Chapter 9: A Wounded Soul


Korra woke up the next morning to a burning agony that had been her companion for what seemed like an eternity already. Lying on her stomach, she felt like her back was on fire. Two Fire Nation medics were working on her, using salve to heal her burn marks, although that didn't make breathing much easier. Every twitch, every breath, seemed to stretch out the scars that were undoubtedly on her back and rewarded her with a fresh sting of pain. The sweet smelling, gooey medicine had a nice cooling effect on her back, and she relaxed slightly as they applied it across the breadth of her shoulders, where the gashes had been the worst.

Although their touches were gentle and the medicine had been relieving, there was no real compassion in their work. During one of her bouts of consciousness, she even thanked them for healing her, but the medic scoffed at it.

"Don't flatter yourself Water Tribe, I'm just doing my job." The man sneered.

She groaned inwardly. It was a response that she was growing accustomed to during her time in the prison, but for some reason, it upset her more than usual. Even when they were helping her, they despised her.

Maybe they always will.

The medics continued their work, and Korra flinched involuntarily as they applied a fresh layer of bandages over her back.

Spirits. it hurts...

Korra shut her eyes as the pain throbbed even more intensely. She couldn't imagine what her shoulders and back would look like now, all burned and scarred. She would carry it with her for the rest of her life; like a mark of shame, forever a sign of her failure.

As the medics finished their work, Korra looked up and felt her heartbeat jump as she saw the man she had known for most of her life, and had come to fear the most.

No...Not now...

"Private Korra. What am I to do with you?" The warden said in a suprisingly paternal tone as he walked up to her bed, examining the bandaged wounds with a detached interest. The anger he had shown yesterday was replaced with a quiet calm, but she could detect the venom in his words.

"You've cost me a lot, you know. More than you can ever imagine." The warden gripped his fist around a sheathed jian, which Korra recognized was the one Mako gave her.

Korra wanted to speak up, to defend herself, to even explain about the new kind of bending that Water Tribe raider was using, but as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, the warden quieted her by pressing the scabbard of the jian into the wound on her back, causing her to hiss in pain.

"This isn't a conversation my dear." The man spoke bluntly.

"I've come to let you know that your parents have been transferred back to the prison. I've had my men pick them up this morning." He said flatly.

Korra's heart skipped a beat, horrified at the prospect of her parents returning to the prison. "But I-" Korra protested.

"You failed me, my dear." The warden immediately interrupted her.

"Worse." he added menacingly. "You failed me in front of the Grand Admiral, one of the most powerful officials in the empire. You've shamed me in front of our allies and enemies alike!" The warden almost shouted, as if physically trying to control his temper.

He sighed, clasping his hands behind his back as he stared out the window to regain his composure, as well as letting that last thought sink in. Korra sunk her head down, not daring to look at the man.

"The Admiral has forbidden my prison guards to interfere in recapturing the prisoners." The warden commented.

"Luckily for you, the Southern Raiders are a separate force from my guards. And your friend Sergeant Mako was most eager to cut a deal with me."

Noticing that Korra was purposely avoiding his gaze, he propped her chin up with the sheath of the jian, looking at her eye to eye.

After what seemed like an eternity, he continued.

"Once you are healed, you have one mission. Get my prisoners back. I am granting you a chance to redeem yourself. Do this, and all will be forgiven." He spoke soothingly, the tone of a paternal parent to a reprimanded child.

"Fail me again however, and a burned back will be the least of your worries my dear." The gentleness in his voice was gone now, replace by a cruel harshness. "Should you fail. Your parents will be the ones to suffer, and I will make you watch every moment of it."

With that last thought, the warden threw her jian to the side of the room, leaving Korra lying face flat on her bed with the salves and bandages, eyes numb with shock at what she just heard..

The warden then turned towards the door. He didn't like to think he took enjoyment from that little exchange. Sometimes, the colonials needed proper motivation to get things moving. Yes, a lesson and some motivation.

He turned to one of his guards at the medical bay door. "No one is to enter. Let her meditate on her failures for one day."

The guard nodded, and the warden smirked, satisfied that the little thought planted in his little pupil's head would keep her bound to him even more, in time, she would become his perfect little soldier.

Korra spent the whole day alone in the medical ward, alone with her thoughts.


"That bastard."

Zuko swore silently as he overheard the conversation, dangling outside the window using a hooked blade. He had intended to rescue her right then and there but the warden had placed too many guards for a clean getaway. Still, this presented an opportunity. The Avatar was leaving the base soon, and that made the escaped Water Tribe prisoners even more valuable.

Quickly retracting the hook blade, he landed gracefully onto the ground below, ducking behind a cart to avoid a patrol of guards.

He would talk to his uncle about the latest development, although the plan was already forming in his head.


That night, as the warden's words sank in. Korra came to a horrible realization: There was no way for her to get out of this mess or to escape out of this prison.

Ever since that night, everything she had done up to this point had been for nothing, all her training, all the days when she pushed herself to her limit were thrown out the window.

She had failed, not only in her duty, but in protecting her family.

Now, finding herself alone in a dark squalid cell, unrelenting terror swamped her, and for the first time in her life, she gave up and cried.

The tears came slowly at first, trickling from her eyes, but they soon became a small torrent. It was a strange release of sorts, as if her soul was trying to expunge the sickness that had taken root in her over the years from the pain of being taken away from her parents; the pressure of being the warden's top student, the constant taunts about how she was a worthless colonial with no future, the knowledge that her years of hard work thrown would count for nothing; and the fact that her family would always be stuck in this prison, no matter how hard she tried.

Her entire life was just one struggle after another, the spirits seemed to just laugh at her efforts.

It was unfair, it hurt. She wanted to be strong for them, to protect them, but for the first time, she just felt so weak, so helpless.

She choked at the last thought, stifling a small sob and biting down hard on her lip as a shot of pain reverberated through her body. The bloody bandages on her back burned like fire.

The pain was so intense, she didn't sleep another wink that night.


The next morning, the guards allowed Senna to visit her daughter, if only grudgingly. She had told Korra about how the guards came for them in the dead of the night, and how her father had almost fought the guards when they told them what had happened to her. But Korra was relieved to learn that they were both safe, although their circumstances could certainly be better.

Senna did the best she could given the circumstances, taking the opportunity to apply a fresh change of soaked bandages to provide relief for Korra's back. She had to be gentle, as Korra flinched every time she applied even the slightest pressure.

"It's okay Korra." Senna whispered soothingly, gently rubbing a warm towel over the scars on her daughter's back . "It's okay..."

It took every ounce of Senna's will to maintain her composure. The sight of seeing her child lying wounded and bleeding on a prison cot broke her heart. Above all, she was worried. Korra was normally optimistic, full of energy and life, but this morning, she just seemed so worn and uncaring. Her eyes were just vacant and blank.

In fact, Korra hardly spoke a word all morning.

"I'm here for you Korra. I'll always be here for you if you need to talk about anything." Senna stroked her daughter's hair lovingly.

Korra closed her eyes weakly, crossing her arms to prop up her aching shoulders. There was obviously something weighing heavily on her mind, but she was in no mood to talk.

"Mom...I'm tired."

Korra spoke the words with a weariness that belonged to someone who had already seen too much in their life, and it broke Senna's heart to see her daughter in this state; the words were something no parent ever wanted to hear from their child. Somewhere in her deepest, darkest thoughts, it felt like a piece of her daughter had died already. Korra seemed like someone else, as though she had aged overnight.

Senna put up a brave front, tossing that useless thought away. Korra was her own flesh and blood. Just as Korra had been strong for them, Senna would be strong for her daughter.

"Then rest my dear..." She brushed Korra's hair gently. "A woman always needs her rest."

Korra simply nodded quietly, closing her eyes as the healing salve continued to do its work.


Senna wiped the tears from her eyes as she was escorted from her daughter's cell. The guards showed no sympathy, even going as far as to push her onwards when they deemed she was walking too slow.

"That will be enough."

Senna looked up to see a black armored sergeant wave the guards away.

"I'll take it from here." The man ordered.

As the guards complied and went about their own way, Senna was amazed to see the sergeant take off his helmet, revealing the friendly face of a young man. "My name is Mako, I'm a friend of Korra's."

"Yes, she's told us about you..."

Mako nodded, "I'm sorry about what happened to your daughter." The apology felt useless, but it was still something Mako knew had to be said. "She didn't deserve any of this. But I'll try to make things right. I've already made a deal with the warden to track down the prisoners, then he'll let you and your husband move back to the colony, and Korra will be off the hook."

To Mako's surprise, Senna clasped his arm.

"Please...it's not me or my husband I worry about. It's Korra." Senna replied softly.

"I know it's probably asking for too much, but after your mission, you have to get her out of here...somehow...far from this place. My husband and I can take care of ourselves, but she can't stay here any longer." Senna had seen the broken spiritless shells of her fellow prisoners, and she knew with absolute certainty, especially after seeing Korra this morning, that if she stayed any longer, it would kill her.

"It's not any safer outside these walls...there's still a war going on." Mako countered, surprised at such a request. To send their daughter away from them? But Senna looked at him with almost pleading eyes.

"I know... but at least she would have a chance to live." She said softly. "At this point, that's all I can ask for her."

Mako looked at her with disbelief, but even he saw the truth in her eyes.

"I'll do what I can." Mako promised. "You have my word."


To Tonraq, the word of a Southern Raider was probably worth less than tiger seal dung. He was going to do what he should have done years ago, break his little girl out of this prison and make a run for it. He had already taken the liberty of hiding a spear blade in his parka as the guards dragged him past their armory. Once Senna came back, he would make sure she had some place to hide...then he would wait for an opportune moment to strike...

"Not the best time for an escape. Wouldn't you agree?" An old, wizened voice said cordially.

Tonraq looked to the outside of his cell, where an old man in the robes of a Fire Nation Master stood.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said almost guilelessly, his anger evident on his face.

"I think I do." the old man countered quietly. "Believe me, I know the pain you are feeling. But throwing your life away will do your daughter no good."

"Who are you to speak this to me?" Tonraq demanded, shaking the bars of his cell angrily.

"A parent who has already lost a child." The old man whispered softly, almost oblivious to Tonraq's hostility. "Who also does not wish that fate onto another."

he knelt down and clasped his hands over Tonraq's, his expression genuine and concerned. "Trust me, there is a better way."

"There will come a time to act, and when it does come, you will know, and you will not find yourself without friends." Nodding quietly, the old man stood up.

Tonraq could only watch in confusion as the old man vanished into the crowd of Fire Nation guards. It was then that he noticed that during the conversation, the old man had slipped something into his hand. Tonraq opened his palm to take a look.

It was a Pai Sho tile.


The sun was setting on another day and Korra watched again from her prison bed. She had lay on her stomach for the past two days while her wounds were healing up, and she was getting sick of it. Now, for the first time, she could see and think clearly.

The great terror of the previous two nights had left her; now replaced with a fear that she could live with. Somehow she would get out of here, she told herself. If her family needed saving, she would do it again and again if need be. She would press forward.

She cursed herself as she recalled the pain, and how she had given into it so easily. It was stupid of her to let go like that, she thought. Stupid, weak and dangerous; she would never let it happen again. With night, came dinner and water, and already Korra felt some of the old strength returning to her.

No. She was stronger now. Stronger than she had ever been.

That strength quickly turned to anger as she suddenly remembered why she was in this situation in the first place. She had taken pity on the two Water Tribe prisoners, and they took advantage of her weakness. Now, she and her family had paid the price.

Korra hardened her gaze at that last thought, clenching her fists tightly as she stared at the fading horizon. Yes, she saw it clearly now. Even if it meant chasing them to the ends of the earth. By Agni, she would get them.

She would hunt them down, without mercy, without pity...

She would regain her honor.


End of Book 1


Kamil the awesome:the other elements will come soon enough i promise, next chapter will set the new stage

Joker mask - thanks! So Glad you like Iroh and Zuko :D

Cindz Cindz - Thanks for the review :) I will endeavour to update as much as I can so that wait isn't too long

Yolandah-da-Hedgehoggu - glad you liked it! Yeah i felt bad even as i wrote it, but as a wise man once said, if you want to show what kind of stuff your character is made of, you hurt them. bad. I'm hoping to make this more intersting as i go on :)