Chapter 21;
After the drama and stress filled day that had overwhelmed everyone, the next day crept in. Tenzin entered Korra's healing room to find her gaze fixated on the window. She responded to him calling her name with a somewhat shaken jolt. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to let you know we'll be leaving for the village shortly. She nodded slightly as a reply.
"Everything alright Korra. I figured you'd be elated."
"I am," she said unconvincingly. "But I've just been thinking about the possibility that this trip doesn't help my situation. And then what happens?"
"Hmm. Well I don't have the answers Korra. But I think the Spirits have a way of working things out and if you follow your intuition they will guide you to where you need to be."
Just what a monk would say, she thought to herself.
A couple hours passed before the decision was made to carry on with Oogi. It was decided that Iroh would return back to the Firenation and finish up with the little things there before finally heading back to Republic City. Meanwhile Tenzin, Korra, Mako, and Bolin, accompanied by a pair of healers would be making the rest of the journey to Hira'a then finally making their way back to Republic City once everything worked out. If everything worked out.
As they got closer toward the village anxiety began to buildup inside of everyone. Breaking the silence Mako turned to Korra whose gaze was focused on the distance. " So what's going to happen once we get to this village," his voice was faint and low.
She slowly shook her head in confusion, " I have no idea. Hopefully when we get there someone can explain this forest, valley thing and everything works out. That's all I got right now really."
Bolin chimed in, " So we just go around an entire village asking if people know anything about this weird spiritual valley with a big bad wolf?"
"Yep. Unless you got anything else, that's the plan it seems," she said half laughing at the ridiculousness of the plan.
Tenzin craned his neck from his position on Oogi's head, "We'll be landing shortly. I can see the village from here." Almost instantly everyone leaned over the saddle trying to attain a good view of the small village. Korra looked longingly, just hoping this was where she needed to be.
They landed on what seemed to be the outskirts of the village. It was quaint and silent, nothing like the Firenation city they had just traveled from and definitely nothing like Republic City. The few people roaming the town shot the group glaring looks and continued about their business. Everyone unmounted Oogi and took in the new surroundings. As Bolin's feet met the earth he felt some small breeze of wind brush up against his foot. It was a flyer that read, "Hira'a celebration festival."
"This place doesn't really seem like the celebration kind of place," Bolin said looking around at the quiet village.
"Maybe not. But it can't hurt to go. Somebody's bound to know something about this forest there," Korra replied. "What do you think Tenzin."
"It may be a stretch," he said stroking his beard. "However it does seem like our only option. We should use this time to rest and recover after the journey. And we'll venture further into the village later, when the festivities ensue." Korra pouted a bit. While she understood the need to recoop she was frustrated with this nonstop waiting game.
Dusk came around and sure enough the place livened up for the celebration. It was quite the transition. The area was flooded with people, young and old as they all came to the center of the town. There were street vendors, festival games and plenty of performances to enjoy. It was actually a bit overwhelming. They casally strolled the celebration on the lookout for anyone who wasn't too party-focused and seemed they might know about the forest. No luck, everyone was super engaged in the festivities.
"I'm feeling a little lightheaded. I think I'm gonna go see what food stands there are," Korra said distancing herself from Tenzin. She read the titles of the stand yet nothing sounded too worthwhile. She sighed and turned to venture to the next stand when she was bumped by a little body.
"Oof", shouted the tiny body.
"I'm sorry kiddo, I didn't see you there," she said leaning over to help the child up.
After rubbing her little eyes with her small balled up fists the little girl took a good long look at Korra. "Hey, you're the Avatar," she whispered.
"Yep. I'm Korra."
"Wow. It's so nice to meet you Korra. I'm Margi!" She couldn't have been more than eight.
Korra held out her hand to shake the little girl's. "And it is a pleasure to meet you Margi."
"So all the stuff that we hear about you is it true? Did you really defeat Amon and all of the equalists and save the world?"
Korra replied with a simple nod, "Well not all by myself but yes."
"Then what are you doing in the Firenation. Why aren't you probending in Republic City?"
Margi clearly was paying attention to Korra's extended stomach. And she obviously hadn't caught up on her latest Avatar news since Korra had stopped probending for over a year now. Margi merely focused and held onto each and every word that escaped Korra's mouth. "I'm actually here on some serious avatar business. I'm looking for this spiritual forest thats supposed to be around here, to help me."
"The Forgetful Valley," she asked in excitement.
"Sure, that's sounds like it could be the place. How do you know about it?"
"That's where my daddy went."
Korra leaned I'm closer to the girl eyes dilated in confusion, "Your daddy went there? And what was there did he tell you?"
"Um…no. He didn't come back"
Korra was in shock. "Oh." That's about all she could manage to utter.
"My mama can tell you all about it to help you and stuff," she said eagerly taking Korra by the hand ready to lead her.
" Alright sure, I just need to find my friends first."
After reuniting with everyone, Korra explained that Margi and her mother might be able to help her. Margi led the group to her small dwelling which was in conveniently close walking distance from the celebration. A dark haired woman stood outside of the door tending to a small garden and pool of water. She watched as the group began to approach her led by the familiar face of Margi.
"Mama, mama! Look it, I met the avatar at the Hira'a celebration and she wants to know about the valley daddy went to."
"Uh huh," she said standing to her feet. "And I see she's brought an entire group with her as well. Why don't we take all this inside over tea and soup?"
The group followed and made themselves comfortable around the home's dining table. The woman introduced herself as Kami. She then made some vegetable soup to distribute to everyone. At last Kami made herself comfortable in her seat before letting out a large sigh, "So where do we begin?"
"Well first of all thanks for sitting down with us," Kami nodded. "In short I've been having some spiritual avatar issues and I think I'm supposed to go to this Forgetful Valley for some reason."
"Foregtful Valley is a very spiritual place, so it could be helpful for you to go there. But it's also a very very dangerous place. What kind of problems have you been having?"
Korra tensed, "I've been going in and out of the spirit world at random and I can't control it. I can't really explain why it's happening but it is."
"Sounds serious. Well I can only hope what I'm about to share with you is helpful." She cleared her her throat before beginning her anecdote. "I was pregnant with Margi and it wasn't particularly the best pregnancy. Her father, my late husband dabbled in all the Spirit World mumbo jumbo to the point where he was obsessed. He traveled around the nations trying learn as much as possible about it, and was gone for most of my pregnancy. Convinced he could see spirirts he was determined he could get into the Spirit World."
"Did he ever make it into the Spirit World," Tenzin interrupted.
" When he finally came back, and I was practically full term he told me he was certain he could do it with all that he had learned on his escapades. I was strongly against even the thought. I didn't want him bringing all this Spirit World stuff around the baby, and I didn't want him to risk something happening to any of us if things didn't go as he 'had learned'"
"So how did you end up in Forget Valley? Did he take you there," Korra asked.
" Well I've actually never been. He put all the spirit stuff on hold for a while to appease me. Shortly after Margi was born he started up again with the foolishness. He would tell Margi all about spirits and Spirit World things he learned. It was all harmless at first, but then he started telling her about how he'd take her into the Spirit World and show her all the spirits and things. And you know little kids will hang on to literally every word their daddies say and take it to heart."
Korra slid her hand from the table and over her abdomen after Kami's words. She then shot Mako a quick glance and smirk as she rubbed her other hand over the back of her neck blushing. When he caught Korra's eyes he shifted in his seat and dropped his head, smiling slightly over his soup. Although they weren't sure how exactly all of this would end, they still couldn't help but be a bit excited at the thought of having their own small family together. Margi noticed the looks exchanged between the two of them and studied them for a second. She perked up, "Wait a minute! You two love each other! I knew it!" A sense of awkwardness immediately fell over the room.
Kami immediately turned to her daughter ready to scold, "Margi eat your peas"
"But I'm not eating peas, you made soup," she replied innocently.
"Then please take your soup to your room until we're finished here sweetie." Margi reluctantly followed her mother's orders and stormed off to her room. Kami then proceeded to apologize to the group.
"It's fine," Korra shrugged it off.
"Yea it's not like she was wrong," Bolin chimmed in mixing around his soup. Both Korra and Mako unanimously turned to him glaring. "What it's true!"
"Anyways, why don't I continue," Kami laughed.
"Please do," Tenzin responded unamused by the interruption.
"Anywho, I was worried about him getting Margi involved in all of that and either of them getting hurt. He got sick of my pleas to stop and thought I was trying to control him, or I didn't want him to be happy. So he left again. But he wrote me letters all the time about how he missed me and Margi and our family."
"Did you ever write him back," Bolin asked.
"What do you say to the love you drove away…I'm sorry? Not only that but I had no idea where he was, where was I going to send a letter to someone who bops around so much you know. Finally the last letter he ever wrote me came. He said he was going to a spiritual place he had learned about where the heartbroken went. It was Forgetful Valley I'd heard about it in myths and legends around here and knew no one ever returned after entering there. It's not far from here at all, so I thought I could find him before he went and did something he'd regret."
Kami shook her head reliving the past in her mind. "I found the valley but I never found him. And I couldn't risk going in after him and leaving Margi on the slim chance that I'd find him."
"Did he ever say what exactly he was looking for in the valley," Korra asked.
"A spirit. He said there was a spirit in the valley that had some special power and could make him 'new' so maybe I'd love the new him."
"What did he mean exactly by make him 'new'," Tenzin inquired.
"I dunno he wasn't specific that was all he wrote."
Korra bit her lip, "Well now I'm not sure I actually wanna go to this Forgetful Valley."
"This spirit might be what you need though Korra," Mako said.
"But if no one has ever made it out of this place and I end up going and don't come back out, what good is that?"
"You have to at least try."
"Easy for you to say when your life isn't being put at risk here," she snarled.
"Well I'm not the one who made a deal to give up my life to a crazy spirit," he retorted. Korra's eyes began to quiver in a mixture of anger and sadness, before she excused herself from the table and walked outside of Kami's small house. Immediately wishing he could take it back Mako rolled his eyes sighing, then stood up to go after her.
Kami looked to Bolin and Tenzin in confusion. Bolin waved a hand trying to awkwardly laugh it off, "Don't worry they do this all the time."
Tenzin sighed deeply rubbing his temples to calm himself.
Outside Korra sat curled up against a neighboring tree with her head resting on her knees. There was no crying or sniveling, she just sat there in silence swirling a small pool of water back in forth in front of herself. He walked up to her and before he could even speak, she felt his presence and began talking. "I know you probably didn't mean that, but it's true."
He sat down next to her, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I said it. You're going through a lot and that was probably the last thing you wanted to hear. But it's just frustrating to watch you give up so easily, especially when you've come this far."
She still kept her eyes on the water swirling in front her, "I'm terrified. I've honestly never been so scared in my entire life. So much could go wrong, I'm starting to think that just giving myself up to Koh and letting the next Avatar take over would be the best option at this point."
"You can't be serious."
"No I am. Think about it Mako I already saved the Firenation and stopped the equalists. The world is pretty balanced, we're going through all this to save me when I've already made the deal and probably won't survive anyway so I may as well just give myself up instead of putting all of you at risk"
The more she spoke the more frustrated he was getting with her, "And then what Korra? Then you'll be gone!"
"Yea, but the next Avatar will take over so what's the problem?"
"What about all of us," he said throwing up his hands. "You're just gonna leave us all behind like that? Me, Bolin, Tenzin, what are we supposed to tell your family, that you just gave up on life?"
She buried her face in her hands, "I DON'T KNOW OKAY…I just don't know. " There was a lingering pause, before she spoke again in a hushed whisper. "I just dreamed my life as the Avatar would be so different from this life I'm living. I didn't think it would be this hard, and I just don't wanna do this anymore."
"Look Korra we're all scared, but you at least have to try. You didn't give up on me when I lost my memory even though you could've. You didn't give up on rescuing us in the Firenation. And I'm forever indebted to you for that, so I'm not giving up on you now and I'm definitely not gonna let you give up on yourself. We're gonna go to this valley and whatever happens happens, but at least we tried." She was quiet. He maneuvered himself so he was now sitting in front of her and looking her straight in the eyes. He tilted her head slightly, "Okay."
"Okay."
He wiped the tear that was trickling down the side of her cheek and stood up in front of her, reaching out a hand for her to follow him back inside.
After Korra returned, now reluctant but ready to proceed Kami offered to lead them to the valley. They packed everything up as Kami led the way. It wasn't necessarily a long journey but the anxiety building up made it seem so. As they came closer to Forgetful Valley Korra began getting an odd feeling in her stomach, but paid it no mind.
"This is it," Kami whispered lightly. "This is where I had come. And this is as far as we'll be going with you."
"Thank you so much for everything Kami. And thank you too Margi," Korra exclaimed.
"Your welcome sweetheart. Good luck to you all."
Margi had to get her goodbyes in as well. She wrapped her arms around the Avatar. "Good luck Korra!" Everyone else said their goodbyes and finally Kami and Margi stood and watched them disappear into the thick depths of the forest.
It was eerie and dark, and the deeper they walked the more the odd feeling Korra had in her stomach began to spread to the rest of her body. Bolin kept glancing at the animals passing by. "Do you guys get the feeling that all these eyes are watching you?"
"Well now I do," Mako said.
"Something about these animals is just rubbing me the wrong way."
About to add her input in the conversation, Korra doubled over in pain, with one hand supporting her head.
"Korra what's wrong," Tenzin rushed to her side.
"I dunno. Something just doesn't feel right. My body feels really funny. Almost right after her statement her face began to twitch and contort. They paused and the healers situated her in Oogi's saddle grazing healing water over her. It didn't help though she was still twitching. "What's happening"
One of the healers spoke up, " We're not sure just yet." Korra winced in pain again. her eyes then rapidly and repeatedly fluttered between their Avatar State blue glow and their normal color. The two healers worked over her whispering among themselves.
"That can't be normal," Bolin quivered in worry. " Can you give her some type of medicine or something?" Tenzin and Mako had both begun pacing back and forth waiting for the healers' response.
One of the healers had water focused over her stomach, then spoke. "Something about this place is affecting her spiritually and the baby is causing her to have this odd reaction."
The other one followed up, " It might be blocking whatever connection she's supposed to be having to this place and as a result her body isn't sure how to react"
Korra was stable enough for a moment to let out an exhausted breath and ask wearily what was happening. Tenzin asked, "Alright, so if that is the issue what is the solution?"
The healers exchanged a glace between one another before the braver one of the two replied, "The only solution we can think of at this point is for her to deliver this baby right now."
Well there is chapter 21. Hope you enjoyed it, sorry it took forever it was a rough one to write. But tell me what you think. Review and Comment. And more soon!