The Road to Recovery
The looks of pity were deafening, I felt as if I was drowning in them.
"It's going to be alright, Korra." Tenzin eventually uttered, trying to stay positive despite what happened.
"No. It's not." I moved across the room, the thunking of my boots echoing in the room. Ignoring everyone as I walked by, I grabbed my parka and left. I needed to be alone, to deal with this myself. With everything that had happened, and was still happening, how could I protect the world as the Avatar if I couldn't bend all four elements? I could feel wetness on my cheeks, ignoring it as I walked outside in the chilling summer air. The cold only seemed to help freeze the water to my cheeks, but I didn't care. Naga was sitting patiently, her tail wagging as I approached. I couldn't muster up enough strength to smile at her. Seeming to understand my mood, she gave a small whine, her head nudging my chest as her brown eyes stared into mine.
"Hey girl." I cradled her massive head, before dropping my own into it, letting her soft fur hide my tears as I cried. This wasn't supposed to happen. I must be the worst Avatar in the world. The only bright side to that statement was that my past lives couldn't tell me that, but that only made left me feeling worse.
"Korra!" I stiffened at the sound of my name.
"Go away, Asami." I managed to choke out, muffled by Naga's fur.
I awoke to the sounds of a crackling fire. And it was warm. Really warm. I slowly opened my eyes, only to be greeted by the brown coloring of a healing hut. I shut my eyes, groaning as I felt the soreness in my ribs and back while I breathed.
"Oh good, you're awake. I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up." A woman's voice sounded. That's not Katara… I was now confused. I could have sworn that I was in Katara's healing hut. The bed felt hard now, must be why my back is hurting so much. I opened my eyes to see a lady in her mid-forties, what looked to be a slim build despite the layers she had on. Layers that looked like they were from some of the older and more traditional oriented towns and villages of the South Pole.
"Wha- Where am I? Who are you?" I sat up, knocking the blankets off of me. I hissed as a wave of pain surged through my head.
"You are in the South Pole. My name is Noaidi. Gave us quite a scare when Chief Hakoda brought you in earlier this week."
I looked at the woman again, "Chief… Hakoda?" Okay, now I was confused. "Where's my dad? Or Kata-gahhh!" I clutched my head again as it throbbed, squeezing my eyes shut to block out the light. Everything was beginning to hurt now. My back, my legs, my head.
"We were hoping you could tell us. Our Chief found you alone, buried in the snow nearly frozen to death." Her calm voice responded. I could feel her hands on my own, slowly peeling them off my head so that she could wipe it down with a wet cloth. The coolness of the water on my face was nice, refreshing. I let that coolness wash over me as I collected my thoughts, frowning as I tried to figure out what had happened.
"So… I'm not in the Royal City of Kalaalit?" I asked, looking back up at the healer. She seemed to be mixing something in the bowl that she was holding. She reached for a large wooden spoon and scooped out some water from the pot that was hanging over the fire. "Why don't you just waterbend the water out. It would be much easier."
"I don't know of any royal city in these parts, and as far as I am aware, this is the only village in the entirety of the South Pole. Plus the only waterbender we have in the village is an eleven-year-old girl named Katara." She turned back to me, a weird look on her face. One which I returned as she explained everything to me.
"No… that's not right. My dad is Chief, he rules over the South Pole…" I directed my eyes back down to the blankets on my lap. My sentence trailed off as I realized that they weren't blankets at my feet, but furs and pelts. I looked back up, taking in my surrounding this time. I wasn't in a hut, but a tent. Where am I?
"Noaidi?" A young voice called, before a head poked its way through the front flaps. My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as I took her appearance in. Her bright sapphire blue eyes, the twin strands of hair that dangled in her face just slightly before reconnecting with the bun in the back. The only waterbender we have in the village is an eleven-year-old girl named Katara. I blinked as I stared because this had to be a dream. "Gran-gran wanted me to ask if you needed anything else…"
The girl gasped, "You're awake!" She immediately clambered into the hut and sat down next to me.
"Now Katara. Give the girl her space, she seems to have hit her head hard." Noaidi stated, handing me the bowl with the mix of ingredients, "Drink this, it should help the pain diminish."
I was in autopilot, drinking the mixture as I stared at the preteen in the entrance of the tent. I'm dead, or I'm dreaming. Those are the only explanations for seeing Katara as a young girl. I coughed after the first few seconds of drinking the stuff, pulling me out of my trance as I gagged.
"Ack! What is that stuff?" I continued to gag, "It taste like shit!" I kept trying to get the offending taste off my tongue with my hands.
"Language!" She scolded, I only ducked my head, forgetting that Katara wasn't much older than Jinora. "But, I'm surprised you drank as much as you did. Most can't even bring it to their mouths." There was an impressed smile on the healers face, causing me to stop my ministrations and haul my tongue back into my mouth. I swallowed, my mouth feeling dry and sticky as Katara giggled.
"Umm… thanks? I guess?" I smacked my lips together, the stickiness of the syrupy liquid getting stronger the more I swallowed.
"Here, some water should help." Noaidi handed be a small cup filled with the cold liquid. I guzzled it down quickly, swirling the last of it in my mouth to rid it of the leftover syrup. Smacking my lips together again just to be sure the offending taste and feeling was gone and sighed in relief when I could no longer feel a desert in my mouth.
"Thanks," I said, never taking my eyes off Katara for more than a second or two.
"So, what's your name? I'm Katara! but you probably already knew that when Noaidi said my name."
"Uhh... it's Korra..." I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to understand everything that has happened so far. Am... Am I in the past?
"Ahh, Katara, I don't need anything at the moment, however, could you pass the message along to Kanna and your father that our guest has woken up." This caused Katara to stir.
"Huh?" she turned to look at Noaidi before nodding, "Oh, yeah! I'll be back soon." She ducked out and the soft crunching of snow got softer as she left the area.
"Are you alright, young one? You look as if you have seen a ghost."
"I don't know… You said that she was the only waterbender in the South Pole?" Noaidi nodded, "And that you are the only village?" another nod, I looked back down at the furs in my lap trying to process everything.
"Is everything alright?"
"I think… I…" I felt my head spin as the world faded to black.
"Korra, wait." The feminine voice called out again, the crunching of her shoes in the snow getting louder as she got closer.
"I said, go away." I spat, pulling away from Naga to look up at worried emerald eyes.
"No. You shouldn't be alone right now. Just talk to me. Please." I moved back as she reached out for my shoulder.
"I don't want to talk, Asami. I just want to be alone. To think." I glared, though the blurriness in my vision seemed to soften the look.
"Korra…"
"No!" I pulled back again, grabbing the reins to Naga's saddle and pulling myself up. There was a tug on my leg, I knew Asami had grabbed it before I could take off. And she knew I wouldn't tell Naga to go unless she let go.
"Korra, please."
"Asami. Let go." I turned to meet her eyes, pleading silently that she would understand. Reluctantly, she let go. I snapped the reins and Naga took off, the wind in my face as we rushed out the front gates, and into the Frozen wilds of the South Pole. I could feel droplets leaving my cheeks as Naga ran, and I let them fall freely. No one was here to see them. But that didn't matter anymore. I wasn't the Avatar, not anymore. I was no one.
Eventually, we were at the edge of a cliff, looking over the southern arctic waters. Getting off Naga, I moved closer to the edge, letting the grief of what has happened finally take full control. I collapsed in the snow, hugging my knees to my chest as I cried into them.
I was a failure.
The world was still out of balance and I could do nothing to fix it. Not in my current state. Not ever.
I heard Naga's grunt-whine but ignored it. It was probably nothing.
The soft crunching of snow eased my mind as I cried, like a beat that acted as a stable point for my current predicament. I listened to it more closely, trying to pinpoint its exact beat. But it was getting louder. And louder. And louder.
Then it stopped.
A soft touch on my shoulder pulled me out of my trance. I looked up to see Asami standing there, before sitting down next to me. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to, we both knew that nothing could be said that would make any of this better. I leaned into her, letting her wrap my arms around me as I cried into her shoulder.
Eventually, I calmed down, resting my head against her shoulder as we both watched the ocean glittering in the midnight sun.
"It will be okay, Korra."
"How? How will any of this be okay?" How could she even think that?
"Because you're the Avatar. We'll figure something out."
"You're wrong. I'm not the Avatar. Not anymore."
"What? Korra…"
I choked back a sob, not wanting to think about the fact that I couldn't help Tenzin with his quest. Not like this. It would only be a matter of time before the world knew I lost my bending to Amon. Noatak. I mentally corrected.
I shivered from the thought. What would Aang think? What would he say if I could talk to him?
"We'll get through this." Asami pulled me closer, her reassurance washing over me. "I know we will."
I heard the sounds of snow crunching as I awoke again, breathing evenly as I tried to decipher if it was getting closer or not. Some of them would, and others wouldn't, but I couldn't fully tell, it almost seemed like people were marching around outside the tent. Uggg, that was a crazy dream. I almost thought I was in the past seeing Katara at the age of 11-
"Katara? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be helping Kanna?" That sounded like Noaidi. I shifted into a more comfortable position, barely suppressing a grunt as my legs throbbed from the movement.
"I- uhh, yeah… I guess." The dejected reply came, I could almost imagine her with her head down as she continued to speak, something I would do when I got caught by my mother earthbending in the house. "I just wanted to check on her, you know." But her voice still sounded young...
Or... I'm not dreaming and I'm actually stuck here... great. As if I didn't already have enough crap on my plate to begin with.
"Yes, I can see that. I don't blame you, you know. It has been a while since someone new has entered the village, especially someone closer to your age." I frowned, they didn't think I was that young right? I mean, Katara is supposedly eleven (still absurd to think about since I remember training with her after I realized that I could waterbend at the age of four), but still… I thought I at least looked more like a teenager than a young kid.
"Do you think she is a waterbender?" I could almost hear the awe that was on her face, the hope she would have of no longer being alone in this village.
"Now Katara, even if she is one, she is in no condition to start waterbending. Her body needs to heal from the stress it has gone through. You should know that better than anyone." Wait, what happened that allows Katara to understand that? Did Katara go through something similar? I shuddered, a cough escaping though my lips in the aftermath.
"Is she awake?!" I didn't even have time to brace myself before a head popped into the tent. "You're awake again!"
"Katara, let me through please." I heard some shuffling as Katara disappeared from view and Noaidi entered the tent. Katara popped through again, scrambling to sit near me again her eyes wide with excitement and a large grin on her face.
"Alright, young one, let's sit you up." Two hands reached behind my shoulders, lifting me up to a seated position. I pulled the furs off my legs, wanting to know what the throbbing was from. I frowned at the sweats on my legs, letting out a small growl, I pulled the sweats up my thighs to see the damage.
"Woah…" Katara breathed, I only stared at the black and blue colors of my left leg that was visible under my rolled up pant legs. What the fuck happened?
"Oh dear. That doesn't look good. Katara, can you go fetch me some more water and begin to heat it up?" Noaidi spoke, moving to get a better look at the artwork on my leg. Katara nodded, moving to leave the tent leaving me and the village healer alone. "Okay, I need to get a better look at these so I'm going to need to remove your pants."
I didn't exactly want to do that, but I wanted to know what had happened as well. I nodded, not looking at her as she began to help me shimmy out of the article of clothing. My eyes widened even more as I stared at the horrific sight of the bruising on my thighs.
"Hmmm... this one almost look like the results of a bite from a Mink Snake." I hissed as she probed around the bruising, looking for something. "He had to be a big one to do this kind of damage. I should have some herbs that can help get some of the remaining poison out of your system, but it's going to be a painful twenty-four hours."
I groaned, "Great, just what I needed…"
"Well, be lucky you are still alive. Most of the time the limb needs to be amputated or you'd already be dead." She eyed me, her hands searching for the herbs and other ingredients to help me. I watched as she mixed the stuff in the mortar with the pestle, the smell causing my nose to crinkle as I was reminded of that nasty stuff I drank earlier.
"Don't worry, you don't have to drink this." She smiled, grabbing some cloth and steading the paste on one side. Kneeling next to me she moved my left leg up so that she could wrap the medicine coated bandage on my leg, she poked a few more times before finding what she deemed the puncture marks and wrapping the cloth there.
"The other one just looks like some standard bruising from a hit, but I'll wrap it just in case."
I hissed as I felt the stinging sensation of the medicine working. "Yes, this isn't going to be pleasant, but you will be much better afterward." She pulled the blankets back up and laid me back down so that I could rest, "You recovery should process much faster with the poison out of your system. It's a miracle that you have survived this long with the toxins in your system."
"I'm stubborn like that… GAHHH!" I felt my body spasm, my muscles locking as the medicine began to do its work.
"Noaidi, I have the water- Is she going to be okay?" Katara had returned, but I couldn't see her, too busy gritting my teeth as I felt like I was being turned inside out from this detox.
"She will be, the cleansing will be painful as the medicine forces the poison from her system."
"Oh, okay."
"Don't worry, Katara. She will be fine. Now run along, I'm sure Kanna has some things she needs you to do for the day."
"GAHHHHHH!" I slammed my head back against the bedroll, I could feel whatever it was in my body being drained rapidly.
"And let your grandmother know about our guest's condition."
"Okay, I'll be back later."
I felt a cool cloth brushing against my forehead, cracking one eye open, I spotted Noaidi watching me her eyes focused on me and my movements. Another wave of pain washed through my body, and I closed my eye again, gritting my teeth while fighting against the urge to scream.
It was going to be a long 24 hours.
Welcome back, everyone! So, the AU is mostly on the Korra side of the story, but exactly has changed will remain a mystery. Now, according to the Avatar Wiki site, the main city in the South Pole that Korra is from is supposedly called Harbor city... but I didn't realize that when I wrote the chapter, and I like the name I gave it instead. Supposedly, Kalaallit is the name of a group of Eskimo's in Greenland, and Noatak is a city in Alaska. I thought that second one was cool. As far as researching stuff about daily lives of Eskimo's is difficult, and mostly I just get the basic lifestyle and not much else, so if something doesn't sound right or accurate, I apologize in advance but don't hesitate to let me know. I like learning about stuff like that.
Now I am also using the Avatar Wiki's to try and use actual Avatar world creatures and stuff to keep it within the general world. That being said, if there is some vague info, I'll modify it, like with the Mink Snake and how I decided to make them poisonous. Whether or not they are poisonous idk, all the wiki says is that they are from the south pole and they bite humans.
And damn! This already has 103 views, that's crazy! This story has only been out for about a week! You guys rock!
I want to say thank you all the reviews and follows so far! You guys are awesome! See you next chapter :D