Kat: Okay, last chapter before they get to Republic City. Sorry it took so long but thanks for sticking with me! (My USB drive was wiped clean - idk how - so, while I had saved most of it to my laptop, I lost over a month's worth of revisions. *SIGH* Sorry again. Anyway, there's really not much to say about this chapter except that there are a few scenes that you should recognize from the show! Enjoy! :D
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It was only when Naga whined and laid down, covering her nose with her paws, that we ceased our search for the night. We'd tried tracking Matokka for hours with nothing to go on. Any lingering scent of him had gone stale, footprints were buried rapidly by the brewing storm. The only things we could think of doing were asking around town if anyone had seen him, then organizing search parties to get more coverage of the Pole. With one day wasted, we had just one day left before we would have to leave for Republic City. That night I was so worried that I couldn't sleep, and what little sleep I was granted proved weak and fitful. Many times I would simply give up and pace the floor. It was useless going out again; I would have frozen to death before morning.
The next day was even worse than its predecesor. The trail – if there had been one at all – was even fainter than before and we had already checked all of Matokka's favorite places to visit. The only obvious place I hadn't checked was the spot where he fell – the spot where he proposed. I promised myself I wouldn't go back there yet; it would have been too painful. But with no time and no choice left, I finally returned late that second night. The sky was dark; no starlight nor moonlight graced the frozen cliffside. The snow was thick underfoot, as it had fallen unceasingly since noon, as I stood on the ledge looking out over the Antarctic seas. When I had been there only two days before, nothing had ever made me happier, but after having lost the person I had shared it with, so was lost the scene's former enchantment.
"Katalana?"
Via my seismic sense, I could just make out the faint outline of a teenage girl standing about five feet behind me.
"Katalana?" she asked again.
My depresseion plummeted, but my frustration spiked. "Don't bother, Korra. I know what you're thinking – even without having to read your mind," I muttered without turning to face her, nor bothering to read her true thoughts. "We can't leave yet. I won't leave yet. It was hard enough knowing we were going away without having to worry about Matokka's safety, but now you're suggesting that we go without knowing if he's even alive?"
"That's not what I-"
"No! I'm not convinced he's gone. It's only been two days. There's still a chance for us to find him. I'm not going yet. Not until I know."
"I know but-"
"Do you? Do you know?" I paused, choking back tears. "Have you ever been in this position before? Not knowing if someone you love is safe? No! Of course you haven't." Stopping, I chuckled indignantly and turned to face her. She was indeed about five feet away, her head tilted down, eyes sad, hands out as if she was trying to explain something. I didn't give her the chance to. "Our lives have been just peachy-keen up until now. We've always had everything we ever wanted, and everything was handed right to us. Food, shelter, clothes, emergency care, schooling, weapons, a structured lifestyle. We had great parents, the very best of the best when it came to teachers and coaches and masters. And I'm not complaining about any of that! We are very blessed to have had all of those things. But that hasn't exactly prepared us for this. What good is knowing how to play Pi Sho when someone we love is fighting for their life? What good is knowing how to fight with earth or fire when it can't protect someone who is freezing to death? This is what you've been waiting for, what you've wanted your whole life. You've wanted nothing more than to have the chance to go out and actually save someone, to put to good use everything that you've been taught, but now you want us to just pass this up for a few years more of training? You want to give up on your first chance to do something that matters? This is a huge opportunity for you to show the world that the Avatar is back, young and full of life after seventeen years of waiting, but this isn't about just you or me. This is someone else's life at stake. Think about if it was me that was out there. Alone, starving, maybe hurt, the bitter cold seeping through my thin coat down to my skin, to my bones, my muscles, stopping my heart." I turned to face the open night sky, my gaze floating out over the horizon. My voice came out softer then, barely above a whisper. "Wouldn't you do anything and everything you could to help me?"
"Of course, but if you would just let me-"
"No! N-O. No," I yelled stubbornly, whirling around to face her. She winced, as if my anger possessed some power to physically harm her. It wasn't as though spite or disconcern radiated off of her or that she was even anywhere close to being so, but, blinded by pain, I ignored what might have been her attempt at an apology. "I would do anything for you in a heartbeat – and that's exactly what I would, should, and can do for him. I just need more time."
"Kat-"
"Look, I know that you want to go train – and I want that for you too – but I couldn't bear leaving while I know there's more I can do! There's a blizzard coming, we both can sense that, so don't you see how dire a situation this is? There is a man out there who may or may not be able to survive on his own. Leaving means we are condemning him to die. Staying would give him a chance! If you want to go ahead and abandon him, then go right ahead, but that's-"
"Shut up!" she mentally screamed at me.
Her suddenness caught me off guard, but I found it annoying that she would interrupt me like that. Aggrivated, I opened my mouth to tell her off but was stopped by her ongoing thoughts.
"Oh don't give me that. You weren't listening to a word I said anyway. You may be able to drown out my voice, but you sure can't overpower my thoughts. I know you're hurting, but there's no need to take it out on me." She let loose a tired sigh. She really did appear to be appologizing, despite her irritation with me. "Listen-"
"Do I really have a choice?"
"Um...no," she answered aloud after a moment of pretend thought. She smiled grimly at her own response. "Just hear me out, okay?"
I couldn't bring myself to reply. I turned my face down toward the snow so that she knew I was listening – reluctantly, but listening. I couldn't help but feel both irked and grateful for Korra's stubbornness. It was likely she would tell me off or point out some flaw in my thinking, but it was equally as likely that it would be something I needed to hear, and she would likely be right. "Listen, I know it's hard. It's hard for me too. He was a good friend to both of us. Granted, he may have plopped me down on the sidelines if it came to chosing between the two of us, but we were close enough. But what makes this hard – really hard – is seeing you like this. Seeing you want to either punch something or break down in tears; hearing you pace up and down our room all hours of the night; feeling you beat yourself up about this like his disappearance was your fault. But it wasn't, okay? It was not your fault. There wasn't anything you or I or anyone else could do to prevent this."
"And I realize that, but that's what scares me the most. We couldn't do anything for him when it happened, so what if there's nothing we can do for him now?"
"Katalana, do you know why I came up here?"
Begrudgingly I shook my head.
"I came up here not to tell you off and not to try to coax you to leave or to drag you kicking and screaming off this bitter ice block. I came up to tell you that there is hope. I came up here to tell you that we will find him."
As great as that sounded, I guarded myself from getting my hopes too high. There was too much heartbreak in my life as it was to only set myself up for another one. "How can we possibly do that in one night? We haven't had any luck for the past two whole days. What makes you think we can accomplish something in the few hours we have left? We leave tomorrow, Korra. Or have you forgotten?"
"I haven't forgotten," she said softly. What surprised me about her remark was not the fact that she seemed to be contradicting herself, but I definitely heard that unmistakable smirk in her tone. Confused, I looked up again, and she clarified her statement. "We're not going anywhere."
Knitting my eyebrows together as my befuddlement lingered, I allowed enough time for her announcement to sink in. When it did, the tension in my shoulders weakened, my face relaxed, and my eyes slowly widened. "You mean...we're staying?"
"For now, at least. I talked to the sentries about it and called Tenzin immediately after that. They all agreed that this is an emergency and they're allowing us to delay our trip." She punched my arm before I could respond. "Come on, I'm not that self-centered!"
"You're...serious?" I asked, completely ignoring the new throbbing sensation in my arm.
"Duh! I wouldn't make that up! Seriously, though, did you really think I was so focused on my own training schedule that I wouldn't try to help you or our best and only friend?" My smile couldn't restrain itself from unfolding, and I shot forward to give Korra a huge thank-you hug, lifting her off the ground in my elation. "Okay, okay, don't get all mushy on me."
"I don't care, I'm going to anyway!" I giggled, smiling uncontrollably, then finally set her down. A careful step back allowed me to compose myself and room for her to breathe. "Sorry."
A small smile formed on her lips as she held out her hand bring me back to the compoud. "No problem. We'll go back out and reorganize our serach parties first thing in the morning. Now that we have a plan, I just hope you and I both can sleep soundly again."
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Living in such a small village meant that everyone knew practically everyone else. News traveled quickly about what had happened, and most everyone was willing to devote their time to lend a hand in the search. Nice folks like them would have done it regaurdless of who was missing, but for such a well-liked guy like Matokka they were willing to put forth some extra effort to bring him home safely. Korra and I took charge dividing people up into teams and sending them in opposite directions to cover more ground. Some to the north, past the village; to the east, up in the mountains; to the south, near Otter-Penguin Slope; to the west, near the docs.
The groups searched for hours, which turned into days that dragged on into weeks, then months. All the while, the teams grew smaller and smaller. Most of the volunteers had given up after a month or two. Eventually a whole year went by, and there was still no sign of Matokka.
Finally, it was down to just two people searching. It was just Korra and I left. Everyone else returned to their normal routines, normal jobs, normal lives. If I could, I would have done the same.
There was just one little problem with that.
Exactly one year after his disappearance, the day following my birthday, I returned to our ledge. Over time I had developed a habit of fiddling with my betrothal necklace when I grew nervous. At first it was a concious tick; I rubbed it whenever I felt alone so that I could be closer to him. But after a while I began to do it subconciously, and more frequently. As time plodded along, my hopes sank and my fiddling became something I almost had to do in order to keep my sanity. That night was no exception. My gloved fingers traced the rough groves along the perfect blue stone and followed them up to the silk thread by which it hung. My gaze remained locked on the horizon, unwavering as I recalled the distant past. His arms around me, the gentle heat of his body filtering through his thick parka, our lips meeting for the first time... "Oh, Matokka, where are you?"
"Katalana?"
Hearing a voice call my name gave me a sudden burst of hope and I whirled around, half-expecting to see Matokka.
But I should have known.
"Oh, hi Korra."
"Katalana," she repeated softly. Her head was down, and her fingers played with the folds of her pants. I could feel her heart thumping anxiously and the tightness of her vocal chords as she tried to speak. She acted as though whatever she had to say would be said against her will. Her voice caught in her throat with every word, like she was trying to swallow the words someone was forcing past her lips. Finally, life was breathed into her words. Ironically, the life in her words brought death to my heart. She could feel my pain; I could feel hers. We had done this all before. A day short of a year ago. Playing the role a second time only solidified its weight.
"Katalana, it's time."
I didn't reply.
"We have to go. I can't risk waiting any longer to learn air- or earthbending."
All I could stand to do was stare at the icy grass at my feet.
"Kat- I- I don't mean to sound insensitive, but" -she paused to swallow her stutter- "It's been a year. If there was any chance of him coming home...don't you think he would have shown up by now?"
Again I didn't reply. Tears piled up along my eyelids, pressing forth with so much strength that I surprised myself with how well I held back such a persistant flow.
"If it's any consolation, I don't think badly of him. He wouldn't have run off and left you. And if he was kidnapped, he would have done everything in his power to get back to you. It's still unknown what truly happened to him, but with a year gone and no notice from him or from anyone who might have known his whereabouts, it's very possible that – out in that storm – that he-"
"Died?" I muttered bitterly.
Korra faultered, and she shrank back from my tone, trying to refrain from deepening my hurt. If I wasn't so emotionally wounded I would have laughed. Seemed like I was the only person who could ever get the mighty Avatar to question herself. "I wasn't going to say that, exactly, but...yes."
"If he did, don't you think that we would have at least found his body?" I spat.
"Well, not necessarily-"
"Korra, stop. I don't want to hear it." I pivoted to face the barren tundra, unable to look at her any longer.
"I know you don't, but don't you think it's time to let him go? I really don't mean to sound insensitive, but...as I said...it's been a year. Don't you think it's time to...move on?"
Her words weren't violent or full of malice, even so, it felt like each one had taken that hole in my heart and doubled its size, ripping it further and further apart. But, as much as I dreaded to admit it...she was probably right. It had been a year. Twelve months. Fifty-two weeks. Three hundred and sixty five days. A year. A whole year.
With great effort, I heaved a weighty sigh and let my head drop. I still couldn't turn to face her, but that time it was my own guilt that prevented me from doing so. Korra sensed it, and she shuffled her way over to me.
"I'm...sorry," I said, my words hollow.
"Don't worry about it."
"I shouldn't have blown up at you... It's just that..."
"You don't have to..."
"If only I knew... He just...vanished. There was no evidence, no clue to follow, nothing! He's just...gone."
"I know," she said, resting a hand on my shoulder. It was a gentle act of kindness. A few soft words and a delicate touch, but both felt like the heavy hand of fate weighing down on me, cutting off my last hope of finding him. There was nothing else I could do. "Come on, we better go. Tenzin is picking us up early tomorrow morning."
"Alright, just...could you give me a minute?"
"Take all the time you need." She gave me a quick hug, then started on her way back to the compound.
Meanwhile, I stayed behind, looking back out to sea again. It looked exactly as it did a year ago – the ice turned peach and gold by the setting sun, the mountains casting long lavender shadows across the tundra. I could almost imagine the feel of strong fingers wrapping around mine, warming and protecting them from the bitter cold. He'd been so awkward, yet so confident. And I was...even more awkward, yet equally entranced. I remembered sitting on that ledge, anxious, but ready to begin a whole new life. I smiled at the memory, never wanting to let it go, but knowing that Korra was right. It was for the best.
With one last heavy sigh, I looked out across the ice one more time.
"Goodbye, Matokka."
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"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Oh please tell me we're here! This place looks familiar. Are we there yet?" sang Ikki – Tenzin's middle child – as she bounced up and down on her father's Sky Bison.
The aging master sighed. After having seen Jinora through her early childhood, he thought that he would have known how to handle her younger sister. But unlike his twelve year old, his nine year old was significantly more energized and not-so-easily entertained. And her unsatisfyable curiosity was grinding thin on his nerves. It was only after years of praying for peace that the airbender could remain so calm. The only visible sign of his irritation was a twitching brow. "Yes, Ikki. As I have been telling you for the past fifteen minutes, we are, finally, here."
"Yay!" she squealed as their Sky Bison landed. She leaped through the air, then manifested a small wind-ball beneath her so she could float gracefully to the ground.
A small welcoming committee awaited the group's arrival, a committee consisting of only myself, Korra, and Katara. The elderly waterbender stepped in front of me and my sister to greet her family. She laughed, then helped Tenzin get Meelo, his youngest, to release his grip on him. Meelo, the squirmy four year old, promptly started struggling free. "Unhand me strange woman!" He demanded.
"She's your grandmother, Meelo," Tenzin explained gently.
Meelo stopped struggling, but after a quick pause to look at her, he forced the air beneath him to rise, causing him to do a flip over Katara's head.
Then Tenzin, noticing his wife dismounting Oogi, rushed over to her. "Easy now, Pema. Don't strain yourself."
"Stop doting on me," she chided, slapping his hand not roughly nor gently. "I'm not helpless, I'm just pregnant!"
At the same time, Jinora approached Katara, holding a well-loved book to her chest. "Gran Gran, I've been reading all about your past adventures with Grandpa Aang and your friends and I've been dying to ask you...whatever happened to Zuko's mom?"
Katara smiled at the girl's enthusiasm and interest in history. "Well Jinora, it's a wonderful tale! It was shortly after the Hundred Year War, when I-"
"Gran Gran, you look old! How old are you? Do you think we can make a fire and huddle around it and tell stories? Could we build a snowman? Ooh! Then could you use waterbending to make it move and chase us? Wouldn't that be fun? Huh? Huh? Can we? Can we please?!" Ikki interrupted, her mouth working faster than her brain. Jinora glared at her sister for cutting off the answer to her question while Katara just stared at Ikki blankly, unsure of how to respond to her rapid-fire requests.
Tenzin and Pema stepped forward to greet her. Katara patted Pema's swollen stomach and smiled in a way that only mothers can. "The baby is strong. I sense another airbender in your future!"
Immediately the warm smile of the fourth-time mother-to-be faded into a vexed frown. "Just once, I would like to have a normal child. A nice, nonbender who wouldn't blast wind in my face every five seconds."
As she said this, Meelo piped up from inside his self-made snowman. "Mommy look! I'm a snowbender!" he exclaimed, spinning. He used the air around him to spray snow in all directions, including a huge glob that splattered in Pema's face. Meelo had just proven her point flawlessly.
The exhausted parents turned back to Katara, then Tenzin smiled, noticing the two teens behind her. "Korra? Katalana?" His face lit up and he opened his arms for us to hug him. I don't think he expected to see us so grown up yet. He had known us all our lives, and tried to visit several times a year. At least, he had in the past. Our sixteenth birthday was the last time he was here, and I wondered why. Little did I know that we were about to find out.
We accepted his embrace willingly, and we stepped back, beaming. Korra addressed him first, which was probably a good thing because she was about to bubble over in excitement. "Master Tenzin, I am so glad that you're here. I can't wait to start training with you."
Instantly Tenzin faltered. Pema noticed his hesitancy and laid a hand on her husband's shoulder. "You'll have to tell her sooner or later."
Korra glanced between the pair. "Wait – tell me what?"
Looking up at her son sadly, Katara guessed what was on his mind. "You're not taking them to Republic City, are you?"
"They need me," he began. "The complications there are too severe to leave for too long. It's too dangerous for the girls to come at this time."
"But- no! We're supposed to go. You-you're supposed to teach me!" Korra protested. Her voice rose an octave as her desperation grew.
"I'm sorry, Korra, but it's out of my hands."
Korra pursed her lips together angrily after realizing that there was nothing she could do. Arguing would do nothing to earn his favor. Finally she settled on storming off after muttering a pointed, "Whatever."
Tenzin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. His mother, wife, and I all stepped closer to try to comfort him. Before he could get too down on himself, I intervened. "I'll go talk to her once she has had a chance to cool down. She's been looking forward to this for a long time and I'm sorry to say that the delay has been mostly my fault."
"Thank you Katalana, your support is greatly appreciated. My family and I will stay for the remainder of the day, but after dinner we shall promptly return to Republic City."
"As you wish," I replied, tipping my head respectfully.
At that point, Ikki and Meelo started pelting Oogi with airbended snowballs, so to spare the gentle giant I suggested that I take the kids on a tour of the compound to keep them occupied.
Tenzin readily agreed.
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The patriarch of the airbending family was true to his word; he and his family left immediately following supper. After sending them off, I headed straight for bed. I walked down the hall to our room and waved my hand for the door to slide open. Inside, I crossed the room to sit facing the vanity. I started unbraiding my hair while staring at myself in the mirror. I looked normal; bright green earthbender eyes, long brown waterbender hair...yet something seemed different. Changed. I shrugged the feeling off when I realized that I hadn't seen Korra since before our evening meal. In fact, she hadn't even eaten at the table with the rest of us; she picked up her plate and went elsewhere. At the time I had assumed she brought it back to our room, but after having been there for a good ten minutes or so made it obvious that she hadn't stayed long.
"Hey Korra, where'd you go?"
Nothing.
Strange, I thought to myself. She always replies... Curious, I meandered through the corridors of the compound, asking whomever came along if they had seen Korra. No one had – which was ironic considering it was their job to know where the Avatar was at all times. I tried calling out to her several more times after that with no response. By the time the stars were out, worry began to take over. I tried calling her again. "Come on, Korra, this isn't funny. Where are you?"
There was still no answer. Trying not to panic, I distracted myself with reasons as to why she wouldn't have answered. We've lived with this mind-reading ability for years now, but I guess there are still things we never discovered about it. Like maybe it only works at close range. Or maybe there's some kinds of materials that cancel out the thought waves. Or maybe- I shook my head. That was getting me no where. On the other hand, it was more helpful than thinking the worst. My best friend vanished without a trace, and as Korra told me the night before, it was very likely that he wasn't coming back – that maybe he couldn't come back. A sickening knot twisted up in my stomach when I realized that Korra could have been the next victim. One more time, I thought. "Korra, this is getting old. Where. Are. You?"
"Seriously?" she asked casually, not seeing a problem. "I'm in our room."
"Seriously?!"
"You should have checked here first."
"Korra!"
"What?"
Agitation had crept up on me when she finally responded and I rushed back to our room. As I would have found her on any other day, she was lying back on her bed, her legs kicked up against the wall, twirling her wrist to make a burst of fire and a blob of water dance in a circle above her head.
"Where were you?!"
"In the stables with Naga."
"Really? Why didn't you answer?"
"I did!"
I crossed my arms over my chest and jutted out a hip, annoyed. "The first time."
She shrugged. Then she extinguished the fire and motioned for the water to drain back into a cup on her night stand. "I'm going to bed. You should too. It's late."
"It's eight o'clock!"
"It's never too early to be late."
"Huh? What does that even- Oh, never mind." Her logic would never make sense to me, so I simply gave up and crawled in bed as well – though I wasn't planning on going to sleep.
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My suspicions were laid to rest when a window opened sometime later that night. The chill of the darkness blew through the gaping shutters. I heard one, two, three footsteps, a soft grunt, the creak of wooden boards, and the gentle thud of two furry boots hitting the snow outside. Three minutes went by before allowing myself to get up and follow. My clothes were still on from earlier so changing wouldn't be a problem. The breeze whipped my hair into my face, making me regret taking my hair down previously. Snowflakes floated down to earth peacefully. It would have been nice if it were not quite so cold. I pulled my coat tighter around me as the stables came into view.
A hushed voice drifted to my ears through the howling wind. "Easy there, Naga. We're just going on a little trip."
Peeking around the corner, the dim glow of a lantern revealed Korra standing next to her pet Polar-Bear-Dog – on whom Korra had already mounted a saddle.
I sneaked through the open doors and crept into the flickering light. Through gritted teeth I whispered rather loudly, "Korra! What are you doing?!"
My sister spun around, startled. When she saw me, her shock fell flat into desperate anger. "Katalana? What are you doing here? Why did you follow me?"
"I came to make sure you weren't doing what I thought you were doing. You're running away to Republic City!"
She took no more than four strides in the time it would require to take eight and smothered my mouth with her hand. Her eyes shifted back and forth suspiciously. "Shush! Do you want the whole camp to hear?"
Seeing as I had no choice but to think, I thought, "I don't know. Do I?"
"No! I am going to Republic City tonight and there is nothing you can do or say to stop me. I've lost enough time as it is."
"Are you blaming me for your lack of training?" I asked incredulously, pointing to myself.
"N-no! Of course not! I'm just saying – er, thinking – that I am seventeen years old and I still have not been able to use half of my Avatar abilities!"
After she removed her hand from my mouth, my own thoughts continued. "So? Tenzin can only teach you one element – air. I can teach you two – earth and metal. And you can learn them here – without having to run away."
"I've tried! But you've seen how much I struggle. I've done everything I can to learn it but it isn't working. Training with Tenzin is my only shot at getting out of this frozen wasteland. The world needs me, but I can't very well do anything about it while I'm stuck at the southernmost point on the globe. But I guess I shouldn't expect you to understand."
"But-"
"Nice night for an escape, isn't it?"
That new voice caused Korra and I to both jump and pivot. In the doorway stood Katara, smiling at us like she knew exactly what was going on – which she did.
Korra stepped forward, uncharicteristically soft, and embraced her. "I have to go. It's my duty as the Avatar."
"I know it is – you must remember that I lived with the last Avatar since I was younger than you are now." She chuckled, reliving old memories. Then, her face growing sober again, she went on. "My brother and many of my friends are now gone, but you, Korra, will accomplish great things in life – along with your sister. The two of you will go to Republic City and receive the instruction and guidance you need. I trust my son well enough to know how to handle the likes of you girls. But, I must warn you to always be on your guard. Republic City is like nothing you have ever seen here in the South Pole, and things there are not always what they seem. Always stay close to each other – you're bending is stronger when you are together. But...choose carefully who you are seen by whenever and whereever you are. You're faces are recognizable, and that is a dangerous blessing. Be safe, girls. May the good Lord guide you and keep you well."
"Thank you." Korra said, stepping back, allowing me to hug her next.
As I leaned over the old woman to hug her, she whispered in my ear. "Anytime you can't stop her, go with her. She needs you now more than ever."
I gave her a quiet "yes ma'am" and "thank you" before straightening myself up again. "So what now?"
"Now, you go," Katara said to the both of us.
"Both of us?" Korra asked, using a finger to point repeatedly to herself and me.
I turned to her in mock offense. "Well you didn't plan on leaving your sister behind, did you?"
It was hard to tell in the dim light, but I was pretty sure her face paled a shade or two.
After rolling my eyes, I said with certainty, "Alright. But how were you planning on getting there? I know that Polar-Bear-Dogs are excellent swimmers, but crossing an ocean? That would sap a whole lot of energy out of Naga."
"Don't worry, I've got a plan,"
"That's real reassuring."
"Trust me."
"Um..." Her words brought back wonderful and painful memories. I thought back to a year ago. Matokka had used those same two little words. Trusting him when he was acting normal would have been weird, trusting him when he was acting weird was totally out of my character. Even so, everything turned out fine. But that was Matokka. This was Korra. Those two did have somewhat similar personalities, but Matokka never really got us into any real trouble – well, not knowingly. Korra had.
"Oh don't be such a worrier. I know what I'm doing."
"If you say so..."
Korra stuck a foot in one of Naga's stirrups and swung a leg over her back, then outstretched her arm so that I could haul myself up after her. Katara waved as we rode away, but we stopped to first say goodbye to our parents. They were sad to see us go, but they agreed that it was time.
"So, now all we have to do is get past the gatekeeper. Got a plan?" I asked.
"It's simple. All we – well, I – have to do, is go up there, do a little waterbending, a little freezing, pull the lever, and we're on our way!"
"Wait, you're going to freeze the guards?! That's a little extreme, don't you think?"
"They'll be fine. They'll thaw out enough by morning."
"I'm not so sure that-"
"Do you want to get out of here or what?" she snapped.
I hummed and nodded my head from side to side, still not completely comfortable with the idea, especially since I almost considered some of them to be my friends. But if it was for the greater good... "Fine. Do what you gotta do. Just do it quickly."
Before I could even finish my statement, Korra had leaped from her seat and made a mad dash for the wall. She built up speed and used the snow beneath her to propel herself several stories up and over the ledge. The sound of men grunting and water solidifying floated down to my seat. Soon enough, the gates squeaked open. From the tower, Korra gave me a thumbs up. I whipped Naga's reigns and the Polar-Bear-Dog took off at a gallop. I lurched in my seat then buckled down to keep the wind from stinging my face. At the same time, Korra shut the gates again, then laid in wait. Once I was a safe distance away she burst from her post. Using the same technique as before, she used the snow to slow her descent. She landed perfectly in the saddle behind me.
"Have you done this before?"
"Maybe once or twice," she lied.
"Sure," I remarked sarcastically. Then I pulled the reigns sharply to the right. "Hang on, there's one more person I want to say goodbye to."
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The Polar-Bear-Dog slowed to a halt in front of a small, two-room igloo. I slid off the creature's back and knocked on the door. There were soft shuffling noises on the opposite side. The door squeaked open a minute later by a tired woman with graying hair. "Makita," I said gently, leaning in for a hug.
She responded lovingly and I could see her tired smile when we parted. "Katalana, what an unexpected surprise. Please, won't you come in?"
"Uh, no, thank you. Unfortunately I don't have much time. I'm sorry to have woken you, but there wasn't going to be another opportunity."
"Opportunity for what?" Her voice was honestly happy, but her soft gray-blue eyes still revealed her lingering sorrow. There were dark circles under her eyes and her usually neat hair hung limp in her face. She leaned on the edge of the door for support as she waited for my answer.
"To say goodbye. We're leaving for Republic City tonight. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving without doing so."
"Thank you, dear. That was so thoughtful of you." She paused. For a moment she gazed up at me lovingly, then took my hands into her own. "You know, Katalana, you may not have had the chance to officially marry my son, but I want you to know that you have always been considered a part of this family."
Always a part of their family? Really? Makita had always been like a second mother to me, but to hear her say that she felt the same tugged at my heart, and I almost couldn't stop the tears that welled up in my eyes.
"I can't thank you enough for all that you've done this past year. You and Korra sacrificed so much."
"But...we never found him. I feel like all that time searching was for nothing."
"No, dear, not nothing." She laid a motherly hand on my cheek. "You could never be farther from the truth. Matokka loves you so, so much, and you obviously love him too. He would have done whatever it took to find you if this had been reversed."
"But that's why I feel so guilty. By leaving now, I feel like we're giving up on him – like I'm giving up on him. I feel like I'm betraying him."
Makita shook her head. "No. Matokka would not blame you for leaving now. This is a situation that you don't have any control over, so there is no need to feel guilty. He would know that you did everything you could. That's enough to know that he was truly more than just your friend."
The intimacy of the conversation was starting to become overwhelming, and it took everything in me to keep from falling apart emotionally. The one thing that kept me sane was a familiar whine coming from just inside the door of the igloo. A moment later a furry little head popped out, the rest of the body following. I knelt down beside the Pygmy and stoked her head as she wagged her tail happily. "Hi Khani, hey girl! Yeah, I'm gonna miss you too."
"Take her."
My head snapped up at Makita's voice, not sure if I understood her clearly. "What?"
"Take her," she said again. "She'd be better off with you than me."
"No, I couldn't do that!"
"Go ahead. You and Matokka found her together, and if anything were to happen to him, this is how he would have wanted it."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive, dear. Besides," she laughed a little. "I'm much too old to play with her anyway."
"Well...alright. Thank you." I glanced at Korra – who was watching the scene with every bit of emotion that we displayed – and then back at Makita. "We'd better go. I promise I'll come back and visit."
Makita leaned down and picked up Khani and cradled her for a moment, then placed her gently in my arms. I set her carefully in Naga's saddlebag and gave Makita one last hug. "Goodbye."
She stood in the doorway and waved until she could no longer see us. We raced across the frozen sea until we reached the docks. There,we stayed hidden in the shadows before sneaking aboard a cargo ship sailing for Republic City. It was fairly simple, as it was pitch black and there were few crew members out at such a late hour. When we boarded, we crept down to the lower-most deck and hid behind a stack of crates – each one labeled with a difference type of fish or animal pelt. I had bet that Korra was glad Naga couldn't read.
The ship rocked in place rhythmically, and we could hear the crew above deck stomping around doing their duties and shouting orders to cast off. Even with all the noise, Korra and I didn't dare make a sound in fear of being discovered. But we were both thinking the same thing:
"Republic City...here we come."
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Kat: Finally! As much as I love the Southern Water Tribe, it was certainly time for them to get a move on. Little bit of a spoiler, but to those of you wanting to know what happened to Matokka might be a little disappointed. Sort of. Maybe. Kinda. Idk. Depends on how you look at it. Sorry. Can't say anymore out of fear of revealing something I shouldn't!
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I'd to have another chapter up soon but realistically that won't happen until school gets out, which won't be until June 4-ish. Sorry for the long wait, but I hope it was and will be worth it in the long run. Thanks for reading!
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I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or Avatar: The Legend of Korra or any of its characters, themes, settings, etc.
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Don't forget CQC's! Thanks! :D