"Mommy! Look, it's the Avatar!"
"Jia, what did I tell you about running off like that?"
"But it's the Avatar!"
Korra stirred slightly, the volume of the voices sounding clearer as she was pulled out of unconsciousness.
Cerulean eyes opened to see a young child standing before her, a toothy grin plastered on her face. Over the little girl's shoulder, Korra noticed a much older woman hastily making her way towards them.
"Jia," the woman scolded as her eyes landed upon the avatar, who had been sleeping against the trunk of a tree. "I apologize, Avatar Korra. My daughter didn't mean to disturb you."
She made to continue on, though before she could get any further Korra interrupted her.
"No. It's definitely okay. She wasn't disturbing and please, you can just call me Korra," she assured the woman as she corrected her posture.
Jia grinned and looked up at her mother. "See? I wasn't bothering her."
The woman sighed softly, but smiled. "It's an honor to meet you, Avatar." She paused. "Korra," the older woman amended, and bowed her head slightly.
Korra bowed her head in response. After many years as the avatar, she still had not been able to adapt to that sort of response from people she met. It didn't make her uncomfortable, exactly; it was just foreign to her. Korra felt a small hand pull on her pants and she looked down to smile at Jia.
"Miss Korra, what is it like to be the Avatar?"
Just then, she heard a gong emitted by the clock on Aang Memorial and Korra remembered suddenly that she had to get back to the island.
"Sorry, Jia," she said, looking up from the girl to her mother and smiled apologetically. "I have to get back home. Or they'll be worried."
Korra cursed herself as Jia frowned and looked down at her feet. Kneeling down, the avatar lifted up the girl's chin with a finger. "How about you and I meet up later and then I'll tell you about anything you want to know?"
This seemed to appeal to the child, for she grinned widely and threw her arms around Korra's neck.
"Yes! Mommy, can I please?" Jia asked, hopeful her mother would comply.
The woman eventually nodded and smiled, though she seemed a bit shocked that the avatar had suggested such a thing.
"Okay, it's a deal then," Korra said with a grin. "I have to go now, though."
She waved as she made her way back to the main path, using her glider as a walking stick.
"Bye Miss Korra!" called the child, and Korra smiled to herself as Jia and her mother faded into the distance.
She made a mental note to write down what she had just promised when she got back to the dorms. As she continued on the path, it slowly dawned on the young woman how she had ended up in the park in the first place. Korra remembered making her way out of the Wilds with the intention of speaking to Tenzin. However, no sooner did she begin to glide back home had a wave of exhaustion hit her, the consequences of several restless nights finally catching up with the avatar. She couldn't keep herself flying straight and so landed in the park, intending to shut her eyes just for a brief moment.
It could've been worse. I could've drowned while flying over Yue Bay, she thought, sighing in relief as she exited the Park. Korra stopped a pedestrian passing by on the way out.
"Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me the time please?"
"It's no bother, Avatar Korra," the man smiled kindly as he checked his watch. "It's a quarter till noon."
11:45?! Shit!
The young woman gave her thanks and continued on her way, more quickly this time. She was never going to hear the end of it from Tenzin, she just knew it. Korra grimaced as she quickened her pace. She could already hear her mentor's stern voice as she headed for the docks.
Where could she be?
Tenzin paced back in forth in his study his robe flapping wildly behind him. Korra had not attended morning meditation, or breakfast, and she was late for her healing session. He had Jinora check her room, but the avatar wasn't there either. He heard the door slide open and glanced up, expecting to be met with cerulean eyes. Instead, however, it was his eldest daughter, accompanied by his mother.
"Jinora tells me Korra will return soon," Katara said to her son, and Tenzin felt a massive weight lift off of his shoulders.
"I can sense her spirit getting stronger the closer she gets. She was probably visiting her friends," Jinora said, but in all honesty she couldn't help but worry.
As her Gran-Gran and father engrossed themselves in conversation, Jinora's mind drifted to other things. She secretly hoped Korra was okay. Especially after the whole episode a few nights back. The more Jinora thought about it, the more she just wanted to explode. She felt uncomfortable keeping it to herself.
I just need to know if everything will be alright…that feeling…it wasn't natural. If it felt like that for me, I could only imagine the experience was even worse for Korra...
"What was that?" Tenzin turned to question his daughter.
"Huh?"
Jinora raised an eyebrow at her father, feeling her cheeks heat up as she slowly realized her error. She had been mumbling aloud rather than in her head.
"What did you say about Korra?" Katara added in, encouraging her granddaughter.
"Oh. I – nothing," Jinora replied nervously. "I was just thinking of the race Korra and I planned to have later on today."
Tenzin raised a brow. "I thought you said you hadn't seen Korra today."
Jinora opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a single word the door slid open and revealed a dishevelled young woman.
"Tenzin, I have to talk to you!"
Korra paused when she glanced around and saw he wasn't alone. The man rushed forward to greet her as Jinora stood to her feet.
"Korra! It's about time! You had us all worried."
"Where'd you wander off to Korra?" Katara asked, simply glad the avatar was safe and sound.
"I was in the Wilds, but that's not important," Korra rushed out, as she stepped further into Tenzin's study. "I'm not sure if Jinora's told you or not, but let me explain what happened."
Jinora bit her bottom lip as the two adults glanced over at her.
"First things first, I lost connection with Raava and my past lives," Korra began, propping her glider up against the bookcase. "I haven't been able to get in contact with them ever since I went into the Avatar State and took Kuvira's bending away."
Tenzin and Katara listened intently as both Korra and Jinora explained the story from each of their perspectives. When they each finished, Tenzin stroked his beard, deeply in thought.
"Well, for one, my mother knew of your severed connection for a few weeks," the man muttered.
"I had my suspicions, but they were confirmed when I saw you wandering down to the beach when you were supposed to be meditating a few weeks ago," Katara explained. "Korra, you didn't have to keep this to yourself. You know we're all here to help you when it comes to things like this."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I thought I could go into the Spirit World and get Raava back just like last time," Korra sighed, defeated.
Tenzin spoke up. "Well…I think for now it will be best to refrain from training physically and meditating into the Spirit World. Also, I believe it would be best to extend the healing sessions."
Katara nodded in agreement as all eyes turned towards Korra.
"Yeah, that sounds perfectly fine to me," she said eventually, nodding too.
"We can start with one after we've all eaten," Katara said, and with that she excused herself, citing a promise to lend Pema her help in preparing lunch for the family.
"Again, we really are sorry for keeping this from you and Katara," Korra apologized on her and Jinora's behalf.
"As long as both of you are safe and out of danger, everything is fine." Tenzin smiled slightly and made his way back to his desk. "If you ladies will excuse me, I have some business to take care of regarding the Council."
Korra and Jinora took the hint and removed themselves from the study.
"You shouldn't have gone into the Wilds by yourself," Jinora frowned once they were walking down the hall and away from the study.
Korra didn't feel like discussing the matter any longer and changed the subject. "Maybe. Hey, aren't Kai and Opal coming back from Zaofu?"
Luckily, Jinora caught on to Korra's discomfort and played along. "Yeah…" She sighed in content at the thought of reuniting with her boyfriend after a week or so of being separated.
"Look at you two…all in love and what not," Korra teased, smirking.
She laughed when Jinora's cheeks reddened and the girl couldn't form coherent sentences in response. "Oh, shut up!" she grumbled.
Korra nudged the younger girl playfully as her laughter died down and was replaced by a faint smile. Jinora huffed as she turned up her nose and walked away. Chuckling, the young avatar followed after her.
"Jia, honey, wait for Mommy."
She heard her mother's voice from behind her as she made her way through the Spirit Wilds. Jia's earlier encounter with the Avatar had sparked a newfound interest in the little girl. Finally, her mother caught up with her and took hold of her hand. "Stay beside me, sweetheart," she chided gently.
Walking past fellow sight-seers and visitors to the Wilds, mother and daughter rounded a corner and Jia frowned when she saw there was not a spirit in sight.
"Where are they?" the girl whined in disappointment, kicking out a thick vine that twisted across the street.
"Stop that," her mother said, chiding her daughter once more. "Maybe they're sleeping," the woman answered the child's question, taking in the alluring colors of flowers adorning the large vines which had wrapped themselves through open windows and around buildings.
Jia's mother barely noticed when the girl slipped her hand out and wandered away from her, crouching down to peer closely at the flowers she came across. Jia sighed as she walked a bit further and grinned in surprise when a spirit suddenly appeared before her eyes.
"Hello," Jia said, waving happily and approaching the creature. However, when the girl took in the appearance of the spirit, the smile was wiped off her face. This particular creature had lost the beauty of its light; if anything it looked like a monster from the stories her mother sometimes read to her at bedtime, dark and ugly. And then, in a sudden, lightning fast movement, the spirit snatched her up into the air.
"Mommy!" Jia screamed as the spirit began to run away with her gripped in its claws.
"Jia!"
Her mother whipped around at the child's cry and gave her own moments later. She ran as fast as she could in pursuit, desperately reaching forwards. But then in mid-stride the woman felt something wrap tightly and suddenly around her legs. In the next moment, she was falling, pain shooting through her wrists as she threw out her hands to save herself.
"Mommy!" Jia shrieked.
Her mother scrambled to find her feet, kicking off the vine looped around her ankles, but her daughter and the spirit had already disappeared out of sight. When she rounded the corner, a scene of utter chaos was there to greet her. The spirits, so calm and happy only moments before, were now tainted with an ugly darkness and were beginning to launch themselves at other visitors.
Jia's mother began running through the crowd that had gathered, the only thought on her mind being to get to the Police post at the entrance of the Wilds. She pushed her way through a sea of nameless faces, colliding shoulders and almost losing her footing. Her heart was pounding in her chest, the only thing she could hear as she bustled her way past confused men and women the sound of her daughter's voice.
So stupid. So stupid, she repeated over and again in her mind.
Jia's mother managed to reach the post and saw a few officers trying to contain the frenzy of people and get them far away from the situation as quickly as possible. One grabbed her arm to pull her along with from the scene, but in retaliation she grabbed the officer by her lapels and practically shouted in the woman's face.
"My daughter is in there. A spirit took her. You need to do something, please!"
She could feel tears falling as she openly sobbed in despair. The officer stared at her as if she'd grown two heads, mouthing uselessly. Jia's mother shook her hard.
"Do something!"
It seemed to work. The officer jumped, startled into action, and quickly made her way back to the post and began fumbling with the police radio.
"Chief Beifong, please…Well tell her we have an issue!" the officer yelled into the receiver. "Chief? Yes…I know, Chief... This is important…We have a problem…a spirit attack...Yes, I'm serious. Chief," the woman said grimly, "we need the avatar."