This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

Korra: The Storm in the North

"Who sent you?"

And that would make the twenty-fifth time Korra had officially heard that question. Interrogation was an important thing that had to be done sometimes. Yes, indeed. But it was also one of the most mind-numbing things as well. It could be very well insightful, but if your charge was as silent as Mihai here was being then not so much.

Getting up from his chair, Bataar Jr looked back at his mother and Korra with a clear face that this just wasn't working. Quite frankly, Korra understood where he was coming from. She wasn't quite sure how much time had passed in that interrogation room at this point, but it had to be at least a couple hours by now.

Su switched places with her son. Sitting down, she stared hard at Mihai.

"Mihai. Tell us who sent you. Tell us something. If not, we'll have to start investigating your wife."

Mihai looked up sharply, mustache bristling.

"My wife? She has nothing to do with this," he hissed.

"We don't know that," said Korra, crossing her arms. "But we can if you give us something. We can easily cross her off the list of suspects."

"Please..." he slumped. "I-it was all me. I... please leave my family alone."

"We want to, Mihai. I've known your family for years! You know I don't want to drag them into this," said Su, leaning across the table.

"In fact, open up and I can personally arrange your family to be placed under the protection of the Republic City authorities. My husband is the chief of police and Su and I can work it out here so that he can have them put under witness protection. They'll be safe. But only if you tell us who sent you. You have my word that they will be safe."

Mihai seemed to be pursing his lips the way his mustache was moving. He glanced up nervously at Korra and Bataar Jr, then back at Su. Seemingly exhausted in every way by now, he sighed.

"Fine... fine I'll tell you what I know, but only if my family is safe. It's... it's the only reason why I did this in the first place."

"You have my word, Mihai," said Su. Su and Korra looked at each other, nodding. "Both of ours."

Mihai seemed to swallow hard.

"I-I didn't want to do it. Su, I'm so sorry. I-I-I hated myself for getting caught up in this, but... it started with this girl. This teenage girl. She approached us workers. Some of them went willingly, but the rest of us... Su they targeted us. They had something on each of us. I... I kept getting these letters at work and these calls when I wouldn't go. Threatening calls... telling me they'd do horrible things to my family. T-they knew the names of my children..."

"Who, Mihai?" prodded Su.

"I only know the girl. She had us all meet in small groups underground-"

Bataar Jr frowned.

"In the emergency tunnels?"

"Yeah, those ones. I've only met her once now. Don't know her name. She never told us, but... she was just a teenage girl No older than my own kid. Sixteen maybe? Could be older. But she was kind of short. Sweet looking but not. She looked like she had a cruel mind. I've been around enough to know a mean spirit when I see one... and she had these cracks in her skin. Not like a disease or like on her actual skin but like... like..."

Su urged him on quietly.

"Like what?"

"Like someone put ink her veins... and she was so pale. Brown hair. Big pigtails."

"What did she say?"

"Well... she told us what to do. She told us to take a piece here and there and make sure it ended up at Mr. Leng's. Discreetly. If we didn't cooperate or tried to tip anyone off then she would hurt us or our families. At first, I didn't believe her... at first. She was just a young girl after all. Not even half my age. But then..."

Korra narrowed her eyes.

"Then...?"

"The she started to bend wood. As a kind of demonstration."

"Wood?" Korra raised her eyebrows. "That's impossible. No one can bend wood. Not even me."

"Avatar Korra, I swear it," said Mihai, looking at her as if he'd seen a ghost. "She bended wood. Metal too! That's when we started listening. She... she made us listen. I-I've never seen anything like it in my life... and I didn't want to take a chance on it. So, I did what they told us to do. After that, all directions came from Mr. Leng in secret meetings in the tunnels."

A girl...

A girl who could bend wood and metal?

Was she an earthbender then? She must have been to bend metal at least, but no one could bend wood. Or at least... Korra had thought so. Even as the Avatar, she certainly couldn't and she didn't know a soul who could.

So, how?

"Is that all?" asked Bataar Jr.

Mihai nodded.

"That's all I know. That's all I'm sure most of us know. Mr. Leng would know more, but I think even he was just about the same. Now, please... what about my family?"

Su turned around to look at Korra. Stepping forward, Korra nodded.

"I'm going to get on that as soon as I'm done here. If everything you say checks out then we won't have any reason to investigate your wife and they'll be taken to safety."

So, after everything, this entire debacle in Zaofu had been orchestrated by a teenaged girl? Of course, Korra knew better than that. The girl had been a messenger. One who could frighten the workers into doing what she told them to by demonstrating her strange abilities. Korra couldn't exactly blame them. In light of things – granted that everything Mihai said was true – it was clear they'd been targeted because they were average middle class citizens who just wanted to protect their livelihood and their loved ones. People who had spouses, children, homes...

People who had something to lose.

-:-:-:-

"Are you sure you don't need me to stay?" asked Korra, frowning at Su.

Su shook her head.

"Korra, you have other duties to attend to. Now that we've gotten more or less to the bottom of things here it's time for you to move on to other problems."

"Yay," Korra said blandly. "More problems."

Not that she wasn't extremely curious as to what she was being called all the way to the North Pole for. She could only run through her mind the infinite reasons as to why her father would formally request her presence among him and her cousins. It made her wonder and it made her sigh. Sometimes, she was just tired. Sometimes she just wanted a vacation and mourned all the time she could have had one, but something always called for the Avatar.

Then again, whenever she felt herself starting to feel like that she always tried to shake it off. If anything, she was more sorry for her family who she usually had to leave in Republic City. Mako always understood, but she always worried about Nuka and didn't even want to think about what it had come to with her daughter.

Mentally pushing the thoughts aside, she came back to reality as Su chuckled.

"You have a safe trip," said Su, moving to hug Korra. When she pulled back, Su stepped away and Kaguya came forward with a small bow.

"Korra, it's been great seeing you again."

"You as well, Kaguya. Zaofu is lucky to have you. You're going to be a great leader," said Korra, nodding her head. "I hope you know that."

Smiling, Kaguya bowed again.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "That means a lot."

After everybody's farewells, they took off in the airship. Korra sighed and sat down on the nearest chair, rubbing her face. She was going to talk to more than two world leaders in the span of a week. That seemed like a cue that something was definitely up. Not that they didn't already know that, but spirits help her why did she get a feeling that a storm was brewing?

"You okay?"

Korra took her hand away from her face to see Bolin sitting next to her, sliding over a cup of tea across the table. She took it and sipped it gratefully.

"Oh, you know," she said, half-laughing. "Something's trying to throw the world off-balance. Same as usual. Thanks by the way."

"Don't mention it. Opal said you looked like you needed it," he said.

"You know, you didn't have to leave if you didn't want to. We totally would have sent the airship back to get you guys or I'm sure Su would have lend you guys one of hers."

Bolin shrugged.

"Yeah, we know, but we all agreed that it was probably best to leave with the kids around. With what happened the other night even Su thinks so. At least until they're totally sure it's safe again. It sucks, but it's what's best."

"I understand," she said, sipping her tea again. "I'm sorry though."

He blinked.

"Sorry for what?"

"You know... all these problems-"

"That are out of your control." Bolin cut her off. Korra actually looked mildly startled when he did. "Hey, I know you're the Avatar, but you're still human Korra. It's okay. You're doing everything you can to fix it and that's what counts. We know you wouldn't be dragging yourself from one half of the world to the other if you weren't. You can't keep blaming yourself for every wrong thing."

She let out a breath.

"I can't help it... so many things have gone wrong on my watch."

"And so many things have gone right. I don't think I have to remind you about defeating Kuvira and every other thing you've ever done that helped the world. Hello? Saved the world from ten thousand years of darkness? I think that counts. Korra..." He looked around as if to make sure nobody was near and then lowered his voice. "Maybe I shouldn't say this and maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but Tikaani leaving has nothing to do with your ability as the Avatar."

Though listening, she stared downcast into her teacup, not daring to look at him. Her voice was but a whisper as she went on.

"...how can I keep saving the world when I couldn't even be a mother to my own daughter...?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, but she could still feel him sitting there, looking at her. Sometimes she wondered what others saw. What they thought of her when they'd heard that her own daughter had ran away from home. They all knew. It was no secret that Tikaani had left home because of her. She was, after all, the nail in the coffin.

"Hey... don't say that. You know-"

"Dad! Naoka won't stop blowing wind in my face!"

That was six year old Toza calling for his father. Bolin turned around, slightly hesitant, but he finally turned back all the way.

"I'm coming, guys! Cut it out and be nice to each other!" He faced Korra again. "Just don't beat yourself up, okay? It's not easy being a parent. You know that."

He went off and Korra threw her head back, exhausted.

She knew that, but it still didn't make her feel any better.

"Hey, mom?"

Korra looked up to see her son standing by rather nervously, Genji beside him with a face that looked like he was trying not to smile.

"Um, yes?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is it, boys?"

"Uh, nothing much-"

"Don't listen to him Aunt Korra, it really is something. He's freaking out," said Genji, crossing his arms and nudging Nuka forward with his elbow. Nuka glared at him, but looked back at his mother as if he was totally guilty.

"What is it?" She frowned. "Did something happen?"

"Er... um... do we have to go to the North Pole?" he asked, cringing.

She blinked.

"Well... yes. That's kind of where you're grandfather's calling us to. Is something wrong?"

"No, no... I'm just not feeling the North Pole. Why don't I stay home for this one?"

Now, Korra raised her eyebrows at her son. After all their talking and concessioning for him to start being more involved he wanted to stay home?

She crossed her arms over her chest like Genji now, silently indicating to him that he better spill what was wrong and spill it right now. Seeing her reaction apparently, he sighed and nudged Genji right back.

"You tell her. I... I can't," he said, his face flushed enough that she could actually see it.

Genji sighed dramatically, almost looking like he was going to chortle out the answer.

"Well, the always brave trooper right here is scared to go to the North Pole."

"Scared?"

Why on earth would he be scared?

"Sweetheart, why-"

"Sila," he said quickly, looking rather miserable saying it.

"Sila?"

And she and Genji finally looked at each other, her own mouth agape and Genji smiling wide in affirmation as he nodded at her question.

"Yep. The ex girlfriend-"

"-that he broke up with over a letter-"

"-over a year ago and hasn't had any contact with since? Yep. That's the one."

"Stop that! Don't make me feel bad about this!" whined Nuka, finally getting his voice back. "I-It was over a year ago! There's no way she can still be angry at me..."

"Yes, she can. You broke up with her over a letter and did a pretty poor job of explaining why when you'd been already dating for the past year."

"Almost."

"Oh, the difference."

"It was right around when Tikaani left!" Nuka explained to his mother. "I don't know! I didn't know how to explain that to her and just... mom I can't face her."

Korra looked at her son, pitying because he was her baby and she didn't like him looking so distressed.

But also because he reminded her of someone.

She sighed.

"You're just like you're father..."

Korra spent the rest of the day talking down her son here and there, trying to convince him not to opt out. She'd need to get Mako on the ball about this since he would probably have the best advice, but for now she had to get him not to panic quite so much. It'd been a long enough time that her son hadn't seen his grandparents and, to put it bluntly, he was going. After all of that talk about wanting to go with her, he wasn't going to stay home. Especially when it would just be him and the dogs staying back. Genji helped her talk to him. Suna helped her talk to him. Even Bolin helped her talk to him.

At the end of the day, he seemed just about caved in.

"Okay..." he sighed. "Okay. I'll go. No matter what. I promise. I'll just... I'll just think about seeing Grandad and Gran-Gran again."

"There we go," said Korra, relieved. "You probably won't even see her, sweetie. Who knows if she even still lives there."

"I know, it's just..."

"You feel bad."

He nodded, looking miserable again.

"I know I hurt her even though I never meant to," he said, sitting down on the dining room chair somewhat despondently. "I just... I couldn't handle everything... Tikaani left. Just before that Sila had told me she loved me for the first time and I just... I panicked with everything and I can't even explain it, Mom. It was stupid. I was stupid. I regretted it the very next day, but it was too late and I couldn't exactly take it back and just... I don't know... I don't even deserve to face her."

Korra sighed for the umpteenth time that day. Man, he was really like his dad.

"Nuka... you were scared. Believe me, I've been there. You know that you're father and I were broken up for a few years. It was mutual, but I was the one that finally really called it off in the end. Heck, you know I got broken up with when your Aunt Asami ended things with me. I've been on both ends. You'll never know until you see her again. If you don't see her again then chalk it up to moving on as best you can. If you do, then try to explain yourself. Don't hang onto this. I know I'm making this sound a lot easier than it really is, but don't get so panicked. Deep breaths."

Nuka inhaled slowly and exhaled, standing up and seemingly trying to shake out his nerves.

"I just... I feel bad," he said, shoulders slumped.

"I know, sweetie. I know." She pulled him into a hug. "... do you still love her?"

"... To be honest, I tried to stop answering that question a long time ago. It kind of hurt honestly. A lot."

"I hate to put salt on the wound, but I think that's your answer right there," she told him gently.

He let out a breath, pulling away with that guilty expression almost etched into his features.

"Yeah... I know that too."

-:-:-:-

A couple days later, the airship hovered over snow and ice. When Korra finally got a good look at it she could only think of one thing.

Home.

When she breathed in that cool, Northern Water Tribe air that's all she could think of. Even if she wasn't exactly born in that half of the world it was the environment she'd missed. The cold tundra of the poles was something she'd learned to appreciate not living there anymore. Sometimes, the cold helped her not to think quite so much all the time.

When they exited the airship, the first thing her ever greying father did was get a good hold of his grandson. Nuka grunted, grinning and bear-hugged his grandfather right back.

"How's my boy?" asked Korra's father, grinning. He placed sturdy hands on his grandson's arms."Your mom wasn't lying. You've a lot gotten taller. And stronger."

"Getting close to being as tall as you," said Nuka, reaching up to put a hand on his grandfather's head. "Don't know if I'll ever get that strong though."

"You'll make it," said her father. "I'm getting old. It's your turn."

Smiling and raising an eyebrow, Korra put her hands on her hips.

"Hey," she said, mock offended. "No love for your daughter? Or are you Chief Tonraq only these days to me?"

Her father laughed and he moved to give her a big hug. Korra hugged him back, realizing how long it'd been since she'd had a good hug from him.

"No, it's still Dad to you." He kissed her temple. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm okay," she said, shrugging. "You know how it is."

He nodded and as Mako finally came to stand next to her, her father grinned again and pulled Mako into a sudden hug. Coughing, Mako met her father with a thud and padded the man's back. He coughed through a smile.

"Hey, Chief." He pleasantly padded her father's shoulder. "Strong as always I see."

"How's it going, son? You hanging in there or are they still running you ragged in that city?"

"A little bit of both to be honest," replied Mako. "But I guess I'm used to it."

"Fellow chief to fellow chief. Oh, I hear you. Come on though. We should all get out of this cold."

The day was spent catching up rather than getting down to business quite so soon. That was something Korra ended up being rather grateful for. Her father assured her that they would get to things right away first thing in the morning, but he could probably see the tired in her eyes. Growing up, her parents always could tell when she was very stressed out. Her mother had made probably every water tribe food Nuka even came close to putting on his favorites list and a few of Korra's favorite deserts.

One thing she was entirely grateful for was the fact that they didn't ask about Tikaani.

Everywhere she went and met up with people either they asked or she almost felt compulsed to ask. It was nice to be free of that for one evening... on the other hand, she also wondered why they didn't. In the end, she chalked it up to the mutual understanding that if either of them knew where she was then they wouldn't even need to have that discussion.

And quite frankly they probably didn't need to have it now.

While Mako and her mother talked about something concerning the dogs, Korra listened to her son tell her father all about his probending endeavors of the year. When he got up to go use the restroom, her father turned to her.

"Korra," he began quietly. "There's something I was also supposed to tell you."

Korra blinked.

"Yeah, Dad?" she asked, curious as to why he looked so somber all of a sudden. "What is it?"

"It's Katara. She wanted to see you. It's been a while. You know... that kind of thing," he said, smiling weakly.

"Katara? Oh man, I know it's been a while since I've paid her a visit. Is she okay?" Spirits, had something happened to Katara? Is that why she was here? "Is she sick?"

"No, no, nothing like that," he assured her. "But she would like to see you is all."

"Oh... okay. Yeah, sure. I need to visit her. Tonight even," she said, relieved. "I'll leave soon. In fact, if Nuka or Mako want to come then we can all-"

"Er, no, Sweetheart. She just wants to see you for a second is all. They can visit her tomorrow," he said gently. "Do you understand?"

Korra looked at her father, now quietly alarmed.

Why did Katara only want to see her? And her alone? If she wasn't sick then what exactly was wrong? Because obviously something wasn't totally right here.

Unable to wait, Korra excused herself from her parents house. When her son questioned her about it, she only smiled and told him that she had to go see a friend. Mako only nodded and didn't ask any questions. Her father had obviously relayed him the message as well.

Glad she could actually even go see Katara, Korra thanked the spirits for their spirit portal because half an hour later of walking she was at the other side of the world. The Southern Water Tribe. Her birth home. The scene was familiar and Korra knew her way around just as well as thirty years ago when she was just a little girl. Not much had changed. Not the weather. Not the buildings. Not even the roads underneath her feet.

She knew exactly how to get to Katara's house and when she did, she knocked on the sturdy door of what looked like a healer's hut. A moment later, the door creaked open and there stood that familiar old women with white hair, brown skin and smiling blue eyes. Older now and looking more frail then she did a couple decades ago, but still familiar and still standing. Korra smiled at her, half-relieved and half simply happy to see her.

"Katara, it is so good to see you," said Korra, bending over to hug the woman. "I'm so sorry it's been a while since I last visited. You know how it gets."

Katara shook her head.

"No, need to be sorry, dear," she said, pulling back. Her voice crackling with age. "I understand. I've been there myself. How are you?"

"I'm okay. How are you?"

"Oh, better now that you're here. Come in, come in. Get out of the cold."

"Yeah... I was going to come visit me anyway," said Korra, coming in when Katara moved aside and gestured for her to come in. "But my dad said you wanted to see me... Katara, is everything okay? He was being really weird about it and I just got concerned is all..."

Katara didn't answer right away. She didn't even really look at Korra. Instead, she just kind of paced around the house as best she could, fidgeting with this and that. When she stopped and was fidgeting with Aang's beaded necklace that was displayed on a nearby table, Korra frowned.

"Katara?"

"How is Nuka?" asked Katara. "Is he doing well?"

"He is. He's doing fine. Katara, what's-"

"And Mako?"

"Good. I-"

"How about-"

"Katara, please. Tell me what's the matter?" Korra didn't want to be rude, but she stepped further toward Katara, trying to get a look at her face when the old woman turned her back more toward her. "What's wrong? And don't tell me nothing. You asked to see me for more than just a social call... what is it?"

Korra herself was half afraid of that answer. What was it that was making this kind, yet solid old woman she'd known her whole life seem like a guilty, fidgeting child? The way Katara sighed and turned her head a little in her direction made that feeling worse.

"Wait here for me?"

"O-of... of course," said Korra, scared into near silence at this point, her voice barely audible.

Katara disappeared into another room. The minutes that passed seemed forever as Korra ran all the possibilities through her head. Maybe Katara was sick and wanted to tell her before anybody else? But then why did her father look nearly as guilty as Katara did?

When she came back, Katara held three papers in her hand. She pursed her cracked lips, getting very quiet when she came in front of Korra and took a deep breath.

"You know that I have always watched out for you. And have always tried to be a grandmother to your children as I have been for you. Never would I purposefully have done anything to hurt you."

Korra didn't answer, momentarily stunned before she remembered herself.

"...I know. Of course I know that. You were my teacher. More than that. You were like a second parent to me. Like another grandmother to my children. They could always trust you and so could I... I still do. That'll never change... Katara... please tell me what's wrong."

After a second, Katara seemed to swallow hard and handed Korra the letters with a slightly trembling hand.

Frowning again, Korra took them and read the paper on top:

Dear Katara,

I'm sure you've heard by now. I left home. Please don't ask me why. You probably wouldn't be able to either way. I don't stay in the same place for very long. Please don't tell anybody I'm writing to you either. I don't exactly know where I'm going or what I'll be doing in even a week's time, but what else am I doing to do? I just wanted to write to you and tell you I'm okay. I'm not hurt or deranged or anything like that. Just tired. And I know told you not to ask why I left home, but there's the answer anyway. If you have to tell somebody then you can tell my grandparents as long as they promise not to say anything to anybody else. I'll write again.

Tikaani

Korra ignored the world for a few minutes, re-reading the letter for what felt like a thousand times, ignoring the fact that there were probably two more letters underneath this one, ignoring even her own shaking hands.

"Korra."

Katara's voice finally broke her trance and Korra looked at the woman, her face feeling as blank as she felt with every emotion on override inside of her.

"Korra..." she began again, her voice almost fading. "I'm sorry."

Whoo, so Katara makes her appearance and it's a little bit of a surprise.

Katara is pretty old at this point, but she's still around and I've always liked to think that she was always apart of Katara's life and now here's Korra finding out this grandmother figure to her has been withholding this kind of info from her and her family. That being said, Katara will explain herself more next chapter. We all know Katara and she'd never do something like this for a malicious or misguided reason, but some things have to be honored.

I don't want to say much so not to spoil anyone!

Once again, I have to thank you guys for reading. It really means the world to me when I realize that people really do read this story.

As always, guys I love it when you drop those reviews! Every word means a lot to me and I really love reading them! They keep me writing and keep me motivated so I can get the next story out as fast as possible! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!