South Pole: twelve years ago
Paju?" A six-year old Korra asked the old, graying Water Tribe member of the White Lotus, as he sat across the table from her, eating his sea-prunes with an utmost craving, "Tomorrow's my seventh birthday, and I don't get why everybody's so sad! Especially Master Katara! Gran Gran always spends every weekend with me, and she plays with me, and we go penguin sledding...but when I turned six last year, she didn't want to see me! She was crying-I could tell! Why was she so sad, Paju? Aren't birthdays supposed to be happy? Is she mad at me?" Korra gave a pout, tears forming in her eyes at the very thought of the women she loved enough to think of as her Gran Gran ever being mad at her. "I don't want presents, I just want Gran Gran and everyone to be happy again!"
Paju sighed, a sad look crossing his face, his eyes holding a knowing kind of pain that would only be able to be told to Korra when she was old enough to understand. But, Paju and most of the other members of the Order thought Korra was very bright for a child of her age. Never in history for decades had there been recordings of an Avatar knowing of thier Identity at as young of an age as Korra; she knew who she was meant to be at five short years. Most Avatars had to be told of thier Identity at age sixteen, if they hadn't been tracked and found by then from the Order, or if they hadn't figured it out by then from accidentally bending another element or by some kind of spiritutal enlightenment; otherwise, a few just somehow knew and insisted they were the One.
Korra was a prodigy, simply put, and Paju thought that she ought to deserve to know why the people around her were sad on a day that was supposed to be happy for her.
"Korra, darling..." he began, trying to put this as simply and delicately as he could to not upset the child more, "You undertand as the Avatar, that there are Avatars that came before you and will come after you, correct?"
"Yes, I know! Like the Cycle; Earth, Fire, Air, and Water! Aang was the Air Avatar before me, and Ruko was Fire, before him, and Kyoshi was Earth before him and-...that's all I know so far...but-but after me is Earth again, right, Paju!?" She asked, excitement at showing her teacher she had been indeed listening to her lessons, gleaming in her blue eyes.
The elder smiled sadly, and ruffled the young Avatar's messy hair, "Yes, sweetie, you're exactly right. Which is why you need to understand; the Avatars before you all had familes and friends and lives of thier own, just like you. Don't you think that the people who loved them, all missed them when they died and reincarnated into the Cycle with the next Avatar? Katara has known Aang for most of her life, and he was known by many of the Members of the Order here. We aren't mad at you, Korra, it's just that your birthday also signifies when the previous Avatar passed on. It's just that we all miss Aang very much- you can understand that, right, sweetie?"
"So..." Korra considered, "So it's my fault that Gran Gran is sad. She misses Aang and I took him away!" Korra exclaimed, eyes watering, little fists curling.
"No, no, Korra! Korra, sweetheart, listen to me... It is not your fault- it is not something you can help. You must always remember that Aang is still a part of you and Katara loves you so much, just seeing you makes her happy, alright?"
Korra wiped her eyes roughly. "I wish I wasn't the Avatar." she said with as much bitterness as a seven-year old could muster.
"Oh, Korra...don't say that! Of course you like being the Avatar- it is who you are meant to be. Now, I promise you tomorrow will be special for you. You get a whole day off of training, and get to see your Mom and Dad, and have your favorite cake and seal-otter dumplings! Isn't that something to look forward to?
"It is! But only if Gran Gran comes to!" She whined.
"She will, I promise. She wouldn't want to miss seeing you on your special day for anything, I know. Besides, she said she has a super special Waterbending move to teach you that only birthday girls can learn..."
"Ohhhh what, what, what!" She sprang up in her chair, hopping on the balls of her feet, "Tell me, tell me!"
"You'll have to wait untill tomorrow." Paju said smugly as he smiled at the young Avatar. "Now finish your sea-prunes." He pointed to the half-eaten dish.
She had taken his explanation fairly well, Paju concluded as he watched her eat the sea-prunes like the Water Tribe girl she was. He had no doubt in his mind that she would an exceptional Avatar.
And even if she didn't know it, she and Aang shared many qualities.
"You picked a good one, Aang," Paju whispered, "She loves just as much as you."
Somewhere outside, the wind picked up and caressed the igloo where said Avatar was eating.
The Spirit World sang with praise and glory.
Twelve years later: Republic City, Air Temple Island
.
"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will."
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
Silhouettes blend against the trembling light of the candle, whispering sorrow and seeping love into the pillows.
Salt traces are gently kissed away, as the seasons come and go with the passing of another infamous birthday, this one caused by a death of another.
Everything changes, but beauty remains; is reborn.
"Kor, it's your birthday, tomorrow." he says as he holds her tight, "You'll be eighteen; an adult. You should be excited."
All the while her back is curved, her head tilted down; as if this age- old knowledge, and the weight of the world on her shoulders, was making it impossible to hold up. Until, she wearily rested it against his chest, and gave a self-deprecating sigh.
"No." she mutters, "It's Avatar Aang's deathday tomorrow. Trust me, the White Lotus tried giving me the glorified, sugar-coated version when I was seven-but I get it now. The only reason I'm alive is because somebody died. And not just anybody. Avatar Aang! The 'Greatest Avatar ever! The One who brought peace back to the world after a hundred years of pain and suffering! How can any future Avatar hope to carry out what he did?'" she huffs, and the way she curls his fingers in his hand, he knows she's trying not to cry. "I swear, if anyone bakes me a cake, I'll through it in their face.
"What have I always told you about comparing yourself to him?" he asks, rubbing her back in small, soothing circles.
"Technically," she replies, brows furrowed and mouth in a fine pout, "I am him, so I'm not comparing myself to anyone, but my former self. You know, the whole ' I'm not the same person I was before; I've grown and learned from my past lives and stuff' crap. So actually, I am only trying to improve my self- awareness." he snorts, and she glares, before continuing, "And I am very aware that myself does not wish to feel the stares and hear the remarks of every 'Aang-worshiper' smashing down the cause of said worshiped Avatar's death."
His brows draw together with concern, and he smooths his fingers in her hair, "Would it make any different if I told you that there are a lot more 'Korra-worshipers' than you care to realize?" he asked, "You may be all of them, but you still have a heart all your own." he breathes into moca-cheecks, and she turns her face to him now.
Her eyes shine back at him, "You always know how to cheer me up. And yeah, it does."
He grins smoothly, eyes a loving crimson,"Besides, I am very much aware that the concept of myself technically loving a guy with an arrow on his head, in all technicality, weirds me out. But I try not to think about it."
She snorts now, followed by giggles that only he can create.
"You dork!" she squeals, as he tickles her sides, "-ahhhahahaha! S-stop! N-no! Aahaha!"
"Nope! Not until I see that smile! I've seen too much of Sad Korra lately!"
"S-so does t-this-hahahahahah...m-mean that I'm the-ahhhh!" she yelps when he bites on her neck, "boyfriend now? Hmmm, City Boy? You'd look sexy in a dress," she purrs.
"Technically, I think that's illegal." he quips, breaths hot between their mouths.
"Technically, I am the Avatar, and you gotta deal with it!"
"But silk makes my thighs look big, Korra..." he wines.
She laughs into his chest, "So you've learnt this from experience then, I assume?"
"What can I say, it was Pabu's idea." he mutters as she melts into the fold of his arms.
"I'll have to ask Pabu for your sleeve length later."
"And red, lot of red." he says.
She gives him a look.
"What? It matches my eyes."
She whacks him jokingly on the arm, rolls her head back, and sighs contently, "Technically I love you, so you can wear whatever color you want, deal?"
"Emmmhmmm."
Then after a moment, "Sooo...about that birthday cake..."
"Mako...you didn't, did you?" She gives him a look, slowly mixing into annoyance and surrender.
"Bo said you liked strawberry-vanilla...so we kinda made you one today..." he says carefully, watching her reaction, "Please don't be mad."
A pout, then her face softens, a smile gracing her red lips, "As long as it wasn't made with turtle-duck eggs, if it was made by you guys, I'm sure I'll love it. Thank you."
"Of course." he says, "Anything for you, love. Happy birthday."
'100'chapters is the goal, guys! ;) Let me know what'cha think!