Lin's POV
I watched as the Water Tribe girl helped unload the ration truck with a few of our other workers. She heaved two sacks onto her shoulders and I could feel my annoyance grow. I would never admit it, least of all to the girl, but she was stronger than an average person and more skilled too, which it why I had my doubts about her. After our little…incident I'd kept what she called an 'annoyingly close watch' on her. It was fairly obvious that the girl hated me keeping an eye on her when I wasn't busy with planning counter attacks or protecting the camp, but I couldn't care less what she thought. I was determined to find out what the little brat was hiding.
"She's strong, isn't she," Katara commented from beside me. I merely shrugged in response, unwilling to be impressed or show that I'd noticed. "I believe I told you that your interrogation was over, Lin."
"She's hiding something," I replied, my gaze unwavering from the girl as she put the sacks on top of the others. "And I intend to find out what."
"Korra has been doing her part for the camp," she said. "She's slowly growing accustomed to life here. But she still misses her home, her father. He's kept her hidden for so long, and now that she's been separated from him-"
"Hidden?" I interrupted, the word catching my attention. I turned to look at the elder Waterbender.
Katara smiled and nodded her head. "Yes. Hidden."
"What do you mean?"
Katara turned her head toward me, raising a brow. "Surely you've noticed that the girl is a prodigy. She's an exceptional fighter and Bender, though she doesn't like to admit it… She's special."
I scoffed at this. "Special? She doesn't Bend because she wasn't allowed to. She knows Ms. Sato because they lived in the same compound. She's an Equalist!" Why couldn't she see it? Katara had always had the annoying tendency of giving people the benefit of the doubt, always trying to see the good in people. But I knew the newcomer was bad news. She was trouble.
Katara released a heavy sigh, turning her attention back to the subject of our conversation. The girl looked over at us and Katara smiled and waved. To my surprise the younger Waterbender returned the gesture. Then her eyes looked to me and narrowed. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared back, meeting her gaze head on.
After a moment she went back to unloading the truck and I growled. "Lin," Katara started. "I understand your concern. But Zuko was once my enemy and now we're good friends. Really old friends." I made a noise at this. "I'm only asking that you give her a chance." And with that she left me and walked over toward the girl.
I had to take deep breaths to keep my irritation and frustration from getting the best of me. It would be a cold day in hell before I gave this girl a chance. I'd find out what she was hiding, and then she'd be out of here.
Asami's POV
Katara had given Korra and I a free day, meaning we didn't have to help out or in my case, spend the day with Iroh and help him figure out what Amon's next plan of attack was. For the last few days, the general had suggested that I sneak back home and gather more information on the Equalist movement, in specific, what Amon was looking for. Of course, I already knew the answer to that. He was looking for my surrogate sister, his adoptive daughter, but I couldn't tell Iroh that, nor could I tell Korra. She could put the camp in great danger and as much as I knew she missed her dad…I needed time.
The shorter girl was finally starting to soften up to Benders and I knew that if she spent a few more weeks here…she could possibly change her mind about them, maybe even come to accept what she was.
I watched from a distance as Mako, Bolin and her interacted. The Bending brothers, the Earthbender in particular, had warmed up to Korra pretty quickly and she could have a semi descent conversation with him. He sparred with her frequently and once in a while I would see them hang out together.
The elder brother on the other hand…was a completely different story. Every time I saw them together they would argue over the simplest things and if they weren't arguing, they were sparring, which was basically the same thing. One thing I noticed, however, was that she would follow him to the kid's playground and spend time with them. This actually caused me to smirk. Who would have thought Korra had a soft spot for children?
My surrogate sister looked up and smiled at me before walking over. I returned the smile and threw an arm around the shorter girl's shoulder as she came to stand next to me.
"So what are we doing on our day off?" I teased.
Korra rolled her eyes at this. "Well after I find the pair of kids that decided it would be funny to play hide and seek," she began. "We can go explore or something."
I smiled at this and nodded, helping her look for the pair of Bender kids. We looked all over the camp, until the dark skinned girl found footprints leading to the outskirts. She paused, looking back at me. We both knew that this was ground zero for the camp, meaning no one was supposed to go beyond this point.
"Maybe we should tell Mako," I suggested.
The Waterbender shook her head, a defiant glint in her eye. "No, I can get them."
I sighed and relented as I followed her into ground zero. Before long we heard voices and I saw her smirk. Just as we were getting closer to them the ground gave one rough tremor and we froze in our tracks before the ground beneath us continued to shutter violently, and the surrounding area started to collapse.
Korra's POV
It took me a moment to register what was really happening. The ground was shaking, quaking with a renewed vigor, making keeping my balance an almost impossible feat. I suddenly felt myself being pushed aside, landing roughly on the trembling ground, hissing as my arms scrapped the rock. I looked back to see Asami had just barely managed to miss being crushed by the rock that had landed where I'd stood only seconds before.
Then shrill screams broke the small reprieve.
The kids! I turned to see them huddled in a small ditch against the cave wall, crying and screaming in fright and terror. I tried standing but the earth's violent jerking made it difficult. A loud crack adulterated the air and I looked up to see a rather gargantuan boulder falling from the ceiling of the tunnel. I yelled for the kids to run but they were frozen still, eyes wide and full of tears.
I looked away, shutting my eyes, hearing the crash of stone hitting the earth. I felt sick. My stomach was twisting in knots and a pain shot through my chest. It was my fault. I should've been watching them… If I had gotten to them sooner…
The tremors slowly died away and I pulled my knees up to my chest, marinating in the guilt that now surrounded me, taking deep breaths. They were dead. I'd just stood by and did nothing. My surrogate sister kneeled down next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. The silence that followed threatened to suffocate me and I didn't-
"Korra!" a small voice screeched.
My head snapped up and I looked over to where the kids had been, noticing a small hand sticking out from a hole between the rock and the bank of the ditch. There was movement and then I could see something trying to look through the hole.
I ran over, trying to look back through to assess the damage. "Everything all right?" I couldn't help the relief that had replaced the smothering emotions from before.
"I'm scared…" one of them replied, their voice wavering.
"Please get us out of here."
I looked around, looking for something that could move the rock off of them but I was coming up empty. Asami watched me for a moment from her position next to me, comforting the children as best she could, but her eyes never left me. Suddenly, another crack was formed underneath the boulder and the children shrieked, the rock sinking further on top of them.
"Korra," the heiress called, some panic in her tone though she was trying to remain calm for the children's sake.
"I've got to find something that can push this thing off them," I answered, not stopping in my desperate search for something, anything, that could help.
"Korra." Her voice was firmer.
"What?" I snapped, finally turning to give her my attention.
"You can get them out."
The statement hung in the air for a moment, the weight of it settling on me with an unbearable pressure. I shut my eyes and shook my head. I was the Avatar. I could Earthbend. I shook my head again. No. I couldn't.
"I can't," I replied, feeling a helplessness form in my chest.
"Yes, you can," Asami insisted. "These kids are going to die if you don't move the rock off of them."
"I can't Earthbend, Asami," I repeated, the words coming out more as a plea. "I'd… I'd only make it worse. I'm not experienced enough. We need to go back and get Bo, or even Bei Fong. But I can't."
"Korra!" she snapped. "They are going to die. We don't have enough time to go back and everyone will be busy with the aftermath of the quake." Her expression softened. "You can do it."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, shaking my head as I looked at the behemoth of a rock. I couldn't do it. I had promised my father that I would never Bend again. Waterbending was different; it was my lifeline, my cover. But Earthbending…
The children whimpered. They were so young, so little… If I didn't do it, they'd die, and it really would be my fault. I'd never felt so torn. I shut my eyes. And then and gentle voice whispered in my ear… it was a strange, yet somehow familiar voice.
'Let me help you.'
I absently nodded my head, and sunk into the stance I'd seen Bo get into every time he taught the kids how to Earthbend, trying to connect myself with the earth. Slowly, I raised my arms, taking deep breaths as I willed the boulder to rise, and the rock shakily did as requested, slowly but surely. I felt the sweat building on my brow as the weight of the boulder caused my hold to strain. As much of a prodigy as I was, I hadn't even tried to Earthbend in years, and the unfamiliar movements were hard to concentrate on.
My mind unwillingly went back to the night of the fire, lingering on how I'd tried to make the flames smaller and ended up causing the fire to become an inferno. I had caused our home to be engulfed in an unforgiving blaze.
My hold on the rock wavered alongside my insecurity, causing it to fall back onto the top of the ditch. The kids screamed. The mysterious voice returned, soothing me and I closed my eyes, clenching my jaw as I tried once more. The boulder lifted into the air, and once I thought it was high enough, my eyes opened to see Asami ushering the children out, knowing that my control would only last so long.
As soon as they were out of harm's way allowed the rock to fall, sinking to my knees in exhaustion and panting from exertion.
"Korra!" they chorused, running over and wrapping their arms around me.
I managed a smile as I wrapped an arm around them, my other keeping me from toppling over. They then released me and ran off back toward the camp, leaving just me and Asami. I allowed myself to collapse onto my side, Asami rushing over to me, calling my name as everything went black.
There was a couple in a small, quaint home, the walls decorated with various furs and spears. A large man hugged the woman, looking down in adoration at the small bundle in her arms. The disastrous sounds of bombings and people screaming made them look up toward their door. The man said something to the woman before giving her a quick kiss and taking the bundle in his arms.
His eyes reflected the fear and anguish and worry he felt as he leaned down and placed a kiss on the baby's forehead and handed it back to the woman, turning and running out the door to join the fray.
"Korra!"
Asami's voice cut through the scene and my eyes opened slowly, feeling the heiress quit shaking me. I managed to sit up, my mind still on the vision. What had that been? What did it mean? Who were those people?
"Hey, are you okay?" my sister asked quietly, concern laced together in her tone. I nodded in reply, looking over to where the boulder still sat. I saved those kids. But I had been so close to accidentally crushing them as well. This realization only helped to reinforce what I had feared for many years. If I did Bend, I could easily lose control and harm the people I was trying to protect. The delicate balance could easily be tipped… and I couldn't let that happen.
Katara's POV
Lin had brought me a letter from Tenzin earlier that morning, but I hadn't had a chance to read it due to overflow of patients the last few days. I hadn't gotten the chance to read it till now. The Earthbender had continued to rant about the young Waterbending guest. Mako tried reasoning that she really wasn't 'that bad'. I had put aside the letter at his words, raising a thin brow at the boy. The Firebender and Korra couldn't seem to be in the same room with each other without bickering. But it would seem that even he had come to accept the girl's presence among us.
The general ignored the two, trying to plan his counterattack on Amon's forces, since his attacks on Bending camps were becoming more brutal…and more bloody.
I sighed, shaking my head before returning my attention to the letter. The Airbender had wrote about how he'd met up with Bumi and Kya halfway to one of the Air Temples. The thought of my three children spending time together made me smile. They would be thankful for this time later, of that I was certain.
And then the earthquake hit, and the ground rumbled and shook with unrivaled fury. I looked over to Lin, who placed her hand on ground before looking up at us. "It's gonna be bad."
Screams and shrieks polluted the air as people started to panic. I consoled the children, letting know that everything would be over soon. Luckily, it did end after a few minutes and the earth stilled, and the children quieted their cries. The parents came and found their kids, soothing them gently.
I heard someone call my name and turned to see a couple of kids, a boy and an older girl, pulling on my parka. They were talking excitedly and at the same time, and I couldn't understand what they were trying to tell me. It felt like I was being ambushed by two Ikkis.
"One at a time," I finally had to say. The children blinked and the boy looked up to the girl.
"Korra saved us!" she cried, grinning from ear to ear, her eyes sparking with absolute giddiness.
I frowned. "What do you mean Korra saved you?" came Mako's voice from beside me.
"We were in the tunnels and then the ground started shaking!" the boy decided to speak up. "And this huuuuuuge rock came down on us!"
"But then Korra Earthbended it off us like it was nothing!" the girl finished.
My brow furrowed and I looked over to Mako, Bei Fong and Iroh. What the children were describing was…impossible.
Unless…
That's when everything seemed to click into place, the pieces fitted together to form a picture, a possibility, I hadn't even considered. Korra's fear of Bending, her father not allowing her to, keeping her hidden from everyone…he had been protecting her. He must've figured that if Amon ever found her, he'd kill her without another thought. That also explained the Sato girl's protectiveness. She was also protecting the Avatar.
We'd finally found her.
I looked over to see the two dust covered teens coming out of the tunnel, the raven haired girl's arm slung around the shorter girl. Naga, the Waterbender's companion and pet, barked contentedly and ran up to her owner, affectionately licking her face. The brunette laughed at her furry friend, hugging the beast around the neck. She looked relieved.
Lin, Mako and Iroh looked at the girl in surprise, seemingly still trying to process the information. I myself was still trying to wrap my mind around this amazing revelation. But of course, the peace didn't last long.
"I knew it!" Lin growled, her eyes narrowed at the Waterbender. "I knew you were hiding something!"
"Chief," Mako started cautiously.
Lin looked to the Firebender. "She's been lying to us this whole time!" she argued, the anger having taken away from her surprise. "And I'm willing to bet that's not the only secret she's kept from us!"
Korra seemed unimpressed with the Earthbender's outrage. She stared back at the older woman, her eyes reflecting how tired she was."I'm going to my tent," the teen answered, not bothering to argue with the Earthbender's claim.
My old friend's daughter, however, had other plans and cut the girl off with an earth wall. Korra growled and turned, her eyes narrowing at the chief. She walked up to her, both standing toe-to-toe to each other.
"What is your problem?" the Waterbender spat. "Ever since I got here you've made it perfectly clear what you think of me." Korra's tone sounded like an order. "And I'm only going to say this once, back off."
"Why you little-"
"Enough," I said, stepping forward. "Lin, I already told you that you're to leave Korra alone."
The Earthbender scowled at me and turned away from the Waterbender, her teeth grinding together, practically seething. Not many people could speak to her like that and live to tell the tale.
Iroh, who had been watching the entire scene, calculating the situation, finally spoke.
"You're the Avatar," he began, talking only to Korra. "It is important that you start your training. You have to master the other three elements. You may be the breakthrough that could turn the tide in this war."
"No." There was no hesitation. No doubt. She wanted nothing to do with Iroh's proposal.
The General raised a brow in surprise at the rejection. "No?" he repeated as if the answer made no sense to him. "You're going to turn your back on your own kind?"
"I don't think this is the best time for this," Mako interjected, watching the teen stumble back towards her friend, her body seemingly weighed down by her exhaustion.
"Katara, she's exhausted," Asami added, helping her friend stand.
"But this is impor-"
"I said enough," I interrupted. "Korra needs to rest. You can speak to her tomorrow when she's well rested." I stopped and walked over to the teen, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you in any pain?"
She shook her head and I sighed, nodding at the Sato girl to take her back to their shared tent.
This was an interesting turn of events.
Amon's POV
After a dozen failed reports regarding the search for Korra, I'll admit I lost all composure. My brother watched quietly from the doorway, not saying a word though I knew what he was thinking. I could still recall the conversation we'd had after Korra's graduation from the Academy, how one day I'd regret what I never told her because things happened in life that were out of our control. Fate could always be counted on to have a sick and twisted sense of irony. I had saved her seventeen years ago only for her to be taken from me. The child I hadn't even wanted was now the cause of my anguish.
My chest heaved after I'd finished with my temper tantrum. She wasn't dead, I knew that much. I could feel it. But we still hadn't found her and that worried me. She could be hurt or scared…not that she'd ever let it show. She was well trained and even if she felt any sort of fear, you would never know it.
I walked passed Tarrlok and I saw the look in his eye that needed no translation. I told you so.
I slammed the door behind me and walked around the compound, stopping by the hammock the two teens spent all their free time by. The Sato heiress was also missing though I had no clue why. I just hoped she was with Korra, that they were taking care of each other like they'd done throughout the years. I would never forgive myself if something had happened to Korra. It had been my decision to send her out alone.
My daughter. My soldier. My fault.
I found myself in her room a while later. I looked around, noticing the simplicity of it, yet also seeing the little touches. The walls were covered in pictures and paintings of the Southern Tribe and some of the Equalist propaganda. Next to her bed was a toy box, which upon opening found it was filled with all her old toys. The sight made me smile. I glanced over to the night stand, the only decoration a picture of both teens from two years ago perhaps.
I sat down on the bed, my hand landing on her pillow. I frowned when I felt something under it. I lifted it up to reveal a few other pictures and a too familiar stuffed polar bear plush.
I felt something twist in my chest. The stuffed animal had been Korra's favorite when she was a child. I picked up the photos, which varied from when she was a toddler to now, all with Tarrlok, Asami or even myself. There was a picture from when she was thirteen that made my mind drift.
Korra had always suffered from nightmares but once she turned thirteen they had taken a turn for the worst. They had become more frequent, more vivid, and more brutal. Tarrlok and I could always hear her cry out in the middle of the night. Sometimes I would get up and check on her, and other times Tarrlok would get there before me. It was a heartbreaking sight to see my girl so terrified, clothes drenched in sweat, whimpering with a feral fear in her eyes that made me wince.
After a month of nights like this, Korra came to my office, asking to speak with me. Her training had just become more demanding and it was obvious she was exhausted not only due to the academy but also from so many sleepless nights. I gave her permission to enter and watched as she twiddled her thumbs, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, never meeting my gaze.
She didn't speak for a while. I lowered my hood and removed my mask, moving to stand in front of her. She winced and bit her lip, and I watched as her eyes welled with tears. I raised her chin so that she was looking up at me before she latched her arms around my torso, her face pressed into my chest. I returned the embrace, rubbing gentle circles in her back as she shook with suppressed sobs.
The door opened to reveal my brother, his expression turning to concern when he saw Korra. I shook my head at him, asking him to leave and he slowly did.
"Korra, what's wrong?" I asked after a moment.
"They keep coming back," she sniffed. "They won't leave me alone."
"Shh."
"Daddy…" She barely ever called me that, and the word made a lump form in my throat. "I just want them to go away," she sobbed into my tunic. "Please, take it away."
I frowned at the request. "What?"
"I don't want to Bend…I hate it…" Korra managed to whimper. "If you take it away…maybe the nightmares will go with it."
I fought the urge to flinch. She was desperate. But she had to know that whether she kept her Bending or not…it wasn't going to stop the nightmares. I had killed her mother. It wasn't her fault. But Korra had always blamed herself for the woman's death, that her mother had been murdered by a monster because she was trying to protect her. This was the truth in some ways. I was that monster, but she didn't know that and I hoped she never found out.
It killed me to see her like this, and I wanted desperately to take away her pain. I swallowed. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
Korra looked up at me and nodded. I pulled away, one of my hands placing itself against her neck, feeling her pulse racing underneath her skin. My other hand started toward her forehead but paused. Korra's eyes was shut tight, and I could feel her shaking.
This hadn't been the first time I had taken someone's Bending away, nor would it be the last, but the people I had taken it from had been bullies, criminals, rebels… None of them had been my daughter, none of them had been Korra. I knew of the effect my ability could have on people; the loss of energy, the weakness, that empty feeling that could never be filled again…
As much as I knew she hated what she was capable of, it was a part of her. And I refused to cause any further damage, to take part of her essence. My hand around her neck dropped and the other went to her cheek, wiping away the tear that had escaped. Korra opened her eyes, her blue orbs watching me, asking why I had stopped. "I won't take your Bending. I can't. It won't change a thing."
Her bottom lip began to quiver and she shut her eyes again, turning her head away as if ashamed that she'd shown such weakness in my presence. I wrapped my arms around her again, holding her as the sobs started up again.
After a moment of this, and after she'd cried herself to sleep, I picked her up and carried her back to her room, laying her down on her bed, covering her up. Naga hopped up on the bed after her and curled up against the back of Korra's knees, almost too big to fit on the bed now.
I patted the animal's head. "Take care of her."
"Noatak?" my brother called. I didn't answer, my gaze never wavering from the photo. He sighed and sat down next to me. "This isn't your fault. You did everything you could to protect her." Still no reply. "She knows you love her, and I don't doubt that she knows you're looking for her. That is more than enough."
I shook my head before looking up at him. "No. It's not."
