This is an idea that I have been entertaining recently. I know that stories with a similar premise have been written so I will try to keep this as original as I can. No plagiarism intended. I do not own either Legend of Korra or Harry Potter. They belong to Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and J.K. Rowling.
-Line Break-
As the sun rose the next day, Tonraq met Vallik and ten of their best hunters at the main complex.
"You ready for this Tonraq?" Vallik asked.
"I am, and I think I have a clue." Tonraq replied as he pulled out a small pendant, the one Ryuukhan had when they found him. "I think it was a memento from his parents or guardians. Strange that they would leave it given they left him," he mused as he passed it to Vallik for inspection.
"It is distinctive." he said, turning it over. "I don't remember ever encountering this before." and he passed it to the man on his right.
"Have any of you seen this or anything like it before?" he asked to the gathered men, who shook their heads as they passed it around between them.
"In that case, we'll split up and ask the villagers if they saw or heard anything strange the night before." Vallik said. "Be thorough and try to get as specific details as possible. Once we're done with the village, we'll expand our search to the docks and the ships as well as look over the passenger lists and crew dosiers for the last few days. We'll meet back here near sunset and go over our results. Good luck" and they dispersed.
-Line Break-
Later that day, Tonraq and the others reassembled at the head complex, disappointment and confusion dancing across their faces.
"Report in." Vallik stated as he sat down at the table.
"We asked around the village and no one has any information on the whereabouts of Ryuukhan's parents." Tonraq stated solemnly. "The only possible clue was from Ta'loq, who claimed that he saw a beam of light descend from the Spirit Lights that night. Unfortunately, Ta'loq was on the other side of the village when it all happened." Vallik nodded in understanding.
"I took the liberty of writing a list of all ships and travelers that visited in the preceding days prior to our discovering Ryuukhan." Halrim, right of Tonraq, interjected. "Thankfully only three ships docked in the last two weeks in that time frame, two of which belonged to Future Industries. The third came from the Earth Kingdom, but we're unsure of their origin."
"As for their contents, all three were cargo ships so it's not inconceivable that a person or persons with a child might be missed, especially if they stayed onboard for the majority of their visit. They departed shortly before Ryuukhan was found, though this could simply be bad timing."
"Nonetheless, I feel it would be prudent for us to investigate these ships." Tonraq added.
"Contact Mr Sato as to the crew and passengers of those ships." Vallik said, nodding after a pause. "What was the cargo of the Earth Kingdom ship?"
"Mostly vegetables and some tropical fruits, along with some textiles" Halrim answered. "My guess is that they came from Zhaoshan Island in the South Sea. They are renowned for their agriculture and textile industry, and they're relatively close to our shores."
"And given their location on the Earth Kingdom's periphery the Dai Li are unlikely to have many agents there." Tonraq added. "We should contact them as soon as possible. The longer we wait the greater the risk we'll lose the trail."
"Agreed." Vallik said. "I'll contact the governor on Zhaoshan Island. Tonraq, you contact Mr Sato and ask about the passengers and crews of those ships. The rest of you provide all the support you can. Go over what we found and see if we missed anything. Also, spread pictures of Ryuukhan to the law enforcement agencies to try and see if anyone identifies him. Good luck to you all."
As they prepared to depart Vallik said "Tonraq, a moment please." Surprised, Tonraq remained standing while the others, after briefly hesitating, continued on their way.
"Sorry for keeping you Tonraq." Vallik said. "But I thought the presence of the Spirit Lights that night might be important as they have not been seen in decades...not since the war."
"Yes, I thought it was strange too." Tonraq conceded. "I doubt it's a coincidence but I don't know what to make of it."
"Do you think Unalaq might be of some help?" Vallik asked.
"I...I'm not sure." Tonraq replied, pain flashing through his eyes. "I haven't spoken with him for years, not since I...not since I came here."
"Well, perhaps you can contact him and let him know of the Spirit Lights?" Vallik suggested.
"I'll certainly look into it." Tonraq replied.
"Very well. Good night." Vallik said as Tonraq left the complex.
-Line Break-
"Well, I say it's been a very strenuous few weeks." Tonraq said as he and Harlim made their way to the head complex, the latter nodding in weary confirmation.
"Twenty-six days of correspondence with University professors, researchers, businessmen, and government officials from three different nations." Harlim sighed. "And all we've got to show for it is a bunch of hypotheses and no real proof for any of them."
"At least you got to learn a few things." Tonraq said. "My brother gave me quite a lecture regarding our tribe's spiritual apathy and disregard for our traditions. After about five whole pages of that, he finally got around to talking about the pendant and he didn't know anything about it. He couldn't even offer a hypothesis, though he did congratulate me on my new son and advise me to meditate on it. Tenzin was much the same, but then again he didn't have much time for this."
"It's gotta be tough being the sole Airbender on the planet." Harlim shrugged. "The pressure of sustaining a nation that's all but extinct must be intense. And that's not counting the need for kids."
"And there's no guarantee that the kids he does have will be Airbenders." Tonraq replied. "How many kids do you think he's gonna have?"
"I don't know, but I bet he'll want as many Airbenders as possible." Harlim answered. "The thing is Tenzin's only half Airbender. So regardless of who he marries, the odds of having an Airbender child will be lower than a non-bender or a bender of a different element. Say he marries a Firebender, then the kids will be half Firebender, a quarter Waterbender, and a quarter Airbender."
"And the odds of having an Airbender hold out for the other combinations" Tonraq added. "So either he gets really lucky, or he just has as many kids as possible. How many can he have?"
"Well if he marries a 20-year old woman and she gets pregnant every two years, then that's ten kids over a twenty-year period." Harlim answered. "Now if they have multiples, that number could go as high as twenty, thirty, or higher."
"Ten kids?!" Tonraq said. "Just two is proving to be a handful, let alone ten."
"Speaking of kids, how are yours?" Harlim asked as they crossed the threshold into the complex.
"They're both doing well." Tonraq replied, smiling at the answer. "Korra's still a little rambunctious, but at least she's toning it down so she doesn't hurt Ryuukhan. He was pretty shy around her at first but he's opened up fairly quickly. Now they're nigh-inseparable."
"Nice to hear that," Vallik said, drawing their attention to him. "but we do have business to attend to. Did you get any leads from the crew and passenger lists?"
"Regarding the Future Industries' ships I contacted Mr. Sato and he sent me the lists of passengers and crew on both of those ships." Tonraq replied. "Using those, we followed up on the people and found that the vast majority were single men in their mid-twenties to early forties, and none of them brought any children with them."
"Furthermore none of them brought any supplies that would be necessary for childcare." Halrim added. "Lastly, all of the people, their belongings, and the cargo were checked with coati-hounds and shirshu, which as you know have EXTREMELY keen noses, and nothing out of the ordinary was found."
"Besides, if someone wanted to get rid of Ryuukhan, why come all the way here to do it?" Tonraq asked. "There are far easier ways to do it, especially if they... have... no scruples."
All three grimaced at the thought of such people; although such acts were rare, especially in the peace and prosperity following the war, they still occurred.
"What of the Earth Kingdom ship?" Halrim asked, veering the conversation back on track.
"The governor at Zhaoshan Island did confirm that a ship departed for our shores in the last few weeks and its cargo matched what we received." Vallik answered. "The ship's crew was the same as the other two, all middle-aged single men with no children, but their security measures were not as tight as Future Industries'. We did talk to the captain and several crewmen, though, and they don't recall any passengers with children near the harbor when the ship was at dock. So it seems that neither Ryuukhan nor his parents were on either of those ships."
"On a separate note I contacted both Fire Lord Izumi and the Republic City Council." Tonraq said. "I thought they might have more information, but I was rather disappointed. None of the orphanages in either Republic City or the Fire Nation have any record of a child matching Ryuukhan's description, It's possible that Ryuukhan was born to refugees or fugitives, but if that's the case we have no real hope of tracking his parents."
"Simply too many to go through." Halrim confirmed. "As for the Earth Kingdom, I tried the Swampbenders but they had as much information as anyone else so far. Not to mention the sheer size of the Earth Kingdom and the current political situation means that further investigation is probably futile."
"So, what about the pendant? Any leads or hypotheses on that?"
"I tried my brother and Tenzin, but neither were of any help." Tonraq said, his head down in fatigue. "All they could offer was to keep looking. That and meditate or ask the spirits for assistance."
"I tried the Royal College in the Fire Nation as well as the universities in Omashu and Ba Sing Se." Harlim added. "All I got were a bunch of hypotheses, only one of which has any real evidence behind it. According to Professor Sho of Anthropology, the pendant resembles the pictograms left by a tribe that lived thousands of years ago on the Earth Kingdom continent. This tribe was pretty small, numbering only a few hundred or so, and their remains were rather generic, with no distinctive monuments, buildings, or ceramics. Materially, they were just local farmers."
"However, local storytellers paint a rather different picture. According to legend, they weren't benders in the traditional sense, but they were capable of incredible feats: transforming into animals, creating powerful cures and poisons in large woks, jumping from place to place instantaneously, and even reviving the dead."
"This tribe, whom archaeologists named Lán Sè Shān after the mountain their remains were found at, mysteriously disappeared long ago. There's no evidence of violence, disease, or malnutrition in the bones that remain. The sites would remain abandoned for several centuries before eventually being reoccupied, first by Waterbenders as they journeyed north to the pole, then Earthbenders as they expanded outward. Given how much time has past and how many people have visited the site, the only remains whose provenience we can be reasonable certain of are the strange pictograms left on the cave walls and on some of the ceramics near the sites, including one that resembles the pendant."
"You think Ryuukhan's parents are descendants of this Lán Sè Shān tribe?" Vallik asked, disbelief evident on his face.
"Doubtful as there's been no sign of them for millennia." Harlim replied shaking his head. "More likely they, or their friends and family, saw the pictogram and adopted it as their own. But as the site has seen the coming and going of many people for millennia, pinpointing his parents among them is virtually impossible."
"Well the deadline is nearly over." Vallik said. "So unless someone comes along in the next few days, I guess you and Senna get to adopt him. Congratulations."
"Thank you Chief" Tonraq said. "Speaking of which, I hope when the time comes you have a lovely child of your own."
Just as Vallik smiled in appreciation a messenger burst in, his face flush from worry.
"Tonraq!" he, or rather she, wheezed. "It's Ryuukhan! I was watching him and Korra when he suddenly started coughing. I placed my hand on his forehead and he's burning up! Senna's looking after him now but please hurry!"
"Thanks Halla. I'll be right there." Tonraq said as he swiftly made for the door. "In the meantime let's alert Katara as to his condition. It's probably just a minor thing, but I don't want to take any chances."
-Line Break-
Upon returning home he found Senna hovering over a child in their bed, Korra looking up from her mother's side. A moment later he heard coughing, a terrible hacking sound followed by wheezing.
'That can't be good.' he thought as he approached his wife.
"How bad is it?" he asked looking in over her shoulder.
"He's burning hot to the touch." she replied, not looking up. "He's slick with sweat and yet he's shivering. No matter how many times I bundle him up he shivers like a leaf. And there's this rasping sound when he breathes."
"That REALLY can't be good." Tonraq stated, drawing Senna's attention to him.
"Don't worry." he reassured her. "I'm sure Katara can cure him. Remember, she revived Avatar Aang after Azula struck him with lightning. And she was only 17."
"So compared to that, curing this should be child's play." a voice, soft and gentle, spoke from the door. As they turned Katara stepped through and, with a reassuring smile, made her way to the bed, a bag hanging from her shoulder.
Tonraq and Senna moved aside as Katara knelt to examine Ryuukhan, her face set in grim determination as she felt his forehead and listened to his heart and lungs. Just then, Ryuukhan began coughing again, this time with green mucus shooting out, coating his mouth and lips. A moment later, the coughing subsided to wheezing, then to normal breathing but with a rasping sound.
"When did he first show symptoms?" Katara asked as she inspected him again.
"He first developed a fever yesterday." Senna answered. "I thought he was just too tightly bundled so I loosened them but I decided to keep an eye out. This morning he started coughing, and a little later he began shivering."
"Reminds me of when Sokka and I got sick after a storm." Katara said. "To cure us, Aang had us suck on these frozen frogs." Shuddering and grimacing at the memory, she reached into her bag of supplies.
"Fortunately I have a much less nauseating solution." and she pulled out a small vial made of pale blue porcelain. "I made a medicine from the frogs' slime. It's still a little gross but better than having a frog thaw out and come to life in your mouth."
The three adults all grimaced at the mental image.
"Just mix a thimble-sized portion in his food once a day and he should do just fine." she said as she handed the vial to them. "He should recover within the week. If his symptoms persist or worsen, however, contact me as soon as possible."
Nodding in understanding, Senna turned to the kitchen where she began mixing some baby food, Katara and Tonraq remaining where they stood. After a moment she returned and began feeding Ryuukhan. Initially resilient, he soon ate his fill and his breathing become a little smoother, less noticeable.
Smiling at the improvement, Senna turned to Katara and bowed "Thank you Katara."
Bowing in return, Katara replied "You're quite welcome. Remember, contact me if something happens. Good night" and she left the hut.
Relieved Senna picked up Ryuukhan, rocking him to sleep with a lullaby.
"I think it might be prudent if we, meaning Ryuukhan and myself, were to sleep separate from you two." she said after Ryuukhan nodded off.
Tonraq, shocked at first, nodded in understanding and moved to where Korra was standing.
"Is Ryuukhan OK?" Korra asked, worry evident in her features.
"No sweetie" Tonraq answered. Kneeling down so they were at eye level. "But he'll be fine. In the meantime, we'll be sleeping in another bed so you don't get sick as well."
"Oh, OK" Korra said meekly as her father rose to get the second bed set up. She looked back to where Ryuukhan was sleeping with their mother. Although his coughing had abated and his breathing was quieter and smoother, his face was still flush and slick with sweat.
"Korra, time for bed." Tonraq said.
"OK daddy." Korra replied as she made her way to the second bed where her father waited.
"Don't worry he'll be fine." Tonraq said as Korra climbed into bed with him. "He's in the care of the best healer in the world."
Humming the lullaby Senna used earlier, Tonraq lulled Korra and himself to sleep, their dreams filled with images of Ryuukhan coughing and wheezing.
-Line Break-
Over the next few days, Ryuukhan showed steady improvement in his health: his coughing fits became fewer, dryer, and less intense, his breathing had normalized, and his shivering had ceased, allowing him to sleep more easily. His fever, though, remained high and showed no sign of abating.
Suddenly however, the coughing and wheezing returned, and his breathing became even more labored than before.
Frantic, Senna wrapped Ryuukhan in blankets while Tonraq ran to Katara's hut. Upon his arrival, he simply said "Katara, Ryuukhan's symptoms have returned, and they look worse than before."
Wasting no time, Katara swifty gathered her medical supplies and left with Tonraq, running alongside him despite her advanced age.
Upon their arrival Katara immediately began examining her patient, placing her hand on his forehead to check his fever. Almost immediately she retracted her hand as the boy felt like he was on fire. Breathing deeply, she leaned down to listen to his heart and lungs, and her worry turned to anxiety. His breathing sounded labored and forced, as if something was clogging up his lungs, and she heard a crackling sound, like firewood burning.
As she was listening, Ryuukhan began coughing again and viscous fluid flew from his mouth. Picking it up, Katara noted that it was now green tinted with red. Seeing this Katara stood up and said "I know what this is, and it's very serious."
The adults, rooted in apprehension, simply motioned for her to continue.
"It seems that Ryuukhan picked up a secondary disease called Ts'uk's Fever." she explained. "It was first identified by Ts'uk, a healer who worked on miners in damp or dusty conditions, but you can get it from someone who had it or was exposed to it beforehand. It clogs up the lungs with fluid, causing asphyxiation in the victim, which if not treated in time can be... fatal."
Breathing deeply, Senna asked "Is there a treatment?"
"Usually I'd recommend drinking lots of fluid and plenty of rest but the disease seems to have progressed beyond that. I think he caught it shortly after the first symptoms and it just took this long for us to distinguish between the diseases." Katara replied. "There are some treatments for severe cases but they are risky and... rather...controversial."
"Well... what are they?" Tonraq demanded, eyes furrowed impatiently.
"Well first I'd need to enter a few drops of water into his lungs so I can collect the fluid and draw them out via Waterbending." Katara answered. "There's a risk of him drowning or overtaxing his lungs if it doesn't work. But if done on the full moon by a master healer, it shouldn't be a problem."
"The second step is…" Katara hesitated, shame flashing across her face. Mustering herself, she breathed deeply and continued.
"The second step... is to give him new...blood to help him fight off the disease, preferably from a prior victim of the same disease. Earlier cases showed that patients receiving this treatment had a 70% higher chance of successful recovery. But in certain cases of mixing blood we experienced complications, especially if the recipient and the donor were of different nations. They developed clots in their blood, and these clots can be lethal, if they form in the wrong places."
Grimacing, she explained. "The only way to safely mix blood is to use...Bloodbending."
Senna and Tonraq, realizing the implications, widened their eyes in shock as revulsion and parental instincts battled it out inside.
Bloodbending, the art of bending the fluid inside living creatures to manipulate and control them like marionettes, had been made illegal due to its dangerous power. Katara, having experienced this power, both as puppet and puppeteer, initiated the ban in the post-war peace and had made it one of the first laws of the United Republic.
For her to contemplate using it, even to save an infant's life, was almost inconceivable. It would be comparable to Avatar Aang, the last Airbender and the last Air Nomad, willingly and gleefully committing premeditated murder.
Just then, Ryuukhan began hacking and wheezing again, his lungs fighting to draw in air. Hearing their son struggling with all he had simply to breath, they cleared their minds of all doubt and replaced it with a diamond-hard resolve. "We understand that this is a hard thing for you Lady Katara." Senna said, her hands trembling, her eyes lowered, but her voice holding steady. "We know that you do not make this decision lightly and that you are deeply ashamed by the thought of Bloodbending. But this is our son's life we are talking about. Please...please do all you can to save him." she looked up and tears were leaking down.
Sighing, Katara replied "Very well. The full moon is in two days. Prepare me a vial of blood to use in the meantime. You know who's blood to use?"
"Ours." Tonraq said. "I had the cough when I left the Northern Water Tribe. I had to make a stop in the Earth Kingdom and I caught it helping a young worker in a clinic but I recovered. Senna nursed me back to health and in the process she caught it."
"Very well." Katara nodded. "I think it would be prudent to give Korra the treatment as well. Prior studies found that this procedure can be used to help protect people from disease as well as cure them. Until the full moon, massage his chest and abdomen to loosen the fluid and ease his pain. I'll see you on the full moon." and she left for her hut.
-Line Break-
As the full moon shined from behind the clouds, Katara, carrying a medicine pack, made her way to Senna and Tonraq's hut. Inside she heard Ryuukhan, coughing and whimpering, while his parents did all they could to ease his pain. Knocking on the door, she found Tonraq ushering her into the hut. Swiftly and gracefully she began the preparations, while Tonraq and Senna, Ryuukhan crying in her arms, stood waiting and ready, brows furrowed and eyes lit with anxious hope.
Motioning toward the bed, Katara took out a blue bottle, approximately the size of her palm with a tapered neck and wide belly, and made her way over while Senna laid Ryuukhan down. Undoing the stopper, Katara then pinched her fingers together over the bottle and pulled upward, drawing some water droplets that glowed pure white.
"Spirit water." Katara explained as she rotated her hand underneath the droplets and spread her fingers, the water coalescing into a small disk. Leaning down over Ryuukhan, she twisted her hand in front of her, briefly pointed her fingers forward, and then opened them again, separating the water into two drops. Then she lowered her open hand toward Ryuukhan's face, pushing the drops down into his mouth. Though he coughed in response, Katara placed both hands on his chest and and drew downwards, her fingers spreading wide and eyes closed in concentration. Then she briefly pushed upward toward his mouth, then drew downward again.
Suddenly her hands slowed to a stop, then, with great grace and deliberation, she rotated her hands outward and began pushing up slowly but surely, causing Ryuukhan to wince slightly in response. Katara then turned her hands so her palms pointed toward Ryuukhan's face, then pulled up from his mouth. A moment later a large drop of mucus tainted with blood emerged encapsulated within her spirit water.
Taking the droplet Katara grabbed a small wok and, pressing her hands together, squeezed the mucus and blood from the drop, the excretions falling into the wok, leaving the water clear. With a quick breath, Katara returned to her patient and inserted the water into his lungs once more.
A few minutes, and several excretions later, Katara pressed her hands toward each other, then pulled them apart again while spreading her fingers, transforming the drops into mist. Holding the mist over Ryuukhan's mouth, she waited as he inhaled the water into his lungs. Katara then pressed her fingers onto his chest and began slowly moving her hands up and down, gently massaging as she went. Soon after, she listened to Ryuukhan's breathing..and smiled as it became smoother, easier, and quieter.
"Now for the..second task." she said as she turned to her medicine bag and brought it to the center of the room. After setting the bottle of spirit water aside, she opened the bag and rummaged for the rest of her materials.
First she took out a whale bone bowl engraved with alternating patterns of black and white, reminiscent of the Moon and Ocean spirits. Along the edge of the bowl, the four elements, fire, air, water, and earth were engraved into the bowl at south, east, north, and west respectively, representing the cycle of the elements, and of the world in general.
Next she removed two seal blubber candles: one was pure black with a silver holder while the other was pure white with a gold holder. Placing these to the left and right of the bowl, she then took out a small, square, white porcelain burner, decorated with paintings of bright blue flowers, pale gold koi, and blood-red dragons. The lid, white with dark blue streaks, was carved into the likeness of a lion-turtle, with the head facing her, clawed feet at the corners, and the turtle's back housing a large tree in the center.
Finally she removed a short black knife and placed it before the bowl. The stone knife was pure black with a glassy sheen, a bone handle, and had a uniquely sharp blade that never chipped or dulled, making it perfect for the upcoming task.
Without delay, Katara opened the burner and set the incense contained within alight. Soon, white and grey smoke, smelling of cedar wood, cypress trees, and carnation flowers, floated from the burner. Then she lit the candles, dark blue smoke with a scent of juniper blossoms rising from the black, and pale pinkish, smoke with a fragrance like cherry blossoms from the white.
Inhaling deeply, Katara, extending her hand to Senna and Tonraq, asked "The vials please".
With the vials in hand, Katara removed the stoppers and poured the blood into the bowl, where they began to swirl counterclockwise as she twirled her fingers, breathing deeply and steadily.
After a brief pause, Katara strode to Ryuukhan and, with a little aid from Senna, cut into his palm with the knife, causing him to cry in pain. Pulling up with her fingers pinched together, Katara drew some of Ryuukhan's blood, and, with a gentle wave of her arm, added his blood, and some fresh spirit water, to the bowl.
As the blood and water swirled, the bowl began to glow softly, first a bright reddish, then bright orange, then a bright gold color. The characters on the bowl also began glowing, blue for water, green for earth, red for fire, and gray for air. Meanwhile the incense transitioned towards a fragrance predominantly of pine, with a subtle hint of peppermint and nutmeg.
"The child please." Katara asked, prompting Senna forward. As Senna held Ryuukhan steady, his cut palm held firmly but gently in place, Katara pulled up her right hand and drew some of the blended blood from the bowl. Rotating her hand under the blood, she coalesced the mixture into a small sphere and gently pushed the sphere toward Ryuukhan's hand, pressing the sphere into the open cut where it mixed with his blood.
Breathing deeply, Katara drew her hand across Ryuukhan's arm toward his heart then, using both hands in tandem, spread the mixture around his body, her right pulling toward his head and her left down his legs.
Breathing deeply, she returned to his cut palm and repeated the motions, thrice chanting "Yue and La, please hear our request. Allow this child's blood to mix so that he may live.".
As she did so, the incense changed again to a mixture of lilac and lotus, with a subtle hint of sea salt. The candles also changed their scents: the black becoming a strong lavender and the white a potent frankincense. As the scents transitioned, to everyone's surprise, Ryuukhan's veins began glowing a faint red.
"It's alright." Katara reassured Senna. "It means it's working. The spirits heed our call."
Breathing deep, Katara then reached for her spirit water and, with an upward pull of her hand, her fingers pinching together, a stream of water, roughly four feet long, emerged from the bottle. Bringing her right hand under her left, palms facing one another, she rotated her hands before pulling her right hand away, drawing the stream toward Ryuukhan. As the stream made contact with his body, she began moving her hands in a clockwise motion above him, encircling the toddler and cradling him in a ring of water.
Katara then brought her hands together as though asking for a handout, pooling the water underneath Ryuukhan's body. Then she pulled her hands apart and up to her sides, encompassing all of Ryuukhan's body, save his mouth and nose, in water.
Breathing deeply, she clasped her hands together and said "Spirits, I invoke your help. Complete the task."
The water then glowed a bright white, temporarily blinding everyone, before dying down, leaving Ryuukhan soaked but otherwise fine.
Breathing deeply, Katara dried him with a flick of her hands as she inhaled the last of the incense, which took on a scent of chamomile and benzoin resin. The candles too had burned out, the last flames producing red smoke with a scent of apple blossoms from the black and yellow smoke carrying the scent of bayberry from the white.
As the smoke dissipated Katara turned her attention to Ryuukhan and felt his chest and forehead. Smiling she turned to Senna and Tonraq and said "Spirits be praised. His lungs are cleared and well on the way to recovery. His fever has gone down significantly, and his heart is perfectly normal. So he'll be fine with enough rest and fluids."
Relieved, Senna took Ryuukhan back to bed while Tonraq stayed to help Katara clean up. As they packed the holders and the incense burner, Tonraq said "Thank you for your help. I know it was a very difficult task...but you saved our son's life."
"Do not worry about it Tonraq." Katara replied, smiling gently. "Saving an innocent life was more than worth it."
As the last materials were safely packed away, Katara looked up and said "Tonraq, one more thing. In case anything happens let me know immediately."
Tonraq, surprise, worry, and dread in his eyes, asked "Katara, what do you mean? Do you mean he could get sick again?"
"No, not illness." Katara reassured him. "Past treatments have shown that successful attempts often leave the patient with greater resilience against disease in general, with recipients able to enter disease-ridden areas and remain quite healthy. Some have speculated that some specific component in the donor's blood is responsible. Others think the spirits presence imparts a lasting protection upon the recipient. I don't know the details but I'm sure your son will grow up strong and healthy."
"However, when this technique is applied to children and infants, sometimes they develop traits from the donor such as height or weight." she explained. "In one case, an Earth Kingdom child received blood from a Water Tribe merchant and the child in question developed a shorter, stockier build than their parents or siblings. In another, a baby with green eyes received blood from a bespectacled donor, and she later required glasses for reading, which was never seen in her family beforehand. We're still not sure why this happens, though it's speculated that...hereditary instructions, a...manual of sorts...we receive from our parents, somehow mix with that of the donor's and the child's development reflects this. Others think the blood acts as a conduit for the spirit of the donor to influence the child somehow."
"For the most part, these changes, if they do occur, do not usually impact health or well-being." Katara continued as she closed the medicine pack and stood to depart. "As far as I know there are only two scenarios where these changes do cause problems: the first is that the traits are frowned upon, such as certain pockets of the Earth Kingdom that still haven't forgiven the Fire Nation. The second is when the donor has some hidden medical conditions, such as food allergies or a weak heart. But since both you and Senna are perfectly healthy, and fully accepted members of our Tribe, I doubt there will be any thing to worry. But all the same, don't be afraid to call."
Nodding in understanding, Tonraq opened the door as she departed and said "I'll keep your advice in mind. Good night Katara."
"Good night Tonraq" Katara returned, giving a slight bow before departing for home.
As he watched her depart, Tonraq briefly pondered over Katara's words. 'We WILL be on the lookout' he resolved as he closed the door and headed for the bedroom. While Senna and Ryuukhan were fully sound asleep, Korra was sitting on the spare bed wide awake, her eyes furrowed in worry.
"Korra, you alright?" Tonraq asked as he carefully sat down.
"Yeah I guess." Korra responded, her head low.
"Then why do you look so..distressed?" he asked, causing Korra to look up in confusion. "It means sad or upset."
Nodding in understanding, Korra replied "I'm happy Ryuukhan's going to get well. It's just...we all used to sleep together. Now it's just Ryuukhan and mommy, and that...makes me feel...kinda mad."
"It's jealousy you're feeling Korra." Tonraq said, causing Korra to look up again in confusion. "It means someone else has something you want, and you want to hurt them for it."
"But..but...but…" Korra stuttered, looking up in shock and fear at the thought. "I don't want to hurt him."
"It's alright Korra." Tonraq reassured. "I know you won't hurt him. And don't worry, this won't last long. Once he's well, it'll be back to the good old days. Now let's go to sleep."
"OK" Korra said, laying down next to her father as he settled into the second bed. Soon she and her father were asleep, dreaming of healthy, happy times.
-Line Break-
Thanks for all your help and encouragement. Sorry for the long wait but I hope it was all worth it. Consider this my gift to you for the Holidays.
A quick note on some reviews: Ryuukhan will be a bender, and I will be going into how that is later on. There will be no slash because I'm not into that, but I will have something for Mako. And, as of now, the Goblet will play a role later in the story. I know it's been done a LOT but I'm having a hard time figuring out another mechanism for bringing him back. Perhaps the Spirit World but that's also pretty cliche and I don't know how that would work. Maybe a combination of the two? Please keep reviewing.
As for the next chapter, I'm going to give Ryuukhan an animal familiar, but I'm torn between using an established animal like June's Shirshu in the first series, or an original animal. Please let me know which you prefer.