A/N: I am so terribly behind in getting this up, but here it is! So sorry for the delay, but things have been a little hectic lately and the Korra finale kind of destroyed me (you can blame Bryke for that) so I didn't do much other than curl up in a ball and cry, hence the delay. XD And, I've been neglecting this site, so hopefully this remedies that. Happy readings!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything including the title which was inspired by the Track Team's beautiful song of the same name, which I was listening to while I wrote this!
Day IV: Storms
XXIX. A Peaceful Place
It was late one evening when Tenzin got the call. He'd just sat down to dinner when the telephone rang. He had half a mind to let it keep ringing, but something told him to take the call and so he reluctantly excused himself from the dinner table and hurried to answer it. When he returned, he looked so grim, all conversation at the dinner table stopped and everyone waited to hear the news.
"That was Senna," Tenzin said, sitting down and staring dejectedly at his plate.
Korra looked surprised. "My mom called?"
"Yes. It appears that Mother is ill."
"Oh," Korra looked somewhat relieved. "I was worried some spirits were terrorizing the tribe and causing havoc again."
"Poor Mom," Bumi said. "She'll miss the spring festival if she has to stay home because of a cold."
Tenzin sighed. "Unfortunately Bumi, it's worse than that."
Kya's chopsticks fell from her hands. "What do you mean?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes at her younger brother.
"It would seem," Tenzin said, grimly, "that Mother might not recover."
That was all the airbender said before he excused himself yet again and hurried out of the room. Before he left, however, he paused on the threshold and turned to face the rest of the occupants in the room.
"I'm leaving for the Southern Water Tribe first thing in the morning," Tenzin said. "Anyone who wants to come should probably pack now."
That was all that needed to be said before everyone left the room to begin packing.
The following morning dawned grey and bleak and Tenzin had Oogi all set to go while Kya and Bumi harnessed another sky bison. Korra stood off to the side, chatting with her friends who'd agreed to hold down the fort while she and Tenzin and his family were away. Pema was busy loading her sleepy children onto Oogi and Bumi was shoving the last of their supplies into a knapsack before clambering up onto the second bison. As soon as he finished, they were all off.
Time seemed to pass slowly as they all headed to the Southern Water Tribe. They mostly rode in silence and only stopped when necessary. Jinora tried cheering up Ikki and Meelo, but even they were too dejected to do much of anything. Korra tried her hand at it but when Meelo looked like he might cry, she decided it might be better just to leave them be, so hardly a word was spoken during their flight. They most just sat and waited for what seemed like an eternity before finally landing on the frozen plains of the South Pole.
Senna was there to greet them all when they landed. For the past few days, she'd been helping Katara out with whatever the old master needed and Tenzin and his siblings were quick to express their gratitude.
"Having all of you here will cheer her up," Senna said, smiling softly. "She'll be glad to see you."
And Katara was. They found her in her room, reading a lengthy novel and for a minute she didn't notice that over half a dozen people were standing outside the threshold. But when she did, she smiled brightly and her cerulean eyes twinkled with mirth.
"It's so good to see all of you," She exclaimed, as they all waited their turns to give her a hug. "I'd get out of bed and greet you properly, but…"
"Don't trouble yourself, Mom," Bumi said. "You just focus on getting better."
"You didn't all drop everything and rush here because I was sick, did you?" Katara wondered.
"We wanted to be here," Korra promised. "Really."
"If you say so," Katara replied. "Now why don't you all relax and eat something. I'm sure Senna's cooked up a feast and you must be tired."
"Can we come back after?" Meelo wondered. "We have so many stories to tell you."
Katara chuckled. "I'm not going anywhere. Eat first, and then I'll hear them all."
Wordlessly, everyone shuffled out and Kya gently closed the door behind her.
"She's thinner than I remember," the waterbender said. "And paler."
"I'm sorry," Senna said. "Some days she wasn't hungry and I couldn't force her, so…"
"It's not your fault," Kya replied. "I guess that's just the way it is sometimes. But really, we're indebted to you, Senna. Not many would do what you did."
"It was the least I could do, after everything Katara did for Korra and our family." Senna admitted.
"Is Gran Gran going to get better soon?" Meelo wondered.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see," Tenzin said, gazing at the closed door of his mother's room.
Inside, Katara was staring blankly at the wall. She'd been only marginally interested in the book on her lap, but now that her family was here, she had something to look forward to. But, she'd seen the way they'd treated her and she was hoping it wouldn't last. She didn't know if she could bear it, being treated like glass for a while.
"They're just worried, you know?"
The old master turned to the figure sitting in the chair beside her bed. During the afternoons, Senna often occupied that chair. While Tonraq was out and about, Senna would often bring her knitting or something to do and the two would pass a couple of hours in each other's company. But now, the chair was occupied by someone else.
"I know," Katara sighed. "But it won't change anything. I'm not going to get better."
"You might."
"Well, maybe I don't want to, Aang!" Katara said, petulantly.
Aang laughed. "You don't mean that."
"Maybe I do," She said softly. "I must be going batty if I'm talking to you."
"No you're not. I'm simply keeping my end of the bargain and making sure you're never alone."
"Or I'm hallucinating and seeing things," Katara sighed.
"You'll get better. You'll see."
"Well, if it happens, it happens. If not…well, I've been ready for a while now."
Katara smiled at him and then yawned. She'd been sleeping at such odd hours, she felt like she was almost always napping. Despite that, she always felt tired. Aang (whether he was actually there or somehow her imagination just conjured him up) seemed to noticed this and he stood up as if to go.
"You should get some rest. I'd imagine the little ones want to tell you their stories."
Katara nodded, drowsily. "Stay with me?"
"Always."
When Katara woke again, Kya was peeking into her room with her nieces and nephew behind her. She had a plate of hot food in her hand which she promptly set before Katara and the kids rushed to sit at the foot of her bed and keep her company.
"I see you've made good use of my kitchen," Katara said, laughing.
"Pema and the kids helped," She said, smiling at the four airbenders that were seated on the bed.
"Well, it all looks delicious," Katara said. "Thank you." Kya nodded and left her mother to the airbenders.
The following days passed in much the same manner. Katara often kept to her room, too tired to really do much of anything, and she had a constant stream of visitors from Korra's family to her own. Her grandchildren regaled her with the details of all their latest adventures, and Bumi retold her all sorts of fantastic tales from his time as a Commander. Kya had endless stories to tell of her travels and Tenzin had lots to say about the rebuilding of the Air Nation. And at night, when Katara woke up in early hours of the morning, Aang was always there to keep her company. She didn't know if it was because she was actually crazy of if he was there because he had found some way to break the rules of the spirit world and be with her, but for once she didn't question it. She was always grateful for his company.
"Tenzin's children remind me so much of our kids," Aang said, one night while Katara lay in bed wide awake, unable to fall asleep. "I wish I could've been there to watch them grow."
Katara grinned. "You'd have spoiled them rotten."
Aang looked affronted. "Did I spoil our kids?"
"Yes."
"Well, nothing bad came of it." He said.
Katara coughed and Aang frowned.
"Are you comfortable?"
"Fine," she said, dismissively. "These old bones are used to a lot worse."
"Don't I know?" The airbender chuckled. "Remember when Air Temple Island was under construction?"
The waterbender smiled fondly. "We slept on the ground with those thin sleeping bags and oh, how we ached for days after that." She chuckled. "And that one time, we went to that village in the southern part of the Earth Kingdom. They offered us beds of earth to sleep on."
"I remember," Aang laughed. "That was some trip."
A series of coughs racked Katara's body again.
"I wish I could do something to help." Aang said. "I hate seeing you suffer."
"You being here helps…whether I've imagined all this or not."
"I'll always be here," He promised. "Until you can't stand me and don't want me around anymore."
Katara rolled her eyes. "When has that ever happened?"
Aang shrugged.
"You look beautiful, by the way," the airbender said, going off on a tangent. "You always have."
"You're just saying that," Katara laughed. "Really, Aang, after all this time, it's okay to say I don't; I can't do anything to you since you're a spirit."
"It'd be wrong for me to lie," Aang answered. "I always tell you you're beautiful because it's the truth."
"Well, I don't feel particularly beautiful. I'll be glad when this is all over."
"Over?"
The waterbender nodded. "It's been a good life. I'm content and I'll be content whether I stay or go…as long as you're with me in one form or another."
Aang's smile grew and he nodded. "Always."
His wife suddenly yawned and he took that as his cue to leave.
"Sweet dreams." He whispered.
And for once, they were.
The following morning brought the usual round of visitors, but for once Korra decided to spend some time with Katara. Tenzin as his siblings and the airbender children had been doing a fairly good job of keeping Katara occupied and the young Avatar usually never spent more than five to ten minutes with her old mentor because she wanted Katara to spend time with her family, but at last she stopped by for a longer amount of time. They spent a couple of hours catching up and chatting, but Korra wasn't in a particularly cheerful mood and Katara picked up on it rather quickly.
"You're awfully melancholy," Katara noted. "It's so unlike you."
"I can't help it," Korra admitted. "I mean, it's hard to be happy when everyone isn't and when you're…you know…"
"Well, it isn't as if I'm going to fall over and die any minute, so you don't need to worry so much."
"Sorry." The young Avatar looked sheepish. "It's just…depressing."
"For you all, perhaps. Not so much for me. I'm old and I've lived a long life and I'm content. I don't really mind if I go."
"The world will; I think it'll be poorer without you."
"But that's what you're for," Katara said, grinning. "You're the Avatar, after all."
"But I wouldn't be half the Avatar I am if it hadn't been for you or my family and friends."
"I think you underestimate yourself. You're strong and willful, yes, but you'd have still been a great Avatar, with or without me. I don't know of an Avatar who has failed."
"First time for everything," Korra quipped.
"Perhaps," Katara mused. "But I doubt it'll start with you. In any case, I don't know why you're so upset. I honestly didn't expect you to be."
Korra gaped at the old master. She's known Katara for almost as long as she could remember and though Katara was a good many years older than her, she had been one of Korra's first friends. It was understandable, therefore, that the Avatar was feeling down. The thought of losing such a close friend and mentor…
"Friends are hard to lose," Korra said.
"Yes, but some friendships are so strong, they can transcend lifetimes."
Katara's words echoed within Korra's mind and awakened some distant past memory, hazy and indistinct like something from an ethereal world. She could hear voices echoing faintly in the recesses of her mind but couldn't quite grasp their meaning or see what was going on. But Katara's words remained stuck in her mind.
"Besides, a friend is never truly lost until they are forgotten. And even then, you won't be rid of me so easily. I promise to torment you from the spirit world to make sure you're keeping up with your waterbending forms and if I can't, I'll have Aang do it for me."
Korra laughed for the first time since she'd come to the South Pole. "I think you could do it, too."
"Oh, I will," Katara said, winking at her. "Some things will never change."
Korra smiled at her sifu and nodded. "I'm counting on it."
Somewhere outside, a clock tolled the hour and Korra pushed the chair back and stood up to go.
"I'd better leave," She said. "Ikki said if I hogged you for too long she's airbending me back to Republic City."
"I do believe she might do it," Katara laughed.
"I'll be back to visit soon." Korra promised and Katara just smiled and nodded.
The young avatar left the room in a marginally better mood, but outside, Tenzin and his siblings were talking about Katara and that put Korra in a sour mood all over again. Tenzin and Bumi let her be, but Kya thought if her aura got any grayer, Korra might snap. So, she set off to talk to her.
It didn't take long to find Korra. Kya found her seated on an icy bank, a few hundred yards away, staring blankly at the ocean in the distance.
"Can I join you?"
Korra startled at Kya's voice, but nodded when she saw who it was.
"Look, I know you overhead us talking back there and…"
"I'm sorry," the Avatar apologized. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
"No, it's okay," Kya said. "I just wish you didn't have to find out that way."
"So, it's true then?" Korra wondered. "She's really…?"
"I'm afraid so," Kya said. "I understand why you're upset; we all are. But I don't think there's much we can do. It's life."
"I spent thirteen years in that compound training," Korra said, quietly. "For thirteen years, Katara was the closest thing to a friend I had. The White Lotus sentries never let me go far and I never really interacted with many people. For so long, Katara and Naga had been my only friends. The three of us spent a lot of time together and Katara taught me everything she knew. If it hadn't been for her, I don't know how good I'd be at waterbending."
"I'm sure you'd have been just as good."
Korra shrugged. "It's hard to say. But, I'd probably be a terrible waterbender if Katara hadn't taught me. I just feel…useless; she spent years teaching me how to waterbend and heal and for all that, I can't heal her. I can't help her."
"And neither can I. Believe me, I've tried. Even if you could," Kya pointed out. "She can't live forever, Korra."
Korra sighed. "I know. It's just…Master Katara almost seems to want to…you know... and it's just hard to believe."
"Not so hard as you might think," Kya said, picking up on what the younger waterbender was saying. "She and my father were closer to each other than any other couple I've known and she's been without him for so long now. I don't doubt she almost welcomes death."
Korra flinched slightly upon hearing the word.
"My mother's always been a practical woman," Kya continued. "I think she's accepted that this might be it."
"I know."
"But, you forget: above all else, my mother is a fighter and she'll fight as long as she's able to. Besides, she's not gone yet."
"I know."
Kya sighed. "It'd take a miracle to for my mom to get better, but it's not impossible. There's a chance she could get better and if there's anything I've learned, it's that anything can happen. For now she's still here, so I say we make the most of it."
Somehow, they all did. The airbender children spent so much time with their grandmother, chatting and playing whatever simple games they could, they nearly forgot about her failing health. Korra was often requested (forcibly dragged, rather) by Ikki and Meelo to join them so she spent a good deal of time with Katara as well. And Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin were never too far behind. And so, the days passed peacefully and uneventfully for a while.
One night, two weeks later, Katara noticed Aang didn't show up. She spent three hours waiting for him before she succumbed to the drowsiness and dozed off. When she woke again, however, the airbender was in his usual place beside her bed.
"Hey, sleepyhead," he said, grinning down at her.
"I was worried you weren't going to show up," Katara admitted.
"Why wouldn't I?"
She shrugged. "I don't know."
A comfortable silence filled the room.
"I think," Katara said at last. "I'm ready to join you."
"Yeah?"
"I guess so. I don't know."
"Are you scared?"
"Of joining you? No. Never." She paused and then continued. "It'll be nice to see Sokka again. And Mom and Dad. And Gran Gran."
"They'll be happy to see you but also a little sad, I think." Aang said.
"I'll be happy to see them too, but sad to leave everyone here," Katara said.
"You've been brave," Aang said, at length. "I was scared."
"Of what?" Katara wondered, facing him.
"Never seeing you again after I'd gone. But, it's all just as the monks taught me: there really are no ends, only new beginnings."
Katara hummed in response.
The windows in her room suddenly started rattling as the winds outside picked up. Both waterbender and airbender turned to gaze out at the snow coming down.
"There's a storm coming," Aang noted.
"A blizzard," Katara confirmed, sighing and closing her eyes. "I'm tired."
"Then sleep," Aang said, as the winds picked up outside and the snow came down harder. "I'll see you soon."
"Aang?"
"Yeah?"
"Love you." Katara mumbled, slowly falling asleep with a smile on her face.
The airbender leaned down to kiss her and Katara was only vaguely aware of the realization that she could actually feel him kiss her for the first time in years.
"I love you too," he whispered, before fading away. "I'll be waiting."
Katara smiled in her sleep as the storm outside blanketed the world in white.
