's dark tangles. Her head snapped up, her unusually blue eyes widening as Korra paused in her attempt to escape the inevitable brushing of her hair.
"What's that, Mommy?" Korra asked, her tiny hands grabbing at Shiya's arm, staring – the girl had inherited her mother's glacier-blue eyes – up at her mother with a frown. Shiya felt her heart racing as she heard feet running and voices screaming as they struggled to brace themselves against the attack.
The young woman threw down the comb, and placed Korra on the ground before rushing to begin throwing their belongings into large leather bags. The woman wasn't about to take any chances in this raid. There had been a raid just a few months ago, and several Waterbenders had been captured. Thank the spirits that Len wasn't one of them, but Shiya wasn't going to pray or hope that the same didn't happen this time around.
The woman finished in a matter of minutes, and Korra stuck a puzzled thumb in her mouth, her tiny face peeking out from her fur-lined hood and her legs moving slowly against the bulkiness of her outfit. Shiya grabbed the child's hand, slinging the heavy bags over her shoulder with her other hand.
"C'mon Korra, we're going to find Daddy."
Korra smiled brightly at the mention of her father. "Daddy!"
"Yes, Daddy. Can you help me look, Korra?" Shiya asked, trying to keep her tone light and cheerful, and Korra nodded, her eyes bright and lively as she skipped in the snow beside her mother.
The village was in uproar, women and children rushing to and fro as they prepared for the attack. Several villagers approached Shiya, and by the time she reached the main igloo – the Southern Water Tribe meeting place and council area – she understood the gist of what was going on.
The Fire Nation was an hour away, and the younger Waterbenders were being taken to the shelters as well as the non-benders, because it was clear that capturing Waterbenders was the Fire Nation's prerogative. They must not know that the Airbender Avatar was dead yet; if they had known, they would do more than simply raid the Southern Water Tribe. They would burn it to the ground, and kill every child of two years of age or younger.
The previous Avatar had died two years ago, and yet no Southern Water Tribe children had showed signs of the Avatar spirit. The customary test was for the children to pick four toys – out of a large bin of colorful playthings – that most appealed to them. Four of the toys were significant relics of previous Avatars, purposefully less appealing than the rest of the toys. If the child chose all four relics, they were recognized as the Avatar. But when all the children born within three weeks of the Avatar's death were tested – Korra was included, along with six other children – they all failed.
Shiya would never admit it, but when Korra reached into the bin and pulled out four non-relic toys, her heart thumped with jarring relief. Her daughter wasn't the Avatar, her daughter wouldn't be targeted. Her family was safe.
Shiya looked down at her little daughter. Korra was calm and quiet in the face of everyone's panic – a strange characteristic, but one that was helpful in times of stress – and Shiya wished that she could have the same calm. The young mother felt a frantic sob filling her throat when Len's figure did not immediately make itself known. The village leader, Chief Jyokin, waved at her and ran over, his breathing heavy and his eyes sharp. His graying brown hair was untied and wild atop his head, his gloves coated in ice. He must have been among the Waterbenders who were working to reinforce the outer walls, Shiya noted subconsciously.
"Shiya, I've been going around telling all the families with small children…there's a ship ready to take a group of families to the Northern Water Tribe. The Northern Tribe would be able to offer you refuge until we put an end to these Fire Nation raids."
Shiya's eyes widened, and Chief Jyokin shook his head. "Not many wish to leave; the Northerners have very different traditions, but I'm sure that you of all people see the wisdom in getting small children out of the line of fire." Shiya nodded curtly, and the older leaders eyes softened.
"Len is helping prepare the supplies. The ship will travel to Chin Village, where it will meet up with a Northern Water Tribe ship. That ship will take you the rest of the way."
The young woman nodded, and leaned down to scoop Korra up into her arms. The girl, who would usually fuss at being held like a baby, remained somber and quiet, and smiled shyly when the chief gave her head an affectionate pat. Shiya thanked the man hurriedly, running now in order to get to the shore, just outside the village.
She had to find Len, and then their family would set off together.
Korra clung to her mother, her head swiveling around as the village was left behind them, her eyes scanning the new and unfamiliar landscape. The snow crunched and hissed under Shiya's boots, and she tugged her hood over her head as the boat came into sight. The woman refused to look out toward the water, knowing that if she did, she would see the distant ships that would bring only destruction in their wake.
The mast of the large ship was stark and alone against the clear blue sky, and Shiya could see that at least a dozen families were already on the deck. All of them had either infants or incredibly small children, and all of them were talking quietly and called out to her as she approached.
Shiya waved half-heartedly, and her heart leapt when she saw Len on the snowy dock beside the boat, handing several toddlers up to their mothers. Korra cried out in happiness at the sight of her father, and at the familiar sound, Len looked over at them. His face was serious and stressed, and when he recognized the face within the concealing hood his eyes lit up and his lips spread in a relieved smile.
He ran over to her, and hugged the two of them close. Korra squirmed to get out of her mother's arms and reached out with chubby arms, her smile wide and carefree, so different from Shiya's forced smile of fear and anxiety. Len lifted Korra carefully, and rubbed noses with the girl, making her giggle.
"Hey, Korra! Are you ready to go on the boat?"
Korra nodded cheerfully. "Yeah! But Daddy, you promised to show me more water moves!" she demanded, her lips pursing in an irresistible pout. Len laughed, stealing a strange look at Shiya before looking back toward his daughter.
"I know, Korra, but I don't have time now. Someday…someday soon, I will. Go with Mommy now, alright?"
Korra nodded reluctantly. "Okay…" The girl reached for Shiya, and Shiya took her with a frown, moving automatically when Len led her toward the boat plank. Korra squealed at the sight of the water slapping the sides, and Shiya let the girl run up the smooth plank and onto the ship, starting to walk up after her daughter.
But Len wasn't following them.
Shiya felt icy realization sink deep into her skin as Len sent her a sad smile, and her face twisted into an expression of pure denial as she whirled on him. He couldn't possibly send them off alone, without any way of knowing whether he was safe…
"No!"
"Shi, listen to me–" he began, but she stormed up to him, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes were filling with tears, and she cursed her lack of an emotional filter, she hated her inability to control her tears.
"You can't, I won't let you! How can you even think to ask this of me?" she shrieked at him, and Len let out a deep sigh, putting his hands on her shoulders, his eyes serious and depthless as they forced her to listen.
"The tribe needs me, Shiya."
Shiya's eyes widened so wide that Len's expression shifted to one of frantic concern. The young woman began to shake, in anger, in pain, in grim nostalgia. Her tears overflowed, and her mouth parted in a silent scream. Len blinked to keep his own emotions at bay, speaking firmly into the silence.
"I'll come up to get you as soon as I can, but for now, you need–"
"That's what my father always said…when they would go away for months at a time. The tribe needs us, he would always say, and my mother would agree with him."
Len stared at her, and Shiya continued to stare at her feet, her stomach coiling in pain as she went on in a hoarse whisper.
"I never told you how they died, did I? It was when I was ten years old, and they were going out on one of their missions. I watched them pack, staring and trying so…so hard not to cry. They each gave me a hug, as they always did, and told me to stay out of trouble while they were gone. I stood there and watched them leave."
"Shi–" Len's gloved hands were cupping her face, but Shiya continued as if he hadn't spoken.
"I wanted so badly to run after them. Please, stay with me, I wanted to scream at them. I can't do this alone, I wanted to say, and I wanted my parents to kneel down and hug me, telling me that they would never leave me again. But…I didn't say anything. Instead, I sat down and began sewing, because that's what they would have wanted me to do," she cried, looking up at Len with tears freezing on her face as the wind picked up, blowing flakes of snow around them. The boat rocked unsteadily, and Len's eyes never left her face as she sobbed.
"They never came back…they tried to maneuver through the glaciers, and they…they didn't make it." Shi struggled to contain her sobs, and Len stared in silence, his eyes wide and shocked.
"Shiya," he started to say, face pale and stricken. "I'm so sorry–"
She shook her head. "I wasn't able to tell my parents to stay, Len, because I was a coward. I wanted…no…I expected, their approval more than their love," Shiya whispered, and she took a deep breath as she spoke.
"Please, stay with me, Len. I..." Her voice cracked, and then went on more strongly, "I can't do this alone! You once told me that you would never abandon this family, for no one and nothing…don't you dare go back on your word now!"
Len was silent for several long moments, his eyes flickering to the giggling Korra as she ran around the deck, holding her hands out as if she could fly if she just jumped upward. The young man's shoulders were tense and undecided, and Shiya jumped onto his hesitation, speaking rapidly into the silence.
"You know how the Northern Tribe forbids women from Waterbending! Len, think of how crushed Korra will be if she doesn't have anyone to teach her! You could teach her, you could be there for her in a way that I can never hope to be," she cried, her hands tightening on his forearms and her body moving closer to him.
Len was still silent, and his eyes now stared over her head and locked onto the village that had been their home for their entire lives. She turned to look too, and saw the beauty – and the fragile sadness – that seemed to permeate the place. Shiya and Len stood there together, and both of them remembered all the times they had spent laughing and running within its walls. It was where they had met for the first time as children, it was where Shiya learned all the skills for taking care of herself, it was where Len had learned that he had the ability to shape water with nothing but the strength of his will and the movement of his body. It was where Korra had been born; it was where they were most comfortable.
But that place of comfort was slowly crumbling.
Then, their gazes shifted to the ship, to the water beyond it, and to the future that its strong wooden structure held. A future with another Tribe. A stricter and more restraining Tribe, but an infinitely safer tribe.
At the same exact moment, both of them shifted to stare at their daughter.
Korra's hood had fallen off of her head, and her dark brown hair was whipping around in the wind, framing her beaming face and making her eyes – her mother's eyes – stand out even more against her rich tan skin. In the North, she wouldn't have to worry about raids; the icy rocks and glaciers of the North were too treacherous for the bulky and heavy ships of the Fire Nation. She could grow up in relative peace.
Shiya felt Len's arms encircling her, and gasped in relief when she felt his shoulders slump in defeat.
"You're right, Shi. We should stay together," Len whispered, and he pulled away after a moment, speaking to one of the other Waterbenders who was also helping families aboard. The Waterbender – a middle-aged woman named Jilip – nodded in understanding, and called out to Shiya.
"I wish you the best of luck; be sure to come back someday!"
Shiya assured the woman that they would, and Len moved over to take her hand. She could see how this decision was hurting him, but she refused to feel guilty. She refused to feel anything but joy that her daughter was going to have two parents to raise her and teach her.
Korra was bouncing up and down in excitement, and when she saw her mother and father board the ship, she ran up and swung herself around Len's legs. The Waterbenders were finishing loading supplies now, and Len reached down to grasp hands with each of them, their blue eyes brave and bright as they wished him well. Shiya smiled at each of them, thanking them silently for allowing her to be selfish, for allowing such a proficient Waterbender to willingly leave them in a time of crisis. There were other Waterbenders on the ship, but it was well known that Len was one of the best.
A scroll detailing all the travel coordinates and instructions was handed to one of the higher ranking tribe members in the camp, a non-bender who was especially skilled at reading maps and managing transportation. He accepted it with a serious nod, and began turning the wheel to face north.
In a synchronized movement, the remaining Waterbenders on the shore swept their arms upward, and with a graceful push, the water coaxed the boat into a smooth, swift line across the water. The navigator quickly moved to lift the dark blue sails, and the wind soon caught, pushing the ship even faster. They were heading toward the eastern glaciers, where the Fire Nation couldn't possibly follow.
The village of the Southern Water Tribe stood proud and beautiful, glinting in the cool sunlight, and those aboard the ship stared longingly at the place, all of them knowing that this was most likely the last time any of them were going to see the village in all its glory. The time of peace was over, most of them were aware of that fact. Len's eyes were glinting with tears as he watched the Waterbenders on the shore raise their hands in a customary salute that was given to those leaving on a long journey, a gesture meant to wish them safe and successful travels.
"Mommy, Daddy, where are we going?" a small voice interrupted Len's solemn vigil, and he looked down at the feel of the small fingers tugging on his leg. The young man glanced at Shiya, and a small, sad smile lifted his lips. He leaned down to pick her up, and he settled the young girl on his strong shoulders, pointing his arm northward, reluctantly turning his back on his beloved village as he did so.
"We're going to the Northern Water Tribe. It's going to be our home for a while."
"Why?" Korra asked, as curious as always, with a note of defiance that dared either of her parents to answer with anything less than a satisfactory answer. Shiya reached up to stroke Korra's hair.
"Because…some people are trying to hurt our village," Shiya said softly.
"Why?" Korra's tone was pained, and Len sighed before answering.
"They want to control us, and the rest of the world, but they don't understand that in order for there to be peace, there has to be balance."
Korra nodded. "Who keeps the balance?"
Shiya felt her throat tighten as she stared at Korra, her fearless little daughter. Len was also struggling to keep his emotions at bay, and Shiya put a hand on his arm as she smiled at the little girl.
"The Avatar."
"Then why isn't the Avatar here?"
Shiya's mouth opened, but nothing came out. Len's expression was just as blank and speechless, and their eyes met, equal expressions of shock on their faces. Korra stared at her parents, her little brow furrowing in confusion.
How could Shiya explain the war that was rising? How could she make clear the fact that the Avatar was dead, and there still was no sign of a new Avatar to take his place? She couldn't even begin to explain the inevitable destruction of the Southern Water Tribe – only so much time would pass before the Fire Nation assumed that the Avatar had been reincarnated. It was the Southern Water Tribe's rotation in the Avatar Cycle, and the Fire Nation knew that along with the rest of the world.
Len was still watching her, and Shiya took a deep breath, her eyes straying toward the distant horizon of ice once more as she answered.
"I…I don't know."
